Senators Vow Gun Control Filibuster, Limbaugh Admits Defeat, and More

Piece of His Mind:

President Obama excoriated Congress on Thursday for stalling on firearm safety legislation, urging lawmakers not to forget the tragic elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., and calling on them to act on gun control. The president accused opponents of biding their time in the hopes that Americans would forget the heartbreaking shooting in order to prevent gun control reform from passing. “The reason we’re talking about it here today is because it’s not done until it’s done,” Obama said. “And there are some powerful voices on the other side that are interested in running out the clock or changing the subject or drowning out the majority of the American people to prevent any of these reforms from happening at all.” (Read more)

Standing in the Way: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is threatening to mount another filibuster in the Senate, this one over gun control legislation. But unlike his nearly 13-hour-long effort this month, he’ll know beforehand that he has backups. Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah have all thrown in their hats with Paul, writing in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that they will “oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions.” Reid plans to bring a watered-down gun control bill that includes expanded background checks and penalties for illegal gun trafficking. (Read more)

In the Toilet: Former Idaho Sen. Larry Craig—you may recall him as America’s most famous restroom patron/foot tapper—has suffered a setback in his legal battle against the Federal Election Commission. The former Republican lawmaker is accused of violating federal law by improperly using campaign funds when he tried to vacate his guilty plea related to his arrest in a Minnesota airport bathroom. A federal judge has refused his request for the lawsuit to be dismissed, saying she didn’t buy Craig’s argument that using the restroom was part of his “official duties” since he was headed back to his state, as the ex-lawmaker tried to claim. “The charge did not relate to his conduct as a legislator, but only actions undertaken in the privacy and anonymity of a restroom stall,” she wrote. (Read more)

He’s Bean Had: Credit card fraud can happen to anyone, as Chief Justice John Roberts can now attest. The Washington Post is reporting that Roberts made the revelation at a Starbucks in Maryland this week. It seems the chief justice usually uses his credit card to buy his morning caffeine fix, but this week he was forced to pay in cash. For whatever reason, Roberts felt the need to explain to the cashier that someone had gotten ahold of his card’s digits and as a result, he had to cancel it. Because paying with cash for anything at Starbucks evidently is so out of the ordinary these days. (Read more)

Fading From ‘View’? According to multiple reports, Barbara Walters will be hanging up her microphone in 2014. The longtime ABC News personality hasn’t confirmed she’s retiring yet, but according to CNN, the plan is for her to make the announcement in May. The 83-year-old, who still serves as a co-host on “The View,” has been with the network since 1976. (Read more)

Audio of the Day: Even four-times-married “marriage expert” Rush Limbaugh is conceding—with much difficulty no doubt—that conservatives have lost on the issue of gay marriage. He added that regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Proposition 8 and DOMA cases, it’s just a matter of time before same-sex weddings are legal nationwide. He told his listeners Wednesday: “I don’t care what this court does with this particular ruling, Proposition 8, I think the inertia is clearly moving in the direction that there is going to be gay marriage at some point nationwide; the political ramifications of that are yet to be known.” And because he’s Rush Limbaugh, he also had to offer an asinine accompanying explanation.