Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Laura Ingraham that it was a “lack of fathers” and a “lack of a moral code in our society” which were responsible for the “thievery and thuggery” in Baltimore last night.
He added: “I came through the train on Baltimore last night, I’m glad the train didn’t stop.”
Pew Research has a 12 question news quiz which compares your answers to those of the general public. Questions about politics proved particularly challenging.
The Fix: “The takeaway from all of this? Assuming — as lots and lots of people who either live in D.C. or follow politics closely do — that the average person is a deeply-informed consumer of political news is not even close to right. For most people, politics is something that almost never intersects with their daily lives and which they spend zero mind space on day in and day out.”
FiveThirtyEight: “But money is unlikely to be Bush’s problem in this campaign, and cash may be a less valuable resource than another sort of currency in which he is lacking: the support of influential Republicans, like current senators and governors, especially those who publicly endorse a candidate. Historically, these endorsements have been the best proxy for support in the ‘invisible primary’ and a leading indicator for which candidates may emerge victorious through the rough-and-tumble nomination race.”
“So far, Bush has won very few endorsements. No current Republican senators or governors have endorsed him, and only five members of the House of Representatives have done so, all from his home state of Florida.”
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“A divided and cautious Supreme Court on Tuesday probed whether states barring same-sex marriage are violating a right for gay couples, hearing extended arguments on one of the most direct constitutional issues to cross its docket in recent memory,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Justices questioned whether they should require all 50 states to recognize same-sex unions or allow state political processes to decide on a piecemeal basis. Court watchers were focused intently on Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was seen going into the case as the most crucial vote to the outcome. ”
New York Times: “The justices appeared to clash over not only what is the right answer but also over how to reach it. The questioning illuminated their conflicting views on history, tradition, biology, constitutional interpretation, the democratic process and the role of the courts in prodding social change.”
Miami Herald: “They can’t agree on using federal money for people with no health care and as a result, budget negotiations are in disarray in a year with a $1 billion surplus. Unable to resolve their differences after months of refusing to compromise, Republican lawmakers will end the regular session next Friday without completing the one task they are required to do: passing a state budget.”
“The government of the nation’s third-largest state is controlled by one party, yet the standoff is Republican against Republican, in some cases involving members of the same family. House Republicans have been distracted by a leadership coup while Gov. Rick Scott is personally threatening to veto Republican senators’ bills and spending items unless they approve his tax cuts of $673 million.”
“Gangs call for calm in Baltimore”
— Baltimore Sun, April 28, 2015.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) “said flatly that it had been a mistake for the United States to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq. And he suggested that the situation in Libya had deteriorated because of the overthrow of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi,” thew New York Times reports.
Said Paul: “Each time we topple a secular dictator, I think we wind up with chaos, and radical Islam seems to rise.”
Donald Trump, at a campaign event in New Hampshire, touted his building expertise to show how he’ll tackle border security and immigration reform, the Washington Post reports.
Said Trump: “I will build the best wall, the biggest, the strongest, not penetrable, they won’t be crawling over it, like giving it a little jump and they’re over the wall, it costs us trillions. And I’ll have Mexico pay for the wall. Because Mexico is screwing us so badly. I will take it from out of just a small fraction of the money they’ve been screwing us for over the last number of years.”
“I will disclose my records. I will disclose everything. And I tell you what: People will be very, very, impressed.”
— Donald Trump, quoted by the Washington Post, on his flirtations with a presidential bid.
Greg Sargent notes that in 1986 Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell remarked to a clerk: “I don’t believe I’ve ever met a homosexual.”
“Just under 30 years later, Powell’s seat on the Court is occupied by Anthony Kennedy, who is likely to provide the swing vote in the cases that will be heard today — and many observers expect him to declare that the Constitution confers a right to same-sex marriage in all 50 states.”
Wonk Wire: America can changes its mind quickly
As Pope Francis “prepares to deliver what is likely to be a highly influential encyclical this summer on environmental degradation and the effects of human-caused climate change on the poor, he is alarming some conservatives in the United States who are loath to see the Catholic Church reposition itself as a mighty voice in a cause they do not believe in,” the New York Times reports.
“As part of the effort for the encyclical, top Vatican officials will hold a summit meeting Tuesday to build momentum for a campaign by Francis to urge world leaders to enact a sweeping United Nations climate change accord in Paris in December. The accord would for the first time commit every nation to enact tough new laws to cut the emissions that cause global warming.”
Jon Stewart has a priceless take on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner:
Martin O’Malley (D) “is cutting short a planned series of paid speeches in Ireland and returning home” to Baltimore, the Washington Post reports.
“The Democrat, who has been aggressively positioning himself for a White House bid, had been scheduled to give several speeches Tuesday and Wednesday in Dublin. He was in London on Monday to give another paid address. O’Malley served for seven years as Baltimore’s mayor before becoming governor of Maryland in 2007.”
Nate Cohn: “With the legality of same-sex marriage being argued on Tuesday, the court could allow Republicans to abandon an unpopular position without abandoning their principles or risking a primary challenge. History would effectively be bailing out the party.”
“Sometimes history helps Democrats, as when the Cold War ended and made the long-held view that they were weak on national security less salient. This year, if the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional, the court could free Republicans from defending a policy that makes it far harder to confront their generational and demographic challenges.”
“If you’re going to have relentlessly negative coverage from the media, it’s going to affect your poll numbers.”
— Gov. Chris Christie, quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer, blaming his rapidly sinking approval rate on the media.
“National Guard troops fanned out through Baltimore, shield-bearing police officers blocked the streets and firefighters doused still-simmering blazes early Tuesday after riots, looting and violent unrest engulfed swaths of the city Monday,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The unrest came just hours after thousands of people attended a funeral for Freddie Gray , a 25-year-old black man who died in police custody earlier this month. Fifteen officers were injured, and at least 27 people were arrested as Baltimore became the latest national flash point for race relations and law enforcement.”
Politico: “Obama and Congress are busy arguing over the Iran nuclear negotiations, a trade deal, what could become the broadest climate change agreement in history. But each city that erupts is a reminder of how little’s been done to address the hopelessness that’s hitting Americans in some communities across the country much more immediately.”
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear arguments on whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The session, scheduled to last two and a half hours, is the last public step before a decision, expected in June, that will resolve one of the great open questions in modern constitutional law,” the New York Times reports.
“Until recently, the court has been cautious and halting in addressing same-sex marriage, signaling that it did not want to outpace public support and developments in the states. Now, though, a definitive decision will probably be handed down in about two months.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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