Scott Walker Asked to Leave Local Restaurant  —  Come looking for an article about Scott Walker being booted from a Madison restaurant?  Yes, you came to the right place, but at the request of the restaurant owner due to abusive phone calls, the article has been hidden for the time being.

The Real Political Math In Wisconsin … WASHINGTON — The real political math in Wisconsin isn't about the state budget or the collective-bargaining rights of public employees there.  It is about which party controls governorships and, with them, the balance of power on the ground in the 2012 elections.

Long Bread Lines and Open Revolt in Libya's Capital  —  TRIPOLI, Libya — A bold effort by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi to prove that he was firmly in control of Libya appeared to backfire Saturday as foreign journalists he invited to the capital discovered blocks of the city in open revolt.

First blow to Emanuel team  —  Transition aide quits after ethics violation revealed  —  A veteran politician Rahm Emanuel named to his mayoral transition team resigned her high-level state job last summer and paid a fine for conducting political business on state time, according to a newly filed ethics report.

Protesters at the Wisconsin Capitol disrespectfully have taped signs on and piled junk against the Veterans Memorial.  —  Meade and I confront them, and we're told we're the first people who've had a problem with it.  I try to explain how that attempted defense of the behavior is only going to make it look worse.

A PARTISAN WAR ON TWO FRONTS.... To pay even passing attention to American politics is to notice that contemporary congressional Republicans are as right-wing as they've ever been.  The GOP caucuses in both chambers have embraced a hysterical, borderline-nihilist worldview, which is often terrifying in its scope and severity.

To Baldly Go Where Everyone Has Gone Before  —  Until a few days ago, RightNetwork, launched with much fanfare a few months ago by its spokesmodel Kelsey Grammer, appeared to be doing a dead man's float.  —  Nothing new being added by its original contributors, rumors that those blogger contributers …

The “Ventriloquist Journalism” Beat  —  Kudos to John for staying after Eric Lipton's fast one, which is a classic in the genre of what I call “ventriloquist journalism”—the highly refined technique by which “news” reporters seek out a source to confirm their preconceived story line with a specific quote.

How Budget Battles Go Without the Earmarks  —  WASHINGTON — The fact that Congress remains a spending disagreement or two away from shutting down the government no doubt strikes some as remarkable.  But there is another extraordinary aspect to the fiscal clash unfolding on Capitol Hill …

STATES OF THE UNIONS  —  Steyn on America  —  The Democrat palace guard of America's dying monodailies are doing a grand job in reporting the current stand-off in Wisconsin.  A headline in The New York Times sums up the media's bizarre enthusiasm for sacrificing what remains of their reputations in order to protect the cause:

The G.O.P.'s Abandoned Babies  —  Republicans need to figure out where they stand on children's welfare.  They can't be “pro-life” when the “child” is in the womb but indifferent when it's in the world.  Allow me to illustrate just how schizophrenic their position has become through the prism of premature babies.

FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Called Union Membership ‘One Of The Most Elemental Human Rights’  —  As the Main Street Movement of students, workers, and other middle class Americans erupts across America, many conservatives have invoked the legacy of former president Ronald Reagan to demand …

Iran Reports a Major Setback at a Nuclear Power Plant  —  Iran told atomic inspectors this week that it had run into a serious problem at a newly completed nuclear reactor that was supposed to start feeding electricity into the national grid this month, raising questions about whether the trouble …

DNC chairman: 'We're going to play for the big win' in 2012 election  —  President Obama isn't playing for a narrow victory in his 2012 reelection effort, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tim Kaine promised Saturday.  —  Kaine, speaking to party members in Washington at the DNC's Winter Meeting …

AFL-CIO Chief: Raising Taxes Will Create Jobs  —  What's the best way to get Americans back to work?  —  Raise taxes, according to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.  Specifically, he wants to raise the federal gas tax as a means to fund infrastructure spending.

Two-week budget measure expected to avert government shutdown  —  Threats of a government shutdown next week had all but disappeared by late Friday as Democrats reacted favorably to a Republican plan that would keep agencies operating past Mar. 4 while making a first down payment toward a larger budget deal.

Gingrich: If Palin Took Obama Actions, There Would Be Calls for Impeachment  —  In an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV Friday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said President Barack Obama's decision not to fully enforce the Defense of Marriage law eventually could lead to a constitutional crisis …