Roll Call: “House Democrats and Republicans appear to be taking the same message home for August: Washington is broken.”
“The only difference is whom they’re pointing the finger at for breaking it.”
Weiner Dodges Question on Whether He’s Still Sexting
In an interview with the New York Daily News, Anthony Weiner evaded a question about whether he is still sexting women online.
Q. There is no one you are sexting now?
A. You can quibble about beginnings, middles and ends but what we’re talking about is over a year ago.
Manning Found Not Guilty of Aiding Enemy
Army private Bradley Manning was found not guilty of aiding the enemy for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, the Washington Post reports.
However, Manning was convicted of multiple counts of violating the Espionage Act which could earn him significant prison time.
NBC News: “The charges of which Manning was convicted carry a total of 154 years in prison.”
Nunn’s Uphill Fight Made Easier by Messy GOP Primary
Stu Rothenberg: “The recent entry of Michelle Nunn into the Georgia Senate race is good news for national and state Democrats who hope to swipe a normally Republican Senate seat in the Deep South… Nunn has potential, and the Republican primary could increase her opportunities, both because of its bitterness and potential for producing a seriously flawed nominee.”
“But there is a heavy burden of proof on Nunn to show that she can win — or, rather, that Republicans are throwing the contest away. She will need every break to go her way to have any kind of real chance. Given that, we are moving this race from Safe Republican to Republican Favored. It’s certainly worth watching, though it doesn’t yet merit some of the early hype that it has received.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“If we don’t do that, frankly I see further polarization of the Hispanic voter. And the demographics are clear that are the Republican Party cannot win a national election. That’s just a fact.”
— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in an interview on the News Hour, on the need for immigration reform.
Why Did Weiner Do It?
New York Times: “His pattern of behavior is intriguing to mental health professionals and experts on sexual behavior, who — while they emphasize they cannot offer an authoritative diagnosis without examining him — discussed a variety of possible explanations for such conduct.”
“Some suggested the indiscretions might be an addiction with neurological roots. Others theorized that Mr. Weiner, a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, could be meeting sexual needs unsatisfied in a marriage. And still others said he might be driven by a combination of a mood disorder and feelings of inadequacy to seek reassurance about his masculinity from women he had never met.”
A Setback for Women Everywhere
Sally Quinn: “Up until Weiner’s cringeworthy news conference Tuesday, I had felt sorry for his wife, Huma Abedin, even though I couldn’t understand how she was able to condone his online antics in the first place. I have nothing against Abedin. I like her: She is a lovely, gracious, intelligent woman. I ache for her need to come to the rescue of this man who has betrayed her so often and will likely do it again. I ache for all women who find themselves in this position. And yet, there she stood in front of the cameras, this modern American career woman, by her man, saying she had forgiven him, loved him and believed in him. Just what exactly does she believe in? The only thing she can believe in for sure is that he will continue his infidelity.”
“Though her friends say she is strong and resolute and defiant, sadly she makes all women look like weak and helpless victims. She was not standing there in a position of strength. It was such a setback for women everywhere.”
McDonnell Will Return All Gifts to Benefactor
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said that he is working with his attorneys to arrange the return of gifts he accepted from a benefactor, including a Rolex watch, NBC News reports.
Said McDonnell: “My intent is everything I have received from this particular donor … that those gifts that I have in my possession, I am working with my counsel to be able to return.”
He added that his decision to repay two loans (with interest) last week was “the first of many things that I intend to do.”
The Cloakroom: What McDonnell could have learned from Richard Nixon.
The End of Campaign Contribution Limits?
Jeffrey Toobin says the Supreme Court may soon strike down campaign finance limits.
“The reason the contribution levels might be in jeopardy rests on the rationale the Justices now demand for all campaign-finance limits. According to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s opinion in Citizens United, the government’s interest in preventing the actuality and appearance of corruption is ‘limited to quid pro quo corruption.’ Congress can regulate campaign contributions only to stop contributors from demanding, and receiving, quid pro quos. The Court forbids other justifications for contribution limits–like levelling the playing field. Quid pro quos are, of course, very difficult to prove. So unless the government can prove that the limits on aggregate contributions prevent quid-pro-quo corruption (and how, really, can the government do that?), these rules might fall, too.”
“Such an outcome is especially likely because the current Court has such an exalted idea of the importance of campaign contributions as a form of individual expression. In other words, money equals speech. The speech of wealthy people is a source of particular, almost poignant concern.”
FEC Says Sestak Must Declare His Candidacy
The Federal Election Commission says former Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) “has passed the threshold of exploring a run for Senate in 2016 and must declare himself a candidate – or disavow his bid,” PoliticsPA reports.
Paul Refuses to Endorse Alexander in Tennessee
In an awkward appearance with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in his home state, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stopped short of endorsing Alexander’s re-election bid, the Tennessean reports.
Said Paul: “I’d rather not go there. I’d hate to be painted as ‘Oh, I’ve come here and I’m not endorsing him’ because I think that’s the wrong message to send. I’m very supportive of Sen. Alexander, and I hope he doesn’t get an opponent.”
Boehner’s Budget Headache
Roll Call says GOP efforts to defund Obamacare are creating a big headache for Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).
“With 60 Republicans already pushing the Ohio Republican to defund
Obamacare in any spending bill, the speaker may not be able to cobble
together a House majority on a bill that President Barack Obama would
sign without Democratic votes. And he’s not likely to get those votes
for free.”
First Read: “We have an additional question here: What does Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell do? Does he join the Mike Lees, Marco Rubios, and Ted
Cruzes who want to defund Obamacare, so he doesn’t give GOP primary
opponent Matt Bevin any room to maneuver? Or does he join with the Tom
Coburns and Richard Burrs to make the point that such a move only sets
up the GOP to get blamed if there’s a government shutdown? Republican
need to use August to come to some sort of consensus, because right now,
even as the president’s popularity may be waning, the GOP public
infighting and lack of agreement here is only helping the White House.”
Virginia Backlash for Cheney
National Journal:
“Republican officials are grumbling that Liz Cheney passed up an
opportunity to run in her adopted state of Virginia, leaving the party
empty-handed as it searches for a challenger against Sen. Mark Warner.
Instead of taking one for the Republican team, she’s sparked an
intra-party war in Wyoming. And, some strategists say, her prospects
would be slightly better running in a battleground state than waging a
long-shot primary battle against a popular sitting senator.”
Could There Be a Wave in 2014?
Charlie Cook: “Republicans have made no progress in
improving their party’s standing with the electorate overall, or for
that matter with minorities, women, young voters, and those
self-described moderates. Social and cultural issues continue to plague
their party among many young and some women voters. Intransigence among
conservatives in the party seems to be preventing the GOP congressional
leadership from trying to lance the immigration boil. Even deeper cuts
in discretionary domestic spending are providing considerable cannon
fodder for Democratic media consultants, who are preparing ads for next
year. Not to mention that a government shutdown would be considerably
more likely to damage Republicans than Democrats.”
“On the other hand,
voters increasingly seem to have hit the mute button on President Obama.
They are no longer listening to him, and his approval numbers seem to
be dropping by about a point every three weeks. This does not seem to be
because of any of the so-called scandals that got Republicans so worked
up during the winter and spring, but more because voters have a
perception of Obama as a not particularly effective leader. They tend to
give him points for having good intentions on most issues, but they see
him as ineffectual. Add to that growing concern over the Affordable
Care Act, with only a third of Americans telling pollsters that it will
help the nation’s health care situation, and less than a quarter who
believe that it will help their own family’s health care.”
A Reason for GOP Holding Back on Immigration Reform
Chris Frates:
“House Republicans head home for the August break having done little to
pass immigration reform, falling well short of Speaker John Boehner’s
goal to vote on legislation before next week’s monthlong recess begins.
But far from a failure of leadership, top House Republicans are casting
the inaction as a tactical play designed to boost reform’s chances.
Keeping immigration on the back-burner helps avoid a recess filled with
angry town-hall meetings reminiscent of the heated August 2009 protests
where the backlash against health care reform coalesced. Doing nothing
also starves Democrats of a target, Republicans argue. … So Boehner,
Cantor, and McCarthy have privately discussed holding off on immigration
until October.”
Recall Launched as Filner Seeks Legal Fees
The drive to recall San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) began in earnest “as the beleaguered politician made a formal request for taxpayers to pick up the tab for his legal fees stemming from a sexual harassment lawsuit,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.
“While the recall movement was
expected to take off this week, it surprised many that Filner would ask
taxpayers to foot the bill for his legal troubles.”
Pro-Hillary PAC Raises More Than $1 Million
“A new group dedicated to paving the way for a Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016 has already recruited dozens of the Democratic Party’s elite donors and bundlers, effectively kicking off the presidential money hunt more than three years before Election Day,” the New York Times reports.
“The group, Ready for Hillary, is aiming to build Mrs. Clinton a grass-roots network that would give her a prohibitive edge in any Democratic primary and a significant advantage over potential Republican rivals, channeling enthusiasm for Mrs. Clinton, a former first lady and New York senator, into Facebook hits, Twitter followers and affinity groups around the country.”
Key detail: Disclosure reports due to be filed with the FEC this week “will show more than a million dollars raised since the group began fund-raising in earnest this spring.”
Quote of the Day
“I am not terribly interested in what people who are not voters in the city of New York have to say.”
— Anthony Weiner, quoted by the New York Daily News, in response to a question about whether Bill and Hillary Clinton, who live in Westchester County, could influence his decision to stay in the mayoral race.
