NEWS AND OPINION:
The persistent Stop Hillary PAC has marked the formal start of the Benghazi hearings with some noise of their own. The independent political action committee has dropped $100,000 on broadcast ads in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa featuring a 30-second spot that has a simple recommendation: “Stop the silence.”
The organization is referring, of course, to unanswered questions about the terrorist attacks in the diplomatic compound that took place under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s watch. Then there’s the organization’s petition to “Subpoena Hillary,” which promptly accrued 264,220 signatures. Representatives have already delivered 10 boxes with 18,800 pages of signatures to the office of Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi.
“Stop Hillary PAC was the first anti-Hillary PAC to file with the Federal Election Commission and we are the leaders in the movement to stop Hillary from becoming president. Over the last year we have raised approximately $1 million and received the support of almost 600,000 Americans,” an adamant spokesman tells Inside the Beltway. “Today there is not a more powerful, well connected politician in America who threatens to do real harm to the American way of life than Hillary Rodham Clinton, the liberal standard-bearer of the next generation of radical policies.”
FOR THE LEXICON
“Democalypse 2016”
— Comedy Central host Jon Stewart’s designation for the perpetual press speculation over potential Democratic presidential hopefuls. “Willary or won’tary?” the weary Mr. Stewart asks.
SARAH PALIN RETURNS TO WASHINGTON
Well, this ought to whet the appetites of certain journalists. Sarah Palin is among the confirmed speakers for the ninth annual Values Voters Summit next week in the nation’s capital.
“Governor Palin has always been a steadfast supporter of natural marriage and every human’s right to life. She not only ’talks the talk’ but also walks by her convictions. We are proud to stand with the Governor and are honored to have her presence, for the first time, at the Values Voter Summit,” says Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council Action, organizer of the big doings.
They are pretty significant. Also on the podium for the three-day event, which includes several religious services: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the energetic Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, plus Reps. Jim Jordan, Michele Bachmann, Vicky Hartzler, John Fleming and Frank Wolf; Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Glenn Beck and Mark Levin.
MAKES NO SCENTS
Politics stink? Maybe. A new study reveals that people are attracted to the smell of others with similar political opinions — an idea that also helps explain why couples share similar political views. This is no random conclusion. Researchers from three universities persuaded 125 participants to evaluated the body odor of 21 “strong” liberal and conservative who were cooperative indeed. All taped little cotton squares in their underarms for 24 hours to get the sample scent.
And voila.
“People could not predict the political ideology of others by smell if you asked them, but they differentially found the smell of those who aligned with them more attractive. So I believe smell conveys important information about long-term affinity in political ideology that becomes incorporated into a key component of subconscious attraction,” says Rose McDermott, professor of political science at Brown University and lead author of the study, published in the American Journal of Political Science. Her research team included experts from Harvard and Penn State universities.
The author is intrigued, she says, in “the effect of biology on political attitudes, preferences and behavior.”
RANDOM READING
“From the extraordinary to the ordinary, the U.S. Treasury Dept. seized real estate auctions have it all!” declares CWS Asset Management and Sales, which has been designated by the federal agency — and a dozen other agencies besides — as the primary contractor to manage all these properties, and, well, things — which include luxury cars, boats, engines, gold and silver coins, aircraft, electronics, computers, jewelry, designer handbags and apparel. See the organization’s direct but cheerful offerings here: Cwsmarketing.com
A MOMENT WITH THE COAST GUARD
Hooyah. Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zukunft himself made a surprise visit this week to the Cutter Bertholf, docked in Alameda, California — all to recognize Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Baasch, a gunner’s mate who discovered an illegal mother lode during a recent narcotics raid off the coast of Colombia. The meticulous Montana native led search teams through two suspect fishing boats; they found 5,900 pounds of cocaine hidden in a fuel tanks and 1,550 pounds of hidden throughout the other craft. The value of the find was $113 million, six suspected smugglers were apprehended.
“I couldn’t have done anything without my shipmates,” honoree told admiral. The 418-foot Bertholf, incidentally, is the first of eight planned national security cutters; it sports a 50- by 80-foot flight deck, is armed with six machine guns and a 57 mm Bofors deck gun, among other things.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: The James Parker Home, Greek Revival design on four acres built in 1835, Box Springs, Georgia. “Breathtaking historical character and understated elegance,” three bedrooms, two updated baths, 2,638 square feet. Property features hand-hewn adze marks, 24-inch wide floor planks, heart pine timbers, 12-foot high ceilings, 17-by 17-foot rooms, extensive built-in shelving and woodwork, open hallway, sun room, deck, out building, modernized kitchen, Mexican tile, central air. Price: $134,950 through JohnBunnRealty.com; property list No. 141529
POLL DU JOUR
72 percent of Americans would vote for a Protestant or a Catholic in a presidential election.
70 percent would vote for a single candidate, 69 percent for someone who is Jewish.
49 percent would vote for a gay person, 47 percent for a Mormon.
46 percent would vote for a bisexual person, 43 percent for a Buddhist.
43 percent would vote for someone who refuses to discuss their “sexuality” 41 percent would vote for a candidate that refuses to discuss religious views.
39 percent would vote for an agnostic or atheist, 37 percent would vote for a Hindu.
34 percent would vote for a transgender person, 28 percent a Muslim.
Source: A Harris poll of 2,537 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 13-18 and released Tuesday.
Murmurs and asides to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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