Steele offers Jindal ‘slum love’  —  In an interview with Curtis Sliwa on ABC Radio last night, the host and RNC Chairman Michael Steele jokingly linked Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to the film “Slumdog Millionaire.”  Steele offered Jindal “slum love.  —  Here's the transcript:

DON'T LOOK NOW, BUT ...  If you haven't been following Eric Kleefeld's bang-up coverage of the Minnesota Senate election saga at TPMDC (come to think of it, this fiasco pre-dates the launch of TPMDC and dates back to our TPM Election Central days — just another reminder that here it is almost March …

Rocky Mountain News to close, publish final edition Friday  —  Executives from E.W. Scripps Co., announce their decision on the future of the Rocky Mountain News in the 150-year-old newspaper's newsroom on 2/26/09 in Denver.  In December 2008, the Rocky's parent company put the paper up for sale …

CPAC audience roars with applause when speaker suggests Obama wasn't born in U.S.  —  ThinkProgress is attending the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference today.  Earlier this afternoon, Cliff Kincaid, head of a conservative group Accuracy in Media, introduced Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN).

In Shift, Imprisoned Al Qaeda Follower Faces Federal Trial  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, in an abrupt change in policy from the Bush administration, is preparing to bring terrorism-related charges against a man identified as an operative of Al Qaeda who has been held in a military brig …

John Bolton at CPAC: The Benefits of Nuking Chicago  —  Former UN Ambassador John Bolton believes the security of the United States is at dire risk under the Obama administration.  And before a gathering of conservatives in Washington on Thursday morning, he suggested, as something of a joke …

Freeman's in  —  The Obama administration has notified Congress that Chas Freeman has been appointed chairman of the National Intelligence Council, demonstrating a willingness to rebuff pro-Israel activists and an embrace of a more realist foreign policy line.

Senate Passes Bill Giving the District a House Vote  —  The Senate today passed a bill that for the first time would give the District a full voting member of the House of Representatives.  But senators managed to attach an amendment that would scrap most of the District's local gun-control laws.

Jewish Leaders Blast Clinton Over Israel Criticism  —  Zuckerman, Lawmakers, Local Jews Say Secretary Of State Not The Hillary Clinton They Used To Know  —  Hillary Pressuring Israel To Speed Up Aid To Gaza  —  NEW YORK (CBS) ― In a swift about face from her views as New York's senator …

Obama's Budget Projects $1.75 Trillion Deficit  —  President's budget being sent to Congress today will call for more than $3.5 trillion in spending in fiscal year 2010 and creates space for up to $750 billion in additional bank bailout funds.  —  FOXNews.com

We're on the brink of disaster  —  Violent protests and riots are breaking out everywhere as economies collapse and governments fail.  War is bound to follow.  —  Editor's note: This article has also appeared on TomDispatch.com.  —  A destroyed street market burns in the aftermath of riots …

Senate tunes out Fairness Doctrine, 87-11  —  The Senate voted Thursday in favor of an amendment to the District of Columbia voting-rights bill that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstating the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which critics say would decimate conservative talk radio.

Pelosi throws cold water on assault-weapon ban  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tossed cold water on the prospect of reinstating the assault weapons ban, highlighting Democrats' reluctance to take on gun issues.  —  Attorney General Eric Holder raised the prospect Wednesday that the administration would push to bring back the ban.

59% Still Believe Government Is the Problem  —  In early October, as the meltdown of the financial industry gained momentum following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 59% of U.S. voters agreed with Ronald Reagan that …

Joe The Plumberization of the Republican Party  —  Patrick Ruffini decries the “Joe-the-Plumberization of the GOP.” … Of course, they didn't appoint Wurzelbacher as VP as they did with Sarah Palin.  The two are of a piece: A faux populism that comes at the cost of alienating the intellectuals and serious leaders of the movement.

Dem blasts Obama's budget  —  (CNN) - Mississippi Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor blasted the budget outline President Obama submitted to Capitol Hill today, saying “I don't like it...change is not running up even bigger deficits that George Bush did.”  —  “That's what George Bush did very well.

Holder Vows To End Raids On Medical Marijuana Clubs  —  Attorney General Eric Holder said at a press conference Wednesday that the Justice Department will no longer raid medical marijuana clubs that are established legally under state law.  His declaration is a fulfillment of a campaign promise …

Limbaugh Responds To Sanford: The 'Hell We Don't' Want Obama To Fail!  Just Need ‘The Guts’ To Say So  —  Yesterday, ThinkProgress noted that in an interview with the Real Clear Politics, Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) was asked about the “view that perhaps Republicans are rooting for President Obama to fail. ”

OMB boots lobbyist off press call  —  Maybe President Obama really is serious about making his White House inhospitable to lobbyists.  One of them even got scolded by name for trying to spy on an administration conference call with reporters Thursday.  —  The call was set up for the press but …

Milk Acceptance Speeches Censored by News Corp Subsidiary  —  Film buffs from around the world are still buzzing about this year's Oscar winners.  GLAAD was thrilled about Milk being nominated in eight categories and receiving the Oscar for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY for screenwriter Dustin Lance Black …

The Intra-Republican Fight  —  The delivery of Bobby Jindal's speech Tuesday night was so bad that my first instinct was to focus on that.  But David Brooks, as seen in this clip below from PBS, went straight to it: … I would be a bit more optimistic than Brooks about the political merits of the hard-right agenda.

Joe the Author, Plumbing New Lows in Interest  —  Joe the Plumber (no longer a plumber; first name actually Samuel) popped into our town yesterday evening to sell his new book and to remind people that he's still a plain and simple guy.  Mission accomplished, on at least one of his missions.