Why Trump Soars  —  Very few people have the luxury of being freely obnoxious.  Most people have to watch what they say for fear of offending their bosses and colleagues.  Others resist saying anything that might make them unpopular.  —  But, in every society, there are a few rare souls …

Obama to make Easter Prayer Breakfast an annual event  —  President Obama hosted what he called the “second annual” Easter Prayer Breakfast today, and said he wants to make it a permanent part of White House life.  —  “I'm going to make it annual,” Obama told Christian leaders from across the country gathered in the East Room.

Brewer vetoes birther, campus gun bills  —  Also vetoes health care compact law  —  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill Monday that would have required presidential candidates to provide their birth certificates to appear on the ballot, and another that would have allowed guns to be carried on school grounds.

Today's (Needless) Hysteria: the S&P Panic  —  I agree with Clive Crook's puzzlement about the S&P downgrade “bombshell” today: … And I like James K. Galbraith's derisive guffaw, as reported by Dave Lindorff: … I know that markets run on fear, greed, instinct, and panic as much as on logic.

Donald Trump: Reagan Was A Con Man Who Couldn't ‘Deliver The Goods’  —  Today, real estate mogul Donald Trump proudly declares that Ronald Reagan is the President he admires most.  Here's Trump on the April 14 edition of Hannity: … Watch it:  —  But in his bestselling book, Art of the Deal …

Durbin warns Gang of Six deficit plan could produce Social Security cuts  —  Lawmakers shouldn't be so quick to rule out changes or cuts to Social Security, a top Senate Democrat participating in bipartisan Gang of Six talks says in a new interview.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

Secret memos expose link between oil firms and invasion of Iraq  —  Plans to exploit Iraq's oil reserves were discussed by government ministers and the world's largest oil companies the year before Britain took a leading role in invading Iraq, government documents show.

“How much more black could this be?  And the answer is none.  None more black.”  —  Having been forced by the EPA to ship her signature little black dress (seen here and here and here) to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory where it will be processed and incinerated, Ann Coulter announces …

There was a time when Paul Ryan thought the Federal Debt was too small  —  Well, well, well.  Paul Ryan is a typical Republican hypocrite.  Who could have predicted that?  —  Remembering When Paul Ryan Worried the Debt Was Too Small

Andres Serrano's Piss Christ destroyed by Christian protesters  —  • Intruders vandalise photo day after Christian protest  —  • Exhibitor blames Sarkozy speech for inflaming issue  —  When New York artist Andres Serrano plunged a plastic crucifix into a glass of his own urine …

Muslim group applies for permission to protest outside Westminster Abbey  —  A group called Muslims Against Crusades has applied for permission to protest outside Westminster Abbey on the day of the royal wedding, Scotland Yard said.  —  The force said it had rejected the application …

Wall Street puts the squeeze on Washington with ‘negative’ outlook  —  Wall Street on Monday sent Washington officials a concrete signal that it's worried about long-term deficits, with Standard & Poor's unveiling a new “negative” outlook on U.S. debt.  —  The ratings agency's revision …

Classic kids games like kickball deemed unsafe by state in effort to increase summer camp regulation  —  State bureaucrats have created a list of ‘risky activities’ for kids at summer camp.  The list includes freeze tag, Wiffle Ball and kickball, among other games and activities.

Why Did The Union Fight?  —  I've always thought there was something about the Lincoln administration's determination to fight and win the Civil War that was a bit odd.  Secession gave the regionally based Republican Party large congressional majorities that wouldn't exist if southern states had representation in congress.

Why P.J. Crowley went rogue  —  To friends, colleagues and even critics, there are few more unlikely candidates than P.J. Crowley to become a free speech martyr and a darling of the left.  A veteran of three decades in the Air Force public affairs division, Crowley was a notoriously tight-lipped spokesman …

Fidel Castro Says He Won't Be Part of Communist Party's Central Committee  —  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro said he had resigned from the Communist Party's leadership and called on a new generation of leaders to change the island's economy as officials gathered to debate ways to revive growth.

Molesting kids won't win war on terror  —  Frisking tots while neglecting the border undercuts seriousness of security  —  Our government has become a serial groper.  There's no part of our lives it won't touch.  It insists on putting its insatiable hands on everything from our health care …

Obama looks to Hollywood's deep pockets  —  Thursday fund-raisers draw biz heavyweights  —  President Barack Obama, speaking to supporters during a fund-raiser Thursday in Chicago, will be in Hollywood this week.  —  As President Obama returns to Hollywood circles on Thursday …

New DNC chief wants to screen all gun sales  —  The new head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is pushing for screenings of all gun purchases.  —  Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the current law, which allows private firearm sales without background checks, is “outrageous.”

Syria Meets New Defiance With Bullets and a Warning  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — The beleaguered government in Syria bluntly warned its people to end more than a month of demonstrations Tuesday, just hours after it marshaled police, army and the other forces of an authoritarian state to crush …