Inside the Beltway

NEWS AND OPINION:

INTO THE SUNSET

Now that White House reporter Helen Thomas has resigned, retired, retreated and called it a day at 89 years of age, the press itself is sorting out the travails of one of their own, defeated by controversy. More than 1,400 cautionary tales, analyses, appreciations and condemnations of Ms. Thomas appeared within an hour of her announcement that she would forever leave her much-coveted perch — front row center in the White House briefing room. But such is life, and journalism.

“Her renowned ’brand’ was that of a reporter. But then she became a commentator, and this may be where she went wrong. People still saw her as a reporter, and the press corps frowns on those who breach the line between the two roles. Once you do, you can’t be in the White House club anymore,” Manhattan marketing consultant John Tantillo tells Inside the Beltway. “Now Helen Thomas’ brand is that of ’legend whose time has finally come.’”

HOLA, AMERICA

“Amid an ongoing debate in the U.S. on immigration from Mexico, Gallup estimates 6.2 million Mexican adults say they would like to move permanently to the U.S., if given the chance,” says Jon Clifton, an analyst for Gallup, which found that 44 percent of Mexicans who want to move permanently from their homeland chose the U.S. as their destination. Fourteen percent opted for Canada and 9 percent Spain.

“Gallup surveys previously estimated that roughly 700 million adults worldwide would like to move permanently to another country if they had the opportunity. Asked which country they would like to relocate to, more than 165 million adults worldwide named the United States,” Mr. Clifton adds.

THE WHOOMP LOOP

As a distraction to the hair-raising news of the day, consider that “tea party” folks and dance fans alike are convinced that President Obama — back when he was a Chicago community organizer — appears in a 1993 video of the hip-hop anthem “Whoomp (There It Is)” by Tag Team. Indeed, an Obama-like character appears one minute into the spirited footage, now in high gear on YouTube.

“If this was actually true, Sarah Palin would have already done five Facebook wall-posts about it, and Glenn Beck would have already run a weeklong special on the fact that our President appeared in a music video which appears to celebrate so-called ’party people,’ ” insists Adrian Chen at Gawker.com. “Sorry, Internet, it’s not Obama. But as far as conspiracy theories go, it’s way better than that whole secret Muslim thing.”

 

DECIBELS A-COMING

The din grows over whether Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is deserving of the lifetime appointment, and whether her personal ideologies would hold sway in the future.

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy will parse things out Tuesday at the National Press Club with a panel that includes Rachel Brand, who was an associate counsel to President George W. Bush, and Walter Dellinger, assistant attorney general and head of the Office of Legal Counsel, 1993 to 1996.

Ms. Kagan’s confirmation hearings are due to start in less than three weeks.

“With 59 Democrats in the Senate, Elena Kagan is a sure bet to be confirmed this summer,” says Edward Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a contributor to National Review. “That doesn’t make the inquiry into, and debate over, her judicial philosophy unimportant. It even means that she is especially well positioned to improve the confirmation process — along the line that she’s advocated — by committing to provide the Senate a meaningful discussion of her legal views.”

A TOUCH OF ROD

The hair, the rumors, the charges, the tweets. Rod R. Blagojevich, who describes himself at his Twitter account as “former governor of Illinois, host of talk radio program WLS and innocent of all charges,” hopes to clear his name in 140 characters or less. As his corruption trial continues, the triumphantly tressed, tenacious politician plans to Twitter his thoughts on the legislative process, among other things.

“Looking forward to opening statements because that will unlock the truth,” he said Monday on his Twitter feed, which is, incidentally, available at www.twitter.com/governorrod.

STORMY WEATHER

Clouds are gathering. The Senate votes on Resolution 26 on Thursday, a disallowance resolution proposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, meant to strip the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions without legislative accountability.

“The EPA regulations are based on pure junk science and will destroy our economy,” says meteorologist Brian Sussman, author of “Climategate: A Veteran Meteorologist Exposes the Global Warming Scam.”

“All it will require is a simple majority in the Congress to strip this draconian power away from the EPA. Passage of Murkowski’s resolution will be a huge victory for Americans and a giant loss for the White House. The only way the EPA would be able to regain their power to regulate greenhouse gases would be if the Senate cap-and-trade bill were to pass and that will require 60 votes,” Mr. Sussman adds.

POLL DU JOUR

• 51 percent of U.S. voters say Israel should allow an international investigation of the May 31 incident involving an Israeli raid on Gaza-bound aid ships.

• 49 percent of U.S. voters believe “pro-Palestinian activists” on the ships are to blame for deaths in the incident.

• 19 percent blame the Israelis, 32 percent are not sure.

• 49 percent say “most countries” are too critical of Israel.

• 24 percent say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, 33 percent say the U.S. is “not supportive enough,” 32 percent say the support is “about right.”

Source: A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted June 3-4.

• Observations, press releases to jharper@washingtontimes.com