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 …

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 …

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.

Today's (Needless) Hysteria: the S&P Panic  —  I agree with Clive Crook's puzzlement about the S&P downgrade “bombshell” today: … And I like James K. Galbraith's derisive guffaw, as reported by Dave Lindorff: … I know that markets run on fear, greed, instinct, and panic as much as on logic.

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 …

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 …

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.

“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 …

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 …

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 …

Durbin warns Gang of Six deficit plan could produce Social Security cuts  —  Lawmakers shouldn't be so quick to rule out changes or cuts to Social Security, a top Senate Democrat participating in bipartisan Gang of Six talks says in a new interview.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

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.

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.

Big U.S. Firms Shift Hiring Abroad  —  Work Forces Shrink at Home, Sharpening Debate on Economic Impact of Globalization  —  U.S. multinational corporations, the big brand-name companies that employ a fifth of all American workers, have been hiring abroad while cutting back at home …

Letting the Banks Off the Hook  —  Judging by last week's performance, it sure looks as though the country's top bank regulator is back to its old tricks.  —  Though, to be honest, calling the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency a “regulator” is almost laughable.  The Environmental Protection Agency is a regulator.

S&P aims to whip Congress into debt action  —  A spokesperson for Standard & Poor's said on Monday that there was an “at least a one-in-three likelihood” that the rating agency “could lower” its long-term view on the US within two years.  US equities quickly dropped by more than 1.5 per cent.

There was a time when Paul Ryan thought the Federal Debt was too small  —  Well, well, well.  Paul Ryan is a typical Republican hypocrite.  Who could have predicted that?  —  Remembering When Paul Ryan Worried the Debt Was Too Small