Top Items:
David Brooks / New York Times:
Why Trump Soars — Very few people have the luxury of being freely obnoxious. Most people have to watch what they say for fear of offending their bosses and colleagues. Others resist saying anything that might make them unpopular. — But, in every society, there are a few rare souls …
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Economic anxiety threatens Obama in 2012, but in poll he edges GOP rivals — Deepening economic pessimism has pushed down President Obama's approval rating to a near record low, but he holds an early advantage over prospective 2012 rivals in part because of widespread dissatisfaction …
Myglesias / Yglesias:
Climate Denialism Promoter Fred Hiatt Hits American Conservatives For Embrace of Climate Denialism — The earth's climate is shifting. Most generally, the planet is getting warmer. And while many factors contribute to the earth's climate, the key factor in the warming trend is human industrial activity.
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Huckabee up in Iowa, Romney otherwise — Mike Huckabee remains the clear GOP frontrunner in Iowa if he decides to run for President again in 2012. If he doesn't run Mitt Romney rises to the top of the polls in the state. And Iowa is one place where Republicans voters are not yet buying into the Donald Trump hype.
Discussion:
GOP 12, Ben Smith's Blog, Ballot Box and Daily Kos
John Springer / msnbc.com:
Trump: I'm ‘last person Obama wants to run against’
Trump: I'm ‘last person Obama wants to run against’
Discussion:
Washington Wire, FITSNews, Politics, National Review and Associated Press
Lauraklairmont / CNN:
Poll shows GOP not happy with its prez candidates
Poll shows GOP not happy with its prez candidates
Discussion:
Hot Air, Washington Post, The Political Carnival and Daily Kos
Analysis By Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Race to the Bottom: Obama, GOP Unpopular
Race to the Bottom: Obama, GOP Unpopular
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Sky Dancing, Washington Post and GOP 12
Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:
Krauthammer doubles down on the 'Trump is the GOP's Al Sharpton' claim
Krauthammer doubles down on the 'Trump is the GOP's Al Sharpton' claim
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, theblogprof, No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsBusters.org, Hot Air, TPMDC and Salon
First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: Did last week's speech backfire?
First Thoughts: Did last week's speech backfire?
Discussion:
Arizona Republic, Washington Monthly, Swampland and Taylor Marsh
Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Barack Obama Chides Local Reporter For His Interruptive And Combative Interview — President Barack Obama conducted interviews with a number of reporters yesterday at the White House, talking up his administration's efforts to reduce the budget deficit. One lucky reporter to get the plum assignment …
Discussion:
The Blaze, Babalú Blog, Gawker, Balloon Juice and Weasel Zippers
RELATED:
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Obama revives immigration reform — In the face of mounting political pressure, President Obama will focus on the issue at a White House meeting Tuesday. — President Obama is reviving the issue of immigration reform in the face of mounting political pressure as he readies his bid for reelection.
Discussion:
The Caucus, National Review, JammieWearingFool, Pirate's Cove, The Political Carnival and Weasel Zippers
Brad Watson / WFAA-TV:
News 8 goes one-on-one with President Obama — NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE — WASHINGTON — News 8 sat down with President Barack Obama at the White House Monday afternoon to discuss the economy, immigration and his approval rating. — The president this week is talking up his deficit reduction plan …
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, CNN, Conservatives4Palin, Fox News, msnbc.com and Pajamas Media
Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Is Obama Messing With Texas? — President Obama's political advisers often talk about how population shifts in the country could create new electoral battlegrounds, pointing specifically to Arizona, Georgia and Texas. — There are several signs that aides to the president have Texas on their minds.
Discussion:
bizjournals, RedState and HotAirPundit
David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama to make Easter Prayer Breakfast an annual event — President Obama hosted what he called the “second annual” Easter Prayer Breakfast today, and said he wants to make it a permanent part of White House life. — “I'm going to make it annual,” Obama told Christian leaders from across the country gathered in the East Room.
Discussion:
Associated Press, protein wisdom, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart.tv, Ben Smith's Blog, CNN and The Lonely Conservative
David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama the media critic: Say something mean, get on TV
Obama the media critic: Say something mean, get on TV
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and Shakesville
Jan Moller / New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Gov. Jindal will sign ‘birther’ bill if it reaches his desk — BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal would sign a bill requiring presidential candidates to provide a copy of their birth certificate to qualify for the Louisiana ballot if it reaches his desk, a spokesman said Monday.
Discussion:
The Politico, Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story, FOX 10 News, Wonkette, This Just In, Talking Points Memo, First Draft, TPMDC and Little Green Footballs
RELATED:
Fox News:
Why Gov. Brewer Vetoed Arizona's ‘Birther’ Bill: ‘It Serves No Purpose’ | On the Record
Why Gov. Brewer Vetoed Arizona's ‘Birther’ Bill: ‘It Serves No Purpose’ | On the Record
Discussion:
Washington Wire and Ballot Box
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Jan Brewer vetoes birther bill, guns bill
Jan Brewer vetoes birther bill, guns bill
Discussion:
The Hill, TPMDC, Associated Press and Outside the Beltway
Dave Lindorff / This Can't Be Happening:
An ‘Oh Please!’ Moment: Is S&P Running Interference for the Right to Help Crush Social Security and Medicare? — by: — Today'sbreathless anxiety-inducing headline was that Standard & Poors, the rating agency, has issued a “negative outlook” warning on US sovereign debt, claiming that the US …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, New Deal 2.0, naked capitalism, Crooked Timber, Suburban Guerrilla and Prairie Weather
RELATED:
James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:
Today's (Needless) Hysteria: the S&P Panic
Today's (Needless) Hysteria: the S&P Panic
Discussion:
Paul Krugman, Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality …, The Daily Dish and Balloon Juice
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Proper Reaction to S&P Credit Downgrade Threat: Bursting Out Laughing
Proper Reaction to S&P Credit Downgrade Threat: Bursting Out Laughing
Discussion:
CEPR, Hullabaloo, Guardian, The Atlantic Online and Eschaton
Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
REVEALED: Boehner's High-Priced Lawyer Is Charging the American Taxpayer $520 Per Hour — ThinkProgress has obtained a copy of the contract House Republicans signed with Paul Clement, a former Solicitor General who earns $5 million a year, to defend the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Little Green Footballs and The BLT
RELATED:
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
House sets $500K, $520-an-hour contract for DOMA defense
House sets $500K, $520-an-hour contract for DOMA defense
Discussion:
The Raw Story, TPMDC, Speaker and Ben Smith's Blog
Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Donald Trump: Reagan Was A Con Man Who Couldn't ‘Deliver The Goods’ — Today, real estate mogul Donald Trump proudly declares that Ronald Reagan is the President he admires most. Here's Trump on the April 14 edition of Hannity: … Watch it: — But in his bestselling book, Art of the Deal …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Ben Smith's Blog
DCCC:
DCCC LAUNCHES LATEST DRIVE FOR 25 CAMPAIGN — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) today announced it is launching a paid advertising and grassroots campaign to hold 25 vulnerable House Republicans accountable for choosing to end Medicare rather than end taxpayer giveaways …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, TPMDC and Oliver Willis
RELATED:
Shane D'Aprile / Ballot Box:
DCCC hitting 25 House Republicans with radio ads over Ryan budget
DCCC hitting 25 House Republicans with radio ads over Ryan budget
Discussion:
CNN
Paul Bignell / The Independent:
Secret memos expose link between oil firms and invasion of Iraq — Plans to exploit Iraq's oil reserves were discussed by government ministers and the world's largest oil companies the year before Britain took a leading role in invading Iraq, government documents show.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, ThinkProgress and Truthdig
Igor Volsky / Wonk Room:
VIDEO: New Hampshire Tea Party Activists Don't See Harm From State Same-Sex Marriage Law — ThinkProgress filed this report from Concord, New Hampshire. — During a recent trip to Concord, New Hampshire, to cover a Tax Day Tea Party sponsored by Americans for Prosperity …
Discussion:
Pam's House Blend, The Raw Story, Towleroad News #gay and The Gavel
RELATED:
Lauraklairmont / CNN:
Poll: More Americans favor same-sex marriage
Poll: More Americans favor same-sex marriage
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, The Politico and Poll Watch Daily
Sal Bommarito / PolicyMic.com:
A Sense Of Entitlement — The federal government offers numerous entitlement programs to assist the needy and the aged. The principal ones include Social Security (which is self-funded for the most part), Medicare, and Welfare. These programs have been installed by acts of Congress motivated …
Discussion:
Liberty Pundits Blog and Questions and Observations
TBogg:
“How much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.” — Having been forced by the EPA to ship her signature little black dress (seen here and here and here) to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory where it will be processed and incinerated, Ann Coulter announces …
Discussion:
Rising Hegemon
Glenn Blain / NY Daily News:
Classic kids games like kickball deemed unsafe by state in effort to increase summer camp regulation — State bureaucrats have created a list of ‘risky activities’ for kids at summer camp. The list includes freeze tag, Wiffle Ball and kickball, among other games and activities.
Discussion:
Joanne Jacobs, Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool
Myglesias / Yglesias:
People Want To Tax The Rich — This is a well-known poll result, but the latest from Marist (PDF) confirms it: — One of the most striking aspects of American politics over the past decade has been the unwillingness of moderate/vulnerable Democratic Party members of congress to embrace the median voter's view of this issue.
Discussion:
Economix and The New Republic
Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
Thought the financial crisis was bad? Wait till the debt ceiling caves in. — Timothy Geithner does not want the market to smell his fear. “I want to make one thing perfectly clear,” he said Sunday. “Congress will raise the debt ceiling.” But if there was truly so little doubt …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Steven Thomma / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Poll: Best way to fight deficits: Raise taxes on the rich — WASHINGTON — Alarmed by rising national debt and increasingly downbeat about their country's course, Americans are clear about how they want to attack the government's runway budget deficits: raise taxes on the wealthy and keep hands off of Medicare and Medicaid.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story and Wonkette