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Republicans emerge from Obama dinner optimistic about deficit deal — Senate Republicans are more optimistic about the prospect of a grand bargain on the deficit after an intimate dinner with President Obama Wednesday evening in downtown Washington. — Obama and a dozen Republicans discussed …
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Obama invites Paul Ryan to lunch — President Barack Obama —seeking to sell Republicans on a revival of “grand bargain” talks — has invited 2012 GOP veep candidate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the chairman of the House Budget Committee, over to the White House for lunch on Thursday, POLITICO has learned.
Discussion:
Hot Air and Wall Street Journal


Paul Ryan Balances New Budget By Embracing Obama Policies — But next week, just four months after losing the November election, Ryan plans to unveil a budget that incorporates many of the policies he campaigned against, since the very changes he opposed as a vice presidential candidate …


First Thoughts: A tale of two Senates — A tale of two Senates on display last night... Obama's dinner with 12 GOP senators vs. Rand Paul's filibuster... Paul's filibuster actually forces a debate... Principle vs. politics... Obama's dinner gets positive reviews, but it raises three questions …
Discussion:
New York Times, CNN, The Dish, Daily Kos and First Read

Why we're raising money to support Obama agenda
Discussion:
The Hill and Washington Free Beacon

G.O.P. Senators Give Obama Dinner Thumbs Up
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog and Politico

Republicans, Led by Rand Paul, Finally End Filibuster — Updated WASHINGTON — A small group of Republicans, led by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, stalled the Senate on Wednesday by waging a nearly 13-hour old-school, speak-until-you-can-speak-no- more filibuster over the government's use …
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Rand Paul's Drone Rant — Give Rand Paul credit for theatrical timing. As a snow storm descended on Washington, the Kentucky Republican's old-fashioned filibuster Wednesday filled the attention void on Twitter and cable TV. If only his reasoning matched the showmanship.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Business Insider, Mediaite and TheBlaze.com

McConnell extends Rand Paul filibuster: It'll take 60 votes to proceed with Brennan nomination
Discussion:
Hit & Run and Patterico's Pontifications


Paul's filibuster in opposition to Brennan, drone policy ends after nearly 13 hours
Discussion:
The Fix, The Plum Line, News Desk, Politico, Post Politics, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Taking Note and The Spectacle Blog

Democrats Absent During Rand Paul Filibuster Of John Brennan Nomination
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, ProfessorBainbridge.com and Post Politics

Rand Paul ends epic filibuster over Brennan
Discussion:
Politics Extra, The Week, National Review and Mediaite

Barack Obama ‘has authority to use drone strikes to kill Americans on US soil’
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit

Longest Senate filibusters went on and on ... and on
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, USA Today and Taylor Marsh


North Korea warns U.S. of preemptive nuclear strike — SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea threatened the United States on Thursday with a preemptive nuclear strike, raising the level of rhetoric while the U.N. Security Council considers new sanctions against the reclusive country.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit
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New Sanctions Imposed on North Korea as it Warns of Pre-emptive Nuclear Attack — The United Nations Security Council approved a new regimen of sanctions on Thursday against North Korea for its underground nuclear test last month, imposing penalties on North Korean banking …
Discussion:
The Hill, The Week and The Daily Caller


Al Gore Sued Over Current TV Sale to Al Jazeera (Exclusive) — A $5 million lawsuit claims Gore was “adamant” about not selling his network to oil-rich Qataris but had a “change of heart,” then stiffed the man who came up with the idea for the deal. — Current TV's $500 million sale …
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway, TVNewser, Mediaite and Washington Free Beacon, more at Mediagazer »


How the White House silenced gun control groups — President Barack Obama's gun control agenda is looking more doomed by the day, but gun control advocates still haven't said a word to complain. — That's no accident. — The White House knew its post-Newtown effort would require bringing key gun-control groups into the fold.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS
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Kirk and Manchin don't support Schumer background-check proposal
Discussion:
The Hill, The Maddow Blog, Booman Tribune, Politico and CNN


The Fox News-iest Segment in Fox News History — If you have never seen Fox News before, here is a four-minute clip that captures the essence of the network so perfectly that you need never watch anything on it again. It's all here. At the center, you have an old conservative white guy …
Discussion:
p m carpenter's commentary, The Mahablog, The Reaction and The Week


GOP Governor Begs Her Party To Expand Medicaid: 'The Human Cost Of This Tragedy Can't Be Calculated' — Jan Brewer (R), Arizona's combative GOP governor, stunned political observers and health care reform advocates when she became the third Republican governor to endorse Obamacare's expansion of the public Medicaid program.
Discussion:
The People's View


A Devastating 26-Word Challenge to President Obama's Leadership — A single sentence from Senator Ron Wyden sums up the radicalism of the administration's national-security policies. — Reuters — When Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, stopped by the Senate floor Wednesday to help …


Texas GOP: Planned Parenthood Is Convincing Teens To Get Pregnant So It Can Perform Their Abortions — Texas has already spent the past year targeting Planned Parenthood, effectively defunding the organization's affiliates and forcing thousands of women to search for new doctors.
Discussion:
The Raw Story

‘A Big New Power’ — Years from now, when the Supreme Court has come to its senses, justices then sitting will look back on the spring of 2013 in bewilderment. On what basis, they will wonder, did five conservative justices, professed believers in judicial restraint, reach out to grab …
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RAND PAUL, IN DRONE FILIBUSTER, TELLS OBAMA TO REVISIT LOCHNER CASE
Discussion:
Hot Air and The Volokh Conspiracy

Skip to page content — EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION — Program Contacts: — TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL — Media Contact: (202) 693-4676 — UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT — SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
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Daily Kos, AEIdeas, The Caucus and Business Insider

Michelle Obama and John Kerry to Honor Anti-Semite and 9/11 Fan — On Friday March 8, Michelle Obama will join John Kerry at a special ceremony at the State Department to present ten women the Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award. The award, says the press release …


Boehner Wants Budget Deals ‘Out in the Open’ — Supervising Producer for “The Kudlow Report” — House Speaker John Boehner told CNBC's Larry Kudlow on Wednesday that a long-term deal on entitlements is possible, and there's no good reason for the Obama team to have shut down the White House tour.
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Obama takes GOP lawmakers out on a deficit dinner date in downtown DC
Discussion:
Politico and Washington Free Beacon