memeorandum: Nevada Seeks to Cut Funds for Treating Gambling Addiction (Ian Lovett/New York Times)

3:55 AM ET, February 20, 2011

Top Items:

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.

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com

MacIver Institute:

Fake Doctors' Notes Being Handed Out at Wisconsin Gov. Union Rally — [Madison, WI] As tens of thousands of public employees skipped work this week to attend protest rallies outside the Wisconsin State Capitol, many wondered if they would face any disciplinary action for unexcused absences.

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, Pundit Press, The Gateway Pundit, Pajamas Media, Instapundit, Doug Ross, Daily Kos and JSOnline

Michelle Malkin:

Badger State Battle: Unions vs. Tea Party in Wisconsin; Runaway Dems could be AWOL “for weeks;” recall campaigns launched; nine anti-Walker protesters arrested; fake doctors' notes for fake sick teachers (VIDEO) — It's Battle of the Protest Bands in Madison today, with thousands …

Discussion: The Page, Nice Deb, BeggarsCanBeChoosers.com, Doug Ross, Pundit Press, Althouse, GayPatriot, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Pundit & Pundette, Gawker, Blogging Blue and AmSpecBlog

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

At the Wisconsin protest, doctors offer to write excuse notes for teachers who called in sick. — Details and video here. — I saw these people myself today. At first I thought it was some sort of comic street theater, but it was, apparently, real doctors, defending what they were doing.

Discussion: Instapundit and The Gateway Pundit

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Video: Doctors handing out fake medical excuses at WI union protest

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Michelle Malkin:

Photo gallery: What Big Labor protesters are teaching kids (language warning); Update: Slobs and more vulgarity and Fox hate — 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!

Discussion: BLACKFIVE, Pajamas Media, Pundit & Pundette and CNSNews

Wall Street Journal:
Protests Fail to Sway Wisconsin Governor

Discussion: Truthdig

Gov. Tim Pawlenty / Big Government: I Stand with Scott Walker

Charles Lane / PostPartisan:
Tyranny in Wisconsin, Part 4

Discussion: Mother Jones, GayPatriot, Taylor Marsh, RedState and Balloon Juice

Monica Davey / New York Times:
For Wisconsin Governor, Battle Was Long Coming

Discussion: Sky Dancing, New York Magazine, Runnin' Scared and JSOnline

Patrick McIlheran / Real Clear Politics:
FDR's Ghost Is Smiling on Wisconsin's Governor

Discussion: Maggie's Notebook, Weasel Zippers, Althouse and Wall Street Journal

Washington Times:
Obama's war on democracy

Discussion: UrbanGrounds

ABCNEWS:

Tea Party Descends on Madison Protests — Wisconsin Tea Party Activists Are Now Weighing In on the Ongoing State Worker Protests and Exploring Measures to Recall the Missing Democratic Senators — Wisconsin tea party activists are now weighing in on the ongoing state worker protests …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Sky Dancing and The “Badger 14”

New York Times:
Dueling Protests in a Capital as Nothing Much Gets Done

Discussion: Mercury Rising, CBS News and New York Times

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:
HERMAN CAIN VIDEO ADDED

Discussion: Pundit Press, The Gateway Pundit, National Review, Instapundit, GayPatriot, Moe Lane, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, Daily Kos and WisPolitics Budget Blog

Lady Liberty / The Gateway Pundit:
Bloggers For Peace Flotilla Arrives In Madison...SITUATION TENSE ...Update: Thousands of Walker Supporters Are Here!

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, Weasel Zippers, National Review and Da Techguy's Blog

JSOnline:
Biggest protests yet as pro-Walker side, larger union crowd meet peacefully

Discussion: TPMDC, WisPolitics Budget Blog, Crooked Timber and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

BBC:

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.

Discussion: Guardian, Aljazeera, The Atlantic Online, Chicago Boyz, Unqualified Offerings and Libya February 17th

Anthony Shadid / New York Times: Cycle of Suppression Rises in Libya and Elsewhere

CNN:
Libyan demonstrators say they'll soldier on despite violent crackdown

Discussion: The Daily Beast, New York Magazine and The Other McCain

hrw.org:
Libya: Security Forces Kill 84 Over Three Days

Discussion: Guardian, Washington Post, Arabist.net, Firedoglake, The Reaction, The Jawa Report, Outside the Beltway, FP Passport and BBC

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

Florida threatens to shred 2012 calendar — A deepening standoff between national Republicans and top party leaders in Florida has the potential to blow up the 2012 presidential primary calendar — and do lasting damage to the GOP in the nation's largest swing state.

Oregonian:

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.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Fox Nation, The Other McCain, Associated Press and JammieWearingFool

Ian Lovett / New York Times:

Nevada Seeks to Cut Funds for Treating Gambling Addiction — Gordie Greco was hooked on gambling almost from the first time he shot dice at age 16. And for 35 years, gambling was his life: he worked in the industry and made his own bets on sports and horses.

Discussion: FrumForum

Lexington Green / Chicago Boyz:

Getting to a Wisconsin Senate Quorum — Wisconsin Senate rules require a 3/5 quorum in the Senate. There are currently 19 Republican senators, and 14 Democrat senators. — The GOP needs one more to get to 20. — The Democrat senators have apparently said they will stay away for weeks if necessary.

Discussion: The Other McCain

Rick Piltz / Climate Science Watch:

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 …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, Crooks and Liars, ScienceInsider, The Reality-Based Community, Watts Up With That? and Pirate's Cove

Randy Wyrick / Vail Daily:

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 …

Discussion: Don Surber, Weasel Zippers, Scared Monkeys, Political Punch, The Gateway Pundit and JammieWearingFool

John Merline / AOL News:

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?

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, CARPE DIEM and Verum Serum