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1.) It’s good to be king … and a federal employee — Apparently a lot of federal employees don’t pay their taxes. TheDC’s Alex Pappas reports:
“Citing figures indicating that more than 100,000 federal employees owe more than $1 billion in federal taxes, a House committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would require the firing of government workers who are ‘seriously tax delinquent.’ The legislation, introduced by Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, advanced through the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. It now has to pass the full House to be implemented into law. ‘Most taxpayers file accurate tax returns and pay the taxes they owe on time, regardless of their income,’ Chaffetz, a Republican, said during the hearing Wednesday. ‘Federal employees and individuals applying for federal employment should do the same.'”
A lot of conservatives are fond of saying that America is becoming like Greece. But our public sector is increasingly validating that point of view.
2.) Spending shenanigans — Tom Coburn wants the White House to be open for tours. TheDC’s Caroline May reports:
“The Senate on Wednesday voted to leave the White House closed to public tours, instead leaving funding in place for government-promoted winery music, cookbooks, iPhone apps and winter festivals, according to Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn’s office. The amendment to reopen the White House for tours, which was introduced by the Oklahoma Republican, would have reduced National Heritage Area funding by $8.1 million and directed $6 million of the savings toward keeping the White House and other National Parks open. It failed by a 54-45 vote.”
As anyone knows, the best kind of winery music is government-promoted winery music.
3.) Rodman’s reveal — Dennis Rodman continues to spill the beans on his trip to North Korea. TheDC’s Taylor Bigler reports:
“America’s Sweetheart™ Dennis Rodman is now BFF with North Korea’s dictator, but the two might not be LOLing over text messages after The Worm has revealed that Kim is a dad of secret (though apparently legitimate) children. That information and other Kim tidbits came out during an interview with UK’s The Sun after his visit to North Korea. Rodman claims all Kim wants to do is listen to American pop music from Michael Jackson and the Bee Gees and shoot some hoops. … To Rodman, Kim is a misunderstood figure who ‘is not one of these Saddam Hussein-type characters that wants to take over the world,’ and that he really doesn’t want to kill anyone, despite the fact that a 30-year armistice between South Korea is about to end — perhaps signifying war.”
It is true Kim Jong Un is no Saddam Hussein. As bad as Hussein’s Iraq was — and it was bad — it couldn’t hold a repressive candle to what the North Korean regime is currently inflicting upon its citizens.
4.) President Sequester — That would be Calvin Coolidge, or so Coolidge biographer Amity Shlaes tells TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein:
“While President Barack Obama may be no fan of the sequester, the man who occupied his office nine decades ago would likely have been all for it, said Shlaes. ‘He would call for a rollback,’ she said, when asked whether Coolidge would have supported reforming or eliminating Medicare and Social Security if he were alive today. ‘He would say ‘sequester away.’ Why? Not because he was cruel, but because he thought government ought to do what it said it would do.'”
5.) Tweet of Yesterday — Donald J. Trump: Why do the losers & haters always say I wear a “wig” when they know I don’t. Like it or not, it’s all mine—just ask Barbara Walters.
6.) Today in North Korean News — BREAKING: “Birthday Party Given for Participants in Meeting of Light Industrial Workers”
VIDEO: Krauthammer says Obama has “abandoned the naive view” he had on the Middle East
