memeorandum: Agricultural Extortion and Terrorism (Alex Tabarrok/Marginal Revolution)

8:00 PM ET, April 7, 2011

Top Items:

Winnebago County vote-count change alters Supreme Court race — By Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel — The latest vote count in the state Supreme Court race in Winnebago County indicates incumbent David Prosser is leading Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in votes.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TPMDC, The Gateway Pundit, Althouse, Power Line, RedState, WisPolitics Election Blog, Taylor Marsh, Swing State Project, Shot in the Dark, The Lonely Conservative, PointOfLaw Forum, The Volokh Conspiracy, Riehl World View and Daily Kos

Christian Schneider / National Review:

BREAKING: Computer Error Gives Prosser 7,381 More Votes, Almost Certain Victory — After Tuesday night's Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a computer error in heavily Republican Waukesha County failed to send election results for the entire City of Brookfield to the Associated Press.

Discussion: Big Government, protein wisdom, The Political Carnival, Ben Smith's Blog, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Cold Fury

JSOnline:

Prosser gains 7,500 votes in Waukesha County — By Jason Stein, Bill Glauber and Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel — Madison - In a political bombshell, the clerk in a Republican stronghold released new vote totals adding a net total of 7,403 new votes in the tight state Supreme Court race …

Discussion: The Politico, POWIP, Althouse, Online NewsHour, Cubachi, WisPolitics Election Blog, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media and Balloon Juice

620WTMJ:

Prosser Picks up More Than 7,000 Votes — WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A conservative-leaning Wisconsin county on Thursday corrected its count and gave an unofficial 7,500-vote lead to the incumbent in the hotly contested state Supreme Court race seen as a referendum on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's divisive union rights law.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, The Gateway Pundit, Pundit Press, TPMDC and The Politico

JSOnline:

Prosser's huge gain comes after Waukesha County flub is caught — By Laurel Walker of the Journal Sentinel — David Prosser gained 7,582 votes in Waukesha County, after a major counting error of Brookfield results was detected, County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus announced in a stunning development this afternoon.

Discussion: Hotline On Call, Daily Kos and TPMDC

Randallmelchert / RandyMelchert.com:

Latest: Prosser Landslide! — Watch Live from Waukesha! - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ melchert — TWITTER: Numerous sources tell me Prosser will pick up 7000 votes in Waukesha Cty. 14,000 votes were apparently not entered into computer system. — I am leaving Dane County to go to Waukesha County ASAP!!!!

Discussion: Hot Air and M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …

Christian Schneider / National Review:
Madison vs. the Rest of Wisconsin

Discussion: Cold Fury and JSOnline

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Wisconsin Supreme Court race in flux as vote count conintues

Discussion: TPMDC, Talking Points Memo and AmSpecBlog

Karoli / Crooks and Liars:
UPDATED: Conservative Waukesha County Clerk “Finds” 7,000 Votes For Prosser

Discussion: brookfield-wi.patch.com and The Political Carnival

The Politico:

Does Ryan plan cause self-rationing? - Coburn: Drop the riders - BCBSA tracks exchange bills - Arizona ‘no’ to waiver - Women's health rally on the hill — **With reporting contributions from J. Lester Feder and David Nather — CLOSING IN ON A BUDGET DEAL?

Discussion: The Atlantic Online

Jonathan Allen / The Politico:

In past, Democrats embraced policy riders — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and President Barack Obama hate policy riders. They have no place in spending bills, the top Democrats have said during the latest budget debate. — Unless, of course, they're Democratic policy riders.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Outside the Beltway, New York Magazine and CNN

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WOULD BOEHNER SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT OVER PLANNED PARENTHOOD?.... The good news is, Democrats and Republicans have reportedly reached a general agreement on the size of the cuts for the rest of the fiscal year. As of this morning, the package is up to $34.5 billion, from $33 billion …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, Associated Press, The Politico, PERRspectives, Little Green Footballs, MyDD and CNN

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Riders Caused The Storm: Government Shutdown Looms Over Anti-Abortion And Anti-EPA Measures — If a government shutdown happens, it'll be because Republicans are demanding policy restrictions in addition to spending cuts before agreeing to fund the government through September.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Bloomberg, Democratic Strategist, Erick's blog and The Reality-Based Community

New York Times:
Obama Meeting Fails to End Stalemate Over Federal Budget

Discussion: ABCNEWS, New York Magazine, CNN, The Cable, The Politico, Firedoglake, Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, The Note, White House.gov Blog, Wonkette, The Hill, Shakesville and George's Bottom Line

Myglesias / Yglesias:
All Rationing Is Self-Rationing — Suzy Khimm writes that …

Discussion: National Review

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Harry Reid: We Can't Pass Troop Funding Bill Because It Bans Taxpayer Funding of Abortion in D.C.

Discussion: Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Suzy Khimm / Mother Jones:
So Now the GOP (Hearts) Rationing?

Discussion: The New Republic, The Incidental Economist, Mother Jones and The Daily Dish

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Obama: I'll veto funding for the troops — Consider this a trap well set and sprung. Frustrated that the Senate won't pass any budget bill while the House continues to negotiate to the brink of a government shutdown, John Boehner proposed a one-week CR to keep government open for a week …

Discussion: Doug Ross, Pajamas Media, Outside the Beltway and BLACKFIVE

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House approves stopgap despite White House veto threat

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill and Outside the Beltway

Washington Post:
White House talks fail to produce budget deal; House passes stopgap bill

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, Fox News, Bloomberg, RedState and Booman Tribune

Political Punch:
Gates Explains Military Pay During Shutdown to Troops in Baghdad During What Is Likely his Last Visit to Iraq

Discussion: blogs.abcnews.com and Hot Air

The Hill:
White House talks yield no deal

Discussion: USA Today, ProPublica, Taylor Marsh and Daily Kos

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Breaking down Trump's numbers — There's been a lot of coverage of Donald Trump's good poll numbers with Republicans over the last week- what's gotten less attention is that Trump's popularity with GOP voters is a brand new development. — We did a national poll asking about Trump …

Washington Post:
Donald Trump. Seriously?

Discussion: Swampland, Tuned In, Wonkette, Washington Monthly, The Hill, neo-neocon, Latest Open Salon Blog, Althouse, Shakesville, Washington Wire, USA Today and The Politico

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Barbour, Bryant lead in Mississippi

Discussion: The Raw Story, No More Mister Nice Blog, GOP 12, Hullabaloo and msnbc.com

msnbc.com:
Trump: I have ‘real doubts’ Obama was born in U.S.

Discussion: RealClearPolitics Video Log, Hot Air and Gothamist

Myglesias / Yglesias:

The Trouble With Taxing Exclusively The Rich — In their sketch version of a budget (PDF) the Congressional Progressive Caucus makes a heroic effort to finance progressive government basically exclusively by raising taxes on rich people. — Specifically:

Discussion: Angry Bear and National Review

Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
The People's Budget — Phil Klein has a leaked version …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Lauraklairmont / CNN:

Pelosi: There is a war on women — Washington (CNN) - House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi told a summit of female activists she believes Republicans are engaged in a war on women and women's rights. — “There is actually a war on women,” the minority leader told several hundred activists attending …

Discussion: National Review

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Pelosi predicts ‘strong’ Dem opposition to GOP's one-week spending patch

Discussion: National Review

Ynetnews:

Iron Dome intercepts first rocket — Ashkelon residents report seeing Grad explode in midair as dozens of rockets fired at south, meanwhile Hamas says Israel taking advantage of Goldstone's regret over Gaza war report to bomb Strip — Latest Update: — Residents in Ashkelon reported …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, BLACKFIVE, Pajamas Media and JOSHUAPUNDIT

Telegraph:

First homosexual caveman found — Archaeologists have unearthed the 5,000-year-old remains of what they believe may have been the world's oldest known gay caveman. — The male body - said to date back to between 2900-2500BC - was discovered buried in a way normally reserved only for women …

Discussion: AOL News, Scared Monkeys, The Raw Story and iOwnTheWorld.com

City Room:

Cathleen Black Is Out as City Schools Chancellor — Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott at a news conference at which he was introduced as the new schools chancellor by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Cathleen P. Black stepped down from the position Thursday. — Cathleen P. Black …

Discussion: New York Times, Gothamist, Guardian, News Desk, The Atlantic Online, New York Magazine, Ben Smith's Blog, The Wire, Joanne Jacobs and Gawker

Quinnipiac University:

Obama Hits Losing Trifecta In Florida, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Increased Support For Offshore Drilling — President Barack Obama hits a losing trifecta with Florida voters: They disapprove 52 - 44 percent of the job he is doing; they prefer an unnamed Republican challenger …

Discussion: Gallup, msnbc.com, Hot Air, Pundit Press, Hotline On Call, Don Surber, Post on Politics and National Review

CBS News:

General: U.S. may consider troops in Libya — Army Gen. Carter Ham says ground forces wouldn't be ideal, but may be a possible way to aid rebels; Says current operation largely stalemated — WASHINGTON - The United States may consider sending troops into Libya with a possible international ground force …

Discussion: Pajamas Media and Hot Air

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Nancy Pelosi's absurd math on senior citizens losing their meals — “In one of the bills before us, 6 million seniors are deprived of meals — homebound seniors are deprived of meals. People ask us to find our common ground, the middle ground. Is middle ground 3 million seniors not receiving meals?

Discussion: YID With LID, Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Betsy's Page and SFGate

Max Fisher / The Atlantic Online:

Atlantic Reporter Captured in Libya — Clare Morgana Gillis and three other journalists have been taken into custody — Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi captured four journalists on Tuesday at around 1 p.m. local time a few miles outside of Brega, which is currently under government control.

Discussion: Runnin' Scared and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:

Pence Lets Truth Slip On Uncompromising Stance: 'We're Trying To Score A Victory For The Republican People' — The federal government appears to be hurtling towards a shutdown following the inability of congressional negotiators to reach a compromise last night on a continuing resolution.