Out this summer: The Coming Obama Crash by Art Laffer and Stephen Moore.
Quote of the Day
“They’re being forced to provide insurance coverage that violates their religious beliefs. They’re being forced to provide insurance coverage for a form of abortion. To me, it’s a religious-freedom issue.”
— Attorney General Mike DeWine (R), quoted by the Columbus Dispatch, arguing for a religious exemption in providing contraception coverage as part of health insurance benefits.
GOP May Be Its Own Worst Enemy in Senate Races
“A GOP-friendly electoral map, along with a spate of retirements among red-state Democratic senators, has once again favorably positioned Republicans to take control of the Senate in 2014,” the Washington Post reports.
“But Republican operatives are working feverishly to ensure that the bitter split between the party establishment and insurgent tea party conservatives does not lead to a squandered opportunity and GOP disappointment for the third consecutive cycle of elections.”
Which Justice Wanted to Take on Gay Marriage?
New York Times: “Why did the Supreme Court agree in December to hear a major same-sex marriage case and then seem to think it had made a terrible mistake on Tuesday when it came time for arguments?”
“The answer lies in the gap between two numbers. It takes four votes to hear a case and five to decide one.”
“If nothing else, this week’s arguments provided a telling glimpse into the process through which the court selects its docket, one that is usually shrouded in exceptional secrecy. The arguments also cleared up most of the mystery of whose idea it had been to hear the case, a challenge to Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage.”
Wonk Wire: When did same-sex marriage bans become unconstitutional?
Christie Running Away in Re-Election Race
A new Harper Polling survey in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie (R) crushing challenger Barbara Buono (D) in the race for governor, 58% to 28%.
Could Google Sway an Election?
Psychologist Robert Epstein has testing the impact of a fictitious search engine “that manipulated search rankings, giving an edge to a favored political candidate by pushing up flattering links and pushing down unflattering ones,” the Washington Post reports.
“There is no reason to believe that Google would manipulate politically sensitive search results… Yet Epstein’s core finding — that a dominant search engine could alter perceptions of candidates in close elections — has substantial support. Given the wealth of information available about Internet users, a search engine could even tailor results for certain groups, based on location, age, income level, past search history, Web browsing history or other factors.”
Unlikely 2016 GOP Nominee Will Back Gay Marriage
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina tells Businessweek that he doesn’t believe that the 2016 GOP presidential nominee will support same-sex marriage.
Said Messina: “Given who their primary electorate is and given the fact that the ABC/Washington Post poll showed that 60 percent of older Republican primary voters still oppose it. I think you will see people talk less about it. But I don’t think they’re showing any signs of moderating.”
“Messina’s analysis runs counter to what many Republican strategists in
Washington are telling reporters–that the GOP will have to evolve on the
issue, as Democrats have done. But this may be wishful thinking on the
part of elite Republicans. The Republican consultant class has always
been more comfortable with gay rights than the party’s base.”
Victims’ Rights Pamphlet Offers Number to Sex Line
Law enforcement officials in Florida “say a phone number written on a pamphlet given to domestic
violence and sexual assault victims actually went to a sex hotline
instead,” WKMG-TV reports.
North Carolina Eliminates Latino Outreach Office
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) suddenly closed the state’s Office of Hispanic/Latino affairs and “appears to have exacerbated the already tense relationship” between McCrory and the Latino community, the Charlotte Observer reports.
“Advocates say it sends a message that McCrory and Raleigh conservatives are less concerned with the needs of the Latino community. Paradoxically, it comes at a time when issues of deep concern, such as immigration, are at the political forefront.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Republicans are being counseled to move the party to the left, but in my
experience, those who advocate more liberal policies for the GOP are
wrongheaded or Democrats, or both.”
— Liz Cheney, writing in the Wall Street Journal.
Boehner Demands Young Apologize
Top Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), are beginning to pile on to fellow GOP Rep. Don Young of Alaska for his use of a racial slur to describe Latino workers, Roll Call reports.
Said Boehner: “Congressman Young’s remarks were offensive and beneath the dignity of
the office he holds. I don’t care
why he said it — there’s no excuse and it warrants an immediate
apology.”
Expelled Lawmaker Arrested
On the day he became the first assemblyman in Nevada history to be expelled, Steven Brooks was arrested in California on charges of assault and fleeing police, Jon Ralston reports.
There’s an amazing video of Brooks being arrested after a high-speed chase. (Warning: The video contains offensive language.)
Walker Suggests “Third Way” on Gay Marriage
John Fund notes Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) raised a “third way” of looking at the same-sex marriage debate.
“On Meet the Press this month he remarked on how many young people have asked him why the debate is over whether the definition of marriage should be expanded. They think the question is rather ‘why the government is sanctioning it in the first place.’ The alternative would be to ‘not have the government sanction marriage period, and leave that up to the churches and the synagogues and others to define that.'”
While Walker was careful to note his thoughts weren’t “anything I’m advocating for,” he gave voice to many who would like to avoid a culture war over the issue.
Quote of the Day
“It is saddening to see the president today, once again, try to take advantage of this tragic murder to promote an agenda that will do nothing to stop violent crime, but will undermine the constitutional rights of all law-abiding Americans. I am committed to… use any procedural means necessary to protect those fundamental rights.”
— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), quoted by the Huffington Post.
Former Candidate Arrested for Shoplifting Again
Former Alabama candidate for agriculture commissioner Dale Peterson (R) — the one with the great law-and-order ad in 2010 — was arrested for shoplifting after he picked up a can of cashews, began eating the contents and put the empty can back on a shelf, the New York Daily News reports.
Peterson was arrested for shoplifting last month as well.
Mississippi Governor Appoints Activist to Health Board
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) has nominated pro-life activist Terri Herring to sit on the Mississippi Board of Public Health — despite having no medical background, the Jackson Free Press reports.
The 11-member board “provides policy direction for the Mississippi Department of Health, appoints a state health officer to operate the agency; approves the state health plan; and approves all rules and regulations of the agency. Most of the board members are doctors and nurses.”
Paul Says No Decision About Presidential Bid
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said not to expect an announcement about a possible 2016 presidential bid until next year, Roll Call reports.
Said Paul: “I want to be part of the national debate. I think the country faces a lot of problems, and I do want to be a part of trying to bring about answers and solutions for making the Republican party big enough that we can be competitive again, but I won’t make any decision until 2014 or so.”
Consultants Cash In on Palin
John Avlon notes Sarah Palin attempted to relaunch her political career this week with a new video which railed against “the big consultants, the big money men, and the big bad media.”
“But there’s an irony alert ahead: the current stated purpose of SarahPAC is to raise money ahead of the 2014 election–most of which will be spent on conservative consultants.”
“Seen through the lens of the invaluable Center for Responsive Politics, Palin’s PAC spent $5.1 million in the last election cycle (more than it raised in that time period, raising some questions about Palin’s claims of fiscal responsibility). But the real news comes when you look at how donors’ money was actually doled out: just $298,500 to candidates. The bulk of the rest of it, more than $4.8 million, went to–you guessed it–consultants.”
