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 …

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 …

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 …

Gov. Walker Gets Some Awkward Questions  —  Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker faced some awkward questions during his much-anticipated testimony Thursday before the House Oversight Committee. … Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) had intended the hearing to focus on state and municipal debt …

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.

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 …

A budget for the 21st century  —  This week the House of Representatives will take the first real step in addressing our looming fiscal crisis by bringing “The Path to Prosperity,” a budget resolution for next year and beyond, to the House floor.  This budget offers a clear contrast to the president's speech on Wednesday.

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.

West: Boehner Needs to ‘Come to Jesus’  —  The House will vote on the Boehner-White House spending deal this afternoon.  Outside of the chamber, Republicans predict that the measure will pass, though numerous defections are expected, according to aides.  One tells us that some members …

False pretense for war in Libya?  —  EVIDENCE IS now in that President Barack Obama grossly exaggerated the humanitarian threat to justify military action in Libya.  The president claimed that intervention was necessary to prevent a “bloodbath” in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city and last rebel stronghold.

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?

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 …

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.

GWU Suicide Tragically Coincides with Obama Speech  —  George Washington University students in Washington, D.C. learned of a tragic coincidence of timing on their campus Wednesday.  As President Obama delivered a speech on deficit reduction in the Jack Morton Auditorium …

Harry Reid ‘Embarrassed’ About 2006 Opposition To Raising Debt Limit  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports:  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today told ABC News that he feels “embarrassed” that four years ago he argued against raising the country's debt limit.

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 …

Obama Exclusive: Concedes Senate Vote Against Raising Debt Limit Was ‘Political’  —  In my exclusive interview with President Barack Obama, the president acknowledged that Democrats are going to bear the “burden” of extending the national debt limit later this spring - and he explained …

16 Tons  — Contents © 1999-2010 by David Burge / Iowahawk.  —  For reprint inquiries, please contact Lynn Chu.  —  IOWAHAWK'S OTHER HAUNTS  —  BLURBS  — Het Vrije Volk (Netherlands)  —  “Laat de rijken de crisis betalen, zegt de SP.  Let's eat de rich, zegt Michael Moore.