LOUISIANA

“The Louisiana Legislature’s reaction to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s final opening address of a state’s lawmaking session was muted, with but a few rounds of applause”  —Times-Picayune

“State Rep. Julie Stokes, R-Kenner, has filed more pieces of legislation (34 bills) than any other member. House Speaker Pro Tempore Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, comes in second, with 31.

State Senators Robert Adley, R-Benton, and J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, have the most bills introduced in the Senate, with 26 and 24 respectively.” —Times-Picayune

“Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is using Hillary Rodham Clinton’s announcement Sunday (April 12) that she’s running for president as an opportunity to fund-raise for his gubernatorial run.” —Times-Picayune

“The Louisiana House of Representatives introduced 775 bills on Monday, the opening day of the Legislature’s lawmaking session, but only one — the religious freedom legislation — wasn’t given a committee assignment.” —Times-Picayune

“[Democrat candidate for Governor John Bel] Edwards also took a jab at the governor for his frequent out-of-state travels many suspect precede an announcement that he is running for president. He started out by thanking the governor for showing up Monday, adding they worried bad weather might have prevented him from “fly(ing) in.” —Times-Picayune

“Appearing on Kilmeade and Friends on Fox Talk Radio, Willie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame stressed that Jindal hasn’t yet made up his mind about a run but said Jindal is his man if he enters the 2016 field.” —The Advocate

“The head of the Louisiana Democratic Party, state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, walked out during Gov. Bobby Jindal’s legislative-session opening speech Monday.” —The Advocate

“Paul Mainieri’s team is right where he wants it — in position to win the Southeastern Conference baseball championship.” —The Advocate

“The Louisiana House of Representatives Appropriations Committee is preparing for its first meeting of the 2015 session.” —Shreveport Times

“Attorneys for three business partners on trial for allegedly swindling more than $1 million from a Louisiana movie industry incentive program sounded a bit like film industry lobbyists in court Monday.” —Times-Picayune

NATIONAL

“Our basic error, from which all the others flow, is that we think our offer of a strategic alliance — President Obama’s “outstretched hand” — is attractive to Iran. It isn’t. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei doesn’t want a deal with us; he wants to destroy us. When he calls us the “Great Satan” or when he leads chants of “Death to America!,” he means it.” —The Hill

“Although the Republicans will spend the next several months running against one another, none should lose sight of their likely general-election opponent and her message. Making the case for themselves should encompass making the case against Clinton and for conservative principles and policies that will appeal not only to Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Republicans next spring, but to most Americans come November 2016.” —National Review

“In Rubio’s telling of it, America is just a few tax credits here, a tweak of federal education policy there and of course one inspirational leader away from a golden New American Century.” –Ace of Spades

“It’s still impossible for Russian journalists to interview Edward Snowden. It’s also impossible for foreign correspondents based in Moscow. I tried different tactics to talk to him.” —Daily Beast

“Walsh’s observation that ”it’s time for a competent adult of either gender to be president” captures the real nature of the threat to identity politics. Although the Leftist lawyers are presently in ascendance, the slightest whiff of competence represents a mortal danger. When persons are hired for a job based on their ability, rather than an identity proxy defined by a leftist certificate authority as equivalent to incompetence, then the identity system begins break down; it starts to operate on merit rather than group membership. And that is fatal to identity politics.” –PJ Media

“I’m a libertarian, and I’m supporting Ted Cruz for president, and here’s why:” –RedState

“New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is betting his political future on a big speech on entitlement reform to restore buzz for a potential presidential campaign — even though his polling numbers have suffered in recent months.” –Breitbart

“As Sen. Marco Rubio announced his run for president last night — asking voters to visit marcorubio.com — his digital team was frantically trying to keep the website up.” –Breitbart

“That’s going to be a hard thing to beat. It’s an all-or-nothing proposition, however. If at some point Walker no longer looks like he can beat Bush or that he is not as strong of a Hillary opponent as Rubio or Paul, he is in trouble.” –Daily Caller

“A report from Judicial Watch alleges that Senator John McCain (R-Az.) pressured the Internal Revenue Service to go after conservative organizations. The conservative watchdog group released a new batch of IRS e-mails last week of meetings former IRS official Lois Lerner had with staffers belonging to Senator McCain and then-Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) from 2013.” –by yours truly at Rare