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1.) Nothing To See Here, Folks – Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Massachusetts, has apparently decided that she won’t be answering any more questions about her very questionable claims of Native American heritage. TheDC’s Alex Pappas reports:
“She tried dodging the questions at first. Asked to put the Native American heritage questions to rest, Warren responded: ‘Middle class families are getting hammered.’ But when pressed about why she once claimed minority status but doesn’t identify that way anymore, she responded: ‘I have answered these questions. I am going to talk about what’s happening to America’s families.’”
As the video of the encounter makes clear, Warren’s response isn’t so much “staying on message” as it is “answering a reporter’s question with a complete non sequitur.” Still, a new poll indicates Cherokee-gate hasn’t diminished Warren’s support in deep blue Massachusetts, which will hopefully give Mary Katherine Ham some incentive to expand her awesome documentary on the subject to feature length.
2.) Our First Gay President is Now Our Second Catholic One – Amid polls showing Catholic voters flocking to Mitt Romney, President Obama is starting to play up his old ties to the Church. Will his ties to the radical priests bring him relief and put him back on the cover of Newsweek? TheDC’s Neil Munro reports:
“’My first job as a community organizer was with Catholic churches who taught me the power of kindness and commitment to others in neighborhoods,’ he declared at a Hollywood fundraiser May 23. ‘When I was a young community organizer, I was working with Catholic churches and they taught me that no government program can make as much of a difference as kindness and commitment on the part of neighbors and friends,’ he said at a Colorado fundraiser earlier that day.”
3.) Beer for Breakfast — Speaking of Catholics, TheDC’s Chris Bedford — a Boston Mick who proudly (sadly?) lives up to the stereotype — is out with his latest “Rough Draught” beer review. This week, and just in time for Memorial Day, Bedford tries three American classics and asks if they’re still crazy good after all these years:
“Memorial Day is coming. And unlike that Commie Labor Day garbage, Memorial Day is dedicated to remembering the sacrifices of our fighting men and women. What does that mean? It means don’t get shitfaced on Sunday night so you can head down to the cemetery Monday morning. Although the morning is the time for the great American traditions of dog-walking, yard work and bacon, Memorial Day afternoon is time for a different kind of patriotism: enjoying the good fruits of America, namely amber waves of grain (in the form of cheap, delicious beer) and man’s God-given dominance over savory animals.”
4.) Obama Wins Coveted Castro Endorsement — Well, this should help the president in Florida. TheDC’s Alexis Levinson reports:
“The latest offense committed by President Barack Obama, according to Republican opponent Mitt Romney, is failing to immediately reject an endorsement from Mariela Castro. Castro, the daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro and niece of Fidel, made the endorsement at a gay rights conference in California where she was speaking, the Miami Herald reported. ‘I would vote for President Obama. I think he’s sincere and speaks from the heart,’ she said.”
Considering Fidel Castro’s penchant for throwing gay people in prison, it’s probably worth wondering why the hell she’s even addressing a gay rights conference in the first place.
5.) Poll of the Day — A new Gallup survey shows the number of Americans who identify as “pro-choice” is now a record-low 41 percent. A full 50 percent now identify as “pro-life,” a seventeen-point increase since Gallup first began polling the question in 1995.
6.) Tweet of Yesterday — @daveweigel: Gas prices are falling, which means the liberal media is lying and Newt Gingrich is president.
TheDC Morning will return after Memorial Day with your regular host Jamie Weinstein.