Chocola:

Yes, unbelievably, we are subsidizing foreign companies so they are in a better position to compete against our own. This, in spite of the fact that Ex-Im’s own charter clearly states it can only grant loans to credit-worthy entities and must never undermine American companies.

[...]

 

But maybe the most egregious example of how dysfunctional and misguided the Ex-Im Bank’s actions really are is present in the airline industry. The bank provides financing to foreign airlines that in turn purchase American aircraft, allowing them to compete against U.S.-based carriers. These foreign companies use our subsidy to offer lower prices since American companies cannot qualify for this corporate welfare, and they, in turn, lose business.

[...]

Why is taxpayer-backed money being wasted on companies that should be able to seek capital from private lending institutions? And if banks decide against providing some of these companies with loans, shouldn’t that tell us something?

Roll Call to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Kansas City Star:

The plan to increase funding for extracurricular activities applies only to 66 school districts where local option funding equals at least 30 percent of state aid.

It would apply to five school districts in Johnson County and to the Bonner Springs and Piper districts in Wyandotte County.

It also would cover eight districts in Sedgwick County, including Goddard, Maize, Derby, Haysville and Mulvane.

The proposal had been tried in the House before and was defeated partly because of a bias against Johnson County.

 

Conroy:

“Competent” is perhaps the word admirers use most frequently to describe Jindal after “brilliant,” and his ability to get things done was a trait he demonstrated throughout the crisis in the Gulf region. For weeks, Jindal was a near-constant figure at the frontlines of the spill, and he hit the right political notes with Republicans by frequently butting heads with the Obama administration, demanding that federal officials be more proactive in their response and taking matters into his own hands when he deemed doing so appropriate.

 

Link.

RedState.

Morris:

The journalists in the mainstream media, who are not politicians and have never run campaigns, do not realize what is happening. The Democrats, as delusional in 2012 as they were in 2010, are too much into their own euphoria to realize it. But America is sharply and totally rejecting Obama and all he stands for and embracing Romney as a good alternative. While few are saying these words, they are the truth.

 

RealClearPolitics.

RealClearPolitics recent polls.

From Mike Kiegerl:

ALL ALONE AND NO PLACE TO GO

As of Friday May 4, all administrative staff of the House was discharged, which means I will have no secretary during the (hopefully) last week of the session and will be harder to reach. Please use my personal email address for routine messages and requests. Do not expect the usual 24 hr response as I have to answer without help after a long day in session. For urgent, time sensitive discussions, call me while I’m on the floor at 1-785-296-7615. Please use discretion and understand that I will not be able to engage in long conversations and cannot take calls during final action voting.

 

HELL WEEK COMING UP

Inasmuch as we still have three major issues to resolve and bills to pass, leadership advised all legislators to rest up this weekend as we will be having long sessions. All nighters are not unusual and we have one or two every year debating and voting the omnibus appropriations (budget) bill which must pass to keep the government liquid, but this year in addition we still need to agree on a controversial tax reform bill, and wrestle with the 800 pound gorilla in the room: redistricting. We also have numerous routine bills passed by both chambers in committee to iron out differences. Once compromise is reached, both House and Senate must vote on them again before they can go to the governor for signature. (more…)

More:

• Associated Press
• Wichita Eagle

CNN.

Maggie Gallagher at National Review.

Sources:

• State elections site
• USA Today
• UK Telegraph
• Wisconsin-Salem Journal
• Washington Post
• San Francisco Chronicle
• CNN

Moe Lane at RedState.

Wisconsin Journal Sentinel:

The Democrats barely drew more votes Tuesday than Walker, in spite of the fact that their party had a competitive primary and Walker did not.

With 95% of the vote counted, Walker had nearly as many votes as all the Democrats combined in their primary.

Politico:

Barrett defeated former Dane County executive Kathleen Falk, the unions’ preferred candidate, by a wide margin. With 94 percent of precincts reporting, Barrett had 58 percent to Falk’s 35 percent. Two other Democratic candidates, Secretary of State Doug La Follette and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, received 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

[...]

Barrett’s victory came despite organized labor’s best efforts against him. Most of the state’s unions – including the AFL-CIO, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the SEIU and the United Food and Commercial Workers – endorsed Falk.

Overall, labor backed Falk to the tune of about $4 million, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

 

National Review:

In his victory speech, Mourdock took pains to stress that Lugar “will never be my enemy.” The race, Mourdock said, “is not about animosity; it is about ideas; it is about the direction of the Republican party; it is about the direction of our country.” Surrounded by family, friends, staff, and supporters (most clad in red campaign T-shirts), Mourdock promised to beat Donnelly and to “move the Senate to a more conservative place” and “to move the country to a better place.”

National Review Online.

• RealClearPolitics
• RedState
• New York Times
• Reuters
• CNN
• Washington Post
• USA Today