The Senate rolled out its push to revamp city and state pension plans, drawing immediate pushback from the states largest law enforcement union.

Transportation need not be a partisan issue, but Democrats are steering it that way as they reflexively attack Gov. Rick Scott's rejection of federal stimulus dollars for a controversial high-speed rail line.

Progress Florida, a "progressive" but nominally nonpartisan group, declared that Scott's decision was driven by a desire "to make President Obama look bad."

Florida Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown and Sen. Bill Nelson, expressed predictably partisan "outrage" and shock that the governor pulled the plug on the nascent venture.

One way to judge the merits of the budget Barack Obama unveiled this week is by the comments of his political allies. "It's not enough to focus primarily on the nonsecurity discretionary part of the budget," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad.