Must Reads

The Rude Pundit: Fun with Terrorism in the Bible (A Brief But Special Post for Pamela Geller)

Alex Seitz-Wald: The Hitler gun control lie

Mike Wall: Largest structure in universe discovered — it's mind-boggling

Josh Marshall: Okay, This Is Awesome - White House Responds to Petition For Building Death Star

Driftglass: Days of Future Passed

David Atkins: Dishonestly and ignorantly switching the culprit from guns to games

Robert Reich: The Hoax of Entitlement Reform

Paul Krugman: Coins Against Crazies

Robert Fisk: Anonymous trolls are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate the gutless journalism of the New York Times, BBC, and CNN

Charles Pierce: The Chris Christie Conundrum 

Must Reads

Robert Reich: Cliff Hanger: Why Republicans Don’t Care What the Nation Thinks

Nathaniel Downes: John Galt Is A Terrorist – Fun Facts About The ‘Hero’ Of Atlas Shrugged

David Macaray: Longshoremen’s Strike Averted as Public, Media Hypocritical on Labor Rights

Steve Benen: An abrupt end to another GOP conspiracy theory

Charles Pierce: The Return of Scott Brown

Samuel Metz: Quality of U.S. medicine: The 'best' health care depends on your perspective

Paul Krugman: A Double Shot of Misunderstanding

Jim Wright: Bang Bang Crazy, Part Four

Must Reads

Paul Krugman: The Big Budget Mumble

The Rude Pundit: Bob Costas, Guns and American the Wimpy

Dana Liebelson: Jim DeMint Is Resigning: Here Are His 7 Craziest Moments

Charles Pierce: Gun Owners Need a New Leader

Steve Benen: Jindal Re-embraces 'Dumbed-down Conservatism'

Bill Maher: The Fiscal Cliff Part II: Electric Boogaloo

Must Reads

Bob Cesca: Marco Rubio is Definitely Not a Scientist. Man.

Michael Barbaro: After Obama, Christie Wants a G.O.P. Hug

The Rude Pundit: Other Questions for Marco Rubio After His GQ Interview (Based on His Favorite Rap Songs)

Melissa Jeltsen: Cory Booker To Live On Food Stamps After Making Twitter Challenge

Greg Sargent: Poetic justice: Romney likely to finish at 47 percent

Angelo Carusone: Why Macy’s Must Stop Selling Donald Trump’s Brand

Joe Klein: The Benghazi Circus

Bill Maher: The Common Cult

Paul Krugman: Grand Old Planet

Jim Wright: It's The Racism, Stupid

Must Reads

John Scalzi: Fan Letter to Certain Conservative Politicians

Greg Palast: Mitt Romney's Bailout Bonanza

Elcectablog: Reality intrudes on Mitt Romney’s dream world. So does Nate Silver.

Douglas Brinkley: Obama and the Road Ahead: The Rolling Stone Interview

JM Ashby: Microwaves. Air-Conditioning. The Good Life!

Paul Krugman: Pointing Toward Prosperity?

The Rude Pundit: Note to Richard Mourdock: Your God's an Asshole

Nathan Bomey & Brent Snavely: Romney repeats false claim of Jeep outsourcing to China; Chrysler refutes story

Brent Snavely: Romney camp silent on his Jeep-to-China gaffe

Steve Benen: Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity, Vol. XL

Ron Fournier: The Story (on Racial Attitudes) That Obama and Romney Don't Want You to Read

Jim Wright: Guns and Butter. Also, Nazis!

Must Reads

Ben Cohen: Is Glenn Greenwald Aware of How Smug he Sounds?

Jess Zimmerman: Giant dog adopts baby chimpanzee

Bob Cesca: Millions of Old People Are Benefitting from Obamacare, But Are Voting for Romney Anyway and A Reality Check in the Progressive Civil War

Mark Gruenberg: Firefighters formally endorse Obama

Jim Wright: The Only Thing To Fear…

Robert Reich: Why The Economy Can’t Get Out of First Gear

Paul Krugman: We Don’t Need No Education

Andy Kroll: Getting Rolled in Wisconsin:  Why Electoral Politics Sold Out the Popular Uprising in the Badger State -- and Why It’s Not All Over

Must Reads

William Saletan: The Marriage Trap

Suzy Khimm: Democrats talk about cutting entitlements. Republicans don’t talk about raising taxes.

Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg: G.O.P. ‘Super PAC’ Weighs Hard-Line Attack on Obama

Tim Murphy: Joe Ricketts, Government Handout Hypocrite

Adam Serwer: Jeremiah Wright Is Not a Silver Bullet

Joan Walsh: More Rev. Wright hate porn!

Paul Krugman: Win Some, Lose Some

Steve Benen: This Week in God

Robert Reich: The Commencement Address That Won’t Be Given

Tim Karr: The First Amendment and the Smartphone Journalist

Christopher Brauchli: Mitt the Barber and The Church

Must Reads

Justin Rosario: Supreme Court To Re-Examine Its Citizens United Ruling

Andrea Grimes: Texas Rep, Having Failed to Pass Anti-Choice Law, Orders Department of Health to Do His Bidding Anyway

Philip Kitcher: The Taint of 'Social Dawinism'

Paul Krugman: The Gullible Center

Maureen Dowd: Men in Black

Eclectablog: Major conflict of interest for elections panel member reviewing Emergency Manager petition challenge

The Fox Mole: Announcing Our Newest Hire: A Current Fox News Channel Employee

E.J. Dionne: Tell us more about Romney’s ‘private’ views

Must Reads

Brian Beutler: Why The GOP’s Payroll Tax Cut Cave Is An Even Bigger Deal Than You Think

Chez Pazienza: An Open Letter to CNN Regarding Nancy Grace

E.J. Dionne: Romney’s big problem: A missing aura of electability

Eugene Robinson: Drumming up a phony war on religion

Jason Linkins: Mitt Romney Causes CNN Debate Cancellation, Does Something Great For America

Evan McMorris-Santoro: How The GOP Went Back To The 1950s In Just One Day

Paul Krugman: Moochers Against Welfare

Must Reads

Michael Gerson: The Problem with Gingrich’s Simplistic Attack on Sharia

Robert Reich: Wall St's Latest Shameless Ploy to Fleece You

Spike Dolomite Ward: 'Obamacare' to the Rescue and A Message to 'Obamacare' Haters [The Reply]

Steve Benen: The Competition to Reward the Wealthy

Benjy Sarlin: Meet The 22-Year-Old Who’s Driving Romney Crazy

Paul Krugman: Depression and Democracy

Christina Wilkie: Mitt Romney's Slogan Used By Ku Klux Klan, Anti-Immigrant 'Know Nothing' Party

Michael Tomasky: Could Obama Be Headed for a Landslide?

Renee Dudley: SC Gov. Haley Dictated Health Panel Finding - Outcome ordered before committee met

Andy Brownfield and Julie Carr Smyth: Speaker John Boehner's Staff Influenced Ohio Redistricting, Documents Show

Linda Greenhouse: Rock Bottom

Matt Miller: What Wyden-Ryan Hath Wrought

Al Franken: Why I Voted Against the National Defense Authorization Act

Must Reads

Richard A. Oppel, Jr: Perry’s Latest Attacks Distort Obama’s Words and Past

Paul Krugman: We Are the 99.9%

Extreme Liberal: Political Mythbusters: There Never Was A White House Deal To Kill The Public Option, Stop Lying!

Karoli: How Bullshit Magically Turns Into Fact

Milt Shook: Cutting the Crap: Michael Moore on DHS Conspiracy

Robert Scheer: Thanks for What?

David Frum: When Did The GOP Lose Touch With Reality?

Must Reads

Ezra Klein: Why Libertarianism Fails in Health Care

The Rude Pundit: The US Day of Rage Takes a Trip Into Right-Wing Conspiracy Land

Bob Cesca: Cable News Debate Coverage Is Hurting Democracy

Kevin Drum: How to Talk About Solyndra

Paul Rosenberg: 10 Signs God Is Furious With the Right

Roger Ebert: Saul Alinsky Pours for the Tea Party

Nick Baumann: The GOP's Genius Plan to Beat Obama in 2012

Paul Begala: I [heart] Government

Paul Krugman: Free To Die

Must Reads

Michelle Goldberg: Marcus Bachmann’s Gay ‘Cure’

Dennis G., Balloon Juice: How The Game Is Played

Post Tenebras Lux: Where At Least I Know I'm Free

Extreme Liberal: Frank Rich Crosses The Line Into Fantasyland – Let’s Play The Blame Game!

Leisa Simone: Confessions of An ‘Obamabot’

BooMan: I'm Almost Sad for the Tea Partiers

Russell Simmons: Stop Cryin' and Pay More Taxes!

Adam Serwer: Laughably Bogus Poll Tries to `Prove’ Obama is Losing Jewish Support

TiMT: Say It Loud: "Current GOP Leaders Voted 19 Times To Increase Debt Limit By $4 Trillion"

Ian Boudreau: Just One MFer's View

Monte Bute: Dayton's Critics Should Remember That Politics is The Art of the Possible

Paul Krugman: Getting To Crazy

Rick Ungar: Fake Democrats Lose In Wisconsin Primaries While Exposing Fake Financial Concerns Of Scott Walker

Must Reads

FactCheck.Org: Bachmann’s Waterloo - The GOP lawmaker's presidential campaign starts with a slew of off-base claims.

Deaniac83: Gay Marriage, Wall Street and How the Teabaggers Got Taken for a Ride and The Base

Steve Benen: Dems Hit Romney for Comical Flip-Flop

The Rude Pundit: Dave: A Lonely Glenn Beck Fan Contemplates the Future

Tanya Somanader: Judge Rejects Sarah Palin On Global Warming, Keeps Polar Bears On Threatened List

Paul Krugman: To The Limit

Ryan J. Reilly: Colbert's Super PAC Not Actually Called Colbert Super PAC

Must Reads

Paul Krugman: Vouchercare Is Not Medicare

Extreme Liberal: I Wish Weiner Had “Sexted” Ginni Thomas – Maybe The Media Would Cover Justice Thomas’ Corruption

Mark Howard: 10 Reasons Andrew Breitbart Should Apologize (Or Just Shut Up and Go Away)

Evan McMorris-Santoro: Progressives Call On Democrats To Show Some Spine After Weiner Scandal

The Rude Pundit: A Note to Chris Christie and Mitch Daniels on the Subject of Federal Funding and States' Rights

Chez Pazienza: Pic of the Litter

Must Reads

Ezra Klein: GOP Jobs Plan: Old Ideas, Fancy New Clip Art

Jonathan Chait: The Tax Freeloader Myth

Allan, ABL Chronicles: Clarence Thomas – The Original #Weinergate

Michael Zimmerman, Ph.D.: Michele Bachmann's Stance on Evolution Demolished by High School Student

Kate Sheppard: House GOP Tells DHS to Stop Worrying About Climate Change

Paul Krugman: Fatal Fatalism

John Nichols: One If By Misstatement, Two If By Ignorant: Palin Gets an "F" in American History

Michael Winship: Secret Cash: The Worst Political Scandal of All

JHW22 recommends...

Anthea Butler: Palin Bus Tour Like Gideon’s Fleece

Must Reads

Deaniac83: Paul Krugman's Pre-emptive War on Obama

AP: Obama prevents budget cuts to favorite programs

John Cook: More Pentagon Papers Donald Rumsfeld Doesn't Want You to See

James R. Horney: Ryan Budget Plan Produces Far Less Real Deficit Cutting than Reported

Paul Krugman: Who's Serious Now?

Eugene Robinson: The Selfish Budget? Or the Selfless One?

David Corn: Ryan Budget: GOP Death Wish?

Charles M. Blow: The Pirates of Capitol Hill

Quote of the Day

People like me don’t say that the Ryan plan is too radical; we say that it’s a fraud. The spending cuts are largely fake, either because they’re just magic asterisks or because they wouldn’t survive politically; the revenue estimates are fake, because they combine huge tax cuts with vague assurances that extra revenue will be found by closing loopholes. There’s no there there — except for big tax cuts for the rich and pain for the poor.

All I can think here is that reporters are so deep into the Beltway conventional wisdom that this is a Bold, Serious Plan that they just tune out the people saying that no, it’s not.

~Paul Krugman on non-serious reporting on the Paul Ryan budget plan

Quote of the Day

"...we’ll have endless obfuscation, both-sides-have-a-point reporting that misses the key point, which is that the putative savings come entirely from benefit cuts somewhere in the distant future that would, in all likelihood, never actually materialize. (What do you think will happen when retirees in 2025 discover that their Medicare vouchers aren’t enough to buy insurance?)'

~Paul Krugman on the Paul Ryan budget plan

Must Reads

Paul Krugman: American Thought Police

AsianGrrlMN: Michele Bachman Announces that She Plans to Formally Announce Forming a Committee for her Presidency Run Just as Soon as She Gets her Nails Done; A Nation Snickers

Steve Benen: The NBPP 'Story' -- Coda....

Glenn Kessler: Rand Paul’s Historical Misfire in the Debate Over Libya

Joseph E. Stiglitz: Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%

The Rude Pundit: If You Are a Birther, You Are a Racist; Therefore, Donald Trump Is a Racist and Birtherism and Your Lying Media (Part 2) and Birtherism and the Death of One Kind of Conservatism (Part 3)

Andrew Sullivan: Left, Right And Time

Michael Winship: Labor Pains and the GOP