HUFFPOST HILL - Senate Fails To Pass Budget Measure

The Senate again failed to pass a federal spending measure, increasing the likelihood of a budget beard-off among the Senate men. Newt Gingrich's disclosure that he cheated on his ex-wife because he loves America instantly turned "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" into the nation's hottest make-out song. We're hoping to land the role of "aerially-sniped wolf" in HBO's forthcoming Sarah Palin biopic. And Governor Pat Quinn abolished his state's death penalty, stymieing the growth of one of Illinois' largest voting blocs. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Wednesday, March 9th, 2011:

SENATE FAILS TO PASS REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC BUDGET - As expected, the upper chamber failed to pass either party's proposed budget this afternoon. A significant number of members from both parties voted against their own party's spending proposal. The House-approved H.R. 1 failed 44-56 with Mike Lee, Jim DeMint and Rand Paul breaking with their Republican colleagues. The Democratic counter-proposal also failed, 42-58 with Webb, Manchin, Levin, Mark Udall, Hagan, Sanders, Kohl, McCaskill, and both Nelsons voting against. [HuffPost's Elise Foley]

More than a dozen House Republicans have confirmed to Roll Call's Anna Palmer that their budget votes hinge on whether the spending package in question contains funding for Planned Parenthood That's half the total number that the House GOP can lose and still pass it without Democratic votes.

HUFFPOST BIDDING UP SETTLEMENT PRICE? - Citing "news reports," Sen. Richard Shelby is lashing out at a potential $30 billion penalty that state attorneys general may levy on banks to pay for the foreclosure mess. The Journal noted Shelby's $30 billion figure this evening -- a figure that has only appeared in HuffPost (but was well sourced, don't worry!). WSJ's Vicki McGrane and Alan Zibel: "'This proposed settlement appears to be an attempt to advance the administration's political agenda, rather than an effort to help homeowners who were harmed by a servicer's actual conduct. ... The $30 billion would most likely fund a new slate of housing programs long sought by the administration, but previously rejected by Congress,' Mr. Shelby said in remarks during a hearing on housing policy." Do we hear $40 billion? (Naturally, Shelby owns a title company that could be affected by the settlement.)

HOUSE LEADERSHIP VOTES TO DEFEND DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT - In a party-line vote, the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group -- made up of leaders form both parties and weirdly called BLAG -- voted 3-2 to instruct the House general counsel to get the ball rolling on a legal defense of DOMA. John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthey voted in favor while Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer voted against the proposal. Doesn't your heterosexual marriage feel safer now?

@NancyPelosi: #DOMA vote no surprise-Hoyer & I NO Boehner, Cantor, McCarthy YES. House to spend $ defending indefensible law. http://twitpic.com/47xhc2

PAT QUINN ABOLISHES ILLINOIS' DEATH PENALTY - The Illinois governor today signed a law that would discontinue the use of capital punishment and commuted the sentences of his state's 15 remaining death row inmates. Former Governor George Ryan first instituted a moratorium on the practice ten years ago out of a concern that innocent people could be executed. After the legislature passed the ban in January, Quinn reportedly spend the next two months consulting religious leaders and advocates on both sides of the issue. "I think if you abolish the death penalty in Illinois, we should abolish it for everyone," Quinn said. The law takes effect on July 1st. [WaPo]

DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - The two House Dems still carrying the flame for 99ers are now willing to work with Republicans on a way to fund an extra 14 weeks of jobless aid with budget cuts instead of deficit spending. "To be clear, we maintain our position that this legislation deserves to exempt from PAYGO spending rules under the aforementioned emergency designation, but we are committed to exhausting every possible avenue to pass this bill," wrote Barbara Lee and Bobby Scott in a letter to John Boehner today. Republicans previously blew off the Lee-Scott legislation, as it added $16 billion to the deficit. So what do they have to say about helping the 99es without adding to the deficit? And what do Democrats about using cuts to pay for additional benefits? So far, nothing. [HuffPost]

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McCASKILL SPENT THOUSANDS ON CHARTERED FLIGHTS - It couldn't have happened to a nicer deficit hawk. The Missouri senator, who just hours ago voted against her own party's budget proposal, found herself in something of a bind today. Politico reported that McCaskill, one of the most strident deficit marms in the Democratic caucus, has spent nearly $76,000 in public funds to travel on a charter plane she and her husband are part owners of. Since 2007, McCaskill has flown on the plane at least 89 times. Although McCaskill's office claimed the expenses adhered to Senate rules, she reportedly is sending a check to the Treasury Department to cover the cost of the flights. BLOOD DRAWN, POLITICO. BLOOD DRAWN. [Politico]

Veteran Washington Post columnist David Broder died today from complications arising from diabetes. "Like so many here in Washington and across the country," President Obama said in a statement, "Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant of journalism, David Broder." Then there's this tidbit: "@BetsyMTP: Such sad news about David Broder - on #MTP a record 401 times. A true gentleman and first class journalist every single time."

OBAMA STICKS IT TO JON HUNTSMAN BY BEING AFFECTIONATE (AGAIN) - The U.S. ambassador to China has been embarrassed in front of his peer group by the White House so much lately that you'd swear the executive branch was his mother dropping him off at a middle school dance. At a press conference today announcing Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as Huntsman's replacement, Obama once again lavished praise on the man that might challenge him in 2012. "Jon has been an outstanding advocate for this administration and for this country," the president said. This comes on the heels of Bill Daley's Meet The Press appearance this weekend where he said that, "The things he did on behalf of this administration and the closeness in which he worked with the president, is much appreciated...I'm sure he'll talk about that in the primaries."

POLL: SNOWE WOULD FARE BETTER AS AN INDEPENDENT - A survey released yesterday by Public Policy Polling implies that Olympia Snowe, despite being one of the most popular senators in the country, would probably not survive a Republican primary challenge. Now a new poll from the group indicates that she would win a three-way contest as an independent against a Republican and Democratic challenger. In a range of hypothetical three-way match ups, Snowe pulls in between 54 percent and 57 percent of the vote. While this is no doubt dispiriting news for Snowe, we're just surprised that that someone in New England named Olympia Snowe has spent the last few decades as a Republican and not a scented candle wholesaler. [PPP]

GRAHAM CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH - Lindsey Graham, an attorney, broke the cardinal rule of examination, asking a question that got him the wrong answer, even from a friendly witness. Graham during a hearing yesterday to deficit hawk Erskin Bowles, the Alan Colmes of the Deficit Commission: "Can you imagine any scenario where we can save Social Security from impending massive cuts, 30 percent in 2037 or maybe more, or any entitlement program without adjusting the age for eligibility? Is there ANY sensible way to do it without adjusting the age?" Bowles: "You can do it without adjusting the age, mathematically. So, yes." [YouTube]

REMINDER from CRS: "If all earnings were subject to the payroll tax, but the base was retained for benefit calculations, the Social Security Trust Funds would remain solvent for the next 75 years."

FLORIDA CAUSING ELECTORAL PROBLEMS...AGAIN - Unlike trucker hats, American Pie sequels and sensationalized cable news reports about shark attacks, some early 2000s trends just won't go away. Florida politics might once again upend a presidential election as Republican operatives in that state are considering moving up the state's 2012 primary. With the convention being held in Tampa and the national party threatening retribution if a state upends the scheduled order, there now exists the possibility that Florida's host delegates might not be seated at their hometown convention. Compounding GOP stress levels is the non-binding straw poll that Minnesota is planning to hold the day after the Iowa caucuses. [HuffPost/AP]

BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Slow Lorises are like cats with the ability to grip things. Here's one holding a cocktail umbrella.

NEWT GINGRICH: MY PATRIOTISM LED TO MY EXTRAMARITAL ACTIVITY - The government encroached on our love, girl. The twice-divorced former House speaker and possible presidential candidate has been engaging in a media blitz lately to recast himself as a dedicated husband who has learned from his past infidelities. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Gingrich actually claimed that his love of America as the catalyst for his indiscretions. "There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate," he said. "And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn't trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them." To be fair, it is difficult to find a woman who is turned on by attempts to freeze the debt ceiling. [CBN]

Julianne Moore will star as Sarah Palin in a forthcoming HBO movie, a 'Game Change' about the ex-Alaska governor. Critics are already raving about Laura Linney's nuanced performance as the bit of Russia Sarah Palin can see from her house. [CNN]

JEREMY'S WEATHER REPORT - A Storm's A-Coming: The South, mostly in the Delta region, is experiencing violent thunderstorms and tornado warnings in the region. The culprit? A warm front sweeping up quickly followed by a cold front. The warm air being bulldozed by cold air is causing all this atmospheric havoc. Unfortunately, that's sweeping northeast, meaning that we may be clipped by the northern edge of the storm. While rain will begin falling by the afternoon rush (if not sooner), the heavy stuff (and possibly violent) will come through as primetime TV is winding down. Now, in the best-case scenario, that doesn't happen at all; just rain. However, it's likely that we'll get brief thunderstorms, and the worst case scenario is that it's dragged north, giving a prolonged storm that could continue into Tomorrow. In either case, there's a high probability of rain in tomorrow's forecast. And now you know why. Thanks, JB!

COMFORT FOOD

- Before you sign the papers on that Prius, why not check out the British Interplanetary Society's interstellar spacecraft? [http://bit.ly/frfsjp]

- It's not often that a game whose graphics are on par with Pong makes news, but thanks to a web game that takes place in your URL browser, it just has. [http://probablyinteractive.com/url-hunter]

- Footage from a early 1970s Star Trek convention. They had better skin back then. [http://bit.ly/h87jjk]

- A collection of gorgeous color photographs of Egypt in the 1920s. [http://bit.ly/frLLSq]

- God is in the details. Therefore, God must be in this enjoyably detailed article about the science of pruney fingers. [http://bit.ly/dHmsOK]

- An artist assigned numbers to a piano octave and played pi to its 31st decimal point. Far out. [http://bit.ly/esHgfy]

- When future historians marvel at the Cambrian Explosion-like growth of technology over the last twenty years, they'll likely wonder why everyone was so excited about a program that blocks Charlie Sheen news from your browser. [http://bit.ly/hxnZe7]

- Svalbard! Svalbard! It's a helluva town! [http://bit.ly/e8jNjq]

TWITTERAMA

@FakeJimVandeHei: In honor of #internationalwomensday, Harris and I have agreed to install a women's restroom in the Rosslyn newsroom. Mazel tov.

@JakeTapper: no one gets fired anymore. everyone resigns for the good of the nation.

@pourmecoffee: Sad thinking of Vivian Schiller packing up stuff into dozens of tote bags.

ON TAP

TONIGHT

5:30 pm: You pay $1,000. You get Allyson Schwartz and pretzels. Seriously. The Pennsylvania congresswoman hosts her "Annual Pennsylvania Pretzel Party." [Erickson & Co. Townhouse, 38 Ivy Street SE].

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Nothing says Oklahoma tailgating quite like dudes in suits, office furniture and the Strategic Healthcare Townhouse. Dan Boren throws his annual "Sooner Reception." [Strategic Healthcare Townhouse, 230 Second Street SE].

TOMORROW

9:00 am - 5:00 pm: Campaign for America's Future convenes its Summit on Jobs and America's Future. Among the confirmed speakers are Keith Ellison, George Miller, Richard Trumka and Antonio Villaraigosa. [National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW].

10:00 am: So while politicians in Wisconsin (and elsewhere) are trying to bleed unions dry, Democrats in Washington are, in a manner of speaking, bleeding unions dry. Jay Inslee reaches into pockets at his "Breakfast with the Labor Community" fundraiser. Isn't democracy...weird? [The Monocle Restaurant, 107 D Street NE].

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Tim Walz gets an assist from Al Franken at his fundraiser at the Strategic Healthcare Townhouse. If you pay $1,000 can you request Al Franken do Stuart Smalley? [Strategic Healthcare Townhouse230 Second Street SE].

6:30 pm: Chris Lee was supposed to have a campaign event at the Rupli Townhouse. Whoops.

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