He, Uh, Stretched The Truth

Among other fibs told over the past four years about the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama said in his Rose Garden "victory lap" last week that the ACA met its goal without having to spend much to promote the law. Well, perhaps the amount depends on your perspective. Prior to a 2014 blitz, in which only $52 million was spent, including a spot with NBA superstar LeBron James, The Associated Press reported that $700 million was spent on a nationwide campaign encouraging people without insurance to enroll. But when $1 billion is spent on the rickety, error-filled website, what's another $752 million among friends?

What Voter Fraud?

Democrats love to complain about any attempts to make the right to vote more transparent and more difficult to tamper with. Why? Because dead voters, fraudulent voters and voters who vote twice can swing elections. In North Carolina recently, for instance, Democrats pooh-poohed findings that thousands of state registered voters had personal information matching those of voters who voted in other states in 2012. Elections Director Kim Strach isn't calling it voter fraud yet but said her staff had identified 765 registered voters who appear to have cast ballots in two states in the 2012 presidential election. Further, WRAL reported 81 residents who died before election day were recorded as casting a ballot. Some were found to have legally cast a ballot before dying, but the days in question didn't make sense for between 40 and 50 of the supposed voters. "We have the 'Walking Dead,'" said state Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, "and now we've got the 'Voting Dead.' I guess the reason there's no proof of voter fraud [yet] is because we weren't looking for it."

Intelligent Life Out There?

Like any good baby boomer who grew up in the Space Age, former President Bill Clinton always wondered if there was anything, you know, out there. So when he appeared last week on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the host asked him about whether he saw any classified information when he was president proving the existence of aliens. Clinton said he had "all the Roswell papers reviewed" but didn't find clear evidence aliens exist. Yet, he said he wouldn't be shocked if intelligent life exists outside the planet and if they one day might visit Earth. Pointing to the ever-expanding universe and the recent discovery of more than 20 planets outside the solar system, he said "it makes it increasingly less likely that we're alone." About that intelligent life in the White House, though ...

Not So 'Selfie' Assured

President Obama, who famously took a selfie with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at the funeral of former South African leader Nelson Mandela in December, found himself on the wrong end of a selfie last week when the world champion Boston Red Sox visited the White House. Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, known as "Big Papi," snapped a photo of him and Obama using a Samsung phone, tweeted it to his followers, and Samsung then tweeted it to more than 5 million followers. Ortiz, it turned out, had been named a media insider by Samsung and coached prior to the White House visit. "It wasn't anything promotional or anything like that," the popular Boston star told reporters. "I mean who knows that you're going to take a picture with the president, a selfie. You know what I'm saying? How many people can guarantee that?" Samsung, however, said "it was an honor to help him capture such an incredible and genuine moment of joy and excitement." The White House was not amused, with spokesman Jay Carney saying that "as a rule, the White House objects to attempts to use the president's likeness for commercial purposes. And we certainly object in this case."

You're Not Wanted Here

Disgraced former Democratic vice presidential candidate and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and his daughter were turned away from the funeral of former donor and Listerine fortune heiress Bunny Mellon last week. The reclusive Mellon, who was reportedly greatly upset when her name was dragged into the public eye during Edwards' 2011 trial for misuse of campaign funds, gave more than $700,000 to Edwards during his 2008 presidential campaign but learned later much of the money was diverted to support his mistress, Rielle Hunter, and their love child. Actor Frank Langella later said Mellon told him she'd been taken in by Edwards' "good looks."