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Supreme Court race too close to call, Kloppenburg has narrow lead over Prosser — At left, Justice David Prosser speaks to supporters in Hartland. At right, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg speaks to supporters in Madison. — By Larry Sandler and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Ben Smith's Blog, Althouse, Associated Press, Power Line, UrbanGrounds, Law Blog, Wonkette, Pajamas Media, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, POWIP, Outside the Beltway, International Liberty, Taylor Marsh, Firedoglake, Pundit & Pundette, iOwnTheWorld.com, JammieWearingFool, The Lonely Conservative, Fox Nation, Shot in the Dark and The Volokh Conspiracy
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Wisconsin judicial race too close to call — The race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court that has become a proxy for the state's fight over public sector unions was too close to call as of early Wednesday morning, and the vote appears headed for a recount.
Discussion:
CNN, Riehl World View, HillBuzz.org, The Other McCain and Washington Post

Walker demotes son of campaign contributor — By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel — Madison — Gov. Scott Walker abruptly reversed course today and demoted the son of a large campaign contributor to his former job with the state Department of Regulation and Licensing.

Paul Ryan's Multiple Unicorns — Gosh. For a plan that supposedly sets a new standard of seriousness, Paul Ryan's vision (pdf) depends an awful lot on unicorn sightings — belief in the impossible. Let me review the top three unicorns. — First, the plan assumes that tax cuts will set off a literally unprecedented boom.
Discussion:
American Prospect, Washington Monthly, CEPR, Talking Points Memo, National Review, The Raw Story, TPMDC, The New Republic and Guardian
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LONG-TERM ANALYSIS OF A BUDGET PROPOSAL BY CHAIRMAN RYAN — ABSTRACT — The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has conducted a long-term analysis of a budget proposal by Chairman Ryan to substantially change federal payments under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, eliminate the subsidies …
Discussion:
Director's Blog, The Political Carnival, Paul Krugman, Swampland and The New Republic


CBO: GOP Budget Would Increase Debt, Then Stick It To Medicare Patients
Discussion:
The Media Consortium, No More Mister Nice Blog, Paul Krugman, AlterNet, The Huffington Post, Balloon Juice and Mother Jones

Republican Paul Ryan's budget proposal is brave, radical, and smart.
Discussion:
The New Republic, Big Journalism and Balloon Juice

Rivlin: I don't back ‘Ryan-Rivlin’ plan
Discussion:
The Note, USA Today, Economy & Budget and The New Republic

Generational Divide Colors Debate Over Medicare's Future
Discussion:
Yglesias, Marginal Revolution, The Glittering Eye, The Incidental Economist and Economix

Poster Boys For Soylent Green
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, National Review, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Firedoglake

DEMANDS FOR AN ‘ALTERNATIVE’.... Yesterday afternoon, the lead story on Mark Halperin's “The Page” was the White House's mild rebuke of Paul Ryan's Republican budget plan. — Halperin's headline: “Obama Pans Ryan — Without Alternative.” — This was one of those cases in which the media establishment …
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Boehner: Dems win in shutdown
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, National Review, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Shakesville, Hot Air, The White House, Left Coast Rebel, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Political Carnival, Wall Street Journal, Outside the Beltway, The Note, Truthdig, The Democratic Daily and New York Times

Boehner, Obama aides also dispute long-term budget issues
Discussion:
The Agonist

Dems Find Message Discipline Against GOP Plan To Scrap Medicare
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Hit & Run and EconLog

Senate repeals health law's 1099 provision, sends bill to president
Discussion:
Hot Air

Government shutdown would mean soldiers stop getting paid
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Oliver Willis, Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and The Politico


Neglected Elements of Paul Ryan's Ripoff — Middle Class Tax Increases and Giveaways to Big Banks — I posted a lot on Paul Ryan yesterday, but his comprehensive budget contains more bad ideas than any single day's worth of blogging can contain. So let's kick the morning off by recapping …
Discussion:
New Deal 2.0, A plain blog about politics and Wonk Room
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Geithner confirms administration is crafting plan for corporate tax reform
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Hill, msnbc.com and Wonk Room

‘THIS IS A CAUSE’.... The political world will mull over the details …
Discussion:
cbpp.org, New York Times and Booman Tribune

‘Gang of Six’ talks could affect deal on long-term budget
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and msnbc.com

Today's Terrorism News — White House Report Suggests Pakistan Making Little Headway Against Militants — A semiannual White House report to Congress suggests that Pakistan is making little progress against militants and that the country has “no clear path toward defeating the insurgency,” according to multiple reports.
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US: Pakistan has ‘no clear path’ on fighting militancy — US says Pakistan is avoiding direct conflict with the militants in the tribal areas — Pakistan still has no “clear path” to defeat militants on its soil, a new White House has said. — The report also said the Afghan Taliban …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The AfPak Channel, New York Times and Guardian

Bachmann: Why I'm qualified to be president — Michele Bachmann, after Bill O'Reilly asks her if she has the frame of reference to be the leader of the free world.
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Bachmann lists her presidential creds — (CNN) - As she contemplates a bid for the White House, Rep. Michele Bachmann is making her case when it comes to why she's qualified to sit in the Oval Office. — Speaking to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly Tuesday, the Minnesota congressman touted her “broad, extensive background.”
Discussion:
Cubachi, Taylor Marsh, Liberty Pundits Blog and Outside the Beltway

Bachmann to appear with Haley at South Carolina Tea Party rally
Discussion:
GOP 12 and Taylor Marsh

Providers slam Ryan's proposed cuts to insurance coverage — The 2012 GOP budget proposal would scrap the healthcare reform law's insurance subsidies while retaining the deep Medicare cuts that pay for them, sparking cries of outrage from providers. — A number of stakeholders …
Discussion:
TPMDC
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No Path to Prosperity: Ryan's Incredulous Budget-Balancing Proposal, Preposterous Unemployment Estimate
Discussion:
The Glittering Eye, Taking Note and The Moderate Voice

The Achilles Heel Of The Path To Prosperity
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, National Review and Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality …

Man With Anti-Obama Sign Attacked In San Francisco — SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/ BCN) — A man who set up a table with political literature and a sign opposing President Barack Obama was attacked in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood, police and witnesses said Tuesday.
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, The Last Tradition, Sweetness & Light, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Jawa Report


Abele defeats Stone for Milwaukee County executive — Chris Abele makes his victory speech at the Historic Pabst Brewery after beating Jeff Stone for the Milwaukee County Executive seat. Abele's wife, Miriam, is at right. — By Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel

The Right to Offend — When I wrote over the weekend about the trial of Australia's most prominent columnist for expressing his opinions, I did not expect it to be quite so immediately relevant to the United States. But perhaps what's most disturbing about Lindsey Graham's dismal defense …
Discussion:
Vox Popoli and Cold Fury

Why Aren't You Married Yet? — Apparently, I'm responsible for the jerks I've dated. — At a March luncheon celebrating the release of the new book Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men Into Boys, it wasn't long before things got really personal.
Discussion:
The Other McCain, Right Wing News, Hot Air, Yglesias, ECHIDNE of the snakes and pandagon.net


Surgeons raise alarm over waiting — In England in 2009/10 there were 101,020 hip replacements and 73,378 knee replacements carried out — Surgeons say patients in some parts of England have spent months waiting in pain because of delayed operations or new restrictions on who qualifies for treatment.
Discussion:
Right Wing News, The Lonely Conservative and Daily Pundit

Jesus groomed his apostles for political office — Follow me on Twitter: @BryanJFischer, on Facebook at “Focal Point” — People who say the followers of Christ shouldn't be involved in politics aren't paying attention. And they aren't paying attention to Jesus himself.