52%

Amount of votes for the Wisconsin governor’s race that candidate Tom Barrett would get if the election were held today, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey. Scott Walker, who narrowly won the actual contest last fall, would take only 45% of the vote. Only 32% of those surveyed said they or someone in their household was the member of a union.

[One] of the most heartening signs we have had in this brief administration is the recent poll which indicates most of our citizens favor our [$1 billion tax hike] revenue package and, of those who favor it, 70 percent do so because they see the need to balance the budget. Perhaps the Federal government could take note of this.

– California Gov. Ronald Reagan, in 1967, advocating raising $1 billion in taxes to balance the state budget. Despite tea party mythology, Reagan had few qualms about raising taxes. He did it at least seven times as president, including the largest corporate tax hike ever.

In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as General MacArthur so delicately put it.

— Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, quoted by the New York Times, speaking to West Point cadets.

Who among us would not be delighted
To see Fox News’ Roger Ailes get indicted?
It was Kerik’s girl-toy
Who ratted out the old boy,
Who was just trying to keep Rudi G. from being slighted.

43%

Of likely voters would hold both parties accountable for failure to reach a compromise to continue funding the government past March 4, while 29% would blame Democrats and 23% would blame Republicans according to a new poll by The Hill.

The president is one of the greatest politicians in the history of the United States.

— Missisippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), assessing President Obama’s political skills on Sunday’s Meet the Press.

48%

Total proportion of Americans who are confused about the Affordable Care Act, according to a new Kaiser poll. 22% said they thought the law was recently repealed, while another 26% weren’t sure if it’s still in effect. We’re betting this 48% refers to the reforms as “Obamacare.”

You’d have to go back to the Jim Crow era to find a law as imbued with bigotry and hatred as DOMA, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which Pres. Clinton signed into law in 1996. It’s back in the news now because Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that the administration would no [...]

The Washington establishment believes that the government shutdown of 1995 was a disastrous mistake that accomplished little and cost House Republicans politically. The facts are exactly the opposite … Another shutdown of the federal government is not an ideal result, but for House Republicans, breaking their word would be far worse.

— Newt Gingrich, who forced a government shutdown as House Speaker during the Clinton administration, advises House Republicans not to be scared of another one.