Top Items:


FACT CHECK: How Obama's Libya claims fit the facts — WASHINGTON (AP) — There may be less than meets the eye to President Barack Obama's statements Monday night that NATO is taking over from the U.S. in Libya and that U.S. action is limited to defending people under attack there by Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
RELATED:

Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Libya — National Defense University — Washington, D.C. — THE PRESIDENT: Tonight, I'd like to update the American people on the international effort that we have led in Libya — what we've done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us.
Discussion:
Daniel W. Drezner, Ross Douthat, Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, Washington Examiner, The Nation, Guardian, New York Times, Wizbang, The Atlantic Online, FP Passport, The Enterprise Blog, Washington Post, The Daily Dish, The Huffington Post, The Jawa Report, The Duck of Minerva, Mother Jones, National Review, Althouse, NationalJournal.com, Close Read, The Caucus, Lawfare, Betsy's Page, Washington Monthly, CNN, GayPatriot, Shakesville, Fausta's Blog, Power Line, Taylor Marsh, Pajamas Media, SWJ Blog, The Politico, The Washington Note, FREEDOM EDEN, Connecting.the.Dots, The Maddow Blog and The Democratic Daily

You've Come a Long Way, Baby — President Obama's unapologetic, freedom-agenda-embracing, not-shrinking-from-the-use-of- force speech. — I knew pretty early on during tonight's speech that President Obama had rejoined—or joined—the historical American foreign policy mainstream.

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.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Atlantic Online and Prairie Weather

Americans Resist a Major U.S. Role in Libya
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Daily Dish, Hot Air and The Atlantic Online

Obama, Libya and the GOP
Discussion:
GOP 12, Ben Smith's Blog and BackyardConservative

Echoes of Bush in Obama's Libya Speech
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, National Review and Guardian

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.”
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Big Journalism, National Review, The Gateway Pundit and The Agonist
RELATED:

Obama a Socialist? Fox News Exec Said So, but Didn't Believe It
Discussion:
Salon, The Right Sphere, The Daily Beast, nancynall.com and Poynter

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 …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Taegan Goddard's … and msnbc.com
RELATED:

Dems adopt divide and conquer strategy on spending cuts — Democrats are deploying a divide-and-conquer strategy in their negotiations with House Republicans over spending cuts. — After being put back on their heels earlier in the budget message battle, Senate Democrats are now trying …
Discussion:
msnbc.com and Prairie Weather


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 …
Discussion:
The New Republic
RELATED:

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.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Orlando Sentinel and Oliver Willis
RELATED:


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 …
Discussion:
Shakesville, Maggie's Notebook, NewsBusters.org, Oliver Willis, Conservatives4Palin and The Daily Caller
RELATED:

Report: Bill Maher doubles down — calls Sarah Palin a ‘c**t’
Discussion:
That's What She Said and Weasel Zippers


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.
RELATED:

Trump fails to produce birth certificate
Discussion:
CNN, Mediaite, Weigel, newsfeed.time.com, Indecision Forever, AOL News, Wonkette, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, Sky Dancing, ThinkProgress, The Smoking Gun, The Political Carnival, The Moderate Voice, The Wire, Firedoglake, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Pundit Press, The Huffington Post, Liberal Values, Weasel Zippers, Iowa Independent, Gawker and AMERICAblog News

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.”
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, iOwnTheWorld.com, Fausta's Blog and Da Techguy's Blog


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.
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog

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 …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wake up America, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Taylor Marsh, Althouse, Don Surber, National Review, WisPolitics Budget Blog, The Political Carnival, The Camp Of The Saints, The Lonely Conservative, TPMDC, The Political Environment and Townhall.com

What's Wrong With Tonight's ‘Frontline’ on ‘The Private Life of Bradley Manning’ — This morning, PBS Frontline scooped itself, posting online its promised 10-minute segment for tonight's show on Bradley Manning's early years, or as it's billed (wink, wink) “The Private Life of Bradley Manning.”
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, Emptywheel and The Nation
RELATED:

Why I called Bradley Manning's treatment ‘stupid’
Discussion:
Emptywheel and FP Passport


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 …
Discussion:
The Raw Story, AlterNet, Veracity Stew and The Maddow Blog

Japan may have lost race to save nuclear reactor — 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 …
Discussion:
Climate Progress


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.
Discussion:
Saideman's Semi-Spew and National Review


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 …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly, Yglesias, The New Republic, Outside the Beltway, TPMDC, The Politico and Oliver Willis


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.
Discussion:
Shakesville, Colorlines, ECHIDNE of the snakes, The Other McCain, Runnin' Scared, The Wire, theawl.com and Gawker


Carter not in Cuba to free contractor — Former President Jimmy Carter isn't in Cuba to negotiate for the release of jailed U.S. contractor Alan Gross, though he is hoping that his visit will help to thaw U.S.-Cuban relations, he said Tuesday. — Carter told reporters as he toured a convent …
Discussion:
Reuters


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.
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog

Cain's Audience — Herman Cain is doing an excellent job of both indulging the conservative id and pressing liberals' buttons in a manner that allows him to maximize his media coverage. … White conservatives really like it when black conservatives draw parallels with ideological …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and TPMDC

Cain added to list of GOP White House hopefuls at New Orleans event — Washington (CNN) - Add Herman Cain to the list of probable GOP presidential candidates who will head to New Orleans in June to speak at the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference. — The group announced Tuesday that Cain …
Discussion:
GOP 12

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 …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Hot Air


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.
Discussion:
ArtsBeat, PopEater, Show Tracker, Mediaite, Guardian, Company Town, Gawker and Jezebel


Breaking News: Facebook Shuts Down Third Intifada Group — Despite previous statements saying they would monitor but not remove the controversial Facebook group calling for a Third Intifada, Facebook administrators shut down the group early Tuesday morning in response to enormous pressure from pro-Israel activists.
Discussion:
The Blaze, Pajamas Media, Atlas Shrugs and Maggie's Farm

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 …
Discussion:
The Enterprise Blog and Pajamas Media