Obama's unsettling attack on the Supreme Court  —  There was something rather unsettling in President Obama's preemptive strike on the Supreme Court at Monday's news conference.  —  “I'd just remind conservative commentators that for years what we've heard is the biggest problem on the bench …

Obama Attacks House G.O.P. Budget  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama opened a full-frontal assault Tuesday on the budget adopted by House Republicans, condemning it as a “Trojan horse” and “thinly veiled social Darwinism” that would greatly deepen inequality in the country.

Divide and Discriminate  —  When a light is shined into the dark corners of American politics, it's never pleasant to see what scurries away.  Last week, a federal judge in Maine unsealed memos from the National Organization for Marriage, one of the most prominent groups fighting against same-sex marriage.

Three times Obama has said ‘marvelous’  —  President Obama took a dig at Romney today for describing Paul Ryan's budget plan as “marvelous.”  —  “Marvelous... is a word you don't often hear about budgets,” he said.  “That's a word you don't often hear generally.”  —  Except:

Santorum Leads Romney In Pennsylvania GOP Primary, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; ‘etch A Sketch’ Rap Unfair To Romney, Republicans Say  —  Favorite Son Rick Santorum leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 41 - 35 percent among likely voters in Pennsylvania's Republican presidential primary …

Sarah Palin pokes fun at herself on ‘Today’  —  Kicking off the highly anticipated battle of Sarah Palin vs. Katie Couric on the morning TV shows Tuesday, the former Alaska governor demonstrated that that she is more than comfortable poking fun of herself on national television.

Gov. Nikki Haley On The View: 'Women Don't Care About Contraception'  —  Nikki Haley, the young Indian-American governor of South Carolina, was on The View to talk about her new book Can't Is Not An Option, but the segment ended up going in a surprising number of directions.

WANKER OF THE DECADE - 9th Runner Up  —  Megan McArdle, aka Jane Galt.  —  I generally resist the urge to pay much attention, even as she's continued to fail upwards, as certain types of people do, though I occasionally peek in on people with sterner stomachs who do pay some attention.

Olympia Snowe: Birth Control Debate Is ‘Retro’ 1950s … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Michael Bloomberg, Emily's List, Heather Wilson, Lilly Ledbetter, Linda Lingle, Olympia Snowe, Sen. Olympia Snowe, Bipartisanship, Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, Olympia Snowe Birth Control, Politics News

STUDY: Traditional Marriage Fosters Anti-Woman Attitudes In Men  —  “Traditional marriage” frequently refers to the idea that marriage should be limited to opposite-sex couples, but for many social conservatives it also means that men work and women stay at home.

Too Young to Die  —  His name was Albert Vaughn.  He was by all accounts a very good kid living in a very tough neighborhood.  He was attending a party at a home that was supposed to be a haven for young inner-city Chicago teens back in April of 2008.  The kids were there to enjoy some fun …

White House and the F.D.A. Often at Odds  —  Nancy-Ann DeParle, the whip-smart and sometimes caustic White House deputy chief of staff, picked up The Wall Street Journal one summer day in 2010 and got an unwelcome shock.  The Food and Drug Administration was proposing as part of the new health care law …

The Worst Economic Recovery in History  —  Since the second half of 2009, the U.S. economy has grown at a rate of 2.4%, a full percentage point below average long-term growth.  —  How many times have we heard that this was the worst recession since the Great Depression?

Permitted concealed firearms would be allowed in GOP convention protest zone  —  TAMPA — If Tampa's proposed rules for the Republican National Convention are passed, protesters could not bring squirt guns into a designated protest zone.  —  But they could bring real guns if they have concealed weapons permits.

Perry heard singing in bathroom pre-debate  —  President Obama sang Al Green at a fundraiser.  And Mitt Romney belted out “America the Beautiful” on the trail.  —  As for Texas Gov Rick Perry, his 2012 musical moment took place in the bathroom, according to this excerpt from POLITICO's new e-book, Inside the Circus:

4 Indiana Dems charged with election fraud in 2008 presidential race  —  From left, Butch Morgan, Pam Brunette, Beverly Shelton and Dustin Blythe were charged April 2, 2012, in an election fraud case from the 2008 Indiana Democratic primary.  —  Felony charges related to election fraud …

Quote of the Day: Narrative Destroying Edition  —  “You will recall the incident of the beating of the black homeless man Sherman Ware on December 4, 2010 by the son of a Sanford police officer.  The beating sparked outrage in the community but there were very few that stepped up to do anything about it.