“Very, very capable public servant, great secretary of State, first lady. Very capable.”
— Gov. Rick Perry (R), quoted by the Los Angeles Times, on Hillary Clinton.
Bush Will Mark 90th Birthday with Parachute Jump
Former President George H.W. Bush “can no longer use his legs, but he isn’t letting that prevent him from keeping a vow made five years ago: to jump from an aircraft on his 90th birthday, which is Thursday,” the AP reports.
“The first time Bush jumped from an airplane was when his plane was shot down in World War II over the Pacific. Later, he decided to jump from a plane of his own accord and marked his 75th, 80th and 85th birthdays by skydiving.”
Iraq Disintegrates as Insurgents Advance
“Iraq was on the brink of disintegration Thursday as al-Qaeda-inspired fighters swept through northern Iraq toward Baghdad and Kurdish soldiers seized the city of Kirkuk without a fight,” the Washington Post reports.
“Lawmakers gathered at the Iraqi parliament to discuss the declaration of a state of emergency, a day after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki assured Iraqis that the insurgents’ gains were temporary and would soon be reversed by the Iraqi army.”
Perry Says Homosexuality Is Like Alcoholism
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) compared homosexuality to alcoholism during a visit to California, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Said Perry: “Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”
“The Texas Republican Party this month adopted a platform supporting
access to ‘reparative therapy’ for gays and lesbians, a widely
discredited process intended to change sexual orientation.”
McCarthy Moves Quickly
“As the race to replace House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) began Wednesday afternoon, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and his allies adopted a motto: Speed kills,” the Washington Post reports.
“Using his deep network of supporters, deputy whips and a paper-based scoring system that dates back to the House leadership races of the 1990s, McCarthy and his team were asserting momentum Wednesday night in the race to become the second-ranking House Republican, hoping to swiftly seal the deal as other contenders were still mulling whether to join the fray.”
First Read: “How soon does this get wrapped up and how public do the machinations become? The quicker, the better for McCarthy and Boehner allies who want a resolution with minimal disruption before the midterms. But a long, public debate would empower House conservatives who want to use Cantor’s ouster as a chance to send a real message to leadership NOW instead of waiting until after the election.”
Republicans Brace for Another Round of Infighting
“The sudden and decisive fall of the House majority leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, at the hands of a conservative primary opponent tore open divisions among Republicans on Wednesday, setting off a new wave of fear that the internecine feuding would stymie policy-making and imperil Republican presidential prospects in 2016,” the New York Times reports.
“That fury will ensure a gridlocked capital for at least the rest of this year and perhaps for the remainder of Mr. Obama’s presidency. It also raises new doubts about Washington’s ability to conduct the most basic functions of government, suggesting the possibility of another round, or rounds, of brinkmanship on funding the government and measures to keep the country from defaulting on its debt.”
Wall Street Journal: “The House’s most conservative lawmakers emboldened by Mr. Cantor’s downfall saw it as an opportunity to expand their power and attempt to push the party’s agenda to the right on issues including immigration and spending.”
Immigration Becomes Third Rail for Republicans
“Suddenly, the 2016 Republican field has a new reason to worry about immigration reform: saying anything at all can be hazardous to your presidential chances,” Politico reports.
Rep. Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) loss Tuesday night “proved how difficult a messaging challenge the issue will be for any 2016 candidate who dares to touch the rail. Advocate — even a little bit — for a deal, and you risk the ire of the base and being tagged as a supporter of ‘amnesty.’ Go too far the other way, and you’ll surely face trouble in November against the Democrats.”
Stockman Investigated Over Campaign Donations
The House Ethics Committee is investigating accusations that Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) — who lost a recent bid for a U.S. Senate seat — “took illegal contributions from two of his staff members and may have made false statements in an effort to cover it up,” the New York Times reports.
“A preliminary report on the matter, prepared by the quasi-independent Office of Congressional Ethics and released Wednesday, details the complicated set of accusations, which involve two former staff members in Mr. Stockman’s office.”
Wehby Insists She’s Close
Oregon U.S. Senate candidate Monica Wehby (R), seeking to discount polls showing her well behind Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), said her own pollster shows her virtually neck-and-neck with the Democratic incumbent, the Oregonian reports.
“Wehby’s firm, The Alexandria, Va.-based Tarrance Group, said its June 1-3 survey of 650 likely voters showed that Merkley is at 41 percent and Wehby is at 39 percent. That is strongly at odds with two surveys conducted independently of the two campaigns shortly after the May 20 primary that showed Merkley ahead of Wehby by between 10 and 13 percentage points.”
McCarthy Solidifies Support for House Majority Leader
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) “stunning 11-point primary loss to an unknown college professor on Tuesday night has tossed into motion a full-bore Republican leadership race in the middle of an election year,” Politico reports.
“The House is now in the throes of one of the most competitive contests in recent memory, one that will completely reorder the GOP hierarchy. Pent-up ambition is being unleashed. The intrigue is in full swing. Secret meetings are starting. Whip ballots are being passed out. Favors are being promised. And ambitious lawmakers, who long eyed top slots, are making their moves.”
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), “who Cantor helped groom, has already started to solidify his support for the majority leader job. He met with a close group of allies in the Capitol Wednesday afternoon. He was extremely confident about his prospects, and passed out whip sheets to help firm up votes. His allies were charged with three Republicans to persuade to support Cantor.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Ted Cruz is a total nihilist, shutting down the government. That and Rand Paul’s isolationism appeal to the lowest common denominator, which would make us a permanent minority in terms of presidential races.”
— Rep. Peter King (R-KY), quoted by Greg Sargent, saying the Republican party risks becoming a permanent minority.
GOP Candidate Supports Stoning Gays
Oklahoma state legislative candidate Scott Esk (R) was asked if he thought society should execute homosexuals by stoning them, according to KFOR.
Said Esk: “I think we would be totally in the right to do it. That goes against some parts of libertarianism, I realize, and I’m largely libertarian, but ignoring as a nation things that are worthy of death is very remiss.”
He later clarified: “What I will tell you right now is that was done in the old testament under a law that came directly from God. And in that time, it was totally just, it came directly from God. I have no plans to, you know, reinstitute that in Oklahoma law. I do have some very huge moral misgivings about those kinds of sins.”
Crossover Votes Did Not Cause Cantor’s Defeat
Nate Cohn runs the numbers and finds that Democratic spoilers probably did not contribute enough votes to account for Rep. Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) margin of defeat as his pollster has suggested.
“There were undoubtedly Democratic spoilers… But it would be hard to argue that Democrats made up the margin of victory. Turnout was still far, far higher in Republican precincts.”
Cantor Will Step Down as Majority Leader
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) “plans to step down from his leadership post by the end of July, setting off a weeks-long scramble for the chamber’s number two job, according to three Republicans familiar with his plans,” the Washington Post reports.
“Cantor’s decision – made just hours after he lost a primary contest to tea party-backed economist Dave Brat – comes as several senior Republicans began scrambling Wednesday to build support and fill the leadership vacuum.”
New York Times: “By stepping down as majority leader, an aide to Mr. Cantor said, he hoped to limit a festering struggle within the House Republican caucus over who would assume his post.”
Ryan Not Interested in House Leadership Job
“Saying he was ‘totally shocked’ by the defeat of his friend, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan squelched any speculation Wednesday that he might move into the GOP House leadership void after Cantor’s departure from Congress,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Said Ryan: “My position has not changed. I’m not interested in leadership … That’s just not been my interest.”
Brat’s Key to Economic Growth
Wonk Wire: David Brat (R), who toppled Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) in a primary yesterday, argued in an academic paper in 2005 that the key to a strong economy is Protestantism.
Cantor Will Not Wage Write-In Campaign
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) “has decided not to run as a write-in candidate in November, according to two Republicans close to him. The Republicans were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal talks,” the Washington Post reports.
House GOP Prepares for Leadership Fight
Washington Post: “Midnight had long since passed, but the lights were still on at the Capitol, where House Republicans were already planning — and tensely arguing about — how to move ahead amid the chaos of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning primary loss.”
“The most immediate question is whether a humbled Cantor will step down from his powerful post or try to hold on to it for the remainder of the year. That decision will determine whether there will be a potentially divisive leadership race in the coming weeks or whether that will be postponed until after the midterm elections.”
The Washington Post also has a good live blog focusing on the leadership fight.
