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The Presidential Divider — Obama's toxic speech and even worse plan for deficits and debt. — Did someone move the 2012 election to June 1? We ask because President Obama's extraordinary response to Paul Ryan's budget yesterday—with its blistering partisanship and multiple distortions …
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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.
Discussion:
Hendrik Hertzberg, It's A Free Blog, DownWithTyranny!, Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Climate Progress, The Huffington Post, That Mr. G Guy's Blog, The Mahablog, Firedoglake, National Review, Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, Corrente, Booman Tribune, The Daily Dish, Wall Street Journal, Economist's View and Gawker

Krauthammer's take on Obama's budget address: ‘I thought it was a disgrace’ — It's been just a few hours since President Barack Obama has finished his budget address at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and there already been significant pushback from the right.
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, GayPatriot, Atlas Shrugs, The Gateway Pundit and Fox News

FACT SHEET: The President's Framework for Shared Prosperity and Shared Fiscal Responsibility — The President believes that we need a comprehensive, pro-growth economic strategy that invests in winning the future, lays the foundation for strong private-sector job growth and ensures …

Statement: Robert Greenstein, President, on President Obama's Deficit-Reduction Plan — President Obama made an important contribution today to efforts to address the nation's long-term fiscal problems, proposing a plan to reduce deficits by about $4 trillion over the next 12 years and meet …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The New Republic, American Prospect, Hullabaloo, American Times, Paul Krugman and AMERICAblog News

Obama's Speech Was a Waste of Breath
Discussion:
protein wisdom, The Daily Dish, Real Clear Politics, Hit & Run, Viking Pundit and No More Mister Nice Blog

Throw Grandma From the Train
Discussion:
Hot Air, Betsy's Page, National Review, Power Line, YID With LID and Moe Lane


Analysis: Obama speech frames a 2012 choice for the country
Discussion:
Pirate's Cove, msnbc.com, Daily Kos, Guardian, New York Times and Gothamist


CBO: Budget deal cuts this fiscal year's deficit by just $353 million, not $38 billion touted — WASHINGTON — A new budget estimate released Wednesday shows that the spending bill negotiated between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner would produce less than 1 percent …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, theblogprof, Fox News, Outside the Beltway, RedState, Right Wing News, FrumForum, National Review, Weasel Zippers, The Sundries Shack, The New Republic, The Caucus, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill, Erick's blog, Wonk Room, Hot Air, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Fox Nation, ThinkProgress, The Politico, Datechguy's Blog, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Riehl World View, Daily Kos, Hit & Run, Weigel, The Hill and Wall Street Journal
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Strike One — We initially supported the deal House Speaker John Boehner cut with the White House to cut $38.5 billion from the rest of the fiscal year 2011 budget. It was only a pittance in the context of all of Washington's red ink, but it seemed an acceptable start, even if we assumed it would be imperfect in its details.

Freshmen shrugging off Tea Party primary threats over spending deal
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News

‘Patriotic Millionaires’ Ask to Be Taxed More
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative, Hot Air, Right Wing News, Moe Lane and Instapundit

CBO Says Budget Deal Will Cut Spending by Only $352 Million
Discussion:
Washington Post

John Boehner: 'I'll get there' on budget
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, TPMDC, Los Angeles Times and Daily Kos


Arizona Senate approves ‘birther’ bill — PHOENIX - The Arizona Senate has approved a revised bill requiring presidential candidates to prove they are U.S. citizens eligible to run for the office. — The bill approved Wednesday gives candidates additional ways to prove they meet the constitutional requirements to be president.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Vox Popoli and Pajamas Media
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Birther Bill Passes Arizona Senate
Discussion:
Yglesias, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Raw Story, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMDC, Mediaite and Wonkette

Trump to make announcement about announcement — Washington (CNN) - Proving once again that Donald Trump knows a bit about publicity, the business man and real estate mogul will make an announcement on the season finale of “Celebrity Apprentice” about his intentions on running for the White House.
Discussion:
GOP 12 and Outside the Beltway
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Exclusive: Trump to Announce His Run for President
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hot Air

Raise America's Taxes — President Obama in his speech on Wednesday confronted a topic that is harder to address seriously in public than sex or flatulence: America needs higher taxes. — That ugly truth looms over today's budget battles, but politicians have mostly preferred to run from reality.
Discussion:
Daily Kos and PERRspectives
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Ryan's Budget Gives Obama What He Wants
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Paul Ryan rips Obama's speech: “Rather than building bridges, he's poisoning wells”
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, TPMDC and Weasel Zippers

Fireworks expected as Gov. Walker heads to Hill to talk unions — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) could be in for a rowdy welcome from unions and liberal groups when he comes to Capitol Hill on Thursday to testify about his work on reducing the state's budget deficit.


Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Rise; Inflation Pressure Grows — New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, bouncing back above the key 400,000 level, while core producer prices clumbed faster than expected in March, government reports showed on Thursday.
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative


Santorum Announces Presidential Exploratory Committee — Possible 2012 Republican presidential candidate former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania shakes hands with Nancy Regan during a downtown walk, Tuesday, March 29, 2011 in Wolfeboro, N.H — WASHINGTON - Former Pennsylvania …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Fox Nation and The Other McCain
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Santorum forms presidential committee to gauge fundraising potential for WH run
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Ventura County Star Stories, National Review and FrumForum

Santorum officially ‘testing the waters’
Discussion:
Cubachi, CNN, The Atlantic Online, Shakesville and Liberty Pundits Blog


In Financial Crisis, No Prosecutions of Top Figures — It is a question asked repeatedly across America: why, in the aftermath of a financial mess that generated hundreds of billions in losses, have no high-profile participants in the disaster been prosecuted?
Discussion:
The Confluence, The Awl, The Big Picture, Reuters, Prairie Weather, FrumForum and The Politico


Share of population working — Roll over each state to see the share of the population working in 2010: — Sources: USA TODAY, Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics — The share of the population that is working fell to its lowest level last year since women started entering the workforce …
Discussion:
The Politico, National Review and Right Wing News


Gallup: Obama's Approval Drops Below 50 Percent Among Poorest Americans; No Longer Enjoys Majority Approval In Any Income Class — (CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama's approval among the poorest Americans dropped to an all-time low of 48 percent last week, according to the Gallup poll …
Discussion:
The Page

Obama, Spending Three Times as Fast as Bush, Blames Bush — Seven quick thoughts on the Most Important Speech of Obama's Presidency Since the Last One . . . 1. The prepared text begins, “This debate over budgets and deficits is about more than just numbers on a page, more than just cutting and spending.

Frank: GOP hates signs of recovery — Rep. Barney Frank says GOP is hoping bad economy will weigh down President Obama in 2012. — Republicans “hate” signs of any economic recovery because they're hoping a weak economy weighs down President Obama politically in 2012, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Wednesday night.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool