The Right Bailing The Left Out On Spending  —  I wrote about this earlier in the specific context of Grover Norquist, but Elise Foley's account of the Obama administration's rapidly unraveling deficit reduction initiative is another illustration of the fact that at the moment the right is big government's best friend:

Obama's Young Mother Abroad  —  The photograph showed the son, but my eye gravitated toward the mother.  That first glimpse was surprising — the stout, pale-skinned woman in sturdy sandals, standing squarely a half-step ahead of the lithe, darker-skinned figure to her left.

Pay Attention to Sarah Palin!  —  In the two years and eight months that Sarah Palin has been a political celebrity, I've never heard a conservative complain about the media ignoring her.  Not until last night.  That was when Palin's web consigliere Rebecca Mansour loaded up Twitter …

Newt Gingrich struggles to raise hard money  —  Newt Gingrich raised a meager $53,000 into his political action committee in the first three months of the year, highlighting potential fundraising difficulties as the former House Speaker girds for a campaign for the GOP presidential nomination.

Bachmann Says Obama's Certificate ‘Settles’ Birther Issue  —  For the first time, Rep. Michele Bachmann - who is actively considering a run for the White House in 2012 — has said that the birth certificate President Obama has released to the public puts an end to the “birther” issue.

New Jersey voters label Christie a ‘bully’?  —  (CNN) - He says he's not, but if Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey runs for the White House, he will face some stiff competition from President Barack Obama, according to a new poll of Garden State voters.

Obama administration officials tried to keep S&P rating at ‘stable’  —  The Obama administration privately urged Standard & Poor's in recent weeks not to lower its outlook on the United States — a suggestion the ratings agency ignored Monday, two people familiar with the matter said.

Bachmann's bid: The what-if game  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has gained considerable momentum over the past few weeks.  —  She raised more money than any of her presidential rivals in 2011's first quarter, her presence at political events regularly swells crowds …

Does Paul Ryan's admiration for Ayn Rand make him pro-terrorist?  Possibly, warns MSNBC guest  —  If a fictional character in a piece of literature from an author you admire commits some acts that would likely result in a felony conviction, does that mean you're a proponent of felonious acts?

‘I wanted to be free’: Muslim model upsets family by posing nude for Playboy cover  —  Sila Sahin, a 25-year-old Turkish German living in Berlin, had until now been regarded as a glowing example of how a modern Muslim girl should behave in a multicultural society.

Obama Panel to Curb Medicare Finds Foes in Both Parties  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans are joining to oppose one of the most important features of President Obama's new deficit reduction plan, a powerful independent board that could make sweeping cuts in the growth of Medicare spending.

Trump Most Visible Among Possible GOP Contenders  —  Most View News about Deficit as Unchanging  —  SUMMARY OF FINDINGS  —  Donald Trump has drawn a lot of attention in a slow-starting race for the GOP nomination.  Roughly a quarter of all Americans (26%) name Trump as the possible …

LEAKED: Obama Executive Order Intends to Implement Portions of DISCLOSE Act  —  Download the PDF here.  —  An impeccable source has provided me with a copy of a draft Executive Order that the White House is apparently circulating for comments from several government agencies.

A Rational Budget for the Pentagon  —  In their budget-cutting zeal, Republicans are demanding harsh sacrifices from the country's most vulnerable citizens.  At the same, they are determined to leave one of the biggest areas of wasteful government spending untouched: the Pentagon budget.

Poll shows Americans oppose entitlement cuts to deal with debt problem  —  Despite growing concerns about the country's long-term fiscal problems and an intensifying debate in Washington about how to deal with them, Americans strongly oppose some of the major remedies under consideration …

(video) Left wing DC activist to TWT: ‘Drop dead’  —  During a press conference last Thursday held by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray regarding his opposition to Congress's re-authorization of DC's school voucher program, an anti-school voucher activist became angry with me over questions I asked Mr. Gray.

iPhone keeps record of everywhere you go  —  Privacy fears raised as researchers reveal file on iPhone that stores location coordinates and timestamps of owner's movements  —  Security researchers have discovered that Apple's iPhone keeps track of where you go - and saves every detail …

“Amazon.com Is Doomed!”  —  Tom Friedman isn't the worst pundit at the New York Times.  On the contrary, in that group he may be above average.  Still, Friedman must be one of the most overrated people in the world.  —  At Ricochet, Rob Long resurrects a 1999 column in which Friedman predicted the demise of Amazon.com:

Plane with Michelle Obama had to abort landing because of mistake  —  A White House plane carrying Michelle Obama came dangerously close to a 200-ton military cargo jet and had to abort its landing at Joint Base Andrews on Monday as the result of an air traffic controller's mistake …

Report: Rep. Michele Bachmann's Son Invited To Pose For Playgirl  —  Lucas Bachmann, the aesthetically pleasing son of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, was recently invited to pose for Playgirl magazine (which, in the interest of disclosure, I interned for in college), continuing in the magazine's recent …

France and Italy Will Also Send Advisers to Libya Rebels  —  PARIS — The French and Italian governments said Wednesday that they would join Britain in sending a small number of military liaison officers to support the ragtag rebel army in Libya, offering a diplomatic boost for the insurgent leader …