HUFFPOST HILL - JUNE 10TH, 2010

South Carolina continues to win the day with its (allegedly) philandering gubernatorial candidates and (formally charged) sex criminal Senate candidates. Back in D.C., the Wall Street reform conference committee got underway and the Senate spent the day grappling with high school-level science, barely keeping CO2 regulations intact. Speaking of hot air, Anthony Weiner got stabbed by a mohair goat named Lancelot. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, June 10th, 2010:

BREAKING

BARNEY FRANK: "CONCEPTUAL AGREEMENT" ON DERIVATIVES AND VOLCKER RULE - Following today's conference committee gathering on Wall Street reform Barney Frank and Chris Dodd huddled with reporters and were asked about how the twin bills' derivatives legislation would be meshed. "We haven't revolved that yet," said Dodd. Frank interrupted: "I think there's conceptual agreement. You have several things: You have tough regulation of derivatives, which I prefer much of what the Senate did. You're going to have a tougher version of the Volcker Rule." How much tougher? "I would say, the general direction that Senators Merkley and Levin were moving in is a direction a lot of people are supportive of, but the final version, we'll see. It will be tougher than the House. The House simply empowers the regulators. There will be some direction" given to regulators. Merkley-Levin, which Wall Street prevented from getting a vote on the Senate floor, bars big banks from trading for their own profit with taxpayer dollars.

NEXT CONFERENCE MEETING TUESDAY - The conferees will debate Titles 3, 4, 5 and 9 on Tuesday, dealing with merging OTS and OCC, insurance, private funds and credit rating agencies.

MURKOWSKI RESOLUTION TO BLOCK CLIMATE CHANGE REGULATION FAILS 47-53 - With oil spewing into the Gulf, thousands of unemployed workers not recieving benefits and bros still icing bros, the Senate decided to spend six hours debating something 99% of the world's scientists could have cleared up with a phone call. Are greenhouse gases causing climate change? EPA scientists say yes. Glenn Beck says no. So the Senate put it to a vote. "Overturning a scientific funding that states that carbon pollution is a threat to the health and well-being of the American public is a dangerous step. It would lead us down a perilous road that sets a precedent for appealing other scientific findings," said Barbara Boxer, she of the controversial hair style. "Imagine if we had done this on lead."

Oh hey... scientists found this spring to be the hottest on record. As the Senate was debating, NASA released new numbers. From the WWF Climate Blog: "[G]lobally, the combined land-surface air and sea-surface water temperature anomaly for last season (March, April and May) was 0.73°C above the 1951-1980 mean, shattering the previous record of 0.65°C above the mean set in March-May 2002. The records go back to 1880." http://bit.ly/aq0sMS

Vote is a blow to climate change legislation. Even though Democrats beat back Murkowski's resolution, the vote was a setback. To have six Democrats side with Republicans in an attempt to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases indicates very soft support for action in the Senate. Evan Bayh, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Mark Pryor and Jay Rockefeller all voted for the resolution.

GOVERNMENT REVISES OIL FLOW ESTIMATE...AGAIN - Dan Froomkin: "The Obama administration has once again increased its estimate of the flow of oil from BP's blown-out well. Three different groups of scientists making educated guesses have come up with upper and lower ranges that go as low as 12,600 barrels a day and as high as 50,000 barrels a day, although Marcia McNutt, the federal official charged with determining the flow rate, cited the range of about 20,000 to 40,000 barrels a day as the official estimate. All those numbers come with the caveat that they estimate the flow from the well before a kinked riser pipe was lopped off -- a move that inevitably increased the flow, although to what extent remains unclear." http://huff.to/bqbjuV

What is in the chemical dispersants? Help HuffPost and Mother Jones find out. http://huff.to/cu5gjI

BP INVESTOR WHO MOONLIGHTS AS CONGRESSMAN INVESTIGATING BP - AP: " A multimillionaire House Republican who owns thousands of shares of BP stock has no plans to recuse himself from a congressional investigation related to the Gulf oil spill or from votes on Capitol Hill that could affect his investments in the oil company. Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin has avoided directly criticizing BP for the spill itself. At the same time, he has watched his BP stock tank in value. Worth more than $251,000 just a few years ago, Sensenbrenner's 3,604 shares of BP PLC stock had plunged in value to just $118,000 by the end of trading Thursday. That's roughly half their value the day before the April 20 oil spill. Sensenbrenner has said his net worth is about $10 million." http://huff.to/c06uqP

WATCH: BP officials shooed away an ABC reporter. This after Thad Allen told BP to not limit press access from spill sites. http://huff.to/ctRFYP

DEM SENATE CHAIRS MEET ON CLIMATE CHANGE - Harry Reid met with six of the committee chairs with jurisdiction over climate and energy policy today. A few of them pressed John Kerry to recognize that there are not 60 votes for his and Joe Lieberman's legislation this year, especially with Lindsey Graham spouting off about questionable science. A decision on the way forward is still planned to be made at a caucus-wide meeting next Thursday. The chairs hoped to have something to vote on in July, though no deadline was set. Lieberman was asked to work with Jeff Bingaman and Max Baucus to come up with something that could pass.

CEOS PUSHBACK ON CORPORATE TAX HIKE - The Business Roundtable, a lobby representing businesses with nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues, reacted angrily today to a Dem provision in the tax extenders package that would cost them $14 billion. The measure would close a loophole that allows corporations to get a tax break for taking jobs offshore. Implementing the tax, complained the CEOs, "will make American companies less competitive in markets abroad and thus reduce funds that would otherwise be available for job-promoting investments in the United States." Because, of course, the first thing multinational corporations do with profits is reinvest in hiring workers in the United States. (The Business Roundtable says its companies pay 60 percent of all corporate income taxes. Total corporate income tax receipts in 2008 were $354 billion, the IRS says. Sixty percent of that would be less than 3% of their revenue. Cue tiny violins.)

Check out the Sunlight Foundation's amazing web stream of the conference committee, which features the fundraising numbers of whoever is speaking. http://bit.ly/djarsr

George W. Bush recorded his inaugural video message on Facebook in which he shills for his forthcoming book. Check it out: http://bit.ly/9j5GDJ

Unemployment Benefits Make You Lazy - Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) on Thursday joined the growing roster of lawmakers who think unemployment benefits keep people from looking for work. In Linder's view, it's all about the "allure" of the dole. It's not the deficit. It's you. From Delaney: http://huff.to/cqkh95

MENENDEZ: DSCC VOWS TO MAKE OIL SPILL A CAMPAIGN ISSUE - Sam Stein: "The Senator in charge of getting Democrats elected in the fall predicted on Thursday that the oil spill in the Gulf would become a major issue used to symbolize philosophical differences between the party...A major part of the party's changes, he said, was predicated on the turnaround of the nation's economy. But that wouldn't impede other issues from coming into play. And one of the topics that Democrats will capitalize upon, Menendez acknowledged, will be the aggressive response they have had to the oil spill in the Gulf." http://huff.to/aOEiso

ALVIN GREENE INTERVIEW CONFOUNDS OBSERVERS - South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D-Spacetime Continuum Tear) continues to confuse politicos. Sam Stein: "The extent to which something seems truly off about Greene's election cannot be understated. And it's clearly evident in an interview he gave with local television on Thursday when he couldn't name a place in which he campaigned. DSCC has no reason to do or say anything while the South Carolina Democratic Party sorts out the situation in what remains, basically, an un-winnable election against Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). But if dirt begins to surface, it would make sense to see the national party begin engaging in the episode more fully." Video: http://bit.ly/bsO552

TOMORROW'S PAPERS TODAY - The Hill: Alexander Bolton on the GOP's best prospects for the White House in 2012 have blasted President Barack Obama's handling of the oil spill. The common thread of their critique: his response reflects a lack of experience. The comments offer a preview of the 2012 presidential campaign. Roll Call: Jackie Kucinich on Eric Cantor and Steny Hoyer making nice following a recent Roll Call article that detailed increasingly caustic exchanges between the two.

Don't be bashful: Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to [e-mail]

TRENDING

WALL STREET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BEGINS - AFP: "Delegates from the Senate and House of Representatives held their first 'conference' meeting aimed at melding the two chambers' rival versions of the legislation into a compromise congress could send to President Barack Obama. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, both Democrats, have said they aim to get the president a final bill before lawmakers leave for their July 4 break. As the discussions began, Dodd said he had "a warning to those who still hold out hope we will, at the end of the day, let our bill be weakened by a last minute lobbying blitz" that they would be disappointed." http://bit.ly/cz2agW

WHITE HOUSE TRIES TO MAKE AMENDS WITH LABOR... - Several days after an unnamed White House official said organized labor threw millions down the "toilet" to support Bill Halter's primary challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas, top administration officials lit the peace pipe today with labor representatives. Greg Sargent: "Labor officials pointedly told the White House reps that they stood by their effort in Arkansas and were proud of it, and that they would continue making endorsement decisions not according to the letter next to the incumbent's name, but solely on who was better for their members. In response, [Patrick] Gaspard, the White House official with perhaps the deepest roots in labor, assured those present that he understood that unions should remain independent. He asked the labor officials not to let one comment foul up relations between labor and the White House." http://huff.to/bN3hww

MARY LANDRIEU WANTS MORE OFFSHORE DRILLING - Maybe they can give the jobs to some fishermen: "Speaking Thursday on ABC's 'Good Morning America,' Landrieu said the moratorium was issued without much economic analysis and said the deepwater rigs in the Gulf 'employ, directly, hundreds of people and indirectly thousands.'

Landrieu said the rigs' safety must be ensured but they should then be allowed to get back to work." http://huff.to/b24Tzo

OBAMA MEETS WITH SURVIVORS OF RIG EXPLOSION - CNN: "The president 'expressed his condolences and told (the family members) that he, the first lady and the entire administration are behind them and will be there long after the cameras are gone as they go through their unimaginable grief,' according to a White House statement. Obama 'also said that while offshore drilling is a part of our nation's overall energy strategy, he simply could not go forward with new deepwater drilling until we have the proper safety measures in place to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again.'"

OUCH. Gallup has Obama's approvals at 44%. http://bit.ly/lS4ZF

BRITS TO U.S.: GO EASY ON BP - While Americans want BP to lay off its executives, the U.K. wants Americans to lay off BP. Politico's Charles Hoskinson: "London Mayor Boris Johnson, a close political ally [of British PM David Cameron], told the BBC he was concerned about the 'anti-British rhetoric that seems to be permeating from America.'

'I do think it starts to become a matter of national concern if a great British company is being continually beaten up on the international airwaves,' Johnson said. 'It was an accident that took place, and BP I think is paying a very, very heavy price indeed.'" http://politi.co/bhHOTx

The drilling moratorium is putting Charlie Melancon in a tough spot. Lucia Graves: "[Melancon] wants to portray his Senate election opponent David Vitter as being in the pocket of BP, but he doesn't want to support the moratorium which is hugely unpopular in Louisiana, where residents rely heavily on the oil industry for jobs. "We need to find a place between 'Drill Baby Drill!" and the moratorium," he conceded. "But I also start out by saying I don't support the moratorium and I've been consistent on that." http://huff.to/bKQFNH

Gulf workers are bracing for job losses resulting from the spill. Laura Bassett: "As many as 75,000 workers in the Gulf Coast area could lose their jobs as a result of the 6-month moratorium on deepwater drilling and halt on 33 currently operating rigs, according to a recent estimate by the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association. For each rig idled by the work stoppage, up to 1,400 jobs are at risk." http://huff.to/ary2RW

GOP TO CANDIDATES: ZIP IT - Reid Wilson: "As GOPers seek to make the midterm elections a referendum on the unpopular Dem majority, the party is delivering a message to several of its candidates: Shut up. A bumper crop of rookie candidates have earned attention from national media outlets for controversial statements or issue positions. That plays into Dems' hands; the majority is doing its best to make GOP candidates appear as non-viable options against Dem opponents." http://bit.ly/dhdLCZ

ANGLE HAS BIG LEAD OVER REID - A Rasmussen poll out today has GOP Senate candidate and Sharron Angle with an 11-point lead over Majority Leader Harry Reid, 50-39. Even with Rasmussen's right-leaning slant taken into account, Angle is clearly defying the low-expectations the media has set for her. http://bit.ly/dsJDKw

Reid camp pushback: The poll was conducted while Angle was surging against the chicken-barter woman, and once she's been in the full glare of the spotlight awhile, the number will come down. Plus, it's Rasmussen.

Harry Reid's new ad touts his ability to bring pork to Nevada. http://bit.ly/9B5nWO

The Florida Senate Democratic primary is now a dead heat. Presumptive nominee Rep. Kendrick Meek is barely leading his opponent businessman Jeff Greene 29-27, a new Quinnipiac poll finds. http://bit.ly/cokX1G

BOB BENNETT ENDORSES FORMER RIVAL WSJ: "Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett is expected to endorse businessman Tim Bridgewater as early as Friday in the June 22 primary for his seat, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Bennett lost his re-election bid in May at the Utah Republican Party's nominating convention. He recently decided to forgo a write-in bid this November, but he's so far remained silent in the primary fight between Bridgewater and attorney Mike Lee. Lee was viewed as the front-runner in the race to oust Bennett, but Bridgewater has shown signs of momentum in the closing weeks and the support of the defeated senator could deliver some votes." http://bit.ly/9Ry8yJ

CLYBURN: IS ALVIN GREENE A GOP "PLANT?" - House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said the circumstances of Alvin Greene's (D-Forest Moon of Endor) victory warrant an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, even going so far as to suggest that the Democratic Senate candidate is a "Republican plant." "I would hope the U.S. Attorney down there would look at this," Clyburn said. "Somebody gave him that $10,000 and he who took it should be investigated, and he who gave it should be investigated." CBS News: http://bit.ly/bzR9Uu

Speaking of South Carolina, GOP gubernatorial candidate Gresham Barrett is running an ad claiming to be the Christian candidate that "won't embarrass us." The statement is a not-too-subtle allusion to his opponent Nikki Haley who has been battling accusations of marital infidelity. Video and summary from Jeremy the Intern: http://huff.to/9j3Ax7

Ben Smith profiles Nikki Haley's alleged guy-on-the-side Will Folks and his website FITSNews: "The site uses cheesecake shots of young actresses, of South Carolina's 'hottest lawyer' and of any other women, to keep traffic up. And it had also regularly featured attractive shots of Haley, a striking 38-year-old state representative of Indian descent who had been a protege of Sanford's and a foe of the Republican establishment. Folks worked for her as a political consultant, backed her in her underdog bid for governor and described her on the blog in 2008 as 'hot as hell.'" What kind of tasteless news website would drive traffic with titillating pictures of attractive people? http://politi.co/9GxKtw

Carly Fiorina told Fox News' Gretta Van Susteren she was quoting a friend when she was caught on tape making fun of Barbara Boxer's hair. Fiorina, whose own mullet-on-a-diet isn't exactly going to land her on the cover of Style Hair Magazine, also apologized for her other on-mic quip in which she criticized Meg Whitman's decision to appear on Hannity. http://huff.to/cChfzZ

GOAT POKES HOLE IN ANTHONY WEINER, INFLATED EGO NOT LEAKING - During a press event intended to highlight subsides to the mohair industry, a mohair goat poked New York Rep. Anthony Weiner in the hand, drawing blood. "Weiner was speaking to reporters in a park near the Rayburn House Office Building, and he was joined by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), and two young male mohair goats, Lancelot and Arthur." The Hill: http://bit.ly/9SrS5j

REPORT: HALF OF ALL AMERICANS COULD BE UNFAIRLY TREATED IN AIRPORTS, TAXIS BY 2050 - AP: "The nation's minority population is steadily rising and now makes up 35 percent of the United States, advancing an unmistakable trend that could render them the new American majority by midcentury. New Census estimates show minorities added more than 2 percent in 2009 to 107.2 million people, boosted by a surge in Hispanic births and more people who described themselves as multiracial. During this time, the white population remained flat, making up roughly 199.9 million, or 65 percent, of the country." http://huff.to/a5hhLS

OBAMA OFFICIAL REUNITING WITH GODLESS LIBERAL MEDIA - Howard Kurtz: "Linda Douglass, the veteran network correspondent who became President Obama's chief health care spokeswoman, is heading back to journalism. She is joining the Atlantic as a vice president at a time when David Bradley's media operation is attempting something of a digital transformation -- and hiring no fewer than 30 journalists for National Journal." http://bit.ly/bQEsQd

From Fishbowl DC: "Longtime ABC News Political Director David Chalian has been picked up by PBS NewsHour as its political editor. Beginning on July 6th, Chalian will direct the NewsHour's political coverage across all broadcast and digital platforms, appear in regular political webcasts and develop additional original digital political content." http://bit.ly/c8GlWj

JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT - Tonight: Stays beautiful, with a few clouds in the sky. It's a great opportunity to take a nice stroll. Tomorrow: Pleasant in the morning, but the humidity will creep up by the afternoon and evening. While it will be a bit more uncomfortable than today, your Friday night activities should remain unspoiled by rain.

COMFORT FOOD

- Jeremy the Intern look out: an amateur earthquake reporter. http://bit.ly/dCeE1y

- Alfred Hitchcock makes one of the earliest recorded "That's what she said" jokes. http://bit.ly/aNZuUX

- January Jones' walk of shame. http://bit.ly/9MtYxz

- Jim Henson's early vandalism. http://bit.ly/cn2DeZ

- LUDDITE FUN: We already know that the iPad can blend (http://bit.ly/deELqO) but can it MELT???? http://bit.ly/bv0oLo

- Golden Girls, the XXX parody (raunchy but mostly SFW). http://bit.ly/bAO8et

- BP spills...coffee. http://bit.ly/cRjzJg

- Despite Apple's claim that the iPhone 4G's screen is "chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic" and is "ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever," it couldn't survive a 3 1/2 foot drop. http://bit.ly/b89V9s

TWITTERAMA

@kingsthings: How do they make string cheese? http://bit.ly/cptKqP

@pourmecoffee: If POTUS meets with Tony Hayward, he should have scary-looking pelican just wandering around room without explanation. http://bit.ly/bCVliN

@VincentMorris: now Rep. Joe Wilson, famous for accusing President Obama of lying, stands to pay tribute to his retiring shoe shine man. http://bit.ly/byupzh

@KagroX: Does Sharon Angle (R-Area 51) oppose alcohol drinking for fear of fluoridated ice cubes? http://bit.ly/aPRSqQ

@MPOTheHill: Fail whale: Just received a release from Pelosi's office for a conference call at 3:00 p.m. with "Congresswoman Frank Pallone." http://bit.ly/9G1RUj

@ArthurDelaneyHP: Rep Shelley Berkley to economists at jobs hearing: What would help me a lot is if you all came to Las Vegas and drank and gambled like crazy http://bit.ly/abuV1g

THE TUBE

Tonight: Arianna, Jerrold Nadler, John Larson and Mike Pence were on Ratigan. Edward Markey spills on the spill to Chris Matthews. On Ed Schultz, Byron Dorgan on making BP pay and Debbie Stabenow on U.S.-China relations. Arianna is back on Olbermann and Alvin Greene(D-Pluto) follows her.

TOMORROW

Govs. Bob Riley and Charlie Crist and Sen. George LeMieux are on Morning Joe. Nancy Pelosi talks to Chuck and Savannah on Morning Rundown.

ON TAP

7:00 pm: Christopher Hitchens comes to Politics and Prose to promote his memoir "Hitch-22" [Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW].

7:30 pm - 8:30 pm: Free music at dusk in Alexandria. The Alexandria Citizens Band will be performing a 1-hour outdoor concert [Fort Ward Park, Alexandria].

8:00 pm: Reflection Eternal, composed of Talib Kwali and Hi-Tek, roll into Black Cat [Black Cat, 1811 14th Street NW].

8:30 pm: The Underdog Film Series continues with a screening of "Forest Gump" at the Capitol Riverfront [Canal Park, 200 M St SE].

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Who needs Kraft Original when you have Pennzoil? Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) hosts his annual Mississippi Fish Fry. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) are scheduled to appear [230 2nd Street SE].

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Unsure if he can eke out reelection in the hyper-conservative Green Mountain State, Peter Welch (D-Vt.) plays it safe and hosts a fundraiser [Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol Street NW].

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) hosts a "Summer Social" [National Democratic Club Townhouse, 40 Ivy Street SE].

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: WHAT IS WITH ALL THE SEAFOOD FUNDRAISERS? C'MON GUYS! Think of the optics, won't somebody PLEASE think of the optics! Rob Wittman (R-Va.) hosts his "3rd Annual Oyster & Fish Fry Featuring the Culinary the Culinary Talents of Congressman Rob Wittman" [Rupli Townhouse, 446 New Jersey Ave SE].

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) passes the hat around for his Democrats Win Seats PAC [Caucus Room, 401 9th Street NW].

TOMORROW

12:00 pm: John Campbell (R-Calif.) hops on the what-were-they-thinking seafood bandwagon with his Johnny's Half Shell fundraiser [Johnny's Half Shell, 400 North Capitol Street NW].

Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson ([e-mail]), Ryan Grim ([e-mail]) or Nico Pitney ([e-mail]). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e