Top Items:


Koch Whore — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker answers his master's call — “David Koch”: We'll back you any way we can. What we were thinking about the crowd was, uh, was planting some troublemakers. — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker: You know, well, the only problem with that—because we thought about that...
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Atlantic Online, JSOnline, Little Green Footballs, Ben Smith's Blog, CANNONFIRE, The New Republic, AOL News, Salon, The Raw Story, WisPolitics Budget Blog, driftglass, blue cheddar, The Right Sphere, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos, Wonkette, Tucson Citizen, Power Line, Muckety, Mercury Rising, The Future of Capitalism, Oliver Willis, Parker Spitzer and The Impolitic
RELATED:

Did Scott Walker Get Crank-Call Pwned? (AUDIO) — Is that really Scott Walker? A New York-based alt-news editor says he got through to the embattled Wisconsin governor on the phone Tuesday by posing as right-wing financier David Koch...then had a far-ranging 20-minute conversation about the collective bargaining protests.

Governor Walker's office confirms prank Koch call — The Internet is burning up with the news that Governor Scott Walker may have been pranked by a caller claiming to be David Koch, and a spokesman for the Governor, Cullen Werwie, emails a statement confirming the call is legit:
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Mediaite, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Althouse and The Maddow Blog


The Howard Stern-ing of the Wisconsin showdown — A left-wing website that specializes in pranking celebrities, pundits, and politicians — a la Howard Stern — is doing a Snoopy dance over a fake call its operatives made to GOP Gov. Scott Walker. — The hoaxer pretended to be David Koch, the progs' favorite capitalist target.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Salon, WFRV-TV and Whiskey Fire

Gov. Walker Informed That Bill Targeting Unions May Cost State $46 Million In Federal Funds … WASHINGTON — Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Did Scott Walker Reveal His Crisis-Ending Ruse to a Prank Caller? — MADISON, Wisc. — The governor's main line is busy, so I'll have to grab an in-person spokesman confirmation or denial in a bit. * Until then: Ian Murphy of the Buffalo Beast claims to have posed as “David Koch” …
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press and AmSpecBlog

What a prank call proves about Wisconsin — Gonzo journalist Ian Murphy noticed one of Wisconsin's Senate Democrats complaining that Gov. Scott Walker was impossible to reach on the phone. So Murphy came up with a prank call: He posed as right-wing financier David Koch and called Walker's receptionist.
Discussion:
Yglesias and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Wisconsin Governor Walker Punked by Fake Koch Call
Discussion:
Dependable Renegade


Bait and Switch? — Walker's budget plans don't fix what he says is the crisis.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, The Plum Line, Saint Petersblog, The Raw Story, TPMDC and Yglesias

Koch brothers quietly open lobbying office in downtown Madison
Discussion:
Weigel, The Awl, Sky Dancing, Guardian, Sunlight Foundation Blog, Minneapolis Star Tribune, TPMDC and ThinkProgress

Top Six Revelations in the Call Between Fake David Koch and Governor Scott Walker
Discussion:
The Blaze, Verum Serum, msnbc.com and Booman Tribune

Scott Walker Gets Punked By Journalist Pretending To Be David Koch
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Balloon Juice

Public unions force taxpayers to fund Democrats
Discussion:
theblogprof, The Gateway Pundit, Coffee & Markets, Betsy's Page, Cold Fury and NewsBusters.org

Making sense of Wisconsin's union showdown
Discussion:
Balkinization, Firedoglake, Ezra Klein and Saint Petersblog

Progressive Caucus head: Walker ‘basically taking up the posture of a dictator’
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers

The real threat to democracy in Wisconsin
Discussion:
Left Coast Rebel, theblogprof, Daily Kos and Michelle Malkin

Wonkbook: Will Wisconsin spread?
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Wall Street Journal and Balloon Juice

Statement of the Attorney General on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act — WASHINGTON - The Attorney General made the following statement today about the Department's course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, msnbc.com, Washington Monthly, Ben Smith's Blog, AMERICAblog Gay, JONATHAN TURLEY, New York Magazine, The Volokh Conspiracy, Sky Dancing, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, The Right Sphere, Hit & Run, Wonkette, The Daily Caller, PostPartisan, Booman Tribune, Yglesias, AOL News, Christianity Today, The American Independent and Unfogged
RELATED:


Obama Won't Go to Court Over Defense of Marriage Act — An opponent of California's Prop 8 holds an American flag and gay pride flag during a demonstration outside of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 6, 2010 in San Francisco. — President Obama believes that the Defense …
Discussion:
Hot Air, National Review, The Daily Dish, Indecision Forever and Gawker

Gov't drops defense of anti-gay marriage law
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Maryland Politics and The Page

Obama Orders End to Defense of Federal Gay Marriage Law
Discussion:
Poliglot, Outside the Beltway and Above the Law


Obama, DOJ Say Part Of DOMA Is Unconstitutional, Will Not Defend It In Court

Breaking News: Obama action against DOMA coming
Discussion:
Pam's House Blend


Newt Gingrich confronted over affair — PHILADELPHIA — Newt Gingrich's speech at the University of Pennsylvania Tuesday night quickly took a turn for the dramatic when the first student to question him brought up his admitted extra-marital affair and accused him of being “hypocritical” for espousing moral values.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Right Turn, nancynall.com, Salon, CNN, Wonk Room, The Other McCain, The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine, Wonkette, Jay Bookman and Dependable Renegade


Indiana Official: “Use Live Ammunition” Against Wisconsin Protesters — A conservative deputy AG let his emotions get out of hand. It wasn't the first time. — Post Comment — On Saturday night, when Mother Jones staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Hullabaloo, TPMDC, New York Magazine, The Raw Story, Mother Jones and Shakesville
RELATED:


Indiana Official On Wisconsin Protestors: ‘Use Live Ammunition’
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Daily Dish

WHEN THE RIGHT'S RHETORIC TURNS VIOLENT.... In the wake …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice


Indiana Senate leader says right-to-work bill is dead — Daniels clarifies statements on pending legislation — Gov. Mitch Daniels this morning toughened his words about House Democrats who have fled the state is protest of Republican legislative proposals.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, USA Today, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, The Daily Caller, Little Green Footballs and Swampland
RELATED:

Indiana kills ‘right-to-work’ bill
Discussion:
Courier-Journal, The American Independent and Politics

Video: The Daily Show Tortures a Camel in Madison — Madison, Wisc. — No joke: The Daily Show brought a camel to the protests in Madison the other day, presumably to help make fun of the Cairo/Madison comparisons. As this video shows, the gag didn't turn out so well:
Discussion:
JSOnline, Breitbart.tv, The Jawa Report, iOwnTheWorld.com and The Gateway Pundit


Fox Reverses Results Of Gallup Poll To Claim Americans Oppose Union Collective Bargaining Rights — Yesterday, USA Today and Gallup released a new poll that found that a whopping 61 percent of Americans oppose efforts like those of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) to strip public sector unions of collective bargaining rights.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, US News and Talking Points Memo
RELATED:

Dem Rep to unions: Time to get ‘bloody’ — A Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts is raising the stakes in the nation's fight over the future of public employee unions, saying emails aren't enough to show support and that it is time to “get a little bloody.”
RELATED:

Democrat urges unions to ‘get a little bloody when necessary’
Discussion:
Dorchester Reporter, Michelle Malkin, The Jawa Report, RedState, Mediaite and Atlas Shrugs

Providence plans to pink slip all teachers — PROVIDENCE — The school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers, an unprecedented move that has union leaders up in arms. — In a letter sent to all teachers Tuesday, Supt.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, The Greenroom, HazZzMat, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, JONATHAN TURLEY, Sweetness & Light and Wake up America


Here's to Libya's Freedom — It's a little perplexing looking at the White House today. There was a statement on the horrible earthquake in New Zealand, and certainly our hearts go out to all those affected by this horrible natural disaster. But nothing on the slaughter in Libya?
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Al Jazeera Blogs, Cubachi and Pundit Press
RELATED:

W.H.: Obama won't speak on Libya
Discussion:
BBC, CNN, Babalú Blog, Sense of Events, Hit & Run and Fausta's Blog


Chicago's next mayor: Emanuel — Ex-presidential adviser avoids runoff with 55% — Rahm Emanuel, a top adviser to two U.S. presidents who returned to Chicago just months ago, swept into the mayor's office Tuesday, inheriting a city reeling from recession and promising to reshape City Hall.
RELATED:

Emanuel Triumphs in Chicago Mayoral Race
Discussion:
The Caucus, Hot Air, Politics, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Prairie Weather, FrumForum and Booman Tribune

D.C., Hawaii Still Most Approving of Obama; All States Decline — Approval is higher than average in 12 states plus D.C., lower than average in 18 states — PRINCETON, NJ — Residents of Hawaii gave native son President Barack Obama the highest average 2010 job approval rating (66%) …
Discussion:
Ballot Box, CNN, Politics Daily, Hot Air, Wake up America, The Moderate Voice, The Politico and The Daily Caller

Another judge rules the individual mandate constitutional — This time it was Judge Gladys Kessler in the D.C. Circuit Court. Kessler, interestingly, rejected the idea that the individual mandate is a tax. Her ruling for the mandate's constitutionality rested on the “necessary and proper clause …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
RELATED: