The Rev. Al Sharpton is on for Ed all week -- it'll be interesting to see whether his take differs from Ed on the week's big stories. Check back later for today's Outlook and Underbuzzed. Meanwhile, here's today's Morning EDition.
TODAY
- Pres. Obama meets with Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and then at 5pm eastern, Sen. Min. Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
BUDGET
- McConnell says time for talking points is over, proceeds to unreel talking points.
- Republicans would rather cut defense spending than millionaire revenues.
- Why the GOP walked out of debt negotiations.
- What the GOP was defending: Big oil, private jets, millionaires.
- Top Republicans signal openness to new tax revenues, albeit not hikes. (What's the difference? Semantics, e.g., politics).
- Democrats are pushing to close tax loopholes for the very rich. Good luck with that.
- Could the key vote for ending the budget impasse be...Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)?
- Pelosi certainly seems to think so.
- And seniors aren't letting the GOP forget about their Medicare debacle, either.
- Rep. Michele Bachmann says defaulting is no big deal. Just like at the kitchen table!
- The House quietly starts work on reforming corporate taxes. Start guessing now as to who will benefit.
- Consumer spending falls to 20-month low.
- Poll: Americans fear consequences of default; but some want it anyway.
- Flashback: Reagan helped the economy rebound...by raising taxes.
- Flashback: Federal highway spending spurred economic growth.
CLASS WARFARE
- The recovery largely helped already well-off families; others got left behind.
- Corporate lobbyists fighting new rule that forces disclosure of disparity between CEO pay and worker pay.
- Measures to dampen executive pay have super-charged executive pay.
- PICTURES: Protesters gather for Koch power summit.
- GOP continues assault on NLRB for fulfilling its lawful mission of defending labor rights.
- Banks continue to commit wrongful foreclosures.
- Study: Lower taxes do not boost state economies.
- Poll: Record number of Americans have little or no confidence in the banks.
- VIDEO: Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) says GOP will not budge on oil and gas subsidies.
WALL ST. / BANKS
- International regulators force big banks to keep more skin in the game when gambling with the global economy.
HOUSING
- Banks are holding back the housing market with timid lending.
GAS PRICES
- CNBC's Jim Cramer gets it on Wall St. manipulation of commodity prices.
ENERGY
- Whistleblowers sound the alarm about the rush to natural gas.
SECURITY STATE
- SCOTUS nixes Abu Ghraib lawsuit.
LATINOPHOBIA
- Georgia's anti-immigrant law clobbers Georgia's economy.
GAY RIGHTS
- Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) says he will oppose gay marriage; he's "not a fan."
- Rep. Bachmann defends New York's right to legalize gay marriage.
- Most states still have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.
- NYT editorial goes after Obama on gay marriage.
- NYC about to make gobs of money as a destination for gay weddings.
THEOCRACY
- VIDEO: Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) says the heart of liberalism is hatred for God. (What's at the heart of conservatism? Hatred for people?)
ELECTIONS
- House Democratic PAC launches attack on Republicans who voted to end Medicare.
- VIDEO: One sample of the new Democratic ad here.
- Ohio Republican Secretary of State balks at bill curtailing voter rights.
WISCONSIN
- Gov. Walker signs budget defunding Planned Parenthood.
- Walker budget also slashes nearly a billion dollars from education.
- Republican judge accused of choking female judge in dispute over union rights.
- How Judge Prosser could lose his job over this.
- Both judges stand their ground.
- VIDEO: Greta van Susteren calls on the judge to resign. The judge who was the victim.
NEW JERSEY
- Gov. Christie rejects public television, endorses public malls.
GOP 2012
- Bachmann claims RomneyCare is unconstitutional.
HERMAN CAIN
- The invisible man. To the eye network.
MICHELE BACHMANN
- Bachmann's announcement plays on the Obama "otherness" covert-racism card.
- VIDEO: Chris Wallace asks Bachmann whether she's a flake.
- Bachmann refuses to accept Chris Wallace's apology.
- Bachmann hates government spending. Except the spending on her.
- Bachmann denies she gets government money.
NEWT GINGRICH
- Gingrich says gay marriage muddles marriage. Like he's been clear on it until now.
RICK PERRY
- Gov. Perry (R-TX) is gearing up for a 50-state presidential campaign.
- The economy Perry wants to bring to America.
(What I'm reading: Greg Sargent's Plum Line, Think Progress, Matt Yglesias, The Wonk Room, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, the Washington Monthly, the National Journal, Ezra Klein, Politico's Playbook and Huddle, Dave Weigel, Wonkette, Firedoglake, the NYT Caucus, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars. What Pandora has me listening to: The Obvious Child by Paul Simon.)
Follow Senior Producer Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) on Twitter