Curt Clawson (R) won the special election to replace former Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) in Florida’s 19th District — “an outcome long expected in this heavily Republican district on the state’s Gulf Coast,” Roll Call reports.
Boehner Planning Lawsuit Over Executive Actions
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said he could “have an announcement within days on whether the House will file a lawsuit against President Obama, challenging the executive actions that have become the keystone of the administration,” Roll Call reports.
“The lawsuit could set up a significant test of constitutional checks and balances, with the legislative branch suing the executive branch for ignoring its mandates, and the judiciary branch deciding the outcome.”
Letters Detailing Presidential Affair Go Public
The Library of Congress will open the letters detailing a 100-year-old presidential affair next month, Politico reports.
“The letters detail the relationship between President Warren G. Harding and his mistress, Carrie Fulton Phillips, from 1910 to 1920. Their affair began in 1905, continued through Harding’s term as a U.S. senator and ended before his inauguration in 1921, although the two remained on good terms. Harding was married for the duration of the affair.”
Deal Could Flip New York Senate to Democrats
“An offer is on the table to reunite the mainline Senate Democrats and the Independent Democratic Conference as the new State Senate majority,” City & State reports.
“If the deal is accepted by all of the parties involved it would instantly bring about a profound sea change in New York politics, potentially deposing the Senate Republicans from power next session and moving the state farther to the left. It would also open up the possibility for a slew of progressive legislation to pass that has been stymied up to date as a result of opposition from the State Senate Republicans.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“She’d probably get shot at the state line.”
— Arkansas Republican party official Johnny Rhoda, quoted by U.S. News, on Hillary Clinton’s future political prospects in her adopted home state.
Staffer Quits After Porn Star Photo
The chief of staff to Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) “has resigned after a former porn actress posted an explicit photo of the aide online,” Politico reports.
Top Arizona School Official Wants Spanish Banned
“Pressure on the state’s top school official to resign continued to mount Monday as more anonymous blog posts from John Huppenthal (R) emerged. Using an online alias, the superintendent of public instruction posted several comments on a conservative-leaning website calling for no Spanish language in the state,” KTVK reports.
Wrote Huppenthal: “We all need to stomp out balkanization. No Spanish radio stations, no Spanish billboards, no Spanish TV stations, no Spanish newspapers. This is America, speak English.”
Top 10 Things a Presidential Candidate Should Never Say
David Letterman riffs off Hillary Clinton’s insistence that her family is not “well off.”
Participation Gives Tea Party Its Muscle
Allison Kopicki: “Only 21% of Americans now say they support the Tea Party movement… But public support isn’t what gives the Tea Party its influence.”
“Interest in the 2014 election runs high among Tea Party supporters… 81% of voters who support the Tea Party say they will definitely vote in the 2014 election, compared with 67% of voters who don’t support the Tea Party.”
“Among Tea Party voters who identify as Republican and independents who lean Republican, 41% said they had been paying ‘a lot’ of attention to the 2014 election, compared with 25% of non-Tea Party Republican-leaning voters. And these Republican Tea Party voters are 15 points more likely to say they are very or somewhat enthusiastic about voting in this November’s elections for Congress than non-Tea Party Republican voters.”
If Cochran Loses It’s Not Because of Money
First Read: “While McDaniel is the odds-on favorite to win tonight’s GOP Senate runoff in Mississippi, it’s worth pointing out that Cochran has crushed him in fundraising and spending. It’s not even close. Here are the statistics per NBC’s Natalie Cucchiara: As of June 4, Cochran had $407,574 in cash on hand, while McDaniel had $60,157. In contributions from June 4-23, Cochran raked in nearly $1.25 million vs. $181,000 for McDaniel. So if Cochran does indeed lose, it won’t be due to money. McDaniel’s campaign has been almost entirely bankrolled by outside groups.”
Wisconsin Man Voted Multiple Times
Robert Monroe was charged with 13 felonies “related to his voting a dozen times in five elections between 2011 and 2012 using his own name as well as that of his son and his girlfriend’s son,” WisPolitics reports.
“Monroe claimed to have a form of temporary amnesia and did not recall the election day events when confronted by investigators.”
Obama Ratings Still Strong in California
“Despite political fallout from his prisoner exchange, the unfolding scandal in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and growing unrest in the Middle East, President Obama has maintained encouraging job ratings in California, where he’s buoyed by a scarcity of Republicans,” according to the new Field Poll.
“Half of California voters support the president’s job performance, with 39 percent disapproving. The figures released Tuesday contrast sharply with the nationwide average that shows 42 percent approving and 54 percent expressing an unfavorable opinion.”
Boehner Signals He’s Not Retiring
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) “is donating more than $1 million to the House Republican campaign fund this week, a total that suggests he is consolidating power in the House, not planning for retirement,” USA Today reports.
“All told, Boehner has helped raise $88 million for Republicans for the 2014 campaign. The tally includes contributions from his three fundraising committees as well as direct mail, online solicitations, headlining member fundraising events, and coordinated fundraisers with the Republican National Committee and state parties. The breadth and pace of Boehner’s fundraising runs counter to speculation in recent months that he is mulling retirement.”
Clinton Will Get $225K for Speech
“Hillary Clinton will be paid $225,000 to address an Oct. 13 fundraiser for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a reminder of how much cash the potential Democratic presidential candidate is scooping up on the speaking circuit as she draws GOP criticism for saying she’s ‘not truly well off,'” the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.
Christie Linked to Second Bridge Investigation
“Investigations into the Christie administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have zeroed in on possible securities law violations stemming from a $1.8 billion road repair agreement in 2011,” the New York Times reports.
“While the inquiries were prompted by the apparently politically motivated lane closings at the George Washington Bridge last year, these investigations center on another crossing: the Pulaski Skyway, the crumbling elevated roadway connecting Newark and Jersey City. They are being conducted by the Manhattan district attorney and the Securities and Exchange Commission.”
Cochran Staffer Arrested for Stealing Signs
A staffer for Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R-MS) re-election campaign “has been arrested and fired from the campaign for allegedly taking or destroying Chris McDaniel (R) campaign signs,” the Jackson Clarion Ledger reports.
GOP Senator Won’t Oppose Gay Marriage
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said that “he’s a traditionalist, but if voters want gay marriage to be legal he won’t step in their way,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Said Johnson: “I’m a pretty traditional guy. I’m almost 60 years old. I think marriage is between a man and a woman. But again if the voters decide that they want gay marriage, I’m not going to oppose it.”
Bill Clinton Claims to be a ‘Bit Player’ in Wife’s Decision
Bill Clinton told the Denver Post that he’s “behind Hillary Clinton if she wants to run for president — but he reiterated that his wife is nowhere near making that decision.”
Said Clinton: “Like I said, I’m a bit player and whatever she wants to do is fine with me.”
