Wisconsin Power Play  —  Last week, in the face of protest demonstrations against Wisconsin's new union-busting governor, Scott Walker — demonstrations that continued through the weekend, with huge crowds on Saturday — Representative Paul Ryan made an unintentionally apt comparison: “It's like Cairo has moved to Madison.”

Wisconsin Puts Obama Between Competing Desires  —  WASHINGTON — The battle in Wisconsin over public employee unions has left President Obama facing a tricky balance between showing solidarity with longtime political supporters and projecting a message in favor of deep spending cuts to reduce the debt.

As Republicans See a Mandate on Budget Cuts, Others See Risk  —  WASHINGTON — In Congress and in statehouses, Republican lawmakers and governors are claiming a broad mandate from last year's elections as they embark on an aggressive campaign of cutting government spending and taking on public unions.

Oops: White House, DNC disavow involvement with #WIunion protests but Twitter busts 'em cold @ByronYork  —  The unofficial public relations arm of the Obama administration reports that the White House and the DNC really had nothing at all to do with the public service union protests in Madison.

Budget stalemate enters second week  —  By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison — As the budget standoff drags on, Republicans and Democrats are holding possible bargaining chips in their efforts to end the stalemate that has held up action on Gov. Scott Walker's bill to fix …

Libya protests: Col Gaddafi under mounting pressure  —  Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime is under pressure amid unprecedented protests in the Libyan capital and defections by senior diplomats.  —  Protesters out on the streets of Tripoli late on Sunday were met by security forces using live ammunition and tear gas.

Huckabee throws a Mitt fit  —  Mike Huckabee may be especially tempted to run in 2012 by a lingering feud between him and Mitt Romney, a severe hangover from the 2008 campaign that has created a lasting and bitter rift between the two, Republicans who know both men say.