Must-watch video: President Obama “slow jams” the news with Jimmy Fallon.
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Gingrich Finally Admits Romney Will Win
Newt Gingrich “unofficially conceded” the Republican presidential race to Mitt Romney, telling North Carolina Republicans “it’s pretty clear Governor Romney is going to be the nominee,” National Journal reports.
Said Gingrich: “I think obviously that I would be a better candidate, but the objective fact is the voters didn’t think that. And I also think it’s very, very important that we be unified.”
Meanwhile, Fox News reports Gingrich will formally suspend his campaign next Tuesday.
Former Aide Testifies Against Edwards
“The second day of testimony at the John Edwards campaign-financing trial was like sitting down to reread the juiciest and most salacious parts of Andrew Young’s book, The Politician. In other words, it was filled with exactly the kinds of allegations that the two-time presidential candidate never wanted aired in public again,” Diane Diamond reports.
Melinda Henneberger: “As star witnesses go, Young was none too shiny; he repeatedly got flustered, annoyed the judge by mumbling, and raced through those answers that were at variance with his tell-all book… Still, two crucial things Young said under oath Tuesday did ring true: His detailed description of how Edwards persuaded him to claim paternity for the child the candidate himself had fathered with Rielle Hunter was credible. And when Young said his motivation for agreeing to do such a thing was completely opportunistic — ‘I wanted my friend to become president because a lot of benefits go along with that’ — he was at his most convincing.”
A Weak Nominee
While there is little question that Mitt Romney will be the Republican presidential nominee, Smart Politics notes that Romney continues to wrap up the nomination in a historically weak fashion.
“Over
the last 40 years there have been nearly 80 contests in which the
presumptive Republican nominees played out the string after their last
credible challenger exited the race. In every one of these contests, the
GOP frontrunner won at least 60% of the vote, even when ex- and
long-shot candidates remained on the ballot. But on Tuesday, Romney won
only 56% of the vote in Delaware and 58% in Pennsylvania,
home to Rick Santorum who dropped out on April 10th.”
Rubio’s Grandfather Ordered Deported
A forthcoming biography of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) says that Rubio’s Cuban-born maternal grandfather “was ordered deported from Florida because he flew in from Cuba without a visa, a decade before Rubio’s birth,” Politico reports.
The book says the grandfather “did not leave the U.S. as ordered, but remained in Miami, possibly on retroactive refugee status.”
“The episode could draw renewed scrutiny of the personal narrative of Rubio, a possible running mate for Republican nominee Mitt Romney.”
The Rise of Marco Rubio by Manuel Roig-Franzia will be out June 19.
Quote of the Day
“Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired.”
— Mitt Romney, quoted by the New York Times, in a victory speech to supporters after winning five primaries.
Clinton Favorability Hits New High
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s favorable rating at 65%, the highest mark that the former first lady has ever reached in the history of the poll. Just 27% of respondents viewed Clinton unfavorably.
The Fix: “Great poll numbers and high-profile supporters don’t matter at all if Clinton has, in her heart of hearts, put away the idea of running for president again. If that door is left open even a crack, however, these are the sorts of developments that could push it open wider.”
Obama Gets Personal Again
As he heads into a general election against Mitt Romney, President Obama’s speeches “are revisiting parts of the life story that helped propel his rise,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “There are nods to his humble beginnings, his hardworking grandmother and the stresses of debt — in short, stories that best connect with the middle-class voters his reelection may depend on.”
The reason: “After more than three years in office, the trappings of the presidency can begin to take a toll, causing voters to see the incumbent more as a high-priced suit behind a podium than as a person whose life once resembled theirs. Obama campaign aides are mindful of that potential problem.”
Gingrich to Reassess After Losing Big Again
After losing all five primaries Tuesday night to Mitt Romney in landslide fashion, Newt Gingrich “sent the strongest signal yet that he’s nearing the end of his tottering campaign,” Politico reports.
Said Gingrich: “We’re going to look realistically at where we’re at. We are going to think carefully about how we can be the most helpful to this country.”
But he made clear he’s still got a full schedule as the GOP presidential campaign heads to North Carolina.
Smith Wins GOP Senate Nod in Pennsylvania
Coal-mining millionaire Tom Smith (R), a newcomer to politics who spent $4 million of his own money on TV advertising, easily won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
His candidacy “was scorned by the Republican establishment,” including Gov. Tom Corbett (R).
Smith will face Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) in the fall election.
Holden Outsted from Congress After 18 Years
Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), who was elected to Congress in 1992 and was one of its conservative Blue Dog Democrats, lost his re-election bid in the Democratic primary to Matt Cartwright (D), the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Critz Defeats Altmire in Primary
Rep. Mark Critz (D-PA) “used his deep home base support and the heft of organized labor to win his fratricidal bout” with Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA), “picking up an underdog victory in an increasingly conservative district,” the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette reports.
Rubio Moonlights as a Professor
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) teaches a political science class at Florida International University in Miami “on Mondays and Fridays, when the Senate is typically off (a workload that provides its own instruction on how Washington operates),” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“Rubio does not dish Senate gossip or inveigh against President Barack Obama, as he often does in his other job. His lectures are in every sense academic, students say, only drawn from real-time experience.”
A video shows Rubio teaching a class “on why political compromise is so elusive.”
Ex-CIA Officer Defends Destroying Tapes
Jose Rodriguez, who oversaw the CIA’s once-secret interrogation program, says in a new book that he ordered the destruction of videos showing waterboarding because he “was tired of waiting for Washington’s bureaucracy to make a decision that protected American lives,” the AP reports.
He describes sending the order in November 2005 as “just getting rid of some ugly visuals.”
Scott Will Run Again in Florida
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) “made it clear” that he will seek reelection in 2014, the Miami Herald reports.
Said Scott: “I’m running for re-election. I like this job!”
Issa Claims Obama Administration is Most Corrupt Ever
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) told Bloomberg TV that the Obama government is “proving to be” the “most corrupt in history.”
Said Issa: “We are busy in Washington with a corrupt government, with a government that I said perhaps because of the money, the amount of TARP and stimulus funds, was going to be the most corrupt government history and it is proving to be just exactly that. This money going though the hands of political leaders is corrupting the process, whether it is Solyndra, GSA, or a number of other scandals.”
Why Romney Could be a Transformational President
Ezra Klein points out that if President Obama wins re-election, he will likely “still be negotiating with Republican leaders in Congress. But the same can’t be said for Mitt Romney.”
“If Romney wins the election, it’s almost a sure bet that Republicans win control of both the House and the Senate. And that matters. Right now, the GOP’s agenda is the Ryan budget, and that’s entirely fiscal: It’s a premium support plan for Medicare, and tax cuts, and deep cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and other domestic programs. All that can be passed through budget reconciliation — which is to say, all that can be made immune to the filibuster.”
“So if Romney wins and the Republicans take control, they could accomplish quite a lot on party-line votes, even if their majorities are slim, and Democrats are opposed. Indeed, Romney could end up being a fairly transformational president for conservatives so long as he’s paired with a Republican Congress.”
The Pivot
Mitt Romney’s big speech tonight as primary results come in is billed as his “pivot” to the general election campaign.
A quick search by BuzzFeed finds this is his 97th pivot since voting in Iowa began in January.
