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1.) Can you spot the idiot? — He’s the one planning on running for president but only accepting gold and Bitcoin. The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Betsi Fores reports:
“While the 2016 presidential election is still far off, one hopeful is getting a head start on fundraising by accepting unorthodox forms of campaign donations. In an open letter to the Federal Election Commission, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Darryl Perry declared that his campaign will use Internet currencies like Bitcoin wallet and Litecoin wallet as well as precious metals to finance his bid for the White House. ‘The Darryl W. Perry for President (2016) campaign will not be accepting donations in currencies recognized by the federal legal tender laws,’ the letter states.”
TheDC Morning would now like to apologize to Mr. Perry for calling him an idiot. Clearly he is awesome. Please run. Please run. Please run. You’ll be so much fun to cover.
2.) Can you spot the guy acting falsely modest? — Ted Cruz REALLY hates people speculating about him running for president, guys. TheDC’s Alexis Levinson:
“Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called a Wednesday report that he is seriously considering a presidential bid in 2016 ‘wild speculation.’ On Wednesday, National Review reported that ‘friends and confidants’ of the freshman senator said he was taking a very hard look jumping into the presidential fray, where he could fill a void if other conservative favorites like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan lose favor for supporting immigration reform. Speculation that Cruz is thinking about a presidential run has swirled for months, amplified by Cruz’s own actions. In February, he headlined a Republican dinner in Ohio, a must-win state for any presidential hopeful. This weekend, he is the featured speaker at a Republican dinner in the early primary state of South Carolina. But Cruz swatted down the rumors Wednesday in a Facebook post, saying his focus remains on serving as a senator.”
Seriously everyone, Cruz really wants you to stop writing about him possibly being the conservative hope for president in 2016. All the attention the right’s bestowing on him must be so grating.
3.) Can you spot Terrorista #1? — TheDC’s Patrick Howley reports:
“Two suspects who have been taken into custody in connection with the Boston Marathon with ‘Terrorista #1’ printed on the front plate. Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev were reportedly arrested, along with one other person, for allegedly making false statements and conspiring to obstruct justice during the federal investigation into Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, officials said Wednesday. Tazhayakov and Kadrbayev, who are reportedly in FBI custody, drove around in a black BMW with ‘Terrorista #1’ license plates and were also photographed with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Times Square.'”
Protip: If you are a terrorist, or even friends with terrorists, do not get a vanity plate that says “Terrorista #1.”
4.) Can you spot the lousy poll numbers? — A new poll of the world’s Muslims was released earlier this week. TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein points out 9 of the most interesting tidbits from the poll, including that — alarmingly — a majority of Muslims in several countries think adulterers and apostates should be put to death:
“The poll forces you to do some math to figure out the percentages for this one. But it is easily doable. When you crunch the numbers, you find that at least 84 percent of Muslims in Afghanistan, 75 percent in the Palestinian territories, 60 percent in Egypt, 53 percent in Iraq and 52 percent in Malaysia favor stoning as a lethal punishment for adultery. A majority of Muslims in several countries also support the death penalty for Muslims who convert away from Islam, including in Afghanistan (at least 78 percent), Egypt (at least 64 percent), Pakistan (at least 64 percent), the Palestinian territories (at least 59 percent), Jordan (at least 58 percent) and Malaysia (at least 53 percent).”
TheDC Morning is a big believer in democracy — more specifically, liberal democracy. But these poll numbers suggest that parts of the Muslim world might have to modernize before democracy can be viable. Before societies get the voting aspect of democracy, it is important that they have a culture that embraces the liberal values that sustain democracy, values without which voting is meaningless and often temporary.
5.) Tweet of Yesterday — AdamSerwer: Brotip: Don’t try to help your bro cover up a federal crime
6.) Today in North Korean News — BREAKING: Kim Jong Un Sends Message of Thanks to Officials and Other People and Service Personnel”
VIDEO: Kris Kross is will make you jump, jump … RIP Chris Kelly