Rep. Don Young on ‘wetbacks’ comment: I ‘meant no disrespect’  —  Rep. Don Young says he “meant no disrespect” when he used the term “wetbacks.”  —  “My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes,” Young, an Alaska Republican, told a local radio station in a story posted Thursday.

The GOP's Post-Election Outreach Hits Some Speed Bumps  —  The GOP's push for inclusivity suffered some setbacks this week.  —  Earlier this month, the Republican National Committee released its 2012 election post-mortem, conceding that the GOP must do more to reach out to minority communities.

Boehner, pols: Young slur ‘offensive’  —  Lawmakers from both parties — including House Speaker John Boehner — are criticizing Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) for using the term “wetback,” a racial slur often directed at Hispanic immigrants, particularly Mexicans.  —  Boehner (R-Ohio) said the incident called for an “immediate apology.”

Let The White House Know TODAY You Don't Want SS, Medicare Cuts  —  Someone reminded me of that old story about the pre-Russian revolution days.  Peasants would lament how bad things were, and at the end would add, “If only the czar knew!”  Because they somehow believed the czar had no idea …

Cheating Our Children  —  So, about that fiscal crisis — the one that would, any day now, turn us into Greece.  Greece, I tell you: Never mind.  —  Over the past few weeks, there has been a remarkable change of position among the deficit scolds who have dominated economic policy debate for more than three years.