ELVIS AND NIXON, THE MOVIE
As fictional President Frank Underwood on ”House of Cards,” Kevin Spacey is deft at playing presidents. Now the actor takes on the real kind, portraying Richard Nixon in “Elvis & Nixon” which arrives in theaters next month. The feature film chronicles the moment when the 37th president met Elvis Presley, who showed up unannounced at the White House gate around 6:30 a.m. on December 21, 1970. Elvis was seeking to volunteer as an undercover agent in the war on drugs, and against the threat of Communism — and longed to obtain an official badge.
“Sir, I can and will be of any service that I can to help the country out. I would love to meet you. I will be here for as long as it takes to get the credentials of a federal agent,” the singer stated in a handwritten note to Nixon. He got his wish. Six hours later, the King met the president. Elvis, who wore a double-breasted purple velvet suit and gilded belt for the occasion, presented Nixon with a World War II-era, chrome-plated Colt 45 pistol and seven bullets in a display case. He later asked that the convivial meeting be kept secret. And yes, the man got his federal badge.
And now it’s a movie, for better or worse.
The film project is described as a “comedy drama.” The film’s producers point out that the famous photograph taken of Presley and Nixon on that day is the most requested image at the National Archives, which has not one but 25 photos of the events. The federal agency also is the keeper of the aforementioned Elvis note and Nixon’s follow-up thank-you letter. The film itself is obviously considered important, premiering as the centerpiece of the Tribeca Film Festival, which begins April 13 in New York City.
The moment is not overlooked by the Nixon Presidential Library, which recounts the meeting in a section of Nixon’s “lighter hearted moments” while in office, reporting, “Perhaps most famous was Nixon’s meeting with Elvis Presley, when the president and the king discussed the drug problem facing American youth.”
FOR THE LEXICON
“The Anti-Trump Surge”
— Phenomenon noted by the fastidious Cook Political Report, which finds that in February, a mere 9 percent of Republican presidential advertising attacked front-runner Donald Trump. Now the number is up to 47 percent. The researchers also found that anti-Trump fare accounted for 15 percent of all GOP spending for TV advertising 8 weeks ago; now it accounts for 62 percent.
ALSO FOR THE LEXICON
“Captain Crunch”
— Identified by Popular Mechanics writer Kyle Mizokami, who explains, “The Department of Defense is responsible for millions of guns, from sniper rifles to pistols. Inevitably, at some point the Pentagon no longer wants them. What happens to the weapons then? They’re fed to Captain Crunch, a giant crusher that turns military firearms into scrap metal.” The gun eater-upper has been in operation for 23 years, incidentally.
‘MENTAL STATE’
New York-based psychiatrist Frieda Birnbaum has tracked the persistent appeal of Republican front-runner Donald Trump for months. “Trump’s prolonged popularity reveals a lot about the mental state of Americans,” she says, noting that the wide range of his appeal and the unpredictable surges of support signals the nation seeks “massive” change.
“Many Americans have felt ignored by their leaders. When Trump verbally assaults these leaders and candidates associated with the establishment, they cheer him on. They vent their frustration on these leaders through him,” Dr. Birnbaum continues. But something else is going on.
“Trump’s popularity also reveals that Americans are seeking someone strong to lead them. The fact that there may be too much hope invested in Trump is a reflection of weakened mental health among Americans. When we seek an external individual of force outside of ourselves to make right or change what we are capable of changing, it’s disempowering,” Dr. Birnbaum concludes.
Uh oh. Meanwhile, another New Yorker has noticed psychological dynamics. Michael Bloomberg, who has announced he would not run for the White House, is also vexed at the presidential candidates.
“Rather than explaining how they will break the fever of partisanship that is crippling Washington, they are doubling down on dysfunction,” the former New York City mayor noted in his rationale for not entering the 2016 race.
FOR THE LEXICON
“Vote Trump, Get Dumped”
— A new website and social media push advising opponents of Republican front-runner Donald Trump: “Those who vote Trump should understand this: No sex. No dates. No chance. Join us by wielding your influence. Until Trump is defeated, we don’t date, sleep with, or canoodle with Trump supporters.” The effort was launched earlier this week by Blake and Chandler Smith, according to National Review. The Ohio-based couple has since started a public petition for their cause.
SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has released a report titled “Terror Gone Viral,” which parses 75 Islamic State-linked terrorist plots against the West to date. The unembellished takeaway: “The United States is overwhelmingly the group’s main target,” says the Texas Republican, who plans to release an additional analysis in April revealing “terrorist exploitation” of refugee patterns and open borders.
“Focus on ‘do-it-yourself’ jihad has allowed them to franchise their attacks worldwide, achieving a tempo of violence that has surpassed even al Qaeda’s most violent years,” says Mr. McCaul. “However, this report reminds us that we cannot win by simply bombing terrorist safe havens. Today’s jihadists are finding shelter in virtual safe havens, too, and recruiting with the ease of a retweet. That is why a counter-ISIS strategy focused on Syria and Iraq just won’t cut it. We need a global plan to defeat Islamist terrorists and a robust coalition to see it through.”
MR. LEVIN HAS A SAY
Conservative broadcast kingpin Mark Levin has endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz for president, and here’s his rationale:
“He appreciates, he embraces, he understands, and he has fought for the Constitution, the Republic, individual sovereignty, separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, family, faith, a secure border, our national security,” Mr. Levin said. “Nobody is perfect. My great idol Ronald Reagan wasn’t perfect. So it’s not that we seek perfection, or that we look for nitpicking ways to oppose somebody. You look at the whole picture, you take the whole life of the individual, you look at their entire career over a period of time. And when you do that it really is a simple decision is it not? If you’re a conservative, if you’re a constitutionalist, if you’ve been a tea party activist, if you’re a Reaganite or Reagan Democrat, it really is in the end a simple decision.”
AND DON’T FORGET THOSE EMAILS
The Republican National Committee is not about to let questions about Hillary Clinton’s emails fade into obscurity. The organization has launched ClintonEmailFacts.gop to explain the five rules Mrs. Clinton broke while using an unsecure, private server as secretary of state. There’s also an analysis the classified emails involved, and a timeline.
“Hillary Clinton and her campaign have attempted to distract, deceive and confuse the American people about the truth, and this site breaks down the facts so voters understand the full scope of her reckless conduct,” says RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “The truth is that on more than 2,000 occasions, Hillary Clinton sent or received classified information that ultimately put our national security and sensitive diplomatic efforts at risk. The ongoing investigation by the FBI, coupled with Clinton’s arrogant and dishonest claims, shows she can’t be trusted with the presidency.”
PREDICTION: THE GOP WILL GET A GRIP
One veteran observer has faith that the Grand Old Party will get its act together as the 2016 campaign rumbles through the next nine months. “We’re going to move forward. At the end of all this, everybody will ultimately realize that the Democrat Party — the most destructive force in this country — they have to be stopped. They have to be stopped in this election if this country is to restore its founding principles and the ideals that the majority of Americans associate with this country,” talk radio host Rush Limbaugh told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace.
“The Democrats have to be stopped. And that is what ultimately will bring people back to sobriety here,” Mr. Limbaugh continued, adding, “I think clear heads will prevail, and the correct political enemy will be identified, and efforts will come together to defeat whoever it is the Democrats throw up.”
CRANKY CANDIDATES, CRANKY NATION
Nine in 10 Americans now deem political discussions as “angry and bad-tempered” while three-fourths say the political climate has gotten even angrier since the 2016 presidential campaign got rolling. Over half predict it will get even worse. All this according to a new Harris Poll charting the sentiments of 2,000 U.S. adults.
“If Americans are right, we should expect to see this anger bubbling over into our daily lives as well: 76 percent believe that the way American politicians treat one another influences how American citizens treat one another,’ says Larry Shannon-Missal, managing editor of The Harris Poll.
A SOLDIER COMES HOME
A soldier who saw combat in the Korean War and went missing 65 years has been identified and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday. Army Pfc. James M. Smith was only 19 when assigned to Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division — tasked with supporting the South Korean Army in attacks against the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces. The year was 1951. The Chinese troops lashed back, Korean troops retreated and the Americans were left “to fight alone, ” according to a Defense Department account.
Following the battle, Smith was reported missing in action. Despite searches of the battlefield and conversations with former POWs, there was no information about the fate of the Georgia native. A military review board amended his status to deceased in 1953.
Some four decades later, North Korea returned remains of 600 U.S. servicemen. The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency used both DNA evidence and dental records to identify Smith, whose name was already on a wall honoring fallen military heroes in his hometown of Abbeville. As of this week, 7,823 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
THE CONSERVATIVE MISSION, IN 140 WORDS
A round of applause, please, for indefatigable Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union, who sums up the essential mission of the organization in 140 words.
“Are conservatives ready to rumble? They’ve got pitchforks in their hands. They are ready to take back their country, to be actively involved in the legislative process — and they’re in the mood to nominate an outsider. Conservatives are in a very interesting state of mind,” Mr. Schlapp tells Inside the Beltway. “This year’s CPAC was about unifying conservatives. The theme this year was ‘our time is now,’ taken from a speech Ronald Reagan made before CPAC in 1981. I believe many conservatives are convinced their time is now. Right now. Conservatives believe if they don’t win during this important election year, they’re going to wake up one day and not recognize America.”
And what was it Reagan told his audience 35 years ago? Here it is: “Our time is now. Our moment has arrived. We stand together shoulder to shoulder in the thickest of the fight.”
POLL DU JOUR
68 percent of Americans say the U.S. needs a president who is not a career politician “to clean up the mess made by other politicians”; 80 percent of Republicans, 74 percent of independents and 52 percent of Democrats agree.
68 percent overall say they are angry at both political parties and their candidates; 70 percent of Republicans, 82 percent of independents and 54 percent of Democrats agree.
60 percent overall say neither the Democrats or Republicans are capable of “getting this country going in the right direction”; 62 percent of Republicans, 72 percent of independents and 46 percent of Democrats agree.
50 percent overall say lifelong politicians “cannot be trusted to run the country”; 64 percent of Republicans, 59 percent of independents and 33 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A Harris Poll of 2,219 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-22 and released Thursday.
Follow Jennifer Harper in Twitter @HarperBulletin
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