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1.) Pot won’t put so much money in the pot — Weed may be legal now in Colorado, but don’t expect it to bring in so much dough for the government. The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Greg Campbell reports:
“How much pot will Coloradans consume once it becomes widely and legally available? About 150,000 pounds a year, according to a new study by the Colorado Futures Center at Colorado State University. The study warns its estimate is probably conservative. Put another way, that’s roughly 672 million bong hits per year, which may generate as much as $130 million in tax revenue. But despite the best efforts of Colorado pot smokers, not even that amount of toking is expected to produce enough revenue to cover the costs of regulating the industry, much less contribute to other areas of the state’s balance sheet.”
Of course, the argument that legalizing weed would be an economic boon was always the least compelling argument for legalizing the drug.
2.) Syria’s saga gets even more serious — The White House isn’t sounding too strong about sticking by its red line in Syria. TheDC’s Neil Munro reports:
“White House officials are aggressively downplaying the growing evidence that Syria’s government has twice crossed a national security ‘red line’ announced by President Barack Obama.The announced ‘red line’ was intended to deter the embattled Syrian dictatorship, headed by Bashar al-Assad, from using chemical weapons against the various Islamist and local rebel factions now trying to seize the capital city of Damascus. ‘I think what the Assad regime needs to know is that we are watching this incredibly closely,’ a White House official told reporters Thursday afternoon. ‘Were he to undertake any additional use [of chemical weapons], he would be doing so under very careful monitoring from us and the international community.'”
3.) Man of the people— Terry McAuliffe doesn’t want your thousands anymore. TheDC’s Alex Pappas reports:
“Terry McAuliffe was once referred to as the ‘booking agent of the Lincoln Bedroom.’ But in a twist of irony, the Democrat is coming out hard against expensive political perks that he seemed to once enjoy, now that he’s a candidate for governor of Virginia again. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Thursday that McAuliffe is pledging to sign an executive order forbidding himself or his family from receiving gifts worth more than $100.”
What a hero. #sarcasm
4.) Louie’s lowdown — Conservative Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert has an unconventional take on what the GOP’s 2012 electoral failure should teach Republicans. He tells TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein that the GOP should follow the examples of Chris Christie and Scott Walker:
“I think if we had done the things we promised that we wouldn’t be told that now we have to pander. You know, Scott Walker showed if you make promises and you do what you promise, you don’t have to pander. And, you know, Chris Christie has done somewhat the same thing. You make promises when you’re running, and keep your promises. And even when people disagree with you or don’t like you, they will look upon you as being a person of honor and they’ll respect you and you will be elected again. It’s just that people are so hungry for elected officials that will do what they say and say what they’ll do and keep those promises.”
Weinstein spent a day with Gohmert on Wednesday. Read the full interview with him on the site today and check back to TheDC next week to see what a day in the life of Gohmert is like.
5.) Tweet of Yesterday — daveweigel: Ha ha, liberal making joke about the “Bush library” and Bush not being smart. You are literally the first to do that!
6.) Today in North Korean News — BREAKING: “Dancing Party of Women’s Union Members Held”