George Will: “Americans profess detestation of politics and its practitioners, but their behavior belies their rhetoric. Last month, a poll reported that 60 percent of Americans favor voting out of office all congressional incumbents, including their own representatives. But just 11 months before this poll revealed the electorate’s (supposedly) extraordinary dyspepsia, voters reelected 90 percent of representatives and 91 percent of senators. Most Americans most of the time have better things to do than feel strongly (aggrieved or otherwise) about politics. They are not as angry about goings-on in Washington as they say they are, or imagine themselves to be, or think they ought to be when a pollster takes their emotional temperature.”

“I think she’d make a good anything.”

— New York City police chief Ray Kelly, in an interview with Playboy, on whether Hillary Clinton would make a good president.

“If you don’t like your Democratic House member, you don’t have to keep him or her.”

— Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), quoted by National Journal.

A new DFM Research survey finds Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) deadlocked in the U.S. Senate race, 41% to 40%.

Key findings: McConnell’s favorable rating is 35%, his unfavorable rating is 55%.

Democrats close to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) are letting potential supporters know the three-term senator is “waiting in the wings” if Charlie Crist’s (D) campaign for Florida governor stumbles, the News Service of Florida reports.

“Nelson’s chief of staff, Pete Mitchell, called some prominent Democrats recently and told them the 71-year-old Nelson, who has been coy about his interest in the governor’s race, is considering a bid.”

Houston Chronicle: “When
Texas Sen. John Cornyn launches his campaign for a third six-year term
on Friday with a rally in Austin, it will feature a cameo appearance by
Gov. Rick Perry — but no sign of tea party-backed freshman Sen. Ted
Cruz.”

Charlie Cook: “One Democratic pollster recently (and aptly) summed up the sentiment: ‘Voters want to punish Republicans but not reward Democrats.’ This dynamic suggests we are in for either a highly muddled election outcome next year–hardly the stuff for a wave, because one party has to be rewarded and looked favorably upon to create a wave–or a highly volatile environment, what a meteorologist might describe as an ‘unstable air mass.’ The latter dynamic could translate into a lot of surprise election outcomes, but not necessarily in any uniform direction.”

Joshua Green: “Americans are fast losing faith in the president, his party, and his
signature policy achievement. But while they’re open to the idea of
handing power to the opposition, Republicans are busy demonstrating that
they have no idea how to govern.”

Neel Kashkari (R), the former assistant Treasury secretary who oversaw the TARP bank bailout in the Bush administration, is mulling a bid against California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in what would be his first political campaign, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

“Kashkari — who is pro-choice, favors same-sex marriage rights and voted for Barack Obama in 2008 — is talking like a candidate on a mission to rebrand a California Republican Party that is tired of losing.”