Mitt disses the platter in Pennsylvania: “I’m not sure about these cookies. They don’t look like you made them. Did you make those cookies? You didn’t, did you? No. No. They came from the local 7-Eleven bakery or wherever.” Bethel Bakery, est. 1955, provided the tray, and is offering a half-dozen cookies with every dozen purchased in honor of “CookieGate”. [WSJ]

“I don’t want government telling me what I can do and what I can’t do because I’m an American. But in Monongalia County you can’t smoke a cigarette, you can’t smoke a cigar, you can’t do anything… I have to put a huge sticker on my buildings to say this is a smoke free environment. This is brought to you by the government of Monongalia County. OK? Remember Hitler used to put Star of David on everybody’s lapel, remember that? Same thing.” —West Virginia Senate candidate John Raese. [Political Wire]

We enjoyed as much as anyone the recent spate of satiric penis-regulation bills, concocted (ahem) in response to the recent spate of all-too-nonsatiric vaginal-ultrasound bills. But we have to give the award to the first Mommy Wars bill in the nation:

Under current law, raising children does not count toward the required “work activity” that must be performed by recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the federal program that emerged from the 1996 welfare reform. Some states make an exception for mothers with children less than a year old.

The Women’s Option to Raise Kids (WORK) Act, a copy of which was provided to HuffPost in advance of its introduction, would allow mothers with children ages 3 and under to stay at home with their children and continue receiving benefits.

The act is a response to Mitt Romney, who knows the value of wealthy white Mormon mothers, but considers non-horsey poor moms a bunch of deadbeat slackers who don’t understand the “dignity of work” because they can’t afford live-in nannies to demonstrate it for them.

Credit goes to John Lewis, Gwen Moore, Barbara Lee, Jim McDermott, Lynn Woolsey, Jan Schakowsky and Rosa DeLauro, who will introduce the bill in the House. Demerits go to HuffPo, for not posting the draft bill itself, and for insisting on calling itself “HuffPost”.

Image: 52 Job Titles A Mom Holds [Life Without Pink]

“Seniors love getting junk mail. It’s sometimes their only way of communicating or feeling like they’re part of the real world.” —Harry Reid, arguing in favor of a Postal Service reform bill on the Senate floor. [The Hill]

TV legend Dick Clark dies at age 82 [USA Today]

“I learned how to eat small green chill peppers raw with dinner (plenty of rice), and, away from the dinner table, I was introduced to dog meat (tough), snake meat (tougher), and roasted grasshopper (crunchy).” —Barack Obama in Dreams from My Father, which is now being used as Seamus-bait. [Daily Caller]

“We actually have heard from the Secret Service and they have a duty. I support them. I salute them. And I look forward to our meeting tomorrow. I‘m sure we’ll have a great conversation.” —Ted Nugent, speaking to Glenn Beck. [The Blaze, via TPM]