A Very Liberal Intervention  —  In its month-long crab walk toward a military confrontation with Libya's Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Obama administration has delivered a clinic in the liberal way of war.  —  Just a week ago, as the tide began to turn against the anti-Qaddafi rebellion …

Pawlenty to announce exploratory committee today via Facebook  —  From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Carrie Dann  —  Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) will announce that he has formed an exploratory committee to consider running for president in 2012, a senior adviser confirmed to NBC News.

Now it's time to defund NPR  —  Even after they fired me, called me a bigot and publicly advised me to only share my thoughts with a psychiatrist, I did not call for defunding NPR.  I am a journalist and NPR is an important platform for journalism.  —  But last week my line of defense for NPR ran into harsh political realities.

MI6 puts gun to generals' heads: Our spies phone Gaddafi's men direct to warn: Defect or die  —  British intelligence is warning Colonel Gaddafi's generals that it could be fatal to remain loyal to the Libyan leader.  —  MI6 spies and military officials are contacting commanders in Tripoli trying …

Hey, NPR: Fund your own lame liberal humor — and leave my family alone  —  If the obscure and has-been comedians who appear on National Public Radio want to mock conservatives and spread left-wing propaganda, they should do it on their own damned dime.  —  The government-sponsored radio …

How Dumb Are We?  —  NEWSWEEK gave 1,000 Americans the U.S. Citizenship Test—38 percent failed.  The country's future is imperiled by our ignorance.  —  What Don't You Know?  Take the Quiz.  —  They're the sort of scores that drive high-school history teachers to drink.

Analysis: Emails favored Walker 2-1  —  One-third of positive emails from out of state … By Kate Golden  —  Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism  —  Gov. Scott Walker was right: The angry crowds in Madison didn't tell the whole story of how Wisconsinites felt.

Americans' Worries About Economy, Budget Top Other Issues  —  Worry about energy up since 2010, flat for other issues  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly three in four Americans (71%) say they worry about the economy “a great deal,” more than worry about 13 other issues Gallup measured in a March 3-6 poll.

US army's ‘kill team’ in Afghanistan  —  Commanders brace for backlash of anti-US sentiment that could be more damaging than after the Abu Ghraib scandal  —  Commanders in Afghanistan are bracing themselves for possible riots and public fury triggered by the publication of “trophy” …

Pelosi hospitalised in Rome after feeling unwell  —  ROME — US Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was hospitalised on Monday after feeling unwell during a visit to Rome, Italian news agencies said.  —  Pelosi, in Italy to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Italian nation …

Trump: I “screwed” Gaddafi  —  A priceless moment from Donald Trump on Fox & Friends this morning.

Unable to Restrain Themselves  —  Last week I noticed a bevy of conservative commentators, such as Glenn Beck, piously lowering their voices and paying tribute to the calm and resilience of the Japanese people in their time of trauma, emphasizing that there had been “no looting” in the aftermath of so much destruction and disarray.

Barbour racks up travel bill in '10  —  More than $300K spent for trips out of state last year  —  Mississippi taxpayers forked over more than $18,602 for Gov. Haley Barbour's trip to Las Vegas for a “project meeting” last March - a trip in which he hobnobbed with potential donors and powerplayers.

Just a Bad, Bad Idea  —  At the end of last week I couldn't help tweeting that everything I was seeing in Libya was bringing out my inner foreign policy Realist.  And everything I've seen this weekend has confirmed me in that view.  Indeed, there are so many reasons this strikes me as a bad idea I really hardly know where to start.

The War on Warren  —  Last week, at a House hearing on financial institutions and consumer credit, Republicans lined up to grill and attack Elizabeth Warren, the law professor and bankruptcy expert who is in charge of setting up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

THE ‘GANG OF 64’ NEEDS SOME HELP.... Late Friday, shortly before the Senate recessed and its members left town, a group of 64 senators sent a letter to President Obama, seeking some help on fiscal issues.  —  The group was organized by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) …

Uncivil disobedience  —  Just a couple of months ago, in the wake of Jared Loughner's shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, simple talk of “targeting” a political opponent for defeat was treated as beyond the pale.  But let's look at some more recent language — and conduct …

Alter: ‘Obama A Reluctant Warrior, Not Cowboy Like Bush’  —  Of all the Obama sycophants in the press, could the president possibly have a more abject apologist than Jonathan Alter?  —  The MNSBC analyst gave a groveling demonstration of his devotion in an interview with Willie Geist, guest-hosting on The Daily Rundown this morning.

Raise Rates to Boost the Economy  —  Oil and wheat and commodities will see a 20%-30% drop in price as speculators run for the hills.  This will be a de facto tax cut for consumers.  —  The chairman of the Federal Reserve is stuck between a rock and a hard place—well, more like a house and a gas tank.

Republicans vote to nominate candidates by mail to sidestep ‘top-two primary’ system  —  California Republicans vote to enact a sweeping end-run around the spirit of the “top-two primary” system adopted by voters as Proposition 14.  The party decides to conduct a mail-in nominating process …