Rand Paul is the gift that keeps on giving. All of Washington is BUZZING over his proposal to electrify the border fence and his view that immigrant children are unfairly reaping the benefits of Frederick Douglass' legwork. Meanwhile, after his drilling moratorium was shot down, health enthusiast Barack Obama decamped to a burger joint for what seems like the 432,253rd time. Back Hill-side, Democrats won the day by expressing their utter disdain for the unemployed, gun control AND your dear sweet Nanna. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, June 24th, 2010:
BREAKING
LET THEM EAT FUNFETTI CAKE: UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENDERS BILL FAILS AGAIN - Democrats were unable to win over Ben Nelson or any Republicans for the extenders bill. After the vote Democrats objected to a Republican unanimous consent request to extend benefits with an offset. Majority Leader Reid said earlier in the day that the Senate would move on to something else next week, a promise he repeated at a presser following the vote. This means no more extended unemployment benefits for anybody -- 26 weeks and you're done, even though the average duration of unemployment is 34 weeks. Also: No FMAP, no closing the carried interest loophole, none of that stuff... UNLESS THIS IS ALL A DREAM.
DODD OFFERS TOUGH VOLCKER RULE, WITH EXEMPTION - Late this evening, Chris Dodd offered up the much-anticipated Senate version of the Volcker Rule, modeled after the Merkley-Levin amendment that Wall Street had prevented from getting a floor vote. It bars banks from using taxpayer-backed funds to trade for their own profit, although it does allow a "de minimus" exemption: A bank can invest no more than 3% of its fund capital or its tangible common equity in hedge funds or private equity firms, but only for the purpose of hedging risk. Wall Street fought hard for a de minimus exemption but this one is smaller than what they wanted. Scott Brown also got provisions protecting institutions in Massachusetts from the restrictions -- call it the Bay State Buyoff -- but HuffPost Hill hasn't had time to parse all the details. Barney Frank told reporters at the hearing that he wanted to finish Volcker and Blanche Lincoln's derivatives package tonight. A PDF of the text is here. Have at it: http://bit.ly/btmClW
LINCOLN STILL HOLDING STRONG - That minute had is getting awfully close to midnight and Wall Street still hasn't yanked Blanche Lincoln's section 716, her derivatives proposal. The House offer contains a number of gaping loopholes that would allow a good chunk of derivatives to remain traded in the dark, but it doesn't target 716. That could still happen via amendment. But Lincoln has the advantage, because both the Senate and House would have to agree to ditch her measure. Frank, however, said earlier today he wanted to do Volcker first, because there is some policy overlap. Passing Volcker could make folks more comfortable about ditching Lincoln -- but unions and reform advocates insist the two are separate. Zach Carter has more: http://bit.ly/bNNKqP
Russia Opens Market To Tyson Chicken - In a COMPLETELY UNRELATED, COULDN'T-POSSIBLY-HAVE-ANYTHING-TO-DO-WITH-ARKANSAS-SENATOR-BLANCHE-LINCOLN development: From Bloomberg: "Russia, once the largest importer of U.S. chicken, has agreed to lift a five-month-old ban on the meat after talks between presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev. Shares of U.S. poultry producers rose in New York." Tyson Chicken is headquarted in Arkansas. The White House has been trying to persuade Lincoln to back off her derivatives proposal. Just sayin'...
HOUSE PASSES DISCLOSE ACT - The House passed a measure this afternoon, 219-206, aimed at mitigating the effects of the Citizens United ruling which essentially affords corporations and unions carte blanche in campaign ad spending. The measure will require these entities to identify their involvement in any election spots they bankroll. The legislation has come under fire for its exemption of organizations with memberships that exceed 500,000 -- including the NRA and several unions.
Earlier in the day, Democratic House leadership tried to sell its members on the act's electoral benefits - Sam Stein: "In a meeting before their colleagues on Thursday morning, House Democratic leadership raised the specter of former Bush confidant Karl Rove upending their reelection hopes as a catalyst for passing a new round of campaign finance reform...The most impassioned pitch, according to multiple sources in the room, came from Van Hollen, the author of the bill. The Maryland Democrat urged his colleagues to not let quibbles with the final product -- mainly the exemption carved out for the National Rifle Association -- deter them from supporting a once-in-a-decade chance at reform. Driving the point closer to home, the congressman hinted that many in the room would find themselves in electoral trouble this fall should the bill not pass." http://huff.to/99cSCK
COMING SOON - Gen. David Petraeus was discussing Afghanistan and more with Reuters on Wednesday in his Pentagon office when, minutes later, "he was unexpectedly whisked to the White House to huddle with President Obama, who was facing the biggest military crisis of his presidency." Check Reuters tomorrow for their exclusive interview with Petraeus, during which he assesses the U.S. Afghanistan war strategy, says he believes a rapid turnaround is not in the cards, and states that he won't ever run for president.
MMS ONLY COLLECTED $21 MILLION IN FINES OVER 20 YEARS - That's just over $1 million a year from an industry that rakes in billions annually. If that doesn't make your sick, here's a picture of a turtle drowned in crude: http://bit.ly/9pNarz. If that doesn't make your sick, here's some more from the ABC News article: "But an ABC News review of federal records shows that despite chronic safety problems, the Minerals Management Service, or MMS, imposed paltry fines that often took years to collect. In the overwhelming majority of cases where workers were actually killed, there was no record of fines being paid. Where fines did occur, the maximum penalty was only $25,000." If THAT doesn't make you sick, stop reading, 'cause you're Tony Hayward. http://bit.ly/csKc8g
SENATE PANEL APPROVES ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES - AP: "The nation would impose tougher penalties on polluters under legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would require restitution to victims when oil companies or others violate the Clean Water Act, the nation's primary law against water pollution. Currently, restitution is not mandatory. Another provision would direct the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend guidelines so that prison terms reflect the seriousness of an environmental crime. The Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act was sent to the full Senate on Thursday. It would apply to offshore drilling accidents." http://bit.ly/aDGJCD
Rand Paul won't state for the record whether he supports or opposes BP's relief fund. Check out this hyper awkward interview with WaPo's Dave Weigel where, after three prompts, the Kentucky Senate candidate STILL won't give a clear response: http://bit.ly/d6k0bj
TOMORROW'S PAPERS TODAY - Washington Post: Michael Gerson -- "There was only one choice that could have vindicated presidential authority over the military while ensuring the continuity of operations in Afghanistan -- and in picking Gen. David Petraeus, Barack Obama made it." AND Eugene Robinson -- "The good news? Nobody has to pretend anymore that Gen. Stanley McChrystal knew how to fix Afghanistan within a year. The bad news? Now we're supposed to pretend that Gen. David Petraeus does." The Hill: Russell Berman on how the Democrats' campaign finance reform bill, which passed the House today, faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
Alvin Greene (D-Middle Earth) is on Twitter!!!! "Look behind you @JimDeMint, I'm gunning for your seat in NOv!! You are a bad man," Tweeted Greene. Yahoo News: http://yhoo.it/bI1y0X
Don't be bashful: Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com
TRENDING
OBAMA'S ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE DRILLING MORATORIUM DENIED - Even though the Gulf is now made cleaner by water from the Mississippi River, a local judge denied President Obama's motion to continue its moratorium on offshore drilling. AP: "The administration had hoped that by upholding a stay, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman would have given it time to re-craft the language of the moratorium, which Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has pledged to do. With the stay request denied, those 33 deepwater wells that had put a stop to their operations can now legally begin drilling again. Earlier on Thursday, the Justice Department relayed that Salazar had instructed all employees to not take any action to enforce the moratorium." http://huff.to/d2FmAG
BP's robots, one of whom STUPIDLY knocked the containment cap off yesterday morning, reattached the cover late yesterday. Bad robot. http://huff.to/c0fFgI
OBAMA MEETS WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT - When it's not planting flags in ocean floors, creating bizarre monuments (http://bit.ly/9BI3rz) or depriving entire continents of vital resources, Russia occasionally takes it show on the road. Today its president, Dmitry Medvedev, met with President Obama. WSJ: President Barack Obama Thursday said Russia should be part of the World Trade Organization. He was speaking at a joint press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the White House. Mr. Obama said Russia's addition to the WTO would be good for the U.S., good for Russia and good for the world economy. The purpose of the visit was, among other things, to strengthen economic ties between the two countries. During Mr. Medvedev's visiting at Cisco, the company pledged to invest $1 billion in Russian projects over the next decade." http://bit.ly/bKOeto
Obama said there will be no change in U.S.' policy in Afghanistan with Petraeus replacing McChrystal: "We are in the midpoint of implementing the strategy we came up with last year," President Obama said at a news conference with his Russian counterpart. "General Petraeus understands that strategy because he helped shape it. My expectation is he will be outstanding in implementing it, and he will not miss a beat because of the change in command in the Afghan theater." CBS News: http://bit.ly/cjY6ISs
The two took a quick trip to Ray's Hell Burger, the popular NoVa eatery that has already been visited by the president, Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama. http://bit.ly/bGABJw
Privet! "Hello everyone! I'm on Twitter, and this is my first tweet." - Dmitry Medvedev http://bit.ly/cyS5Kx
Medvedev visited Twitter's headquarters. We're waiting for Obama to return the favor and visit Russian-founded Chatroulette HQ. It's the polite thing to do. http://bit.ly/b4zueZ
PETRAEUS HEARING SET FOR TUESDAY - A day after President Obama defriended Stanley McChrystal and added David Petraeus to the top of his Fave Five, the Senate Armed Servies Committee announced it will hold Petraeus' confirmation hearing on Tuesday. The Hill: "Petraeus is expected to have a smooth confirmation; the architect of the 2007 Iraq troop surge received almost unanimous praise from both Republican and Democratic senators on Wednesday.But questions will likely be raised about the nearly nine-year conflict since allied forces have experience setbacks in the last few months. June was the deadliest month on record for coalition forces." http://bit.ly/9Zb0BE
SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF EX-ENRON CHIEF - The High Court this morning found that prosecutors had incorrectly used a federal statute to convict former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling. The justices ruled unanimously that investigators had over interpreted "honest services" fraud law. It will be up to a lower court to decide whether Skilling's conviction is overturned. Scrooge McDuck, Darth Vader, the unblinking Eye of Sauron and the black cloud from "Lost" all filed amicus briefs, we're told. http://huff.to/dxm2TX
ABA GIVES KAGAN TOP MARKS - DON'T THEY KNOW SHE IS IN THE POCKET OF BIG SOFTBALL???? Ninth Justice: "The American Bar Association, in an expected step, today gave Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan its top rating of unanimously well qualified as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to start its hearing on Kagan's nomination Monday. 'This peer-reviewed evaluation of the nominee's integrity, professional competence and temperament is further evidence of Elena Kagan's qualifications to serve as an independent justice on the Supreme Court,' said Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt." http://bit.ly/b8hP8e
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS ASSAULTING YOUR GRANDMOTHER - For real! Shahien Nasiripour: "House Democrats continued their assault on seniors Thursday in adopting a measure that ensures inadequate regulation over financial products long tainted with deception and predation, overturning court rulings and federal regulators in the process...The provision prevents the Securities and Exchange Commission from regulating equity-indexed annuities, financial products that promise guaranteed returns, and other similar products...Consumer and investor advocates argue that the measure, which was adopted by House conferees by a 12-4 vote during Thursday's conference to reconcile the House and Senate versions of financial reform legislation, undercuts basic protections for investors and seniors, who often are tricked into purchasing these products under false pretenses.
@brianbeutler: Reporter just got Iced at the financial reform conf. Not even kidding. http://tweetphoto.com/28885504
SWEET BABY JAME$ - Carolyn Maloney, who is a member of the Wall Street Reform conference committee, is being attacked by her opponent for hosting a fundraiser at the James Taylor concert last night in D.C. Laura Bassett: "Reshma Saujani, the Democratic primary challenger to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), has posted a new video on her website slamming the Congresswoman for inviting corporate PAC lobbyists to a James Taylor concert during a crucial moment in negotiations for a financial reform bill 'already watered down by special interests influence.' The Maloney fundraiser, held Wednesday night at the Verizon center, was open to all PACs, but Saujani is accusing the incumbent of cozying up to financial lobbyists during the same week the House Financial Committee hammers out the final details of the bill." http://huff.to/bDyLWc
HALEY BARBOUR BUILDING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN - Foghorn LegBarbour doesn't have time for your ecosystem destruction. The Mississippi Gov. is heading to a high profile fundraiser (THINK OF THE OPTICS, WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE OPTICS). Politico: "His apparatus, which has socked away hundreds of thousands of dollars this year alone, will get a major boost -- as will the Barbour 2012 buzz -- when the governor takes some time away from the Gulf oil spill threatening his home region's shorelines to attend a big fundraiser Thursday for one of his three political action committees. The fundraiser, set for adjoining hot spots in Washington's trendy Glover Park neighborhood, has been the talk of Washington GOP circles, boasting a host committee that reads like a next-generation GOP bundling and campaign dream team."
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here are a bunch of dogs that look like panda bears. http://bit.ly/bouUO1
ANGLE LEADING REID IN LATEST POLL - Rasmussen reports, whose surveys usually skew right by a few points, finds that Sharron Angle leading Harry Reid by seven points in the Nevada Senate race 48 percent to 41 percent. http://bit.ly/aO9m0R
No one told us Sharron Angle is a RedState.com comment board moderator. Jay Newton-Small on Angle's fringe views: "Angle, 60, looks to be the main reason Reid will survive for a fifth term. She wants to privatize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. She has no use for the departments of Energy and Education, the IRS, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Environmental Protection Agency or Planned Parenthood. She'd like to repeal the 16th Amendment, which provides for direct federal taxation, and has expressed a fondness for the 18th Amendment, which created Prohibition. She has a permit to carry a concealed .44 Magnum and brags about bringing it to campaign events." http://bit.ly/9jIeNM
RAND PAUL REALLY BRINGING THE CRAZY - Sam Stein on Rand Paul's SHOCKING (ba-dum-ching) proposal to electrify the border fence: "His website says only the following: 'My plans include an underground electric fence, with helicopter stations to respond quickly to breaches of the border.' The details of how it would be built, what it would take to make it work and how much it would cost are left unanswered. Moreover, aides to the Kentucky Republican have refused repeated attempts to explain the idea to the Huffington Post. On June 14, Paul's former spokesman and current campaign manager, Jesse Benton, said he would call the following day to provide further details. He never did." http://huff.to/dA1CBv
Rand Paul: Leave No Mexican Behind. Now that we aren't enslaving children, it's perfectly OK to treat them like criminals. Who knew? The controversial Kentucky Senate candidate told a conservative publication that the U.S.-born children of immigrants should not receive citizenship (not the first time he's said this, either). "Many argue that these children that are born to illegal aliens are really still under the jurisdiction of the Mexican government," Paul told Right Wing News, "I think we need to fight that out in the courts. If we lose, then I think we should amend the Constitution because I don't think the 14th amendment was meant to apply to illegal aliens. It was meant to apply to the children of slaves." http://bit.ly/9TGPNH
Look out Rand, you have competition. Meet Mike Lee, candidate for Senate from Utah. Elyse Siegel: "Bolstered by support from the Tea Party, Lee has made his 'love' and -- as he puts its -- 'complete, practical understanding' of the Constitution a cornerstone of his campaign platform. The Republican hopeful touted extremely conservative views on a wide range of issues throughout Utah's Republican primary that mirror many of the policy positions held by Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul. Lee's hard-lined views on health care reform, immigration and tax-related issues as well as solutions he's offered to drastically reduce the size of federal government -- including eliminating the Departments of Education and Energy -- have even earned him the nickname 'the Rand Paul of the West.'"
Sen. Richard Burr only has a one-point lead over his challenger, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a new Rasmussen poll finds. http://bit.ly/baFJGo
HuffPost Hill officially endorses Clint Webb for Senate. Check out his inspiring ad here: http://bit.ly/aj1Bgk
A new poll from the Alliance for American Manufacturing finds Americans are incredibly pessimistic about the economy. The survey, conducted by Mark Mellman and Whit Ayres, indicates voters are extremely concerned with the loss of manufacturing jobs, a majority of respondents think the U.S. is not the world's strongest economy and that the Pope is Catholic. Poll: http://bit.ly/d4gv1F. Video: http://bit.ly/9J8eGU
Greg Sargent notes highlights a finding in a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that shows most Americans view a Sarah Palin endorsement as a negative thing. Sargent: So a majority, 52%, reacted negatively. And an astonishing 37 percent would be 'very uncomfortable' about a Palin endorsement, more than four times the eight percent who would be 'enthusiastic' about it. Even better, there were only two attributes a candidate might have that were seen as worse than a Palin endorsement: Supporting Bush's economic policies; and supporting the elimination of various Federal agencies and/or Social Security." http://bit.ly/c1PxBl
Attention Washington: Michael Falcone's new glasses are way hot.
JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT Tonight: There is a severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m., possibly ending earlier. Once the cold front clears, it will actually be a pleasant night. Expect temperatures in the 70s. Tomorrow: Once the cold front moves through, expect a much more pleasant day. Highs will be in the upper 70s/low 80s. Thanks, JB!
Weather trivia. I got a few responses, but no one was able to come up with the right answer. I'll leave it open for another day. Once again, here's the question: On what key temperature points is the Fahrenheit scale based? Hint: There is a common belief that the human body temperature was estimated at 100 degrees. This is not true. The plot thickens, JB!
COMFORT FOOD
- Hey remember the video game Doom? Bet you don't remember the vuvuzela gun. http://bit.ly/b9p6sN
- Some downright absurd women's products. http://huff.to/cqKXND
- Oxymoron DEFEATED. Bottled water for hipsters. http://bit.ly/8XED4r
- Some screen caps of Mad Men season 4. http://bit.ly/cTn0P0
- BZZZZZZ YouTube ZZZZZZ has ZZZZZZZZZZZZ a ZZZZZZZZ new ZZZZZZZZZZZ Vuvuzela ZZZZZZZZZZ button ZZZZZZZZZ. http://bit.ly/d1s73A
- Watch this octopus make its World Cup predictions...probably more accurate than Sam Stein. http://bit.ly/b9p6sN
- The 13 smartest porn stars of all time. http://bit.ly/awXZZi
- AWESOME: Passion Pit cover the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight Tonight." http://bit.ly/by1CV2
- EXTREEEEEEEMEEEEEE: This Long Island couple exchanged their wedding vows in a shark tank. http://bit.ly/bwRsUZ
TWITTERAMA
@timfernholz: #FinReg conference quote of the day: "Ok, I'm sufficiently confused and I yield back my time."http://bit.ly/dsw6uD
@AndrewWK: Party Party Party Party BANANA CREAM PIE Party Party Party Party PARTY TIL YOU DIE http://bit.ly/d6wyRj
@DavidCornDC: Obama takes Russian pres. to Ray's Hell Burger. Leaves WH at 12:20, gets to joint in Arl., VA @ 12:26. Nice to have a motorcade. http://bit.ly/d3tXol
@Sethmeyers21: Mahut just didn't want it enough http://bit.ly/bocu1z
THE TUBE
Brad Miller and Henry Cuellar discussed Wall Street reform and immigration on Ratigan. Jim Webb, not to be confused with Chuck Webb, was on Hardball. Ed Schultz welcomed Adam Smith, Chris Van Hollen, Tom Harkin and Joe Sestak.
ON TAP
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Special ON TAP listing for those of you in NYC. Riptide Communications is hosting a "Tapas and Sangria" party. Head on over for the mooching and munching [270 Lafayette suite #1300, Manhattan].
6:30 pm: Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, DC does rock sometimes. "Dance of Days: A Visual History of Punk in DC" documents the rise of punk in the nation's capital with over an hour of rare footage of some of the District's best acts (including Bad Brains, one of our favorites) [Affinity Lab Adams Morgan, 2451 18th St NW].
6:30 pm: The SEIU hosts a reception for congressional staffers [CVC Auditorium North].
11:00 pm: The always enjoyable Folklife Festival kicks into gear tonight on the National Mall. This year's featured cultures are "Mexico" (cool!), "Asian-Pacific Americans" (right on!) and Smithsonian Inside Out (WTF!?) [National Mall].
9:00 pm: Like the Capital Skyline lounge for people who have no money, live in Behtesda and like loitering in Doubletree hotels. The hotel hosts a free rooftop pool party with a DJ and complementary Greek food [Doubletree Hotel Bethesda, 8120 Wisconsin Ave].
5:30 pm: Tom Price (R-Ga.) invites you to stroke his fuzz at his "Annual Georgia Peach Party." Nothing will put Georgia in your mind quite like a bunch of power brokers at the UPS Townhouse [UPS Townhouse, 421 New Jersey Ave SE].
5:30 pm: Candidate for Kansas' 4th Congressional District Raj Goyle (D-Kan.) hosts a fundraiser. John Podesta makes an appearance [Eden, 1716 I Street NW].
5:30 pm - 7:30pm:Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was so excited for his catfish fry benefiting Freedom Works PAC that he made sure, through his voting record, that the oil marinade would be prepared in time! [Fed Ex Townhouse, 300 Maryland Ave NE].
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Second only to licking the Capital Building in Des Moines is Bruce Braley's (D-Iowa) "3rd Annual Taste of Iowa" [230 2nd Street SE].
TOMORROW
8:30 am: Richard Burr (R-N.C.) squeezes in a seafood fundraiser before all that oil snakes up the Atlantic coast and totally harshes his buzz. Clear Channel PAC hosts! [400 North Capitol Street NW]
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