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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

US Senator: Mideast unrest not causing gas price surge  —  WASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior US senator on Thursday ruled out violent unrest across the Middle East as a main cause of surging oil and gasoline prices, placing the blame instead on plans to curb greenhouse gases.

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 …

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 …

Pimco's Gross Eliminates Government Debt From Total Return Fund  —  Bill Gross, who runs the world's biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., eliminated government-related debt from his flagship fund last month as the U.S. projected record budget deficits.

DeMint machine could rival NRSC  —  Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is already building an aggressive campaign machine for the 2012 Senate elections, promising to push his party further to the right, despite angering many in the GOP establishment with his political activities last year.

Two Dems break with White House on Medicare board  —  Two House Democrats have signed onto a Republican bill to repeal a health reform provision that the Obama administration has touted as a central tool to keep health costs under control.  —  Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) …