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 …

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.

Trump: ‘Always Had a Great Relationship With The Blacks’  —  You are missing some Flash content that should appear here!  Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.  —  Donald Trump speaking with Fred Dicker.  —  Donald Trump shot down a report claiming …

Nancy Pelosi snaps at White House adviser Gene Sperling  —  In a tense moment that may well have encapsulated the frustrations of three-plus months in the minority, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi snapped at a top presidential economic adviser, Gene Sperling, during a closed-door meeting …

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 …

DeMint: If vote to raise debt ceiling is GOP's Waterloo, ‘let it be’  —  A top conservative senator on Thursday indicated he is willing to go to extreme lengths to prevent a vote on raising the debt ceiling, even if it hurts the Republican Party politically.

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?

PROFESSOR: Sarah Palin Probably Staged A Gigantic Hoax About Being Trig's Mother  —  An interesting footnote has emerged to a theory that raged around the Internet during Sarah Palin's candidacy for Vice President:  —  The theory is that Sarah Palin is actually the grandmother of her purported son Trig …

The Economic Effects of the Ryan Plan: Assuming the Answer?  —  Last week the House Budget Committee, chaired by Congressman Paul Ryan (R, WI) issued a Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2012 along with a Republican blueprint for addressing the nation's long-term fiscal imbalance.

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.

About That Lawsuit...  The lawsuit filed Tuesday by Jonathan Tasini is so utterly without merit, and has been so thoroughly eviscerated in the media — including being ridiculed as the “dumbest lawsuit ever” — I am hesitant to take any time away from aggregating adorable kitten videos to respond.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Rep. Berkley to run for the Senate  —  Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) has decided to run for retiring Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) seat.  —  She made the announcement in a statement Thursday morning.  —  “Nevadans know me and they know I will never stop working on behalf of our state …

Gov. Chris Christie Tells Reporters To ‘Take The Bat’ To 76-Year Old Widow Legislator  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has virtually declared war on the state's labor unions, is known for having an antagonizing style of politics, with some of his most infamous moments including telling …

Remembering the Real Ayn Rand  —  The author of “Atlas Shrugged” was an individualist, not a conservative, and she knew big business was as much a threat to capitalism as government bureaucrats.  —  Tomorrow's release of the movie version of “Atlas Shrugged” is focusing attention …

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.

Man Mangum accused of stabbing dies  —  DURHAM — The man Crystal Mangum is accused of stabbing has died, Durham Police Department Chief Jose Lopez Sr. said Wednesday.  —  Mangum already was in jail under a $300,000 secured bond charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Marijuana causes global warming, uses 1% of U.S. electricity  —  People growing marijuana indoors use 1 percent of the U.S. electricity supply, and they create 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year (not counting the smoke exhaled) according to a report by Evan Mills …

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.