Day's End Round-Up

FROM THE BLOGS:

Don't end the Fed, mend it
James Pethokoukis at AEIdeas thinks the Federal Reserve has an idea on how to reduce the size of the Fed's balance sheet.



Rove loves Ginsburg now?
Irin Carmon writes in Salon that Republicans are taking Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of context.

When does the shouting start?
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo discusses the evolving moderate views of many in the Republican Party.



How Republicans can become compassionate conservatives again
Gary Bauer argues in Fox News says Republicans should stick to their principles on the sanctity of life and marriage.


OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

DCCC raffles trip to Obama Calif. fundraiser
The Hill's Justin Sink reports on the special prize that awaits some lucky Democratic donors.

Sen. Tim Johnson to retire, lifting GOP hopes in battle for Senate
The Hill's Mario Trujillo and Peter Schroeder report on the latest Democratic departure from the Senate.



FROM THE BLOGS:

New compromise on gun background checks floated
The Washington Post's Greg Sargent writes about Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-Okla.) willingness to rejoin bipartisan negotiations on gun control measures.

Over 30 Senate Democrats voted to repeal the medical device tax 
Erika Johnsen of Hot Air discusses the decision by some Democrats to strike down a provision of the Affordable Care Act.

Congress has a constitutional duty to preserve and promote the post office
John Nichols of The Nation gives constitutional evidence for why Congress needs to fund the U.S. Postal Service and why neglecting to do so is perilous for the country. 

Corporate taxes: Low rates, high revenues in Canada
Chris Edwards of Cato Blog argues that Canada's fiscal budget should serve as a model for the U.S.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama gets diplomatic win with Netanyahu apology to Turkey
The Hill's Julian Pecquet reports on the Israeli prime minister's apology for the flotilla incident that occurred a few years ago.

White House withdraws court nominee who was blocked twice by GOP
The Hill's Justin Sink reports on Caitlin Halligan's failed nomination to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The real Barbara Mikulski
Slate’s David Weigel says the senator may be the “Last Great Defender of Liberalism.”
 
Lowering healthcare costs a losing battle
The American Conservative’s James P. Pinkerton breaks down the thorny costs versus value question.

U.S. Capitol building a beacon of white supremacy?
Mother Jones’ Tim Murphy looks at the leaders commemorated in Statuary Hall.
 
Ryan budget a return to conservatism for the GOP
The National Review’s Andrew Stiles on what the passage of the Ryan budget means for the Republican Party.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
 
Senate hawks pressure Obama on Syria
The Hill’s Carlos Muñoz reports on the senior members of the upper chamber calling for military action in Syria.
 
Ex-Romney chief to dig dirt on Dems
The Hill’s Cameron Joseph reports on America Rising, the new GOP opposition research firm headed by Mitt Romney’s former campaign manager.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Iraq War made Obamacare possible
Philip Klein writes in The Washington Examiner that the Iraq War helped now President Obama get elected in 2008.

Media upset about judge's overturn of Bloomberg soda ban
Liz Thatcher writes at News Busters that media pundits were openly supportive of New York Michael Bloomberg's (I) efforts to limit sugar intakes from largely sized sodas.

Ten years after
The New York Times editorial board reflects on the costs of the Iraq War.

Ryan's path to poverty
Ilana Novick of Demos's Policy Shop blog thinks that House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wisc.) budget plan cuts too deeply into federal expenditures.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama vows to learn if 'red line' crossed with Syria chemical attack
Obama said on Wednesday that he would look into a chemical weapons attack in Syria, according to The Hill's Jeremy Herb.

House rejects budget from Senate Democrats
The Hill's Pete Kasperowicz reports on the latest move by House Republicans  in opposition to Senate Democrats' proposed federal budget.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Why GOP doesn't want a 'grand bargain'
At CNN, historian Julian Zelizer argues that the GOP is pushing for a deficit reduction plan it doesn't really want.

Embracing the 'stupid party' label
The American Conservative's Rod Dreher wonders if anyone outside hardcore conservatives still likes Sarah Palin.

Rape is no laughing matter
Some Republicans are saying Ashley Judd has an "unnerving" "obsession" with rape, Mother Jones's Timothy Murphy reports.

Far-right throws sticks and stones at LGBT equality
At the Daily Beast, Jay Michaelson reports on a group of conservatives that argue gay marriage obstructs religious liberty.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

AHIP launches TV campaign alerting seniors of threats to Medicare
The Hill's Sam Baker writes on the insurance industry’s lobbying efforts to block cuts to Medicare.

House Democrats unveil new budget
House Democrats released a new budget proposal on Monday that included $200 billion in stimulus spending and $1.2 trillion in additional taxes, according to The Hill's Erik Wasson.

FROM THE BLOGS:

A banner day for gay marriage on the right
Right Turn's Jennifer Rubin looks into the positive reaction to a CPAC panel on gay marriage and rights.

Ted Cruz trolls Diane Feinstein, gets smacked down
Karoli of Crooks and Liars thinks Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) attempts to provoke some of his colleagues are beginning to cross a line.

Thank God for Pope Francis -  and budget gridlock
Reason magazine pokes fun at Congress's inability to make a decision.

Does the GOP need a DLC?
Seth Masket at Mischiefs of Faction wonders whether the Republican Party needs its own version of the Democratic Leadership Council?

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

McConnell decries 'crybaby caucus,' tells conservatives they must unify
The Hill's Alexander Bolton and Alexandra Jaffe report on the Kentucky Senator's Conservative Political Action Conference speech.

Obama cracks joke about sequester
On Friday, speaking to a crowd at Argonne Labs in Illinois, President Obama joked that he thought the sequester meant they “had to get rid of chairs,” according to The Hill's Amie Parnes.

FROM THE BLOGS

Bobby Jindal slayed 'em at the Gridiron Club dinner
Mary Katherine Ham of Hot Air relays one of the funnier routines of the night by the current Louisiana governor.

Sequester is proof that Washington thinks we are all idiots
Daniel Gross of The Daily Beast writes that we don't need the sequester to make a dent in the deficit — we're already finding other quiet ways to do that.

The Feminine Mystique and feminists' mistake
The Foundry's Collette Caprara wonders if female "liberation" helped lead to the disintegration of marriage.

Rubio: Denying marriage rights to gays 'does not make me a bigot'
Igor Volsky of ThinkProgress believes the Florida senator is stuck in the past with his views on same-sex marriage and rights.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES

Obama tells Senate GOP he's not setting a trap to win back the House
According to The Hill's Alexander Bolton, the president tried to find common ground with Senate Republicans during Thursday's private meeting.

Jeb Bush asks to be left out of CPAC straw poll
The former governor thinks it's too early to be thinking about 2016 ambitions, The Hill's Cameron Joseph reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Banning large sodas is legal and smart
Lawrence O. Gostin for CNN writes that banning the larges drinks should not only stand up in court, but would also be a major step in addressing the nation's obesity epidemic.

Can poor people be trusted with guns?
Fox News' John Lott believes Democrats only want guns in the hands of the wealthy.

Obama's nominees for Secretary of (illegal alien) Labor
Michelle Malkin is worried about a potential Secretary of Labor nominee's lobbying past.

Wonkbook: Everything you need to know about the Ryan budget
Evan Soltas of Wonkblog outlines Ryan's recently announced budget, and details the reactions that have already begun pouring in.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Ryan: Obama outreach not 'terribly charming'
The GOP congressman isn't convinced that Obama's outreach is entirely genuine, The Hill's Jonathan Easley reports.

DCCC outraises NRCC in February by $1.3M
The Hill's Alexandra Jaffe reports that the campaign arm of the House Democrats had its second record breaking month in a row.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Pop goes the nanny state
Cato's Walter Olson explains a New York trial judge's decision to strike down Mayor Bloomberg's controversial soda ban.

San Antonio mayor prioritizes closing skills gap
Mark D'Alessio of The Chamber Post applauds Mayor Julian Castro for his economic focus.

How to weaken the economy
Victor Davis Hansen at PJ Media examines the headwinds.

Pass the potato
Jed Lewison for Daily Kos chases Republican leaders who are giving media the run-around on answers about a potential deficit deal.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Website claims to have hacked first lady's financial records
The Hill's Jonathan Easley and Brendan Sasso report on the potential hacking, which apparently targeted a number of high level government officials.

Copy Clinton on guns, Feinstein tells Obama
The California Senator is hoping the president will take a more active role in pushing legislation, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The battle over "the right side of history"
Daniel Larison at The American Conservative writes on the trend of using the "right side of history" cliche as justification for misguided ideological positions.

Gun laws and the suicide epidemic
Stephanie Mencimer and Dana Liebelson of Mother Jones wonder why gun laws don't focus on the growing problem of hand gun suicides.

'Sin taxes' aren't the answer
Hot Air's Erika Johnsen says proposed "sin taxes" unfairly punish law-abiding gun citizens.

We tried austerity and it didn't work
Jamelle Bouie of American Prospect tells conservatives calling for smaller government and more cuts that we already tried it and it didn't work.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Senate Democrats vow to run against Ryan budget in 2014 cycle
The Hill's Cameron Joseph reports that Democratic senators running for reelection will make Rep. Ryan's budget a focus of their campaigns.

Senator tweets about 'very uncomfortable' TSA screening
Sen. McCaskill told her follows about the "aggressive" pat-down she received in-route to her flight, The Hill's Keith Laing reports.