The Budget Speech  —  Style: I liked the way Obama made a case for government at the beginning.  I liked the way he accused Republicans of pessimism, of abandoning a hopeful vision of America.  Good that he went after the Ryan plan — and good that he went after the cruelty of that plan.

Obama Urges Cuts and Taxes on the Rich  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama called for cutting the nation's budget deficits by $4 trillion over the next 12 years in a 43-minute speech at George Washington University on Wednesday, countering Republican budget plans with what he said was a more balanced approach …

Text of Obama Speech on the Deficit  —  Here is the prepared text of President Barack Obama's speech on the deficit, as released by the White House:  —  Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery  —  The Country We Believe In  —  The George Washington University  —  Washington, D.C.

Wall Street executives warn John Boehner on debt limit  —  NEW YORK — Republicans are growing increasingly concerned about the impact a bruising fight over raising the nation's $14.29 trillion debt ceiling could have on U.S. financial markets.  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) …

Asleep on the Job: What Was Vice President Joe Biden Doing During Obama's Debt Speech?  —  ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports:  —  Vice President Biden chose an inopportune time for either a nap or some deep reflection today.  —  As President Obama weighed in on one of the most important issues of the day …

WHOOPS: AP Falls For Hoax Press Release Saying That GE Will Repay Government $3.8 Billion Tax Break  —  Original post: The AP just fell for a hoax press release, which claimed that GE would repay the government the $3.8 billion tax loss carryforward it received.

Obama's “bad negotiating” is actually shrewd negotiating  —  In December, President Obama signed legislation to extend hundreds of billions of dollars in Bush tax cuts, benefiting the wealthiest Americans.  Last week, Obama agreed to billions of dollars in cuts that will impose the greatest burden on the poorest Americans.

LensCrafters v. Bachmann  —  Washington (CNN) - The optics don't look great for Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.  That is, if you're talking about her relationship with LensCrafters, the one-stop shop of eye care and eyewear.  —  The possible GOP presidential candidate supported her belief …

Pray.  Hope.  Prepare.  —  When I was in Cairo during the Egyptian uprising, I wanted to change hotels one day to be closer to the action and called the Marriott to see if it had any openings.  The young-sounding Egyptian woman who spoke with me from the reservations department offered …

Graham Vows To ‘Tie Senate In Knots’ Over $50K Left Out Of Budget Deal  —  Not all Republicans were celebrating Tuesday about the fine print of the $38.5 billion in cuts House Republicans managed to wrangle in last week's 11th-hour budget showdown.  Tea Party loyalists who wanted tens …

Sidney Harman 1918-2011  —  Sidney Harman died last night of complications from acute myeloid leukemia at the young age of almost 93.  He first learned of his illness one month ago and remained vigorously engaged as Executive Chairman of Newsweek, and Chairman of the Academy for Polymathic Study …

Inflation Actually Near 10% Using Older Measure  —  After former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was appointed in 1979, the consumer price index surged into the double digits, causing the now revered Fed Chief to double the benchmark interest rate in order to break the back of inflation.

White House visitor logs leave out many  —  A foot of snow couldn't keep Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jennifer Hudson and other celebrities away from a star-studded celebration of civil-rights-era music, hosted by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House in February 2010.

DeMint Not Interested in Veep Slot  —  Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a leading conservative in the upper chamber, continues to say that he will not run for president in 2012.  But what about the veep slot?  In an interview with National Review Online, DeMint says that he has little interest …

OCC Takes Enforcement Action Against Eight Servicers for Unsafe and Unsound  —  Foreclosure Practices  —  WASHINGTON — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced formal enforcement actions against eight national bank mortgage servicers and two third-party servicer providers …

Florida stands its ground on 2012 primary calendar fight  —  Florida Republicans aren't retreating from their quest to hold an early 2012 presidential primary.  But they are advancing in a different direction.  —  State House Speaker Dean Cannon announced Wednesday that the legislature …

Lobbyists Won Key Concessions in Budget Deal  —  WASHINGTON — At a quarter till midnight last Friday, with a deal to avert a government shutdown barely an hour old, Senator Harry Reid phoned a fellow Democratic senator, Ron Wyden, at home and startled him with some bad news.

Capitol Hill staffers line up for free Botox  —  If you see Capitol Hill staffers smiling uncontrollably this week, it's not because they're happy about avoiding a government shutdown: They probably just got a stiff shot of Botox.  —  More than a dozen Hill staffers got Botox injections …