Dem Cmtes Report Fundraising Totals; Gomez Ad Touts Debate Performance; Dem Groups Target McConnell

National Journal

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WHAT'S NEWS

  • "A bipartisan group" of sens. "are expected to announce they have reached an agreement to strengthen border security in the Senate's immigration bill, a breakthrough that could pave the way for a significant number" of GOP sens. "to support the comprehensive legislation" (NBC News).

  • The DSCC raised $4.9M in May and has "nearly" $10M CoH (Hotline sources).

  • The DCCC raised $6.1M in May, "bringing their total fundraising this year" to $34.1M. The cmte "paid down" $2M in debt, leaving it with $11M CoH and $2.1M in debt (Roll Call).

  • MA SEN Special: Ex-Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez (R) launched a new TV ad, highlighting his debate performance this week (release). VP Biden will campaign on Saturday for Rep. Edward Markey (D), making stops at UMass Dartmouth and "the Local 7 Ironworkers Hall in South Boston, which was a center of operations for Markey primary opponent" Rep. Stephen Lynch (Boston Globe). The Boston Globe endorsed Markey in an editorial appearing in Thursday's editions.

  • NYC Mayor '13: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D) and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio (D) "sparred repeatedly" during a 90-minute televised Dem primary debate Wednesday night, while ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D), "who is known for his combative debate style, largely stayed above the fray" (NY1).

  • GA SEN: Rep. Phil Gingrey (R) "told colleagues on the House floor on Tuesday that young boys and girls should take classes on traditional gender roles in a marriage because there are some things fathers do 'maybe a little bit better' than mothers" (Huffington Post).

  • KY SEN: Senate Majority PAC and Patriot Majority USA debuted a new TV ad tied to the launch of their "30 Years Is Too Long Campaign" targeting Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell (release).

  • NC-06: Rep. Howard Coble (R) "hasn't made a final decision" on whether he'll seek reelection, but he's planning a fundraiser in Sept. and "expects to seek a 16th term unless his health dictates otherwise" (Greensboro News & Record).

  • TX GOV: Gov. Rick Perry (R) "said he would make a decision to run again ... before July 1." Perry: "Later in the year, if there's more expansive plans than that we'll announce at the appropriate time" (Bloomberg News).

  • WV SEN '18: Sen. Joe Manchin (D) debuted a new TV ad Thursday morning on "Morning Joe," asking West Virginians to "call the NRA and ask them to support criminal background checks" for gun purchasers (NBC News).

NUMBER BRUNCHING

  • According to a new Pew Research Center poll of nat'l adults, conducted 6/12-16, 49% approve of the way Pres. Obama is handling his job, while 43% disapprove. In the previous poll, conducted 5/1-5, 51% approved of Obama, and 43% disapproved (release).

OUR CALL

Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day

• Gingrey apparently intends to take the "Most Unelectable" crown away from Rep. Paul Broun in the GA SEN race. While Broun gets more national attention, Dems have been licking their chops over the prospect of running against Gingrey, whose YouTube highlights are a trove of oppo research.

• The earmark era may be over, but lawmakers still have plenty of ways to direct federal dollars to their constituents. Look for Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, for example, to tout her work inserting funding likely to come to Hawaii in recent defense bills.

HAIR OF THE DOG

FRESH BREWED BUZZ

  • Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) "spoke briefly in Spanish" at an outdoor presser on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and was "heckled" by one of the tea party protestors "who had wandered over" from Rep. Steve King's (R-IA) anti-immigration-legislation rally "and yelled 'learn English!'" (Buzzfeed).

  • "I was having a look around to see how bad it would be to live there. And I concluded it was really bad to live there -- traffic is bad, weather is worse. Most of the people you talk to are frauds. You know" -- Ex-MT Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), on a recent trip to DC as he ponders a SEN bid (Roll Call).

  • NJ-05 candidate Roy Cho (D) "has received the endorsement of noted rapper Ghostface Killah, a member of the iconic rap group the Wu-Tang Clan" (The Hill).

  • "I don't like the word 'Johns.' Why can't we call them the 'Sals' or the 'Anthonys'?" -- NYC Comp. John Liu (D), discussing patrons of prostitutes at Wednesday night's debate (New York Daily News).

  • Ex-Mobile Co. (AL) Commis. Stephen Nodine (R), who is "now serving a two-year jail term on perjury and harassment charges" to which he pled guilty "as part of a deal in which prosecutors dropped" murder charges in the case of Nodine's deceased mistress, "announced via email that he is considering" running in the expected AL-01 special election (AL.com).

  • "You're not a member of the Taliban, are you?" -- Defense Sec. Chuck Hagel, calling on asst. prof. Robin Gandhi at an event Wednesday at the Univ. of NE Omaha (Buzzfeed).

  • Montgomery Co. (IL) GOP Chair Jim Allen called IL-13 candidate/ex-Miss America Erika Harold (R) "the 'love child' of the Democratic party; a 'street walker' whose 'pimps' are party leaders; and suggested that after the election, she will be 'working for some law firm that needs to meet their quota for minority hires.'" Allen is a supporter of Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), "whom Harold is challenging" in a primary; "Davis' office disavowed Allen's comments" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

  • "Data You Can Believe In: The Obama Campaign's Digital Masterminds Cash In" (New York Times Magazine).

  • "India really is charming. I will simply eat on the ground floors in the future." -- Ex-Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), who was forced "to flee for his life from a restaurant fire in Calcutta, India, this week," according to an account on his Facebook page (Columbus Dispatch).

SWIZZLE CHALLENGE

  • The Colorado Rockies have drafted NFL QBs Russell Wilson and Michael Vick.

  • The winner is Bill Pascoe (again), and here's his Swizzle Challenge: "What three courses on the PGA Tour have seen the pros lose a total of more than 2K golf balls to the water over the last decade, what are the names of the PGA Tour events associated with each course, and how many balls have found a watery grave at each?" The 1st correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.

NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

SHOT...

"I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, Tony Soprano. I have gotten to know Jimmy and many of the other actors in the Sopranos cast and I can say that each of them are an individual New Jersey treasure" -- NJ Gov. Chris Christie (R), in a statement on the death of actor James Gandolfini (release).

...CHASER

"Come on, I'm a fat f---ing crook from New Jersey" -- "Tony Soprano" ("The Sopranos")

Reid Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

Steven Shepard, Executive Editor