“I know this is a long line. I feel real bad, but — I’m gonna cut.”
— President Obama, quoted by the Austin American Statesman, cutting in line while buying a barbeque lunch in Austin.
New Legal Threat to Obamacare Emerges
Wonk Wire: Why Obamacare might not survive another court challenge
New Nixon Tapes Deciphered
Out this month: The Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972 by Douglas Brinkley and Luke Nichter.
Vanity Fair: “Over the last several years, the tapes–many of which were muffled and, at times, indecipherable–have been cleaned up, pored over, and painstakingly transcribed. The result–excerpted below–includes conversations with Nixon’s national-security adviser Henry Kissinger, Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman, and chief domestic aide John Ehrlichman is a verbatim narrative of a pivotal period in Nixon’s presidency that portrays him as a geopolitical strategist, a crisis manager, and a duplicitous paranoid.”
Chalabi Returns
Foreign Policy: “The man who helped convince the United States to invade Iraq has spent the last decade in the political wilderness. But now, with his country in chaos, he could be its next leader.”
‘Blood Feud’ Outsells Clinton Memoir
New York Times: “Of all the headaches of her current book tour — the declining sales, the constant travel, the interviews that generated unkind headlines about her family’s wealth — this one may sting Hillary Rodham Clinton the most: Her memoir, Hard Choices, has just been toppled from its spot on the best-seller list by a sensational Clinton account by her longtime antagonist Edward Klein.”
“It is a powerful statement about today’s publishing realities that Mr. Klein’s book, a 320-page unauthorized and barely sourced account full of implausible passages, including one about a physical altercation between Mrs. Clinton and President Obama, has landed atop the New York Times best-seller list, knocking Hard Choices to No. 2. ”
Muslims Most Approving of Obama
A new Gallup poll finds 72% of U.S. Muslims approved of the job President Obama was doing as president during the first six months of 2014, higher than any other U.S. religious group Gallup tracks. Mormons were least approving, at 18%.
In general, majorities of those in non-Christian religions — including those who do not affiliate with any religion — approved of Obama, while less than a majority of those in the three major Christian religious groups did.
Florida Ruling Unlikely to Impact 2014 Races
The Hill notes it’s not clear how the impact of a judge’s ruling invalidating Florida’s congressional districts will impact this year’s elections.
“The decision is certain to be appealed, and even many Democrats, who cheered the ruling, are doubtful that any redrawing could be implemented quickly enough for the 2014 elections. The state’s filing period has already closed ahead of the August 26 primary elections. The judge has yet to order actions going forward to correct the map.”
Many House Republicans Not Paying Dues
Politico: “House Republicans, so worried that a swelling cash deficit will keep them from making big gains this November, have begun cracking down on dozens of lawmakers who haven’t paid dues crucial to the party’s campaign accounts. It’s reached the point that Speaker John Boehner has dispatched his own team to twist some of the stragglers’ arms.”
Draft Notices Sent to Men Born in 1800s
Washington Post: “No, the United States isn’t trying to build a military force of centenarians. It just seems that way after the Selective Service System mistakenly sent notices to more than 14,000 Pennsylvania men born between 1893 and 1897, ordering them to register for the nation’s military draft and warning that failure to do so is ‘punishable by a fine and imprisonment.'”
Landrieu Holds Edge in Louisiana
A new Rasmussen survey in Louisiana finds Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) just ahead of challenger Bill Cassidy (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 43%.
Judge Invalidates Florida Congressional Districts
“In a ruling released late Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis ordered the redrawing of Florida’s congressional map, contending that it violates the Fair District standards,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
House Unveils Lawsuit Against Obama
House Republicans plan to sue President Obama for failing to enforce the Affordable Care Act, according to a resolution authorizing the lawsuit posted on the House Rules Committee website, Roll Call reports.
The focus is health care: “In 2013, the president changed the health care law without a vote of Congress, effectively creating his own law by literally waiving the employer mandate and the penalties for failing to comply with it. That’s not the way our system of government was designed to work. No president should have the power to make laws on his or her own.”
Vox: “Individual members of Congress, and groups of members, have filed many lawsuits against the president and the executive branch. But neither the House or Senate has ever institutionally sued the president for failing to enforce the law.”
GOP Senator Says Clinton is Too Mainstream for Democrats
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), who may run for president in 2016, said Hillary Clinton’s potential White House bid won’t intimidate others from seeking the office, Bloomberg reports.
Said Portman: “The Democratic Party is more populist and more liberal than it was when she ran last time, and yet she’s more mainstream. It is no longer the party of Bill Clinton.”
Quote of the Day
“When is he going to take responsibility for something?”
— Speaker John Boehner, quoted by National Journal, on President Obama asking for $3.7 billion for border security.
Obamacare Customers Are Generally Happy
A new Commonwealth Fund survey finds that people who signed up to purchase health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges are pleased with their purchases.
New York Times: “It found that about 15 percent of adults younger than 65 now lack health insurance, down from 20 percent before the Affordable Care Act rolled out in January. What was more surprising is that people who got the new coverage were generally happy with the product. Overall, 73 percent of people who bought health plans and 87 percent of those who signed up for Medicaid said they were somewhat or very satisfied with their new health insurance. Seventy-four percent of newly insured Republicans liked their plans. Even 77 percent of people who had insurance before — including members of the much-publicized group whose plans got canceled last year — were happy with their new coverage.”
Wonk Wire: Uninsured rate plunges to 13.4%
Ex-Georgia GOP Aide Claims Staff Used Racial Slur
A former Georgia GOP employee has sued the party and claims she was discriminated against because she is black, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Qiana Keith says in a lawsuit that she overheard co-workers refer to her as the “house n*gger,” showed her disrespect and humiliated her.
GOP Lawmaker Praises Conditions in Detention Centers
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) downplayed the bad conditions in detention centers for undocumented immigrants, the Huffington Post reports.
Said Neugebauer: “They belong back with their families. When you look at the lovely way they’re getting treated — they’re getting free health care, free housing, you know, they’re watching the World Cup on big screen TVs.”
Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle runs photos of the terrible conditions in these detention centers.
Paul Emerging as the Strongest GOP Contender
First Read: “When looking at the potential 2016 GOP field, here’s a question to ponder: Who looks stronger today than at the beginning of the year?”
“It’s not Chris Christie (whose administration has been besieged by the Bridge-gate scandal). It’s not Jeb Bush (consider how his ‘act of love’ statement would be playing right now during this current immigration debate if he were running for president). It’s not Scott Walker (who got bad headlines from the release of those John Doe documents, though the prosecutor walking things back is a temporary help). And even though he’s had a bit of Inside-the-Beltway renaissance, it’s not Marco Rubio (if Eric Cantor’s support for a limited Dream Act took him down in his GOP primary, think of how Rubio’s authorship of the ‘Gang of 8’ could play out in 2015-2016). No, the person who’s arguably had the strongest 2014 — and remember we’re still a year away from the contest beginning — is Rand Paul.”
