From the political dictionary: “nut-cutting time”
Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
Quote of the Day
“They want to abolish age of consent laws, which means children would, we would do away with statutory rape laws so that adults will be able to freely prey on little children sexually. That’s the deviance that we’re seeing embraced in our culture today.”
— Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), quoted by the Huffington Post, on what the gay community really wants.
Buying the Vote
In the mail: Buying the Vote: A History of Campaign Finance Reform by Robert Mutch.
Romney Would Beat Obama If Election Held Today
“If a rematch of the 2012 presidential election were held today, GOP nominee Mitt Romney would top President Barack Obama in the popular vote… But a CNN/ORC International poll also indicates that if Romney changes his mind and runs again for the White House, Hillary Clinton would best him by double digits in a hypothetical showdown.
If Voter Turnout Is Key, Why Is It So Low?
Dan Balz: “Tens of millions of dollars will be spent this year in an effort to boost turnout in the November midterm elections. But the longer-term trends suggest that any marginal increase in what is expected to be a low-turnout election won’t have much effect on one of the chronic problems of America’s politics.”
McDonnell Trial Begins This Week
“In their much-anticipated federal corruption trial set to begin Monday, former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, will seek to win acquittal on multiple charges and restore their honor in the eyes of the law,” the Washington Post reports.
“But over the course of the trial in a Richmond courtroom, expected to last five weeks, the McDonnells also will submit themselves to a potentially humiliating spectacle that will showcase an intimate view of their frayed marriage and odd personal relationships.”
Said former Gov. Douglas Wilder: “It’s going to be ugly. The more you read, the more sleaze develops. It’s not going to be nice for anyone.”
Taliban Makes Advances in Afghanistan
New York Times: “Taliban fighters are scoring early gains in several strategic areas near the capital this summer, inflicting heavy casualties and casting new doubt on the ability of Afghan forces to contain the insurgency as the United States moves to complete its withdrawal of combat troops, according to Afghan officials and local elders.”
“The Taliban have found success beyond their traditional strongholds in the rural south and are now dominating territory near crucial highways and cities that surround Kabul, the capital, in strategic provinces like Kapisa and Nangarhar. Their advance has gone unreported because most American forces have left the field and officials in Kabul have largely refused to talk about it.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I’m not a scientist either but I can use my brain and I can talk to one.”
— Charlie Crist (D), quoted by St. Petersblog, on Gov. Rick Scott (R) not wanting to talk about climate change because “I’m not a scientist.”
GOP Lawmaker Mistakes U.S. Officials for Foreigners
“In an intensely awkward congressional hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, freshman Rep. Curt Clawson (R-FL) misidentified two senior U.S. government officials as representatives of the Indian government,” Foreign Policy reports.
Said Clawson: “I’m familiar with your country; I love your country. Anything I can do to make the relationship with India better, I’m willing and enthusiastic about doing so.”
A video of the exchange is cringe-worthy.
White House Thinks GOP May Try Impeachment
“Senior White House advisers are taking very seriously the possibility that Republicans in Congress will try to impeach President Obama, especially if he takes executive action to slow deportations,” The Hill reports.
“Dan Pfeiffer, a senior adviser to Obama, said Friday that the White House is taking the prospect of impeachment in the GOP-controlled House more seriously than many others in Washington, who see it as unlikely… He said that possibility could become more likely if Obama takes executive action to halt the deportations of illegal immigrants who have strong ties to the United States, such as those who have family members who are U.S. citizens.”
Obama Ramps Up Fundraising
Washington Post: “This year alone, Obama has attended 40 fundraisers and has hosted nearly 400 events while in office. And Michelle Obama has been hitting the fundraising circuit as well… Obama is not breaking new ground by spending so much time fundraising. In fact, he is part of a long-term trend. Over the past 30 years, the number of fundraising events undertaken by presidents in office has been on the rise… During their second terms, recent presidents have ramped up the number of events they host, no longer having to worry about their own re-election campaigns.”
Democrats Still Weighing Choices for Convention
National Journal: “Republicans may have already nailed down Cleveland as their convention city for 2016 — but Democrats are still in the midst of the selection process… Philadelphia and Brooklyn are looking like early front-runners to host.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“It’s not like we’re pals.”
— Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), quoted by Politico, on his relationship with Hillary Clinton.
Quote of the Day
“It is clearly obvious that witches can only be found by dunking them in water. If they float they’re a witch. If they don’t, installing a pool will allow us to retrieve the non-witch before he or she drowns.”
— Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA), quoted by National Journal, sarcastically suggesting ways to help what he calls a “witch hunt” by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).
Two Different Polls in Georgia
A new Rasmussen Reports survey in Georgia finds David Perdue (R) leading Michelle Nunn (D) in the U.S. Senate race by six points, 46% to 40%.
A new Landmark Communications survey shows Nunn leading by four points, 47% to 43%.
Washington Post: “One rare feature of the race is that neither of the major party candidates has held elective office before. From 1980 through 2012 there were only two elections like this.”
How the Left Took Over the Democratic Party
Doug Sosnik: “The lead-in to the 2016 presidential campaign could force a tipping point as early as next year if Hillary Clinton declines to run and a broad field emerges. If that happens, candidates will feel a great deal of pressure to appeal to the highly engaged, energized and well-funded activists who have been clamoring for a robust progressive agenda. Even if Clinton runs, her candidacy won’t preempt the party’s eventual takeover by the activist forces. It will only slow it down. Candidate Clinton, who appears to have the overwhelming support of the activist base, will nevertheless feel pressure from the left to pursue a more economically populist approach to solving our country’s problems.”
“And now, with the left lining up around a Clinton candidacy, the activist base will continue to make incremental progress toward assuming control of the Democratic Party.”
The Voting Group That Decides Every Election
The Atlantic: “Republicans consistently win voters making $50,000 or more, approximately the U.S. median income. The margin doesn’t vary too much: In 2012, Mitt Romney got 53 percent of this group’s vote; in 2010, Republican House candidates got 55 percent. And Democrats consistently win voters making less than the median–but the margin varies widely. In fact, whether Democrats win these voters by a 10-point or a 20-point margin tells you who won every national election for the past decade.”
Congress is Completely Broken
First Read: “Yes, Congress has typically been divided over ideology (liberal vs. conservative) or geography (North vs. South, big states vs. small ones). And, yes, partisan flare-ups in the summer of an election year are hardly new. But here is why this Congress appears more broken than past ones: It can’t even seem to do the small, bipartisan things anymore. Case in point is the legislative dysfunction surrounding the responses to 1) the unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and 2) reforming the VA hospitals across the country. Almost every member — Democratic or Republican — said the situation at the border was a humanitarian crisis that needed a response. But passing emergency spending (between $2 to $4 billion in aid) has become such a difficult lift, and looks less likely by the day. Last month, every member of Congress said VA hospitals needed to better serve veterans, and the Senate (by a 93-3 vote) and House (426-0) passed legislation to reform these hospitals. But they’ve been unable to come together in a conference committee to reconcile the two bills.”
“Folks, we’re not talking about overhauling the nation’s health-care system, enacting comprehensive immigration reform, raising taxes, or changing entitlement programs — all of which have sparked fierce ideological battles in the past. We’re talking about the small stuff, actions that either have near-universal support or that cost relative drops in the federal budget. That’s why this gridlock is different.”
