What Caught My Eye Today

National Budget - Denouncing what he called the "dishonest accounting" of recent federal budgets, President Obama unveiled a $3.6 trillion federal budget for next year. The contentious budget proposes higher taxes for the wealthy and the makes the first steps toward guaranteed health care for all. The budget is accompanied by an astonishing $1.75 trillion federal deficit that would be nearly four times the highest in history. You know what they say, "if you are gonna go, you might as well go big. I'd say $3.6 trillion fits the ticket. Here are a few more eye popping numbers. Obama's budget contains almost $1 trillion in tax hikes over 10 years on individuals making more than $200,000 and couples earning over $250,000. Obama's $634 billion head start on expanding health care could easily double as lawmakers flesh out details in coming months on how to provide medical coverage to all of the 48 million Americans now uninsured while also trying to slow increases in costs. Health care costs now total $2.4 trillion a year. Obama blamed the expected federal deficit explosion on a "deep and destructive" recession and recent efforts to battle it including the Wall Street bailout and the just-passed $787 billion stimulus plan. You mean the stimulus plan that Obama fought so hard to get passed? In fairness, Obama is just trying to keep things real. Since the war on terror began, this is the first time the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually being included in the budget. Apparently, in years past, the money just magically appeared without any financial strings attached.

Mexico - President Felipe Calderon hopes to quell Mexico's rampant drug violence by the end of his term in 2012, and disputed U.S. fears that Mexico is losing control of its territory. Now why would we think that? Mexico has spent $6.5 billion on top of its normal public security budget, but that falls short of the $10 billion Mexican drug gangs bring in annually. Calderon said the violence that killed 6,290 people last year — and more than 1,000 in the first eight weeks of 2009 — is a sign that the cartels are under pressure from military and police operations nationwide, as well as turf wars among themselves. So like, is this supposed to change our minds? What's else have you got, Senor Presidente? Calderon said smuggling cannot be eliminated as long as Americans continue to use drugs. This is one those "chicken vs. egg" conundrums. Calderon says Americans need to stop using drugs and the drug production in Mexico will stop. I say, if Mexico stops its drug production, drug usage in the U.S. will drop. What to do.

Spring Break - More bad news for Mexico. After drug trafficking, I'm guessing tourism is the next biggest source of revenue for our friends south of the border. The U.S. State Department and universities around the country are warning college students headed for Mexico for some spring-break partying of a surge in drug-related murder and mayhem south of the border. The State Department stopped short of warning spring breakers not to go to Mexico, but advised them to avoid areas of prostitution and drug-dealing and take other commonsense precautions. Um, yeah. I'm not sure, but I think that all those things the State Department is warning students against are the major reasons they go to Mexico in the first place. Despite the bloodshed, the number of foreign tourists visiting Mexico surged to 23 million in 2008, up 5.9% from the year before, spurred in part by the tumbling value of the peso against the dollar. See, with the peso falling against the dollar, you can buy more drugs and hookers for less money. And people say college kids don't exercise sound judgment.

Television - Fox is renewing "The Simpsons" for another two seasons, which will secure its place as TV's longest-running prime-time series. Now in its 20th season, "The Simpsons" already had tied record-holder "Gunsmoke." You go, Homer! Anyone remember the "Bartman"? The Western drama series aired for two decades on CBS before it ended in 1975. "The Simpsons" will pass that mark next season. The two-year, 44-episode pickup will bring the total number of "Simpsons" episodes to 493. Any guesses as to the second longest prime-time series currently on the air? I'll give you a hint: Dunt...dunt. The cops and courts show "Law & Order" on NBC has run for 19 prime-time seasons, starting in 1990. Kind of a sad commentary when the longest running TV show is a cartoon. But you have to admit, given what's on the air these days, "The Simpsons" probably qualifies as quality programming.

Golf - If you blinked, you probably missed Tiger Wood's return to competitive golf. Tiger Woods had no complaints with his game or his knee, but he had no answer for Tim Clark of South Africa, who played 16 holes without a bogey and knocked the world’s No. 1 player out of the Accenture Match Play Championship in the second round. You can almost hear the honchos at NBC sobbing silently to themselves. They have a weekend of golf coverage planned and no Tiger...again. The good news is we'll get our next Tiger fix in two weeks at Doral in the CA Championship.