Chad’s Morning Brief: Romney Will be the Nominee, Stop Being Offended by Everything, and More.

Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of March 22, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

1. Mitt Romney Will Be the Nominee

On Tuesday, Mitt Romney won big in Illinois. On Wednesday, the endorsements starting coming in for Romney and the door closed on Santorum. Jeb Bush endorsed Romney on Wednesday and repeated the line we have heard many times, it's time to rally around Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee. According to Senator John Cornyn, the endorsement of Jeb Bush for Mitt Romney will only help Romney out.

 

"It seems to be a winnowing of the field and coalescing around Gov. Romney," agreed Texas Sen. John Cornyn , the GOP's chief Senate campaign strategist.
Cornyn is still staying neutral in the primary. But speaking with Texas reporters a little while ago, he sounded like someone ready to close ranks.

"Public opinion is that he is the most likely candidate to be able to run and win the election in November, and that certainly is my goal," Cornyn said, noting that as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he has to keep an eye on the big picture to win Senate races in Texas and around the country in November. "We need a strong nominee running a very competitive race on the issues that Americans care most about, in order for our down-ballot candidates to win."

Romney also got the approval of Tea Party leaders at FreedomWorks yesterday.

Is the GOP nomination battle over? Technically, no but the writing is on the wall. Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee. Romney only has to win 45% of the delegates going forward compared to Santorum who must win 70% of the remaining delegates and that's not going to happen.

Blame Gingrich, blame the media, blame Santorum but get ready to rally behind Mitt Romney. Barack Obama must be defeated and that is what should get people fired up in November. Romney isn't the best Republican, but he is the nominee. Let's go defeat Obama.

2. Ann Coulter Defends Robert De Niro, and She is Right. (link)

People on the left AND on the right need a sense of humor. Robert De Niro made a joke the other day that made some conservatives upset. De Niro made the joke at a fundraiser featuring First Lady Michelle Obama.

 

"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney,” he said. “Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?"

The crowd collectively answered "No!" at which point De Niro asked, "Too soon, right?"

Ann Coulter came to De Niro's defense Tuesday on Twitter.

"Can we please stop the fake 'offended' routine?" Coulter--who has endorsed Mitt Romney -- tweeted on Tuesday. "Pls explain what was allegedly offensive about De Niro's joke."

Coulter is right by the way. De Niro was making a joke. I wish people would stop looking for things to be offended over. Both the left and the right in this country are guilty of it. If you don't like the joke then fine, but get over it. It didn't hurt anyone and one could tell that De Niro was trying to be funny.

3. Etch A Sketch Romney? (link)

After a big day on Tuesday, the Romney camp has to find some way in order to mess it all up.

Mitt Romney promised Wednesday that he would not change his positions if he wins the Republican presidential nomination, hours after a top adviser compared the general election to an Etch A Sketch toy and claimed that Romney can "shake it up" and "start all over again" in the fall.

That remark - uttered by longtime Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom on CNN Wednesday morning - was pounced on by the Obama campaign and Romney's GOP rivals, who called it another sign of Romney's willingness to change his positions for political gain.

I wonder if Eric still has a job today? Seriously, what a stupid remark.

4. Al Qaeda Jihadist in France (link)

Did the U.S. have this guy in custody before he killed 7 people? According to CNN, it's possible.

 

Merah has spent considerable time in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gueant said.  Merah was sent back from Afghanistan to France by the U.S. Army, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said in Toulouse Wednesday.  He said Afghan police had checked Merah's identification during a traffic stop, and as a result he was handed over to the U.S. Army, which then put him on board the first plane heading to France.

But a senior U.S. military official gave a different version from the French prosecutor about what happened to the suspect in Afghanistan.

The senior U.S. military official told the CNN contributor Fran Townsend that the French shooting suspect was stopped by Afghan forces who tried to turn him over to the U.S. military. The U.S. directed them to hand Merah to French forces since he was a citizen of their country.  He was given over the French military by the Afghans and the French military decided to return him to France, according to the source.

5. Dumb story of the morning (link)

No more best friends.

Instead, the primary pupils are being encouraged to play in large groups.

Educational psychologist Gaynor Sbuttoni said the policy has been used at schools in Kingston, South West London, and Surrey.

She added: "I have noticed that teachers tell children they shouldn't have a best friend and that everyone should play together.

"They are doing it because they want to save the child the pain of splitting up from their best friend. But it is natural for some children to want a best friend. If they break up, they have to feel the pain because they're learning to deal with it."

Russell Hobby, of the National Association of Head Teachers, confirmed some schools were adopting best-friend bans.

Just wait until this rule comes here. You know it will.

6. Good Brews Good News of the Day (link)

Hunger Games is a big deal and the students at Frenship made an impact with the director.

Lenzi Hart said it felt like winning the lottery last year when she learned about the enthusiastic reaction of “Hunger Games” director Gary Ross to letters her Frenship Middle School eighth-graders wrote him about the book.

Her students wrote Ross after he was hired as director and told him what they thought should be retained in the movie from the book.

She mailed the letters in mid-December.

A month later, Hart was contacted by “Entertainment Weekly” writer Karen Valby, who told her Ross raved to her during an interview about how well written and opinionated the letters were.

Everyday, Good Brews Coffee & Tea Lounge brings you the Good News of the Day!

Other Top Stories:

School Districts Take Advantage of STAAR Rule Change

Mayor of Texas Town Resigns in 5-Word Note

Marines Down on Obama

Man Faces Arson Charge in Attack on Davis' Office

LA City Council and Diversity on the Radio

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.