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1.) Democrats hate foreigners — The DNC launched a Daytona 500-themed attack on Mitt Romney, saying that if Romney had his way on the auto bailout, the iconic race would be loaded with foreign cars. Just one problem — it’s not true. TheDC’s Caroline May and Jeff Poor report:
“As Brown explained, in the NASCAR premier series, now called the ‘Sprint Cup Series,’ the competing automobiles are primarily built outside of Charlotte, N.C., and are not the same prototypes as those that come off the U.S. auto manufactures’ assembly lines in Michigan. In 2007, the series transitioned to what was then called ‘the car of tomorrow.’ Those cars are built to a ‘common template’ regardless of the manufacturer label on the automobile — be it Ford, Chevy, Dodge or Toyota.”
Why do the Democrats hate foreigners so much? They’re just so xenophobic. But more strategically, the Democrats going after NASCAR voters is kind of like Republicans going after tree-dwellers or the Kennedys: just not a good use of resources.
2.) Occupy Occupy’s bank statement — TheDC’s David Martosko got ahold of an Occupy Wall Street bank statement, which contains some interesting material. He reports:
“The Daily Caller has obtained a copy of a December 2011 bank statement mailed to Occupy Wall Street, the anti-capitalist protest group whose leaders’ rallying cry positions them as defenders of America’s less-privileged “’99 percent.’ But the organization’s bank balance in December may instead re-cast the occupiers as defenders of the $99,000. The bank statement was mailed to the organization at a box rented in a UPS Store on Fulton Street in lower Manhattan. On the Dec. 30 closing date, Amalgamated Bank reported $99,549.58 in the account, including $23,120 in deposits during that month alone.”
Perhaps the Occupy movement should Occupy Better Security.
3.) Could there be a future President Petraeus? — Probably not. But Paula Broadwell, author of a new biography of Petraeus, tells TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein (ME!) it’s not entirely out of the question:
“No. He says he never will, and I don’t think his wife Holly — a very private person — would stand for it. That said, if there was another 9/11 and the nation called upon him to lead them through a crisis, I can’t say for sure he wouldn’t rise to the call. I think, however, he prefers to remain in non-political (relatively speaking) jobs where he can capitalize on strong ties with both parties.”
To paraphrase Lloyd Christmas, so you’re telling us there’s a chance!
4.) George Will comes out against lobster-trees — George Will doesn’t think Republican attacks on rising gas prices are particularly sound. TheDC’s Jeff Poor reports:
“Will scoffed at complaints from Republicans earlier in the week, including Republican Florida Rep. Allen West and GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich. ‘Allen West from South Florida, a Republican, said he was outraged this week because it cost him $70 to fill his car,’ Will said. ‘He drives a Hummer. Newt Gingrich said the American people have a right to demand $2.50 gas. They have a right to demand lobsters grow on trees. This is economic nonsense.'”
If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we have lobster-trees? Will may be many things, but he’s no dreamer.
5.) Poll of the day — Quinnipiac Poll asks “Do you think the economy is in a recession now?”: “Yes” 66%, “No” 30%, “Unsure” 14%.
6.) BIRTHDAYS! — Roman Emperor Constantine the Great turns 1,740; poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow turns 205; author John Steinbeck turns 110 (h/t Tom Joad); perennial presidential contender and consumer advocate Ralph Nader turns 78 (h/t an airbag).