The Fat Lady Sang, Tea Parties & More

Sky News: Susan Boyle's performance on Britain's Got Talent could soon become the most-viewed YouTube video of all time. Web videos of her moving rendition of I Dreamed A Dream have been viewed 100 million times, statisticians believe.  Miss Boyle's voice stunned the judges and propelled her to global fame.  More...

FoxNews: Chants like "Give me liberty, not debt" and "Our kids can't afford you" were heard across several U.S. cities Wednesday as anti-tax "tea party" protesters took to the streets to voice their opposition to big government spending.  More...

Pearce: Evidently liberal news commentators are scared of the implications the uprising will have on Obama's agenda as they could do nothing but make jokes about 'teabagging' and call the demonstrators 'racist.'

FoxNews: Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA on Sunday, but the big story to come out of the normally politics-free telecast was Miss California's comments regarding gay marriage.  More...

Pearce: See Perez Hilton's unbelievable rant about the answer taped just after the show.

CNN: U.S. Navy snipers fatally shot three pirates holding an American cargo-ship captain hostage after seeing that one of the pirates "had an AK-47 leveled at the captain's back," a military official said Sunday.  More...

Pearce: The successful resolution to this conflict, which seemed straight out of a Disney movie, was a relief to Obama who narrowly avoided a very thorny situation.  The shots of those snipers,authorized by the President, was a positive sign of strength from a man who has given us reason to doubt his willingness to stand strong in the face of challenges i.e. from North Korea & Iran.  However, on Iraq, I agree with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell that Obama is hardly different than Bush, which is encouraging.

NYT: President Obama’s national intelligence director told colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists.  More...

Pearce: This revelation has sparked fierce debate on both sides of the issue.  Some, such as FoxNews' Shepard Smith (seen dropping the F-bomb on Torture here) believe it is an issue of who we are as a nation and that its efficacy has no standing.  However, Bush's CIA chief saysObama is risking national security as the CIA confirms that such techniques thwarted a 9/11 style attack on LA.

WT: Obama to soon get secure Blackberry.  More...

Pearce: The AP is continuing a surprising trend of taking the President to task on a number of his policies.  This week it writes "Obama's latest budget-tightening effort hardly makes a dime's worth of difference... Cut a latte or two out of your annual budget and you've just done as much belt-tightening as President Barack Obama asked of his Cabinet on Monday."

WT: Napolitano stands by controversial report  More...

Politico: 100 Days- What Obama wants you to read.  More...

Pearce: I feel a bit duped by the Obama machine in light of this revelation about the picture of him with our brave troops in Iraq that I featured in my last post.  Hat tip to Erik Soderstrom for the story.

Telegraph: IMF warns over parallels to Great Depression.  More...

Economists: Economic green shoots are appearing in the press.  More...

AP: Relations between the US and Cuba seem within reach.  More...

CBC: Napolitano claimed 9/11 terrorists came from Canada.  More...

Pearce: There is a very interesting case currently in front of the Supreme Court involving 'Hillary: The Movie.' The court is currently split over how to apply the McCain-Feingold campaign law to the controversial film.

WSJ: Freddie Mac CFO hangs himself.  More...

Independent: Doctor claims he can clone human beings.  More...

DN: Teen soils self after deputy surprises him.  More...

OPINION:

Romney: A timid advocate of freedom.  More...  (Pearce: are we seeing early shots 2012?)

Morris: Obama's leap to Socialism.  More...

Rove: The President's apology tour.  More...

Krauthammer: The sting, in four parts.  More...

Pearce: As Heritage points out, not even Paul Krugman, one of Obama's staunchest advocates is buying the President's boasting over $100 million (with an m) in spending cuts.

Juan Williams: A civil rights outrage.  More...  (Pearce: A great piece by a liberal from NPR.  Yet another example of some of Obama's policies not sitting well with even his allies.)

Friedman: In the age of pirates.  More...

Abramowitz: Diverging coalitions- the transformation of the American electorate.  More...

Abramowitz: Independent voters and the President- myths and realities.  More...

Farrell: Even Jack Bauer can't stop the 'Goldman Conspiracy.'  More...

National Post: The border for dummies.  More...

Pearce: I highly recommend The Case Against Smoking Bans to anyone who is interested in economics, public policy and/or issues of individual liberty.  While I personally hate smoking and loved being in Scotland where it is banned in all public places, my higher principles of individual liberty and belief in free market, laissez-faire policy lead me to oppose such bans.  Truly an excellent piece.

Note: Credit to PG contributor Billy Hughes for encouraging me to add more voice to the articles I post.  Expect more of that and also original material from Billy in the future.

Obama In Iraq, North Korea Launches Missile, Pirates Attack & More

Politico: President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Baghdad Tuesday, meeting with Iraqi leaders and visiting American troops at the end of his first trip overseas as president.  More...

NYT: North Korea defied the United States, China and a series of United Nations resolutions by launching a rocket on Sunday that the country said was designed to propel a satellite into space, but that much of the world viewed as an effort to prove it is edging toward the capability to shoot a nuclear warhead on a longer-range missile.  More...

AP: The American captain held hostage by four Somali pirates made a desperate escape attempt Friday but was recaptured after they fired shots, and officials said other pirates sought to reinforce their colleagues by sailing hijacked ships with other captives aboard to the scene of the standoff. A Somali in contact with a pirate leader said the captors want a ransom and are ready to kill the hostage, Capt. Richard Phillips, if attacked.  More...

AP: Obama in Baghdad tells troops Iraq must take over.  More...

Times: General says US may miss Iraq deadline to halt al-Qaeda terror.  More...

Reuters: Obama seeks $83.4 billion more in 2009 war funds.  More...

Reuters: Obama plays up role as consensus builder at G20.  More...

AFP: UN fails to agree on response to NKorea launch.  More...

AP: US to attend group nuclear talks with Iran.  More...

AFP: Arabs hail Obama overture to Muslims.  More...

WSJ: Congress approves Obama's $3.6 trillion budget.  More...

AP: Promises, promises- Obama tax pledge up in smoke.  More...

AP: Unemployment soars to 8.5 percent; 13 million jobless.  More...

Politico: Obama, the nation's CEO.  More...

WSJ: Bankruptcy leads possible plans for GM, Chrysler.  More...

Pew: Partisan gap in Obama approval widest in modern era.  More...

USA Today: Absentee count begins in NY special election.  More...

WPost: Study supports school vouchers.  More...

WSJ: Deadly rampages rack the nation.  More...

WSJ: Pakistani Taliban chief threatens Washington attack.  More...

NPR: Justice Department drops charges against former Sen. Stevens.  More...

USA Today: American to add Wi-Fi service to domestic flights.  More...

AP: Once-a-day heart combo pill shows promise in study.  More...

AP: One in two new Americans in 2008 was Latino.  More...

AP: Italy quake death toll at 250; pope to visit area.  More...

Smoking Gun: Cops bust stool fool.  More...

OPINION:

Krauthammer: Obama's ultimate agenda.  More...

Brooks: Greed and stupidity.  More...

Friedman: Obama's big, bold bet.  More...

Rove: The President is 'keeping score.'  More...

Sen. Coburn: Budget debate shows politicians in denial.  More...

Cong. Cantor: Don't get in way of job creation.  More...

Sen. Gregg: A budget to beggar us.  More...

Noonan: Obama's domestic agenda gains clarity.  More...

Morris: Obama's worst jobs-killer.  More...

Barone: Obama's 21st century campaign stuck in a mid-20th century program.  More...

Gerson: Commanding the heights of hypocrisy.  More...

Brooks: The commercial republic.  More...

Brooks: Combat and community.  More...

Thomas: Obama's war or ours?  More...

Frum: This is your heritage!  More...

Gerson: What the teleprompter teaches.  More...

Sowell: A rookie President.  More...

Morris: Obama feels heat in polls.  More...

Noonan: Neither a hedgehog nor a fox.  More...

Lowry: The 'excuse me' Prez- Obama's non-stop naivete.  More...

Cook: Are independents hedging their bets?  More...

Heritage: A budget we can believe in.  More...

Cook: Just round one.  More...

Jentleson: Probe the Syria track.  More...

SNL: Obama picks winners.  Hilarious Video

GM's Wagoner Forced Out & More

WSJ: The Obama administration used the threat of withholding more bailout money to force out General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner, marking one of the most dramatic government interventions in private industry since the economic crisis began last year.  More...

AP: Denouncing a "squandering of the people's money," lawmakers voted decisively Thursday to impose a 90 percent tax on millions of dollars in employee bonuses paid by troubled insurance giant AIG and other bailed-out companies.  More...

WP: President Obama's apparent inability to block executive bonuses at insurance giant AIG has dealt a sharp blow to his young administration and is threatening to derail both public and congressional support for his ambitious political agenda.  More...

AP: Barack Obama's optimistic campaign rhetoric has crashed headlong into the stark reality of governing. In office two months, he has backpedaled on an array of issues, gingerly shifting positions as circumstances dictate while ducking for political cover to avoid undercutting his credibility and authority. That's happened on the Iraq troop withdrawal timeline, on lobbyists in his administration and on money for lawmakers' pet projects.  More...

FoxNews: Obama drops controversial health care plan for wounded veterans.  More...

Politico: National debt hits record $11 trillion.  More...

Politico: Some Dems want brake in Obama plans.  More...

AP: 8 Dems oppose quick debate on global warming bill.  More...

FoxNews: Gates says U.S. not prepared to respond to North Korea missile launch.  More...

FoxNews: Obama says 'America's War' in Afghanistan will not be open-ended.  More...

Miami Herald: Obama's teleprompter has started a blog.  More...

NYP: Friend of Biden's daughter shopping tape of her allegedly doing cocaine.  More...

Politico: Obama apologizes for 'special olympics' remark.  More...

ChigTrib: Obama's 'Tonight Show' gaffe one of many for president.  More...

Telegraph: Top 10 gaffes by Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  More...

IHT: Obama will face a defiant world on foreign visit.  More...

YouTube: Member of the European Parliament lays into Gordon Brown.  Video

AP: Duke's Coach K tells Obama to worry about the economy, not NCAA picks.  More...

Wilmington Journal: Senator Hagan's office mum on firing of two staffers.  More...

AFP: Vexing computer worm to evolve on April Fool's Day.  More...

WRAL: Eight dead in North Carolina nursing-home shooting.  More...

OPINION:

Washington Times: Obama's reliance on teleprompters.  More...

Soderstrom: TOTUS- the Teleprompter of the United States.  More...

Rove: Obama give the GOP an opening.  More...

Rove: Obama points back to the GOP's future.  More...

Soderstrom: Bush deficit vs projected Obama deficit.  More...

Krauthammer: Bonfire of the trivialities.  More...

Brooks: The winnable war.  More...

Noonan: Neither a hedgehog nor a fox.  More...

Soderstrom: U.S. not responsible for Mexico's violence.  More...

Follow Pearce on Twitter for random thoughts and occasional news.

Firestorm Over Bonuses & More

WSJ: President Barack Obama, trying to contain a political firestorm, instructed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner "pursue every legal avenue" to block $165 million in bonuses to AIG executives who were in part responsible for the company's near collapse.  More...

AP: President Barack Obama, sounding weary of criticism over federal earmarks, defended Congress' pet projects Wednesday as he signed an "imperfect" $410 billion measure with thousands of examples.  More...

AP: A sharp rebound in bank shares and easing worries about the economy pushed stocks to their best week since late November.  The market shot up in one week as much as it might in some years, with major indicators chalking up gains of around 10 percent.  More...

AP: Obama says economic crisis 'not as bad as we think.'  More...

Politico: Cheney says Obama wants 'massive expansion' of government.  More...

WSJ: Obama, Geithner get low grades from economists.  More...

McClatchy: South Carolina's Sanford to become first governor to reject stimulus funds.  More...

WP: HIV/AIDS rate in D.C. hits 3%.  More...

McClatchy: Obama says troop move to Mexican border under consideration.  More...

CNSNews: Justice Department investigates Arizona sheriff for enforcing immigration law.  More...

Gallup: Stimulus not yet improving consumer mood or spending.  More...

Gallup: On economy, Republicans trust business; Democrats trust government.  More...

BBC: Iraqis 'more upbeat about future.' More...

WISN: UW-Milwaukee study could realign climate change.  More...

Gallup: Increased number think global warming is 'exaggerated.'  More...

AP: Utah, Hawaii, Wyoming top 'happiness' poll.  More...

AP: White House objects to UN calling US 'deadbeat.'  More...

Politico: Congress at work at a rate of '$1 billion an hour.'  More...

Guardian: Japan warns it may shoot down North Korean satellite launcher.  More...

Telegraph: Artificial life 'could be created within five years.' More...

NYP: Moment of tooth- Diver kills shark after 2-hour battle.  More...

OPINION

Krauthammer: Obama's 'science' fiction.  More...

Henninger: The Obama Rosetta Stone.  More...

NYT: Mr. Obama's trade agenda.  More...

Sen. DeMint: Let's not forget the human cost of health care reform.  More...

Telegraph: President Obama just plain rude to Britain.  Don't call us in future.  More...

Rove: The White House misfires on Limbaugh.  More...

Limbaugh: Obama's relentless war on the American dream.  More...

Thomas: Journey to destruction.  More...

Gerson: Party-line President.  More...

Morris: Boggled Bam- Can President get job done?  More...

Noonan: There's no pill for this kind of depression.  More...

Cook: Obama's friction points.  More...

Devore: China flexing its T-bill muscle- red flag moment.  More...

Rothenberg: One thing Obama didn't change is the same old rhetoric.  More...

Frum: Great quote from an economist.  More...

Will: Paved with magnificent intentions.  More...

WSJ: Old Europe is right on stimulus.  More...

Brooks: 'No picnic for me either.'  More...

Rasmussen: Obama's poll numbers are falling to Earth.  More...

Rivkin: Why the D.C. Voting Rights Act is wrong.  More...

Will: Voting rights gone wrong.  More...