Walker says layoff notices coming Friday; Senate Democrats found in contempt by GOP  —  By Patrick Marley, Jason Stein and Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison — Pressure ratcheted up on absent Senate Democrats Thursday, as they were found in contempt by GOP senators …

Wisconsin Poll: Support for Budget Cutting, Not for Weakening Collective Bargaining Rights  —  Most Wisconsin voters oppose efforts to weaken collective bargaining rights for union workers but a plurality are supportive of significant pay cuts for state workers.

Fewer Are Angry at Government, But Discontent Remains High  —  Republicans, Tea Party Supporters More Mellow  —  The public remains deeply frustrated with the federal government, but fewer Americans say they are angry at government than did so last fall.  Overall, the percentage saying …

Judge Roger Vinson issues stay of own ruling  —  U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled Thursday that implementation of the health law can proceed — but he gave the Obama administration just seven days to file an appeal.  —  Vinson issued a stay of his own Jan. 31 ruling that declared …

Tea party leader: John Boehner should go  —  A national tea party group is in revolt against House Speaker John Boehner and wants to see him defeated in a 2012 primary, arguing that he looks “like a fool” in the debate over spending cuts and makes less sense than actor Charlie Sheen.

Northwestern University defends after-class live sex demonstration  —  More than 100 Northwestern University students watched as a naked 25-year-old woman was penetrated by a sex toy wielded by her fiancee during an after-class session of the school's popular “Human Sexuality” class.

Newt Gingrich on 2012: ‘We will look at this very seriously’  —  ATLANTA — Newt Gingrich said on Thursday he is “seriously” considering a 2012 presidential run and unveiled a website to explore a potential bid for the White House.  —  The former House Speaker is the first major Republican candidate to open such an exploratory effort.

Anti-Muslim Protestor Throws Crosses At Feet Of Man Praying By White House (VIDEO)  —  A group of anti-Sharia protestors who planned to counter-protest the planned pro-Sharia rally by the radical provocateur Anjem Choudary in front of the White House on Thursday found themselves without an opponent to debate.

Government e-mails reveal plot to stall budget repair bill  —  Madison mayor tried to get bill stalled while he signed new contracts  —  Before protesters stormed the capitol, the mayor of the city of Madison tried to pull a fast one.  The governor's budget repair bill was on the fast track …

Gunning for Eliot  —  Eliot Spitzer's resurrection — from the disgraced gov ernor better known as Cli ent 9 to CNN talk-show host — has the political class buzzing about him running for mayor in 2013.  Wilder still, one of his former targets is talking about running against him.

Sheriff deputies find live ammunition outside Capitol  —  MORE (2)  —  Dozens of rounds of live ammunition were found outside the Capitol Thursday morning, law enforcement officials said.  —  Dane County deputies found 11 rounds near the State street entrance Thursday morning, said UW-Madison Police Chief Susan Riseling.

Why Washington Doesn't Care About Jobs  —  This article appeared in the March 21, 2011 edition of The Nation.  —  Recommended by  —  Remember when everyone agreed that what the American people wanted from Washington was, in John Boehner's words, a “relentless focus on creating jobs”?

Matt Damon: Not a fan of Obama  —  Watch the full interview with Matt Damon and the cast of “The Adjustment Bureau” tonight.  “Piers Morgan Tonight” airs weeknights on CNN/US at 9 p.m. ET and on CNN International at 1200 GMT/1300 CET/2000 HKT.  —  (CNN) — When CNN's Piers Morgan asked actor Matt Damon …

APNewsBreak: Harvard to Let ROTC Back on Campus  —  APNewsBreak: Harvard to let ROTC back on campus, cites new gays-in-military policy  —  Harvard University is welcoming the Reserve Officer Training Corps program back to campus this week, 41 years after banishing it amid dissent over the Vietnam War.

How the Edwards Affair Ended Up in the Enquirer  —  Lisa Druck was trouble.  You'd run into her at Nell's where we all tended to hang out and she'd be in a panic.  Some guy would be running from her, taxiing quickly to another club.  She'd storm the bathrooms and you could hear her voice …

To Surly, With Love: Are Teachers Overpaid?  —  Public school teachers are at the forefront of protests against state budget cuts and restrictions on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio, and elsewhere.  —  Teachers have a lot to lose.

Blogger From Koch's Law Firm Defends Koch, Doesn't Disclose Ties  —  Fighting back against public scrutiny, Koch Industries is relying on a small army of conservative bloggers, reporters, and lobbyists.  Chief among them is John Hinderaker, a blogger at the “Powerline Blog.”

Wisconsin Senate Does Not Need a 3/5ths Quorum to Pass Much of the Budget Bill  —  I have a new paper up on SSRN-Super Quorums Under the Wisconsin Constitution-that examines the constitutional three-fifths quorum requirement in Wisconsin.  It applies only to particular kinds of fiscal bills …

Less Drama in White House After Staff Changes  —  WASHINGTON — When Rahm Emanuel was White House chief of staff, the decision about what President Obama would say in the short address he delivers via radio and the Internet each Saturday changed so often that speechwriters would wait until Friday to write.

Gaddafi bombs oil areas, faces crimes probe  —  AL-UQAYLA, Libya (Reuters) - Muammar Gaddafi struck at rebel control of a key Libyan coastal road for a second day Thursday but received a warning he would be held to account at The Hague for suspected crimes by his security forces.

Former Koch Exec Supplying House's New Styrofoam Cups … WASHINGTON — Former Koch Industries executive George Wurtz owns WinCup, which supplies the styrofoam cups now littering the building following the House GOP's decision to phase out biodegradable cups from a Capitol lunchroom.

Firefighters denied access to Capitol during emergency call  —  By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison — Security is so restrictive at the state Capitol that firefighters were denied access to the building during an emergency call Tuesday, one of the firefighters said Thursday.

Huckabee Attacks Natalie Portman For Glamorizing “Out Of Wedlock Births”  —  In a radio appearance on Monday, Mike Huckabee attacked actress Natalie Portman for having a child “out of wedlock.”  Huckabee said that it's “troubling” to see people like “Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet …

Rodney King, 20 years later  —  Editor's note: Tune in Friday at 8 p.m. ET as CNN looks back at the Rodney King beating and the events that divided Los Angeles and the nation on “CNN Presents: Race and Rage.”  —  (CNN) — The beating of Rodney King 20 years ago Thursday marked the end …

Longhorns 17, Badgers 1  —  Please pardon this brief departure from my normal folderol, but every so often a member of the chattering class issues a nugget of stupidity so egregious that no amount of mockery will suffice.  Particularly when the issuer of said stupidity holds a Nobel Prize.

Officials say it'll cost $7.5 million to clean up glue, tape, posters left from protesters  —  Damage to marble is biggest cost  —  It could cost as much as $7.5 million to repair damage protesters have done to the Capitol Building marble say officials in Madison.