BOB SCHIEFFER: Welcome To “Dumb And Dumber” In Washington.

SOMETHING ELSE I HAD MISSED FROM THE BLOOMBERG SCANDAL: Bloomberg Posted Private Terminal Messages By Accident: Report. “Bloomberg says it accidentally posted on the internet more than 10,000 private messages that traders sent each other on their Bloomberg terminals. The new revelation, reported by the Financial Times, will undoubtedly escalate the furor over Bloomberg’s handling of data that its customers consider to be confidential.”

But while I’ve been distracted by the Obama Administration scandals these last few days, you can rest assured that Bloomberg’s customers have been paying close attention.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS BECOME THE STUFF OF NEW YORKER SATIRE: Obama Denies Role in Government.

President Obama used his weekly radio address on Saturday to reassure the American people that he has “played no role whatsoever” in the U.S. government over the past four years.

“Right now, many of you are angry at the government, and no one is angrier than I am,” he said. “Quite frankly, I am glad that I have had no involvement in such an organization.”

The President’s outrage only increased, he said, when he “recently became aware of a part of that government called the Department of Justice.”

“The more I learn about the activities of these individuals, the more certain I am that I would not want to be associated with them,” he said. “They sound like bad news.”

Mr. Obama closed his address by indicating that beginning next week he would enforce what he called a “zero tolerance policy on governing.”

Well, that would be an improvement.

JOURNALISM: Scott Pelley’s POS (Particularly Odious Speech).

KIMBERLY STRASSEL: The IRS Scandal Started At The Top.

Related: Obama was just joking about IRS audits, not sending signals.

NIXONIAN: Justice Department Spied On Fox News Reporter.

HOMESCHOOLED AT FIFTEEN, billionaire at 26.

I SPENT SOME FUN TIME IN NENANA BACK IN THE NINETIES: Nenana Ice Classic – closing in on all time record latest ice-out. “According to the ice breakup log, the latest the ice has ever gone out was May 20th, 1964 at 11:41 AM Alaska Standard Time. As of this writing there is about 28 hours to go to break that record.”

Is the Howling Dog Saloon still there? Or was that in Fairbanks? My memories are kinda fuzzy. . . .

UPDATE: Ah, memory returns: It was Moocher’s Bar in Nenana.

HEY, NASHVILLIANS: Ben Cunningham emails that there will be an IRS Protest Tuesday, May 21, Noon, at the Federal Building, Nashville. If you can, send me some pics.

BUT OBAMA ONLY KNEW FROM THE PRESS REPORTS; Obama’s Counsel Told of IRS Audit Findings Weeks Ago. #EmptyChair

UPDATE: Related: Two House Dems demand Lerner resignation after using lobbyist to stage modified limited hangout.

FIRST RAY’S HELL BURGER CLOSES, NOW THIS: Hero cop, who sat next to the first lady, charged with rape.

THE 1970S MAY BE OVER, but this author seems to have been hitting the weed pretty hard.

IS IT A MISTAKE TO PARSE MAUREEN DOWD TOO CLOSELY? “I doubt if Dowd meant to associate Obama with a sack of shit, but she asks us to picture this sack bouncing.” Yes, yes it is a mistake. But it can be funny.

LET’S BUILD AN AIRSHIP!

AT AMAZON, shooting supplies.

AROUND THE COUNTRY, TEA PARTIERS WILL BE PROTESTING AT IRS OFFICES ON TUESDAY. At noon, local time.

THOUGHTS ON GOVERNMENT FROM ROBERT HEINLEIN:

Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government, it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare — most people want to run things, but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat driver” syndrome.

Still timely, in an era where things don’t work, but it’s nobody’s fault.

Also from Heinlein: “Taxes are not levied for the benefit of the taxed.” Ya think?

IDEA: Banning Agriculture. Well, sorta.

THE POWER TO TAX IS THE POWER TO DESTROY: The IRS Will Come for You Next, Unless Congress Acts Now. “The scandal isn’t about politics—it’s about civil liberties. And Congress needs to make sure it never happens again.”

DON’T DRINK THE POOL WATER: It contains a surprising amount of human waste. But really, people need this advice? “Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.”

UPDATE: Steven Den Beste emails: “If you believe the Hygiene hypothesis, then drinking it might well be good for you.”

THESE JUST MAKE ME SAD: Photos Of Mangled Cars Find Beauty In The Wreckage.

AT AMAZON, deals on shoes & sandals for men and women. Also women’s handbags.

And a reminder: InstaPundit is an Amazon affiliate. When you do your shopping through the Amazon links on this page, including the “Shop Amazon” tab at the top or the searchbox in the right sidebar, you support the blog at no cost to yourself. Just click on the Amazon link, then shop as usual. I thank you, and my family thanks you!

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Does Your Insect Repellent Repel Insects? When I was in Alaska there were mosquitoes of truly appalling size, but I just put a dab of 100% DEET on my neck and wrists and never got bitten.

I did wake up one night, though, and there were two mosquitoes at the foot of my bed.

One said: Should we take him home, or eat him here?

The other replied: We’d better eat him here. If we take him home, the big guys might get him away from us.

Thanks, I’ll be here all weekend. Try the veal!

SCAPEGOATED “LOWER LEVEL OFFICIALS” NOW LEAKING IN SELF-DEFENSE: Anonymous Cincinnati IRS official: “Everything comes from the top.”

BOB SCHIEFFER SEEMS TO HAVE HAD ENOUGH: Schieffer to Obama Advisor: ‘Why Are You Here? Why Isn’t the White House Chief of Staff Here?’

Plus: “I have to tell you that is exactly the approach that the Nixon administration took. They said, ‘These are all second-rate things. We don’t have time for this. We have to devote our time to the people’s business.’ You’re taking exactly the same line they did.”