Month: April 2013

King: Boston Bombing Should Slow Immigration Reform

Buck Banks

Some of the speculation that has come out is that yes, it was a foreign national and, speculating here, that it was potentially a person on a student visa. If that’s the case, then we need to take a look at the big picture. … We need to take a look at the visa-waiver program and wonder what we’re doing. If we can’t background check people that are coming from Saudi Arabia, how do we think we are going to background check the 11 to 20 million people that are here from who knows where.

— Rep. Steve King (R-IA), telling National Review that Congress “should be cautious about rushing immigration reform, especially after Monday’s bombing in Boston, where three people were killed.”

Boston Marathon Explosions: News is Still Unfolding

Trish

Update: This picture of a couple being reunited after the woman apparently completed the Boston Marathon is making the rounds on Twitter. Not sure who to credit for it.

Like you, we are glued to Twitter and to news outlets for more information about the two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon that took place at about 2:50 p.m. today. Our thoughts are with the injured and the loved ones of the reported two dead.

Obama Explains Politics 101

Buck Banks

Here’s a general rule. You don’t put stuff on your head if you’re president. That’s politics 101. You never look good wearing something on your head.

— President Obama, after two Navy football players presented him with a helmet. USA Today reports someone in the crowd at the ceremony shouted “put it on.” But he refused, then explained why.

Can Marco Rubio Stand National Scrutiny?

Buck Banks

The enduring notion that the ‘Republican savior’ may have feet of clay has followed him since his arrival on the national stage three years ago. It’s been a subject of gossip among the chattering Miami politicos at The Biltmore, a talking point pushed by bloodthirsty Democrats eager to stop his ascent, and a constant source of frustration in the Senator’s orbit. … Rubio is just 41, but he has already served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. And his quick rise to national stardom, along with his long, varied career in state politics, well-known financial troubles, and ties to an embattled former congressman have combined to prompt many in the political class — including some of his most enthusiastic boosters — to speculate that the Senator’s pristine political brand will collapse under the weight of national scrutiny.

— McKay Coppins, writing on Buzzfeed.