President Obama and Conan O’Brien were very funny at the White House Correspondents Dinner last night.
Quote of the Day
“Yuk it up media and pols. While America is buried in taxes and a fight for our rights, the permanent political class in DC dresses up and has a prom to make fun of themselves. No need for that, we get the real joke.”
— Sarah Palin, writing on Facebook, about the White House Correspondent’s Dinner last night.
The Great Degrader
Paul Krugman: “I’ve been focused on economic policy lately, so I sort of missed the big push to rehabilitate Bush’s image; also, as a premature anti-Bushist who pointed out how terrible a president he was back when everyone else was praising him as a Great Leader, I’m kind of worn out on the subject.”
“But it does need to be said: he was a terrible president, arguably the worst ever, and not just for the reasons many others are pointing out.”
The GOP’s Latino Problem in California
Garry South: “In three of the last four non-presidential elections, Republicans actually nominated Latinos for statewide office: Ruben Barrales for controller in 1998, Gary Mendoza for insurance commissioner in 2002 and Maldonado for lieutenant governor in 2010. All three were attractive, articulate candidates with compelling personal stories. But all three went down in flames, receiving an average of only 37.9% of the vote. And there is no indication in post-election analyses that they received any meaningfully higher share of the Latino vote than a white male GOP candidate would have gotten. In fact, the last Republican Latino statewide officeholder was elected 142 years ago, when Romualdo Pacheco won the lieutenant governorship in 1871, then served several months as governor in 1875.”
Breyer Falls Off His Bicycle Again
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has been hospitalized following a bicycle accident in Washington, D.C., ABC News reports.
He underwent “reverse shoulder replacement surgery” — which Gawker correctly notes “sounds just awful.”
It’s the third bicycle mishap Breyer has had since being appointed to the court.
Schweitzer Updates Website
Bonus Quote of the Day
“The truth of the matter is, Barack knows it, I know, had the economy not collapsed around your ears, John, in the middle of literally, as things were moving, I think you probably would have won.”
— Vice President Joe Biden, quoted by CNN, telling Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that he might have won the presidency if not for the economic collapse in 2008.
GOP Lawmakers Embrace Conspiracy Theories
John Avlon points out “a disturbing trend of – conservative state legislators and even congressmen entertaining conspiracy theories that are creepy and unseemly coming from average citizen, but a sign of civic rot when they start getting parroted by elected officials.”
“Of course, craziness is a bipartisan issue, with Republicans frequently pointing to former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney as a Democratic example – but the right has been particularly prone to paranoia since Bush Derangement Syndrone on the left gave way to an epic case of Obama Derangement Syndrome from the other side.”
Judicial Nominee’s Law Firm Gave $150K to Reid PAC
As Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) was considering Las Vegas attorney Jennifer Dorsey for a federal judgeship, two partners at her law firm made $150,000 in contributions to a political action committee associated with the Nevada senator, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.
“While apparently legal, the donations were called ‘problematic’ by a legal expert, who said they could be perceived as attempting to buy a judicial appointment as Dorsey’s confirmation is pending before the Senate.”
Mississippi Man Arrested for Sending Ricin Letters
“Federal agents arrested a Mississippi martial arts instructor early Saturday morning after his home and a former business were searched as part of an investigation into ricin-laced letters sent to President Barack Obama and two other public officials,” Reuters reports.
Prosecutors dropped charges against another Mississippi man earlier this week after a search of his home revealed no incriminating evidence.
If Kennedy Lived
Now available for pre-order: If Kennedy Lived: The First and Second Terms of President John F. Kennedy: An Alternate History by Jeff Greenfield.
Is Gun Control Primed for a Big Comeback?
The Week: “The NRA won round one, but proponents of tougher gun laws haven’t lost hope yet.”
O’Connor Questions Decision to Take Bush v. Gore
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told the Chicago Tribune she isn’t sure the high court should have taken the Bush v. Gore case that decided the 2000 presidential election.
Said O’Connor: “It took the case and decided it at a time when it was still a big election issue. Maybe the court should have said, ‘We’re not going to take it, goodbye.'”
The case “stirred up the public” and “gave the court a less-than-perfect reputation.”
She added: “Obviously the court did reach a decision and thought it had to reach a decision. It turned out the election authorities in Florida hadn’t done a real good job there and kind of messed it up. And probably the Supreme Court added to the problem at the end of the day.”
Quote of the Day
“She was the one who set the stage for Adolf Hitler. She didn’t copy him, he copied her. Planned Parenthood — it’s unbelievable how evil they were in the early days.”
— Pat Robertson, on The 700 Club, saying Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was a model for Hitler.
Luntz Pulls Plug on Scholarship After Comments Were Taped
After his comments critical of Rush Limbaugh were secretly taped by a University of Pennsylvania student, GOP strategist Frank Luntz told the Daily Pennsylvanian that “he would never return to speak after this incident, and would discourage others from speaking here.”
Said Luntz: “I can’t imagine a speaker coming to Penn and being so open. I can’t imagine a speaker coming to Penn and being so candid. Frankly, I think it’ll have a chilling effect on whether speakers do or don’t come. I wish it didn’t.”
He also added that he would not renew a scholarship in his father’s name for students to travel to Washington, D.C.
GOP Struggles With Candidate Recruitment
“Republicans are struggling to recruit strong Senate candidates in states that present the party’s best opportunities to reclaim the majority, a sign that the GOP’s post-2012 soul-searching may end up creeping into the midterm congressional elections,” the AP reports.
Akin Talks Comeback
Former Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) told KSDK-TV he would not rule out making a political comeback despite sinking his U.S. Senate campaign last year after he uttered the now famous words, “legitimate rape.”
Said Akin: “I’m not going to try to get even with anybody. If you start to blame everyone else for something that happened you didn’t like, it will destroy you. It will eat you alive.”
He added: “Really what it goes back to is whether the Republican Party is going to be run by the insiders, or run by the grassroots organization. That’s a question still to be determined.”
Rubio Hit Hard After Inviting Comments on Immigration Bill
Byron York notes Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) invited people to help improve the bipartisan immigration bill he introduced by making comments on his website.
“Rubio’s staff is reviewing each one — a wise move, given the emotions that the immigration issue can involve and the tendency of some people to say nasty things on the Internet. But even after screening for foul language and general content, the suggestions Rubio has so far received are remarkably negative. Actually, they are overwhelmingly, crushingly negative, criticizing a wide spectrum of issues included in the Gang of Eight bill. The commenters Rubio has invited to speak really, really, really don’t like what he has done.”
Wonk Wire: The real immigration debate is just getting started.
