“The only politics we understand is scandal, and the only scandal we understand is sex.”
— Bill Maher, quoted by Gawker, on his HBO show last night.
Boasting of Killing bin Laden
New York Times: “Presidents running for re-election typically boast of programs they created, people they helped or laws they signed. They talk about rising test scores or falling deficits or expanding job rolls. President Obama is increasingly taking the unusual route of bragging about how he killed a man.”
“To be sure, that man was Osama bin Laden, and he is not mourned among either the president’s supporters or detractors. But in the days leading up to the first anniversary of the raid that finally caught up to the Qaeda mastermind, Mr. Obama has made a concerted, if to some indecorous, effort to trumpet the killing as perhaps the central accomplishment of his presidency.”
Romney Advises Young People to Borrow from Their Parents
Mitt Romney had some advice for students at Ohio’s Otterbein University, telling them that if they want to start a business or pay for their education, they should just borrow from their parents.
Said Romney: “Take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business.”
Quote of the Day
“The dullest audience I have ever spoken to. Just sitting there, staring at me. Pretend you like me!”
— Vice President Joe Biden, quoted by NBC News, speaking to a crowd at a fundraiser.
Secret Service Puts New Rules in Place
The U.S. Secret Service imposed new rules “aimed at tightening oversight of its employees on international trips in the wake of the Colombia prostitution scandal — banning staff members from bringing foreigners into their hotel rooms, drinking alcohol within 10 hours of duty and visiting “non-reputable establishments,” the Washington Post reports.
Meanwhile, CBS News reports the agency is now looking into reports “that Secret Service personnel traveling in 2009 with former President Clinton partied at strip clubs on a visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and that agents and White House staffers went to a Moscow night club known for its sexually charged atmosphere prior to Mr. Clinton’s trip to Russia in 2000.”
Palin Backs Mourdock in Indiana Primary
Sarah Palin endorsed Richard Mourdock (R) in his GOP primary challenge of Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN):
“Senator Lugar’s 36 years of service as a Senator are appreciated, but it’s time for the torch to pass to conservative leadership in Washington that promises to rein in government spending now.”
The Indiana primary is on May 8.
Obama Slammed for Being a Celebrity
Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads is up with a video which strings together clips of President Obama dancing, singing, drinking a beer and “slow-jamming” the news.
The tagline: “After 4 years of a celebrity president, is your life any better?”
First Read: “The ad picks up where John McCain left off with his Biggest Celebrity in the World ad, a narrative that was starting to take hold… until McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate.”
Ex-Edwards Aide Admits Skimming from Contributions
The drama of John Edwards’s trial “took a few more twists” as former staffer Andrew Young “admitted submitting misleading financial statements to a wealthy benefactor who thought he was helping the senator hide a mistress,” thew New York Times reports.
Young admitted asking Fred Baron, a wealthy Texas trial lawyer who was a fervent supporter of Edwards, to pay $28,261 for a BMW that had been bought for Rielle Hunter. However, the car had actually already been paid for with money from the heiress Rachel Mellon.
Economic Growth Slows
The economic output of the United States grew at an annual rate of 2.2% in the first quarter of the year, easing from the prior quarter’s growth rate of 3%, the New York Times reports.
Reuters: “Although the details were mixed, the GDP
report offered a somewhat better picture of growth compared with the
fourth quarter, when inventory building accounted for nearly two thirds
of the economy’s growth. In the first quarter, demand from consumers
took up the slack.”
First Privately Funded Election Since Watergate
“With Mitt Romney raising private funds for the fall campaign, this year’s presidential election will be the first since the Watergate scandal in which neither major party’s nominee accepts federal funding,” Bloomberg reports.
“Public financing was enacted by Congress after President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 amid revelations about his role in covering up a 1972 break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel and office complex in Washington. The investigation uncovered illegal activities funded by some of the unregulated private donations to Nixon’s re-election campaign.”
One Chance
Bill Clinton cuts a very powerful video extolling President Obama as commander in chief.
Gingrich Takes His Time Quitting
Even though Newt Gingrich has announced he’ll end his presidential campaign next week, the New York Times reports he’s still campaigning.
“One of the quirky indulgences of modern campaigns is that candidates announce their intent to run for president on multiple occasions — essentially, stunts to milk media attention. They announce the formation of exploratory committees, announce that they intend to run, announce that they are actually running, etc. Ever the innovator, Mr. Gingrich has applied that ritual to quitting.”
Judges Rejects Release of bin Laden Photos
A federal judge refused to order the Obama administration “to release photos and video of the U.S. military operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan almost a year ago and the al Qaeda leader’s burial at sea,” Reuters reports.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“This is the biggest job in the world and I’ve never seen a president make it smaller.”
— House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by NBC News.
Rove’s Forecast Shows Obama Way Ahead
Karl Rove‘s latest electoral vote forecast finds President Obama with 220 votes and another 64 votes which “lean Obama.” Mitt Romney has 93 votes with another 79 which “lean Romney.” The remaining 82 votes are “toss ups.”
Most interesting: Rove lists both South Carolina and Missouri as “toss up” states.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry.”
— New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by ABC News, when a supporter said, “I really, really hope that you serve your term here.”
How They Got Osama bin Laden
Time has a fascinating look at the White House decisionmaking that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. One of the biggest challenges was confirming that the al Qaeda leader was actually at the Abbottabad compound.
“Most of the actions the CIA could take to increase its confidence about the target would also unavoidably increase the odds that bin Laden or Pakistani intelligence officers would learn that the U.S. had discovered his whereabouts. More-advanced drones could provide better overhead photography of activity in the compound, but what if one crashed, as an RQ-170 did in Iran seven months later? A broadsheet of options included everything from surveilling the neighborhood with a miniaturized UAV that resembled a bird (so convincing that one was attacked by an eagle) to analyzing local sewage for genetic markers.”
Flashback Quote of the Day
“My commitment to my Church and faith is all encompassing.”
— Mitt Romney, in a 2002 interview with the Mormon newspaper Church News, via BuzzFeed which notes Romney often dismisses questions about his religion arguing that he’s “not running for pastor-in-chief.”
