It seems, however, that none of the negative press has affected President Obama’s approval ratings. According to a CNN/ORC poll released this weekend, the President still enjoys a 53% approval rating.

This is despite the fact that those polled knew about the recent scandals and even considered them important. 71% of those polled considered the IRS’s actions unacceptable, while 52% thought the Justice Department’s phone record seizures were unacceptable. Over 60% of these same respondents believe that President Obama’s statements about the IRS scandal have been at least mostly true.

Presidential spokespersons have been aggressively combating efforts to link Obama directly to the IRS scandal. White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer this Sunday hit the talk show circuit, stating that the President did not know of the policy before it hit the media.

The President himself did not address the topics this weekend. Instead, the President used his weekly address to speak about building up the middle class in the U.S.:

It’s former Congressman Anthony Weiner, whose indiscretions on the social media platform led to embarrassment and his eventual political demise.

It appears that Weiner is migrating his Twitter presence to a new handle, @anthonyweiner. His previous handle, @repweiner, tweeted out the new handle Monday evening. It was the first tweet from that account since early February. That account was silent for 17 months following the lewd photograph scandal, with Weiner breaking his silence last November by tweeting out a video in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Here’s the final tweet from the old account:

Follow @repweiner

Anthony Weiner
@repweiner

@anthonyweiner

 Reply  ·  Retweet  ·  Favorite
22 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

It makes sense that Weiner would want to start fresh, tweeting from a brand new Twitter account. Of course, there’s quite a bit of bad memories associated with the old account. Plus, Weiner is no longer a U.S. Representative, so @repweiner doesn’t make much sense anymore.

And ‘Representative” is not the political office that Weiner is looking to be associated with. Speculations that Weiner has aspirations to dethrone Michael Bloomberg as Mayor of New York City continue to gain traction. It seems like a return to Twitter is a logical move for someone gearing up for that kind of run. Especially when the only things that you’re tweeting out are links to a 20-page document called “Keys to the City.” That document is described as “64 Ideas to Keep New York the Capital of the Middle Class.”

Follow @anthonyweiner

Anthony Weiner
@anthonyweiner

Speaking of smoking in the city, check out idea 36. http://t.co/QkRCRhn9T2

 Reply  ·  Retweet  ·  Favorite
1 hour ago via Tweet Button · powered by @socialditto

Follow @anthonyweiner

Anthony Weiner
@anthonyweiner

For earth day: Idea 54. http://t.co/vXAkgAvLMT

 Reply  ·  Retweet  ·  Favorite
19 hours ago via Tweet Button · powered by @socialditto

The new account is less than a day old, and has already been verified by Twitter. He currently boasts nearly 8,000 followers in less than 24 hours.

This week, according to a Reuters report, a Vatican judge sent Gabriele to trial for the leaks. The judge, Piero Antonio Bonnet, also sent Claudio Sciarpelletti, a Vatican IT worker, to trial for helping Gabriele hold some of the leaked documents in secret. Bonnet stated that Vatican investigators are still busy hunting down other individuals involved in the leaks.

The so-called “Vatileaks” scandal began when an italian journalist named Gianluigi Nuzzi published a book that exposes corruption within the Vatican. Nuzzi cited an unnamed whistle-blower as the source of his information. The book describes collusion between the Vatican and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government to avoid the Catholic church having to pay property tax to the EU, as well as efforts to influence the Italian media.

Gabriele confessed to stealing documents from the Vatican after his arrest in May. According to Reuters, Gabriele could face up to six years in prison if he is convicted. However, The Guardian cites a Vatican spokesperson as saying that the Pope might pardon Gabriele if he is convicted. That spokesperson also said the Vatican might still prosecute Nuzzi for publishing the book that began the scandal.

(Photo by Andreas Tille)

These individuals were assigned to support the Secret Service during President Obama’s trip to Cartagena, where he was to appear at a Latin American summit. Before the President’s scheduled arrival, several men partook in the some questionable activity, which, apparently, has happened more than once in the past. However, when one of the agents got into a dispute over money with a hooker, the whole sordid affair quickly came to light.

As a result, over a dozen Secret Service officers, including several agents and supervisors, were implicated in the ensuing scandal. Following an investigation into the matter, eight individuals lost their jobs, while three were cleared of any wrongdoings. According to Fox News, a few former employees are currently attempting to get their jobs back.

The U.S. military rarely discloses details of administrative punishments. Officials spoke to the news organization in the condition of anonymity since results of this investigation have not been made public. Congress is expected to speak with military officials regarding the scandal shortly.

All kidding aside, Clinton posing with porn stars is really a non-issue. Unless they were all naked and covered with Chef Boyardee products, then we might have something to discuss. The actresses in question — namely Brooklyn Lee, Tasha Reign, and Jennifer Taule — are fully clothed and, judging from the snapshot that’s quickly made the rounds, on their best behavior. What is there to be upset about? Are porn stars not people, too?

I’m assuming that, in the mind of certain individuals, the presence of these sex-driven professionals brings to mind that whole Monica Lewinsky ordeal. If it does, then you may need to seek professional help about your repressed obsessions, which can be pretty unhealthy if left untreated for an extended period of time.

Am I completely mistaken in my assessment of the situation? Some would probably think so. You can sample some Twitter reactions to Clinton’s brush with this trio by having a look at the comments embedded below. Just don’t get caught looking at the photo by your friends and family, otherwise people might associate you with pornography. Assuming, of course, that you aren’t already in the business.

The brothers, Donald Jr. and Eric, are at the center of a controversy after photos were released of a hunting trip they took in Africa last year which showed them standing beside the carcasses of various animals they’d killed. Though they insist that none of the animals were endangered and that all the meat was given to nearby villages, many people–including the animal rights group PETA–are outraged at what they consider to be animal cruelty, and that reportedly includes at least one sponsor of “Celebrity Apprentice”.

Camping World and Good Sam CEO Marcus Lemonis reportedly told TMZ yesterday that he was “shocked” by the photos and that even though his company Camping World had already run ads on the show this season, he wouldn’t be spending any more money to support them.

But Donald Trump Sr. says that just isn’t true. In a phone interview with TMZ today, he claimed that not one sponsor has pulled their funding from his show, including Good Sam. In fact, he said, the company is “thrilled to be on board” and is looking forward to the episode in which their ads run. The episode airs next month.

Trump also said he doesn’t personally believe in hunting but that he believes his sons didn’t do anything wrong on their safari.

Reps for Camping World and Good Sam could not be reached for comment.

While on a trip to Africa with the company Hunting Legends, the younger Trumps–Donald Jr. and Eric–posed for numerous photos beside animals they had killed, which included an elephant, crocodile, kudu, civet cat and waterbuck. When the photos were released recently, public outrage over the hunting trip began immediately and spread to all facets of social media, causing Eric and Donald Jr. to issue statements and angry tweets in their defense. Jr. claims that the brothers both grew up hunting with their family and that the meat from their victims didn’t go to waste as it was distributed to members of local villages.

The reasoning behind their actions doesn’t interest some people, however, including a major sponsor of their father’s show “Celebrity Apprentice” (a reality show on which both brothers appear). Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis says that his ads have already run on this season of “Celebrity Apprentice”, but that doesn’t mean he will support the show with another penny.

The businessman told TMZ today that he is “totally disgusted by the [hunting] pics I have seen and was surprised to see them … Money is spent but wow I’m really shocked.”

Trump Sr. claims that he is against hunting and has never gone himself, and was planning to talk to his sons about their decisions when he got the chance. Perhaps sooner rather than later would have been a good idea.

Image credit: TMZ

The Examiner provided a good example of a guideline so that readers could understand the general idea: If a restaurant bathroom has a light switch that is 52 inches above the floor, then that business is in compliance. But if the light switch is 53 inches above the floor, the restaurant owner is a civil rights violator subject to fines from the government and liable for civil damages from any disabled individual who ever used the bathroom.

In September 2010, the DOJ issued a new rule that requires all public access swimming pools to supply a lift that is suitable for transporting disabled patrons from their wheelchairs into the water. This means that if a resort has multiple pools and spas, there must be a permanently fixed lift for at least one spa, and one pool.

This guideline will direct owners to make costly modifications to their facilities: “each lift costs between $3,000 and $10,000 and installation can add $5,000 to $10,000 to the total.”

All 300,000 public pools in the United States must install a permanent fixed lift by tomorrow, March 15, and the entire prospect is impossible. Industry spokesmen state that there are not enough lifts in existence and certainly not enough people who know how to install them.

Some are calling this transformative event “Poolmageddon.”

Considering that major hotels and other public pool owners lack the resources to make the changes on time the DOJ has decided not to fine companies right away. But hotel chains like the Ramada Inn are not in the clear because the ADA has been encouraging disabled people to sue companies that have failed to comply with guidelines.

Poolmageddon may lead to another payday for trial lawyers and their clients.

Kevin Maher, senior vice president of governmental affairs for the American Hotel & Lodging Association said these groups “often file lawsuits against every business in the community. A lot of times they are not even looking for businesses to comply with the ADA, they are just looking for a quick cash settlement to go away,” and went on to explain that these guidelines will be enforced through litigation as opposed to government fines.

Another concern about the lifts is that they attract children to play on them and create safety hazards. Many businesses do not have a lifeguard on duty and injuries to children are likely ro create more opportunities for trial lawyers to line their pockets.

Trial lawyers gave President Obama more than $45 million in 2008 and Poolmageddon has been raising suspicion that there have been some dirty dealings going on.

Doesn’t American Idol do background checks? Is this just another fake scandal to boost ratings and keep this charade of a show going?

Jermaine was confronted by producers on camera last night and tonight he is supposed to be officially booted.

The soon to be idol castoff is beginning to look like a pathological liar. At one point he told producers that his father abandoned him over a decade ago but TMZ news reports that his father contacted them and said that they see each other on a regular basis.

Jermaine Jones tweeted that he never claimed that his father abandoned him but that posting has been removed. Twitter fans see Jermaine as a controversial figure; some say he is boring and needs a stylist while others think he has a golden voice:

Do you think that Jermaine should be given a second chance?

But, in any scandal lies opportunity for someone. And, Limbaugh is starting to actually gain some potential advertisers who feel they can use his notoriety to their advantage.

In a press release issued on March 6, a website that purports to help bring “sugar daddies” together with young, willing women announced its intention to buy $500,000 worth of advertising on Limbaugh’s show.

From their release:

“Rush Limbaugh is one of the greatest examples of the modern day Sugar Daddy,” says [the site's founder]. “We wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t come forward and support him in his time of need.”

The press release made a point of mentioning that the founder had “a BS and an MBS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”

The company’s release went on to try to parallel Limbaugh’s attack on Sandra Fluke with distasteful comments many people make about gold-diggers who sleep with rich men in a “mutually beneficial arrangement”. Their angle was that they support Limbaugh with their ad dollars because, unlike those others, he “apologized”.

The site features mostly college-age girls who list their remuneration expectations as anywhere from “Open – Amount Negotiable” on some listings to “US$10,001 – $20,000 monthly”. One of the female profile photos on the site had a stock photo site watermark symbol on it.

(Watermarked Profile Pic)

Another site that helps people cheat on their spouses has announced that they want to buy up all of Limbaugh’s ad space vacated by others.

The terms of these media buy offers are not disclosed. Whether or not either of these opportunists will actually follow through with an ad buy, or are simply using the trending popularity of search terms related to the scandal to boost their own presence remains to be seen. You’ll note that we did not name them here.

Scandal attracts bottom-feeding opportunists like a carcass attracts buzzards. Losing advertisers may not worry Limbaugh. The fact that the dregs are starting to circle overhead should.