A new Rasmussen poll in Virginia finds Sen. Mark Warner (D) way ahead of challenger Ed Gillespie (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 53% to 36%.
Why Is Anthony Weiner Still Tweeting?
Ok, to recap my day. I accidentally hit the star thingy on a @voxdotcom story about Tinder. Sorry.
— Anthony Weiner (@anthonyweiner) June 13, 2014
Bergdahl Held in Solitary for Two Years
“American Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, while held prisoner in Afghanistan, was locked in solitary confinement for two straight years and did not see another human face for that entire time, senior military sources with knowledge of his ‘reintegration process’ told Fox News.”
“Officials said Bergdahl, during that period, only talked to his captors through the wall of a six-foot-by-six-foot metal box, which he was kept in.”
Labrador Will Run for Majority Leader
Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) announced his candidacy for House Majority Leader, Roll Call reports.
“Labrador faces an uphill battle to defeat Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, who is seen as the overwhelming favorite for the position… A sophomore congressman from Idaho, Labrador’s national profile is limited. But he’s seen as a rising star in the eyes of a number of conservative lawmakers and outside groups. On Friday, FreedomWorks issued a statement urging Labrador to jump in the race.”
Romney Back in Campaign Mode
Mitt Romney “has repeatedly said it’s time for someone else to carry the Republican Party’s presidential banner, and he insists that he’s not running again in 2016. But in a Friday speech for donors and supporters at a luxury mountain resort, the 2012 GOP loser sounded a lot like a candidate,” NBC News reports.
“Romney’s speech was the kickoff of a weekend of events at a sprawling, ritzy Deer Valley resort high in the Utah mountains. About 300 top donors, supporters and former campaign aides gathered for a weekend that includes a number of other potential 2016 presidential hopefuls, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Rep. Paul Ryan. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke at a Friday morning breakfast and met privately with donors in a hotel suite at the Stein Erickson Lodge on Thursday evening.”
Even More Proof Obamacare is Working
Wonk Wire: Insurers scramble to join Obamacare
Ignore Those Who Got It Wrong on Iraq
Paul Waldman: “We have now reached the rather ironic situation in Iraq where we find ourselves allied with Iran in an effort to save the corrupt and thuggish government of Nouri al-Maliki, while the army we spent eight years training falls apart. I’m not going to pretend to have unique insight into Iraqi politics.”
“But there are few people who understand Iraq less than the Republican politicians and pundits who are being sought out for their comments on the current situation. As you watch the debate on this issue, you should remind yourself that the most prominent voices being heard are the very ones who brought us the Iraq War in the first place, who promised that everything was simple and the only question was whether we’d be ‘strong’ and ‘decisive’ enough — the same thing they’re saying today.”
Quote of the Day
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened in Virginia?”
— Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), quoted by Fox News, apparently unaware that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R) lost his seat in a primary.
Indictment Kills Grimm’s Fundraising
Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) “is struggling to fundraise for his campaign after a federal indictment,” Roll Call reports.
“Grimm brought in $47,000 for his campaign between April 1 and June 4, according to his pre-primary fundraising report. That’s far less than the $144,000 that his Democratic opponent, former New York City Councilmember Domenic M. Recchia Jr., raised in the same period.”
Obama Hits New Lows in Three Polls
The Washington Post notes three polls released this week showed President Obama’s favorability rating hitting new lows.
“Fifty-two percent of Americans said they held an unfavorable view of Obama, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. Forty-seven percent said they held a favorable opinion of him. The five-point net negative favorable rating is a new low for Obama in Gallup polling. The new CNN/ORC International poll showed something nearly identical, with Obama’s favorable rating at 47% (a new low for Obama during his presidency in in CNN/ORC polling) and his unfavorable rating at 51%. A Bloomberg National poll pegged Obama’s favorability rating at 44%.”
Walker Refuses to Take Stand on Gay Marriage
For years, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) “has been a rock-solid proponent of traditional marriage between one man and one woman,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“But that is no longer the case. During a 12-minute news conference at a muddy and messy groundbreaking event in Oak Creek, the first-term Republican governor argued that his position on same-sex marriage is no longer relevant.”
Said Walker: “It really doesn’t matter what I think now.”
The Reality of Politics
Ezra Klein: “Perhaps the single most important fact about American politics is this: the people who participate are more ideological and more partisan, as well as angrier and more fearful, than those who don’t.”
Chelsea Clinton Was Paid $600K by NBC News
“Chelsea Clinton earned an annual salary of $600,000 at NBC News before switching to a month-to-month contract earlier this year,” sources tell Politico.
Does Brown Know Which State He’s Running In?
Scott Brown’s (R) campaign in New Hampshire “sent a news release Wednesday questioning why Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) wasn’t appearing with President Obama while he was ‘in town,'” the Washington Post reports.
“But Obama was in Worcester, Mass., about 50 miles from the New Hampshire border. The president will then be raising money in Boston for Senate Democrats.”
Coakley Still Leads in Massachusetts
A new Boston Globe/SocialSphere poll in Massachusetts finds Martha Coakley (D) leading Steve Grossman (R) in the Democratic primary, 49% to 14%.
Coakley leads a general election match up with Charlie Baker (R), 42% to 31%.
Abercrombie Trails by Double-Digits in Hawaii
A new Honolulu Civil Beat poll in Hawaii finds David Ige (D) leading Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) by 11 percentage points in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, 48% to 37%.
A Mediocre Rollout for Hillary
First Read: “So we’re now into Day 4 of Hillary Clinton’s official book rollout, and here’s an early conclusion: It’s been a mediocre rollout, at best. Yes, she hasn’t tripped over herself the way Jeb Bush did with his immigration book from last year. But consider: Her ‘dead broke’ comment received lots of blowback. Yes, the Clintons had racked up considerable debt and lawyers’ fees after their time in the White House, but they weren’t struggling the ways that millions of Americans are financially struggling. That gaffe exposed one of her biggest vulnerabilities: How does someone who hasn’t walked alone in 22 years (thanks to Secret Service protection) relate to the average American?”
Conversation with Ken Vogel
Politico reporter Ken Vogel joins us on the Political Wire podcast for a great discussion of how money has taken over our politics. Ken is the author of the must-read book, Big Money: 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp–on the Trail of the Ultra-Rich Hijacking American Politics.
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