Roll Call: “With the Senate voting comfortably Thursday to take up its most ambitious gun control legislation in nearly two decades, all eyes turn to the “open amendment process” that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has promised.”
Conservatives Warn RNC They Could Abandon Party
“A group of high-profile social conservatives warned Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus in a letter this week that their supporters could abandon the GOP if the party seeks to change its position on social issues, particularly same-sex marriage,” NBC News reports.
“Thirteen social conservatives, representing various influential groups, wrote Priebus ahead of the RNC’s quarterly meeting this week in Los Angeles to sternly rebuke the conclusions of a post-election report that advised Republican elected officials to adopt a softer tone toward social issues.”
Inside the Collapse of a Super PAC
BuzzFeed: “It’s probably possible for a political group to be worse at accomplishing its core mission than Progress Kentucky is, but it’s difficult to imagine how.”
“In its short lifespan, the super PAC focused solely on defeating Sen. Mitch McConnell has instead helped the Republican incumbent deflect his low approval rating and conservative critics by subjecting McConnell to comically incompetent political attacks.”
If you haven’t been following the story, The Week has a good recap.
Congressman Compares Gun Registration to Genocide
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) warned that “a national gun registry would be similar to a database used by the ruling Hutu tribe in Rwanda in the 1990s to locate and slaughter members of an opposing tribe in a genocide that killed up to one million people,” The Hill reports.
Obama Urges North Korea to End Belligerence
President Obama “urged North Korea to end its brazen nuclear threats against the U.S. and its allies, warning the unpredictable communist regime that his administration would ‘take all necessary steps’ to protect American citizens,” the Washington Post reports.
“Obama’s stern comments came as new U.S. intelligence was made public showing North Korea probably has advanced its nuclear knowhow to the point that it could arm a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead, though the weapon wouldn’t be very reliable.”
New York Times: “It is unclear whether other American intelligence agencies agree with the assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has primary responsibility for monitoring the missile capabilities of adversary nations. In the case of Iraq, a decade ago, the agency was among those that argued most vociferously that Saddam Hussein had nuclear weapons.”
Michigan GOP Leader Compares Gays to Alcoholics
Michigan Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema continues to warn parents about the “filthy lifestyle” of homosexuals, saying that Christians should help people “get out of it,” MLive reports.
Said Agema: “What I’d like to have the homosexual community know is I don’t hate them. As a matter of fact when Jesus caught a woman in the act of adultery when they brought her to him he said I don’t condemn you but go and sin no more. That ought to be the church’s goal here. We ought to be saying to these people, ‘Hey, we don’t agree with your lifestyle and we’ll help you get out of it, but we want you to know the facts of what’s going to happen to you if you stay in this lifestyle.'”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“The only reason that I came forward with what I knew was I was trying
to protect the Democratic Party. I believe in our party’s
values, and I was doing what I thought was best for the party because I
did not want their bad behavior, their poor mistakes… their lack of judgment to hurt our
party’s efforts here in the state Kentucky.”
— Democratic operative Jacob Conway, quoted by TPM, on why he outed a super PAC for recording a private strategy session with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Democratic Super PAC Behind Secret Audio of McConnell
A secret recording of a campaign strategy session between Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his advisors was recorded by leaders of the Progress Kentucky super PAC, Democratic operative Jacob Conway tells WFPL-FM.
The super PAC operatives did not attend the opening of McConnell’s campaign headquarters, but they arrived later and were apparently able to hear the strategy meeting from the hallway.
Said Conway: “One of them held the elevator, the other one did the recording and they left. That was what they told to me from them directly… Apparently the gentlemen overheard the conversation and decided to record it with a phone or recording device they had in their pocket. Could’ve been an iPhone, could’ve been a Flip camera or something like that.”
Gun Control Filibuster Thwarted
The Senate “cleared the way for debate on the first piece of major gun-control legislation to be considered in that chamber in two decades,” the New York Times reports.
“Twenty-nine Republicans voted against the measure, as did two Democrats. Sixteen Republicans joined 52 Democrats in voting to cut off the debate and proceed to consideration of the legislation.”
David Hawkings reports that an “even more pivotal vote” is scheduled for Tuesday “on language embodying the bipartisan agreement, unveiled Wednesday, for expanding the reach of required background checks to cover customers at gun shows and online transactions, but not noncommercial sales.”
Bush Had Back Surgery
Two sources close to the Bush family have told National Journal that George W. Bush quietly underwent back surgery several months ago to deal with a nagging disc problem.
Blair Won’t Give Advice to Obama on Post-Presidency
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left his post in 2007 at age 54, refused in a USA Today interview to offer advice on life after politics to President Obama, who will leave the White House in 2017 also at a relatively young age, 55.
Said Blair: “That would be presumptuous. He is, you know, a huge global figure… someone of enormous energy and character and ability, and I’m sure he’ll find something to keep himself occupied.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Acting idiotically is no violation of the law. Considering the recent and threatened spate of indictments and arrests of New York public figures, Weiner’s two-year-and-more old acts are a wiggle on an elephant.”
— Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, quoted by the Washington Post, on the possibility of a comeback by former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY).
Pryor Reports Big Cash Haul
Endangered Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) “raised nearly $2 million in the first quarter of this year, a financial show of strength his campaign hopes sends a message to state and national Republicans still looking for a candidate to take him on next year,” Politico reports.
He now “has $3.4 million in the bank. His first-quarter posting puts him ahead of some of his fellow Democrats up in 2014 and is an impressive figure from a small-state senator not in the leadership or atop a major committee.”
Lawmaker Links Islamic Prayer to Terrorism
In an email exchange with a constituent, North Carolina state Rep. Michele Presnell (R) was asked if she was comfortable with a prayer to Allah before a legislative meeting, the Raleigh News and Observer reports.
Her response: “No, I do not condone terrorism.”
Interestingly, Presnell is a co-sponsor of a resolution asserting that North Carolina can establish a state religion.
A Grand Bargain is Still Possible
Joe Klein sees “the tiniest sliver of a possibility that something might get done” on a deficit reduction deal.
“There are those on the left who will object that the deficit issue is overblown and not even a priority among voters. They are right. But we have reached the point where some sort of deal is necessary to restore the public’s, the business community’s and the world’s faith that the U.S. government can, occasionally, take significant action. I predict–tepidly, with no great confidence–that the Congress will finally decide it is time to act.”
Will Gun Control Die in the House?
The Week: “The Manchin-Toomey deal will be added to gun-control legislation that will get its first big test on Thursday, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) brings the bill to the floor for debate. But even if the GOP effort to block debate fizzles, as expected, and at least 60 senators agree to a final vote, the bill would still have to pass in the Republican-controlled House for it to become law.”
King Feels Bypassed on Immigration Reform
Immigration reform critic Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was concerned when he saw immigration on the agenda for this week’s GOP conference meeting, The Hill reports.
Said King: “Up on our agenda came immigration… leadership is going to bring immigration, according to the agenda, sometime to the floor. How do we know we’re going to do immigration when we haven’t talked about it yet? How come don’t I know this, because I’m on the Judiciary committee? How come all these meetings on immigration are going on and I’m not being invited to them?”
5 House Rematches to Watch
Roll Call looks ahead to the midterm elections and sizes up five potential rematches.
