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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

Proper Reaction to S&P Credit Downgrade Threat: Bursting Out Laughing  —  Dave Lindorff managed to scrounge up the best quote from an economist in reaction to S&P's threatened US credit downgrade: … That's about the right reaction to have.  As James Fallows points out …

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.

Club for Growth to Sen. Lugar: Retire  —  The president of the Club for Growth encouraged longtime Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) to retire Tuesday rather than seek another term in 2012, warning that the group could get involved in the effort to oust Lugar in a primary.

Obama invokes bridge collapse in criticizing GOP budget plan  —  President Obama invoked the 2007 collapse of the Interstate 35-W bridge in Minneapolis while criticizing cuts to infrastructure in the Republican budget plan at a town hall meeting on Tuesday.  —  “According to the Republican budget …

Petition to recall Wisconsin GOP Sen. Sheila Harsdorf to be filed Tuesday  —  More than enough signatures have been collected in an effort to recall Republican Wisconsin state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, organizers announced Monday.  —  Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Graeme Zielinski …

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.

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.

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 …

Trump: I'll Release My Tax Returns When Obama Releases His Birth Certificate  —  Donald Trump has promised to disclose the details of his finances if he decides to run for president, but not necessarily his tax returns.  In our interview yesterday, he laid out a new condition for their release.

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.

‘Koch brothers’ confusion results in death threat for Iowa company  —  A case of mistaken identity has entangled a small family-owned Des Moines company in union protests and led to a death threat.  —  Angry callers are mistaking Koch Brothers, a Des Moines office supply firm …

State launches probe into campaign to provide superhero capes to jobless  —  State labor officials asked their inspector general Monday to investigate why a Central Florida agency wants to spend public money to furnish the unemployed with capes.  —  Dubbed the “Cape-A-Bility Challenge,” …

Arab American Group Praises Mitch Daniels As ‘The Adult In The Room’  —  While some GOP presidential contenders ratchet up their anti-Muslim rhetoric to toxic levels, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniel (R) is set to accept a prestigious award next month from the Arab American Institute.