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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A Look at Brat’s Views on Economics
The New York Times interviewed several economists about the writings of David Brat (R), the conservative economics professor who toppled House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R) this week in a primary.
Said University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers: “I did find him pretty confusing. This dude just really wants us all to go to church, and that appears to be his economic policy conclusion.”
McCarthy Clears Path to Become Majority Leader
“In a short 48 hours, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) went from being an overlooked figure on a hobbled leadership team to the overwhelming front-runner in a race that could make him the fastest riser to the majority leader’s post in congressional history,” the Washington Post reports.
“A win by McCarthy, in just his fourth term, would complete a remarkable transformation for the affable Californian, who just a year ago was dogged by criticism that he wasn’t tough enough to persuade recalcitrant GOP lawmakers to vote with the leadership on critically important issues. He also faced questions about whether his policy chops were substantive enough for the job.”
Los Angeles Times: “Part of the reason the affable Republican from California’s conservative Central Valley has been able to lay claim to the office so quickly is because, as the No. 3 GOP leader, he was in line when Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia unexpectedly lost his primary. Another part lies in McCarthy’s close relationships with so many of the House Republicans who will be voting in the internal party election next week — the lawmakers elected in 2010 and 2012 whom he personally recruited and has nurtured with pep talks at after-hours steak dinners.”
However, a group of conservative lawmakers told Roll Call “they still wanted an alternative candidate to McCarthy — and Sessions for that matter — and were expecting to announce one soon.”
Obama’s Odds With Congress Get Worse
New York Times: “For the White House, Mr. Cantor’s defeat has only reinforced the conclusion that few if any priorities will get through Congress and therefore Mr. Obama will have to continue relying on executive power. If immigration legislation is now beyond reach, he may choose to go further in easing deportations on his own authority.”
“Conservative activists, though, said Mr. Cantor’s defeat would force Republicans to go beyond simply opposing the president and actually begin advancing an alternative agenda. If they do so, these activists argued, it will be harder for the president to simply dismiss the opposition as obstructionist.”
Clinton Favorability Slides in New Poll
A new Bloomberg National Poll finds 52% of Americans view Hillary Clinton favorably, down from 56% in March and 70% in December 2012.
“The decline means Clinton wouldn’t enter a possible 2016 race as a prohibitive favorite over key Republican rivals. While she still bests them in head-to-head matchups, she doesn’t have majority support against any of them.”
Clinton Gets Testy in Exchange Over Gay Marriage
“Hillary Clinton had a tense exchange with an NPR host in an interview airing Thursday over whether she made ‘a calculus’ against publicly supporting gay marriage before endorsing it last year,” Politico reports.
“It’s the first time Clinton, a potential candidate for president in 2016, has been extensively questioned about her support for gay marriage. She did not back it in her 2008 presidential campaign but she issued support for it by video in 2013, weeks after leaving the State Department.”
Gardner Holds Edge in Colorado Senate Race
A new Magellan Strategies (R) poll in Colorado finds Cory Gardner (R) edging Sen. Mark Udall (D) in the race for U.S. Senate, 47% to 45%.
War Over Surnames in Arizona
Dave Weigel follows up on the Arizona race featuring a candidate who changed his name to Cesar Chavez. It gets much crazier.
“Eric Cantor’s campaign: You are no longer the most mockable and bumbling team in American politics this week.”
Peters Holds Small Lead in Michigan
A new Mitchell Research poll in Michigan finds Gary Peters (D) edging Terri Lynn Land (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 45% to 42%.
Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) leads challenger Mark Schauer (D) in the race for governor, 46% to 41%.
Iraq Not Putting Up a Fight
Guardian: “Iraqi officials told the Guardian that two divisions of Iraqi soldiers – roughly 30,000 men – simply turned and ran in the face of the assault by an insurgent force of just 800 fighters.”
Big Majority Wants to Keep Obamacare
A new Bloomberg National Poll finds 53% of Americans oppose the Affordable Care Act.
Nonetheless, 56% favor keeping the law with perhaps “small modifications,” while 10% would leave it as is. That’s the highest level of acceptance yet.
Abbott Holds Solid Lead for Texas Governor
A new Texas Tribune/University of Texas poll finds Greg Abbott (R) leads Wendy Davis (D) by 12 points in the race for Texas governor, 44% to 32%.
North Carolina Nearly Obliterated in the 1960s
The Week: “Two nuclear bombs plummeted from a splintering B-52 bomber in January 1961 and plopped down outside Goldsboro, North Carolina, according to newly-declassified government documents. And though the plane’s disintegration triggered the “fuzing sequence” in both weapons, neither went off because of miraculous technical issues.”
Merkley Holds Crushing Lead Over Wehby
A new SurveyUSA poll in Oregon finds Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) leading challenger Monica Wehby (D) by 18 points, 50% to 32%.
Wehby released an internal poll yesterday suggesting the race was a dead heat.
Grimes Slightly Ahead in Kentucky
A new Magellan Strategies (R) poll in Kentucky finds Allison Lundergran Grimes (D) leading Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) by three points in the U.S. Senate race, 49% to 46%.
Political Polarization Is Dividing America
A new Pew Research study finds Republicans and Democrats in Congress “aren’t the only partisans who deeply distrust people from the other side of the aisle,” the New York Times reports.
“Liberals and conservatives prefer to associate with and live near their fellow partisans. They would be unhappy if their children married someone with a different political viewpoint. The result isn’t just polarized politics, but a divided society where liberals and conservatives increasingly keep apart.”
Really amazing charts over at Wonk Wire.
Romney Wants to be a Kingmaker
“Once fearing he would be viewed as ‘a loser for life’ if he failed to win the presidency, Mitt Romney is trying to re-emerge as a force in Republican politics,” the AP reports.
“Romney has quietly sought kingmaker status in the GOP’s fight for the Senate majority this fall and its quest to retake the White House in 2016. The effort at revival is fueling whispers about a third presidential run. But those closest to Romney suggest he’s more interested in shaping party politics by lending his name and record-breaking fundraising machine to what he considers the next generation of electable conservatives.”
