NEWS AND OPINION:
Predictably, it’s time to fire up Air Force One and point the magnificent-but-pricey aircraft toward the West Coast. President Obama is due in Los Angeles Thursday to appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” before attending a private fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, where the admission is $33,400 a couple.
To Mr. Obama’s credit, it’s not all celebrity. On his way back to the nation’s capital, Mr. Obama will stop in Phoenix on Friday to visit the local Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to be joined by VA Secretary Robert McDonald, to “hear about progress made to improve the VA’s ability to serve veterans in a timely and effective manner, areas where more progress is needed and further steps that are planned,” the White House advises.
Well, roger that.
Meanwhile, there is one aspect to Hollywood to heed — this from the famous and possibly fickle. Hillary Rodham Clinton may no longer be the Democratic standard-bearer among the entertainment elite following much scrutiny of circumstances — the private emails, plus unanswered questions about Benghazi and donations to the Clinton family foundation.
One headline says all: “Hillary in Crisis: Hollywood Democrats see Elizabeth Warren as Plan B,” declares The Hollywood Reporter, which points out that such heavyweights as Norman Lear, Susan Sarandon, Edward Norton and Darren Aronofsky now side with the Massachusetts lawmaker, plus the “Run Warren Run” movement organized by progressive activists at MoveOn.org.
“The new questions about Clinton’s viability come in what has become a season of discontent for industry Democrats. Many in Hollywood privately have expressed dissatisfaction with President Obama. The more conservative power brokers are disappointed with his handling of threats to Israel, capped off by his recent clash with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran’s nuclear program,” write Tina Daunt and Tatiana Siegel, who cover the political minutiae for the industry publication.
“Hollywood’s more liberal contingent feels that many of Obama’s policies on national security and his relationship with Wall Street have offered no improvement from predecessor George W. Bush,” the pair adds.
THE HILLARY STALWARTS
They are still “ready.” Regardless of what happens in the press, Ready for Hillary — the independent political action committee that has already raised over $6 million for a potential campaign — remains ready to rumble. They have, in fact, founded nine more outreach groups geared to blacks, Hispanics, Asians, the LGBT community, veterans and other demographics. They continue to sell Hillary-themed champagne glasses and wearables. Grass-roots fundraisers are many: This week, the fans meet Thursday at a nightclub some three blocks from the White House in the nation’s capital — requesting $20.16 or $201.60 from their guests, in keeping with the presidential theme.
Some will never buy it, following Mrs. Clinton’s appearance on Wednesday to explain the email side of things.
“It is more or less a perfect storm for a party seeking to hold onto the White House next year without having Barack Obama on the top of the ticket. It’s not just that there are unanswered questions about her conduct and judgment that will linger. It’s that the woman who stood up in front of the press at the United Nations made Mitt Romney look like a great retail politician,” writes Jonathan S. Tobin, a Commentary Magazine columnist.
WHERE’S MR. BIDEN?
Just in case you’re wondering where Vice President Joseph R. Biden is on Thursday, here is your answer, direct from the White House:
“The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden will be in the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are no public events scheduled.”
The couple returns Sunday.
PETITION CENTRAL
They all cite “47 senators.” There are not one but seven petitions now filed at “We the People,” the official White House online public engagement site, requesting that charges be filed against the “senators who sent the letter to Iran,” as one petition put it.
In review: Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, penned an open letter of warning to Iran hand-signed by 46 of his peers, warning the nation not to sign a nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that did not have congressional approval. The signers included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sens. Orrin G. Hatch, Joni Ernst and Rand Paul.
But back to the petitions. Some of the entries used the term “treason” and cited the Logan Act of 1799, which essentially forbids “unauthorized citizens” from conducting foreign policy; the petitions have each drawn between as few as 1,000 to over 167,000 signatures. The White House will respond to a petition that reaches 100,000 signatures in 30 days. The aforementioned petition got there in two days.
“My favorite thing about this petition is that it hit the 100,000 threshold. By the White House’s own rules, this means that there has to be a response,” writes Moe Lane, a RedState.com columnist who points out that the U.S. Senate can actually “advise and consent” in the matter of treaties. “I can’t wait to hear what it is. Spoiler warning: not even Barack Obama is enough of a fool to try to arrest the Senate.”
MR. PERRY COMES TO CALL
Let’s not forget that former Texas Gov. Rick Perry will appear Thursday at the venerable “Politics and Eggs” political forum event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Manchester. See the moment when cowboy boots meet snowshoes; yes, C-SPAN2 will be there to cover it live at 8:30 a.m. EST.
Mr. Perry is quietly making the rounds. He will be arriving in the Granite State from a previous stop in Greenville, North Carolina, where he was well received and delivered a stump speech in a local living room in a black suit with red tie, this according to the Greenville News.
“He’s honest. He’s got a backbone. And he’s had a lot of experience running the state of Texas,” one local Republican told the paper.
FOXIFICATION
Big ratings numbers continue to roll in for Fox News, which has reached a milestone this week. The cable news network has now reached No. 1 across all prime-time cable programming during the golden hours of 8-11 p.m., this according to Nielsen. Fox averaged 1.9 million viewers during the nightly time period, outranking TBS, AMC, USA, the Discovery Channel and others.
The network also reached its highest daytime rating, with a typical audience of 1.2 million, placing it third across all cable programming during that time period, just behind Nickelodeon and Adult Swim.
Meanwhile, numbers for cable news rivals are not so promising. CNN ranked No. 32 in prime time and No. 20 tie in total daytime, while MSNBC was No. 28 in prime time and No. 33 during the day.
POLL DU JOUR
• 79 percent of Republicans say Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is a “strong” leader.
• 74 percent say he cares about the problems of average people; 70 percent say Mr. Walker is “honest.”
• 68 percent say he is “intelligent”; 67 percent say Mr. Walker shares their values.
• 56 percent say he will run for president in 2016; 55 percent say Mr. Walker is “sincere.”
• 52 percent say he is “about right” in his level of conservatism; 50 percent say he has qualifications for the White House.
• 44 percent have confidence in his ability to deal with an international crisis.
Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 247 self-described Republicans conducted Feb. 28 to March 2 and released Monday.
• Bombastic pronouncements, good advice to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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