On a Senate Call, a Glimpse of Marching Orders  —  Um, Senators, ever heard of the mute button?  —  Moments before a conference call with reporters was scheduled to get underway on Tuesday morning, apparently unaware that many of the reporters were already on the line, Charles Schumer of New York …

CRUISE SHIP CONFESSION: Top Fox News Executive Admits Lying On-Air About Obama  —  In newly uncovered audio, a Fox News executive boasts that he lied repeatedly during the closing days of the 2008 presidential campaign when he speculated on-air “about whether Barack Obama really advocated socialism.”

Sarah Palin Exaggerates Cost of Libya Intervention By 700%  —  Last night on Fox News, Greta van Susteren hosted former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) to discuss what Palin termed the “squirmish” in Libya.  True to form, the former governor was reckless with basic facts and casually septupled the cost of U.S. intervention.

Bill Maher at the Winspear on Sunday night: 'Your new theater isn't gonna be clean for long'  —  I've seen Kathy Griffin perform live, and Joan Rivers and Lisa Lampanelli and Chris Rock — and they are all hilarious and edgy and daring comics who say outrageous things and go places that scare …

Take Two: Donald Trump Releases Official Birth Certificate  —  ABC News Michael Falcone reports:  —  Donald Trump learned the hard way this week that if you're going to call on the president to release his official birth certificate, you'd better do the same.

Calling BULLS**T on Rolling Stone  —  Seldom do I waste time with rebutting articles, and especially not from publications like Rolling Stone.  Today, numerous people sent links to the latest Rolling Stone tripe.  The story is titled “THE KILL TEAM, THE FULL STORY.”  It should be titled: “BULLS**T, from Rolling Stone.”

Huckabee Continues to Lead in GOP Positive Intensity Tracking  —  Little-known Herman Cain generates strong enthusiasm among those who recognize him  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Mike Huckabee continues to generate the strongest favorable reactions from Republicans who recognize him, with a Positive Intensity Score of 26.

Scott incredibly unpopular  —  You could say Rick Scott's honeymoon is over...but that would suggest he had one in the first place.  A December PPP poll shortly before Scott took office found that only 33% of Florida voters had a favorable opinion of their new Governor to 43% who viewed him negatively.

NATO Chief Opens The Door to Libya Ground Troops  —  The mantra, from President Obama on down, is that ground forces are totally ruled out for Libya.  After all, the United Nations Security Council Resolution authorizing the war explicitly rules out any “occupation” forces.

Howard Dean: Democrats Should Be ‘Quietly Rooting’ for Shutdown  —  Speaking at the National Journal Insiders Conference on March 29, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said that a government shutdown would be bad for the country but good for Democrats.

The hypocrisy of the American left  —  Self-righteousness is a dangerous vice.  It breeds arrogance and moral blind spots for those who come to believe they are superior to those who share different worldviews.  —  Televangelists have fallen prey to this feeling of superiority …

Japan ‘has lost race’ to halt meltdown  —  Fukushima meltdown fears rise after radioactive core melts through vessel - but ‘no danger of Chernobyl-style catastrophe’  —  • In pictures: Fukushima nuclear emergency - week three  —  • Interactive: Japan earthquake: Ian Sample on efforts to contain the nuclear accident

Tom Tomorrow:  —  A period of transition  —  I don't really remember the exact date, but at some point in late 1994 or early 1995, I met my editor from the SF Examiner, David Talbot, for lunch at the Rincon Center food court in San Francisco.  Over some cheap take-out …

3-Month Nightmare Emerges in Rape Inquiry  —  CLEVELAND, Tex. — A year ago, the 11-year-old girl who the police say was the victim of repeated gang rapes in this East Texas town was an outgoing honor roll student, brimming with enthusiasm, who went on hikes and planted trees with a youth group here.

Conservative Think Tank Seeks Michigan Profs' Emails About Wisconsin Union Battle ... And Maddow  —  A free enterprise think tank in Michigan — backed by some of the biggest names in national conservative donor circles — has made a broad public records request to at least three in-state universities …

With no airstrikes, rebels flee Qaddafi forces  —  Opposition forces retreat from Qaddafi hometown shouting “Sarkozy, where are you?” as Allied bombardments fail to materialize  —  RAS LANOUF, Libya - Libyan government tanks and rockets pounded rebel forces into a panicked full retreat Tuesday …

Cash for Clunkers 2: The Return of Government Motors  —  Ready for another cash for clunkers program?  It looks like General Motors is attempting to replace it's own consumer incentives with tax payer money.  The car company, bailed out of bankruptcy in 2009 by the American tax payer …

US paves way to arm Libyan rebels  —  Clinton tells London conference that UN security council resolution 1973 over-rode absolute prohibition of arms to Libya  —  Hillary Clinton has paved the way for the United States to arm the Libyan rebels by declaring that the recent UN security council …

State stops collecting union dues, starts charging more for health care  —  By Jason Stein and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - Gov. Scott Walker's administration is no longer collecting dues on behalf of state unions and as of Sunday began charging employees …

Levin takes on Ron Paul supporters: ‘I promise you his followers are the biggest a-holes of them all’  —  There's no doubt that 2008 Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul of Texas has some dedicated followers, and they're especially ambitious in using the Internet to spread their message.

Left, Right And Time  —  I suffer, it seems, from an affliction that bedevils many.  I now find myself largely opposed to most Republicans and in favor of a Democratic president as an even tempered pragmatist.  But I have not reimagined myself as a leftist.  Others have, of course, but I wince a little every time.

Gingrich fears ‘atheist country ... dominated by radical Islamists’  —  Newt Gingrich at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas.  —  Hours after declaring Sunday that he expects to be running for president within a month, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he's worried the United States could be …

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Asks Field Offices to Put Bi-National Immigration Cases on Hold  —  [IMPORTANT TUESDAY, MARCH 29, UPDATE: “DHS Official: Bi-National Immigration Case Abeyances Could End Within A Week."]  —  Following up on reports from this weekend …

Have We Got Arab Politics All Wrong?  —  We've long tended to assume that foreign policy drives Arab public opinion, but the uprisings in Egypt and Syria may show us otherwise  —  On January 31, in one of his few public interviews, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the Wall Street Journal, “Syria is stable.

Matt Weiner's Talks For ‘Mad Men’ Mega Deal Could Collapse Over Cost-Shaving  —  Negotiations between Mad Men creator/executive producer Matt Weiner and AMC and Lionsgate Television seemed close enough to expect the cable network's signature show to lock a fifth season in time for AMC's April upfront meetings with advertisers.