Breaking Out of Oklahoma

In case you haven’t already seen we have horrific and surreal images emerging out of a big tornado strike outside of Oklahoma City. We have live video here.

Late Update: A lot of attention on this elementary school which appears to have taken a direct hit.

Tradecraft, It Ain’t

From TPM Reader TS …

I read the FBI affidavit regarding the request for access to Rosen’s gmail account, and it does not match up closely with the current media backlash. Everyone seems up in arms about surveillance of Rosen’s phone calls and building entries. Do reporters actually think that phone calls they receive on State Department phones within the State Department building are private?

Condemned to Repeat the Derp?

From a post in Prime …

As far as I can tell, one of the biggest costs of not knowing history is that you’re doomed to repeat it. For example, “Watergate, Watergate, Watergate.” For another, “Hitler, Hitler, Hitler.”

On the Case, Such as It Is

Secret Service looking into radio host’s comments about shooting Hillary Clinton.

Unintentionally Revealing Tweet?

GOP aides tell me the struggle will be to take this IRS thing from being about TP victims to being about an administration’s corruption

— Robert Costa (@robertcostaNRO) May 17, 2013

Woulda Been Good To Know Last Week

Up until now, the White House’s handling of the release of the inspector general’s report that revealed the IRS targeting of conservative groups has seemed routine and appropriate. But Jay Carney is briefing reporters right now at the White House (watch) and has made a couple of new revelations, one of which runs counter to what he told reporters last week.

Trying to Tie It All Together

Rubio ‘very concerned’ that Obama administration ‘targeted a Fox News reporter.’

Picture of the Day

Little Man.

Wow

VA GOP Attorney General candidate tried to pass a law that mandated that women report their miscarriages to police.

Post Bachmann Era?

A new poll shows Michele Bachmann may have her work cut out for her in her next reelection campaign. Dems have had hopes for this seat a few times but perhaps the element of scandal could be tipping the scales.

Citizen Koch

Give a few minutes to Jane Mayer’s vivid new story on the Koch brothers, PBS, and soft censorship.

It’s a Pattern

I’ve seen this pattern before where the Virginia GOP nominates one right-leaning but relatively mainstream candidate on the top of the state ticket and then someone really off the wall in the second spot. This year would seem to fit that mold. The new Lt. Gov. candidate, an African-American, says Planned Parenthood is worse than the KKK and laments African-Americans “slavish devotion” to the Democratic party. Watch.

Late Update: A few people have written in to ask whether I really mean to call Ken Cuccinelli “relatively mainstream.” Actually, no. In that sense he sort of breaks the mold. I’m thinking of earlier cycles in Virginia. But this year we at least have the pattern of the VA GOP deciding that they have to go way further right than the top of the ticket. And with Cuccinelli that takes some doing.