What a week

by A.B. Stoddard, columnist, The Hill - 04/04/14 8:31 PM ET

What a week. Actually another three words come to mind: This is rich.

Consider:

1) Former top Obama advisor Robert Gibbs doesn’t think the employer mandate will last in the Affordable Care Act. He tells a group in a speech in Colorado Springs this week the mandate, now delayed repeatedly, is only a small part of the law and is likely to be the first to go. Oh, so we can all stop worrying about the mandate; bet the insurance companies were pleased to hear it.

2) Deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is bummed out. He didn’t want the Russians to annex Crimea, said if he were still president this wouldn’t have happened. He also knows nothing about the golden loaf of bread the protesters found when they stormed his ornate palace.

3) The biggest Tea Party threat to an incumbent is no longer “keynote speaker” at an event selling “white pride” merchandise. Um, the Mississippi GOP wants Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who is challenging Sen. Thad Cochran (R), to explain why he was heading to the Combined Firearm Freedom Day/Tea Party Music Fest in Guntown, Miss. on May 17 where a vendor would be selling, along with Tea Party and Confederate merchandise, some “white pride” goodies as well. McDaniel staff said the candidate is not attending the event.

4) Challenger to endangered Democratic senator gave to Democrats — including her. Rep. Bill Cassidy (R) is running against Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu (D), who voted for ObamaCare and polls show is in real trouble, but he also gave her a donation in 2002, because he explained he was liberal once.

5) Iowa’s governor wants to do away with the Ames Straw Poll, which focuses the nation’s attention on … yes, Iowa. Gov. Terry Branstad (R) reportedly has concluded the poll has outlived its usefulness and noted Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) victory in the poll during the 2012 nominating contest, because the ultimate winner has only won the straw poll once. Other Iowa Republicans disagree with the suggested move that could restrict opportunities for a candidate like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to get an early push out of Iowa with a straw poll victory.

Come on — that’s weird. All of it.

See you next week.

JEB AND JINDAL JUST FORMED A NEW SUPER PAC FOR GOP POLICY? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? AskAB returns Tuesday, April 8. Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your questions and comments to askab@digital-stage.thehill.com. Thank you.

Updated April 8 at 2:09 p.m. A previous version misstated Gibbs’s comments on the Affordable Care Act.