TheDC Morning: Keeping it classy in Cairo

Jamie Weinstein Senior Writer
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1.Keeping it classy in Cairo — Just when you think that things might be taking a turn for the worse in Egypt, the Islamists come along with a new legislative push that completely upends everything you previously thought. TheDC’s Alexandra Myers provides the details of the latest and greatest in Egyptian politics:

“The Islamist majority in Egypt’s parliament introduced a bill this week that would legally allow husbands to have sex with their deceased wives up to six hours after their death, the Daily Mail reports … The ‘farewell intercourse law’ is just one in a set that the government is hoping to pass. Others propose legalizing the marriage of girls at age 14 and curtailing women’s rights to education and employment.”

What visionary leadership! How could anybody have ever doubted these wild and crazy guys?

2.) Back to SchoolOver the last year, the Obama administration has gone back to school — actually, somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 schools. Unfortunately, there isn’t too much evidence they learned much. TheDC’s Neil Munro reports:

“President Obama, his immediate aides and his cabinet secretaries have used taxpayer dollars to woo young voters at more than 130 universities and schools between March 2011 and March 2012, according to a survey of news reports and press releases reviewed by The Daily Caller. Obama won 66 percent of the youth vote in 2008, while Republican Sen. John McCain got only 32 percent. Since then, youth enthusiasm for Obama has declined, partly because of high unemployment: More than 50 percent of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed … Roughly one-third of the visits were to swing states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Colorado and Florida.”

This is what we call in the business a wasted effort. On Election Day, college students are too busy sleeping and smoking weed to remember to vote.

3.) Haley Hushes — Haley Barbour thinks Washington’s pontificators talk too much, TheDC’s Alex Pappas reports:

“Former Mississippi Gov. Haley’s Barbour said anyone already pontificating on whom Mitt Romney should choose as his running mate should just ‘shut up’ because it’s too early. ‘I think anybody who is talking about vice president and ‘Romney ought to do this and Romney ought to do that,’ oh shut up,’ Barbour said at a breakfast with reporters on Thursday. ‘Nobody cares but ya’ll.'”

If the Washington press corps and punditocracy followed Barbour’s advice, there would be — with no exaggeration — nothing to do for the next few months. Okay, maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. But just a little bit.

4.) Plethora of Priuses — The government buys them, but sure as hell doesn’t want to drive them, reports TheDC’s Betsi Fores:

“A fleet of 298 never-before-used cars, most of which are Priuses, were recently discovered by Miami-Dade officials, after having learned of them though a Spanish language newspaper. Most of the car warranties have expired with little to no miles on the odometer. The cars were purchased in 2006 and cost the taxpayers $4 million … An investigation is being done to determine exactly how this taxpayer funded debacle happened.”

5.) Poll of the Day: Michelle Obama very popular  — Fox News poll asks registered voters about first lady Michelle Obama’s favorability: 65% favorable, 28% unfavorable, 7% unsure.

6.) Tweet of Yesterday —  Jeffrey Goldberg: It’s #nerdprom weekend coming up. If I were Ayman al-Zawahiri, I’d be especially vigilant.

VIDEO: Joe Scarborough says Rubio “not ready to be vice president,” “just like Sarah Palin.”

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Jamie Weinstein