Turkey, ham, lobster, gefilte fish: Here’s uplifting news to counter the chaos of media and the doldrums of politics. U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and Kuwait, plus State Department employees in Iraq, will have all the necessities to observe Passover and Easter, thanks to Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support personnel — steadfast geniuses all. They’ve planned for the preparation and delivery of meals, “seder kits” and other supplies to 285 dining facilities and distribution points for the past six months.

The official Easter menu includes 46,612 pounds of turkey, 20,475 pounds of Cornish hen, 30,525 pounds of ham, 35,712 pounds of shrimp, 63,200 pounds of lobster and crab, plus an assortment of vegetables, beverages and desserts. For kosher troops, four special ready-to-eat meals for Passover include bone-in chicken with potatoes, beef and vegetable stew, gefilte fish, salmon, traditional matzoh, and desserts.

“We are committed to providing these Americans with the items they need to observe their religious beliefs, especially since they are doing so much to protect our own freedoms back home,” says commander Navy Rear Adm. David F. Baucom.

ROCKER REPUBLICAN

“America is a business and should be run by a businessman.”

- Rock icon and reality TV star Gene Simmons of Kiss, explaining to Fox News why he endorsed Mitt Romney for president.

CONDEMNING NBC

NBC plans an internal investigation to determine who selectively edited and later broadcast a 911 recording of George Zimmerman, the shooter of Trayvon Martin, to focus on “racial motivation”, says Media Research Center President Brent Bozell.

“This is a massive breach of the public trust. NBC is guilty of dishonestly fanning the flames of racial hatred in America by doctoring tapes. NBC cannot be trusted with the investigation. It’s like Nixon investigating the Watergate tapes,” Mr. Bozell says.

“MSNBC.com also published a distorted transcript, but when the distortion was exposed, MSNBC merely changed the article and never acknowledged, or apologized for the stunt. But that was better than NBC’s ‘Today Show,’ which has never corrected the story, never mind acknowledging the wrongdoing or apologizing for it.”

Kevin Benz, chairman of the Radio Television Digital News Association, is also calling for NBC and the rest of the press to “clean up” their coverage of the shooting.

“The desire to break new information, the need to keep the story going day after day, the pressure to appease the loudest, most passionate voices who often have their own agendas — all get in the way of solid, truthful journalism,” Mr. Benz says. “What professional journalism must be right now is a calming force of reason and truth, sensitive to all sides of the story, and working to give voice to those most afflicted and most affected.”

PALIN’S ADVICE

For the most part, Sarah Palin got good reviews following her appearance Tuesday as guest co-host on NBC’s “Today” show. Two-thirds of the public say she would make a good morning show host, at least according to a National Review insta-poll of some 8,000 readers. During her time on camera, the former Alaska governor was cordial and direct, though she ultimately advised a contentious Matt Lauer that the nation would be benefit if President Obama and his “failed socialist policies” were not in office.

And she had advice for voters as well.

“There is no perfect candidate. I would warn voters never to put their faith wholly in an individual, in a politician — because a politician will disappoint you. Have faith in what politicians stand for and what their records represent. In this close race, the four gentlemen who are running, they all have strengths. And America would be better off with any of them” in the White House rather than Mr. Obama, Mrs. Palin observed.

BUMPER PATROL

Vote for Mitt Romney. I suppose it could be worse.”

- Bumper sticker spotted near Brewster, N.Y.

MARRIAGE, PART 2

Five gay couples filed suit Tuesday in the Eastern District of New York, challenging Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevents gay American citizens from sponsoring their spouses for green cards. The lawsuit, filed on the couples’ behalf by Immigration Equality and the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, alleges that DOMA violates the couples’ constitutional right to equal protection.

“Solely because of DOMA and its unconstitutional discrimination against same-sex couples,” the lawsuit states, “these Plaintiffs are being denied the immigration rights afforded to other similarly situated binational couples.”

Were the plaintiffs opposite-sex couples, the suit says, “the federal government would recognize the foreign spouse as an ‘immediate relative’ of a United States citizen, thereby allowing the American spouse to petition for an immigrant visa for the foreign spouse, and place [them] on the path to lawful permanent residence and citizenship.”

POLL DU JOUR

• 45 percent of Americans say there has been the “right amount” of news coverage about the 2012 presidential election.

• 39 percent say there’s been “too much” coverage.

• 40 percent say there has been the right amount of coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting.

• 37 percent say there has been “too much” coverage.

• 56 percent of Republicans, 25 percent of Democrats, 43 percent of whites and 16 percent of blacks agree.

• 30 percent of Americans overall say they are following the Trayvon Martin story more closely than any other news coverage.

• 19 percent of Republicans, 38 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of blacks and 24 percent of whites agree.

Source: A Pew Research Center survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted March 29 to April 1.

Quibbles, polls, applause to jharper@washingtontimes.com.

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