I guess it wasn’t such a hot idea after all to let Rep. Ryan (R-WI) score his own budget.

This is a story that deserves a lot of attention. For weeks, DC has been fawning over Rep. Paul Ryan’s ‘courageous’ Social Security and Medicare-slashing budget as a brave attempt to deal with mounting federal deficits. But it turns out the CBO didn’t really score his budget as he suggested. He asked him to score it on the basis of assuming his numbers were right.

But now an outside group has actually scored it and it turns out it leaves deficits much bigger than President Obama’s budget plan.

But hey, he’s the toast of Washington even though his numbers are pure fantasy.

Colbert demonstrates Massa-style “non-sexual groping” with an intern. Watch.

Colorado GOP Senate candidate says “Social Security” is a ponzi scheme and seems to suggest it may be unconstitutional. See the article and video.

As a publisher and editor, I have to confess that entertainment value is an important consideration for me as I think who I’d like to see get into a campaign this fall. We took a big hit yesterday when Ralph Reed announced he’s not running for Congress. On the other hand, there’s increasing evidence that Dan Senor, chief spokesman for Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq during the early glory days, is seriously looking at running against Kirsten Gillibrand in New York. So all hope is not lost. Read More

Would the House ethics committee have dropped its Massa probe so quickly if the congressman were accused of serially harassing female staffers?

Colorado GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton: Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme.”

Few evangelical figures have been bigger on the political scene in the last decade or fifteen years than James Dobson and his Focus on the Family empire.

But did he just get dumped by the organization he founded back in 1977? I hadn’t heard anything about this. And few seem to want to speak openly about it. But it looks like that’s what happened. And his radio show, which is where Dobson’s fame and power began, has had to set up shop outside of the Focus media world. The new crew at FoF apparently believe Dobson’s confrontational approach to the political world had become counterproductive.

For an image buff up and press handling Tiger Woods has hired … (drum roll) Ari Fleischer.

Rep. Capuano (D) says he’ll probably vote no on Health Care Reform.

Late Update: Seems like Rep. Capuano’s office is getting a few phone calls. This just in from TPM Reader JK …

Just a quick word from the ground in the MA-8th. I called the office a couple of hours ago, and it sounded as though they were pretty busy…I got put on hold five times in the course of our conversation. When I did manage to register my profound disappointment in anything other than a strong “yes” vote for HCR, they said thank you and hung up. My co-worked called five minutes ago, though, and when he got through they made a point to say that Rep. Capuano isn’t actually voting no, just “leaning” towards a no vote. So they’re definitely hedging, and this may be an opportunity for democracy to act…I’m calling all my friends to call the district office, and get the sense this will rightfully be a lead balloon in our district.

The guy who led the lobbying campaign for the subprime mortgage industry (pre-financial meltdown) is back. And now he’s the head lobbyist for the pay-day lenders.