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The GOP Path to Prosperity — Our budget cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president's budget over the next 10 years and puts the nation on track to pay off our national debt. — Congress is currently embroiled in a funding fight over how much to spend on less than one-fifth of the federal budget for the next six months.
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Monthly, Yglesias, Cubachi, The Hill, The Note, YID With LID, Democracy in America, neo-neocon, GayPatriot, Cold Fury, Free exchange, Hot Air, The Incidental Economist, The Foundry, Questions and Observations, Blue Collar Philosophy, Ricochet.com, Wonk Room, Liberal Values, Liberty Pundits Blog, RedState, That Mr. G Guy's Blog, National Review, Speaker, The Hill, Verum Serum, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Right Wing News, Another Black Conservative, AmSpecBlog, Washington Post, MyDD, American Spectator, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Caucus, BizzyBlog, Scared Monkeys, Taylor Marsh, The Lonely Conservative, The Daily Caller, Washington Wire, GOP 12, The Gateway Pundit, sisu, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Pajamas Media, Fausta's Blog, Talking Points Memo, Viking Pundit and TPMDC
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Moment of Truth — It was a season of fiscal perestroika. Last fall, the Simpson-Bowles deficit commission released a bold report on how to avoid an economic catastrophe. For a few weeks, the think tanks and government offices were alive with proposals to reduce debt and reform entitlements …


The Ryan Budget: Big Cuts, Bigger Questions — House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's 2012 budget is estimated to cost $6.2 trillion less over 10 years than President Obama's plan, with an initial deficit of $950 billion next year that decreases, along with government debt, over time.
Discussion:
Eschaton


Paul Ryan's Plan Counts On Reducing Unemployment To Below “Full Employment” Level — By Magic! — Tim Fernholz reports: “An analysis performed by the conservative Heritage Foundation at Ryan's request found the unemployment rate would be reduced to 4 percent in 2015 by Ryan's budget …
Discussion:
The Incidental Economist and TPMDC

GOP 2012: overhauls on entitlements and taxes, $6.2 trillion in cuts over decade
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Angry Bear, No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, Betsy's Page, AmSpecBlog and The Hill

Truly Pathetic — Why on earth did the Democrat speaking …
Discussion:
Paul Krugman, Don Surber, That Mr. G Guy's Blog and The Moderate Voice

Choice-based Medicare cost controls
Discussion:
Yglesias, National Review, Washington Post and The Incidental Economist

Paul Ryan is Not Jesus, But His Path To Prosperity Gospel is Really Good
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Monthly, Yglesias, Big Government, National Review and RedState

Ex-NPR chief: House Republicans have thrust NPR into ‘turmoil’ — The change of power in the House has thrust NPR into “turmoil,” according to the former chief executive of the organization. — Vivian Schiller said NPR has been through a “very difficult” time in the past several months.
Discussion:
Fox Nation and Weasel Zippers
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Behind Closed Doors, House Republicans Cheer A Possible Shutdown — Today, President Obama will meet with congressional leaders from both parties in an attempt to hammer out a budget deal and prevent the government from shutting down at the end of this week.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Caucus, The Note and NationalJournal.com


House GOP to distribute shutdown plan — Republican leaders are preparing the House for a government shutdown, as they plan to distribute a pamphlet about the mechanics of a partial congressional work-stoppage to all lawmakers' offices Tuesday morning, according to several senior House aides.

GOP Leadership: White House Has Rejected Emergency One-Week Funding Measure … WASHINGTON — Congressional GOP leaders said on Tuesday that the Obama administration has informed them that it will oppose a last-ditch stopgap funding measure proposed by House Republicans to keep the government running for an additional week.
Discussion:
Swampland

Countdown to Shutdown: Federal Agencies Make Preparations
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice

Another Continuing Resolution Introduced to Prevent Government Shutdown, Cut $12 billion in Spending — WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today introduced another temporary funding measure - known as a Continuing Resolution (CR) - to prevent a government shutdown …
Discussion:
The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, The Hill, Washington Post, Hot Air and National Review
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Budget Deal Would Give Pentagon Extra Funds In Exchange For Social Program Cuts … WASHINGTON — While media attention focuses on the cuts to government spending demanded by House Republicans and broadly accepted by Democrats, the Pentagon is poised to reap billions more in federal funds, according to sources close to the discussions.
Discussion:
Daily Kos and AMERICAblog News

BREAKING: GOP Readies Short-Term CR as Budget Talks Break Down
Discussion:
The Politico, The Lonely Conservative, Doug Ross and Pundit & Pundette


Warning Signs Among the GOP — It's not inconceivable that Republicans might start seeing things go against them in the court of public opinion, starting with the current spending debate. — Until recently, Republicans were taking solace in a number of things as they looked forward to 2012.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Hullabaloo, Outside the Beltway and Daily Kos

Romney leads in NH, Trump makes things interesting — Mitt Romney's still the clear early front runner to take the Republican primary in New Hampshire next year but for the first time in our polling of the race PPP finds someone within single digits of him...Donald Trump.
Discussion:
The Politico, GOP 12, Taegan Goddard's …, Wonkette and Ballot Box

Maine Mural Controversy: U.S. Labor Department Says Put It Back Up Or Repay The Money … Department Of Labor , Department Of Labor Maine , Labor Mural , Labor Protests , Maine Mural , Paul Lepage , Paul Lepage Maine , Paul Lepage Maine Governor , Paul Lepage Mural , Politics News
Discussion:
Portland Press-Herald, Daily Kos and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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Department Of Labor steps into battle over Maine mural
Discussion:
Kennebec Journal and Weasel Zippers


Gen. Petraeus Being ‘Seriously Considered’ For CIA Director, NPR Reports — General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, is expected to leave that job by early fall. And the question has been, where does he go from there? — Several sources, including government officials …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Hot Air, The Raw Story, The AfPak Channel and CBS News
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ElBaradei: We'll fight back if Israel attacks Gaza — In interview with Arab newspaper, former IAEA chief says if elected as Egypt's next president he will open Rafah crossing in case of an Israeli attack — Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei …
Discussion:
RedState, Right Wing News, Israpundit, The Gateway Pundit, Pajamas Media, Israel Matzav and Weasel Zippers

Racial slur led to fight with Illinois trooper, student says — CARLINVILLE • The politically connected head of Gov. Pat Quinn's Southern Illinois security detail used a racial slur against a black college student in a Carlinville bar, starting a fight that preceded the officer's resignation, the student says.
Discussion:
Big Government, Moe Lane and That Mr. G Guy's Blog

Obama, The God That Failed — As someone who has studied, taught, and written about the Middle East for years, I'm the first to concede that President Obama has a tough task. What would I do about Libya if I were president? How about Egypt? — I'm not exactly sure.

Bloody pig's foot sent to Rep. Peter King — Authorities intercepted a parcel this morning addressed to Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) containing a bloody pig's foot and a derogatory message, a source has confirmed to CBS News. — The parcel was intercepted at the Congressional mail facility in Landover …
Discussion:
The Politico, Big Journalism, CNN, msnbc.com, Verum Serum, Runnin' Scared, Gothamist, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Atlas Shrugs, The Note, HotAirPundit, Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch, American Power and POWIP


A Cigarette for 75 Cents, 2 for $1: The Brisk, Shady Sale of ‘Loosies’ — By 8:30 a.m., amid the procession of sleepy-eyed office workers and addicts from the nearby methadone clinic, Lonnie Loosie plants himself in the middle of the sidewalk on Eighth Avenue in Midtown.
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, That Mr. G Guy's Blog, City Room and Gothamist


Radiation in water rushing into sea tests millions of times over limit — Tokyo (CNN) — Japanese utility and government authorities suffered fresh setbacks Tuesday with the detection of radiation in a fish and news that water gushing from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific …
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared and The Jawa Report


Mitch Daniels to give education speech in Washington — Mitch Daniels has been mostly tethered to Indianapolis during a contentious legislative session, but he's planning a trip to Washington next month to deliver what's sure to be a high-profile speech on education.
Discussion:
Associated Press, GOP 12, The Page and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Cowardice Blocks the 9/11 Trial — Last year, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. described a federal court trial for the self-professed mastermind of Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as “the defining event of my time as attorney general.” On Monday, Mr. Holder's dream for demonstrating …

Bachmann begins to overshadow Palin as more-likely White House contender — The vacuum created by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) absence from the 2012 campaign trail presents a major opportunity for the woman she once hinted might share a presidential ticket with her: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).
Discussion:
msnbc.com and The Political Carnival

How Much Are You Paying in Taxes for War This Year? — While millions of Americans are out of work or struggling to pay their bills, our government is spending billions of dollars a week on a war we don't support in Afghanistan. At no time is this more apparent than on Tax Day, which is coming up on April 18.
Discussion:
The Political Carnival