Republicans make their March Madness picks

Natalie Gonnella 

As basketball fans across the country gear up for today's start to March Madness, everyone including the President has carefully calculated their Final Four picks. Amid budget battles and other policy concerns, this week a number of Republicans weighed in with their predictions for this year's NCAA Tournament. Here's a look at the FInal Four/National Champion forecasts from a few members of the GOP:

• Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (Duke, Notre Dame): "[T]hey're good this year. They were second in the Big East, the toughest conference in the country, and have five seniors who I think will handle the pressure of the tournament. And, when you start the tournament on St. Patrick's Day weekend, that's got to be good luck for the Fighting Irish."
• House Speaker John Boehner (Xavier University)
• Representative Kevin Yoder (University of Kansas): "Finally the president and I agree on something"
• Representative Tim Huelskamp (Kansas State): "President Obama and I just can't agree on much of anything - especially when it comes to the budget...In his bracket, we find ourselves in disagreement again: he picked the Kansas Jayhawks to win, while I'm holding out for the Kansas State Wildcats to clench the title. And I sure hope he would find time to present a serious budget proposal long before the Championship game."
• Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist (Ohio State, Texas, Florida State and Wisconsin): "Clearly, every team in the Final Four will come from a state with a Taxpayer Protection Pledge signer in the governor's mansion"
• Kansas Governor Sam Brownback (University of Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State, Texas)
• Karl Rove (University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M): "I am rooting for the University of Texas at Austin in one bracket and Texas A&M in the other."