Though it was obvious to almost no one at the time, Thursday, April 5, may have certified a momentous change in contemporary politics. It was that day when Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus was quoted saying that the Republican “war on women,” a favorite liberal talking point, was a creation of Democrats and the media—no more reality-based than a Republican “war on caterpillars.” It probably wasn’t the most outlandish comment a GOP operative uttered that hour. Yet, by lunchtime, Obama Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter had denounced Priebus for suggesting that reproductive-health issues had all the cosmic significance of larva. Soon Cutter’s aggrieved response was all over the Internet and cable television. When I spoke with one strategist close to the White House the next day, he was utterly disbelieving: “The-war-on-caterpillars thing, I’m shocked it’s getting any legs.”

"Americans still hold Congress in low regard, but its 17% job approval rating is the highest since last July. Congress' approval had dipped to a record-low 10% in February."

Global finance leaders are meeting in Washington to discuss oil prices, unemployment and other issues putting a cloud over the global economic picture.

The number of Americans who filed requests for unemployment insurance last week hovered near a four-month high, defying expectations that applications would begin to recede after a recent spike. Weekly jobless claims totaled 386,000, seasonally adjusted, in the week ended April 14, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 388,000 from an initial reading of 380,000. It was the second straight time claims were revised higher by an unusually large amount. The higher level of claims, along with report showing slower growth among manufacturers, undercut U.S. stocks in Thursday trades. The Dow Jones industrial average was down almost 30 points in recent action.