“If they want more stuff from government, tell them to go vote for the other guy — more free stuff. But don’t forget, nothing is really free.”
— Mitt Romney, quoted by MSNBC.
More Mixed Messages on Health Care
A new Quinnipiac poll finds voters agree by a 48% to 45% margin with with the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding President Obama’s health care law, while they say 49% to 43% that the Congress should repeal it.
Meanwhile, 59% say the Supreme Court decision will not affect their vote for president, 27% say it will make them less likely to vote for President Obama, while 12% say more likely.
Romney’s Wealth Doesn’t Matter to Most Voters
A new Gallup poll finds 75% of registered voters say the fact that Mitt Romney is worth more than $200 million makes no difference to their likelihood of voting for him. However, 20% of voters, mostly Democrats and independents, say Romney’s wealth makes them less likely to vote for him, while 4% say it makes them more likely.
Who Are Obama’s Top Earners?
Bloomberg looks at pay raises and the top earners on the White House payroll.
Jackson in Rehab
NBC News reports that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), whose mysterious absence from Congress has prompted calls for more disclosure, is
being treated for alcoholism and addiction at an Arizona facility.
However, the AP reports a statement from Jackson’s office responding to the report says the lawmaker is receiving “intensive medical treatment” for a “mood
disorder.”
What Colin Powell is Reading
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell tells the New York Times he’s reading The Summer of 1787 by David O. Stewart.
“As I grow older, I am
increasingly fascinated by our founding fathers. The challenges they
faced and the compromises they made, good and bad, to create a nation
have inspired us and people around the world. I wish today’s political
leaders, especially in Washington, would show the courage and
willingness to fight for what they believe in, but possess an
understanding of the need to compromise to solve the nation’s problems.
They all need to go off and read 1787.
His recommendation for President Obama: The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam.
“Theories and grand ideas are important. But they seldom unfold as planned. People — it is all about people.”
Rangel Race Turns to Chaos
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) was declared the Democratic primary winner in New York’s 13th District — seemingly surviving the most serious reelection threat of his 42-year career — but now Politico reports it’s not so clear.
“It’s a bizarre situation that just keeps getting weirder, a strange case of missing precincts, questionable ballots and utter confusion over who’s to blame for the mess and when the race might be settled.”
White House Failed to Sell Health Care Law
The New York Times reports Democrats are frustrated that the White House which vowed a public relations blitz selling the health care law’s virtues “never fully followed through.”
Said one top White House adviser: “Unfortunately, we never had a really effective strategy around communicating to the public the benefits and the rationale behind health care reform. We never had a spokesperson, and the public never really understood what we were doing.”
“That failure still baffles supporters… given the significance of health care to Mr. Obama’s legacy. Some see it as a result of the president’s own instinctive diffidence or the natural desire to move to the next challenge. Others note the complexity of the act itself, or criticize the president’s advisers for not being more assertive.”
“But there was also calculation on the part of White House officials who concluded that the public was fatigued with the subject and more concerned about jobs.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Nancy Pelosi is a dingbat.”
— Sarah Palin, in an interview on Fox News.
State Reaction to the Health Care Decision
SurveyUSA released polls on the Supreme Court’s health care decision from a reliably Republican state, a swing state and a reliably Democratic state:
Kansas: Agree 38%, Disagree 52%
Florida: Agree 39%, Disagree 50%
California: Agree 44%, Disagree 45%
Quote of the Day
“There’s only one candidate — Gov. Romney — who’s committed that he
will repeal the Obamney — the Obamacare tax increase. He will repeal
Obamacare as soon as he’s elected.”
— Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), quoted by the New Orleans Times Picayune, channeling Tim Pawlenty from the GOP primaries.
One of the Worst Presidents Ever
An excerpt of Where They Stand:The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians by Robert W. Merry in Salon suggests George W. Bush will be ranked near the bottom of all presidents.
“Based on the contemporaneous voter assessments, the objective record, and what we know of history, it’s difficult to see him even in middle-ground territory. History likely will view Bush largely as the voters did after eight years of his stewardship. And so it’s probably just as well that he doesn’t care much about the verdict of history.”
How Verrilli Won Over Roberts
Domenico Montanaro has a must-read piece on how Solicitor General Donald Verrilli won over Chief Justice John Roberts with his arguments over the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law.
Recent College Grads Stay With Obama
A Reuters/Ipsos poll of recent college graduates finds them supporting President Obama over Mitt Romney, 52% to 27%.
Interestingly, 58% said they have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of interest in the upcoming presidential election. That compares with 62% who went to the polls four years ago.
Quote of the Day
“I’m not putting my toe anywhere but I’m just going on my favorite radio
show and talking about a subject that’s very dear to me.”
— Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), quoted by Politicker, when asked if he was putting his “toe in the water” for a return to public service.
Obama Gains in National Poll
A new Democracy Corps poll shows President Obama now leads Mitt Romney in the presidential race by a 3-point margin, 49% to 46% — a net 3-point improvement since last month.
Key finding: “Obama’s gains come partially from gains on whom voters trust to handle the economy. He was down 7 points to Romney in our last poll but is now dead-even. Mitt Romney has asked voters to contrast his business experience against Obama’s record on the economy. Voters are beginning to make that choice, and it has moved voters away from Romney.”
Roberts Jokes About Hiding This Summer
Chief Justice John Roberts joked that he’ll be spending some time in “an impregnable fortress” now that the Supreme Court has ended a session in which he cast the the decisive vote upholding President Obama’s health care law, the AP reports.
Responding to a question about his summer plans, Roberts quipped that he thought his planned trip to Malta to teach a class was a “good idea.”
The 8 Stages of Conservative Grief
Slate looks at the GOP response to the Obamacare decision.
