Top Story: Republicans used “lies” and “hogwash” — in the words of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia — to defeat expanded background checks. The way they celebrated is part of the story.
- The classiest reaction may be from Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell’s 2014 campaign team, which pasted this photo to its Facebook page. (Team Mitch)
- Not to be out-classed, The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin, who somehow still has a job, tweeted this: “Obama temper tantrum after background checks explains why he lost. (Jennifer Rubin)
- Laura Ingraham quotes Sen. David Vitter saying, “If pres. wants to lecture & scold on gun bill he shd talk to his own DOJ on their lax prosecutions of gun crimes” (Laura Ingraham)
- Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas: “The bill failed because it was unconstitutional. Exploiting grieving parents and blaming nebulous conspiracies is what pushed it into doom.” No, congressman, pushing nebulous conspiracies is what worked. (Rep. Steve Stockman)
- Michelle Malkin positively retweeted this one from The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher:
==> RT @jtlol The Boston Marathon was bombed and we still don’t know who did it. Why isn’t Obama angry about THAT?
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— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) April 18, 2013
- That tweet no longer appears in Treacher’s Twitter stream. [CORRECTION: (It does)]. However, he did retweet this F-U to it. (Jim Treacher)
- Philadelphia Phillies (and former Boston Red Sox) pitcher Jonathan Papelbon wants you to know he’s part of the “Obama wants to take our guns” crowd. (USA Today)
- Mind you, former teammate Curt Schilling has said Papelbon is “not exactly a charter member of Mensa” and ex-Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has said, “He’s not a Rhodes Scholar to begin with, obviously.” (Deadspin) and (MLB.com)
- “Make no mistake,” Majority Leader Harry Reid says, “the debate is not over.” (Chad Pergram)
- “The test for gun control proponents is to prove that their grass-roots supporters are as single-issue focused as the gun rights crowd.” (John Dickerson)
- “The Brady Bill — aka the original background check law — was first introduced in 1/87 and wasn’t passed until 11/93.” (Steve Kornacki)
John Flowers