First Muslim in Congress breaks into tears during radicalization hearing  —  The first Muslim elected to Congress broke into tears Thursday as he delivered his opening remarks at a hearing on radicalization in the Muslim American community.  —  Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) …

Was what Scott Walker did legal?  —  Assuming Scott Walker's procedural maneuvering last night was legal — and, as I'll explain in a moment, there are some questions about that — then it was also legitimate.  Certainly as legitimate as the Democrats fleeing the state to deny the Republicans quorum.

Poll: Majorities support recall of two Wisconsin GOP senators  —  Here's something that could give some momentum to efforts to recall Wisconsin GOP state senators in the wake of last night's end-run passage of Scott Walker's measure to roll back public employee bargaining rights.

DEATH THREATS  —  Since the MSM appears intent on downplaying the growing intimidation and escalating threats of violence around the union power issue, I am reprinting verbatim an email that was sent to Republican senators.  The email was signed, but I have deleted the name pending what I hope will be a thorough police investigation.

Christie's Talk Is Blunt, but Not Always Straight  —  New Jersey's public-sector unions routinely pressure the State Legislature to give them what they fail to win in contract talks.  Most government workers pay nothing for health insurance.  Concessions by school employees would have prevented any cuts in school programs last year.

GOP: Full speed ahead on defunding NPR  — TAGS: - Corporation for Public Broadcasting - House Republicans - National Public Radio - npr - vivian schiller  —  Chief Political Correspondent Follow Him @ByronYork  —  After the release of the James O'Keefe sting video Tuesday …

Americans' Concern About Economy Rises to 12-Month High  —  Mentions of federal budget deficit and gas prices edge higher in March  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Seventy-two percent of Americans cite some aspect of the U.S. economy as the “most important problem” facing the country today.

Spending plan vote backfires as Democrats suffer defections  —  Senate Democrats suffered a wave of defections Wednesday as their proposal to cut just over $6 billion from federal spending this year went down to defeat.  —  The Democratic bill attracted two fewer votes than the rival GOP measure …

Guest writer John Phillips: For Republicans in 2012, it's Sarah Palin or another big fat L  —  Palin for Prez?  —  Somebody asked me the other day who the Republicans should plop atop their presidential ticket next year.  And I said, Sarah Palin.  —  Before you look at your computer …

Rand Paul Blames Energy Department for Faulty Toilets, Among Other Things  —  Senator Rand Paul's toilets don't work, and he blames the Department of Energy.  —  At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Thursday, Mr. Paul lambasted Kathleen Hogan …

Moammar Gadhafi Will Prevail in Libya if Stalemate Drags On, Intel Director Says  —  Intel Assessment: Gadhafi Regime Has Loyal Army Brigades and More Logistical Resources  —  Col. Moammar Gadhafi will prevail if the current stalemate in Libya drags on and the rebels are “in for a tough road …

The Social Animal by David Brooks: A Scornful Review  —  The laudably ambitious aim of the The Social Animal: A Story of Love, Character, and Achievement, the new book by New York Times columnist David Brooks, is to weave a unified picture from the scattered discoveries in the various sciences …

Assembly opens bitter debate on union bill, after protesters removed  —  By Jason Stein, Lee Bergquist, Don Walker and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - The Assembly ripped into a bitter debate over Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair and union-bargaining bill Thursday afternoon …

Justice Scalia Objects  —  One rough measure of how any Supreme Court term is going is to track the decibel level of Justice Antonin Scalia's dissenting opinions.  In a case last week, the question was whether statements made to the police by a shooting victim as he lay bleeding to death …

Domestic terrorism of the right-wing kind: Spokane arrest manifests once again where the threat lies  —  Not that it'll ever happen, but boy, does Bill O'Reilly owe Mark Potok an apology.  —  One day after castigating Potok publicly on his Fox News show for contending that …

House GOP to cut $6B in three-week measure funding government  —  House Republican appropriators are drafting a three-week measure that cuts another $6 billion in spending this year.  —  The precise cuts in the continuing resolution, which is to be unveiled Friday, have not been detailed.

Blogger Poll: The 2nd Annual Ultimate Like/Dislike Poll For Famous People On The Right  —  Right Wing News emailed more than 260 right-of-center bloggers and asked them to rate 55 prominent people and organizations on the Right as either strongly liked, liked, disliked, or strongly disliked.

Sheen Sues Warner Bros. & Lorre for $100 Million  —  TMZ has learned ... Charlie Sheen has just filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. and Chuck Lorre, and he's not only demanding he get paid for the 8 scrapped “Two and a Half Men” episodes, he's also suing on behalf of the cast and crew …

Wisconsin GOP Bill Allows State to Fire Employees for Strikes, Walk-Outs  —  On Wednesday night, Republicans in Wisconsin's state senate rammed through a retooled version of Governor Scott Walker's controversial “budget repair bill” with the 14 senate Democrats still in hiding in Illinois.

So unfav: Palin's poll plunge  —  Sarah Palin's unfavorable rating is off the charts.  —  The former Alaska governor's numbers are astonishingly upside-down, according to a new Bloomberg poll showing a 32 percentage point spread between those who have an unfavorable rating of Palin and those who view her favorably.