The Morning Flap: June 25, 2012
These are my links for June 21st through June 25th:
- Hill Poll: Voters: Obama over-reached blocking Fast and Furious docs– A clear majority of likely voters believes President Obama has exercised his executive power inappropriately — particularly in blocking the release of documents relating to Operation Fast and Furious, according to a new poll for The Hill.But in a sign that the electorate’s frustration extends to Capitol Hill, voters by a significant margin also feel Congress has behaved in an obstructionist manner toward the president.Amid the discontent over the behavior of both Obama and members of Congress, the poll found a strong preference among voters for a return to one-party rule in Washington.
- Pawlenty, Portman Finances Pose VP Vetting Challenge– With Mitt Romney’s vice presidential vetting process well under way, two of the likeliest contenders for the nod — Tim Pawlenty and Rob Portman — have some of the thickest financial backgrounds to comb through.Since dropping his own bid for president last August, Pawlenty has joined the boards of seven companies and serves as a senior adviser to another. Portman has a complicated financial history from a previous ownership stake in his family’s since-sold company, Portman Equipment, as well as numerous investments.Republican researchers familiar with both potential picks say neither the former Minnesota governor nor the Ohio senator presents major problems; still, the vetting process might be more involved for the two top contenders than it is for an array of other contenders who appear to be further down Romney’s list.
Pawlenty appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday to say that he is not campaigning for the No. 2 spot. Nonetheless, he has been perhaps the highest-profile and most active surrogate on the campaign trail for Romney in recent months.
Brian McClung, Pawlenty’s former spokesman and deputy chief of staff, told RCP: “Governor Pawlenty is focused on his business responsibilities and enjoys his work in the private sector. He helps Governor Romney’s campaign when his schedule permits.”
- Poll: Former Supreme Court clerks think the mandate is done for– A new poll of 56 former Supreme Court clerks finds that 57 percent think the individual mandate will be overturned. That’s a 22-point jump from the last time the same group of clerks was surveyed, right before oral arguments. Back then, 35 percent thought the court would toss out the required purchase of health insurance.Most of the clerks found the Supreme Court’s questioning to be more skeptical than they had expected. As one clerk put it to Purple Strategies’ Doug Usher, who conducted the research, “I feel like a dope, because I was one of those who predicted that the Court would uphold the statute by a lopsided majority…it now appears pretty likely that this prediction was way off.”That seems to capture the mood of the rest of the country, too. Over on InTrade, the estimated likelihood of the Supreme Court overturning the mandate has marched upward ever since oral arguments, hitting 79.9 percent Wednesday morning.
- For Obama, Supreme Court health-care, immigration rulings to close a tough term– The Supreme Court this week will conclude its term by handing down much-anticipated rulings on health care and immigration, President Obama’s remaining priorities before the justices. It is a finale that cannot come quickly enough for the administration, which has had a long year at the high court.In a string of cases — as obscure as the federal government’s relationships with Indian tribes and as significant as enforcement of the Clean Water Act — the court rejected the administration’s legal arguments with lopsided votes and sometimes biting commentary.The administration’s win-loss record will sting a lot less, of course, if the court upholds the constitutionality of Obama’s signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act. That decision on health care, which will define the term, could come as early as Monday and almost certainly will be announced by Thursday.
The court also will decide the fate of Arizona’s tough law on illegal immigrants, which the Obama administration challenged in court before it could take effect. The government’s argument that the law conflicts with the federal authority to decide immigration policy got a sour reception from the justices, but the government hopes for at least a split decision on other aspects of the measure.
The administration’s ungainly portfolio at the Supreme Court this term has drawn attention from all points on the ideological spectrum.
- Poll: Immigration not Hispanics’ #1– American Hispanic voters are more concerned about health care and unemployment than they are about immigration, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll.In fact, only 12 percent of Hispanic registered voters said that immigration policy is the most important issue to them.
- New YG Network Poll Shows Majority Favor Health Reform Repeal– A majority of Americans want the health care law completely or partially repealed and think the federal government should not be able to force citizens to buy insurance, according to a new poll from the YG Network, a center-right issues advocacy group whose senior staff are former aides to Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.With the Supreme Court expected to rule as early as this week on the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the poll offers a glimpse into how Americans view the legislation.The poll, conducted between June 19 and June 21 by GOP pollsters McLaughlin & Associates surveyed 1,000 people with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Respondents were split almost evenly in terms of their politics. Thirty-two percent were Republicans; 34 percent were Democrats and 29 percent were independents; 4.5 percent didn’t know or refused to reply.
The survey sometimes referred to the Affordable Care Act as “Obamacare,” a term often used by critics of the law. The poll also tested a number of Republican talking points.
- Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s Comments On His Home, California – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-06-24
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-06-24
- Gregory Flap @ I.B.E.W. Local 441 – foursquare – At the wife, Alice’s family reunion. (@ I.B.E.W. Local 441 w/ 2 others) [pic]:
- California Proposition 29 Tobacco Tax Rejected by Voters – California Proposition 29 Tobacco Tax Rejected by Voters
- Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s Comments On His Home, California – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-06-23
- Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online – Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-06-23
- Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online – Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online
- Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online – Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online
- Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online – Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online
- Ryan Being Vetted for VP – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online – Rep. Paul Ryan Being Vetted for Vice President
- Rep. Paul Ryan Being Vetted for Vice President– I’m reliably informed that Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the Budget Committee chairman, has submitted paperwork to the Romney campaign. Sources confirm that he is being vetted for the vice-presidential nomination.Ryan, one of the GOP’s brightest young stars, is clearly a favorite of Romney allies. But some top Republican officials are wary of plucking him from the House, where he is the party’s most influential voice on fiscal issues.
- Obama’s White Support Is Too Low to Win– Today, the demographic status quo is not good for either candidate. The long-term future favors Democrats. The GOP must reconcile itself with the browning of America. But even in early 2009, amid renewed talk of an emerging Democratic majority, it was clear that demographics are not electoral destiny. That Democratic majority has not emerged over the past decade because Democrats have not made sustained inroads with the actual demographic majority.How quickly that proved true. In 2010, whites backed GOP House candidates by a 60-38 margin. It gave Republicans a historic landslide. The white margin two years ago roughly matches the break-even point today. That’s because presidential electorates are browner and blacker, though possibly not enough for Democrats. Plainly put, the data shows that Romney will likely win if he matches his party’s minority support in 2008 and its majority support in 2010.Democrats have come to depend on diversity. But even today, diversity may not prove enough to save Obama.
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – Michael Ramirez: I am NOT a Crook
- Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s Comments On His Home, California – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-06-22
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-06-22
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – Epic Fail – Back Down: Update: Back Up! Twitter is Down and All is Quiet
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – Update: Back Up! Twitter is Down and All is Quiet
- Twitter is Down and All is Quiet – Flap’s Blog – Twitter is Down and All is Quiet
- AD-48: Assemblyman Roger Hernandez to Stand Trial for DUI Charges – AD-48: Assemblyman Roger Hernandez to Stand Trial for DUI Charges
- The Morning Flap: June 21, 2012 – Flap’s Blog – The Morning Flap: June 21, 2012
- Senator Marco Rubio Says Attorney General Eric Holder Must Resign – Senator Marco Rubio Says Attorney General Eric Holder Must Resign
- Flap’s California Morning Collection: June 21, 2012 – Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Morning Collection: June 21, 2012
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: June 21, 2012 – The Morning Drill: June 21, 2012
- Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Comments on Politics, the Dental World and Much More – Day By Day June 21, 2012 – Dress Up
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