“I thank God every night in my nightly prayers for giving me the insight to decide in 2006 not to seek reelection.”
— Ex-Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), quoted by National Journal Daily.
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Bonus Quote of the Day
“Most of the people I meet won’t walk away and say, ‘Wow, he put me to sleep.’ Almost nobody says that. People are still awake when I’m talking to them.”
— New York City mayoral candidate Bill Thompson (D), quoted by the New York Times, countering the perception that he’s boring.
GOP Primary Fights Give Democrats a Chance
“Kentucky, Wyoming and South Carolina should have been easy wins for incumbent Republicans trying to regain the U.S. Senate majority in 2014. Instead, the primary challenges they face threaten to drain resources, sharpen campaign trail rhetoric and build division for a party struggling to find its way after a demoralizing 2012 election,” Bloomberg reports.
“In Georgia, the Republican primary is jammed with seven candidates, pitting one wing of the party against the other — as is the case in the other states. Meanwhile, Democrats are unifying behind one candidate.”
“The infighting has raised Democratic expectations that they can keep control of the chamber and perhaps capture seats in Republican-leaning states. They did that in Indiana and Missouri in 2012 against inexperienced candidates backed by the small-government Tea Party branch of the party.”
Another Poll Shows Pryor Trailing
An internal poll conducted in Arkansas for the National Republican Senatorial Committee puts Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR) ahead of Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) by two points, 44% to 42%.
Filner Recall Gears Up
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) “faces a deadline Monday to submit a statement to organizers of a recall drive saying why he should not be voted out of office in the face of claims that he sexually harassed women and made numerous unwanted advances,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.
“If he does respond by midnight, organizers are required to publish his statement, limiting it to 300 words or less.”
Quote of the Day
“Well, I don’t know, was there a birth certificate? You tell me. You know some people say that was not his birth certificate. So maybe it was; maybe it wasn’t.”
— Donald Trump, in an interview on ABC News, continuing to suggest President Obama was not born in the United States.
White Male Democrats in Texas Legislature Nearly Extinct
“White male Democrats once dominated Texas politics. But next year’s elections could leave five or fewer of them in the House, the Dallas Morning News reports.
“As Democrats put their emphasis on turning out more women and Hispanic voters and Republicans try to maintain advantages in the state’s small towns and rural areas, the trend, decades in the making, is expected to continue.”
Will This Fiscal Fight End Differently?
Wall Street regularly shrugs off the fiscal showdowns on Capitol Hill, but Politico notes this time “could be different. Really, seriously different.”
“Here is just a sampling of why Wall Street may be wrong: The House GOP is hopelessly fractured on spending strategy. Senate Republicans who might otherwise broker a deal face primary challenges that make compromise potentially deadly. Other Senate Republicans are jockeying for 2016. And congressional Democrats have no appetite for any bargain — grand or otherwise — that cuts entitlement spending.”
“President Barack Obama at his Friday news conference before leaving for vacation lectured Republicans and mocked their threats to shut down the government rather than fund his signature health care law. Hardly a promising sign for the fall.”
Wonk Wire: Prepare for budget chaos.
Weiner Puts Out First Ad
Anthony Weiner released his first televised ad in the New York City mayor race.
His message: “I’ve waged a campaign focused like a laser beam on fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it.”
The 2016 Campaign is Already Underway
Republicans are “already jockeying over what is expected to be a wide-open 2016 presidential race, barely nine months after the latest one concluded and more than two years before any party primaries would start,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Iowa, traditionally the first state to hold a presidential contest, often receives early visits from hopefuls, but even some veteran operatives are surprised by what is under way.”
Christie and Booker Share Many Key Donors
“Five dozen wealthy donors from Wall Street to Silicon Valley have placed their bets on both of New Jersey’s big political stars — Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker — this campaign season,” a Newark Star-Ledger review of state and federal records shows.
Can Christie Avoid the Giuliani Jinx?
Lloyd Green notes that Gov. Chris Christie (R) “is at the top of the 2016 Republican presidential scrum and, for the moment, he even leads Sen. Rand Paul in Live Free or Die New Hampshire. The governor of reliably Blue New Jersey and possessor of an outsize personality, he commands attention.”
“Yet, none of this guarantees Christie the nomination. Electability is not the same as nominability. He just needs to ask another Northeast Catholic executive who was also once deemed electable: former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Conceivably, Giuliani might have beaten Barack Obama; but he didn’t get past the primaries. Not. Even. Close.”
Reid Hints at Another Filibuster Fight
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) says Democrats “are still focused on getting at least one more judge confirmed to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals — and hinted at more changes to Senate rules unless Republicans stop filibustering ‘literally everything,'” Roll Call reports.
Said Reid: “People don’t focus much on the D.C. Circuit. It is, some say, more important than even the Supreme Court.”
Most Find Weiner and Spitzer Embarrassing
A new Siena poll finds that although 16% of New Yorkers think the national attention from the Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer candidacies is not a big deal, 8% find it entertaining and 68% think it’s embarrassing.
Said pollster Steven Greenberg: “Spitzer is not viewed as unfavorably as he was right after he resigned as Governor,
however, he’s still viewed unfavorably by 59% of voters — including a majority of Democrats and New York City voters. While Spitzer’s unfavorable rating is down from the 79% who viewed him unfavorably in the aftermath of his resignation, Weiner has set a new all-time Siena College Poll record with 80% of voters viewing him unfavorably – including three-quarters of Democrats and New York City voters – compared to only 11% who have a favorable view of America’s most infamous tweeter.”
Cuomo Reverses Poll Drop Trend
A new Siena poll in New York finds that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is viewed favorably by 65% of voters and unfavorably by 30% — up from 58% to 35% in June.
Key finding: 55% say they are prepared to re-elect him while 35% would prefer someone else.
Said pollster Steven Greenberg: “With the Legislature out of town for the summer, Cuomo has reversed his downward polling trend from the first half of this year. His favorability rating is back in the mid-60s and his re-elect number is back in the mid 50s. More than two-thirds of voters, including majorities of Republicans and conservatives, say that Cuomo has been an effective governor in his first three years.”
Republican Anxiety Grows in Georgia
“Republicans are increasingly concerned about Georgia’s Senate race, where a crowded primary threatens to produce a flawed candidate who could put at risk a seat in a Republican-leaning state,” The Hill reports.
“Recent polling shows the two candidates Republicans are most anxious about — Reps. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Paul Broun (R-GA) — leading the pack. Whoever emerges from the clown-car primary, with seven candidates and counting, will face a candidate Democrats are high on in a state where shifting demographics benefit their party.”
Rodeo Clown Dresses as Obama
A rodeo clown dressed as President Obama at the Missouri State Fair, KMOX reports.
Show Me Progress: “Just prior to the start of the bull riding event, one of the clowns came out dressed in this. The announcer wanted to know if anyone would like to see Obama run down by a bull. The crowd went wild. He asked it again and again, louder each time, whipping the audience into a lather. One of the clowns ran up and started bobbling the lips on the mask and the people went crazy. Finally, a bull came close enough to him that he had to move, so he jumped up and ran away to the delight of the onlookers hooting and hollering from the stands.”
Biden to Headline Harkin’s Steak Fry
Vice President Joe Biden has accepted Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-IA) invitation to attend his steak fry this year, the Des Moines Register reports.
“The annual steak fry is one of the largest Democratic Party events of the year in Iowa and has a long history of attracting top national political figures – especially presidential aspirants.”
New York Times: “Mr. Biden’s attendance is a sign, Democratic officials here say, that he wants Iowa caucus-goers to know he is very much considering another White House race.”
