Michigan

Conservative Think Tank Receives Bomb Threats After Michigan FOIAs

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 2, 2011, 10:43AM

Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan

The Mackinac Center For Public Policy -- the conservative-leaning think tank in the news this week after it requested emails from Michigan labor studies professors regarding Wisconsin and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow -- says it has called in the FBI after receiving a series of threatening voicemails that promised to bomb their Midland, Michigan headquarters.

"You are on Main Street," one of the voicemails said, according to details posted on the Mackinac website. "You are the first place to be bombed."

Read more »

Sean Duffy

CNN's Joe Johns Corrects Sean Duffy Selective Editing Report (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro and Melissa Jeltsen | April 1, 2011, 6:23PM

A day after he reported the office of Rep. Sean Duffy's (R-WI) false accusation that TPM posted "selectively edited" video of Duffy talking about "struggling" on his $174,000/year salary, Johns corrected the record and reported that, in fact, TPM had posted the full clip until the the Polk County GOP forced its removal.

Speaking on CNN Newsroom Friday afternoon, Johns told anchor Brooke Baldwin that Duffy's suggestion that TPM selectively clipped the tape was, in fact, not true.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann's Raised Over $2 Million So Far In 2011

Jon Terbush | April 1, 2011, 4:10PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann raked in $2.2 million over the first three months of 2011 according to Fox News, giving her a huge war chest as she prepares to launch a rumored presidential bid.

Bachmann raised a staggering $1.7 million through her Congressional campaign committee, and an additional $500,000 through her political action committee, MichelePAC. The money raised through her reelection campaign fund can be transfered over to pay for a White House bid.

Read more »

Public Broadcasting

Poll: Americans Wrongly Estimate $178 Billion In Fed. Budget Goes To Public Broadcasting

Jon Terbush | April 1, 2011, 2:34PM

In a CNN poll of American adults released Friday, the median guess on what percentage of the federal budget goes to public broadcasting was 5%. With a $3.55 trillion budget last year, that would put funding for the CBP at approximately $178 billion.

In reality though, that's not even close.

The CPB received about $420 million last year from the federal government, making it roughly one one-hundredth of one percent, of the overall budget. That means that the median response was about 424 times higher than the actual amount of federal funding that went to public broadcasting last year.

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Mike Pence: Shut 'Er Down! (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2011, 1:59PM

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) says shut 'er down. The one-time Republican conference chair, turned presidential footsie player, turned potential gubernatorial candidate, and always a tea party favorite told MSNBC on Friday that a looming spending cut deal is not worth it. He'd rather have a government shutdown.

"Well, look, I think that really is, Contessa -- I think that really is the important question. I think if liberals in the Senate are unwilling to embrace even this modest step toward fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C., then I say shut it down," Pence said. "You know, look, I think the American people sent this historic new majority to Congress to see the change in this direction."

Read more »

William Cronon

Univ. of Wisconsin Responds To GOP's Open-Records Request Against Professor

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2011, 1:57PM

University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor William Cronon

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has announced that it is legally complying with the state Republican Party's open-records request, which sought the e-mails of Professor William Cronon after he had written a blog post critical of Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union bill. But there's a big catch.

Chancellor Biddy Martin announced in a statement posted online that the university will release some of Cronon's e-mails later on Friday. But first, they applied a "balancing test" to the e-mails, excluding those protected by various privacy laws and other key rules, and that they believe they are in compliance with the law:

We are excluding records involving students because they are protected under FERPA. We are excluding exchanges that fall outside the realm of the faculty member's job responsibilities and that could be considered personal pursuant to Wisconsin Supreme Court case law. We are also excluding what we consider to be the private email exchanges among scholars that fall within the orbit of academic freedom and all that is entailed by it. Academic freedom is the freedom to pursue knowledge and develop lines of argument without fear of reprisal for controversial findings and without the premature disclosure of those ideas.

Reading through that list, one gets the feeling that there would not be very much left. Martin also says that the university examined Cronon's university e-mails for any violations of the law, such as engaging in partisan political activity -- and there are none. And Martin also adds a vigorous defense of the principle of academic freedom.

Read more »

112th Congress

House Defeats Effort to Remove Anti-Union Provisions of FAA Bill

Benjy Sarlin | April 1, 2011, 1:57PM

The House GOP weathered a number of defections to defeat attempts to remove anti-labor language from a bill reauthorizing the FAA on Friday.

An amendment to strip the bill of a provision requiring workers to be present for votes on union representation or be counted as a "no" vote failed 220-206, with 16 Republicans joining Democrats on the losing side of the ledger. Labor groups had been hoping a larger defection might materialize, allowing them to carry the vote.

Despite their success in preserving the measure, House Republicans still have to get past President Obama and the Democratic Senate. The White House has stated that it will veto any FAA bill that includes the provision.

Wisconsin Protests

26 Year-Old Woman Charged With Sending Death Threats To GOP Senators In Wisconsin

Evan McMorris-Santoro and Melissa Jeltsen | April 1, 2011, 1:53PM

Katherine Windels

A 26 year-old woman from Cross Plains, WI has been charged with two felonies for allegedly sending death-threat emails to Republican state Senators at the height of the dispute over Gov. Scott Walker's (R) collective bargaining law.

According to reports from the Dane County, WI district attorney's office, Katherine Windels of Cross Plains admitted to investigators she was behind the March 9 emails, which were sent to 15 Republican senators on the night the Senate passed the controversial collective bargaining restrictions for state workers favored by Walker.

Read more »

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich's Shutdown Journey, From "Clearly Wrong" to "Historic Success"

Benjy Sarlin | April 1, 2011, 1:47PM

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Newt Gingrich turned a few heads in February when he penned an op-ed pointing to the 1995-1996 government shutdown he presided over as Speaker as an instructive success for the current Congress. Gingrich's pro-shutdown view colored his remarks to freshmen House Republican Thursday at the Capitol, where he warned them not to be intimidated by the prospect of a similar scenario in facing off with Obama.

Gingrich's rah-rah appraisal of the 1995 shutdown is a recent development, however, completing a gradual journey from embracing the conventional view of the event as a disaster for Republicans to unabashedly defending it as a triumph today.

"In retrospect, if I were doing it all over again, we would consciously avoid the government shutdown,'' he told the Los Angeles Times in 1996. "It was clearly wrong.'' He added that "One of the lessons I've learned in the last two years is you go slower, you prepare the ground, you make sure people understand."

Read more »

John Boehner

Boehner: Government Shutdown Costs Money, Harms Businesses

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2011, 1:33PM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

You know Republican leaders are sincere about wanting to avoid a government shutdown when they talk about the harm it will do to big business interests. At a Capitol press conference Friday, House Speaker John Boehner said he's not making contingency preparations for a government shutdown, and hopes to avoid one altogether, in part because of the inherent cost.

"And frankly, let's all be honest, if you shut the government down, it'll end up costing more than you save, because you interrupt contracts," Boehner admitted. "There's a lot of problems with the idea of shutting the government down."

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Dems: GOP-Caused Shutdown Would Harm The Economy

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2011, 12:40PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Democratic leaders in the Senate teed off positive job growth figures Friday to warn the GOP that if they shut down the government, they risk undermining a fragile economic recovery.

On a conference call with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) joked about the "tens" of tea party activists who came to DC Thursday to demand steeper budget cuts. Unfortunately, he said, the GOP is listening to them, and not to the majority of the country.

Reid also vowed that none of the GOP's policy riders restricting EPA authority would survive the budget fight.

Read more »

Wisconsin

Wis. Justice Prosser Loses Endorsement Of Former Dem Gov, Gains Sarah Palin

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2011, 12:11PM

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser

In the latest development in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election fight -- which has quickly gone from a sleepy, nominally non-partisan race to a proxy political battle over Republican Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union bill -- incumbent Justice David Prosser has now lost the endorsement of former Democratic Gov. Patrick Lucey, who had been serving as an honorary campaign co-chair but has now switched to the challenger, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg.

And in a further sign of this election becoming a partisan, nationally-watched race, Sarah Palin has posted a tweet endorsing Prosser. The election will be held this Tuesday, April 5.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports:

Lucey said in a statement that he has followed Prosser's campaign "with increasing dismay and now alarm," adding that "Prosser has lost that most crucial of characteristics for a Supreme Court Justice -- as for any judge -- even-handed impartiality."

Lucey also cited Prosser's "disturbing distemper and lack of civility that does not bode well for the High Court in the face of demands that are sure to be placed on it in these times of great political and legal volatility."

The reference to civility could possibly be a reference to the recent reports that Prosser, in a heated argument last year, called Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson -- whom Lucey had originally appointed to a vacancy on the court back in 1976 -- a "total bitch." Prosser has told reporters that he "probably overreacted," but also that it was "entirely warranted" against the behavior of the court's more liberal members.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Obama Rides Unicorn To Reelection...In GOP's Fake Campaign Ad

Jon Terbush | April 1, 2011, 10:59AM

From an NRSC ad, "President Barack Obama's First Ad of 2012"

President Obama's first reelection campaign video depicts him smiling wildly as he rides a unicorn over a rainbow.

Or at least that's what a new satirical ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released Friday to coincide with April Fools Day, shows.

The ad sarcastically brags about Obama's calls for change and legislative accomplishments, but juxtaposes those claims on a backdrop of Tea Party protests and low-points from Obama's first two years in office, such as the BP oil spill.

Read more »

2012

Herman Cain Backs Donald Trump's Birther Spree

Benjy Sarlin | April 1, 2011, 10:38AM

Herman Cain and Donald Trump

It appears that birtherism is contagious among the bottom-tier Republican 2012 field. A Florida blog interviewed Herman Cain about Donald Trump's recent crusade and the former Godfather's Pizza CEO gave the mission his stamp of approval.

"He's not off base," Cain told the interviewer, when asked about Trump's comments. "Just like the people who have been challenging his place of birth for the last couple of years. It's just not an issue that I have studied enough to have a view one way or the other."

Maine

Maine Gov. LePage Admits 'Timing Was Bad' For Removing Labor Mural

Eric Lach | April 1, 2011, 10:25AM

Maine Governor Paul LePage (R)

In an interview with The Portland Press Herald, Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) admitted that his decision to take down a mural from the Maine Department of Labor building was poorly timed, saying it should have been done "later on."

Read more »

Wisconsin

Wis. Dems To File First Recall Petitions Against GOP State Sen. Dan Kapanke

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2011, 10:11AM

State Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-WI)

Wisconsin Democrats now say they have more than enough signatures to launch a recall of Republican state Sen. Dan Kapanke, in the battle over Gov. Scott Walker's (R) new law curtailing public employee unions. They are filing the petitions today -- less than halfway through the 60-day window for gathering the signatures.

The La Crosse Tribune reports:

Recall organizer Pat Scheller said volunteers have gathered more than the 15,588 signatures needed and that they plan to take them to Madison after a noon rally today at La Crosse City Hall.

It is expected to be the first completed of 19 active recall efforts registered between Feb. 24 and March 2 against 16 senators.

The senate chamber currently has a 19-14 Republican majority, with Democrats hoping to pick up three seats in recall elections and win a majority. Wisconsin state senators serve four-year terms, with half of them up every two years. Wisconsin's recall law contains a condition that any effort cannot begin until at least one year into a term -- meaning that only 16 members, eight Democrats and eight Republicans, could currently be recalled. In order to initiate a recall, petitioners must gather signatures equal to 25 percent of the total votes within that district in the previous gubernatorial election.

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Schumer: Dems Didn't Get Rolled In Spending Fight

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2011, 9:35AM

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

In a phone interview Thursday evening, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) preemptively struck back against the idea, pushed by some Republicans, that Democrats got rolled in the spending cut fight.

"The total number of cuts has never been as important as where the cuts come from," Schumer told TPM. "We've made good headway in getting some of their most reckless cuts off the table."

The pushback comes as Democrats and Republicans work toward a six-month agreement to fund the government that will cut over $30 billion in current spending. That's significantly less than the $61 billion the Republican House passed. But it's also just about the same number the House GOP leadership originally endorsed.

Read more »

Indiana

Indiana Democrats: Mitch Daniels, Pull Down Those Ads

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 1, 2011, 8:58AM

At the request of the Indiana Democratic party, an attorney in Indiana is demanding the PAC run by Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) pull down a new TV ad it's running that attacks state House Democrats who went AWOL for costing the state nearly a half-million in cash.

Cody Kendall, an attorney in Indianapolis, has sent the letter to about a dozen TV stations around the state airing the TV ad, which Daniels' PAC -- Aiming Higher -- launched earlier this week. The state Democratic party is behind the letter, and asked Kendall -- a former state elections official -- to draft and send it.

The Daniels ad dings the 40 or so state House Democrats who fled to Illinois and shut down the legislature over concerns with the Daniels agenda and the legislative plans of the majority Republican caucus.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Poll: Obama's Approval Rating With Young Voters Rises

Jon Terbush | April 1, 2011, 8:40AM

Strong support from young voters was crucial to President Obama's win in 2008. Now, as he gears up for reelection, a new poll from the Harvard University Institute of Politics shows Obama's approval rating among that demographic has risen since last year.

In the poll, 55% of adults aged 19-28 -- or, as the survey cals them, 'Millennials' -- said they approved of Obama's job performance, up six points since Harvard polled the question last October. That reverses a downward trend Harvard had found in their last three surveys, and it places Obama back near his standing last February, when 56% of young voters approved of his job performance.

Read more »

Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy To CNN: TPM Selectively Edited My Video!

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 31, 2011, 7:18PM

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) and CNN's Joe Johns

On CNN Newsroom today, CNN reporter Joe Johns accused TPM of posting a "selectively edited" version of the town hall appearance where Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) discussed "struggling" to live on his $174,000/ year salary. The accusation came by way of Duffy's office, which Johns reported said the clip had been deliberately cut to leave off Duffy saying he would support cutting his salary.

That accusation from Duffy's office comes after the Polk County, Wisconsin Republican Party -- which originally posted the five-minute video of Duffy talking about his salary -- demanded the full version posted by TPM on Tuesday be pulled off the internet, claiming it was protected by copyright.

After receiving the complaint, out of abundance of caution and on the advice of counsel, TPM posted a one minute excerpt of the five-minute video. Now the Duffy camp is complaining that the edited version of the video, which TPM originally ran in its entirety, is misleading. You can judge for yourself by viewing the entire video below, which we have decided to repost.

The gist however is that after using their legal muscle to force us to take down the full video and replace it with an excerpt, Duffy's office is now claiming that the use of the excerpt is a ploy to mislead the public about what he said. And CNN is reporting their bogus claim as fact.

For the record, TPM specifically reported Duffy's comment that he would support an across the board public employee pay cut in both the original story we posted Tuesday with the full video and in the followup story Wednesday that contained the video excerpt.

Read more »

Libya

Senate Hawks Berate Gates Over Handoff Of Libya To NATO

Susan Crabtree | March 31, 2011, 5:46PM

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates endured nearly six hours of grilling from Congress Thursday, with the most combative questioning coming from -- surprisingly -- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and a group of Senate hawks on the Armed Services Committee who support military intervention in Libya.

McCain expressed grave disappointment about the decision to have the U.S. military forces step aside and allow NATO to take control before Muammar Qaddafi has been toppled from power.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked why the U.S. couldn't simply bomb Qaddafi like President Reagan tried to do in 1986 when he sent cruise missiles into the Libyan leader's palace, killing one of his daughters, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said rebel setbacks over the last two days have been "unsettling."

Read more »

Chris Christie

Greetings From The Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen Slams New Jersey Budget Cuts

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2011, 5:42PM

Bruce Springsteen and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

Bruce Springsteen is making his opinions known about the political battles in his home state of New Jersey -- with a letter to the Asbury Park Press, praising a recent article of theirs about the negative impact of Gov. Chris Christie's (R-NJ) proposed cuts on the poor.

Interesting to note, Christie is himself a big Springsteen fan, and has a collection of many years worth of ticket stubs from concerts. Of course, Springsteen is known for being on the political left, and campaigned for John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. Though perhaps the Boss cut Christie some slack -- the letter is very harsh on the policies, but never mentions Christie by name.

"The article is one of the few that highlights the contradictions between a policy of large tax cuts, on the one hand, and cuts in services to those in the most dire conditions, on the other," Springsteen wrote. He then praised the paper for highlighting anti-poverty activists, "all of whom have something important to add to the discussion: real information and actual facts about what is happening below the poverty line."

He also added: "Finally, your article shows that the cuts are eating away at the lower edges of the middle class, not just those already classified as in poverty, and are likely to continue to get worse over the next few years. I'm always glad to see my hometown newspaper covering these issues."

Government Shutdown

Dems Press Boehner To Suspend Congressional Pay In Event Of Government Shutdown

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2011, 5:10PM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Late Update: The bill will be brought to the floor for a vote Friday, according to GOP leadership. "The House GOP agrees, which is why a bill will be brought to the floor tomorrow to do just that," says Brad Dayspring spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Original Story:

Democrats in both the House and Senate are pressing Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to take up legislation that would suspend congressional pay in the event of a government shutdown.

"Given the fact that a shutdown will cause real harm to millions of Americans, Congress must accept the same consequences if it fails to keep the government functioning," reads a letter from Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY), cosigned by over two dozen Dems, to Boehner. "The House must be given an opportunity to vote on clean bill that leaves no doubt that Members of Congress cannot receive a paycheck while the rest of the nation suffers from inaction on government funding for this year."

Just yesterday, over a dozen Dem senators sent a similar letter to Boehner. Weeks ago, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to precisely this effect. And now, both House and Senate Dems are asking for a vote on that bill in the House.

Read more »

John Kasich

Ohio Governor To Sign Anti-Union Bill Thursday Night

Melissa Jeltsen | March 31, 2011, 5:05PM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) will sign SB 5 -- the contentious anti-union bill restricting collective bargaining rights for unionized public workers -- into law Thursday night, according to his spokesperson.

SB 5, which makes it illegal for state workers to strike and gives local governments new powers over contract negotiations with union workers, was passed out of the state legislature Wednesday.

According to spokesperson Connie Wehrkamp, Kasich will sign the bill at 7 p.m. at the ceremonial office in the statehouse. Wehrkamp said the Governor wanted to sign the bill into law "as soon as he possibly could."

Far from ceding the fight, union supporters and Democrats are now gearing for their next plan of attack: putting the legislation to the voters of Ohio as a ballot initiative.

Tea Party Patriots

Republicans Pump Up Tea Partiers At 'Continuing Revolution' Rally (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | March 31, 2011, 4:55PM

The Tea Party Patriots hosted a rally near Capitol Hill on Thursday afternoon to encourage House leaders to resist compromising with the White House on the budget to avoid a government shutdown.

Read more »

Health Care

Gohmert: Libya Attacks Are False Flag For Obama To Call Up Private Army Created By Health Care Law

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2011, 2:46PM

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)

Thanks to Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), one of the most widely debunked, and far-out conspiracy theories about the health care law found its way into the Congressional Record late Wednesday -- with a twist.

This comes via Political Correction -- a project of Media Matters.

From Gohmert's floor speech Wednesday night:

It's a bad bill. And then when you find out that the prior Congress not only passed that 2,800 page bill with all kinds of things in it, including a new president's commissioned officer corps and non-commissioned officer corps. Do we really need that? I wondered when I read that in the bill. But then when you find out we're being sent to Libya to use our treasure and American lives there, maybe there's intention to so deplete the military that we're going to need that presidential reserve officer commissioned corps and non-commissioned corps that the president can call up on a moment's notice involuntarily, according to the Obamacare bill.

Read more »

War Powers Act

Angry Lawmakers Grill Gates On Libya And War Powers Act

Susan Crabtree | March 31, 2011, 1:52PM

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, got a browbeating from Congress today over the White House's decision to ignore Congress and forge ahead with air strikes aimed at ousting Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi and supporting rebel forces.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Gates defended the administration's decision to intervene and retooled earlier comments that the U.S. didn't have a vital interest in the North African country after a rash of criticism.

Read more »

Sean Duffy

So How Rich Is Sean Duffy? Not Very...For A Congressman

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 31, 2011, 12:58PM

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI)

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) is in hot water this week for saying that he's "struggling" to pay bills on his $174,000 annual taxpayer-funded salary. In the now-infamous video clip, Duffy told attendees at a Polk County, Wisc., town hall meeting that "I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you."

That may or may not be true, but one thing is certain -- Duffy is one of the poorest members of Congress. OpenSecrets.org, which tracks the money in Congress, ranks Duffy as near the bottom among House members when it comes to his personal net worth.

Read more »

Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Kills With Bachmann, Aqua Buddha Jokes At Congressional Correspondents Dinner

Jillian Rayfield | March 31, 2011, 12:36PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) got some big laughs roasting his colleagues at the Congressional Correspondents' Dinner Wednesday night, and even managed to get in an Aqua Buddha joke at the expense of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who was also there.

Sample joke: Weiner said he wasn't sure if Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was at the dinner, "she's probably not -- she's campaigning Iowa and organizing in that important caucus state because she's running for president. That's really all I have for that joke."

Read more »

Wisconsin

Walker Administration Suspends Implementation Of Anti-Union Law, After Judge's Third Order Against It

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2011, 12:19PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

In a major development in Wisconsin, Secretary of Administration Mike Huebsch (R) has announced that the Walker administration is suspending implementation of its new law curtailing public employee unions -- after Dane County (Madison) Judge Maryann Sumi declared that the law was not validly published and thus had not taken effect, in the wake of Republican efforts to circumvent her previous orders against publication.

WisPolitics reports:

Huebsch again said he believes the act was legally published and is law, but is pulling back given Judge Sumi's order this morning.

"DOA will continue to abide by the court orders, like the department has done all throughout this process," he said.

After Sumi's previous restraining orders against the Secretary of State's office publishing the law -- or the state otherwise implementing it -- state Republican leaders published it in a different state agency, the Legislative Reference Bureau, and claimed that it had now taken effect -- though the LRB itself said the law had not taken effect. Sumi released her amended temporary restraining order Thursday morning, following Huebsch's public statements that Sumi's prior two orders against publication did not apply to his department.

Late Update: The state Democratic Party has released this statement from chairman Mike Tate:

"Perhaps Judge Sumi's third court order was the charm for Scott Walker. We are pleased that Scott Walker has finally recognized that he is not above the rule of law."

Government Shutdown

Boehner To Tea Partiers: 'We Can't Impose Our Will' On Democrats

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2011, 11:57AM

At his weekly Capitol press conference Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said he's still pushing to maximize spending cuts and limitations. But he hopes to reach agreement with Senate Democrats and the White House before funding runs out on April 8 and the government shuts down.

That isn't sitting well with conservative members and Tea Party activists. Now his message to them is mellowing a bit.

Read more »

Wisconsin

Walker Admin.'s Claim Of Multi-Million Dollar Capitol Damage Calculated On...Single Sheet Of Notebook Paper

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2011, 11:54AM

Demonstrators inside the Wisconsin state Capitol, February 16, 2011.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has unearthed the source of Gov. Scott Walker's (R-WI) administration's claim, made in court, that alleged damage to the State Capitol from the massive protests against the new anti-union law would cost $7.5 million to repair. It's a single sheet of notebook paper, prepared by state architect Dan Stephans on the same day the claim was made in court.

On March 3, as part of the litigation over the state's attempts to restrict public access to the Capitol, the Department of Administration's legal counsel claimed in court that repairing the damage done to the building -- mainly from adhesive tape used to affix posters to the marble walls -- would add up to $7.5 million. However, it was not clear how those estimates were made.

Nevertheless, Dane County Judge John Albert ruled later that evening that the daytime restrictions on Capitol access were to be lifted, while also ordering protesters to leave when the building closed at night -- essentially an effort to restore the status quo of the Capitol before the bill and the protests happened.

Now, through open-records requests, the Journal Sentinel has obtained the single sheet of notebook paper that was apparently the basis for the request.

Read more »

Rand Paul

Rand Paul Zings Newt Gingrich, FOX News, for Libya Flip Flops

Benjy Sarlin | March 31, 2011, 11:27AM

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

Newt Gingrich has taken plenty of heat for his shifting positions on military action in Libya, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) offered the harshest attack yet from a member of his own party.

To be fair, Paul's comments came at the Congressional Correspondents Dinner, an event where lawmakers typically offer comedic monologues. But even by that standard, there was serious sting to his words, especially given the well-known reputation Paul and his father, Ron Paul, have cultivated as skeptics of Middle East intervention.

"I was happy to see that Newt Gingrich has staked out a position on the war, a position, or two, or maybe three," Paul told the audience, as ThinkProgress reported. "I don't know. I think he has more war positions than he's had wives."

Paul also had some tough words for FOX News.

"There's a big debate over there," he said. "Fox News can't decide, what do they love more, bombing the Middle East or bashing the president? It's like I was over there and there was an anchor going, they were pleading, can't we do both? Can't we bomb the Middle East and bash the president at the same time? How are we going to make this work?"

Read more »

Wisconsin

Judge: Wisconsin Anti-Union Law Not Validly Published, Not In Effect

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2011, 10:58AM

Dane County, Wisconsin, Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi

In the latest legal volley in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker's new law curtailing public employee unions, Dane County (Madison) Judge Maryann Sumi issued on Thursday morning an amended restraining order, declaring that the law has not been validly published in order to take effect -- following efforts by the state Republican leadership to sidestep her earlier orders against publication by going through different agencies.

The key quote from Sumi's newly amended temporary restraining order, via The Wheeler Report:

FURTHER, based on the briefs of counsel, the uncontroverted testimony, and the evidence received at the March 29, 2011 evidentiary heaving, It is hereby DECLARED that 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 has not been published within the meaning of Wis. Stats. §§ 991.11, 35.095(1)(b) and 35.095(3)(b), and is therefore not in effect.

This followed a declaration on Wednesday by Secretary of Administration Mike Huebsch, stating that the law was still in effect, despite two different orders by Sumi to block it, and maintaining that the law was validly published and that Sumi's order did not apply to his department.

Read more »

Ohio protests

As Anti-Union Bill Heads To Ohio Gov, Dems Ready For Fight

Melissa Jeltsen | March 31, 2011, 10:24AM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

Ohio's controversial bill to restrict collective bargaining rights for unionized public workers is now on its way to Governor John Kasich (R ) to be signed into law. SB 5, which makes it illegal for state workers to strike and gives local governments new powers over contract negotiations with union workers, was passed out of the state legislature Wednesday night.

Kasich is all but certain to sign the bill, which is a key part of his conservative legislative agenda. But opponents say the fight is far from over. Union supporters and Democrats are now readying for their next battle: putting the legislation to the voters of Ohio.  

Read more »

Newt Gingrich

Newt Tells Freshman To Make Democrats Own Compromise

Benjy Sarlin | March 31, 2011, 10:09AM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Newt Gingrich met with Republican freshmen Thursday morning, imparting his advice to a group that Speaker Boehner has struggled at times to hold onto during negotiations over funding the government.

Gingrich told reporters afterwards that news reported in TPM and other outlets of a breakthrough in negotiations was premature based on his own discussions with Republican leaders. Nonetheless, much of his advice for freshmen appeared to be on how to spin such a deal after it's announced.

"We talked about how really important it was to communicate to our activists and our base that the primary problem is the 23 Democratic Senators who are up for re-election and the Democratic President in the White House," he told reporters after the meeting. "We need to make sure people understand that the House Republicans are really committed to very dramatic changes, but are limited by the reality and the Constitution."

Read more »

Wisconsin

Walker's Office: We're Still Enforcing Anti-Union Law -- Court Order Doesn't Apply To Us

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2011, 10:07AM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Gov. Scott Walker's (R) administration isn't letting one court order stop them from implementing the new law curtailing public employee unions -- nor do they seem concerned by a second court order, and threats of sanctions, after they had sidestepped the first.

As the Wisconsin State Journal reports, Secretary of Administration Mike Huebsch has announced that the state will continue implementing the law, holding it to still be in effect:

Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said Wednesday he has a legal obligation to implement all laws passed by the Legislature, signed by Gov. Scott Walker and published into law. Huebsch said the Department of Justice and his own legal counsel, a team of DOA attorneys, agree the measure has met those requirements "and is now effective law."

"It is my duty to administer that law," he said.

Huebsch's statement also questioned whether Dane County (Madison) Judge Maryann Sumi's order could be binding upon him, as his department was not a defendant in the lawsuit against the bill: "It is unclear how she can issue an order binding non-parties to a case who have not had their day in court."

The lawsuit had targeted Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette, in his official capacity to publish bills before they take effect -- to which the Republicans responded by publishing it within a different agency, and claiming that it was now law.

Read more »

Libya

Frosh GOPer On Foreign Affairs Committee Wonders If Obama Will Attack 'Africa' After Libya

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2011, 10:05AM

Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA)

The old joke goes that most people can't find whatever country the United States is at war with on a map.

Same seems to be true for Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA), a freshman congressman who also sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He's quoted in the Times-Tribune questioning President Obama's Libya strategy, and lack of deference to Congress.

"The bottom line is I wish the president would have told us, talked to Congress about what is the plan. Is there a plan? Is the mission to take Gadhafi out?" Mr. Marino asked.... "Where does it stop?" he said. "Do we go into Africa next? I don't want to sound callous or cold, but this could go on indefinitely around the world."

Yes, Libya is in Africa.

Abortion

Indiana GOPer: Women Might Pretend To Be Raped To Get Around Abortion Laws

Jillian Rayfield | March 31, 2011, 9:28AM

Indiana State Rep. Eric Turner (R)

Indiana state Rep. Eric Turner (R) argued Tuesday that there should be no loopholes in the state's abortions laws for victims of rape or incest, because then "someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they've been raped or there's incest."

Read more »

Eric Cantor

Dems Inaccurately Attack Cantor For Calling For Elimination Of Social Security

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2011, 9:20AM

Eric Cantor

Democrats have glommed on to something House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said about Social Security at a recent event at the conservative Hoover Institution, which they're characterizing as an unintentional revelation of the GOP's plans to dismantle entitlement programs.

"I mean, just from the very notion that it said that 50 percent of beneficiaries under the Social Security program use those moneys as their sole source of income. So we've got to protect today's seniors," Cantor said. "But for the rest of us? For -- you know, listen, we're going to have to come to grips with the fact that these programs cannot exist if we want America to be what we want America to be."

Pretty damning stuff, eliminating Social Security. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office blasted out a statement to reporters Wednesday, "A warning for American workers and their families - your retirement security is at risk! Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced this week some major news on Social Security." Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) cited the statement in a subcommittee hearing about the health care law.

Except in full context, and looking back at previous, very similar statements, it appears Cantor misspoke.

Read more »

Budget

Biden Announces Budget Breakthrough After Huddling With Dems

Susan Crabtree | March 31, 2011, 8:58AM

Vice President Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden announced a breakthrough in talks to avert a government shutdown as top aides continued to hash out a proposal with cuts of nearly $33 billion in the 2011 budget.

Although Biden said no deal had been reached as of Wednesday night, he was optimistic that the agreement on the top figure was the beginning of the end to the standoff between House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the White House on how to fund the government through September and keep it up and running past April 8.

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Top Democratic Aide Says Breakthrough Possible To Avert Government Shutdown

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2011, 7:15PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

A top Senate Democratic aide says there's been a key thaw in discussions between Senate Dem leaders and House Republicans to avert a government shutdown.

The aide said Republican negotiators are once again willing to meet Democrats in the middle, to cut a bit over $30 billion from current spending -- just about half the $61 billion House Republicans have proposed.

Crucially, the idea of drawing from mandatory spending areas -- including the big entitlement programs -- is back on the table, according to the aide.

Read more »

CIA

White House: Obama Has Yet To Decide Whether To Arm Libyan Rebels

Susan Crabtree | March 30, 2011, 6:46PM

President Barack Obama

Amid reports that President Obama had signed a secret order authorizing covert support for Libyan rebels, the White House issued a sweeping statement Wednesday evening saying the President has made no decision about supplying arms to the opposition.

White House spokesman Jay Carney first said he would not comment on intelligence matters, but went on to reiterate Obama's recent assertions that he had yet to decide whether to provide arms to the opposition or "to any group in Libya."

Read more »

Barack Obama

White House Threatens To Veto Key Legislation Over Union Busting Provision

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2011, 6:45PM

President Barack Obama

The White House has threatened to veto the big FAA authorization bill if its final version contains an anti-union provision that would make it harder for aviation and rail workers to organize.

That measure, described at length here and here, "would undermine a fundamental principle of fairness in union representation elections - that outcomes should be determined by a majority of the valid ballots cast," according to a statement of administration policy the White House released Wednesday night. "By treating non-votes as 'no' votes, the provision would prohibit workers in the airline and railroad industries from voting whether to join a union on the same basis - majority rule - as most other industries."

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Amid Public Vitriol, Boehner, Reid Negotiate Budget Deal To Avoid Shutdown

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2011, 5:14PM

As insight into how there's often a huge mismatch between public kabuki and behind-the-scenes legislative wrangling, a well-placed congressional source tells me that while House Republicans and Senate Democrats ratcheted up the government shutdown rhetoric on Tuesday, top aides to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sat down in Reid's office and continued negotiating a solution -- a meeting the source described as a key development and thaw in the negotiations.

It's the first evidence we've seen all week that a shutdown isn't a foregone conclusion, particularly in light of Paul Kane's scoop that Boehner is reaching out to conservative Democrats to find a compromise.

Read more »

Blue Dogs

Senior Blue Dog Says House GOP 'Talked Down' To Them On Budget

Susan Crabtree | March 30, 2011, 5:03PM

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN)

Any attempt -- real or imagined -- by House Republican leaders to court enough Blue Dog Democrats to their side on the budget talks to avoid a government shutdown, may have backfired.

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), a founding member of the Blue Dogs, told TPM he didn't think the talks were "all that effective" because House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had "talked down to them" during a recent meeting.

Read more »

Hillary Clinton

Clinton To Congress: Obama Would Ignore Your War Resolutions

Susan Crabtree | March 30, 2011, 4:44PM

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Update: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), who asked Clinton about the War Powers Act during a classified briefing, said Clinton and the administration are sidestepping the measure's provisions giving Congress the ability to put a 60-day time limit on any military action.

"They are not committed to following the important part of the War Powers Act," he told TPM in a phone interview. "She said they are certainly willing to send reports [to us] and if they issue a press release, they'll send that to us too."

The White House would forge ahead with military action in Libya even if Congress passed a resolution constraining the mission, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a classified briefing to House members Wednesday afternoon.

Clinton was responding to a question from Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) about the administration's response to any effort by Congress to exercise its war powers, according to a senior Republican lawmaker who attended the briefing.

Read more »

GOPers Demand Sean Duffy Salary Tape Be Pulled From The Internet (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 30, 2011, 4:28PM

First the Republican Party in Polk County, Wisconsin, pulled the tape of Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) fretting about making ends meet on his $174,000 a year salary from its own website. Now they want it gone from the whole Internet.

For a couple hours, the local county GOP was successful. But we've put an excerpt of the video back up.

A day after TPM posted the video we obtained of Duffy talking about his salary at a Polk County town hall meeting earlier this year, the Polk County GOP contacted the video provider we used to host the video, Blip.tv, and demanded the video be taken down.

The tape caused a stir for Duffy, a first-term conservative best known for his past as a reality TV show star on MTV's The Real World. Democrats flagged the comments about his taxpayer-funded salary (which is nearly three times the median income in Wisconsin) and criticisms began to flow Duffy's way.

Read more »

Pres '12

Bachmann: Prayer And 'Inner Assurance' To Decide 2012 Plans (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2011, 4:16PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), the national tea party star who is considering a run for president, says that prayer -- and a resulting "inner assurance" -- will be the key factors in her deciding whether to step into the race.

David Brody from the Christian Broadcasting Network asked Bachmann what would determine whether or not she will run.

"I think it will be an inner assurance more than anything, of what I am supposed to do," said Bachmann

"And thats where prayer comes in?" Brody responded.

"That's where prayer comes in," Bachmann responded. "We're strong people of faith. My husband and I gave our lives to the Lord when we were 16 years of age."

Read more »

Wisconsin

Walker Administration 'Confused' Over Whether Anti-Union Law In Effect

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2011, 3:33PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

The legal wrangling over Gov. Scott Walker's (R-WI) new law curtailing public employee unions continues, with Secretary of Administration Mike Huebsch now expressing confusion over whether the law is in effect -- a day after a Dane County judge enjoined its implementation for a second time.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

Wednesday Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said that he was "confused" about the judge's ruling and the legal controversy over whether the law is in effect. Asked whether the state would move forward, Huebsch said he couldn't say.

"It's up to the judge," Huebsch said.

Read more »

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin Rips Into Daily Caller For Not Featuring Her Quote High Enough

Benjy Sarlin | March 30, 2011, 2:09PM

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK)

Sarah Palin launched a lengthy attack on The Daily Caller via Facebook on Wednesday in which she slammed the conservative-leaning news organization for not featuring her quotes prominently enough.

The publication, helmed by Tucker Carlson, quoted from a nearly 650-word statement she issued to them in response to an article on legislation she signed as governor of Alaska providing tax credits to production companies who film in Alaska. It also reprinted the entire statement on the next page of the article. This was not good enough, however, for Palin, who said that her statement was "buried."

"Goodness, cleaning up the sloppiness of reporters could be a full time job," she began a Facebook post on the article today. "In response to The Daily Caller's online inquiry, I gave them a statement that the writer buried on his story's second page (which most people won't even notice - I didn't even notice it.)"

Palin's criticism offered a window into her staff's approach to the press. In an interview with TPM, the reporter who wrote the story, Chris Moody, said he was "surprised" to see her Facebook post given that Palin aides had demanded he make the entire Palin statement available -- which he did -- as a precondition to giving him any kind of a response to his questions.

Read more »

Pres '12

Pawlenty To Headline Tax Day Tea Party In Romney's Home State Of Massachusetts

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2011, 2:02PM

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who is exploring a run for president, is headed to the backyard of another potential GOP contender, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- with Pawlenty set to appear at a Tea Party rally in Boston on tax day, April 15.

The Boston Globe reports:

The speech will bring Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, to the home state of a potential rival for the 2012 GOP nomination, Mitt Romney.

It also puts him in a Tea Party spotlight enjoyed last year by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who was the event's 2010 keynote speaker.

"Governor Pawlenty's leadership in Minnesota has put his state on a course towards economic success," said a statement issued by Christin Varley, the group's president. "His is a message voters need to hear."

Read more »

Tea Party

GOP Freshmen Push Back Against Blame For Shutdown

Benjy Sarlin | March 30, 2011, 2:01PM

With Democratic leaders aggressively assigning blame to the Tea Party for derailing funding talks, a group of freshman Republicans held a press conference on Wednesday to assert instead that the impasse was instead the fault of Senate Democrats.

Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), claimed yesterday that they were close to a deal with House Republicans and the White House before conservative rank-and-file Republicans revolted, but the group of about half a dozen Republicans insisted they were on the same page as House Republican leaders.

"They want to frame the debate as one within the Republican caucus, but the American people are not buying it," Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) said. "The fight is between Republicans who want to cut Washington spending and Democrats who want to defend it."

The group blamed Reid for the looming shutdown, taping a letter from 30 freshmen Members onto the door of the Senate in a manila envelope addressed to "MR. REID" in Sharpie that called on Democrats to jump start negotiations by passing their own CR. The Senate rejected the House's long-term continuing resolution earlier this month but has not passed its own long-term bill funding the government.

Read more »

Progressives

New Progressive Group Aims To Close The Talent Gap Between Left And Right

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2011, 1:56PM

Mark Begich (D-AK)

This winter, progressives and elected Democrats in states across the country found themselves blindsided by a coordinated wave of conservative legislation. The policies themselves were tailor-made to both advance right-leaning policy objectives, and undermine the electoral hopes of the Democratic Party: union-busting, voter ID laws, tort reforms.

Despite high unemployment, and a public clamoring for jobs, these political measures popped up in just about every state where the GOP took control of part or all of government after the 2010 midterm romp -- the ideas themselves were drafted and circulated by a network of conservative groups, and advanced by a crop of politicians that has been nurtured by the movement for years.

Looking forward, progressives want a piece of that action.

Read more »

Tea Party

Poll: Unfavorable View Of Tea Party Hits Record High

Jon Terbush | March 30, 2011, 1:08PM

At a tea party rally.

The percentage of Americans who hold an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party movement rose to an all-time in a new CNN poll released today. CNN found the Tea Party ranked nearly as unpopular as both the Republican and Democratic parties.

In the poll, 47% of adult Americans said they viewed the Tea Party unfavorably, compared to 32% who said they viewed it favorably.

Read more »

Indiana

Indiana Gov. Hits Returning Dems In New Ad (VIDEO)

Melissa Jeltsen | March 30, 2011, 12:27PM

As Indiana Democrats return to the state after a month-long standoff to halt what they've called a Republican agenda targeting workers rights and public schools, a new ad paid for by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels' PAC, Aiming Higher Inc., is slamming them for going AWOL and playing "political games."

The ad, which will air across Indiana, was released on Tuesday. It criticizes Democrats for fleeing to Illinois and says they walked out on the children of the state.

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Demon Pass: The GOP's Last Ditch Effort To Slash Spending And Avoid A Govt Shutdown

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2011, 11:53AM

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)

How do you make it look like you're desperate to avoid a government shutdown while pursuing a negotiating strategy that's inviting a government shutdown?

The option the House GOP has chosen is to introduce legislation called the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. Mission: Accomplished!

That legislation, if passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President, would deem controversial Republican spending cut legislation the law of the land if Congress blows past an April 6 deadline.

It's a new twist on self-executing legislation -- better known in the wake of the health care fight as Demon Pass.

Read more »

Politico

First Presidential Debate Pushed Back To September Due To Lack Of Candidates

Jillian Rayfield | March 30, 2011, 11:38AM

The Politico/NBC News presidential debate is reluctantly ceding its title of first-in-the-nation to Fox News. The two big media titans announced today that they will push the debate back to the fall because so few candidates have officially announced their plans to run.

Read more »

Census

Report: Census Policy Cost North Carolina A Congressional Seat

Melissa Jeltsen | March 30, 2011, 11:26AM

North Carolina narrowly missed out on snagging an additional congressional seat because of the way the U.S. Census counts military personnel, according to a review by the Associated Press.

The Census doesn't count troops who are deployed overseas in the state where they live and work. Instead, they are counted in their "home state," often the state they grew up in.

Read more »

Michigan

Maddow Gets Radio Silence On Michigan FOIA Questions (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 30, 2011, 10:38AM

On her show last night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow followed up on our story about the labor studies professor FOIAs in Michigan. She found the conservative donors who fund the think tank asking for emails from Michigan professors about, among other things, Maddow herself, less than willing to talk about where they sent their money.

Quick refresher: the Mackinac Center, a Michigan think tank funded by big names in the conservative movement ranging from the Kochs to the Wal-Mart Waltons to the family that founded Blackwater, used the Freedom Of Information Act to request copies of every email sent or received by labor studies professors at state universities that mentioned Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), the city of Madison and Maddow. The universities have not decided how to respond, but the professors say the FOIAs suggest Mackinac is trying to catch them in illegal political advocacy. Mackinac has declined to speak on the record about the requests.

On last night's episode of her show, Maddow described the response she got from Mackinac and the donors that fund it when she asked about the FOIAs: nervous silence.

Read more »

2012

Rick Santorum: Blame Abortion For Social Security Woes

Benjy Sarlin | March 30, 2011, 10:26AM

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) mixed social and fiscal conservatism on Tuesday, claiming that legalized abortion was a prime contributor to future funding shortfalls for Social Security.

"We don't have enough workers to support the retirees," Santorum said in a radio interview. "Well, a third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion."

According to Santorum, "These demographic trends are causing Social Security and Medicare to be underfunded."

Santorum's remarks come as Republican leaders pledged to take up entitlements in upcoming budget talks. Social Security currently has a $2.5 trillion surplus, but without changes will be unable to pay out full benefits by 2037 thanks in part to the strain placed on the system by retiring baby boomers.

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio Sets High Bar For Debt Ceiling Vote

Benjy Sarlin | March 30, 2011, 9:51AM

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Congress is on the verge of shutdown over its inability to pass a continuing resolution, but Tea Party icon Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is already laying down a marker on the next high-stakes funding battle: raising the debt limit.

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today, Rubio called a vote on the debt ceiling "nothing more than putting off the tough decisions until after the next election" and warned that "this may be our last chance to force Washington to tackle the central economic issue of our time."

"I will vote to defeat an increase in the debt limit unless it is the last one we ever authorize and is accompanied by a plan for fundamental tax reform, an overhaul of our regulatory structure, a cut to discretionary spending, a balanced-budget amendment, and reforms to save Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," Rubio wrote.

Read more »

Libya

Poll: Plurality Oppose Libyan Intervention, But Support Protecting Civilians

Jon Terbush | March 30, 2011, 9:19AM

A plurality of Americans oppose the nation's military involvement in Libya, according to a Quinninpiac poll released this morning. But at the same time, majorities support both protecting Libyan civilians from Muammar Qaddafi's troops, and using cruise missiles to destroy Qaddafi's anti-air installations.

In the poll, 47% of adult Americans said the U.S. was doing the wrong thing by fighting in Libya, compared to 41% who said the U.S. was doing the right thing.

But respondents did support destroying Libya's air defenses with cruise missiles -- by a 53%-35% margin. Furthermore, 65% of Americans said the U.S. should "use military force to protect civilians from Gadhafi."

Read more »

Health Care

GOP Stumbles Explaining Double Standard On Tax Cuts

Brian Beutler and Benjy Sarlin | March 30, 2011, 9:14AM

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Democrats and Republicans in Congress are having a difficult time figuring out how to accomplish a common, and politically urgent goal. Specifically, they both agree that a provision in the health care law that steps up enforcement of business' tax reporting requirements has to go. It's too burdensome, they all agree.

Set aside whether they're right or not, the reason they're having a hard time getting it done is that they disagree about how to offset the impact on the deficit. Reducing the tax burden on businesses means reducing the amount of money the Treasury collects, and thus a big hole in the budget.

But wait! Don't Republicans all believe that tax cuts (or 'tax relief,' as they prefer) don't need to be offset with spending cuts or tax hikes elsewhere in the budget? Yes indeed they do. Just not in this case, where it pertains to the health care law -- and they're tying themselves up in knots trying to square their conflicting views.

Read more »

Wisconsin

Judge Blocks Wisconsin Anti-Union Law (Again)

Eric Kleefeld | March 29, 2011, 6:34PM

Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) and Gov. Scott Walker (R)

Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi has just blocked -- again -- Gov. Scott Walker's (R-WI) new law curtailing public employee unions, after the state Republican leadership moved last Friday to circumvent her previous order that blocked the law on procedural grounds. But that's not the end of the discussion, as it appears the state will continue to defy the order.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

"Further implementation of the act is enjoined," said Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi.

She noted her original restraining order issued earlier this month was clear in saying that the state should not proceed with implementing the law. The Walker administration did so after the bill was published Friday by a state agency not included in Sumi's earlier temporary restraining order.

"Apparently that language was either misunderstood or ignored, but what I said was the further implementation of Act 10 was enjoined. That is what I now want to make crystal clear," she said.

But minutes later, outside the court room, Assistant Attorney General Steven Means said the legislation "absolutely" is still in effect.

Read more »

Libya

Senate Dems to Delay War Powers Resolutions Until After Briefing

Susan Crabtree | March 29, 2011, 5:41PM

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has asked his caucus to postpone any Libya resolutions until after they receive a classified briefing Tuesday evening.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to brief senators Wednesday night. Afterward, Reid said, all bets are off and Democrats can offer any type of War Powers Resolution they want.

Read more »

Sean Duffy

GOP Rep: I'm 'Struggling' On My $174K Salary (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 29, 2011, 5:39PM

Update: After the Polk County GOP tried to pull this video off the Internet, we reposted it here.

At a town hall meeting in Polk County, Wisconsin earlier this year, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) was asked whether he'd vote to cut his $174,000 annual salary. Duffy sort of hedged, and went on to talk about how $174,000 really isn't that much for his family of seven to live on. Then he went on to say he supports cutting compensation for all public employees, along the lines of what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has proposed for the Badger State.

The whole thing was caught on tape, and it was posted to the Polk County GOP's blog, along with several other clips from the town hall. Then just that clip where Duffy talks about his salary was taken down and removed from the internet by the county party because, an official said, the YouTube clip "was being republished without our consent."

Read more »

Herman Cain

Herman Cain: Many American Muslims 'Not Dedicated' To U.S., Constitution

Jon Terbush | March 29, 2011, 4:11PM

If Herman Cain becomes President, he will only consider appointing Muslims to federal positions if he can be extra-sure that they will uphold the Constitution and not sneak Sharia law into the government.

In an interview with Fox News' Neil Cavuto on Monday, Cain sought to clarify remarks he made over the weekend to a Think Progress reporter, when he said that he would not appoint any Muslims to his cabinet or federal judgeships were he President. In defending that statement, Cain said that his concern is not with Muslims per se, but with Sharia law, and that he would need a "commitment" from prospective Muslim appointees that they would remain loyal to the Constitution before he would consider giving them a job.

Read more »

Budget

Dems Open To Bending On Some Policy to Strike Budget Deal

Susan Crabtree | March 29, 2011, 3:48PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for the first time expressed a willingness to consider some GOP policy amendments that House Republicans are insisting lawmakers tack onto the spending bill to fund the government past April 8.

The concession is one hopeful sign in an otherwise stubborn standoff that both parties can strike a deal that avoids a government shutdown next week. But as with anything, the devil is in the details and which policy amendments the Democrats are considering.

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Cantor: No More Emergency Measures To Fund The Government

Brian Beutler | March 29, 2011, 3:40PM

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Late next week, if Democrats and Republicans haven't agreed on a long-term spending bill, Congress can still avoid a government shutdown if they pass yet another stop gap plan to keep the lights on. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) says that's not going to happen.

"I can't see how we can do anything with folks on the other side of the Capitol and other side of the aisle who now think this is a political game," Cantor said during his weekly Capitol briefing with reporters.

Pressed further, he took the idea of another emergency measure off the table.

Read more »

Pres '12

Pawlenty: My Past Support For Cap-And-Trade 'Was Stupid' (AUDIO)

Eric Kleefeld | March 29, 2011, 2:48PM

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who is exploring a run for president, is bluntly backing off from the progressive position he once took on cap-and-trade.

Pawlenty has stepped back from this position before, but now he's handling it as an apparent presidential candidate. MSNBC reports:

"Anybody who's going to run for this office who's been in an executive position or may run has got some clunkers in their record," he said on the Laura Ingraham Show. "As to climate change - or more specifically cap-and-trade - I've just come out and admitted and said, 'Look, it was a mistake. It was stupid. I'm not going to try to defend it.'"

The former Minnesota governor signed a bill in 2007 that authorized a task force "to recommend how the state could adopt" a cap-and-trade system. The same year, he also joined onto an accord with five other governors urging the creation of "a market-based and multi-sector cap-and-trade mechanism."

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Howard Dean: 'Quietly Rooting' For Gov't Shutdown (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 29, 2011, 2:19PM

Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean

Howard Dean says he'd be "quietly rooting for" a government shutdown if he still had his old job as leader of the Democratic Party.

"If I was head of DNC, I would be quietly rooting for it," Dean told an audience hosted by National Journal in Washington this morning. "I know who's going to get blamed - we've been down this road before."

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Democrats And Republicans Prep For Government Shutdown Fallout

Brian Beutler | March 29, 2011, 1:11PM

President Barack Obama meets with Republican and Democratic leaders

Just two weeks ago, after he watched 54 of his own members defect from an emergency spending bill to keep the government from shutting down, House Speaker John Boehner realized he was in a fix. The numbers told an important story -- that to keep the federal lights on, Boehner would need help from Democrats just to pass legislation through the House. And that would mean cutting a deal, and enraging his conservative rank and file.

At a jobs forum in the auditorium of the Capitol Visitors Center, he softened his rhetoric and acknowledged his weakened hand.

"It's never been lost on me that because we only control the House there are a lot of other players that we need to work with in order to come to any agreement to keep the government open," Boehner said. "But I'm confident that we'll be able to find a way to cut spending -- which we believe will lead to a better environment for business to hire people in America -- and keep the government open."

Read more »

Pres '12

Former Bachmann Staffers Backing Pawlenty

Eric Kleefeld | March 29, 2011, 12:56PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who reportedly plans to launch an exploratory committee for a presidential campaign, could potentially get a strong following among Tea Party activists. But she appears to have some trouble with another demographic: Her former staffers, some of whom are backing fellow Minnesotan, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Minnesota Independent reports:

Three of Rep. Michele Bachmann's former staffers are backing her fellow Minnesotan and presumptive competitor for the 2012 Republican nomination, Tim Pawlenty. Ron Carey, who served as Bachmann's chief of staff in 2010; Gina Countryman, Bachmann's 2010 congressional campaign manager; and Tim Gould, who served as Bachmann's Constituent Services Officer in 2010 are all vocally supporting Pawlenty for 2012.

Carey, a former state GOP chairman who served as Bachmann's fifth chief of staff -- and only in the course of her second term, as well -- has previously declared that she is not electable and not qualified to be president. Last week, when reports emerged that Bachmann planned to form an exploratory committee, he stated his support for Pawlenty.

Libya

GOP Senator: Are There Al Qaeda Elements Among Libyan Rebels?

Susan Crabtree | March 29, 2011, 12:07PM

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)

Update: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed the likelihood of an al Qaeda contingency among the Libyan rebels, but she acknowledged "we are still getting to know those who are leading the transitional national council."

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) wants to know much more about the Libyan rebels the U.S. and NATO allies have been aiding with air strikes and humanitarian assistance for more than a week.

"There have been several reports about the presence of al Qaeda among the rebels," Inhofe said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday. "What do we know about this?"

Read more »

2010 elections

Poll: FL. Gov. Rick Scott Would Lose Do-Over Election -- By 20 Points

Jon Terbush | March 29, 2011, 11:36AM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

Another day, another poll showing a recently elected Republican governor losing a do-over election -- and this one isn't even close.

A PPP poll of registered voters released today shows that in a hypothetical re-do of last year's gubernatorial election, Florida Gov. Rock Scott (R) would lose to Democrat Alex Sink by a nearly 20-point margin, 56%-37%. Scott won a squeaker of an election last year, edging out Sink by about one point.

Read more »

Health Care

Dems Plan Last-Ditch Effort To Protect Health Law From Latest GOP Attack

Brian Beutler | March 29, 2011, 11:24AM

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Republicans are poised to undermine one portion of the health care reform law without much of a fight -- and with the help of some Democrats -- unless Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) gets his way.

Menendez is undertaking a last-ditch effort to prevent the GOP from clawing back billions of dollars in subsidies to middle class insurance consumers, provided under the health care reform law.

Several weeks ago, it looked like the GOP would get its way. The official purpose was to use that money to repeal a tax-reporting requirement for businesses, also in the law. That so-called "1099 provision" raises money but also the ire of the business community.

Read more »

Indiana

Mitch Daniels BFF With Dick Lugar's Primary Challenger?

Benjy Sarlin | March 29, 2011, 11:13AM

Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN)

Longtime Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) is facing a tough primary challenge from Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who claims he has one very high up supporter behind his insurgency: Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.

The Indiana governor has said he plans to vote for Lugar, whom he used to serve as an aide, but Mourdock says that his decision to run was heavily encouraged by Daniels.

"Before I decided to do this, he and I had three different conversations about it," Mourdock told Hotline On Call in an interview. "And every time, he said, 'Richard Mourdock, don't you ever, ever, ever let anyone tell you don't have every right to do this. You've earned the right. You worked 31 years in the business world. We don't have that kind of experience very often in Washington."

Read more »

Wisconsin Protests

National Progressives Amp Up Recall Air War In Wisconsin (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 29, 2011, 11:03AM

National progressive groups are launching a new series of television ads in Wisconsin calling for the recall of Republican state senators.

The new $100,000 campaign by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America comes on the heels of weeks of spending by the two groups hoping to boot some of the senators who voted to kill collective bargaining for thousands of state workers at the urging of Gov. Scott Walker (R).

The new ads will run on broadcast and cable in the Milwaukee and Green Bay media markets. As with past Wisconsin ad campaigns by the PCCC/DFA partnership, the size and scope of the campaign will be determined by online donations. Each group has about 25,000 members in Wisconsin and the pair have around 1.7 million members nationwide.

Read more »

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich: America In Danger of Becoming Atheist, Islamic Country

Benjy Sarlin | March 29, 2011, 10:40AM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Newt Gingrich warned churchgoers on Monday that an unholy (semi-holy?) combination of Islamic theocrats and secular atheists could seize control of the United States within decades.

"I have two grandchildren -- Maggie is 11, Robert is 9," Gingrich said at a church in Texas, according to Politico. "I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."

Gingrich made the remarks at the evangelical Cornerstone Church, which is led by Pastor John Hagee. Hagee became a controversial figure in the 2008 elections after John McCain publicly accepted -- and then rejected -- his endorsement despite comments by the religious leader condemning the Catholic Church as "the great whore" and suggesting Hitler was sent by God to move Jews to Israel and hasten the apocalypse. Gingrich converted to Catholicism in 2009.

Update: Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler e-mailed Salon to clarify that Newt was warning either atheists OR Islamists could take over America, not that the two will join forces. "'Or' should have come before the word 'potentially,'" Tyler wrote.

Michigan

Conservative Think Tank Seeks Michigan Profs' Emails About Wisconsin Union Battle ... And Maddow

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 29, 2011, 10:12AM

Michigan Labor Protesters

A free enterprise think tank in Michigan -- backed by some of the biggest names in national conservative donor circles -- has made a broad public records request to at least three in-state universities with departments that specialize in the study of labor relations, seeking all their emails regarding the union battle in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, TPM has learned.

According to professors subject to the request, filed under Michigan's version of the Freedom Of Information Act, the request is extremely rare in academic circles. An employee at the think tank requesting the emails tells TPM they're part of an investigation into what labor studies professors at state schools in Michigan are saying about the situation in Madison, Wisc., the epicenter of the clashes between unions and Republican-run state governments across the Midwest.

One professor subject to the FOIA described it as anti-union advocates "going after folks they don't agree with."

Read more »

Libya

Obama: 'I Refused' To Let A Massacre Happen In Libya

Susan Crabtree | March 28, 2011, 8:47PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama delivered a clear and determined defense of his decision to authorize U.S. military-led air strikes in Libya, stressing that he could not allow an impending massacre in the country to occur but would not use military might to topple Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from power.

The speech, delivered Monday night, was cloaked in broad statements about American values and U.S. responsibilities to support democratic movements against brutal and repressive regimes.

Read more »

Paul Wolfowitz

Obama Makes Bedfellows With Neocon Boffins On Libya

Brian Beutler | March 28, 2011, 5:33PM

Paul Wolfowitz

Few would have bet, back in late 2007, that by 2011 Barack Obama would make common cause with key architects and supporters of the Iraq war -- including Hillary Clinton adviser Michael O'Hanlon, and Paul Wolfowitz, a neocon godfather who needs no introduction -- over a regime change mission in another Muslim country.

The odds on that bet would have been somewhere between a lightning strike, and picking a winning bracket in this year's college basketball tournament.

But less than four years later, those counter-intuitive few would be poised for a hefty payoff.

Read more »

Indiana

Both Sides Claim Victory With End Of Indiana House Standoff

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 28, 2011, 5:32PM

This post has been updated with Daniels' statement.

Now that the month-long standoff between Indiana state House Democrats and the Republicans running the Hoosier state government is over, both sides are claiming to have come out on top.

The arguments go like this: Democrats say they raised the curtain on the usually unwatched state legislature by going AWOL, turning public opinion against the majority Republicans and winning some key concessions in the House at least that will temper the way debate moves forward on key issues like education reform and the right of workers to form unions. Republicans say that with the legislative session back on track, they'll finally be able to push through significant changes to the way Indiana operates, leaving their mark on the Hoosier state as voters intended them to do.

Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) released a strong statement defending his agenda from Democratic attack. The standoff was seen as putting a crimp in Daniels' presidential plans, costing him time and -- thanks to the deal struck -- a significant part of his education reform plan.

Read more »

Libya

Poll: 50% Say U.S. Has No Clear Plan In Libya

Jon Terbush | March 28, 2011, 5:21PM

President Barack Obama

With President Obama set to address the nation tonight about the country's military engagement in Libya, a Pew poll released today finds that half of Americans say the U.S. does not have a clear goal there.

In the poll of adult Americans, 50% of respondents said they do not believe that U.S. and allied forces have a clear goal with their mission in Libya, versus 39% who said there is a clear goal.

At the same time, the poll found that 47% of Americans think the decision to enforce a no-fly zone was a good idea, while 36% said it was a bad idea.

The U.S. and allied forces have been launching air and missile attacks on Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's military installments since March 19, one day after the U.N. Security Council approved a no-fly resolution over the country. Critics have argued that President Obama has not adequately explained what the U.S hopes to achieve by joining the assault, whether the goal is to protect civilians, or perhaps to oust Qaddafi.

Read more »

2012

Herman Cain: I Would Appoint Zero Muslims To My Administration

Jon Terbush | March 28, 2011, 5:12PM

Herman Cain

Former pizza tycoon turned talk-radio host turned presidential candidate Herman Cain said over the weekend that the Muslim faith "does not belong in our government," and that were he President, he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet or to a federal court.

Cain's comments came at the Conservative Principles Conference in Iowa on Saturday in response to a question from a Think Progress reporter who asked directly if Cain would "be comfortable" appointing a Muslim to a federal position were he President.

Read more »

Wisconsin

Walker Administration Announces Implementation Of Anti-Union Law, Despite Judge's Order Against Publication

Eric Kleefeld | March 28, 2011, 4:42PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

The administration of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) has begun implementing its controversial new law curtailing public employee unions, following a move on Friday declaring it be in effect, and despite a judge's ruling that enjoined said implementation.

"It is now my legal responsibility to begin enactment of the law," Secretary of Administration Mike Huebsch, a former Republican state Assembly Speaker, told reporters, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Huebsch said that the state will begin withholding pension and health benefits contributions from government employees' paychecks, while also no longer automatically deducting union dues. The first paychecks to be affected will be April 21.

Read more »

Social Security

Senate Democrats Rally Against Social Security Cuts

Benjy Sarlin | March 28, 2011, 4:33PM

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

With Republicans pledging to address entitlement spending this year, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) led a rally in the Capitol on Monday to protest any cuts to Social Security.

While Republican budget cuts currently under negotiation would not touch benefits, Reid warned that a proposed $1.7 billion cut to the Social Security Administration would "really hurt Social Security" by reducing the program's ability to quickly process claims.

"They cut the money to allow Social Security to be funded properly so they can administer the programs they need," Reid said.

Attendees chanted "Raise the cap!" in response to a call by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) to fund the program by expanding taxes to higher incomes rather than lowering benefits or raising the retirement age.

Read more »

Wisconsin

Wis. GOPer: 'I Love Campaigns' -- Just Didn't Expect One Every Year

Eric Kleefeld | March 28, 2011, 3:51PM

State Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-WI)

Wisconsin state Sen. Dan Kapanke, one of the Republicans being targeted for recall in the wake of Gov. Scott Walker's new law curtailing public employee unions, is actively gearing up for the possible campaign, the La Crosse Tribune reports.

"I'd just as soon not be here today, but we have to," Kapanke said, speaking to supporters Saturday at a newly-opened GOP campaign office operated by the La Crosse County Republican Party. "If we're not going to balance the budget now, when?"

He also added: "I love campaigns. I just didn't think I'd do one every year."

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Cantor: Americans Will Blame Democrats If Government Shuts Down

Brian Beutler | March 28, 2011, 3:47PM

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)

In a statement this afternoon, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor acknowledged what top Republicans have hesitated to acknowledge since they won back the majority in November: a government shutdown is a real possibility and, he says, the country will blame Democrats if that happens.

"In the scope of our debt crisis, if Senator Reid and Senator Schumer force the government to partially shut down over these sensible spending cuts, Americans will hold them accountable," Cantor said.

Read more »

112th Congress

Harry Reid: Tea Party Has Derailed Budget Negotiations

Benjy Sarlin | March 28, 2011, 2:44PM

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) accused Tea Party lawmakers of destroying budget negotiations with Republicans on Monday, demanding the GOP sort out its internal disputes before further talks proceed.

"We've tried to wait patiently for them to do that, but our patience and the American people's patience is wearing very thin," Reid said in a speech on the Senate floor.

According to Reid, "the biggest gap in this negotiation isn't between Republicans and Democrats - it's between Republicans and Republicans" and it needs to be resolved in order to finalize a deal.

"Democrats are ready to negotiate and to legislate," he said, but complainted that "we cant negotiate with ourselves and we can't do it through the media."

In a statement released earlier in the day, Reid warned that "Tea Party Republicans are scrapping all the progress we have made and threatening to shut down the government if they do not get all of their extreme demands."'

As TPM reported today, Republicans are expected to reject a White House proposal to cut the budget by $30 billion below current spending levels, a number that would be roughly in line with early proposals by GOP leaders before they moved the goalposts in response to complaints from the conservative wing of the party. A subsequent revolt by conservative Republicans in the House against the most recent bill to temporarily fund the government forced Speaker John Boehner to rely on Democratic votes to ensure its passage. The government will shut down if the two sides can't negotiate another funding bill by April 8.

"Apparently these extremists would rather shut down the government and risk sending our economy back into a recession than work with Democrats or even their own leadership to find a responsible compromise, " Reid said. "For the sake of our economy, it's time for mainstream Republicans to stand up to the Tea Party and rejoin Democrats at the table to negotiate a responsible solution that cuts spending while protecting jobs."

Indiana

Indiana Dems To Return Home With Big Concessions From GOPers

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 28, 2011, 2:10PM

State Rep. Patrick Bauer (D-IN)

Just about a month ago, dozens of Indiana state House Democrats fled to Illinois to shut down what they said was a Republican agenda that targeted workers rights and the public schools. Now they're set to return, having won several concessions from the GOP that will change the face of what Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) was hoping would be a signature session.

Rep. Patrick Bauer, leader of the state House Democrats, called the deal "not perfect" but said the deal shows the standoff -- which shut down the state legislature in Indiana for weeks -- paid off in the end.

"The principled stand by House Democrats forced concessions by the House Republicans that reflected the concerns expressed by so many people who came to the Statehouse in recent weeks," he told TPM in a statement. "Today we can announce compromises that are great steps forward for working Hoosiers."

Read more »

Wisconsin

WI Progressive Group Defends Mother Of All Negative Ads

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 28, 2011, 1:35PM

On Friday we brought you the story of the remarkably hard-edged turn the state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin has taken as it ticks toward its April 5 conclusion. Now we've got the defense of the race's toughest ad from the progressive group that sponsored it.

A quick refresher: though officially non-partisan, the Supreme Court race has become something of a proxy fight for the battle between supporters of organized labor and Gov. Scott Walker (R). Incumbent Justice David Prosser is backed by the Walker supporters on the right, while his opponent, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg, is backed by the left. The race is extremely tight.

The Greater Wisconsin Committee, a progressive group, is taking on Prosser with an ad that highlights his time as a prosecutor. This is how the ad characterizes that period in his career: "Tell David Prosser judges should protect our children, not sex offenders."

Read more »

Government Shutdown

Republicans Prepare To Reject Final White House Budget Offer

Brian Beutler | March 28, 2011, 1:24PM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

It's been almost a week since House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the White House last sat down to hammer out a budget agreement, and the schedule's still blank. Accusations of bad faith are now flying from both sides. Republicans are poised to reject a White House offer, TPM has learned, that would cut over $30 billion in current spending because of disagreements over whether the package should include cuts to mandatory spending programs. Democrats are pushing for such cuts, which include the big entitlement programs, though the specific cuts they're proposing remain unclear. In an ironic twist, Republicans oppose those cuts and want to limit the negotiations to non-defense discretionary spending, a smaller subset of the federal budget.

Taken together, the last several days' worth of developments bode very poorly for the goal of reaching a six-month agreement on spending. The parties have until April 8 to reach agreement, and the odds of a government shutdown are higher now than they've been since this process began.

Asked about the offer the White House has floated, a top Republican aide says, "This debate has always been about discretionary spending -- not autopilot 'mandatory' spending or tax hikes."

If that position doesn't soften, it's hard to see how the two parties reach agreement.

Read more »

Claire McCaskill

Claire McCaskill Went After '04 Primary Opponent's Private Plane in Ads

Benjy Sarlin | March 28, 2011, 12:07PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Already on the hot seat over unpaid taxes and state reimbursements for her husband's private plan, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) now faces her toughest attack ads on the issue yet -- her own.

In 2004, McCaskill successfully challenged against Democratic Gov. Bob Holden in a primary and made his use of a state-funded jet a recurring issue in ads. The TV spots are now coming back to haunt her after Politico's Ben Smith posted two of them on Monday.

Read more »

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Report: Wis. Supreme Court Race Running Close In Internal Polls

Eric Kleefeld | March 28, 2011, 11:55AM

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser and court candidate JoAnne Kloppenburg

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race on April 5, pitting incumbent Justice David Prosser against challenger Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg, could be going down to the wire in a state that has become highly polarized due to Republican Gov. Scott Walker's new anti-public employee union law.

In an overview of the race, Robert Costa at National Review reports:

Two sources with knowledge of internal GOP polling tell us that Prosser and Kloppenburg are near even, a bad sign for the incumbent. "She has driven his negatives up," one source says. "It will be hard to drive hers up. Her lack of judicial experience should hurt her, but it also makes her harder to pin down. The question now is: Does the Right have enough resources to counter the Greater Wisconsin Committee's millions? And even if they do, is it too late? It is going to be touch-and-go for these last few days."

Read more »

2012 elections

Herman Cain: 'I Won't Stay On The Democrat Plantation'

Jon Terbush | March 28, 2011, 11:53AM

Herman Cain

Former Pizza magnate and presidential aspirant Herman Cain directly addressed the issue of his race at a conservative gathering in Iowa on Saturday, saying that liberals think he should "stay on the Democratic plantation."

"I'm an American Black Conservative - an ABC -- and I'm proud of it," Cain said. "And because I've been affiliated with the conservative movement, and had the audacity to go on talk radio and do a talk show, and promote conservative principles, I've been called a racist too. Go figure"

Read more »

Donald Trump

Trump Goes Full Birther: 'I Am Really Concerned' Obama Not Born In USA

Jillian Rayfield | March 28, 2011, 11:19AM

Donald Trump

Donald Trump tripled (quadrupled?) down on his emerging birtherism this morning on Fox & Friends, saying that since he first brought up the issue, "all of a sudden, a lot of facts are emerging and I'm starting to wonder myself whether or not he was born in this country."

Read more »

Mitt Romney

Romney's Team Grows: Key 2008 Advisor Returns

Melissa Jeltsen | March 28, 2011, 10:41AM

A key adviser to Mitt Romney during his unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid is back on board, his PAC announced Monday. Lanhee Chen will serve as the policy director of Romney's PAC, Free and Strong America.

Chen tweeted early Monday morning: "It's good to be back with Team Romney."

Chen was Romney's domestic policy director in 2008. Prior to that, Chen served as a health policy adviser to former President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, and went on to work as a senior policy aide at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

More recently, he was deputy campaign manager for Steve Poizner's bid for the Republican nomination in California's 2010 gubernatorial election. Poizner was defeated in the primary by Meg Whitman.

Romney has been on the road lately, setting out his plan to win the Republican nomination.

Abortion

Anti-Abortion Group Targets Planned Parenthood With Ad Featuring Former Employee

Jon Terbush | March 28, 2011, 10:18AM

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List is targeting Planned Parenthood with a new television ad in which a former Planned Parenthood employee claims that the organization is concerned almost exclusively with making money from abortions, and not with providing health care to needy women.

"I learned that Planned Parenthood isn't about women's health at all," the former employee, Abby Johnson, says in the video. "Their primary profit center and their entire corporate culture is about abortions."

Read more »

Joe Biden

Biden Team Apologizes For Using Storage Closet As Holding Room For Reporter

Jillian Rayfield | March 28, 2011, 10:00AM

Vice President Joe Biden

Joe Biden's spokeswoman sent an apology note to Orlando Sentinel reporter Scott Powers for using a storage closet as a holding area at a recent event in Florida.

The incident got a lot of attention over the weekend after a picture Powers took of the storage closet was posted on the Sentinel's website and made the print edition. Powers himself described yesterday how overblown rumors were swirling around the blogosphere that he had been "kidnapped and held hostage in a locked closet by the vice president's staff. "

Read more »

Labor

Labor Ups Pressure On Lawmakers To Nix Union-Busting House Bill

Brian Beutler | March 28, 2011, 9:34AM

Labor activists are preparing to step up their advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill ahead of a key vote on a union-busting measure later this week, according to sources familiar with their campaign.

The stepped up effort comes as anti-union activists are preparing efforts of their own, in order to make it harder for aviation and rail workers to unionize.

At issue is House legislation to renew FAA programs, which includes a provision that would reinstitute old rules governing how the National Mediation Board counts workers' votes. Under the current system, a simple majority of those voting wins, just like in, say, the House of Representatives. If Republicans get their way, those rules will change, and workers who don't vote will be tallied as having voted "no."

Read more »

2012 Presidential Primaries

Poll: Prominent GOP Prez Hopefuls Have Grown More Unpopular

Jon Terbush | March 28, 2011, 8:43AM

Former Govs. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Sarah Palin (R-AK), Mitt Romney (R-MA), and Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

The four biggest-name Republicans believed to be considering presidential bids have all grown more unpopular over the past two years.

As Public Policy Polling's Tom Jensen notes, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have all lost support among registered voters since PPP began polling their net favorable ratings in April 2009.

Read more »

'Obama's Wars'

Obama Doctrine Emerges: International Support Critical To Military Missions

Susan Crabtree | March 27, 2011, 9:38AM

After weeks of withering criticism of the White House's delayed response in Libya, as well as his decision to authorize air strikes, President Obama is beginning to articulate his philosophy for the use of military force overseas.

The President plans to lay out the strategy behind his foreign policy decisions in Libya in a prime-time address to the nation Monday night at 7:30 ET, something his critics say he should have done before missile launches began in the North African country last Friday.

Read more »