A few days before George W. Bush's presidential library—where visitors get to play "The Decider"—officially opened for business, The Washington Post released a poll which found that his approval rating has increased since he left office.
This finding raised questions for partisans on both sides, albeit very different questions.
Conservative pundits like Jennifer Rubin and Peggy Noonan wondered why it took so long for Bush to get the recognition that he so rightly deserves, while liberal pundits wondered if they actually believe their own bullshit.
The jackals on the left were also quick to note that Bush's improved standing was neither unexpected nor all that impressive.
To say nothing of the fact that even the accused Boston Marathon bomber and Justin Bieber have legions of fans.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Rep. Peter King (R-NY); Rep. Keth Ellison (D-MN); Roundtable: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), GOP Strategist Mike Murphy, Chuck Todd (NBC News) and Former Bush Adviser Karen Hughes.
Face the Nation: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO); Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA); Roundtable: Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal), David Gergen (CNN), Norah O'Donnell (CBS News), John Dickerson (CBS News) and Clarissa Ward (CBS News).
This Week: Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX); Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD); Roundtable: George Will (Washington Post), GOP Strategist Matthew Dowd, Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D).
Fox News Sunday: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV); Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX); Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren; Roundtable: Brit Hume (Fox News), Amy Walter (Cook Political Report), Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard) and Charles Lane (Washington Post).
State of the Union: Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN); Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA); Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; Former Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL); Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT); Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS); Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Reliable Sources: Radio Host Michael Medved; Cenk Uygur (Current TV); American University Prof. Jane Hall; Kevin Cullen (Boston Globe); Kevin Cullen (Daily Beast); Ross Douthat (New York Times).
The Chris Matthews Show: Bob Woodward (Washington Post); Gloria Borger (CNN); Michael Duffy (TIME); Lesley Stahl (CBS News).
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: an interview with serial killer nurse Charles Cullen (preview); and, an interview with jockey Rosie Napravnik, the only female riding in the upcoming Kentucky Derby (preview).
On Comedy Central...
Jon Stewart weighed in on Fox News' conditional love of the Constitution.
The Daily Show
Monday: Actor Jon Hamm
Tuesday: Actor Robert Downey Jr.
Wednesday: Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)
Thursday: Eric Greitens (The Mission Continues)
And Stephen Colbert counted the problems with the Reinhart-Rogoff pro-austerity report.
The Colbert Report
Monday: Musical Group Iggy Pop & The Stooges
Tuesday: Evan Spiegel & Bobby Murphy (Snapchat)
Wednesday: Musician Macklemore & Producer Ryan Lewis
Thursday: Actor Ben Kingsley
Elsewhere...
Amid a debate over a bill to expand funding for school lunches for poor kids, a West Virginia legislator offered up some food for thought.
Del. Ray Canterbury spoke against the bill, repeating that there is no such thing as a free lunch and encouraging kids to develop personal responsibility.
"I think it would be a good idea if perhaps we had the kids work for their lunches: trash to be taken out, hallways to be swept, lawns to be mowed, make them earn it," the Greenbrier County Republican said. "If they miss a lunch or they miss a meal they might not, in that class that afternoon, learn to add, they may not learn to diagram a sentence, but they'll learn a more important lesson."
Meanwhile...
Rep. Michele Bachmann attempted to school her fellow House members.
While speaking on the House floor Friday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) tried to impress her colleagues by pulling out a famous quotation, but instead proved she needs to brush up on her Shakespeare. [...]
"Thou protesteth too much," Bachmann declared.
The line, which comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet, is in fact, "The lady doth protest too much." Bachmann's rendition was close, but the Bard — whose birth and death were celebrated earlier this week — probably wouldn't be impressed.
And, speaking of protesticles...
Freshman teabaggers in the House are upset that they haven't had the opportunity to symbolically vote to repeal Obamacare.
"The guys who have been up here the last two years, we can go home and say, 'Listen, we voted 36 different times to repeal or replace ObamaCare.' Tell me what the new guys are supposed to say?" second-term Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) said Wednesday at a forum sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. [...]
With repeal of the law seemingly impossible for the next four years, top Republicans are instead eyeing more modest measures that could change the law or its implementation.
But that's not sufficient for many hard-liners in the conference who want the party to continue to push for full repeal.
"I want a chance as a freshman to do that, even if it's just symbolic," Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) said.
Stupid is as stupid does.
- Trix