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He is neither the first, nor certainly the last, to hold out the hope for a balanced budget — while at the same time glossing over what happens if the government is truly made to live within its means. Some combination of Social Security, Medicare, the armed forces, domestic security, roads, medical research and much more wouldn’t look the same if that happened. (Woodward and Elliott, 4/9)

Rand Paul and Debbie Wasserman Schultz spent the Kentucky senator’s first day on the presidential campaign trail fighting about abortion. Early Wednesday, Paul refused to tell the Associated Press whether he would support exceptions for abortions in instances of rape, incest or if the birth of a child would risk the mother’s life. (Breitman, 4/8)

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a newly declared Republican presidential candidate, is dodging a central question about abortion: What exceptions, if any, should be made if the procedure were to be banned? In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Paul would not say if his opposition to abortion rights includes an exception in cases of rape, incest or risk to the life of the mother. (Elliott, 4/8)