The nation is bursting at the seams with menacing forces that aim to undermine our peace and prosperity...apparently. Harry Reid is unloading on Sharron Angle for suggesting that there are "domestic enemies" operating in the U.S. Congress. Roy Blunt thinks an Islamic cultural center in the heart of the country's most diverse city is just as damaging to the larger good as an invective-spewing talk show host. New Jersey bureaucrats denied their own state education funding by not not reading directions. And, least we forget, duplicitous gay rights activists are infiltrating the hetero enclave that is the Big Apple. We'll be back tomorrow...if there is one. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Wednesday, August 25th, 2010:
OBAMA TO DELIVER OVAL OFFICE ADDRESS ON WAR TUESDAY - The White House announced today that the president will discuss the end of combat operations in Iraq in a televised national address next week. Prior to the remarks, President Obama will visit with troops in Fort Bliss, Texas. The address will be the second Oval Office speech of Obama's presidency, the first occurring on June 15th of this year when he discussed the Gulf oil spill. http://bit.ly/c5BQav
@carol_e_lee: #POTUS out for lunch in Vineyard, tells reporters who ask about Iraq: 'We're buying shrimp guys - c'mon'
PRIMARY POST GAME - The Homeric struggle between establishment candidates and establishment-ish ones continued yesterday with mixed results. While party picks like John McCain and Kendrick Meek eked out victories, against-the-grain contenders Joe Miller and Rick Scott triumphed in Alaska and Florida, respectively. Elyse Siegel and Amanda Terkel take stock of the winners and losers in yesterday's contests, including the Tea Party and its massive investment in the primaries. "Leading up to Tuesday's election, the Tea Party Express had infused big money into radio and television advertising to boost Miller in his political fight. On the heels of making a nearly $150,000 ad buy, the conservative group dropped an astounding $500,000 on the conservative contender's campaign in a last-minute push to sway the outcome of the race." http://huff.to/dhUA1X
Sniping, sans helicopter - Murkowski on Sarah Palin, who endorsed Joe Miller: "I think she's out for her own self-interest. I don't think she's out for Alaska's interest." Anchorage Daily News: http://bit.ly/97F0A7
Back pat for HuffPost Hill, which said yesterday, while the CW predicted a Murkowski cruise: "Very little polling's been done and it's not reliable in Alaska anyway." (We went on to predict a Murkowski win. Bah.)
Alan Grayson now has an opponent, Republican Dan Webster, so look out for fireworks over Orlando, and not the ones coming after the parade in the Magic Kingdom. Look for Fox to try to nationalize this race, which, hey, is fine by us. Webster was brought on Fox & Friends to introduce him to the base. Meet David Barton: Webster lists him as a top endorser and he has twice addressed groups affiliated with the neo-Nazi movement. Webster's campaign didn't get right back to us, but Barton has previously said he was tricked into speaking to the Nazis.
Nate Silver is back with FiveThirtyEight...this time blogging about polling and elections for the New York Times. In one of his first posts for the Gray Lady, Silver predicts Senate Dems will hold on to 52 to 53 seats: "The Democrats now have an approximately 20 percent chance of losing 10 or more seats in the Senate, according to the model, which would cost them control of the chamber unless Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, who is running for the Senate as an independent, both wins his race and decides to caucus with them. In addition, there is an 11 percent chance that Democrats will lose a total of nine seats, which would leave them with 50 votes, making them vulnerable to a defection to the Republican Party by a centrist like Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut or Ben Nelson of Nebraska." http://bit.ly/bSJ36j
Out of the gate, PPP finds that Democrat Alex Sink is leading Rick Scott 43% to 41% in the Florida gubernatorial contest. http://bit.ly/9m1aVP
DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - From Arthur Delaney: "Most of the 2.5 million long-term jobless cut off from unemployment insurance during a 50-day congressional standoff this summer have received the money they missed. But for some, the back payments are not enough to make up for the financial burden caused by a lapse in crucial benefits. 'By the time I received the money we had sold just about everything of value we owned in order to stay as close to current with all debts as possible,' wrote Steve Santos of Zion, Ill. in an email to HuffPost on Aug. 5. 'I sold my golf clubs last week, the last personal item of value I had left. I have not played all year; I usually play every Sunday from April through October with a college buddy and others.'" http://huff.to/9kWIV8
Simpson Blowing Up Deficit Commission - Alan Simpson is suffocating at the bottom of a massive pile on. Bernie Sanders, Peter DeFazio, Raul Grijalva, Paul Krugman, NOW, the Alliance for Retired Americans and Richard Eskow at Campaign for America's Future were among the people and groups calling for Simpson to be fired from the deficit commission for calling Social Security "a milk cow with 310 million tits!" in an email to OWL head Ashley Carson. Simpson apologized, but Carson still wants him fired. AARP weighed in, stopping juuuuuust short of demanding he step down. http://huff.to/b9xsoF
Business Insider: "If there were any doubt that the commission were going to be pointless, that doubt has been removed." Thanks, Alan! http://bit.ly/crwJtj
And you thought Obama set up this commission to cut Social Security. As always, Obama's playing chess. He KNEW Simpson would have a meltdown at some point or another.
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REID ATTACKS ANGLE FOR CALLING LAWMAKERS "DOMESTIC ENEMIES" - The Senate majority leader has released a statement attacking his opponent for agreeing, in a nearly year-old interview, that some elected officials are "domestic enemies." "Sharron Angle's rhetoric is irresponsible and over the top. Let me be very clear. While I may have some differences of opinion with my Republican colleagues in the Senate, I have never questioned their patriotism. For Sharron Angle to agree that any of them -- Republican or Democrat -- is an enemy of the state is not only an insult to every United States Senator, it's a disgrace to our country. If she is going to use such rhetoric, she has an obligation to name names and explain to the American people exactly who she thinks is a domestic enemy," Reid said. Greg Sargent: http://bit.ly/baqqVW
ROY BLUNT EQUATES THE MOSQUE TO THE N-WORD - The Missouri Senate candidate told a St. Louis radio station yesterday that the proposed Islamic center/outerwear outlet/Terry Gross Kombucha, Hemp and Gay Kissing Center of Doom in Downtown Manhattan is no better than Dr. Laura's recent on air rant littered the the N-word. We understand it's good politics to trash someone on your side of the aisle during a general, congressman, but this might be wee bit misguided. "There are lots of things that the constitution allows you to do that you shouldn't do. You can say lots of things in our country, and a lot of them shouldn't be said," Blunt told KTRS. "In fact, some big radio personality just had to cancel her, end her 20 year radio career because she said things that were constitutionally okay to say, but highly inappropriate,and the mosque is also just as inappropriate." Amanda Terkel, in her first week as HuffPost's campaign reporter: http://huff.to/c0RTqb
Campaign flacks, mischievous ad-buyers and disgruntled consultants, you can find Amanda at aterkel@huffingtonpost.com. Wooing her away from ThinkProgress was quite the coup.
Ken Buck, a man of the people who shudders at the thought of being directly elected by said people, leads Michael Bennet in the Colorado Senate race, 49% to 40%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey. http://bit.ly/cxVUIW
KATRINA: FIVE YEARS LATER - Laura Bassett reports that New Orleans seems to be doing somewhat better than the half-baked David Simon series about human tenacity borne out of its devastation...though challenges remain. "The city's GDP is almost $9 billion higher today than it was in 2005, its population is about 80 percent of what it was before the storm, and city officials say the quality of public education has gone up significantly. But only one in three New Orleans residents polled by the Kaiser Family Foundation this year said their lives have returned to normal since Katrina, and 70 percent of them said they feel that the nation has forgotten the challenges they still face."http://huff.to/dbivnc
MAJOR GARETT HEADING TO NATIONAL JOURNAL - Seeking less shout-y pastures, Fox News' White House correspondent will soon abandon TV reporting altogether by joining the National Journal as a congressional correspondent. "Throughout my television career, I've known with certainty I would someday return to my roots in print journalism," Garrett said in a statement. "That day has come. I will soon announce an exciting new phase of my career -- one made possible in no small part by FOX News' consistent support. It would take a lot - something near perfection - to lure me away from the best job I've ever had. Details to come." See you in the gallery, Major. http://huff.to/bm3viO
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's a cat...with a hat: http://bit.ly/bbXJC1
GYM TAN LAX ADMINISTRATIVE STANDARDS - Oh irony of ironies: In its quest for increased federal education funds, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration failed to heed the advice of third grade teachers everywhere and READ THE DIRECTIONS. The Hill: "New Jersey narrowly lost out on $400 million in federal 'Race to the Top' education funding this week in part because of an administrative error. The Newark Star-Ledger reported Tuesday night that the administration of Gov. Chris Christie (R) mistakenly filled out a portion of its application that cost the state almost five points on the ratings scale. The five-point question asked for budget information comparing the 2008 and 2009 school years. But the state entered data comparing the current year to 2011 instead." http://bit.ly/cUGjsG
State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D) is ordering an investigation. http://bit.ly/cGCqnH
Elsewhere in the wide world of municipal politics, a mayoral candidate in Providence is making waves for serenading a local news anchor and proposing to his girlfriend during a debate. Chris Young, a mainstay on the local campaign circuit, spiced up last night's INdebate during his closing statement by proposing to his campaign manager (and GF) Kara Russo. This came on the heels of an interview with Fox's Providence affiliate this week in which he expounded on his policy platform...through song. Steve Carell is leaving The Office...might we suggest the producers consider Chris Young? Daily Intel: http://bit.ly/chFKQI
Washington University in St. Louis is joining the boycott of Target. The school has added its name to a list of participants in MoveOn.org's petition against the company which has donated $150,000 to a group supporting an anti-gay rights politician. Just remember, that wok you purchased is funding hate. http://bit.ly/cls3NI
One person who might be shopping at Target a bit less is former Bush campaign manager and RNC chair Ken Mehlman, who came out of the closet in an interview with Marc Ambinder. "It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life," Mehlman said. "Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago." Mehlman has said he wants to become a gay rights advocate in his post-political life. http://bit.ly/cug5rz
Speaking of radical liberal interest groups and the free range, cruelty-free havoc they are wreaking on society, a New York state lawmaker is accusing unspecified gay activists of sending her death threats. State Rep. Shirley Huntley, who claims she recently received a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep with the note "Rest in Peace" made the following claim in a campaign flyer: "There are forces that have invaded our community who: Have threatened Shirley Huntley, our hardworking state Senator; Have contributed more than $100,000 from outside the district to her opponent; Care about one issue only -- gay marriage." Daily News: http://bit.ly/cyxley
GUY WHO WROTE GREEN/YELLOW LINE-PHOBIC WASHINGTON GUIDE ACTUALLY FROM DC - Meet Bruce Majors, Tea Party enthusiast, unlikely patron of the African-American Civil War Memorial and author of that widely-panned overview of Washington, D.C. dos and don'ts. ThinkProgress: "While the guide's absurd warnings could be dismissed as written by an overly-cautious out-of-towner who doesn't understand that D.C., Majors should know better -- he's "'ived and worked in DC since 1980 (in 3 of the cities 4 quadrants),' according to his blog. Majors should also be intimately acquainted with the unsafe zones of the city, as he is a Realtor who is currently listing several homes (his company has many more) deep within the forbidden zone, and even near the dreaded Green and Yellow Metro lines." http://bit.ly/9Nz1i0
That's all he wrote for Jesse Jacobs on Capitol Hill. Jacobs, who had most recently worked as Robert Byrd's communications director after a long career in professional politics, announced that he will blaze a new path in an unspecified industry.
JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT - Tonight: Enjoy the beautiful weather, ladies and gentlemen! A high pressure system is camped out over our heads, but no one's complaining! The only people who may see drops of rain are just south of the Beltway in Virginia; there's a small line of showers heading southeast and may sprinkle that area. Tomorrow: Expect more of the same! It might not last the weekend, though. Cue ominous music. Thanks, JB!
COMFORT FOOD
- Some of the oddest celebrity endorsements to grace God's green Earth. http://huff.to/c4I3Wb
- A bunch of hipsters in Portland have painted Mario Kart symbols on a bike lane. http://bit.ly/bDoC6O
- A tornado....OF FIREEEEEE. http://huff.to/ahpZ53
- Rub-a-dub-dub there's a rat in this tub. http://bit.ly/cpckq0
- A bulldog watching TV...much better than you think. http://bit.ly/ch8yJf
- A lot of cute animal videos making the rounds today: kittens...in space. http://bit.ly/d7AZlv
- Let's just ride this sucker out: adorable animal kisses. http://bzfd.it/bo3Xs9
TWITTERAMA
@wexler: LeBron and Bosh to National Journal.
@jaketapper: dear sarcasm-challenged: I do not think president saying he was having great time on vacation was actual BREAKING NEWS
@pourmecoffee: If Pentagon really wants to foil WikiLeaks, they should save everything in .docx format. No one can open those things.
THE TUBE
TONIGHT: George Pataki will probably say things about THE MOSQUE that will offend us on Hardball. James "Queen" Clyburn discusses Glenn Beck with Ed Schultz. Rachel Maddow talks to the polling guru of the hour Nate Silver.
ON TAP
TONIGHT
7:00 pm: Reggae meets rap meets rock meets techno and about 25 other things: Matisyahu performs at 9:30 Club [9:30 Club, 815 V Street Northwest].
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Hey hipsters, put on your formal purple "17th Annual St. Joseph High Cook Off" sweatshirts and head to Black Cat for their free whiskey tasting [Black Cat, 1811 14th St NW] .
TOMORROW
8:00 am - 9:30 am: Continuing the Republicans' ongoing efforts to demonstrate their familiarity with ordinary Americans' lives, Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) hosts a fundraiser at the Linwood Country Club. Just like a bake-off at your local 4-H. [Linwood Country Club, 500 Shore Rd., Linwood, NJ].
5:00 pm: If it's Thursday in August it's time for Phillips After 5. The collection's weekly shindig featuring live music, refreshments and gallery talks [The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW].
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