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1.) Endorse Romney at your own risk — You may be called nasty names if you endorse Mitt Romney. TheDC’s Jeff Poor reports:
“’Friday Night Lights’ author Buzz Bissinger explained on Sunday’s broadcast of CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ that his Daily Beast column endorsing Mitt Romney, published last week, prompted a firestorm of rage and contempt from liberals. ‘I would say between the Daily Beast comments, Twitter comments, Facebook comments … I ran about 6-1 against,’ Bissinger said. ‘And it wasn’t just, you know, ‘I disagree’ with you. It was the f-word, it was ‘you’re a baby killer.’ It was even friends, among friends it wasn’t as vitriolic. It was this sense of, ‘How dare you, you’re a traitor. You’re a writer. You’re a journalist. How can you possibly come out in favor of this man.'”
2.) Saddam Hussein LOVES “The Lizard King” — Well, that may not be true. We weren’t able to exactly ask him because he’s dead. But TheDC’s Peter Tucci did interview your DC Morning facilitator about his new book (co-authored with TheDC’s Will Rahn), “The Lizard King: The Shocking Inside Account of Obama’s True Intergalactic Ambitions By An Anonymous White House Staffer:
“TheDC: As you know, ‘The Lizard King’ has been compared to E.M. Forster’s ‘A Passage to India’ because of its depth. Which authors do you look to for inspiration? And which other authors, if any, would you compare yourselves to? JW: For both answers: the Prophet Muhammad, the romance literature of Saddam Hussein and whoever is responsible for ‘Gilgamesh’ TheDC: You are, of course, referring to ‘Zabiba and the King,’ Saddam Hussein’s beautifully written, semi-biographical novel. It’s interesting that you would mention that as an influence, because reading ‘The Lizard King’ reminded me of reading ‘Zabiba and the King.’ It definitely has that vibe. JW: I’m pleased to hear that. TheDC: Moving on. You edited out the lizard sex scenes that were in the narrator’s original manuscript, and yet a lot of people are saying that your book is highly sexualized? Why is that? JW: Who is saying this? Is this what you do in the mainstream media? Make things up?”
If you haven’t yet purchased “The Lizard King,” you’ve let your country down. But you can rectify that by buying the book now.
3.) Rand Paul vs. Lindsey Graham — An interparty spat is playing out on the national stage, Jim Antle reports for The Daily Caller News Foundation:
“Political ads targeting several Democratic senators up for re-election in November could become an issue for South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2014. When Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul launched an ad campaign against Democrats who opposed his proposal to end foreign aid to Libya, Egypt and Pakistan, Graham took the unusual step of defending the Democrats from a fellow Republican. Graham held a conference call with West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to slam both the ad and Paul’s foreign aid bill. Paul swiftly fired back, telling Politico, ‘I don’t see myself campaigning against a Republican in a general election ever, that’s why I think it’s extraordinary that Graham is supporting a Democrat in a general election.’ ‘Which is more important: Defending… a failed policy of foreign aid or getting a Republican majority?’ The clash with Paul comes amid speculation that Graham could be the next tea party target when he is up for re-election in 2014.”
4.) Arlen Specter, RIP — Former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter passed away Sunday. The AP reports:
“Specter died Sunday at his home in Philadelphia from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, said his son Shanin. He was 82. Over the years, Specter had fought two previous bouts with Hodgkin lymphoma, overcome a brain tumor and survived cardiac arrest following bypass surgery. Intellectual and stubborn, Specter took the lead on a wide spectrum of issues and was no stranger to controversy. In one of his last major political acts, Specter startled fellow senators in April 2009 when he announced he was joining the Democrats. He said he was ‘increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy,’ though he said the Democrats could not count on him to be ‘an automatic 60th vote’ that would give them a filibuster-proof majority.”
5.) Today in North Korean News — BREAKING: “Kyodo News Delegation Visits Different Places”
6.) Tweet of Yesterday —Michael C Moynihan: Very kind of CNN to interrupt its 3 hour Red Bull advertisement to mention Arlen Spector’s death