DEMOCRATIC SENATE defeats Obama’s jobs bill. “President Obama received a slap from members of his own party Tuesday as the Senate voted 51-48 to block his $447 billion jobs package. The jobs plan, which the president has spent much of the last month touting on a cross-country tour, fell well short of the 60 votes it needed to proceed. The only Democrats to vote against the measure were Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Jon Tester (Mont.), but a number of other centrists in the party indicated they would vote against the package even though they supported launching a debate on the measure. . . . Tuesday’s vote bolstered Republican leaders’ argument that opposition to the president’s agenda is bipartisan.”