Clinton: Shutdown would hurt GOP but might not be ‘traumatic’ for economy  —  A government shutdown might not have a “traumatic” effect on the economy, former President Bill Clinton said Monday.  —  Clinton, who faced a shutdown during his 1995 budget negotiations with congressional Republicans …

It Doesn't Get Any Clearer Than That: “Free speech is a great idea, but we're in a war”  —  Here's what Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said today about Florida pastor Terry Jones' burning of a Koran, which has been used an excuse by Afghanis to murder 22 people, including seven United Nations workers:

GOP Budget Plan to Cut More Than $4 Trillion Over Decade, Rep. Paul Ryan Says  —  The Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee said his party's budget proposal for 2012 would cut deficits by more than $4 trillion over the next decade, vowing to tackle costly entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid.

A Tea Party Star Stirs Iowans, and She Isn't Palin  —  WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Sarah Palin, the reigning heroine of many social conservatives, has given few signals that she will make a presidential bid.  Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 on the strength of his appeal …

Samantha Power to be the next Secretary of State?  —  Irish-born adviser now key to Obama foreign policy  —  A flattering New York Times profile has increased speculation that Samantha Power, the Dublin-born aide to President Obama, could be his next Secretary of State or National Security Adviser.

Petraeus Says Quran Burning Endangers War Effort  —  KABUL—The Quran burning by a Florida church, which sparked three days of deadly rioting in Afghanistan, poses new dangers for the U.S.-led war effort against the Taliban, coalition commander U.S. Gen. David Petraeus warned in an interview.

Politico's Roger Simon: 'Obama's The Greatest Orator Of Modern Times'  —  Politico's Roger Simon said Sunday Barack Obama is the greatest orator of modern times.  —  Chatting with Howard Kurtz on CNN's “Reliable Sources,” Simon also said journalists are just now looking beyond …

Foreclosure crisis: Fed-up judges crack down disorder in the courts  —  Angry and exasperated by faulty foreclosure documents, judges throughout Florida are hitting back by increasingly dismissing cases and boldly accusing lawyers of “fraud upon the court.”  —  A Palm Beach Post review …

Jon Huntsman, the rock ‘n’ roll years  —  Jonny Huntsman didn't quite make it through his senior year of high school, and the cause was pretty plain to his classmates.  One recalled the long-haired, diffident Salt Lake City high schooler sitting next to him in history class “hitting his desk as if it were a piano.”

Bachmann hires former top Huckabee staffer  —  From Mark Zdechlik:  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann's political action committee has hired Wes Enos, the Iowa political director for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee when he ran for president in 2008.  —  Bachmann chief of staff Andy Parrish confirmed Enos …

U.S. Shifts to Seek Removal of Yemen's Leader, an Ally  —  SANA, Yemen — The United States, which long supported Yemen's president, even in the face of recent widespread protests, has now quietly shifted positions and has concluded that he is unlikely to bring about the required reforms …

Jimmy Carter Lobbies for Cuban Spies  —  Why lend legitimacy to the Castro brothers?  —  They say that Cuba is a place where time stands still and it certainly seemed that way last week when Jimmy Carter arrived in Havana to fraternize with the Castros.  The image of the 86-year-old American …

10 things to watch during the shutdown battle  —  The forecast on Capitol Hill this week calls for brinksmanship, heated rhetoric and a climactic ending that could have a major impact on the 2012 elections.  —  With less than a week to go before the April 8 government shutdown deadline …

Obama launches reelection campaign with video  —  President Barack Obama launched his reelection campaign Monday morning with a web video posted on his website.  —  “It Begins With Us” features a series of supporters from around the country explaining why they support the president …