What you need to know to navigate today's most critical debates.
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Lobbyists, Guns and Money (NYT)
Paul Krugman notes that Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law was developed by ALEC, a right-wing group that seeks to replace government of the people with government of the corporation. Enjoy your new-found sense of freedom before you get shot.
Putting Trust on the Agenda (The Nation)
Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Mark Schmitt writes that Americans' experience with government services is usually positive, but their impressions of government are shaped more by the twin embarrassments of our electoral and legislative processes.
The Outsourced Party (NYT)
Kevin Baker argues that the GOP's efforts to nurture a panoply of conservative mouthpieces have made it unclear whether they speak for Republicans or vice versa, which can be a bit of a problem when they send messages like "all women are sluts."
Stag Party (New York)
Frank Rich points out that while the GOP has tried to write off Rush Limbaugh's offensive remarks as an aberration or a case of "both sides do it," it would be harder to paint them as the anti-woman party if they weren't so, you know, anti-woman.
Banks’ preemptive strike against Dodd-Frank (WaPo)
Suzy Khimm writes that banks have begun to trim down and reorganize to comply with new regulations, but the question is whether it's a real change for the better or the equivalent of shoving junk under the bed when there's company over.
The Rich Get Even Richer (NYT)
Steven Rattner highlights research that shows not only that 93 percent of income gains in this recovery went to the top 1 percent, but even within the 1 percent there's a divide between merely rich and Scrooge-McDuck-swimming-in-money rich.
The Not Yet Richer, Still Struggling for Economic Equality, Sex (The Nation)
ND2.0 Editor Bryce Covert reviews The Richer Sex, which argues that women have it made because they now make up 40 percent of breadwinners -- the type of math that usually only applies when you're the minority party in the U.S. Senate.
A Moment of Truth for Health Care Reform (NYT)
Lincoln Caplan and Philip Boffey offer a rundown of the legal arcana of the Affordable Care Act that will be debated over the next three days as the Supreme Court mulls whether to base its ruling on the Constitution or the Republican Party platform.
Paul Ryan's Focus on Dignity (The Nation)
Greg Kaufmann notes that Paul Ryan claims that he wants to promote "the inherent dignity of the individual," but judging by his policy proposals, people are at their most dignified when poor, starving, and unable to afford basic medical care.
Ridiculous Ways States Are Trying to Fix Their Broken Budgets (MoJo)
Tim Murphy writes that from taxing strip club patrons to eliminating 12th grade, desperate budgetary times call for desperate budgetary measures. Some states are just a little more desperate (and a lot more into corgis) than others.
With additional research by Roosevelt Institute intern Elena Callahan.