A new Rasmussen survey in Oregon finds Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) leading challenger Monica Wehby (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 47% to 37%.
The Smart Bush
As Jeb Bush “weighs whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, he is dogged by fears of voter exhaustion with a family name indelibly linked to his older brother, a self-assured Texan who prized instinct over expertise and once acknowledged a lack of interest in slogging through long books,” the New York Times reports.
“But in ways big and small, deliberate or subconscious, the younger Mr. Bush seems to have defined himself as the anti-George W. Bush: an intellectual in search of new ideas, a serial consulter of outsiders who relishes animated debate and a probing manager who eagerly burrows into the bureaucratic details.”
Politico: “It may be the final plot line in a familial tug-of-war that traces back to their days growing up in Texas.”
Ukraine Elects a New President
“Petro Poroshenko appeared poised to win Ukraine’s presidential elections Sunday without having to enter a second-round runoff, after three exit polls showed the chocolate tycoon had won more than half the vote,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The wealthy former foreign minister won more than 55% of the vote, according to the three exit polls released Sunday night. According to the polls, he received 55.7% to 57.3% of the vote.”
Third of Young Adults Still Live at Home
A new Pew Research survey finds that 36% of the nation’s young adults ages 18 to 31–the so-called Millennial generation– now live in their parents’ home, the highest share in at least four decades.
Quote of the Day
“I don’t know how bad it is, but my sense is, it’s worse than what we know.”
— Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by the Columbus Post Dispatch, on the problems surrounding the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Visiting the White House?
Huffington Post notes why you shouldn’t get naked in front of the White House.
Who Made That $1.5 Million Donation?
Mother Jones: “Arkansas is witnessing what may be the most expensive political ad campaign in state history: $1.5 million worth of glowing TV spots supporting Tom Cotton, a Republican congressman who’s running against Democrat Sen. Mark Pryor.”
“The race could decide which party controls the Senate. But no one knows who’s paying for this giant ad buy–and that’s partly because the group behind those ads may have flaunted IRS law in order to conceal the identities of its donors.”
Cabinet Shuffle Sheds Light on Obama Plans
“On the surface, the game of musical chairs being played this week in President Obama’s Cabinet seems intended to elevate the star of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, who is being nominated to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development and is seen as a potential vice-presidential candidate in 2016 or beyond,” the Washington Post reports.
“But it also involves a set of decisions that sheds light on Obama’s thinking about his team heading into the final two years of his administration.”
“HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, rather than leaving the administration after six years, now seems destined to stay for the duration as he moves into the job of Office of Management and Budget director… The moves seem to be largely about bringing Donovan into Obama’s inner circle.”
Paul’s Views Worry GOP Hawks
The New York Times reports on Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) remarks on foreign policy before a room of Republican power brokers.
“The exchange, a recording of which was provided by someone in the room, showed how difficult it will be for Mr. Paul to straddle the treacherous fault line splitting the hawks of the Republican Party from others who favor a less aggressive foreign policy as he tests the waters for a presidential run in 2016.”
Judge Puts Conyers Back on Ballot
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) “narrowly escaped a political fiasco on Friday when a federal judge granted him a place on the Democratic primary ballot in August, allowing him to survive a campaign misstep that left him hundreds of valid signatures short on his petitions for re-election,” the New York Times reports.
Conversation with Jon Ralston
Jon Ralston, the dean of Nevada politics and founder of Ralston Reports, joins us for a look at perhaps most influential senator in the battle for control of the upper chamber this year — and he’s not even running.
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Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I will sit down and talk with them. I’m just trying to figure out right now where my lord Jesus Christ wants me to go and what he wants me to do.”
— Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), quoted by Politico, on whether to endorse David Perdue or Jack Kingston in the Georgia GOP Senate run off.
The PAC to End All PACs
Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig launched the Mayday PAC this month in an effort to end Super PACs, the Los Angeles Times reports.
He is “asking for contributions from Americans across the political spectrum who believe the current political system is ‘legally corrupt’ — with members of Congress spending much of their time dialing for dollars, as outside groups flood each election cycle with hundreds of millions of dollars through super PACs and other devices, with little disclosure of their donors.”
GOP Lawmaker Hints He’s Changed Views on Gay Marriage
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) told the Washington Post that he is reconsidering his views on same-sex marriage.
Said Dent: “I will have more to say about marriage equality in the near future…. Now that the judge ruled, it caused me to reconsider my views on the matter. In 1996, when I voted for the Pennsylvania Defense of Marriage of Act, it felt appropriate at the time … but clearly times have changed, attitudes and perspectives have evolved, and I understand that.”
Nunn Leads Both Possible Rivals
A new Rasmussen survey in Georgia finds Michelle Nunn (D) leading both possible GOP candidates in the U.S. Senate race.
Nunn leads Jack Kingston (R), 47% to 41%, and tops David Perdue (R), 45% to 42%.
Conyers Loses Ballot Appeal
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) will remain off the Aug. 5 ballot after Secretary of State Ruth Johnson decided that the Detroit Democrat still lacks enough valid signatures to participate in the primary election, the Detroit News reports.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“For alleged officials, governors or attorney generals, to pick and choose which laws we’ll enforce, I think, is a tragedy and is the next step to anarchy.”
— Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R), quoted by the Washington Post, blasting the decision by some governors not to defend their state’s laws banning same-sex marriage.
What Is Going on in Mississippi?
ABC News: “More arrests after a conservative blogger was accused of breaking into a facility and photographing the wife of Sen. Thad Cochran. She has lived there for over a decade, suffering with dementia. It’s as nasty as it sounds and all those arrested are supporters of Cochran’s opponent, Chris McDaniel. McDaniel has denied any connection to the situation or a relationship to the individuals involved, but, it is dominating the headlines in the run up to the June 3rd primary. There is little polling in the race, but all indications are that the race is completely locked up and this is a real chance for the tea party to take down a giant. Could the extreme dirtiness of the incident bring sympathy to Cochran and actually help him?”
First Read: “McDaniel’s problem now is that the coverage down in Mississippi certainly creates the illusion of a connection. By the way, given the direction this race was headed, one has to ask themselves why these McDaniel supporters thought they needed to do this. Now, this story has given Cochran new political life.”
