What's at Stake in Wisconsin's Budget Battle  —  Who's in charge of our political system—voters or unions?  —  This week President Obama was roundly criticized, even by many of his allies, for submitting a federal budget that actually increases our already crushing deficit.

Wisconsin Protesters Breitbarted Over Bogus Teachers' Excuses  —  Fox News broke this bulletin about an hour ago.  It stems from a video posted by the MacIver Institute Wisconsin alleging that a doctor is signing bogus excuses for teachers protesting in Madison.

Bloggers For Peace Flotilla Arrives In Madison...SITUATION TENSE ...Update: Thousands of Walker Supporters Are Here!  —  This is an update from Jim.  He's on the ground and in the thick of things.  He will be phoning in updates throughout the day.  —  There were thousands of tea party patriots at the Wisconsin capitol today.

Rep. David Wu's staff confronted him over concerns about his mental health  —  WASHINGTON — Three days before the Nov. 2 election, U.S. Rep. David Wu's most loyal and senior staffers were so alarmed by his erratic behavior that they demanded he enter a hospital for psychiatric treatment.

Opinion: What Does Government Do? … Pop quiz.  What's the biggest single job the federal government undertakes?  —  National defense?  Nope.  —  Homeland security?  Wrong.  —  Transportation?  Not even close.  —  Law enforcement?  No way.  —  Education?  Getting colder.  —  Foreign aid?

Libya protests: Reports of intense Benghazi violence  —  A former UK envoy to Libya says a key question is what happens in the capital Tripoli (Footage from Libyan TV and amateur sources)  —  Intense violence has been reported in Libya's second city, Benghazi, with troops said to have opened fire again on anti-government protesters.

House votes 244-179 to kill U.S. funding of IPCC  —  Just before 2 a.m. on February 19, the war on climate science showed its grip on the U.S. House of Representatives as it voted to eliminate U.S. funding for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  The Republican majority …

Delirious Joy in Bahrain  —  BAHRAIN — There's delirious joy in the center of Bahrain right now.  People power has prevailed, at least temporarily, over a regime that repeatedly used deadly force to try to crush a democracy movement.  Pro-democracy protesters have retaken the Pearl Roundabout …

Photo gallery: What Big Labor protesters are teaching kids (language warning)  —  Thanks to reader Justin Falk for sending along these pictures from the progressive Peace&Love march in Madison, Wisconsin today (language warning).  Keep it classy, progs!  —  New Civility.  Same as the Old.

Michelle Obama in Vail for weekend  —  VAIL, Colorado — First lady Michelle Obama is among the Presidents Day weekend crowd.  —  Obama arrived Friday night for a weekend of skiing in Vail and Beaver Creek, according to local sources.  —  A motorcade of about a dozen vehicles …

House Votes to Cut $60 Billion, Setting Up Clash  —  WASHINGTON — The House voted early Saturday to slash more than $60 billion from the federal budget over the next seven months, showing how powerfully the grass-roots, antispending fervor of the November elections is driving …

The ‘Union Hires Non-Union Picketers’ Story of the Day  —  Unions hiring non-union labor to walk picket lines certainly isn't a rarity, but this story from Michigan has some bonus irony: The business a local carpenter's union hired homeless people to picket is a company that is a partner …

Organizing recall in Wisconsin  —  All week long I've been closely following the situation in Madison as I sat on my couch sneezing and coughing.  Others have covered the issue itself.  I'm going to cover what we can actually DO about it.  —  Wisconsin law says that you can recall …