The left isn't extremely pleased with the budget deal. Drastically reducing spending means reducing demand during an economic recovery. Not the smartest thing anyone's ever done. The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof is especially harsh; "It’s unclear where the adults are, but they don’t seem to be in Washington. Beyond the malice of the threat to shut down the federal government, averted only at the last minute on Friday night, it’s painful how vapid the discourse is and how incompetent and cowardly our leaders have proved to be." He lays the blame both on Democrats and Republicans -- with the lion's share going to the GOP. Krugman points out that the deal -- since it includes extending tax cuts for the top one or two percent -- actually increases the deficit and that the Obama administration seems to be following the same political strategy that served them so poorly just last year.
Todays "The GOP's 2012 field keeps getting more ridiculous" news: Sarah Palin dips a toe in the birther waters.
Meanwhile, the White House is pleased that nutjobs like Donald Trump poll well with Republican voters. "I saw Donald Trump kind of rising in some polls and given his behavior and spectacle the last couple of weeks, I hope he keeps on rising," adviser David Plouffe said in an interview. "There is zero chance that Donald Trump would ever be hired by the American people to do this job."
Way, way, way after it matters, the Wisconsin State Journal runs a story examining Gov. Walker's claim that the state is "broke." The verdict: it depends on who you ask. If you ask Walker, we're broke. If you ask any objective observer, we're fine. This is the "two sides to every story" crap taken to the extreme -- they examine a claim by Republicans by asking experts and Republicans whether it's true. Result: no consensus, so who even knows? It's a big Scooby-Doo mystery. And way to strike that iron while it's still hot, guys. Still, Republican claims don't come out looking very good in the end.
GOPer: "Stop being mean to Big Oil!"
Finally, Eric Cantor gives away the GOP's not so secret plan: " We'll protect today's seniors and those nearing retirement, but for the rest of us, all of us, who are 54 and younger, I know the programs [i.e., Medicare and Social Security] are not going to be there for me when I retire."
