Odds and Ends

++John Boehner wants to privatize the VA.

++Mitch McConnell says KYNECT,the Kentucky health exchange, has nothing to do with Obamacare. BRAINWRAP,Charles Gaba, disagrees.

++Bibi Netanyahu says Obama got Syria right. He says 92% of the chemical weapons have been removed.

++Rasmussen has Michelle Nunn ahead of all Republicans in the Georgia Senate race. Warning: it is of registered voters, not likely.

++North Dakota remains the only state where their law against same sex marriage hasn't been challenged. 

++The House passed a law to reign in the NSA but it doesn't go far enough according to Google and Facebook.

++The Senate Energy Efficient Act, which allocated funds for Solar, was filibustered by the GOP, even though it was bipartisan and took two years to design.

++The House voted to prohibit the military from even considering climate change as part of national security.

++Pope Francis issued a proclamation that not dealing with climate change is a sin.

++Marco Rubio said that if God wants to make the earth hotter we can't stop him.

++Pat Sajak said that "global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists."

++Jerry Brown said that "Humanity is on a collision course with Nature."

++President Obama became the first sitting President to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.

++John Kerry said he would be delighted to testify before Darryl Issa's Benghazi committee. Boehner says Kerry may have to testify before both.

++Common Ground reports that the counter-terrorism Fusion Centers were used to monitor Occupy Wall Street.

++Former Congressman West questioned the patriotism of Tammy Duckworth and whether she would uphold her constitutional oath when serving on the Benghazi Committee. Congresswomen Duckworth is a multiply wounded, paraplegic Veteran. Sort of reminds one of the smears against Max Cleland.

++President Obama went on a stroll in the National Mall and wasn't arrested by the American Spring.

++Speaking of which,American Spring says Roaring Thunder, which rolls in here this weekend, backs them. Rolling Thunder vigorously denied this.

++The Washington Post,always disappointed Obama hasn't invaded anywhere,criticized the Administration on its Syria policy.

++Bernard Henri-Levy writes from the Ukraine that both East and West are eager to vote. Helsinki Watch,the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute have sent swarms of observers. Vladimir Putin says he will work with the winner whoever it is.

++Pope Francis is in Jordan,the West Bank and Israel for a three day visit. 

++BE SURE YOU WATCH FRONTLINE's UNITED STATES OF SECRETS. It trace the NSA programs from 9-11 through today with an excellent expose of the legal fights within the Bush Administration and how the FISA COURT signed off on its constitutionality.

++Read Think Progress' piece on how a journalist almost got arrested by Canadian authorities for having the gall to fly up to Alberta to report on the Tar Sands--"oil" sands as the Canadian government calls them.

++The European elections might yield scary results this weekend as the far-right parties mount a campaign against the whole European project. UKIP in England shocked the establishment with its massive wins in town council elections.