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1.) Go green: Become an oil lobbyist — In what history may record as the greatest video of all time, brought to you by TheDC’s Nicholas “Hot Mic” Ballasy, a Labor Department official fills in the House Oversight Committee on what constitutes a “green job” in Obama’s America:
“Under questioning by House oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa, senior U.S. Labor Department officials revealed that the Obama administration counts oil lobbyists, bus drivers, garbage men, bicycle shop employees and used-record store clerks as ‘green jobs.’ The exchange occurred between Issa, Bureau of Labor Statistics Acting Commissioner Josh Galvin and Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates at the “Addressing Concerns about the Integrity of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Jobs Reporting” hearing Wednesday in Washington.”
Oh my. That was revealing. Under the Labor Department’s definition of a green job, TheDC Morning is pretty sure a used carbon dioxide admitting machine salesman would also count.
2.) Political roundup — TheDC’s Alexis Levinson presents her first installment of TheDC’s political roundup. Among the topics she brings light to is the Texas race for U.S. Senate:
“In Texas, David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz are still battling it out for the Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The two are in a runoff battle since Dewhurst failed to capture 50 percent of the vote in the primary. This week in a play for the Latino vote, the native English-speaking Houstonian Lt. Gov. Dewhurst challenged Cruz, the Cuban American former Texas Solicitor General, to a debate in Spanish. Cruz said he would rather discuss the issues publicly in English. On Thursday, a state Republican Convention crowd booed Texas Gov. Rick Perry when he reiterated his support for his Lieutenant Governor — not a good sign for Dewhurst.”
3.) America’s Iron Lady — Britain had Margaret Thatcher during the 1980s, but America had its own Iron Lady in Jeane Kirkpatrick. She may not have been leader of her country, but she packed a punch representing the U.S. at the United Nations. Now there is a new biography of her, reports TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein (ME!):
“Though former American Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick died over five years ago, the legacy she left still resonates, argues Peter Collier, author of the new biography ‘Political Woman: The Big Little Life of Jeane Kirkpatrick. ‘Dictatorships and Double Standards will always be an arguing point in the dialogue about totalitarian governments,’ Collier, author and founding publisher of Encounter Books, told The Daily Caller, referring to Kirkpatrick’s marquis 1979 essay. ‘It got a new lease on life during the discussion about how the U.S. should react to authoritarians like Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring, and will continue to be relevant now that winter has arrived with the empowerment of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations.'”
4.) Is Ron Paul really not going to be president? — This will be tough for Ron Paul supporters to take, especially those who still believe the Texas congressman has a secret plan to somehow win the Republican nomination. But surely his son’s endorsement of Romney means the game is up, right? TheDC’s David Martosko reports:
“’Before you say what I think you’re going to say, did you check in with your congressman father?’ host Sean Hannity asked. ‘Well, you know, my first choice had always been my father,’ Paul responded. ‘I campaigned for him when I was eleven years old; he’s still my first pick. But you know, now that the nominating process is over, tonight I am happy to announce that I’m going to be supporting Gov. Romney.'”
Then again this could just be a ploy. Very clever, senator. THE DREAM SHALL NEVER DIE: RON PAUL 2012!!!
5.) Poll of the Day: Michigan could be in play — EPIC-MRA poll of Michigan: Mitt Romney 46%, President Obama 45%.
6.) Tweet of Yesterday — Jeffrey Goldberg: UN Secretary General accuses Syria of “unspeakable barbarity,” will follow-up tomorrow with even stronger words, maybe yelling.
VIDEO: Bloomberg fine with eating 68 hotdogs, but not with drinking 32 oz. soda