Obama will "find savings in" Medicare and and Medicaid . . . hmmm

From today's "Morning Jolt" newsletter (sign up here) at NRO:

2. Obama: Let's Undo That Big Tax Compromise I Made Three Months Ago

I mentioned this yesterday, but as this becomes Tax Hike Week in the Obama White House, I hope the country notices that the president is now seeking to undo the concession he agreed to just a matter of weeks ago. I know all statements from Barack Obama come with an expiration date -- I'm the one who made the axiom! -- but it's kind of striking that he's willing to return to this well so quickly. By this standard, START will be up for renegotiation soon.

Thankfully, Eric Cantor hasn't forgotten: "Mr. Cantor called the debate over top personal-income-tax rates 'settled' by last year's elections and the subsequent tax deal. 'It was then that we all agreed it wouldn't be a good thing if we want to see job creation for taxes to go up,' he said."

It also will include, well, something about spending less on Medicare, but the wording is going to be pretty interesting. The Washington Post hints, "The speech is intended as a declaration of Obama's commitment to seriously tame the deficit while outlining his long-term budget principles -- key components of his campaign for re-election in 2012. After gingerly avoiding any discussion until now of cuts in the government's massive benefit programs for the elderly and poor, Obama will acknowledge a need to reduce spending on Medicare and Medicaid while at the same time tackling defense spending and calling for increased taxes on the wealthy, White House officials said."

The Media Research Center notices the New York Times is spinning already; Obama's plan to spend less on Medicare somehow is completely different from the "cuts" of the other guys: "Examine Calmes'[s] word choice: While she portrays Republican plans as involving a 'shrinking of Medicare and Medicaid,' Obama 'envisions a more comprehensive plan' that includes finding 'savings in Medicare and Medicaid,' as if Obama was making a painless offer. Which phrase will be more palatable to undecided voters nervous over the impact of Medicare cuts?"

What's that? You're not going to "amputate" my leg, you're just going to "find savings in my lower extremities"? Oh, that sounds much better!

HA! -- "Obama turns next to cutting deficit"

This article (especially the WH-press-release-like headline) is laughable Obama turns next to cutting deficit - USATODAY.com:

WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to outline a fresh multiyear plan to cut the federal deficit by raising taxes on the wealthy and limiting government health benefits for the poor and elderly in what the White House says will be a major speech to the nation Wednesday.

'Every corner of the federal government has to be looked at,' White House senior adviser David Plouffe told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, two days after Obama and congressional leaders struck a down-to-the-wire deal over spending cuts for the remainder of this budget year, which ends in September.

Which reminded me of this splendid cartoon.

Interesting "predictors" of divorce . . .

"Unhappy Marriage: Signs you'll get divorced"; especially this one (sure counters conventional wisdom):

6. If you are currently married but have cohabited with a lover other than your current spouse, you are slightly more than twice as likely to divorce than someone who has never cohabited.

The same study by Ohio State University sociologists that produced this result also found that even those who cohabit only with their future spouses "are still 83 percent more likely to experience a marital disruption relative to those that did not cohabit prior to marriage." Cohabitation statistics are hot buttons, used by some pundits to decry premarital sex and "shacking up." A widely quoted 2003 study by Western Washington University sociologist Jay Teachman found that women who cohabit with anyone besides their future husbands face a raised divorce risk ranging from 55 to 166 percent, but that those who cohabit only with their future husbands face no elevated risk at all.

Anna M. Cunningham (2007): Premarital cohabitation and marital disruption across time: new results from the NSFH 3, paper delivered at the Population Association of America 2007 annual meeting.

It's about FUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Mike Pence, Chris Smith signal room to move on abortion - Richard E. Cohen and Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com Folks, this issue is about continuing to fund the controversial activities of Planned Parenthood. You can get all these services (except for ABORTION) somewhere else (and for less $$, frankly).

I guess Feinstein means well . . .

I have long contested that most liberals are well-intended even though they're wrong . . . the mixture of elitism and (candidly) wanting compels them to espouse all manner of flawed policy positions.

And this is a good example. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) appears (video) to be hand-wringing over what to do now that we're engaged in military action in Libya . . . "let's send in the International Military Court police!!" (Hat Tip to NRO's Morning Jolt who recommends sending in Team America World Police. Though Lefties typically get a political pass for their failed policies based on good intentions, this example is just troubling.