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.”
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.”
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.”
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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.”
“Nancy Pelosi is a dingbat.”
— Sarah Palin, in an interview on Fox News.
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%
“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.
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.”
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.
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.
“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.
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.”
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.”
Slate looks at the GOP response to the Obamacare decision.
ABC News digs up video of Mitt Romney admiting in a January 2008 Republican presidential debate that the individual health care mandate he passed in Massachusetts was indeed a tax.
CHARLIE GIBSON: Governor, you imposed tax penalties in Massachusetts…
MITT ROMNEY: Yes, we said, look, if people can afford to buy it, either buy the insurance or pay your own way; don’t be free-riders and pass on the cost to your health care to everybody else…
Slate captured video of Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) reacting to a false report about the health care mandate being overturned.
Radio talk show host Michael Savage offered one explanation for Chief Justice John Roberts upholding the health care law:
“Let’s talk about Roberts. I’m going to tell you something that you’re not going to hear anywhere else, that you must pay attention to. It’s well known that Roberts, unfortunately for him, has suffered from epileptic seizures. Therefore he has been on medication. Therefore neurologists will tell you that medication used for seizure disorders, such as epilepsy, can introduce mental slowing, forgetfulness and other cognitive problems. And if you look at Roberts’ writings you can see the cognitive dissociation in what he is saying.”
As many predicted, Jon Stewart had a lot of fun with the mistakes made by CNN and Fox News reporting yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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