Cutting funding for Planned Parenthood is the most important thing in the world. So important, in fact, that the government must be shut down until Republicans get their way. You know what might be a good idea here? Including some women in the budget negotiations. Seems to me they might have some valuable insight into issues of women's health services. Ezra Klein examines what it is that PP actually does and it turns out that it's not really a lot of abortions.
On the bright side, the GOP has agreed not to shoot another hostage -- the EPA.
Conservatives -- and especially 'baggers -- are aghast as Shelly Bachmann gives up on the budget fight. This is being seen as a sign that a deal may be nearly hammered out -- if Bachmann folded, it's because someone told her to shut up and fold.
All of which is good news for John Boehner's DC residence. Protesters have threatened to dump their garbage at his place, since a federal shutdown would interrupt the capital city's trash pickup.
James Fallows -- like myself and a lot of other people actually paying attention -- is sick and tired of hearing how "brave" and "serious" Paul Ryan is for writing conservative economic-fantasy porn.
Statistical whiz Nate Silver says that the magically appearing 7,500 votes for incumbent Supreme Court Justice David Prosser looks more like incompetence than mischief (that's a question I asked earlier today, BTW). Others aren't so convinced of that. Either way, it strikes me that one way to really fire up people about recalls is to have something like this happen at this particular time. If things go poorly for the Wisconsin GOP in the near-future, the party should go looking for Kathy Nickolaus's head.
Gabrielle Giffords plans to attend her husband's shuttle launch on April 27.
Finally, a press conference by GOP women goes very, very badly.
