memeorandum: Illinois Exit Polls: Romney Gains in Relatability (Gary Langer/ABCNEWS)

6:50 PM ET, March 20, 2012

Top Items:

The Budget Wars: Why Obama and the GOP Are Light-Years Apart — If it seems like Republicans and Democrats are on different planets with their approach to budgeting, it's because they really are providing answers to completely different questions. — “This isn't just about math …

Discussion: American Prospect and Campaign 2012

Ezra Klein:

Paul Ryan's budget: Should the poor pay for deficit reduction? — Here's the basic outline of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's 2013 budget in one sentence: Ryan's budget funds trillions of dollars in tax cuts, defense spending and deficit reduction by cutting deeply into health-care programs and income supports for the poor.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill, ThinkProgress, PERRspectives, Guardian, Balloon Juice and Boston Globe

Paul Ryan / Wall Street Journal:

The GOP Budget and America's Future — The president's budget gives more power to bureaucrats, takes more from taxpayers to fuel the expansion of government, and commits our nation to a future of debt and decline. — Less than a year ago, the House of Representatives passed a budget …

Discussion: New York Times, msnbc.com, Washington Post, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Maggie's Farm, Washington Wire, The Incidental Economist, The Lonely Conservative, Politico, Power Line, WE Blog and Hot Air

Washington Post:

Paul Ryan's budget is bad politics. Just ask Republicans. — To much fanfare, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan will unveil his 2012 budget plan in Washington today. — In this Feb. 16, 2012, file photo House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., holds up a copy of President Barack …

Discussion: The Hill, Daily Kos, msnbc.com, Newsy, The Spectacle Blog, Fox News and Washington Monthly

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Reid: Sen. Wyden against Medicare reforms in Ryan budget

Discussion: Politico and ThinkProgress

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
GOP budget plan cuts deeply into domestic programs, reshapes Medicare, Medicaid

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, Ezra Klein, Daily Kos, RedState, The Maddow Blog and Vodkapundit

Seung Min Kim / Politico:
For Democrats, GOP budget is Christmas in March

Discussion: Ezra Klein, Washington Post, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, The Caucus and Balloon Juice

Philip Klein / Campaign 2012:
Ryan slashes deficits by $3.26 trillion vs Obama

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Matthew Yglesias / Slate:
No, Paul Ryan Does Not Want To Strengthen The Safety Net

Discussion: Ezra Klein, American Prospect, Booman Tribune and The Maddow Blog

Budget Committee:
The Path to Prosperity Budget: Your Country. Your Future. Your Choice.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, ABCNEWS and Nice Deb

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Media scrubs Malia Obama vacation story — The AFP, the Huffington Post and other websites have scrubbed a report about first daughter Malia Obama's Spring Break vacation. — On Monday, the AFP reported that Obama's daughter was vacationing abroad, along with a number of friends and 25 Secret Service agents.

Discussion: Agence France Presse, NewsBusters.org, National Review, Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, The Volokh Conspiracy, Outside the Beltway and The Raw Story

Jonathon M. Seidl / TheBlaze.com:

RICK SANTORUM REACTS TO OBAMA ALLOWING DAUGHTER TO VACATION IN MEXICO: ‘SET AN EXAMPLE’ — On Tuesday's Glenn Beck program, Rick Santorum responded to the news that the president allowed his 13-year-old daughter, Malia, to vacation in Mexico, despite a recent State Department travel warning for the country.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, GOP 12, Mediaite and Indecision Forever

Jonathon M. Seidl / TheBlaze.com:
WHITE HOUSE ADMITS TO ASKING NEWS AGENCIES TO PULL MALIA OBAMA VACATION STORY

Discussion: International Business Times, Wonkette and Wizbang

Montreal Gazette:
Obama's daughter spends spring break in Mexico

Discussion: Maggie's Notebook and The Raw Story

Erica Ritz / TheBlaze.com:
WHY IS THE STORY ABOUT MALIA OBAMA VACATIONING IN MEXICO DISAPPEARING FROM THE WEB?

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Hit & Run, Wake up America, TBogg, Mediaite, Moonbattery, alicublog, CANNONFIRE, The PJ Tatler, The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers and iOwnTheWorld.com

Newt Gingrich / CNN:

TRENDING: Campaign calls De Niro comment ‘inappropriate’ after Gingrich blast — (CNN) - President Barack Obama's reelection organization said Tuesday it was “inappropriate” for Robert De Niro to joke at a campaign fundraiser in New York Monday that America wasn't “ready for a white first lady.”

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, The Agonist, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, Politico, NO QUARTER, The Right Scoop, The Daily Caller, Jammie Wearing Fools and Gothamist

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Gingrich says actor Robert DeNiro's racially themed first lady joke ‘inexcusable’ — Newt Gingrich blasted actor Robert DeNiro for a racially themed joke during his introduction of first lady Michelle Obama at a fundraiser in New York City on Monday night, calling the comments “inexcusable.”

Discussion: Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway and Booman Tribune

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:
De Niro suggests it's ‘too soon’ for another white FLOTUS

Discussion: CNN, NewsBusters.org, Runnin' Scared, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, iOwnTheWorld.com, alicublog and The Page

Marc Ambinder / GQ:

Exclusive: GQ Reveals Romney's and Santorum's Secret Service Code Names — They are the best kept secrets of any presidential campaign—until someone overhears a whispered shout into a wrist microphone. Candidates who get Secret Service protection get to choose the code word that they'll be called …

Discussion: News Desk, Jezebel, Online NewsHour, ABCNEWS, American Prospect, Fox News, USA Today, The Caucus, New York Magazine and Wonkette

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Illinois Exit Polls: Romney Gains in Relatability

Discussion: GOP 12

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
In Illinois, Santorum's Chance at Nomination Is Slipping Away

Discussion: Politico, Hot Air, CNN, Democracy in America, Chicago Sun Times, Washington Monthly, The American Conservative, The New Republic, ABCNEWS, Runnin' Scared, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Boston Globe, PJ Media and News Desk

Los Angeles Times:
Economy forces Romney to change his tone

Discussion: Washington Monthly, NY Daily News, Washington Post, Reuters, ABCNEWS, Daily Kos, The Hill and Wall Street Journal

Alexander Burns / Politico:
Santorum outgunned 7 to 1 in Illinois, 21 to 1 in Chicago media market

Discussion: CNN, Firedoglake, FiveThirtyEight, Washington Monthly and ABCNEWS

CNN:
The nuts and bolts of the Illinois primary

Discussion: Politico

Emily Bazelon / Slate:

Why Trayvon Martin's Killer Remains Free — Florida's self-defense laws have left Florida safe for no one—except those who shoot first. — Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., by George Zimmerman. Zimmerman has not been charged. — family handout

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post, New York Times, News Desk, Change of Subject, No More Mister Nice Blog, The American Conservative, The Lede, The Mahablog and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Beth Kassab / Orlando Sentinel:

“Stand your ground” law goes too far — You can't say we weren't warned. — Back in 2005, opponents of Florida's first-of-its-kind “stand your ground” law said it wouldn't be long before we'd see shootouts in the streets — all in the name of self-defense.

Discussion: MiamiHerald.com, In America, ThinkProgress, Taylor Marsh, southernstudies.org, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice, News One, Shakesville and American Prospect

Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs:

Fox News Commenters React to Trayvon Martin: ‘Good Shot Zimmy’ — I don't even know what to say about this any more; the comments about Trayvon Martin at Fox News are just unbelievable. — Here's the article: Department of Justice Opens Investigation Into Case of Black Teenager Killed by Neighborhood Watch Captain |

Discussion: Fox News and Booman Tribune

Mark Knoller / CBS News:

National Debt has increased more under Obama than under Bush — (CBS News) The National Debt has now increased more during President Obama's three years and two months in office than it did during 8 years of the George W. Bush presidency. — The Debt rose $4.899 trillion during the two terms of the Bush presidency.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Hit & Run, Wake up America, The Lonely Conservative, iOwnTheWorld.com, IMAO, Michelle Malkin, Pirate's Cove and The PJ Tatler

Blue Texan / Crooks and Liars:

CBS's Mark Knoller Falsely Claims Debt Has Increased More Under Obama Than Bush — Mark Knoller is the White House correspondant for CBS Radio, and a first-class right-wing tool. Monday night, he posted an article titled, “National debt has increased more under Obama than under Bush,” …

CBS New York:

Bloomberg Strikes Again: NYC Bans Food Donations To The Homeless — Has The Mayor Totally Eaten Away At The Public's Desire To Do Good? — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg's food police have struck again! — Outlawed are food donations to homeless shelters because the city …

Discussion: New York Post, Politicker, Michelle Malkin, The PJ Tatler, The Impolitic and The Moderate Voice

Associated Press:

Report: Just $31B from Buffett rule tax on rich — WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill designed to enact President Barack Obama's plan for a “Buffett rule” tax on the wealthy would rake in just $31 billion over the next 11 years, according to an estimate by Congress' official tax analysts obtained by The Associated Press.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Campaign 2012

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Buffett Rule would bring in less than $3 billion a year in revenue

Discussion: The Jawa Report

David Segal / New York Times:

For LSAT, Sharp Drop in Popularity for Second Year — Legal diplomas are apparently losing luster. — The organization behind the Law School Admission Test reported that the number of tests it administered this year dropped by more than 16 percent, the largest decline in more than a decade.

Discussion: TaxProf Blog, Instapundit and Law Blog

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Polling on Romney's ‘dog problem’ — Mitt Romney's ‘dog problem’ has received tons of media attention in the last week so we decided to do a poll about it. Here's what we found: —20% of voters have a favorable opinion of Romney's treatment of dogs to 29% with an unfavorable opinion.

Discussion: Washington Wire, Ballot Box and Wonkette