Top Items:
Sen. Scott Brown / The Politico:
Why I don't back Ryan Medicare plan — As part of the 2012 budget discussions, Congress is dealing with Medicare reform. This debate is long overdue, since its increasing cost must be addressed if we are serious about the nation's growing $14 trillion debt and $1.6 trillion annual deficit.
Discussion:
CNN, The Caucus, USA Today, Washington Times, Daily Kos, TPMDC, Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, National Review, Taegan Goddard's … and AmSpecBlog
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Republicans ignored warnings on Paul Ryan plan — It might be a political time bomb — that's what GOP pollsters warned as House Republicans prepared for the April 15 vote on Rep. Paul Ryan's proposed budget, with its plan to dramatically remake Medicare. — No matter how favorably pollsters …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Taegan Goddard's …
John Cole / Balloon Juice:
Things Done Changed — Remember how it was the beltway conventional wisdom that the Ryan plan was “serious” and “adult” and that it was up to the Democrats to offer a counter and yadda, yadda, yadda. Things sure have changed in a few months, haven't they?
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Eschaton
Digby / Hullabaloo:
“The Tea Party itch has not been scratched”: How the Ryan plan went down — “The Tea Party Itch Has Not Been Scratched” — Any political observer with even a modicum of sense could see that the Ryan Plan was going to be a complete disaster. And most of us have been wondering ever since what the hell made them go for it.
Discussion:
The Politico, The New Republic, pandagon.net, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Eschaton
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Scott Brown a ‘no’ on Ryan budget
Scott Brown a ‘no’ on Ryan budget
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Outside the Beltway, AMERICAblog News and FrumForum
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Behind the Daniels family veto — On Friday, the pieces were coming together nicely for a Mitch Daniels-for-president campaign. Some top potential staffers were told they would have a job, and to keep their powder dry just a little bit longer. Several Washington Republicans expected a declaration in the next few days.
Discussion:
The Note, Taegan Goddard's …, AMERICAblog Elections, ABCNEWS, The BLT, White House Dossier, Erick's blog, Wall Street Journal and FrumForum
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William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
The Next President Isn't Currently Running (Updated) — There's no GOP operative for whom I have higher regard than former RNC chair and senior Bush advisor Ed Gillespie. He deserves to be taken seriously when he says (according to Politico): “For all intents and purposes, the field is set.
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Daniels Is Out, in Another Jolt to G.O.P. Field
Discussion:
CNN, The Politico, ThinkProgress, Ben Smith's Blog, Wonkette, Nice Deb, The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, Politics, Taylor Marsh, Blue Mass Group and The Impolitic
Michael Barone / Washington Examiner:
Some observations as Daniels bows out
Some observations as Daniels bows out
Discussion:
Riehl World View, Runnin' Scared, The Other McCain and Pundit & Pundette
Associated Press:
Joplin tornado death toll soars to 89 … UPDATED at 5:40 a.m. with death toll at 89; at 6:10 a.m. with information from fire chief. — JOPLIN, Mo. • A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Salon, The Daley Gator, Gothamist, Associated Press, White House Dossier, The Gateway Pundit and Gawker
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Randy Turner / The Huffington Post:
Death, Destruction Hit Joplin, Missouri
Death, Destruction Hit Joplin, Missouri
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and National Review
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Death Toll Rises to Nearly 100 From Missouri Tornado
Discussion:
The Hill, The Lede, Mashable! and Balloon Juice
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Obama digging up dirt on potential opponent Chris Christie — President Obama's re-election campaign is trying to dig up dirt in the Garden State. — Despite New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's repeated pronouncements that he will not seek the GOP presidential nomination …
Discussion:
GOP 12, Verum Serum, The Other McCain, Betsy's Page and JammieWearingFool
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Biden tells donors: Keep me in mind for 2016 — Vice President Joe Biden surprised a gathering of donors in Cincinnati last week when he floated the prospect of his succeeding President Barack Obama in the White House. — Biden, who started in the Senate young and would be just 70 in 2012 …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, Pundit Press and Politics
Spectator:
Obama's achievement: the mouse that roared — I don't know what strategic purpose Obama had in mind for addressing the Middle East impasse when last Thursday he made the first of a series of speeches on the subject. Whatever this may have been, that speech produced one satisfactory result.
Discussion:
Via Meadia, Democracy in America and Big Peace
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Eric Cantor:
Leader Cantor's Remarks to AIPAC
Leader Cantor's Remarks to AIPAC
Discussion:
Power Line, Weasel Zippers and Capital J | JTA
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Obama double downs at AIPAC
Obama double downs at AIPAC
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs, Questions and Observations, Nice Deb, The Reaction, Pajamas Media, Power Line, Maggie's Farm, Taylor Marsh and The Hill
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Gingrich: 'I'm not a Washington figure' — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) said he doesn't view himself as a “Washington figure,” positioning himself as an anti-D.C. candidate in his campaign for president. — Gingrich railed against the Washington, D.C. establishment …
Discussion:
The Politico, The Note, The Daily Caller and GOP 12
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Richard E. Cohen / The Politico:
John Boehner finds litigation suits him
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Harold Camping ‘flabbergasted’; rapture a no-show — (05-22) 19:18 PDT ALAMEDA — The man who said the world was going to end appeared at his front door in Alameda a day later, very much alive but not so well. — “It has been a really tough weekend,” said Harold Camping …
Discussion:
newsfeed.time.com, Simply Left BehindThe …, Gothamist, Runnin' Scared and Gawker
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Pawlenty Campaign Already Dead? — Tim Pawlenty's hometown newspaper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, ran the story of his presidential campaign announcement on the Obituary page this morning, City Pages reports.
Discussion:
The Blotter
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Kevin Hoffman / The Blotter:
DOA: Pioneer Press runs Tim Pawlenty presidential announcement on obit page
DOA: Pioneer Press runs Tim Pawlenty presidential announcement on obit page
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Mediaite
The Note:
Is Donald Trump Back in the 2012 Race? — ABC News' Sheila Marikar and Rick Klein report: Perhaps Donald Trump didn't really bow out after all. — The billionaire business mogul phoned into Fox News' “Fox & Friends” this morning to lament the state of the Republican field.
Discussion:
Reuters, Taylor Marsh, Daniel W. Drezner, Outside the Beltway, Weigel, No More Mister Nice Blog and FrumForum
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Hochul continues to lead in NY-26 — Democrat Kathy Hochul continues to appear poised for an upset victory in Tuesday's special election for Congress in New York's 26th Congressional District. She is polling at 42% to 36% for Republican nominee Jane Corwin and 13% for Tea Party candidate Jack Davis.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, The Politico, Ballot Box, Weigel, The Nation, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, National Review and Blue Mass Group
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If I Take Down Fox, Is All Forgiven? — David Brock has spent the last decade apologizing to liberals for his role in creating the vast right-wing conspiracy. Now he's trying something more ambitious and hoping it gains him the respect he craves from the White House.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog and Althouse
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
When Austerity Fails — I often complain, with reason, about the state of economic discussion in the United States. And the irresponsibility of certain politicians — like those Republicans claiming that defaulting on U.S. debt would be no big deal — is scary.
Discussion:
Northern Reflections, Wall Street Journal, Questions and Observations and Paul Krugman