Before his interview with Jimmy Fallon, Donald Trump interviews his “reflection” in the mirror.
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Walker Cancels Speeches to Focus on Early States
Gov. Scott Walker “has canceled two speeches he was scheduled to give next weekend in Michigan and California so that he can instead spend time meeting voters in South Carolina and Iowa,” the Washington Post reports.
“Walker has steadily fallen in early polls, worrying his fundraisers, donors and prominent supporters. When the Wisconsin governor launched his presidential campaign in mid-July, he was considered one of the top-tier candidates and seemed on track to win the Iowa caucuses. Now he is registering single-digit support and trying desperately to jump-start his campaign.”
Politico: “Walker’s standing in Iowa has disintegrated, and he can’t blame Donald Trump.”
Quote of the Day
“I don’t know what the hell just happened. I think you answered my question. I don’t remember what the question was.”
— Jimmy Fallon, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, after Donald Trump responded to his question with “one of his extemporaneous monologues.”
British Labor Party Picks Socialist Leader
New York Times: “After three decades as a political outsider and clarion of the left, Jeremy Corbyn on Saturday won the leadership of Britain’s opposition Labour Party with an emphatic victory and a program that includes expanding the economy, scrapping nuclear missiles, and unpicking the centrist policies of his predecessors, including Tony Blair.”
“His success underlines the extent to which European political structures have been destabilized by the aftershocks of the financial crisis in 2008, with voters increasingly attracted away from the political center ground, either to the socialist left or the nationalist right.”
Perry Drops Presidential Bid
Rick Perry “is calling it quits on his 2016 White House bid,” ABC News reports.
Said Perry: “We have a tremendous field – the best in a generation – so I step aside knowing our party is in good hands, and as long as we listen to the grassroots, the cause of conservatism will be too. That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States.”
He added that he has “no regrets” about his run.
Biden’s Inner Circle Sees a Campaign Forming
Politico: “People around Joe Biden are increasingly convinced he’ll run for president — and Thursday, he took the next step forward, using his appearance at a union rally here to unveil what for all intents and purposes would be his 2016 stump speech.”
“In and around the vice president’s office, planning and outreach for the expected run is intensely underway, creating an energy that looks to those close to it like a campaign taking shape. They’re talking to donors, they’re connecting with old supporters, they’re starting to think about potential campaign staff hires, according to people familiar with the activity.”
Read This If You’re Planning a Coup
Monkey Cage: “For every failed coup attempt I see from here on out, I will shake my head and wonder why the coup-makers did not read political scientist Naunihal Singh’s book, Seizing Power: The Strategic Logic of Military Coups. Though certainly not meant to be a recipe book for launching a successful coup, Singh’s study offers insights that would save potential coup-makers a lot of trouble.”
The Latest on Wonk Wire
Here’s what’s trending on Wonk Wire today:
- Jeb Bush Inherits Voodoo Economics
- In Defense of Militant Atheism
- The Nation’s Healthcare Checkup
- Planned Parenthood Myths
- Climate Change Denial is a ‘Turn-Off’ for Millenials
And a bonus from Working Capital Review:
California Moves Automatic Voter Registration Bill
In response to the record-low turnout in the last election, the California state Senate approved a bill that would automatically register to vote any eligible Californian who gets a driver’s license unless they opt out, the Los Angeles Times reports.
How to Beat Donald Trump
GOP strategist Liz Mair offers up 10 ways to derail Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
National Journal: A how-to guide for dealing with Trump’s insults
Bachmann Defends Trump Over Sexism Charges
Former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) dismissed charges of sexism over Donald Trump’s comments on women, The Hill reports.
Said Bachmann: “I feel like all this kind of stuff is like nonsense.”
She added: “The main thing really that really, honestly, voters are thinking about are the 54 million women of working age who are not in the workforce today because there are not jobs for them.”
Landrieu Faces House Arrest in New Orleans
“A 5 p.m. deadline loomed on Friday for the city of New Orleans to either pay its firefighters $75 million in back wages or see Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D) placed under weekend house arrest until a deal is reached,” Reuters reports.
“The standoff is the result of a decades-old settlement over back wages that have gone unpaid through several mayoral administrations. The local firefighters union recently sought to have the city held in contempt of court for not honoring the commitment.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I think it’s pretty outrageous for him to be attacking anybody’s appearance when he looks like he’s got a squirrel sitting on his head.”
— Gov. Bobby Jindal, quoted by CBS News, on Donald Trump.
Baltimore Mayor Will Not Run Again
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), “beleaguered by the death of Freddie Gray and the protests and rioting that followed, will announce that she won’t seek re-election,” the Baltimore Sun reports.
“Rawlings-Blake, 45, wants to focus on preparing the city for the upcoming trials facing the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest and death… She briefed her Cabinet and staff this morning, and has no plans to seek another office.”
Quote of the Day
“Sometimes it just overwhelms you.”
— Vice President Joe Biden, in an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Rick Klein: “It was one of many lines that it was virtually impossible to imagine any other politician, much less a potential presidential candidate, uttering on national television. In its raw emotion and honesty, the interview displayed what is undeniably compelling about Biden, his life story, his passions, and his motivations. It also suggested strongly a man who just isn’t able to bring himself to run for president, not at this time and under these circumstances. Yet somehow that all seemed secondary for the moment.”
Michigan Lawmakers Ousted in Sex Scandal Cover Up
“It took 14 hours, two failed votes and a day full of drama, but at 3:12 a.m. Friday, state Rep. Todd Courser (R) resigned from his state House seat, and an hour later, Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R) was expelled on a 91-12 vote, ending a controversial sex and cover-up scandal that has rocked Lansing for the last month,” the Detroit Free Press reports.
“The scandal swirling around Courser and Gamrat had been rumored for months, but burst onto the public scene last month when audio recordings surfaced and revealed that Courser had asked his staff to send an anonymous, “false flag” e-mail that he had written, saying he was addicted to drugs and pornography, and paid for sex with men outside a Lansing bar. His staff refused to participate in the attempt to make it appear that Courser was the victim of a smear campaign and to downplay the affair he was having with Gamrat.”
DNC Holds Firm on Debate Schedule
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz “stood firmly by her plan to hold exactly six presidential debates—and jabbed at the candidate who’s been most aggressive in agitating for more,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Wasserman Schultz: “We’re having six debates–period.”
She added: “We’re not changing the process. We’re having six debates. We’re having six debates and the candidates will be uninvited from any subsequent debates if they accept an invitation to a debate outside the six DNC-sanctioned debates.”
Ex-Romney Aides United in Stopping Trump
Former aides to Mitt Romney “are curiously aligned once again in common cause, a stem-to-stern effort that has united old comrades even as they nominally play for different teams: stopping Donald Trump,” the Boston Globe reports.
Said one: “We are united. It’s a common goal and not just for Romney people, but for anyone invested in Republicanism, conservatism, and anyone who gives a flying [expletive] about what we’re trying to do here. Even if you’re not getting paid, this isn’t good for anybody.”
