1.) End the Fed? Let’s start with the SOTU — If you thought Monday night’s GOP primary debate was enthralling, you probably loved President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. Fulfilling a presidential tradition of boring Congress into submission once a year with an interminably long speech, President Obama performed marvelously. TheDC’s Neil Munro gives the details:
“The White House quietly stored up a package of populist political proposals for Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, including several proposals that would reverse policies held by President Barack Obama since 2009 … The popular proposals give Obama a suitcase of campaign trail talking points, and more than a few ways to criticize GOP candidates — such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — as the elitist, out-of-touch protectors of banks and Wall Street.”
Anyway, in lieu of watching the State of the Union next year, here is a list of three things you could do that would be more enjoyable: 1) Visit your local DMV, 2) Listen to Steven Tyler sing the National Anthem, 3) Jam a jagged piece of glass in your eye and then pour a full jar of red vine vinegar into the gaping wound.
2.) Santorum falls behind candidate not even running — Rick Santorum has campaigned tirelessly and nobly, but unless Newt Gingrich stumbles, it doesn’t look like he has a very strong chance of regaining momentum (and you can take that prediction to the bank since campaign predictions have turned out so well this year). In fact, even Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is not currently running for president and who has said he won’t run, is given better odds of winning the nomination according to the all-knowing market. TheDC’s Vince Coglianese reports:
“Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has a better chance of winning the Republican nomination than Rick Santorum, at least according to the prediction market on Intrade. The gamblers on “the world’s leading prediction market” gave Daniels a 2.5 percent chance of winning the nomination as of Tuesday night, while Santorum — a former senator from Pennsylvania and current presidential contender — had a slightly more miserable 1.2 percent chance.”
3.) Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when TheDC comes for you? — Ever dream of supping with a domestic terrorist? No? Well, TheDC is providing you the opportunity to do so anyways. TheDC’s Caroline May reports on a contest to win a seat at a dinner with Bill Ayers and Tucker Carlson:
“Last month, The Daily Caller’s editor-in-chief won a $2,500 dinner with Ayers, former leader of the terrorist Weather Underground, in an online action conducted for the benefit of the Illinois Humanities Council. On February 5, Carlson and five guests will travel to Chicago for a home-cooked meal with Ayers and his wife, fellow radical Bernadine Dohrn … This week, The Daily Caller began an online contest to select a reader to attend the dinner. Readers will be asked to submit questions to Ayers, and Daily Caller readers will choose the best entry. The winner will receive a place at the table, plus airfare and accommodations in Chicago.”
You can enter the contest to be among the dinner attendees here.
4.) Finally something America could take from Europe: A party for pirates — While there is very little America can learn from Europe, TheDC’s Josh Peterson has found something we should actually consider importing:
“Digital pirates are officially recognized by European governments with their own political party, fighting against the entertainment industries and what the Pirate Party’s leader, Rick Falkvinge, calls ‘copyright monopoly.’ Founded in Sweden in 2006 by Falkvinge, a Swedish entrepreneur-turned-politician, the party rapidly became the most popular political affiliation in Sweden for people under age 30. The Guardian calls it ‘the youngest, boldest, and fastest growing political movement’ in Europe.”
A Pirate Party? Yes please! Here are some other political parties America is in desperate need of: a Yeti Party, a Viking Party and an Ernest Hemmingway Party.
5.) Latest RealClearPolitics polling average for Florida primary — Newt Gingrich 37.7%, Mitt Romney 30.3%, Rick Santorum 11.7%, Ron Paul 10.3%
6.) BIRTHDAYS! — Former Vice President Charles Curtis turns 152 (h/t Herbert Hoover); colorful former Sen. Conrad Burns turns 77; professional wrestler Roy Wayne “The Honky Tonk Man” Farris turns 59; French badminton player Pi Hongyan turns 33.
VIDEO: Rep. Allen West to black leaders: Creating “racial division” is “reprehensible”