Jeb Bush’s campaign entities raised a combined $114 million, or to convert it to campaign currency, 5,000 ads featuring him walking through a bucolic field telling you how much he believes in America. Twitter has been very cooperative with the FBI in its hunt for ISIS, allowing the law enforcement agencies to hop on multiple Fatwa canoes. And Loretta Lynch announced that all married same-sex couples will enjoy the same federal benefits as straight couples. Married LGBT Americans are now free to engage in a God-given right: institutionalized discrimination against single people. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, July 9th, 2015:
CONFEDERATE FLAG DEBATE ROILS HOUSE - This is the sort of thing you expect to see Louis Gohmert rambling about at 11 pm on C-SPAN, not at the center of congressional debate. Laura Barron-Lopez and Jen Bendery: "House Speaker John Boehner's day went from bad to worse Thursday as his efforts to quietly ease a fight over the Confederate flag blew up. Democrats seized the opportunity to denounce Republicans as defenders of a painful symbol of racism. Democrats have been fuming since Wednesday night, when Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) put forward a vaguely worded amendment to attach to an annual spending bill that would allow the Confederate flag to be displayed in national cemeteries. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) noticed the meaning of it. As Democratic furor grew, Boehner ultimately pulled the entire bill off the floor and temporarily from the House schedule on Thursday, saying he wanted both sides to talk it out and would bring it back up later. Boehner was hoping that would be the end of it, at least for now…. But Boehner ended up getting exactly what he didn't want: Democrats doing everything they could think of to publicize the fact that Republicans are still wed to a symbol that is offensive to so many. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) forced the House to vote on adjourning in protest. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) forced a voice vote on a privileged resolution to remove all images of the Confederate flag from the Capitol, namely the Mississippi flag. After that, she organized a massive press conference where, one by one, leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus gave remarks about how offended they were by GOP efforts to protect the flag." [HuffPost]
What a tremendous goof by the House GOP. While this crap was happening, South Carolina formally decided to take down the flag at its statehouse.
Well, glad someone is getting something out of this: "Here's one group that's not very disappointed that a major House appropriations bill has gotten bogged down in a fight over the Confederate flag: environmental advocates. The bill, which would appropriate funding for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency, was pulled from the floor Thursday morning after Republicans added an amendment protecting the display of the Confederate flag at National Park Service sites. Democrats protested the addition, which came after other amendments limiting the display of the Confederate flag had already been approved. The fight sparked impassioned debate on the House floor Thursday. Environmental groups have been strongly critical of the underlying bill, which cuts funding to the EPA by $718 million -- a 9 percent reduction from 2015 funding levels -- and includes a number of policy riders barring the EPA from working on ozone and greenhouse gas pollution rules, among other regulations." [HuffPost's Kate Sheppard]
Remember all those schools we built in Afghanistan? Oops.
HOUSE GOP REFUSES TO PASS BONG - And this one's not on Andy Harris for once -- turns out the buzzkill lies with Bob Goodlatte's judiciary committee. Aaron C. Davis: "Medical marijuana is now sold in nearly half of all states, and even one red state has legalized it for recreational use. Veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are clamoring for access to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Loosening pot laws polls better in three swing states than any 2016 presidential candidate. But House Republicans have so far declined to keep pace with shifting public opinion. They did so again late Wednesday, when a rare bipartisan pot proposal died a quiet death in the House that would have reclassified marijuana so that national laboratories could conduct 'credible research on its safety and efficacy as a medical treatment.'" [WashPost]
DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) took center stage of a new Social Security drama on Thursday, with the House Ways and Means Committee he chairs mulling changes for Social Security's beleaguered disability insurance program.
Nearly 11 million Americans who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits could see those benefits cut 20 percent next year when the program's trust fund runs dry. Ryan said his first priority is to prevent the cut. "No 20 percent cut. Full stop. Not gonna happen," he said. Yet Republicans have already ruled out the simplest solution, having earlier this year taken a step to prevent Congress from shifting funds to disability from the much bigger Social Security retirement program." [HuffPost]
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2016 CANDIDATES FLAUNTING SUPER PAC REGULATIONS - "Super PAC regulations" is one of today's greatest political oxymorons. Paul Blumenthal: "Whereas Mitt Romney once mused that he would “go to the big house” if he attempted to tell the super PAC supporting his campaign to stop running ads attacking his opponent Newt Gingrich, candidates today are not so shy. They have openly launched, picked their staff, raised unlimited funds and even announced an intention to coordinate with both super PACs and nonprofits supporting them. (Romney’s campaign in fact created his super PAC, but this was not acknowledged or reported until after his loss.) Super PACs and other groups are ostensibly supposed to be independent from the candidates they support…The reality of such independence, which looked flimsy at the time, is now outright risible. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush set the standard for the presidential field by announcing his intent to “actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States” by touring the country and raising money for a super PAC that will now support his campaign. Bush’s lawyers determined that by stopping short of declaring his candidacy, he could freely coordinate with his Right to Rise super PAC until an official declaration of candidacy. The super PAC is expected to announce a haul of $100 million or more raised firsthand by Bush for the first six months of 2015." [HuffPost]
Bushes gonna Bush: "The key number in the Bush campaign's Thursday announcement that it raised a combined $114 million in the first half of this year was just how much of that total came from Right to Rise PAC. The super PAC created to support Jeb Bush’s presidential ambitions pulled in over $103 million. This immense haul was made possible by the former Florida governor's new approach to campaign finance. For most of the first half of the year, he simply denied he was a candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, which allowed him to coordinate with and raise money directly for super PACs. Bush’s very public evasion of rules requiring those 'testing the waters' to abide by campaign contribution limits led other Republican candidates, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, to follow his lead. According to Right to Rise, it raised that $103 million from more than 9,900 donors and ended June with $98 million cash on hand. More than 400 of those donors gave over $25,000 each. The super PAC did not disclose how much of its total came from the largest donors. In previous election cycles, the wealthiest donors have dominated super PAC fundraising. Right to Rise and other super PACs will file their official fundraising reports on July 31 with the Federal Election Commission." [HuffPost's Paul Blumenthal]
GEORGE W. BUSH CHARGES VETERANS GROUP $100,000 - You're either with us, or you're not going to hear me ramble on about making tough choices at your annual gala. Simon Mccormack: "Former president George W. Bush charged a veterans' charity $100,000 to speak at a fundraiser in 2012. The former commander in chief was also provided with a private plane to fly to the event, which cost another $20,000, ABC News reports. Bush spoke at a benefit for Helping a Hero, a nonprofit group that aids 'severely wounded veterans returning from service in the War on Terror, primarily by partnering with the wounded hero to provide specially adapted homes to reintegrate them into their community,' according to the charity's site. The organization benefits many veterans who were injured fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that Bush authorized." [HuffPost]
You better believe Twitter's PR team is glad this story didn't go another way: "Twitter has been 'very cooperative' with FBI agents looking into individuals affiliated with the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations that use the social network to organize and inspire people within the U.S. to commit terrorist acts, FBI Director James Comey said Thursday." [HuffPost's Ryan Reilly]
GAYS GIVEN TAX BREAKS - Enjoy your marriage tax breaks, LGBT friends! Hope you enjoy your new wok. Daniel Marans: "Federal marriage benefits are now officially available to same-sex couples nationwide, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Thursday...Lynch said she had directed the Justice Department to make same-sex couples eligible for the benefits when the Supreme Court ruled June 26 that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, but expansion of the benefits required a few weeks to implement. The federal marriage benefits for which same-sex couples are now eligible include Social Security benefits, veterans benefits and Supplemental Security Income. Same-sex couples were already eligible for benefits in states where same-sex marriage was legal since the June 26, 2013, Supreme Court ruling requiring the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in those states." [HuffPost]
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's a dog striking a pose.
LOL THE NEWSEUM IS A DISASTER - We're willing to loan you the HuffPost DC office's collection of ugly ties if it would be helpful, Newseum. Peggy McGlone and Amy Brittain: "Nearly seven years after opening a $477 million complex on a prime parcel of Pennsylvania Avenue, the Newseum floated a document saying it would consider offering an ownership stake in its building in exchange for an immediate influx of funds." [WashPost]
COMFORT FOOD
- Tiger cub tries to freak out a jaguar.
- Celebrating the Army's 240th birthday with a look back at all its uniforms.
- Explaining colony collapse disorder.
TWITTERAMA
@JakeSherman: Jim clyburn just walked through he speakers lobby on his cell phone saying "a lot of drama. A lot, a lot of drama today."
@thisisjendoll: latest mortifying typo: leaving the "o" off of "Hello" in my email introduction. "Hell, I'm a writer..."
@igorbobic: If you strike Trump down, he’ll become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
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