Inside the Beltway: Behold the Trump Burger

NEWS AND OPINION:

Take a half-pound of ham, a third-pound of beef, grilled onions, homemade bread, and what have you got? It’s the Trump Burger, now offered for $14.99 at the historic Northside Cafe, located in Winterset, Iowa — about 15 miles southwest of Des Moines, and the birthplace of John Wayne. The 139-year-old eatery confirmed Tuesday that the new entree is a huge hit. “Customers just love the Trump Burger,” a spokeswoman tells Inside the Beltway.

“This burger is all business. Made like the man who likes to ham it up for the cameras, it’s stacked with ham, but don’t worry — it’s piled on top of our famous no-nonsense, all-beef, all-American burger patty made from our special brisket and chuck grind,” the chef says in extensive notes on the dish. “We’ve added shredded cheese as Trump continues to shred the competition in the polls. Grilled onions for all the tears from political pros who can’t figure Trump out. And it’s served on our incredible Northside bread, right here in the heart of America. We’re making the hamburger great again with the Trump burger.”

There’s a little Hollywood heritage as well. The small cafe was featured in the 1995 film “The Bridges of Madison County.” Principle actor Clint Eastwood’s spot at the counter is considered a must-see among visitors.

There’s a few more Trump burgers afoot, meanwhile. Prior to the Republican debate in Colorado last fall, the Capital Grille in Denver introduced the “Trump Burger (You’re Fired!”), another gargantuan burger, this one topped with a pair of bacon-wrapped, cream cheese-filled jalapeno peppers and a “combover” of coleslaw

The trend continues overseas. The Old Queen’s Head - a London restaurant  - is also offering their version of the formidable T-burger. Simply dubbed “Donald Trump,” it is essentially a glorified bacon cheeseburger, generous with Applewood bacon and bourbon-based barbecue sauce. The burger is featured alongside the “Kevin Bacon” and the “John Belushi,” among other burger offerings.

THE OBAMA/SANDERS MYSTERY MEETING

On the docket for Wednesday: A private meeting at the White House between President Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders. There are sparse details and only neutral comments from those who might know the details.

“The President and Sen. Sanders first discussed this meeting last December when Senator Sanders attended the Congressional Holiday Ball. The two will meet privately in the Oval Office and there will be no formal agenda,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a simple statement.

As was once said in the news business, stay tuned.

NATIONAL SECURITY CANDIDATES DRAW BIG BUCKS

Sign of the times? John R. Bolton reports that 66,000 donors sent in $7 million last year to the political action committees he founded, and that the outreach is on track to raise $21 million for the 2016 election cycle.

“The incredible growth in support for the PAC, super PAC and foundation over the last year is a testament to citizens’ overwhelming desire for strong national security policies,” Mr. Bolton says. “With growing threats from terrorists like ISIS, nuclear proliferators like Iran and world powers like Russia and China, Americans want strong leadership. It is my priority to identify and support candidates who will fight to defend America’s interests and work effectively with our allies in these dire times.”

Mr. Bolton has already contributed to 17 congressional re-election campaigns. Sens. John McCain, Kelly Ayotte and Rob Portman are among those on the receiving end. A source predicts that Mr. Bolton — once a presidential hopeful himself — has a “surprise endorsement” on the way.

“I’m not the S&P 500 rating system. While I spent most of 2015 focused on having a substantive debate on foreign policy, I am now observing the individual candidates, their foreign policy stances and whether or not he or she is prepared to be president on Day 1,” Mr. Bolton declares. “If I feel it necessary to endorse a candidate during the caucus and primaries, I will.”

SNOW SHOVELING, FEDERAL EDITION

It’s a monumental task, with much vulnerable marble and history to think of. The National Park Service plowed and shoveled away 61,875 tons of snow from the monuments, memorials, roadways and sidewalks along the National Mall. Carefully. The weight of that snow was 1.6 times the weight of the Lincoln Memorial itself.

“Crews take special care when shoveling at the monuments and memorials to ensure that these icons are not chipped or damaged, especially the soft Colorado Yule marble of the Lincoln Memorial steps, or the pink Tennessee marble of the floors at the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials,” the federal agency said Tuesday. “National Park Service maintenance crews use a concrete-friendly calcium magnesium compound to melt snow and ice on sidewalks, and a salt sand mixture to melt snow and ice on roadways.”

The teams ultimately removed 8.25 million cubic feet of snow from the memorials and the access ways, “enough to fill the Washington Monument 18.4 times,” the meticulous rangers say, noting that the teams also tended to 55 miles of sidewalks, 47 miles of roadways, plus 600,000 square feet of public plazas.

ALREADY ENGAGED

“Almost seven in 10 Americans are following news about the 2016 presidential election campaign closely, with 31 percent following it ’very closely’ and 38 percent ’somewhat closely,” reports Justin McCarthy, a Gallup analyst, who says Republicans (42 percent) and conservatives (40 percent) are more likely than Democrats (33 percent) and liberals (27 percent) to say they’re following the campaign very closely.

“The higher level of attention that Republicans and conservatives are paying could reflect the larger number of GOP candidates in the race, the greater level of competition or the boisterous presence of Donald Trump,” Mr. McCarthy continues. “Groups that tend to be more Democratic politically — nonwhites, younger adults and women — are paying less attention to election news than their counterparts are.”

Then there’s traditional geezer power. The most overlooked demographic is the most attuned to 2016. A majority of voters over 65 are intently following the action, with 51 percent saying they’re following the campaign “very closely,” compared to 22 percent of the under-30 set and 23 percent of those 30 to 49.

POLL DU JOUR

• 32 percent of registered U.S. voters say they are “extremely enthusiastic” about voting in the 2016 presidential election; 41 percent of Republicans, 30 percent of independents and 29 percent of Democrats agree.

• 24 percent of voters overall say they are “very enthusiastic” about voting in the election; 27 percent of Republicans, 22 percent of independents and 26 percent of Democrats agree.

• 21 percent of voters overall say they are “somewhat enthusiastic” about voting in the election; 13 percent of Republicans, 24 percent of independents and 25 percent of Democrats agree.

• 13 percent of voters overall say they are “not too enthusiastic” about voting in the election; 12 percent of Republicans, 16 percent of independents and 10 percent of Democrats agree.

• 9 percent of voters overall say they are “not at all enthusiastic” about voting in the election; 8 percent of Republicans, 9 percent of independents and 10 percent of Democrats agree.

Source: A CNN/ORC poll of 907 registered U.S. voters conducted Jan. 21-24.

Hits and misses to jharper@washingtontimes.com