The Commentariat -- March 11

The President's Press Conference:

     ... Here's the AP story on the news conference. The complete transcript from the White House is here.

Paul Krugman: at a recent conference on healthcare policy, "... Republican staffers jeered at any and all proposals to use Medicare and Medicaid funds better.... Republicans ... have spent the past two years putting cynical, demagogic attacks on any attempt to actually deal with long-run deficits at the heart of their campaign strategy."

Ezra Klein: Speaker John "Boehner frequently says that 'the American people want us to cut spending,' but he never says that 'the American people want us to cut non-defense discretionary spending' [which is all Republicans will put on the table]. And that's because they don't.... What this debate is really about: not cutting spending or reducing the deficit, but cutting spending Republicans don't like while avoiding any and all tax increases -- even if that means the country has higher deficits and the middle- and working-class bear more of the burden."

A Must-Read: Karen Garcia's take on "the Commander-in-Cute," or the President in Abdication. If you, too are wondering where that guy is, Garcia smokes him out at a few photo ops. ...

     ... CW Update: looks as if Garcia really smoked the President out: he just completed a press conference, taking questions covering a wide range of issues.

How Washington Works (Note President Obama's contribution). Economist Keith Hennessey has a good summary of why Congressional Democrats can't win:

Rather than good cop, bad cop, Republican Leaders are playing bad cop, worse cop with their Members.Boehner and Leader McConnell are together the bad cop.... At the same time, they can privately tell the Democratic negotiators, 'You think we’re bad?  You should see our freshman. They’re nuts. We’re not sure we can deliver them for anything short of the House-passed bill.' ... The freshman / Tea Party / conservative rank-and-file Republicans are the worse cop.... The Republican Leaders’ weakness at delivering votes for a weak bill becomes negotiating strength. In contrast, we know that if the President supports a deal, he can deliver a significant fraction of the Democratic party to vote for it. This Presidential vote-delivering strength weakens Democratic negotiators. ...

... Oh, look, here's an example from today's news. See Paul Ryan play bad cop:

They literally think you can just balance it, you know, (by cutting) waste, fraud and abuse, foreign aid and NPR. And it doesn't work like that. -- Paul Ryan, on Congressional tea party Republicans

Justin Lahart & Mark Whitehouse of the Wall Street Journal: "U.S. families — by defaulting on their loans and scrimping on expenses — shouldered a smaller debt burden in 2010 than at any point in the previous six years, putting them in position to start spending more."

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic: the Congressional Budget Office finds that "repealing the health insurance mandate would trim our deficit at the cost of more uninsured people and higher health care premiums."

New York Times Editors: "... stripping the unions of their rights was never about the [Wisconsin state] budget, especially once the unions agreed to significant concessions on pensions and health care. It was always about politics. Governor Walker had hoped to hide behind a cooked-up budget crisis, but the fleeing Democrats at least succeeded in pulling away that facade." ...

... Greg Sargent: "I've got an advance look at some new polling by Survey USA that finds solid majorities in two [Wisconsin] GOP senate districts support the recall of their senators." The poll was taken before the Wisconsin legislature passed the bill to severely curb union bargaining rights. "A MoveOn official adds that the organization has already raised over $800,000 to support the recall drives against GOP senators." ...

... Steve Benen: get over it, conservatives. Recalls are part of the democratic process, and what Gov. Walker & Wisconsin Republican legislators did -- pass a very unpopular law they didn't campaign on -- is exactly what recall elections are for.

... Jennifer Epstein of Politico: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is anointing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker the 'Mobilizer of the Year' for galvanizing union members and supporters into action." ...

... Think Wisconsin public workers will organize a general strike? Not likely now. Andy Kroll of Mother Jones: The "reform" bill passed by both houses "authorizes state officials to fire any state employee who joins a strike, walk-out, sit-in, or coordinated effort to call in sick."

Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times: "... there were so many angry charges of McCarthyism and countercharges of 'political correctness' that it sometimes seemed that the topic at hand on Thursday in Washington was the radicalization of the House Homeland Security Committee, not American Muslims." ...

... AND the Washington Post headline writer for David A. Fahrenthold & Michelle Boorstein sums it up nicely: "Peter King's Muslim hearing: Plenty of drama, less substance." ...

... Dana Milbank lambastes King & the Republicans on his committee.

New York Times Editors: an amicus brief by former prosecutors "underscores why the [Supreme Court] justices should uphold the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that [former Attorney General John] Ashcroft forfeited immunity when he devised the strategy that led to the statute’s misuse." You can read the brief here (pdf).

David Hilzenrath of the Washington Post: "The Securities and Exchange Commission needs more money to meet its expanding responsibilities, but it hasn't made the most of the funds it already has, according to a study of the agency ordered by Congress last year." The agency is experiencing "low morale, few staff members with experience working in financial markets, and a slowdown in reviews of money managers and brokerage firms." Republicans want to cut the SEC budget.

Right Wing World

Your Joke about Rand Paul's Shit Goes HERE. Matthew Jaffe of ABC News: "Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, today went off on a tirade about toilets in the midst of an Energy & Natural Resources Committee hearing on energy efficiency standards for certain appliances." And here it is:

News Ledes

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Gov. Scott Walker signed the bill Friday that repeals most collective bargaining by public employee unions. He signed the bill privately in the morning and will hold a news conference later in the day.... Also Friday, Walker directed the Office of State Employment Relations to rescind layoff notices because the Legislature had passed the bill."

New York Times: "A devastating tsunami hit the coast of northeast Japan on Friday in the aftermath of an 8.9 magnitude earthquake about 80 miles offshore, killing at least 23 people and injuring many more. The earthquake triggered widespread power blackouts, and countries across the Pacific Ocean, from Russia to South America and including Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States, braced for possible tsunami waves." ...

     ... AP Update: "... waves washed ashore on Hawaii and the U.S. West coast, where evacuations were ordered from California to Washington but little damage was reported. The entire Pacific had been put on alert — including coastal areas of South America, Canada and Alaska — but waves were not as bad as expected."

... Washington Post: "The White House announced Thursday that it will send a government aid team into rebel-held parts of Libya and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she will meet next week with representatives of the transition council, moves that edged the Obama administration closer to the formal Libyan opposition."

New York Times: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates sharply rebuked allies at a NATO meeting for effectively abandoning the war."

New York Times: "With little hope of a budget deal being reached before the end of next week, House Republicans are preparing another short-term spending measure to give the House and Senate a chance to come to agreement over a broader plan to keep the government operating through Sept. 30."

Washington Post: "The House on Thursday voted to end the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program, one of two federal foreclosure-assistance programs on the chopping block this week."

New York Times: "A House subcommittee voted on Thursday to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to regulate greenhouse gases, chipping away at a central pillar of the Obama administration’s evolving climate and energy strategy."

The Commentariat -- March 10

Vow of Bigotry. There have been numerous protests and newspaper articles demonizing these hearings, but I wanted to let you know that I will not back down to the hysteria created by my opponents and will continue with the hearings. -- Rep. Peter King (R-NY), in an e-mail to supporters; includes a link for donations

Delusions of Grandstanding. Keep doing what you’re doing. All I’d be worried about is some congressman or senator who thinks he’s Dick Tracy or James Bond or tries to get cheap headlines by holding Sunday news conferences announcing some big ‘disclosure.’ -- Character in Peter King's novel Vale of Tears. Read more excerpts here. Really, do.

The only real testimony we have on it was actually from Sheikh Kabbani, who was a Muslim leader during the Clinton Administration, he testified, this is back in 1999 and 2000, before the State Department that he thought over 80 percent of the mosques in this country are controlled by radical Imams. Certainly from what I've seen and dealings I've had, that number seems accurate. -- Peter King, Jan. 24, 2011. Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post fact-checker, was going to give King "quite a few Pinocchios" until King told him he was taking back his claim ...

... Amy Sullivan of Time on Rep. Keith Ellison's (D-Minn.) testimony before King's panel -- literally a tearjerker. Update 1: C-SPAN has the video here. Rep. Ellison's remarks begin about 21 min. in. His closing remarks, which Sullivan highlights, begin at about 33 min. into the video. Update 2: Here are Ellison's closing remarks. ...

... Chris Good of The Atlantic has the full text of Ellison's remarks, as prepared. ...

... A little perspective from Josh Gerstein of Politico: "While King has been slammed for focusing solely on Muslims — the title of his investigation is 'The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response' — five Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearings since 2006 have had the phrase 'violent Islamist extremism' in their descriptions.... Observers and some Muslim activists said King’s plan triggered an intense reaction because of the congressman’s own past statements that Muslims found offensive...."

Nicholas Kristof, with a little help from Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak, makes the case for imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. ...

... Scott Wilson of the Washington Post: "President Obama is content to let other nations publicly lead the search for solutions to the Libyan conflict, his advisers say, a stance that reflects the more humble tone he has sought to bring to U.S. foreign policy but one that also opens him to criticism that he is a weak leader."

Justice Scalia Objects -- to the "Utter Nonsense" of His "Unprincipled," "Irrational," "Incoherent" Fellow Justices. Linda Greenhouse, in the New York Times: "the question raised by Justice Scalia’s most recent intemperate display remains: what does this smart, rhetorically gifted man think his bullying accomplishes?" ...

... Stephen Colbert interviews Rep. Anthony Weiner about Justice Clarence Thomas' "objectivity" on healthcare legislation:

... Dahlia Lithwick, in Slate, on the Justices's views of privacy rights: "As they come to the realization that there are indeed no more private spaces in America, some justices might be more inclined to chip away at the First Amendment to protect what's left of them."

Greg Sargent: "In a situation where they had repeated opportunities to resolve this standoff and plausibly declare victory for themselves, [Wisconsin Republicans] have now ensured that this battle is only going to escalate.... A lawyer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the move appeared to violate the state's open meetings law. One assumes this is headed for court, but let's just presume for the moment that the move will stand.... This kind of conduct is exactly what recalls are for." ...

... Lee Fang of Think Progress: "In an interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly..., State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), one of [Gov. Scott] Walker’s closest allies in the legislature, confirmed the true political motive of Walker’s anti-union push. Fitzgerald explained that 'this battle' is about eliminating unions so that 'the money is not there' for the labor movement. Specifically, he said that the destruction of unions will make it 'much more difficult' for President Obama to win reelection in Wisconsin." With video.

Tony Romm of Politico: "Democrats on the Senate’s newest privacy panel are urging Facebook to 'reverse' a plan that would allow app developers the ability to request access to users’ addresses, phone numbers and other contact information. It’s the strongest signal of concern yet coming from Capitol Hill, where other members have questioned Facebook’s new feature since the social network disabled it amid controversy in January."

Liam Stack & Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: "The files have started flowing out of Egypt’s dreaded state security headquarters, part of the post-uprising rush to excavate some of the state’s darkest corners.... Egyptians want an accounting for years of arrest and torture, and a way to prevent any organization from gaining such powers in the future.... Charred pages blowing around the grounds of state security buildings underscored fears that much information was already being lost. On Saturday night, the sight of a dump truck emerging from the Cairo compound laden with shredded paper sent protesters into a fury, creating the momentum that drove the crowd past the army soldiers outside and into the hastily abandoned main building."

Dan Balz of the Washington Post remembers Post columnist & political reporter David Broder, who died Wednesday. ...

... Rick Hertzberg: "As a columnist, he was relentlessly, irritatingly 'centrist,' which, over the past couple of decades, usually meant splitting the difference between the views of moderate-to-liberal Democrats and those of very conservative Republicans. His reportorial shrewdness was impressive, but his wisdom was numbingly conventional. So I’ve done my share of knocking 'Broderism' over the years. But today I’m remembering David Broder simply as a kind man."

Right Wing World

Lies & the Lying Liars, a Media Matters video:

Like the proverbial monkey who types out the complete works of Shakespeare, sometimes David Brooks gets it right:

Newt Gingrich is not going to be President. I wouldn't let that guy run a 7-Eleven, let alone a country. No management skills.
-- David Brooks

Local News

Richard Perez-Pena of the New York Times: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's "misstatements, exaggerations and carefully constructed claims belie the national image he has built as a blunt talker who gives straight answers to hard questions, especially about budgets and labor relations. Candor is central to Mr. Christie’s appeal, and a review of his public statements over the past year shows some of them do not hold up to scrutiny." Here are paraphrases of a few whoppers: "New Jersey’s public-sector unions routinely pressure the State Legislature to give them what they fail to win in contract talks. Most government workers pay nothing for health insurance. Concessions by school employees would have prevented any cuts in school programs last year."

News Ledes

New York Times: "Emotions ran high at a much-anticipated hearing Thursday on the radicalization of American Muslims, with some witnesses describing what they called a stealth campaign to promote extremism and terrorism in American mosques and others expressing concern that such broad accusations could themselves alienate Muslims and empower Al Qaeda."

New York Times: "The state Assembly voted 53-42 Thursday on a bill that sharply curtails bargaining rights for government workers, sending the bill to Gov. Scott Walker who promised to sign it as soon as possible.... The police ... denied entry to legislators, including at least two Democratic Assembly members — David Cullen and Elizabeth Coggs. Mr. Cullen was turned away even after displaying his Assembly identification." ...

... Wisconsin State Journal: "Thousands of protesters rushed to the state Capitol Wednesday night, forcing their way through doors, crawling through windows and jamming corridors, as word spread of hastily called votes on Gov. Scott Walker's controversial bill limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers. The Capitol overnight crowd had gone mostly silent by 2:15 a.m. Thursday after a nearly continuous stream of protest songs, drumming and the occasional bagpiping since about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Protesters on the ground floor of the state Capitol rotunda led others in Woodie Guthrie's 'This Land Is Our Land' just after 2 a.m. then joined about 200 others snoozing in sleeping bags along the Capitol walls."

New York Times: "A first cousin of Afghanistan’s president was killed Wednesday during a night raid by NATO and Afghan forces in which they detained the man’s son as a suspected Taliban commander, as well as several of the family’s bodyguards. The case brought the sensitive issue of civilian casualties into the presidential palace and added to the already tense relationship between the Afghans and the Americans."

AP: "With fierce barrages of tank and artillery fire, Moammar Gadhafi's loyalists threw rebels into a frantic retreat from a strategic oil port Thursday in a counteroffensive that reversed the opposition's advance toward the capital of Tripoli and now threatens its positions in the east." ...

... BBC News: "Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's security forces detained and beat up a BBC news team who were trying to reach the strife-torn western city of Zawiya. Members of the three-man team were beaten with fists, knees and rifles, hooded and subjected to mock executions by Libyan troops and secret police. The three were detained on Monday and held for 21 hours, but have now flown out of Libya." With a compelling video.

... New York Times: "Moving ahead of its allies, France said on Thursday that it would become the first country to recognize Libya’s rebel leadership in the eastern city of Benghazi and would soon exchange ambassadors with the insurgents." ...

... Politico: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates is beginning consultations in Brussels with his defense counterparts on an issue that has divided Washington and capitals across Europe: Should NATO intervene militarily in Libya?"

The Hill: "Senate Democrats suffered a wave of defections Wednesday as their proposal to cut just over $6 billion from federal spending this year went down to defeat. The Democratic bill attracted two fewer votes than the rival GOP measure that would cut spending by another $57 billion this year."

New York Times: "Faced with growing protests throughout Yemen calling for him to step down, President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced on Thursday that a new constitution to transfer power from the president to a parliamentary system would be drafted and put to a referendum by the end of this year."

Leading by Example. New York Times: "The Dalai Lama announced on Thursday he would formally relinquish his political leadership role in the Tibetan exile government, a decision intended to strengthen the democratic structure of the Tibetan movement on the eve of elections to choose a new generation of political leaders."

The Commentariat -- March 9

** The Terrorists I Love by Peter King.... Scott Shane of the New York Times: Rep. "Peter T. King, whose House committee is holding hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims, once fervently supported a terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army."

Janet Hook of the Wall Street Journal: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said that efforts to bridge the parties' $50 billion difference in proposed budget cuts for the remainder of fiscal-year 2011 could reach beyond domestic discretionary spending and move into tax policy and programs such as farm subsidies." ...

... Good Luck with That. Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Heidi Przybyla of Bloomberg News: "Almost 8 in 10 people say Republicans and Democrats should reach a compromise on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit to keep the government running, a Bloomberg National Poll shows. At the same time, lopsided margins oppose cuts to Medicare, education, environmental protection, medical research and community-renewal programs." ...

... AND Harry Reid gets it really wrong on repeal of an aspect of healthcare reform. This is a little wonkish, but Harry's bright idea -- borrowed from House Republicans -- could end up costing you a bundle. Ezra Klein has a detailed explanation.

Glenn Greenwald on President Obama's indefinite detention policy for terror suspects incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay: "... Obama -- for reasons having nothing to do with Congress -- worked from the start to preserve the crux of the Bush/Cheney detention regime." ...

... Dafna Linzer of ProPublica: "Obama said he remained committed to closing the prison, a pledge he made on his first full day in office. That pledge, enshrined in his first executive order, was widely seen as a repudiation of the detention system his predecessor built. But the new order suggests that Obama's original pledge was more about dismantling a facility than a system."

David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "Spurred by memories of the World War II-era roundup and internment of 110,000 of their own people, Japanese Americans, especially on the West Coast, have been among the most vocal and passionate supporters of embattled Muslims. They've rallied public support against hate crimes at mosques, signed on to legal briefs opposing the indefinite detention of Muslims by the government, organized cross-cultural trips to the Manzanar internment camp memorial in California and held 'Bridging Communities' workshops in Islamic schools and on college campuses."

Ezra Klein wrote a post on Sunday briefly noting a book by Ed Glaeser titled The Triumph of the City. Based on his reading, Klein concluded,

... cities make us smarter, more productive and more innovative. To put it plainly, they make us richer. And the evidence in favor of this point is very, very strong. But it would of course be political suicide for President Obama to say that part of winning the future is ending the raft of subsidies we devote to sustaining rural living. And the U.S. Senate is literally set up to ensure that such a policy never becomes politically plausible. ...

      ... So Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack gave Klein a call to say he took the post as "a slam on rural America." Vilsack says farmers deserve subsidies because they're "good and hardworking people." Klein says his suburban parents are "good, hardworking people, too," but they're not getting equivalent subsidies. Klein provides a transcript of their conversation. I would say Klein gets the better of Vilsack. Of course, it's Klein's post. ...

... Speaking of farm subsidies, Sam Stein reports that at least three of those "good, hardworking" Republican Wisconsin state senators who plan to vote for some enforced belt-tightening for Wisconsin public workers receive substantial federal farm subsidies. CW: this of course follows the Republican political policy: "Slash spending unless it's spending for me."

On the Senate floor, ConservaDem Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) criticizes President Obama for not leading on the budget battle. Politico story by Jennifer Epstein & Scott Wong here:

Jay Newton-Small of Time loves cowboy poetry. But maybe not as much as Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid loves cowboy poetry.

Right Wing World

It's the Media's Fault. Mike Joyella of Mediaite: "Potential GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has more to say about Natalie Portman and the president’s roots in Kenya. For better or worse." With audio.

Shit Happens When You Work So Hard for America. There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate. Newt Gingrich to CBN's David Brody on why he had extra-marital affairs. Watch on an empty stomach:

There was a Congressional Research Service report that just was issued in February, and we discovered that secretly, unbeknownst to members of Congress, over $105 billion was hidden in the 'Obamacare' legislation to fund the implementation of 'Obamacare'. This is something that wasn't known. This money was broken up, hidden in various parts of the bill. -- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), March 6, 2011

This is a crime against democracy. No one knew that Harry Reid, [Nancy] Pelosi and Obama put $105 billion in spending in the bill. ... This is a bombshell. -- Bachmann, March 8, 2011

There is no 'bombshell' except Bachmann's bombast. She is correct that Congress already has appropriated some spending in future years, but her claim that this money was "hidden" does not have credibility. The money for these programs was clearly described and analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office before the legislation was voted into law. -- Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post Fact-Checker

Wingers Fall Out of Love with Sarah Palin. Noreen Malone of The New Republic has the details.

Local News

Lizette Alvarez of the New York Times: "The Florida Legislature, convening its 60-day session on Tuesday, quickly set its sights on measures that would link the pay of new teachers to student performance and allow school boards to fire teachers more easily for mediocre results. The final bill is expected to clear the Legislature next week. Unlike last year, when similar legislation was vetoed by the former governor, who considered it too extreme, this slightly softened version is expected to win Gov. Rick Scott’s approval easily. The far-reaching bills ... would position Florida as a leader among those states taking on teachers’ unions." ...

... Disenfranchising Democrats. Peter Wallsten: Florida Repubicans are set to roll back voting rights for ex-felons. Because, guess what? -- A lot of them are black & they'll vote for Obama. ...

... Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat: "A state Senate committee is set to hear Sen. Greg Evers' bill today that would allow guns to be carried openly by people with concealed-weapon licenses. The proposal also would allow guns on state university campuses, where they're currently banned. Last month, Robert Cowie of Orange Park, the father of Ashley Cowie, a Florida State University student killed Jan. 9 in an apparent rifle accident at an off-campus fraternity house, urged lawmakers not to push forward with the bill." Here's video of Dr. Cowie's testimony, which is heartbreaking:

 ... Miami Herald Update: "The NRA was handed a rare defeat Wednesday when Senate Republicans scrapped plans to allow some people to bring guns on college campuses. The defeat was born of a tragic frat house shooting at Florida State University on Jan. 9." CW: this is very good news, but it is not a lesson in the glory of democracy. The Herald story goes on to report that Cowie is a close friend of "one of the most powerful members of the Senate, John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine. As Rules Committee chairman, he wields considerable influence over which bills can reach the full floor of the Senate for a vote."

News Ledes

** Chicago Sun-Times: "Acting on perhaps the most significant issue he will ever face, [Illinois] Gov. [Pat] Quinn Wednesday signed landmark legislation to repeal the state’s 'seriously broken' death penalty and then commuted the death sentences of the 15 men on Death Row."

** New York Times: Wisconsin "Republicans voted to strip collective bargaining rights from public workers after discovering a way to bypass the [senate] chamber’s missing Democrats." ..

... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) said Democrats who have been boycotting the Senate for three weeks would return to Wisconsin once the bill passes the Assembly...." ...

... Wisconsin State Journal: "Gov. Scott Walker has offered to remove limits on wage negotiations and keep some other collective bargaining rights for public employees, according to e-mails his office exchanged with one of the 14 Democratic senators.... The e-mails were released by the governor's office Tuesday afternoon following public records requests from media outlets. The proposed changes, which also would allow collective bargaining for employees of the UW Hospital and Clinics to remain, are only a 'starting point' for reaching an agreement on the bill, said state Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar."

Washington Post: "David S. Broder, 81, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most respected writers on national politics for four decades, died Wednesday at Capital Hospice in Arlington of complications from diabetes."

AP: "Muslim-Christian clashes in the Egyptian capital Cairo have killed 11 people and wounded more than 90, security and hospital officials said on Wednesday. The clashes broke out Tuesday night when a Muslim mob attacked thousands of Christians protesting against the burning of a Cairo church last week."

Washington Post: "The United States and its European allies are considering the use of naval assets to deliver humanitarian aid to Libya and to block arms shipments to the government of Moammar Gaddafi, even as they weigh the legality of imposing a no-fly zone without United Nations authorization, according to U.S. and European officials."

Reuters: "The Obama administration on Tuesday appealed a judge's ruling in Florida that struck down its landmark healthcare overhaul law as unconstitutional because it required Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a penalty."