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.”
Quote of the Day
“Although Islam has a religious component, it is much more than a simple religious ideology. It is a complete geo-political structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.”
— Georgia congressional candidate Jody Hice (R), quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
An End to the Early Primary Season
“Tuesday brings the end to the early primary season, and with it the last, best chance for Republican insurgents to win a seat in the Senate,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Voters head to the polls today in Mississippi, Oklahoma, New York, Colorado and Maryland.
Roll Call: 6 things to watch in tonight’s primaries
Perry Warns of ‘Trail of Tears’ from Border Crisis
“With young immigrants slipping into the U.S. under the mistaken impression they will be allowed to stay, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) warned Monday of a deadly ‘trail of tears’ in the unforgiving Rio Grande Valley if the federal government doesn’t act,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“More than 52,000 unaccompanied youths have been caught along the Southwest border this fiscal year, almost double last year’s total. The influx is fueled by danger at home, experts say, and by false rumors that minors and women with young children will be welcomed.”
The Appeal of Partisanship
New York Times: “Regardless of who wins Tuesday’s unpredictable Republican Senate runoff in Mississippi, the fracas has sent a message to incumbents in Congress: It is no longer enough to be a diligent member, quietly representing your constituents’ interests. You have to join the partisan fray.”
Cochran Releases Nasty Ad Against McDaniel
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) released a brutal ad against challenger Chris McDaniel (R) in the final day of campaigning before their GOP Senate runoff.
Americans Sour Over Obama Foreign Policy
“Dissatisfaction with President Obama’s conduct of foreign policy has shot up among both Republicans and Democrats in the past month, even though a slim majority supports his recent decision to send military advisers to Iraq to confront the growing threat from militants there,” according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
“The poll found that 58% of Americans disapprove of the way Mr. Obama is handling foreign policy, a jump of 10 points in the last month to the highest level since Mr. Obama took office in 2009. The spike in disapproval is especially striking among Democrats, nearly a third of whom said they did not approve of his handling of foreign policy.”
New Press Secretary on the Hot Seat
“The honeymoon ended quickly for new White House press secretary Josh Earnest,” the Washington Post reports.
“Earnest made his official debut Monday as the Obama administration’s top spokesman. The hour-long daily briefing went fairly smoothly until the final question, when a Bloomberg reporter asked him to confirm a report from Moscow that President Obama had spoken with Russia’s Vladimir Putin about Ukraine. Earnest confirmed it. That’s when things got testy.”
House Sought Immunity for Staffer
“Lawyers for the U.S. House sought a deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission to shield from prosecution a congressional aide who has become a key figure in an insider-trading investigation,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The SEC rejected the offer and instead went to court Friday to force the House to turn over documents and evidence in the matter.”
Rangel Rap
Rep. Charlie Rangel’s (D-NY) campaign is out with a catchy biographical rap about their candidate.
The Week: “It’s doubtful anyone besides Rangel would really bump this, window down, while rolling through Harlem. But hey, points for effort.”
