A new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll finds former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) gets just 4% support in his home state for his Democratic presidential bid.
The Real Problem with Donald Trump
Michael Kinsley: “The trouble with Donald Trump is not, as Jeb Bush and others would have it, that he’s not a true conservative from any perspective. The trouble with Trump is not that his policy positions on immigration, ISIS, health care, Social Security, or whatever don’t stand up to a moment of casual scrutiny. That we’re even talking about his ‘positions’ means that we’ve already progressed to the dangerous Stage Two of the Trump phenomenon, as if his stated views are the standard by which Trump ought to be judged—a huge victory for him right there. The trouble with Trump is that he is, by temperament, by experience, and by character, utterly unqualified to be president of the United States. He is a buffoon. That’s why his campaign is a joke, not the merits or otherwise of his alleged policies.”
Dick Cheney for Speaker?
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) told Politico that with all the instability in the House leadership, it’s time to turn to former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Said Cotton: “Look, these are trying times for our nation. It’s important to have a steady hand on the helm during times like this. I think experience really counts in a matter like this. I think House leadership experience really matters. And as you know the speaker doesn’t have to be a member of the House: So therefore, Vice President Cheney for speaker.”
Sanders Aides Want Him to Turn Down the Volume
The Guardian: “Out on the campaign trail, Bernie Sanders’ full-throated attacks on the billionaire class have been so loud and passionate that aides have taken to offering him honey, to help soothe noticeably wrecked vocal cords. But when he takes on Hillary Clinton for the first time, in a television studio in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, staff members are hoping he will bring his indoor voice instead of the gravelly bark that has electrified record crowds at rallies.”
Kansas Lawmaker Will Quit
Kansas state Rep. Harold Lane (D) “will resign, he said Monday, citing a desire to retire early and spend more time with family,” the Topeka Capital Journal reports.
“An email address used by Lane had been linked to the online marital infidelity site Ashley Madison. But asked specifically what had triggered the resignation, Lane said the decision was driven by wanting to spend more time with grandchildren.”
158 Families Dominating Campaign Donations
The New York Times notes that 158 families have given at least $250,000 to a presidential campaign this year.
“In marshaling their financial resources chiefly behind Republican candidates, the donors are also serving as a kind of financial check on demographic forces that have been nudging the electorate toward support for the Democratic Party and its economic policies. Two-thirds of Americans support higher taxes on those earning $1 million or more a year, according to a June New York Times/CBS News poll, while six in 10 favor more government intervention to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.”
Time Is Running Out for Joe Biden
First Read: “More than 10 weeks have passed since that Maureen Dowd column floated the possibility of a Biden run, but he continues to run — or stand — in place. Now, it’s very likely this was decision weekend for Biden, and either we’ll hear a firm ‘no’ from him in the next 48 to 72 hours, or we’ll see the building blocks of an active campaign (website, staff hires). But what is unsustainable is continued inaction, because it won’t be helping his party (if the Democratic nominee needs to raise $1 billion to compete in the general election in this Super PAC Era, Biden still hasn’t raised a cent); it won’t be helping Hillary Clinton (see the latest CBS poll, which shows her leading Bernie Sanders by 24 points without Biden, but by a smaller amount — 19 points — with him included in the contest); and despite experiencing his highest poll numbers during this limbo period, it won’t be helping Biden himself, either (if you want to compete in the early states, build an organization to win, and simply meet the upcoming filing deadlines, you’ve got to jump in ASAP).”
“The 2016 train took off months ago. If Biden wants to catch up to his fellow Democrats, he’s got to hop on Air Force Two now. And if he’s not ready to make that move, he owes it to his party and its presidential frontrunner to end the limbo.”
McConnell Explores Weakening Filibuster
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “is opening the door to changing the filibuster in response to growing pressure from Republicans angered that Democrats have blocked legislation from reaching the White House,” The Hill reports.
“McConnell has appointed a special task force to explore changes to the filibuster rule and other procedural hurdles — including whether to eliminate filibusters on motions to proceed to legislation. That’s a tactic the minority often uses to shut down a bill before amendments can be considered.”
Gabbard Was Disinvited from Democratic Debate
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said she “was disinvited from the first Democratic presidential primary debate in Nevada after she appeared on television and called for more face-offs,” the New York Times reports.
Trump Was Ready to Attack Carson
Donald Trump says he was ready to go after Ben Carson for questioning his faith, but decided to hold back after his GOP primary rival apologized, The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “I was all set to go wild, now I can’t go wild. I’m actually saying, ‘I wish he had hit me.’ No, he’s very smart. I wish he had hit me.”
Clinton Holds Huge Leads in South Carolina, Nevada
A new CNN/ORC poll in South Carolina shows Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 49%, followed by Bernie Sanders at 24% and Joe Biden at 18%.
In Nevada, Clinton leads with 50%, followed by Sanders at 34% and Biden at 12%.
Quote of the Day
“The House is bordering on ungovernable right now.”
— Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), quoted by NBC News.
Obama Will Hit Campaign Trail
President Obama “heads into the 2016 campaign season in a position few in the White House or anywhere else expected a year ago: in demand,” Politico reports.
“The president and his aides are expecting to capitalize on that popularity, according to people familiar with the planning, taking a more active role this election cycle than during last year’s midterms. Those plans include Obama hitting the campaign trail as early as the spring to help unite the party after the primaries and to sound off on Republicans he portrays as not serious enough for prime time.”
Secret Archive Gives New Insight Into Nixon
“President Richard Nixon believed that years of aerial bombing in Southeast Asia to pressure North Vietnam achieved ‘zilch’ even as he publicly declared it was effective and ordered more bombing while running for reelection in 1972, according to a handwritten note from Nixon disclosed in a new book by Bob Woodward,” the Washington Post reports.
“Nixon’s note, which has not previously been disclosed, was found in a trove of thousands of documents taken from the White House by Alexander P. Butterfield, deputy to H.R. Haldeman, Nixon’s chief of staff, and not made public until now.”
Trump Quote of the Day
“You know, I think people are going to turn it on for a couple of minutes and then fall asleep.”
— Donald Trump, quoted by Politico, on the Democratic debate this week.
More Republicans Now Prefer One Party Government
Gallup: “In a shift from last year, Republicans now clearly prefer having one party control Congress and the presidency, as opposed to favoring divided party control or saying it makes no difference. Forty percent of Republicans favor one-party control, up from 24% last year. This change makes their views similar to Democrats’ views, which are essentially unchanged from last year.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“You name the country. Where are we in better shape now than we were when he came to office? Nowhere.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell, quoted by The Hill, on President Obama’s “mind-boggling” foreign policy.
Obama Says Trump Won’t Be President
President Obama said Donald Trump was “the classic reality TV character” who had tapped into something real in the Republican Party but was unlikely to end up as president, Reuters reports.
Said Obama: “He is a great publicity-seeker – and at a time when the Republican Party hasn’t really figured out what it’s for as opposed to what it’s against.”
He added: “I don’t think he’ll end up being president of the United States.”
