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

5:20 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: ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice and Guardian

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

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

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

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

Discussion: ThinkProgress

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

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

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

Discussion: American Prospect, Booman Tribune, Nice Deb and The Maddow Blog

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, Politico, Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, NO QUARTER, The Daily Caller, The Right Scoop, 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: NewsBusters.org, Runnin' Scared, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, iOwnTheWorld.com, alicublog and The Page

Chris Geidner / Poliglot:
Michelle Obama: Supreme Court Picks Will Impact Whether Americans Can “Love Whomever We Choose”

Discussion: Washington Post, Gay Politics, US Politics, Towleroad News #gay, Feministing and ThinkProgress

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

Jonathon M. Seidl / TheBlaze.com:

WHITE HOUSE ADMITS TO ASKING NEWS AGENCIES TO PULL MALIA OBAMA VACATION STORY — Update: Rick Santorum has offered his thoughts on the issue. Hear them here. — The White House has admitted to telling news agencies to pull stories on Malia Obama visiting Mexico for spring break, Politico reports.

Discussion: International Business Times, Wonkette, protein wisdom and Wizbang

Jonathon M. Seidl / TheBlaze.com:
RICK SANTORUM REACTS TO OBAMA ALLOWING DAUGHTER TO VACATION IN MEXICO: ‘SET AN EXAMPLE’

Discussion: GOP 12, Mediaite and Indecision Forever

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, TBogg, Wake up America, Mediaite, CANNONFIRE, alicublog, Moonbattery, The PJ Tatler, The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers and iOwnTheWorld.com

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

Dave Levinthal / Politico:
Pro-Ron Paul super PAC Endorse Liberty sees fundraising slide

Discussion: CNN

CNN:
The nuts and bolts of the Illinois primary

Discussion: Politico

Charles Mahtesian / Politico:
Illinois primary: 5 things to watch

Discussion: CNN, Runnin' Scared and Washington Post

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

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

Ashley Perks / The Hill:
Romney poised for key Illinois win

Discussion: CNN, The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, Indecision Forever, Washington Wire, Fox News, Ballot Box, ThinkProgress, Shakesville and NationalJournal.com

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

Discussion: Firedoglake, FiveThirtyEight, Washington Monthly and ABCNEWS

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: New York Times, In America, Taylor Marsh, The Lede, MiamiHerald.com, News One, southernstudies.org, No More Mister Nice Blog, American Prospect, Shakesville and Balloon Juice

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

Frances Robles / MiamiHerald.com:
Grand jury to probe Trayvon Martin killing

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: Michelle Malkin, iOwnTheWorld.com, Hot Air, Hit & Run, Wake up America, The Lonely Conservative, IMAO, 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: The Impolitic and The Moderate Voice

Jeff Stier / New York Post:
No Kugel for you! — So much for serving the homeless.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Maggie's Farm and Weasel Zippers

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

Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:

Liberals Are Wrong: Free Market Health Care Is Possible — Avik S. A. Roy - Avik Roy is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and author of The Apothecary, a Forbes blog on health-care and entitlement reform. — One of the big divides between liberals and conservatives …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and Maggie's Farm

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Warren holds small lead in MA-Senate race — PPP's newest Massachusetts poll finds Elizabeth Warren leading Scott Brown 46-41. — Brown is not proving to be an overwhelmingly popular Senator. 45% of voters approve of the job he's doing to 42% who disapprove.

Discussion: Firedoglake and Boston Globe