BATF: MARCH 5, 2015

Welcome to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Friends! Tonight's panel features host Leon Wolf of RedState, plus regulars Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute, F. Bill McMorris of the Washington Free Beacon, Jay Caruso of Pocket Full of Liberty, and guest Brian Faughnan of the LIBRE Initiative. Also, producer Aaron Gardner joins the panel as a contributor tonight as the guys talk Clinton's private email scandal, the King v. Burwell litigation, Net Neutrality, and CPAC.

THREE MARTINI LUNCH: MARCH 2, 2015

National Review's Jim Geraghty and Radio America's Greg Corombos discuss current events. Today's Martinis: The impact of CPAC and a possible GOP Senate pick-up in Maryland, another Putin critic turns up dead, and John Kerry's rosy view of U.S.-Israeli relations.



Walker Thrills a Packed House at CPAC

Scott Walker hit all the right notes when he took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday to address a standing-room-only crowd — even gamely handling a heckler. Walker was talking up Republicans' push to pass a right-to-work law in Wisconsin, a measure to weaken labor unions, when a heckler stood up and began shouting in the packed ballroom. What he said wasn't clear, but Walker handled it like a pro: He quipped, "Apparently the protesters come [here] from Wisconsin as well."

The governor, considered a top contender in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, got a quick standing ovation for his response — one of a number he got during his address. After spending some time touting his strong domestic record as governor of Wisconsin, Walker sharply criticized the Obama administration for its ineffective strategy in the fight against the Islamic State, and its disapproval of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming address before Congress.

Walker's speech, one of the most anticipated of the conference, capped off the first day, and had the auditorium filled to capacity, including crowds standing alongside the walls. Before Walker wrapped up, the crowd briefly erupted into a chant of "run, Scott, run" when talk on stage turned to 2016...

#BREAKING: Senator Rand Paul takes 1st place in the #CPAC2015 straw-poll. Governor Scott Walker comes in at a close 2nd place. #gop #tcot
— Mac Stoddard (@MacStoddard) February 28, 2015

The full results pic.twitter.com/pTqGmXrjSE
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) February 28, 2015

Combining first and second choices -- Paul 42, Walker 40
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) February 28, 2015

So even though @SenRandPaul people were bussed in, @ScottWalker was only 2 points behind, pretty telling.
— Ashe Schow (@AsheSchow) February 28, 2015

So in reality Walker wins the CPAC poll.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) February 28, 2015

5th place in #CPAC2015 straw poll! Nice job @JebBush #loser
— Ari David (@AriDavidUSA) February 28, 2015

When you bus in hundreds and only get 8%, you should probably drop your campaign aspirations. #JebEpicFail
— Benji Backer (@BenjiBacker) February 28, 2015

Yikes, #JebBush gets whipped in #CPAC2015 straw poll despite best astroturfing efforts - beaten even by Ben @RealBenCarson
— Christian Adams (@ElectionLawCtr) February 28, 2015

The real takeaway from CPAC Straw Poll is Scott Walker's performance, impressive precisely because he didn't seek to game his vote. Real.
— Jeff B@AoSHQDD (@EsotericCD) February 28, 2015

After his single-digit FAIL in the #CPAC2015 straw poll look 4 @JebBush 2 retaliate quickly. Expect his op-ed in @Jezebel early next week...
— Moira Fitzgerald ن (@Moira1987) February 28, 2015

Also read:

Walker Op-ed: We must repair the ruptured bonds between Israel and the United States

TWS Poll Results: Walker in a Walk

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 580

Right to Work Gives Gov. Scott Walker Powerful 2016 Boost

Scott Walker's legislative years: A staunch conservative, then as now

Yeah, about that latest Scott Walker "gaffe"

Bush Tries, Fails to Explain American Exceptionalism at CPAC

Unmark your calendars: Mosul liberation postponed indefinitely

Don't Doubt the Islamic State's Sincerity

Calling in the Big Guns to Fire at the San Francisco Archdiocese

Queering the GOP

No Exit: Nemtsov's Murder Will Heighten U.S.-Russia Standoff

Europe Without Jews?

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 579

ISIS Has Begun Executing Captured Christians, According to Report

Not Just Jews: Christians Under Increasing Attack in Europe

Obama's Obsession With Appeasing Iran

On his way out the door, Eric Holder race-baits one last time

Call Clinton Foundation Action What It Was: Corruption

For the press, CPAC takes a serious turn

Moonbat Media: Why Won't Scott Walker Believe in Obama?

Conservatives and 'Gaffes'

Melanie Griffith Drops The Hollywood Act When It Comes To Her Daughter

Madonna's Fall From Relevance

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 578

Gov. Scott Walker: Why I'm Signing Wisconsin's Freedom to Work Legislation

Scott Walker Is Trying to Woo CPAC. And It's Working...

Why Rudy and Walker Were Right

America's Future Depends upon Which Republican Wins

Green Hypocrisy and the Hillary Scandals

Turkish border closed as Christian hostages in Syria spike to 250

China's Space Weapons Threaten U.S. Satellites

Government and Marriage: An Increasingly Toxic Mix

Here's How To Tackle Garden-Variety Political Correctness

The Tyranny of "Rights"

CPAC: WHY CONSERVATISM IS RIGHT FOR WOMEN

In a relaxed but rather hard-hitting women's panel on Saturday at CPAC, Tammy Bruce moderated a discussion titled "Why Conservatism is Right for Women: How Conservatives Should Talk About Life, Property, & National Security."

The symbolism of scheduling the panel for Saturday - which was also International Women's Day - as a lead-in to Sarah Palin's speech probably explains why female speakers at CPAC were not scheduled earlier in the conference.

It was strange, however, that even though the GOP boasts four of this country's five female governors - Nikki Haley (South Carolina), Susana Martinez (New Mexico), Jan Brewer (Arizona) and Mary Fallin (Oklahoma) - none were scheduled to speak.

But the women on this panel were determined to make up for the relative lack of female speakers with some brutal truth about what the GOP needs to do going forward with regards to women's empowerment in the party, messaging to women in the electorate and supporting those GOP women who are in the arena when they are attacked by rabid PIGressives.

"Why do we continue to allow men to talk about our issues?" asked Crystal Wright.

"If women in America think that Republicans and conservatives hate them, they're not going to vote for us," Kate Obenshain, author of Divider-in-Chief: The Fraud of Hope and Change, pointed out.

"We have the message," Marilinda Garcia, a State Representative in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, noted later in the panel. "But we lack the messengers."

It's a fast-paced discussion and I strongly encourage everybody to make time to watch the video in its entirety.

Also read:

Please, Don't Say Anything Stupid

Women's Empowerment Starts with Economic Freedom 

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: MARCH 8, 2014

'I hate political correctness': CPAC crowd cheers as Ben Carson takes on PC police

“It’s time for people to stand up for what they believe and stop being #bullied!” Says @RealBenCarson, on a roll at #CPAC14 @cspan
— Sissy Willis (@SissyWillis) March 8, 2014

"PC police repeat lies over and over again because they can't argue actual facts." - @RealBenCarson #CPAC2014
— Krystal Heath (@TheFriddle) March 8, 2014

“Education is the key and you don’t have to be a victim.” @RealBenCarson #CPAC2014
— Smart Girl Politics (@OfficialSGP) March 8, 2014

'Tolerance' squad reacts to Ben Carson's CPAC speech: 'Uncle Tom,' 'token' with 'house slave syndrome'

@Scott_M_Jones ha ha ha ha ha he is tap dancing for whitey. He can shine my shoes if he wants to act like a slave.
— Laura Levites (@LauraLevites) March 8, 2014

Austin protesters take aim at Facebook's new gun policies

A group in Austin gearing up against FB firearm restrictions. pic.twitter.com/YpiyEFjhvw
— Selena Larson (@selenalarson) March 8, 2014

Tea Party Express reveals its own CPAC 'Oscar selfie'

#CPACSelfie #CPAC2014 @tedcruz @SenRandPaul @SenMikeLee @SarahPalinUSA @AnnCoulter @AmyKremer @AllenWest pic.twitter.com/dzrE6J1n6v
— Tea Party Express (@TeaPartyExpress) March 8, 2014

'Deal killer': Here's why Dana Loesch can't support a Ben Carson campaign

Carson's past remarks on how gun rights should be determined by geographical location was unacceptable. http://t.co/7AS1ANsWx5 #CPAC2014
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 8, 2014

He sees white people: Think Progress editor notes unbearable whiteness of Sunday shows

.@JuddLegum How do you even muster the strength to get out of bed with this kind of injustice around you?
— S.M (@redsteeze) March 8, 2014

Rand Paul runs away with CPAC straw poll; Ted Cruz takes second place

Rand Paul wins big pic.twitter.com/4eLJCq0Rb3
— Sean (@SeanWats) March 8, 2014

'Run, Sarah, run!': Sarah Palin delivers CPAC keynote

What Sarah Palin just recited onstage. #CPAC2014 pic.twitter.com/4IHVteEjAw
— #RepublicanGirlProbs (@RepubGrlProbs) March 8, 2014

Tennessee liquor store bans Russian vodka in support of Ukraine

Thanks to Bob's Wines in Knoxville TX for their support of #Ukraine! |PR Post #Russia #CrimeaInvasion pic.twitter.com/7dmDUy1Dpq
— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) March 9, 2014

Cher finds shirtless Vladimir Putin 'very Village People'

BRAVE UKRAINIAN MARINES...There R 3 Things U Cant Hide 4EVER🙏The SUN,The MOON & THE TRUTH ! putin's an EGOMANIACAL BULLY💪 DICTATORS ALWAYS R
— Cher (@cher) March 9, 2014

THREE MARTINI LUNCH: FEBRUARY 26, 2014

Jim and Greg like that the Democrat running in a tight special House race in Florida said immigration reform was all about making sure we have enough maids and landscapers, dislike the growing likelihood that the U.S. may pull out of Afghanistan entirely this year (which will almost certainly lead to chaos), and discuss the latest CPAC soap opera.



Florida Democrat: Without Immigration Reform, Who Will Clean Our Rooms And Do Our Landscaping?

Alex Sink came very close to winning Florida's gubernatorial election in 2010, and is currently locked in a very tight special election battle over Florida's 13th Congressional District. She is a Democrat. At a recent election forum, she offered the following analysis of the urgent need for immigration reform:

"Immigration reform is important in our country. We have a lot of employers over on the beaches that rely upon workers and especially in this high-growth environment, where are you going to get people to work to clean our hotel rooms or do our landscaping? We don't need to put those employers in a position of hiring undocumented and illegal workers."

Well then.

Sink's defenders will say that she was merely acknowledging economic and demographic realities in her district, and that her comments contained no slight -- intended or otherwise -- against Latinos. The problem is that Sink's defenders are precisely the sort of people who would reflexively and immediately crucify her for uttering those exact same sentences if she had an 'R' next to her name. What's more, every Republican in America would be linked to the comment, then badgered by the media to weigh in on it. That was the playbook for Todd Akin (a politician who said something stunningly ignorant) and Ted Nugent (a musician who said something odious and disgraceful). Will the media apply the will-you-denounce? model to national Democrats over Sink's remarks?

Also read:

Oh, CPAC. What Are We Going to Do With You?

Bozell: CPAC Has a Lot to Answer for over 'Nauseating' Atheist Invite

RAND PAUL AT CPAC: FULL SPEECH

WRONG BATTLE, WRONG ENEMY

Here is the problem: low-information voters [LIV] are a big chunk of the electorate, especially in the Democratic Party, but the Republican Party isn't free of them either. These are the voters who could not tell you if the national debt is $16 million or $16 trillion. They don’t know anything about the criticisms of how our government handled Benghazi. Ben Ghazi? Isn't he an actor? Fast & Furious is a movie, not a scandal. They know that gay marriage is a good thing because all their favorite actors and musicians think it is so cool! And "assault weapons" are those guns they see in movies, firing hundreds of rounds a minute.

I hope by now that you are beginning to get the picture of what defines an LIV: he or she does not read PJ Media or, for that matter, the Huffington Post or any political publication, left or right. The better-informed LIVs read Us or People. Most of an LIV’s knowledge of economics, politics, and history comes from watching movies, television shows, The Daily Show, and stuff that one of his leftist friends posts on Facebook. You know why President Obama won the election? He was doing local radio shows and The View. He was being promoted by rap musicians and actors.

I get very frustrated with the number of Republican congressmen unwilling to put up a serious fight against the Democrats. Yes, some of them really stand for nothing, and some of them have been corrupted by the knowledge that if they don't support amnesty for illegals, they won't get agribusiness support at the next election. But a lot of congressmen are facing this harsh reality: LIVs are a big part of the electorate, even in fairly safe Republican districts.

If you start saying things that are contrary to conventional wisdom (you know, like the fact that murder rates are less than half of what they were in 1980, and assault weapons are used in a tiny fraction of 1% of U.S. murders), you will quickly become a kook to the LIVs.

It is not at all surprising that when Republican congressmen have to choose between the 30% of voters who are grossly misinformed or the 5% of voters who can actually tell you what the Kelo decision found or how much deficits increased after Democrats took over Congress in 2006, many members of Congress have no choice but to go with the ignorant ones. They have us outnumbered.

MARCO RUBIO AT CPAC: FULL SPEECH

THE LIBERAL MEDIA LIE ABOUT CPAC

Take, for example, the young comedian Steven Crowder. While serving as emcee on the Potomac Ballroom stage Saturday at CPAC, Crowder made a joke about actress (and, it is rumored, future Kentucky Senate candidate) Ashley Judd: "This just in, Ashley Judd just tweeted that purchasing Apple products is akin to rape — from her iPhone." Which is pretty doggone funny if you know that, as Alex Pappas of the Daily Caller reported, Judd has claimed that the purchasers of the iPhone and other Apple products are "financing mass rape" by using minerals mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Judd has a penchant for throwing around "rape" in her far-left political rants. She has compared coal-mining in Kentucky to rape and, also, to genocide in Rwanda. Judd's long history of such outrageous comments has Republicans laughing mirthfully at the prospect of the actress challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky next year. But according to liberal journalists — whose cheerleading for Democrats is now so unapologetically blatant that it is taken for granted — the real outrage is that any Republican would criticize Judd’s lunatic utterances.

This is apparently why the Huffington Post decided to lie about Crowder's joke. "Steven Crowder, a Fox News contributor who hosted part of Saturday’s activities at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference, made a questionable remark about actress and possible Kentucky Senate candidate Ashley Judd," a post at the site described it, omitting both the factual context and the first part of the joke, quoting only Crowder's follow-on comment: "What is this obsession with Ashley Judd and rape? It's pretty unnerving."

By tagging Crowder as a "Fox News contributor," the writer of the HuffPo item signaled to liberal readers that the young comic is a hate-object. Evidently, the unnamed writer – the cowardly HuffPo liar didn't put a byline on this cheap smear-job – didn't trust his readers to have enough sense to decide whether or not Crowder's joke was "questionable." And, of course, there was the clever ju-jitsu reversal: The story is not about whether Ashley Judd's rhetoric was too over-the-top for a Senate candidate — Judd's own remarks aren't even quoted — but rather whether a comedian's joke about Judd is "questionable."