What a day: Joe Barton was browbeaten into apologizing for apologizing, Alvin Greene, a guy who the House Majority Whip insists is perverting the electoral process, considers himself the Person of the Year. Utah is executing someone tonight by firing squad and the condemned's last meal is a 7UP (paging Dr. Pepper Snapple Group's media relations department...). And, as if the day wasn't ridiculous enough, Alabama's Dale Peterson is back, still giving a rip. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, June 17th, 2010:
BREAKING
JUST IN: TIMES SQUARE BOMBER INDICTED - AP: "Times Square bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad has been indicted in the May 1 botched car bombing in New York. An indictment filed in New York on Thursday charges Shahzad with 10 terrorism and weapons charges, adding five counts to the original case against him. The 30-year-old Shahzad is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction among several terrorism and weapons charges." http://bit.ly/apR3jn
WHITE HOUSE V PELOSI ON WALL STREET REFORM - A measure that had been generally agreed to by both the House and Senate, which would have affirmed the SEC's authority to allow investors to have proxy access to the corporate decision-making process, was stripped by the Senate in conference committee votes Wednesday and Thursday. Five sources with knowledge of the situation said the White House had pushed for the measure to be stripped at the behest of the Business Roundtable. The White House move pits the administration against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who told Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to stand strong against the effort. http://huff.to/clT04x
A White House spokesperson responds: "It was not part of our original financial reform proposals, and we have not taken a position explicitly. We have heard from and understand the various concerns on this critical corporate governance issue from multiple stakeholders including business, investors, labor and others. We are confident that the House and Senate conferees will come to a resolution and deliver a consensus view." Two admin officials have, in fact, taken a position. Two months ago, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin addressed the Council of Institutional Investors and explicitly supported the provision, echoed by Valerie Jarrett. The remarks are here: http://bit.ly/dfeBso
JOE BARTON SORRY FOR BP APOLOGY - Looks like someone got a talkin' to by party leadership. "I apologize for using the term 'shakedown' with regard to yesterday's actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my apology to BP," the statement reads. "As I told my colleagues yesterday and said again this morning, BP should bear the full financial responsibility for the accident on their lease in the Gulf of Mexico." The statement was sent to reporters by a spokesman for Minority Leader John Boehner.
GOP LEADERSHIP THREATENED BARTON WITH HIS CHAIRMANSHIP - House Republican leadership threatened to strip Rep. Joe Barton's seniority on the Energy and Commerce Committee if the Texas Republican didn't immediately retract an apology he had issued to BP earlier Thursday, a GOP leadership aide told HuffPost. His post, however, is still not secure. Barton is the highest-ranking Republican on the committee and stands to become its chairman if Republicans regain control of the House following the elections in November. He was called into a meeting with Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and slammed for issuing the apology. "Barton met with Boehner and Cantor this afternoon. He was told, 'Apologize, immediately. Or you will lose your position, immediately. Now that he has apologized, we'll see what happens going forward," said the leadership aide. http://huff.to/b6fm6K
The DCCC is already fundraising on the backs of the Barton comment. http://bit.ly/cACtPe
WATCH: During today's hearing Tony Hayward basically recited verbatim the script from BP's "we're so sorry" commercial. Jason Linkins and Ben Craw compare the videos: http://huff.to/b5sMC5
A BP engineer, who was fired for expressing safety concerns, spoke to HuffPost's Lucia Graves: Ken Abbott, a contract engineer for BP's Atlantis, the second largest deepwater rig in the Gulf of Mexico, was fired in 2009 after expressing safety concerns about the rig. "I got a lot of pressure from the lead engineers and from the managers saying, 'Don't do that; don't push so much; we don't want to mess with that,'" Abbott told Huffpost in an interview Wednesday. "I feel like the real reason I was fired was because I was trying to raise a safety issue, and you know BP has a long history of getting rid of people who try to raise safety issues. I was one of those victims." Lucia Graves with the bang-up job.
JUST IN: LEAHY EXPECTS JULY VOTE FOR KAGAN - AP: "The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says the Senate likely will vote in July on confirming Elena Kagan to a seat on the Supreme Court. Sen. Patrick Leahy can't foresee postponing his panel's June 28 hearing date despite Republicans' complaints that the timetable won't give them sufficient time to review Kagan's record. The Vermont Democrat says Kagan should be confirmed before the Senate leaves Aug. 6 for a monthlong recess." http://bit.ly/d8MJL3
ACKERMAN NOT BACKING OFF WALL STREET DEFENSE - On Tuesday, Gary Ackerman told HuffPost Hill that members of New York's congressional delegation "represent not only Main Street, but Wall Street as well, and understand very much that Main Street is affected by Wall Street." Today, he told the New York Observer that he's standing by his statement. "If our objective is to protect consumers and increase transparency, it is essential that we keep banks here so that we can regulate them," he said. "Driving banks out of New York does not fix the problem. If they leave, we have no reach, no way to regulate them and no way to protect people on Main Street. This is about ensuring the best protections for consumers while keeping a multi-trillion dollar industry in New York. Not choosing Wall Street over Main Street." http://bit.ly/dnPmFU
BUT HOW MANY NEW YORKERS DOES HE HAVE? - Advocates of the Lincoln derivatives package say they've heard from New Yorkers who don't plan to join Ackerman's campaign, but don't have any ready to go on the record.
TOM COBURN'S CLAY PIGEON - The Senate's Dr. No has an amendment to offset the cost of the extenders bill -- an amendment that would itself require 20 separate votes. His office explains: "Senator Coburn is utilizing a parliamentary tactic known as the 'clay pigeon' which divides his amendment into 20 separate amendments, thereby giving the Senate 20 options to help pay for the costs of the 'debt extenders' bill, $55 billion of which is not offset." The game of chicken with the oncoming weekend has begun in earnest. http://bit.ly/ba2U3x
HILLARY SAYS GOVT WILL CHALLENGE ARIZ LAW, GOVT DOESN'T DENY - Sam Stein: "In what appeared to be an unscripted admission, Clinton told an Ecuadorian television on Thursday that DoJ, under the direction of the president, 'will be bringing a lawsuit against' the Arizona act, which has been sharply criticized in Latin America...The Department's spokesman, Matt Miller, replied with the following: 'The Department continues to review the law.' The non-denials are not, of course, confirmations of Clinton's statement. But it's hard to imagine that the Secretary of State is operating off of a different script than the rest of the administration."
Sally Quinn: Hillary should be Obama's VP in 2012. http://bit.ly/aHSiR5
NEW POLL: CNN has Obama's approvals hovering at 50 percent. "Strong and decisive leader" drops to 53 percent from 60 percent in January. http://bit.ly/bTC9vs
TOMORROW'S PAPERS TODAY - Roll Call: John Stanton, on Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who on Thursday blasted a House Democratic deal that would exempt the National Rifle Association from a new campaign finance measure, accusing his House counterparts of hypocrisy and warning he won't back the bill if it comes to the Senate. The New Jersey Democrat's opposition, combined with a unified opposition from Republicans, could doom the legislation's chances in its current form.
UTAH TO EXECUTE MAN BY FIRING SQUAD AT MIDNIGHT - AP: "Barring the success of any final appeals, Ronnie Lee Gardner will be strapped into a chair, have a target pinned over his heart and die in a hail of bullets from five anonymous marksmen armed with .30-caliber rifles and firing from behind a ported wall... Gardner will be the third man killed by firing squad in the U.S. since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Although Utah altered its capital punishment law in 2004 to make lethal injection the default method, nine inmates convicted before that date, including Gardner, can still choose the firing squad over lethal injection." http://huff.to/badnpb
Gardner's last meal is a can of 7UP. Best endorsement since the Heaven's Gaters wore those Nikes.
AUDITORS BEEF WITH WALL STREET CONFEREES FOR GUTTING SARBOX - Blanche Lincoln, Mike Crapo and Rahm Emanuel teamed up to carve out an exemption to accounting rules for businesses under $75 million. "Efforts by Congress to promote small business growth and job creation is a laudable goal, but exempting smaller public companies form Section 404(b) will come at the expense of investors. Something called the Investor Protection Act ought to protect investors of public companies of all sizes, not just the big ones. With studies showing that companies with market capitalization of less than $100 million are most susceptible to financial fraud, exempting them from 404(b) compliance will reward misbehavior and punish shareholders," Cindy Fornelli, head of the Center for Audit Quality, tells HuffPost Hill.
The folks at Sphere Consulting send word that they'll be hosting an expert panel on systemic risk and regulation of the banking and insurance industry. NJs Ron Brownstein hosts. Panel starts at 1 on Monday (lunch at 12:15) at the W Hotel. RSVP: rsvp@sphereconsulting.com. Invite and panel list here: http://bit.ly/bH1PYT
Don't be bashful: Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com
TRENDING
TONY HAYWARD TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS - BP CEO and mid-level officer on the Death Star Tony Hayward appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation. AP: "A grim-faced BP chief executive Tony Hayward insisted Thursday he was 'devastated with this accident' in the Gulf of Mexico and denied shunning probing questions from Congress on the nation's worst oil spill. 'I'm not stonewalling,' Hayward told a House investigations subcommittee, responding to repeated suggestions that he was dodging questions. Hayward said he was 'deeply sorry' for the spill gushing now for more than eight weeks. 'I understand the seriousness of the situation, the frustrations and fears that continue to be voiced,' he said."
Some Reps. are more than a little pissed by the Deepwater well's offshore registration. Dan Froomkin: "The Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling rig was registered in the Marshall Islands and its owners paid taxes in Switzerland, but when the rig blew up and sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, who came to the rescue? And who is suffering the economic and environmental damages caused by the ongoing spill? Those were among the combative question raised by members of a House committee on Thursday at a hearing about foreign-flagged vessels operating in the Gulf. Mississippi Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor was particularly irritated. 'I'm just curious, how long did it take the Marshall Islands Coast Guard to show up when that rig caught on fire?' he asked rhetorically.
JOE BARTON THINKS WE ALL OWE BP AN APOLOGY - While we're at it, remind us to send an Edible Arrangement to the guy who first added asbestos to construction materials. During the hearing, Joe Barton expressed his BEWILDERMENT with the $20 billion escrow account: "I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday," he said. "I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown -- with the attorney general of the United States, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund that's unprecedented in our nation's history." Other GOP hugs directed at BP from Sam Stein: http://huff.to/9nglmb
Robert Gibbs responds: "What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that caused this disaster than the fishermen, small business owners and communities whose lives have been devastated by the destruction."
VP Joe Biden: "I find it incredibly insensitive [and] out of touch."
A CNN poll out today indicates the public is increasingly frustrated with President Obama's handling of the spill. 59 percent of respondents disapprove of the president's response to the Gulf disaster, up eight points from May. http://bit.ly/c5mJjT
This weekend Environment America will hold "Gumbo for the Gulf" to raise awareness of the spill's effects and support Gulf families. The initiative, being held at 150 different locations nationwide, brings together people concerned by the events in the Gulf for some Cajun cuisine. http://bit.ly/c6d9lE
The president today met with a handful of liberal media types at the White House. Guests included Gail Collins, Eugene Robinson, Rachel Maddow and Gerald Seib.
Feinstein Clarifies On Unemployment - Dianne Feinstein expressed some deficit worries Wednesday and seemed to suggest extended unemployment benefits discourage jobseeking, mentioning that she'd heard as much from a businessman having trouble poaching workers from the dole. Her office stressed Thursday that that's not what she meant: "Senator Feinstein believes that unemployed Americans want jobs, not unemployment checks. She has voted for every single extension of unemployment insurance during this downturn because she knows that there is currently one job opening for every five out-of-work Americans." From Delaney: http://bit.ly/ba2U3x
Keith Olbermann will no longer blog for Kos. Olbermann was apparently peeved after the blog's commenters criticized his negative coverage of Obama's Oval Office address. http://politi.co/bxGgz2
HOUSE EXPANDS CAMPAIGN FINANCE LOOPHOLE - You could ride Dale Peterson's horse through this thing. Sam Stein: "Lawmakers charged with shepherding new campaign finance legislation through the House have expanded a loophole originally created for the National Rifle Association to include smaller groups with similar national presence. A House aide confirms to the Huffington Post that the exemptions from the new stringent disclosure requirements offered under the DISCLOSE Act would now apply to groups with memberships over 500,000. The previous floor had been set at one million members. But after input from and discussion among lawmakers, it was determined that such a standard would unfairly grant preferred status to the NRA and very few other groups." http://huff.to/c1z5aD
Pot smokers have a new friend: Sarah Palin. Appearing on Fox News last night, the former Alaska governor said that weed is "relatively speaking" a "minimal problem" but reiterated her opposition to decriminalizing wacky tobacky. http://bit.ly/amQceC
DNC LAUNCHES VOTER TURNOUT INITIATIVE - Our they could just spend the money on plugging the oil leak -- that'll drive voters. DC's Boo Radley in Politico: "The Democratic National Committee on Thursday is launching 'Raise Your Vote,' a massive voter registration drive aimed at recruiting new voters in an effort to replicate the 'Obama effect' of 2008. Raise Your Vote will use online and offline tools to register new voters in what a DNC official calls 'an unprecedented effort in a midterm year on the part of a national party, not just in terms of money, but in terms of technology and manpower.'" http://politi.co/cVae7C
PROGRESSIVES TO WHITE HOUSE: NO YOU WASTED MONEY ON LINCOLN - Sam Stein: "On Thursday, a new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) beating Lincoln by a margin of 61 percent to 32 percent. Rasmussen is notably viewed with skepticism by progressive organizations. But the group Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which poured heavy manpower and resources into electing Lt. Gov Bill Halter in the Democratic primary, jumped on the findings as evidence that Lincoln is as good as dead, electorally." http://huff.to/dApKAq
PALMETTO DEMS HOLD MEETING ON ALVIN GREENE - The South Carolina Democratic Party convened a hearing today to discuss what to do with Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D-Him? HIM? HIM?). AP: "The state party's 92-member executive committee is meeting in Columbia to hear a protest by former state lawmaker Vic Rawl. Earlier this week, Rawl filed an official protest of the primary results, arguing that malfunctions in voting machines or software may have caused him to lose the June 8 Democratic primary to political unknown Alvin Greene." http://bit.ly/9l1kep
Time's interview with Greene (seen here being born: http://bit.ly/dvSdV4) is priceless. "'I am the best candidate for the United States Senate in South Carolina,' he says, hitting his talking points, as he is apt to do. 'And I am also the best person to be TIME magazine's Man of the Year.'...When first asked if he would grant an interview with TIME, Greene responded by asking a question of his own: 'Does the candidate get paid?'" http://bit.ly/byA6eh
Thank the maker! Dale Peterson is back! The candidate for Alabama Agricultural Commissioner, who became an Internet sensation by professing how much he gives a RIPPPPP about his state has a new ad endorsing one of his former rivals. They give a rip, too. http://bit.ly/bSI8ql
A Tea Party-backed House candidate (holy crap he's black???) in North Carolina floated the idea that the BP leak was planned. "Personally, and this is purely speculative on my part and not based on any fact, but personally I feel there is a possibility that there was some sort of collusion," said Bill Randall in a press conference on Tuesday. "Not based on any fact" and "but I personally feel" should really be translated in to Latin and plastered on a Tea Party crest. Elyse Siegel: http://huff.to/aSzYIc
HANK JOHNSON GUAM WATCH, DAY 84 - It's been nearly three months since the Georgia congressman asked whether Guam might capsize and sink into the ocean. We are happy to report that ***GUAM IS SAFE***. Any Guam-drowning-in-the-Pacific-related updates should be sent to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com.
Coming soon to a light rock station near you, the Sarah Palin song. "[Zach] Stockdale has written a soft rock masterpiece supporting a Palin presidential bid despite previously supporting Obama. However, as you get deeper into the song, it appears that Stockdale's earnest passion for Palin may not be as pure as his angelic voice." http://bit.ly/cGIS7x
GLOBAL OPINION OF US RISING, POLL FINDS - So finds a new Pew Global Attitudes survey. We're still not doing so hot in Muslim countries, however. "President Barack Obama remains popular in most parts of the world, although his job approval rating in the U.S. has declined sharply since he first took office. In turn, opinions of the U.S., which improved markedly in 2009 in response to Obama's new presidency, also have remained far more positive than they were for much of George W. Bush's tenure." http://bit.ly/c2U7SS
The Hill released its list of Washington's top lobbyists. We're not sure if this is necessarily something you pin to your refrigerator. http://bit.ly/bu0yTH
HEY, HOW'S JOHN EDWARDS DOING? - Diane Diamond tries to answer that very question in the Daily Beast: "According to multiple sources familiar with different parts of his life, it's a lonely existence. With few real friends to turn to for counsel, he's also jettisoned most of his trusted advisers, including pollster Harrison Hickman. Those who've known him best say Edwards seems almost lost as to what to do with his life now that politics is no longer an option." http://bit.ly/bFxsk0
JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT - Weather so good, it's almost boring. Tonight: Seriously beautiful. We're at 70s all night with clear skies. Go stargazing. Tomorrow: Another beautiful day: low humidity, high 80s, virtually cloudless. Like today, it's good weather for a picnic, or to start skipping down the street while whistling. And for the first time in a while, you can expect the good weather to continue into the weekend. Low pollen counts also. Thanks, JB!
COMFORT FOOD
- Some terrible Father's Day gifts. http://huff.to/d5qaXy
- A collection of hilariously off-the-mark street caricature drawings. http://huff.to/bVfK5E
- This dog really, REALLY doesn't like getting flipped off. http://bit.ly/crhKMH
- Southwest Airlines found a shipment of human heads on one of its flights. http://bit.ly/cgA68M
- No, not the late-'90s computer graphic. Check out this ACTUAL dancing baby. http://huff.to/dh4suh
- The eight most awesome movie car chases. http://bit.ly/aONkOh
- How to turn down the sound of those damn vuvuzelas. http://bit.ly/aH4gJJ
- GOAT CAM GOAT CAM GOAT CAM GOAT CAM. http://bit.ly/9K6atx
- A deadly black widow spider was found in a bag of grapes from Whole Foods. Take that, yuppies. http://bit.ly/9TEXvO
TWITTERAMA
@evale72: EXCLUSIVE - Barton to announce he's rooting for Slovenia against USA this friday http://bit.ly/9F8zIG
@daveweigel: Obama apologizes to countries for torture. Barton apologizes to foreign companies for making them pay for their spills. Tough choice. http://bit.ly/aO3HJU
@bazmaniandevil: Joe Barton (R-Vuvuzela); not a friend of the "small people." http://bit.ly/blVY9b
@lehmannchris: Anyone believing the GOP is monolithically opposed to gay sex hasn't seen Joe Barton "question" Tony Hayward http://bit.ly/bC2rDL
THE TUBE
Bruce Braley and Tom Coburn spoke to Dylan Ratigan. Diana DeGette and Dennis Kucinich were on Hardball. Charlie Melancon and Byron Dorgan talk BP on Ed Schultz. On Bloomberg, Margaret Brennan hosts "BP's Big Problem: Hayward vs. The Hill."
ON TAP
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm: State Rep. Dave Segal (D-R.I) is running for Congress and will be BROING DOWN LIKE NO ONE'S BUSINESS at Big Hunt. Any reader that bro ices Dan Segal and has a picture gets a paragraph in HuffPost Hill to say whatever they want [Big Hunt, 1345 Connecticut Avenue NW].
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm: The Superbowl for newsletter writers: The 1st Annual Cheeseburger Grilling Competition is held in Northeast. $7 for a ballot to choose who is the best griller in D.C. Plus free Tequilla [Jimmy Valentine's, 1103 Bladensburg Road NE].
8:30 pm: As part of the Underdog Film Festival, "Shrek" will be screened at the Capitol Riverfront [Canal Park, 200 M St SE].
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) holds a reception near the Newseum. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) provides backup [Newseum Residences, 565 Pennsylvania Avenue NW].
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) hosts a campaign event at the Capitol Hill Club [Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE].
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: The Capitol Hill Club must have a great omelet station because Reps. can't get enough of it! Tom Cole (R-Okla.) raises some dough at the GOP hangout [Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE].
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