Obama to Make Offer on Jobs/Taxes; Three New VA GOV Ads; Weiner Won't Quit, Slips to 4th in Q Poll

National Journal

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WHAT'S NEWS

  • "Hoping to break an impasse," Pres. Obama in an event in Chattanooga, TN, on Tuesday "will extend a new offer" to cong. GOPers "in which he would back an overhaul of the corporate tax system in exchange for a guarantee that a resulting one-time windfall be used to underwrite various job creation proposals" (Wall Street Journal).

  • The Senate on Monday confirmed FBI Dir.-designate James Comey on a 93-1 vote. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voted no, and Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) voted present (National Journal Daily).

  • In VA GOV, Citizens United "is spending" $305K "on a 30-second TV ad promoting" a film it made that is critical of ex-DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe (D). The RGA "is going up with its second TV ad of the race" on Tuesday, "hitting McAuliffe over the history of his car company and its ties to China" (Politico). A new ad from McAuliffe released on Monday "focuses on" AG Ken Cuccinelli's (R) "legal battle" with UVA climate scientist Michael Mann (Washington Post).

  • A new Quinnipiac Univ. poll of NYC mayoral Dem primary LVs, conducted 7/24-28, shows City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leading Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, 27-21%, with '09 nominee Bill Thompson at 20%, ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner at 16%, Comp. John Liu at 6% and ex-Councilor Sal Albanese at 2%. In the previous poll, conducted 7/18-23, Weiner led Quinn, 26-22%, with Thompson at 20%, de Blasio at 15%, Liu at 7% and Albanese at 1% (release). Weiner continues to spurn calls for him to exit the race, including from de Blasio, who told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday: "The sideshow needs to end" (Hotline viewing).

  • Ex-AR LG Bill Halter's (D) decision to drop out of the AR GOV race on Monday clears the field for ex-Rep. Mike Ross (D), and now some nat'l and state Dems hope Halter will challenge Rep. Tim Griffin (R) in AR-02 (Hotline reporting).

  • Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) "has canceled plans for what would have been an eyebrow-raising speech" in Iowa City, IA, set for only "two weeks after" the NJ SEN Dem primary (Newark Star-Ledger). Booker launched his second Spanish-language TV ad on Monday (Newark Star-Ledger). Rep. Rush Holt (D) "has tapped journalist Glenn Greenwald for an online town hall meeting he is hosting Tuesday, his campaign announced Monday" (Washington Post).

  • Despite a joint appearance in Nashville on Monday to tout charter schools, Paul "stopped short of endorsing" Sen. Lamar Alexander's (R-TN) reelection bid. Paul: "I'd rather not go there. I'd hate to be painted as 'Oh, I've come here and I'm not endorsing him' because I think that's the wrong message to send. I'm very supportive of Sen. Alexander, and I hope he doesn't get an opponent" (Nashville Tennessean).

  • IL state Rep. Darlene Senger (R) officially launched her IL-11 campaign on Monday (Naperville Sun).

  • "The drive to recall" San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) "began in earnest Monday as the beleaguered politician made a formal request for taxpayers to pick up the tab for his legal fees stemming from a sexual harassment lawsuit" (U-T San Diego).

  • Paul "will be the featured attraction at a fundraiser at the Women's National Republican Club" in NYC on 8/13 (Politico).

  • The FEC sent a letter to '10 PA SEN nominee Joe Sestak (D) telling him that he "has passed the threshold of exploring a run" for SEN in '16 and "must declare himself a candidate -- or disavow his bid" (PoliticsPA.com).

OUR CALL

Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day

• In an era of Big Data, it will be possible for Mike Enzi and Liz Cheney to contact almost every voter who will cast a ballot in next year's primary. The primary may come down to a battle over which side thinks most creatively about spending their money: TV is less important than field in a race where only about 100K voters will cast a ballot.

• Conservative groups may not be sold on Matt Bevin's viability in KY SEN just yet. But for the first time they've got Mitch McConnell right where they want him, and, with budget battles on the horizon major groups, they are taking advantage. In the last week, Senate Conservatives Fund and the Club for Growth have called on McConnell to sign pledges promising to cut funding from the '10 health care law, lest they add to Bevin's apparently already deep pockets. If they succeed in pushing McConnell to adopt a hard-line stance, they could be providing Alison Lundergan Grimes with some ammo for the general election.

• Erin Bilbray's (D) announcement that she would have voted to defund some NSA surveillance programs -- contra Rep. Joe Heck (R) -- isn't just some random candidate foaming at the mouth: Bilbray is a top DCCC recruit in NV-03, has perhaps over-carefully avoided going off-message, and is a veteran political operator. It's more evidence that surveillance could be a mainstream issue in '14, one that could affect the parties differently in different races.

HAIR OF THE DOG

FRESH BREWED BUZZ

  • "Take your jobs plan and shove it, Mr. President" -- Headline of an editorial in Tuesday's Chattanooga Times Free Press, timed to coincide with Obama's visit.

  • Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and husband Daniel Beutler on Monday announced the birth of their daughter, Abigail Rose Beutler, born July 15 in Portland, OR. Abigail "is considered by her doctors to likely be the first baby to survive a diagnosis previously considered fatal," Potter's Syndrome, "a condition associated with a deficiency in amniotic fluid often caused by a baby's prenatal kidney failure." The Beutler family: "We are grateful to the thousands who joined us in praying for a miracle. But most of all, we are grateful to God for hearing those prayers" (Chinook Observer).

  • "The private law firm hired to represent" VA Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and his staff "in the embezzlement case against the former chef at the governor's mansion has billed" the commonwealth "nearly" $54K "for its first five weeks of work, according to documents released Monday" (Washington Post).

  • NC Gov. Pat McCrory (R) "signed" a bill on Monday that critics "say will restrict access to safe and legal abortions." The bill "requires clinics that perform the procedure to meet standards similar to surgical centers," says "health care providers can opt out of performing an abortion if it's against their beliefs" and "would stop" gov't insurance plans "from paying for the procedure" (Raleigh News & Observer).

  • "There were a lot of short résumés around the office" -- Ex-Weiner intern Olivia Nuzzi (New York Daily News).

  • The RNC "has hired Chuck DeFeo to be its chief digital officer ... the latest move in a sustained post-2012 push to catch up online" with Dems (Politico).

  • Ex-PA Gov. William Scranton (R), who "helped set up a new state constitution," "ran an underdog and unsuccessful" WH '64, "then gave up politics and served four presidents on seven commissions ... died late Sunday afternoon of a cerebral hemorrhage -- nine days after his 96th birthday -- at Casa Dorinda, a retirement community" in Santa Barbara, CA, where "he was fulfilling his final ambition, taking care of his ailing wife, Mary, the great love of his life" (Scranton Times-Tribune).

  • Herb Kaplow, a "longtime" correspondent for NBC News and ABC News, "died on Saturday" in Arlington, VA, at the age of 86 (New York Times).

  • "Just over a month" after News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch" surprised his wife of 14 years with divorce papers, Wendi Murdoch has switched lawyers, a move signaling that the separation could take an acrimonious turn" (New York Times).

  • "Jiamei Tian, 58, was arrested Monday afternoon after allegedly covering the National Cathedral's organ inside the historic Bethlehem Chapel, as well as the Children's Chapel on the main level, with green paint." Tian, "of no fixed address," is also "a person of interest in last week's vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial" (WRC-TV).

  • An "unlikely coalition of business leaders, women's groups and labor unions ... are pledging to raise and spend at least" $1.5M "on advertising, direct mail and field work in an effort to persuade" NYC voters that ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) "would be a poor choice" for NYC comp. (New York Times).

  • "As part of its effort to change the face of the party, diversify its base and gain the support" of the cash-rich Indian-American community, the NRCC "is working to field 10 Indian-Americans" as House candidates in '14 (New Delhi Business Standard).

  • '10 MA LG nominee/'12 MA-06 nominee Richard Tisei (R) "married his longtime partner earlier this month ... just a few months before" a possible rematch against Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) (Roll Call).

  • Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. "will buy Allbritton Communications television stations," including Arlington, Va.-based WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8, for $985M (Washington Business Journal).

SWIZZLE CHALLENGE

  • Woodrow Wilson was the first sitting POTUS to deliver a speech using a microphone.

  • The winner is Geoffrey Skelley, and here's his Swizzle Challenge: "Of the presidents who have won reelection, which one increased his percentage of the popular vote the most from his first win to his second?" The 4th correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.

NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

SHOT...

"Listen, the voters don't give a s--- how my campaign is organized. Who the campaign manager is. Leave that for Politico.com" -- Weiner, asked whom he'd name as his new campaign mgr. (New York Daily News).

...CHASER

"Ok so a friend at [Politico] called me for ideas for a thing they are doing in swing states. ... So they are looking to create a panel of bloggers ... can I give him your deets?" -- Weiner, in messages to online mistress Sydney Leathers (Politico).

Reid Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

Steven Shepard, Executive Editor