HUFFPOST HILL - JULY 28TH, 2010

After yesterday's disappointing votes on the DISCLOSE Act and the war supplemental, liberals had reason to cheer today. A judge ordered Arizona to hold off on the most draconian elements of SB 1070, the House passed a bill reducing the disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentencing guidelines and Harry Reid pushed ahead with rules reform. Snarky newsletter writers had something to smile about, too: Senate candidate Sharron Angle isn't very familiar with what the Senate actually does and Jay Rockefeller is coming to terms with Amazon.com. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Wednesday, July 28th, 2010:

EXCLUSIVE: MOVE YOUR MONEY BILL MOVING IN HOUSE - The worst part about moving your money from one of the big banks to a local joint is the moving part. Automatic bill-pay has you snagged in its sticky grip: A bill being dropped this week by Brad Miller (D-N.C.) aims to loosen that hold. Hey, GOP, this is free-market stuff, here. As it is now, the FDIC can come in on a Friday, take a bank over, sell it to another one by Monday and nobody misses a payment. Miller wants banks to do the same thing for regular, fed-up customers.

JUDGE BLOCKS CRUCIAL PARTS OF ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW - Our long, national nightmare of not having conservative blogs publish articles asking whether a Hispanic Supreme Court justice can properly judge a major immigration case may soon be over. The decision, handed down by district court judge Susan Bolton, suspends the parts of the law that order immigrants to carry their papers at all times and require law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of individuals they've pulled over for other reasons . "U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled that those sections should be put on hold until the courts resolve the issues. Other provisions of the law, many of them procedural and slight revisions to existing Arizona immigration statute, will go into effect at 12:01 a.m." http://huff.to/aP0XrX

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer already fundraising off the ruling. "In order to best continue the fight for our immigration law, we must step up and expand our efforts," says an email from "Gov. Brewer" that arrived in our inbox at 3:57 PM ET. "That's why I'm asking you to make a secure, online contribution to the Republican Governors Association right now by CLICKING HERE. The RGA is the only organization exclusively dedicated to electing governors like me who are not afraid to do what it takes to protect our citizens and make our borders safe."

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox: "I think xenophobic measures taken by Arizona and its government are totally wrong. We're partners. Maybe that lady which is governor doesn't know how many products from Arizona are being exported into Mexico." Bloomberg: http://bit.ly/cEoIjs

DOJ spokeswoman Hannah August: "States can and do play a role in cooperating with the federal government in its enforcement of the immigration laws, but they must do so within our constitutional framework." http://yhoo.it/9V6o8p

A study out from the Immigration Policy Center finds that immigrants "wielded $1.5 trillion in consumer purchasing power," and "the businesses they own had sales and receipts of $549 billion and employed 3.7 million people at last count." In Arizona, immigrants contributed $776 million in tax revenue and provided the state with 66,500 full-time jobs. A state-by-state breakdown available here: http://bit.ly/9TBdP2

"Without the benefit of their state's strict new immigration law, officers from a single Arizona county helped deport more than 26,000 immigrants from the U.S. through a federal-local partnership program that has been roundly criticized as fraught with problems." http://bit.ly/c8sgRh

3 PROGRESSIVE ECONOMISTS APPOINTED TO FED ADVANCE From CQ: "The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee approved three nominations to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. The panel voted, 18-5, to approve Janet L. Yellen. Peter A. Diamond was approved, 16-7, and Sarah Bloom Raskin was approved, 21-2."

HOUSE SAYS CRACK (SENTENCING) IS WHACK - Congress addressed a historic wrong on Wednesday afternoon, replacing it instead with a slightly lesser wrong. By a voice vote, the House approved legislation reducing the disparity in the treatment of people caught with crack cocaine and powder cocaine. To be charged with a felony, crack users needed only possess 5 grams of the drug. Powder cocaine users, to be hit with the same charge, would need to be found with 500 grams. That 100-to-1 disparity has frequently been used by Drug War opponents as exhibit A in making the case that drug laws are racist. (GUILTY!) Dick Durbin and Steny Hoyer worked closely together to move this through, but let's give bloggers the credit. On Friday, the bill wasn't on the suspension calendar. On Saturday, Pelosi was asked about it at Netroots Nation and said she hoped it'd pass the next week. #NN10 FTW http://huff.to/a48M1T

Just to be clear: http://bit.ly/3aVTDm

ERIC CANTOR SAYS NICE THINGS ABOUT WALL STREET, THEN TAKES THEIR MONEY - It's almost as if the two are related! Sam Stein: "Back in February 2010, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) made a pitch to the titans of the financial services industry. 'I sense a lot of dissatisfaction and a lot of buyer's remorse on Wall Street,' the Virginia Republican said, referencing the industry's supposedly souring relationship with the Obama administration...Data released on Wednesday morning by the good government group Public Campaign shows that Cantor received more than $460,000 from the financial sector during the second quarter of 2010. That total represents a '32 percent increase from the average of the previous five quarters,' the group found." http://huff.to/9lcJXh

The head of a company that shortens the lives of countless individuals by sending them thousands of feet into the bowels of the Earth daily to harvest its innards is apparently doing something suspicious. "Massey CEO Don Blankenship's company is reportedly working with other energy companies on crafting a new 527 group to run ads against candidates in West Virginia and Kentucky it fears will take on coal interests.." Daily Beast's Benjamin Sarlin: http://bit.ly/aCfyUL

Remember how hedge fund billionaire Pete Peterson's survey found majority support of raising the Social Security retirement age? Seemed weird, right? It was wrong. They've corrected it. "Software" error: http://huff.to/aFOYce

Some good news: keep your eyes peeled tomorrow for big news about the search for a breakthrough in surface oil cleanup technology.

Quote of the day: "Turning to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to complain about their inability to pass the [climate] bill, Pelosi reportedly had this to say: "The Senate is moving at a glacial pace, slower than the glaciers are actually melting." http://bit.ly/cQcRrm

TOMORROW'S PAPERS TODAY - Washington Post: E.J. Dionne Jr. says we are letting stupid politics, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and an antiquated political structure undermine our power as a nation. The Hill: Molly K. Hooper on the message House Republicans plan to convey to voters over the August recess. Roll Call: Kathleen Hunter writes that House Democratic leaders are amplifying their efforts to supply rank-and-file Members with plenty of economic messaging fodder for the fast-approaching August recess. On Wednesday alone, the House passed three planks of the party's "Make It in America" initiative on trade and manufacturing.

DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - From Arthur Delaney: "After Senate Democrats broke a 50-day filibuster and restored unemployment benefits to the long-term jobless, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed to do more. 'There are a number of people who have maxed out, they've been looking and looking for work and haven't found it, and there is a separate act that would extend the unemployment benefits to them....Extending this was really important. There are some people who go beyond the 99 weeks and we're going to try to do that next.'" Neato -- can we have some details on what you plan to do and when? No. http://huff.to/cd3Oyq

Don't be bashful: Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to [e-mail]. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill

HEY OUTDATED PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, THE DEMOCRATS ARE COMING FOR YOU - Harry Reid today added a bill to the legislative calendar that would put an end to the practice of anonymous holds on nominees presented to the Senate. The Hill: "If Reid does bring it up, it appears that he may have the votes to do away with the practice after Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) lobbied Senate colleagues to end it. Sixty-seven votes are needed to change Senate rules, and McCaskill, as of late June, had said she'd gathered 68." http://bit.ly/bpW6m7

Sam Stein's take: "A smaller bite at the institutional reform apple but still a major cause for reformers." The institutional reform apple, Sam tells us, is fuji.

Continuing our HuffPost Hill update on the rough and tumble world of Senate rules reform, a group of Democratic senators are standing their ground on filibuster reform. Sam Stein: "On Wednesday morning, the Hill reported that five Senate Democrats 'have said they will not support a lowering of the 60-vote bar necessary to pass legislation' while another four said 'they are wary about such a change.'...One top Democratic aide speaking on the condition of anonymity predicted that the party would ultimately pursue more incremental gains in reforming Senate practices as opposed to fully changing the 60-vote threshold for cloture votes on legislation. But lowering the threshold, the aide cautioned, is 'not impossible.'" http://huff.to/9aVXje

We're here! We're queer! We're less than thrilled with congressional inaction on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act! "Eight protesters were arrested in the Capitol Wednesday after disrupting tours for hundreds of visitors and getting the attention of the House Speaker's office...The protest signaled an increase in the level of civil disobedience Get Equal is willing to do over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would make it illegal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation." Congress.org: http://bit.ly/bRIZ9D

OLYMPIA SNOWE TO SUPPORT ELENA KAGAN - "Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe says she plans to vote to confirm Elena Kagan as a Supreme Court justice. The Maine lawmaker's announcement makes her the fourth Republican to break with her party to back President Barack Obama's high court nominee. In a statement, Snowe says Kagan has met her standards for a justice with her strong intellect, respect for the rule of law and understanding of the Supreme Court's important but limited role." http://huff.to/cdH94a

GOVERNMENT ACTION DURING FINANCIAL CRISIS PREVENTED A DEPRESSION, STUDY FINDS - A paper by Blinder and Zandi is making the rounds on the Hill: "In a new paper, the economists argue that without the Wall Street bailout, the bank stress tests, the emergency lending and asset purchases by the Federal Reserve, and the Obama administration's fiscal stimulus program, the nation's gross domestic product would be about 6.5 percent lower this year. In addition, there would be about 8.5 million fewer jobs, on top of the more than 8 million already lost; and the economy would be experiencing deflation, instead of low inflation. The paper, by Alan S. Blinder, a Princeton professor and former vice chairman of the Fed, and Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, represents a first stab at comprehensively estimating the effects of the economic policy responses of the last few years." NYT: http://nyti.ms/dbZU9a

The study: http://bit.ly/9jEz01

Hey remember that auto dealer carve-out from the consumer protection bureau in the Wall Street bill? "GM, majority owned by taxpayers, is buying a company that makes car loans to shoppers with poor credit. Unlike home loans, though, the risk in subprime auto lending is relatively low and may reward GM. The company hopes to boost sales by making loans and leases to buyers that it must now turn away for lack of financing." http://bit.ly/9UJbER

Don't Panic About The Volcker Rule - A late-breaking Fox News report from yesterday, on Goldman Sachs trying to circumvent the Volcker Rule by moving its prop traders to its client desk had folks freaking out, including us here at HuffPost Hill. "Thanks to a line in the Volcker Rule which specifies trading 'operations unrelated to customer operations,' as long as the prop trading' is done for client-related purposes, it's OK," said Fox. Except, not really. The language "in facilitation of customer relations" was specifically taken OUT of the bill so this couldn't happen. Read the bill, Fox! That traders are getting shifted off the prop desk following a prop trading ban shouldn't be surprising. "We are in fact pleased with the development because it shows how strong the Volcker Rule is," said a Senate Dem aide who helped draft the bill. "These firms are moving their traders into their asset management division because they recognize that these traders can no longer engage in prop trading but rather must trade on behalf of customers - who can exercise real market discipline on those traders." Also, let's pause for a moment at the image of a prop trader cleaning out his desk following an act of Congress. Kind of feels like a nice long exhale, doesn't it? Do you smell sage?

@Kombiz HuffPo should have a best looking flacks (over 30, under 40) and 5'2" tall so @evale72 can win something..

Chuck Todd has clarified his views on the Journolist controversy after he got hella sanctimonious about it to Politico this morning. Jason Linkins: "Todd stressed to me that he wasn't condoning what J-Listers appeared to do at times, for instance, when some J-Listers suggested message coordination. But he clarified that his primary concern is that the right is successfully using this to carry out its larger program of tarring the mainstream press as liberal." http://huff.to/9rwX4O

UPCOMING BUSH MEMOIR HAS REPUBLICANS WORRIED - 43's forthcoming memoir "Decision Points" might provide the Dems some cannon fodder for November. Daily Beast's Matt Latimer: "[Some] Republicans, particularly those most closely tied to the Bush regime, actually argue the book could help the party by reminding some voters of what they liked about Bush. Still, that has not stopped some Republicans, traumatized over the last two election cycles, from fearing the worst. 'Monumentally bad timing' was the reaction of one former Bush aide who learned of the book release date. Another prominent conservative compared the Bushies' public-relations savvy to LeBron James. 'Selfish and stupid' was another noted right-wing columnist's reaction." http://bit.ly/bbqYWH

ROB SIMMONS JUMPS (BACK) IN CONNECTICUT SENATE RACE - Birthday boy Jason Linkins: "In the weeks since the Connecticut GOP threw its official support behind former WWE CEO Linda McMahon at the state convention, her opponent, former Congressman Rob Simmons, has been running a 'suspended' campaign, where he walks around Connecticut reminding voters that he's on the ballot without officially engaging McMahon in direct battle. But recently, it's been looking like the Simmons campaign was set to emerge from suspended animation. And after last night, it looks like the stealth campaign is officially over. The first clue is that Simmons showed up for a debate, hosted by the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations. Also: there's that whole part where Simmons said, 'I am running for the U.S. Senate.'" http://huff.to/bVoXUe

A new ad from the DNC, promoting it's new website RepublicanTeaPartyContract.com, ties the Republican party to the Tea Party movement, saying they are one and the same: http://bit.ly/dzXHmR

A new Rasmussen survey has Harry Reid leading Sharron Angle 45% to 43%. TPM summarizes: "In the previous Rasmussen poll from two weeks ago, Angle led by 46%-43%. The TPM Poll Average has Reid leading Angle by 44.5%-42.8%. In addition, Rasmussen has changed its rating on this race, from toss-up to leaning Dem. The poll finds that Democratic attacks on Angle as 'extreme' have caused both candidates to be viewed as 'extreme,' albeit by very different segments of the population. The poll has 58% of respondents calling Angle extreme, compared to 50% saying the same about Reid." http://bit.ly/bsLBRk

No one has told Sharron Angle that the DISCLOSE Act isn't law. From a radio interview this morning: "I think that the Supreme Court has really made their decision on this, they found that we have a First Amendment right across the board that was violated by the McCain-Feingold Act. And that's what they threw out, was those violations. The McCain-Feingold Act is still in place. The DISCLOSE Act is still in place. It's just that certain provisions within that they found to be definitely violating the First Amendment. If we didn't have the DISCLOSE Act there would be a lot of different things that people wouldn't be able to find out." Via: http://bit.ly/8XpVUh

Crazy, but not mind-controlling-antibodies-in-our-tap-water crazy: Some Tea Partiers are not happy with Michele Bachmann's endorsement of Roy Blunt in the Missouri Senate race. "A coalition of Tea Party and Patriot groups issued a news release this morning saying they were 'shocked' that Bachmann would be coming to St. Louis to campaign and raise money for Congressman Roy Blunt. While the Tea Party groups have said they don't endorse candidates, they made it clear in their news release that they do not endorse Blunt. Many of the Tea Party groups have been offering support to state Sen. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield, who is running a long-shot campaign against Blunt, the front-runner who has raised more than $8 million in the race." St. Louis Post-Dispatch: http://bit.ly/aJGT7x

A series of tubes, redux: "Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who appears not to be a frequent customer of Amazon or eBay, was worried that an online retailer 'records every book you purchase' and 'these machines, as I call them, are storing all of this information about you.'" http://bit.ly/9hhjOP

JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT - Tonight: The rain should actually hold off tonight. Enjoy a warm night! Tomorrow: It looks like a cold front may be sweeping through the region late tomorrow. If it comes during the 4-7 p.m. window -- when it's hottest -- expect to see strong thunderstorms. Thanks, JB!

This day in weather history: The British Midlands saw tornadoes injure close to 40 people and caused damages over 4 million GBP. Ouch, JB!

COMFORT FOOD

- Can God live in a canvas? Here's Chewbacca riding a giant squirrel while fighting Nazis. http://huff.to/9jxDRE

- Ridiculous real estate advertisements. http://huff.to/b7XWSl

- All the news that's fit to print: 12 bizarre facts about fish mating. http://bit.ly/9Dhhaj

- An elderly lady juggler is taking Britain by storm. http://bit.ly/daaBV4
- "Woman Shoplifts Clothes, Comes Back to Interview For Job In Shoplifted Clothes, Shoplifts Some More" http://bit.ly/aFg9af

- Who says the Brits are known for their restraint and politeness? Check out this job rejection letter from the BBC. http://bit.ly/9tKgva

- The first posts from a collection of popular websites, including the good ship HuffPost. http://bit.ly/aPtWab

TWITTERAMA

@stephenathome: Why doesn't Wikileaks release documents that Americans actually want to see, like Barack Obama's birth certificate?

@Geniusbastard: The Death Star has a serious design flaw in one of its exhaust vents. #wookieleaks

@flyboypatrick: TK-421 was not at his post. #wookieleaks

@daudig: Protocol droid fluent in 6 mil languages discharged for violating DADT. #wookieleaks

@FrankLautenberg - In #NJ we call them subs in the north and hoagies in the south. But nowhere in #NJ are they called grinders.

THE TUBE

TONIGHT: Tom Coburn discussed budget with Ratigan. Raul Grijalva appears on Hardball. Mark Warner, Elijah Cummings and HuffPost's Roy Sekoff talk to Ed Schultz. Elijah Cummings keeps it going, along with Luis Guiterrez, on Countdown. Barney Frank weighs in on Elizabeth Warren on Maddow's show. Chris Dodd and Blanche Lincoln offer their two cents on Morning Joe. Lamar Alexander drops by Daily Rundown.

ON TAP

TONIGHT

8:00 pm - 11:00 pm: NoMa Summer Screen airs one of our favorites, "Groundhog Day" [L Street Between 2nd and 3rd Streets NE].

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) hosts a fundraiser featuring a performance by the Eastern Shore Boys. We're not sure what their deal is (is it Frank's band?) but this pops up in YouTube when we enter their name: http://bit.ly/cLfPAA [Top of the Hill, 319 Pennsylvannia Ave SE].

6:00 pm: The Republican Majority Fund tries to realize the promise of its name [Trattoria Alberto of Capitol Hill, 506 8th Street SE].

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Forget dying quickly (pace: Alan Grayson), Mel Watt (D-N.C.) wants you to die slowly. The congressman hosts a "Bojangles Fried Chicken and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts" reception [Democratic National Headquarters, 430 South Capitol Street SE].

7:00 pm: John Barrow (D-Ga.) hosts a reelection event at the Nationals game against the Braves [Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol Street SE].

7:00 pm: Ditto John Lewis (D-Ga.) [Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol Street SE].

TOMORROW

8:45 pm - 10:45 pm: The Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Underdog Film Festival screens "Happy Gilmore" [Canal Park, 200 M St SE].

8:30 am: Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) hosts a reception benefiting Indiana Senate candidate Dan Coats (R-Ind.) [Charlie Palmer Steak, 101 Constitution Ave NW].

9:30 am: Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) welcomes his labor allies for a breakfast campaign event [National Democratic Club Townhouse, 40 Ivy Street SE].

12:30 pm - 4:00 pm: Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) skips out on work for a bit to attend the Nationals game and fill his campaign war chest [Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol Street SE].

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: John Hall (D-N.Y.) apparently is quite the gastronome. He hosts a fundraiser at the newly-opened We The Pizza [We The Pizza, 305 Pennsylvania Ave., SE].

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