Inside the Beltway

NEWS AND OPINION:

VENTURA HIGHWAY

“To Congressman Ron Paul, the only federal elected official who will stand up for Americans on the congressional floor,” says Jesse Ventura, in the dedication of his fifth book, “63 Documents the Government Doesn’t Want You to Read.”

Indeed, the former Minnesota governor is a fan of the Texas Republican, not to mention Patrick Henry, government accountability and transparency. Mr. Ventura is vexed by overuse of the “Top Secret” label, he says, claiming that 16 million documents get the designation each year. The 302-page book goes on sale Monday and features sections devoted to “post war deceptions,” government, military and corporate secrets; “the shady White House,” September 11 and the “so-called ’war on terror’.” Mr. Ventura, incidentally, now hosts “Conspiracy Theory” on TruTV.

“I’ve put together this book in the same spirit as WikiLeaks - to reveal truth,” Mr. Ventura observes. “It’s become crystal clear that our democracy has been undermined from within, and it’s been going on a long time.”

HARE-RAISING

Well, at least “Easter” is still included in “White House Easter Egg Roll” rather than some generic substitution like “spring.” Or maybe uh, “Earth Day.” Yes, imagine the “Earth Day Egg Roll.”

But no matter. Barreling forward, Inside the Beltway proclaims support for any effort to help children stay trim, play tag outside, read, curb their electronic media time and savor the halcyon years of their childhood without wearing push-up bras or watching R-rated movies. Really.

And the White House means well. Really. But the egg-rolling event has taken on advocacy underpinnings that threaten to swap joy and charm with branding and a certain grim intent, launched in a jelly-bean-free zone by an Easter Bunny in gym shorts. Let us remember. This is a children’s event rather than a marketing opportunity.

“In a continued effort to make the Easter Egg Roll more environmentally friendly, all eggs have again been crafted in the United States from Forest Stewardship Council-certified hardwood. The packaging has also been designed to minimize waste and environmental impact, helping to create a ’greener’ Easter egg and Easter egg packaging,” the White House notes in an advisory about the April 25 event.

The eggs also feature “vegetable oil-based inks and a water-based coating”, there’s “no wood fibers from controversial sources” and the roll itself “is focused on promoting health and wellness with the theme, ’Get Up and Go!’…All of the activities will encourage children to lead healthy and active lives, which is a central part of the First Lady’s ’Let’s Move!’ initiative, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity.”

COMMUNIST MANIFESTO

“In every one of the situations that Ive been in Madison and Indianapolis, there is a radicalization going on among legislators, Democratic legislators, that I’ve never seen in my lifetime, and I don’t think any of us have …We have to see the possibility that a lot of these Democrats are going to move toward more independent positions. And by independent I mean independent of the corporations, independent of the finance capital, and independent of the ruling class of this country.”“

- Communist Party USA Vice Chair Scott Marshall, in an interview with the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, a Wisconsin-based think tank promoting free markets and limited government.

ABORTION-DRIVEN

“I joined Planned Parenthood because I wanted to help poor women with real health care needs. I still do. I learned that planned parenthood is not about womens health at all. Their primary profit center and their entire corporate culture is about abortions … My superiors actually instructed me to increase the number of abortions at my facility.”

So says former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson in a new advocacy ad from a coalition of pro-life groups intent on exposing what they call the organizations “abortion-driven business model.” The new TV spot notes that Planned Parenthood receives $380 million annually in federal funds and that 98 percent of its outreach is abortion. The groups, which have bought $90,000 in commercial air time, include the Susan B. Anthony List Education Fund, American Values, Catholic Advocate and the CatholicVote.org Education Fund.

“If this Congress cannot find the moral courage to relieve taxpayers of the burden this scandal-plagued organization places upon them, it is not serious about budget reform,” says Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List Education Fund.

WOOFINGTON

To the concerned Beltway reader who called to inquire after the health and well-being of one Bo Obama, the White House dog: According to a patient and indulgent source familiar with Bo and maybe even his brand of kibble and grooming secrets, the Portuguese water spaniel is fine, enjoying life and padding around the White House at his leisure.

POLL DU JOUR

• 60 percent of Americans say U.S. involvement in Libya “will last for sometime.”

• 33 percent say it “will be over pretty quickly.”

• 50 percent say the U.S. and its allies do not have a “clear goal in Libya.”

• 52 percent of Republicans and 42 percent of Democrats agree.

• 47 percent say U.S. air strikes in Libya were the right decision.

• 54 percent of Republicans and 49 percent of Democrats agree.

• 46 percent overall say the U.S. and its allies should remove Moammar Gadhafi from power

• 43 percent say the U.S. and allies should only “protect citizens.”

• 35 percent say the U.S. is “leading military action.”

Source: A Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey of 1,002 adults conducted March 24-27.

• Doggerel, catcalls, conspiracy theories to jharper@washingtontimes.com. Follow the column at twitter.com/harperbulletin