1.) In Obama’s America, chicken nuggets are healthy — Want further evidence that this is not your founding fathers’ America? TheDC’s Matthew Boyle depresses with his report:
“A North Carolina elementary school forced a preschool student to eat cafeteria chicken nuggets for lunch on Jan. 30 after officials reportedly determined that her homemade meal wasn’t up to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standards for healthfulness, according toa report from the Carolina Journal. The newspaper reported that the four-year-old girl brought a turkey and cheese sandwich, a banana, potato chips and apple juice in her packed lunch from home. That meal didn’t meet with approval from the government agent who was on site inspecting kids’ lunches that day.”
How does one even begin to process this? A government official overriding a parent on what their little tyke should eat! But forget the pesky freedom question for a moment. In overriding the parent’s gastronomic decision, the government official made the executive decision that chicken nuggets are a healthier lunch option than a turkey sandwich and a banana!! On second thought, maybe not everyone in American is smart enough to vote, particularly government agents who see no distinction between trash and broccoli — or worse, who think it’s a better idea to eat trash.
2.) Ain’t no one cooler than Cal Coolidge — Depending on who you ask, most people will either say that FDR or Ronald Reagan was the greatest president of the 20th century (unless you ask a pre-school government food monitor, in which case you would probably hear the greatest president was President Arnold Schwarzenegger from “The Simpsons Movie.”) But according to Steven F. Hayward, who graded all the presidents since Woodrow Wilson in his new book, the best since Wilson was Calvin Coolidge. Hayward tells TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein (ME!) why:
“He had the best substantive grasp of, and the most sympathy for, the founders’ constitutionalism, which is evident in his speeches and his autobiography, few people ever read any more. (This is a shame since they are quite good; “silent Cal” is a grave injustice.)”
3.) The great humanitarian organization Media Matters may live on — TheDC’s Will Rahn reports that it will likely be an uphill battle for those trying to get Media Matters’ 501(3)(c) status revoked:
“Chip Watkins, an attorney who specializes in tax-exempt organizations at Webster, Chamberlain & Bean LLP in Washington, D.C., told The Daily Caller that it is rare for an organization like Media Matters ‘to actually have its exemption revoked.’ ‘The general rule is you can’t intervene in support of or opposition to someone who is running for elective public office. Unfortunately, beyond that, there are only a few things that are really clear.’”
Of course Media Matters deserves to be treated like a charity because it is just like the American Red Cross. Definitely. Obviously.
4.) Mazel Tov, Ali — Oliver Stone’s son Sean has found spiritual enlightenment in the Islamic Republic of Iran. TheDC’s Caroline May reports:
“Muhammad has a new follower. On Tuesday, filmmaker Oliver Stone’s son, Sean Stone, converted to Islam in Iran. According to the Persian service of the Fars News Agency, Stone adopted the name Ali upon becoming a Shiite Muslim.” It is unclear whether Ali Stone’s father, Oliver, has converted away from lunacy.
5.) Poll of the DAY — Massachusetts Senate poll: Republican Sen. Scott Brown 44% vs Democrat Elizabeth Warren 45.8%.
6.) BIRTHDAYS! — Florentine leader Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici turns 541; Galileo Galilei turns 448 (h/t the sun); Piano man Henry E. Steinway turns 215 (h/t Billy Joel); the late, great comedian Chris Farley turns 48 (h/t Tommy Callahan III).