A hot scoop says Hillary Clinton’s next speech will focus on the middle class, but whether she thinks children are “the future” or “our living dreams of a better tomorrow” remains the source of intense speculation. A GOP Obamacare alternative might leave you dead, but at least it will leave Milton Friedman happy. And Mark Kirk called Lindsey Graham a “bro with no ho,” and joked that’s how people talk on the South Side. However, the only noise we suspect that comes from Mark Kirk while in the South Side of Chicago is the sound of his SUV window rolling up. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, June 11th, 2015:
DEM HOPES PROVISION WILL SINK TPA - Get out yer chains, Greenpeace posters and pee buckets: looks like some libs will be protest chaining themselves to one part of the TPA. Laura Barron-Lopez: "President Barack Obama’s work to craft a historic trade deal with 11 Pacific Rim nations could be less than a day away from taking a deep blow that would unravel it all -- and it’s a hit that would be delivered by his own party. The question is whether progressive anti-trade Democrats are willing to kill trade adjustment assistance, funding that helps workers who have been displaced from their jobs by trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Democrats leaving an emergency caucus meeting on Thursday suggested that anti-trade Democrats may reject TAA in order to derail legislation granting Obama fast-track authority to speed trade deals through Congress. The fast-track legislation, also known as trade promotion authority, is up for a vote on Friday. Obama needs fast-track to seal the TPP deal, as well as to ensure he can push any other trade deals through Congress with an up-or-down vote, rather than worrying about amendments or a filibuster. But if TAA is killed, fast-track will go down with it." [HuffPost]
Ahead of tomorrow's fast-track vote, HuffPost Hill hears from a Massachusetts political consultant that the newly ensconced Rep. Seth Moulton is leaning yes, risking a primary challenge.
BAYH HAPPY WITH BEING SOLD OUT - Jonathan Easley: "Former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) will not enter the race to replace retiring Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) in Indiana, a source familiar with Bayh’s thinking told The Hill on Thursday. Bayh instead will focus on helping former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton win the White House, according to the source. Bayh would have been a formidable candidate had he run. He has high name recognition and remains popular in Indiana. In addition, he still has nearly $10 million in his campaign war chest...With Bayh on the sidelines, the path to the Democratic nomination is currently clear for former Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), who previously served four terms representing Indiana’s 9th district in the House." [The Hill]
REPUBLICANS JUST AREN'T THAT INTO WAR - War authorization, that is. Jen Bendery: "Democrats forced the House to take votes Thursday on authorizing the war against the Islamic State group, making it the first time the House has touched the issue since the U.S.-led bombing campaign began 10 months ago. During debate on a defense spending bill, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) offered an amendment that would have halted funding for the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, after March 31, 2016, unless Congress passes an Authorization for the Use of Military Force. The amendment, an effort to spur a war authorization debate and vote in Congress, would have given lawmakers nine months to produce an AUMF before funds get cut off. 'If this is worth fighting ISIS, and I believe it is, it's worth having Congress do its job,' Schiff said…. Democrats were able to force votes on those measures because they were amendments to an annual spending bill, which is typically open to floor amendments…Still, it's notable that the votes happened at all given that Congress has done nothing to shape the duration, costs or endgame of the military campaign." [HuffPost]
'BRO WITH NO HO' - Maybe he thinks that Brother Lindsey is Amish and has be deprived of his farming tools? Katherine Skiba: "Sen. Mark Kirk was caught on a live microphone Thursday saying Republican presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham, who is unmarried, is a 'bro with no ho.' Kirk, a North Shore Republican, made the observation while votes were being taken during a Senate Appropriations Committee markup. 'I've been joking with Lindsey,' the Illinois lawmaker said, referring to news accounts that Graham, if elected, might have a rotating first lady. "He's a bro with no ho," Kirk said, apparently talking to a colleague. 'That's what we'd say on the South Side.'" [Chicago Tribune]
Lulz: "'No. No, comment,' Kirk said. Asked if he regretted the comment, Kirk responded: 'I do.'" [Politico]
DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - Some questions from a Wisconsin food stamps recipient who said she is disabled and takes care of her adult son: "I personally have enough to worry about and have additional family obligations to tend too, why do I have to constantly defend my honor to politicians and society? Why do I have to be drug tested? What have I done to deserve such contempt and hatred from people that know nothing about me or my situation?" Good questions!
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TODAY IN TERRIBLE SCOOPS - Sources close to Clinton also say she wants to create jobs and that we have the greatest military in the world. Also that hot dogs are awesome. And how about that local sports team of yours?! One last thing: Remember when we kicked ass on D-Day? Amy Chozick: "Hillary Rodham Clinton, at a major outdoor rally planned for Saturday, will directly address concerns that have emerged in the early weeks of her candidacy, telling voters they can trust her to fight for the middle class and stressing that she cares about their problems, several people briefed on her plans say. The speech, at an event shaping up to be the most ambitious public gathering undertaken by the campaign since Mrs. Clinton began her quest for the White House in April, will be shaped by symbolism as she seeks to make the case for why she should be president...Saturday’s event will signal the end of the first phase of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, which mainly featured the former first lady holding round-table discussions with small groups of voters. Mrs. Clinton has said that she has learned a lot from those meetings, but they could come across as scripted and lacking in energy, especially as one rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has already drawn large crowds. In the coming weeks, Mrs. Clinton will present more specific policies, speak to larger audiences and appear at town hall gatherings." [NYT]
THE GOP OBAMACARE ALTERNATIVE? - Great piece of piping hot Cohnbread from Jonathan Cohn: "At this point, the most reliable guide to what Republicans have in mind may be one of the few real pieces of legislation the GOP has produced: 'The Preserving Freedom and Choice in Health Care Act.' While the proposal comes from Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who is not a major player on health care issues, it has 31 co-sponsors. One happens to be Mitch McConnell, the majority leader... Johnson’s bill, introduced in April, is audacious, as brief analyses from researchers at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation have revealed. It would allow the federal government to keep dispersing tax credits in the states where officials don’t run their own exchanges, but only until 2017 and only for people who receive the subsidies already. At the same time, it would eliminate the individual mandate (the requirement that all people get comprehensive insurance or pay a fine) and the requirement that all insurance policies include “essential health benefits” (a category that includes prescription drugs, treatment for mental illness, and maternity care). Johnson’s bill may even weaken regulations that prohibit insurers from denying coverage or charging more to people with pre-existing conditions, although that part of the proposal is open to different interpretations." [HuffPost]
JEB BUSH EVOLVES ON SHAMING, SORT OF? - The new slutshaming "A" would be made of biodegradable hemp and colored with an all-organic scarlet dye. Laura Bassett: "Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Thursday doubled down on controversial comments he made about single parenthood in his 1995 book. 'My views have evolved over time, but my views about the importance of dads being involved in the lives of children hasn't changed at all,' Bush told MSNBC. 'In fact, since 1995 … the country has moved in the wrong direction. We have a 40-plus percent out-of-wedlock birth rate.'" [HuffPost]
Sure, why not: "Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Thursday talked positively about a Republican presidential ticket -- potentially announced even before the first nomination balloting -- that would include himself and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Walker, 47, isn't expected to formally enter the race until early July, after his state has completed a two-year budget plan. Still, he's apparently given some consideration and had discussions already about a potential running mate, with the focus on Rubio." [Bloomberg's John McCormick and Mark Halperin]
THE SENATE LOVES WEED - States Rights: issue at play in marijuana debate or name of Earl Blumenauer's Rusted Root cover band? Matt Ferner: "The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a provision Thursday that would protect medical marijuana operations from federal crackdown in states where the substance is legal. The committee passed the measure, by a vote of 20-10, as an amendment to the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. The amendment blocks the Department of Justice, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, from using appropriated funds to interfere with medical marijuana programs in the states that have legalized the drug for medical purposes. The amendment was offered by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and is a companion to an identical amendment introduced in the House last week from Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.), which passed the chamber overwhelmingly..Unless Congress renews the medical marijuana provision, however, it will expire later this year since it was part of an annual funding bill." [HuffPost]
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's something adorable.
I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON OBAMA, CONTEMPORARY ART EDITION - If this guy were the president's ex he'd have a restraining order slapped on him faster than you can yell "PROTECT THE PRESIDENT!" Kate Sheppard: "At first glance, it’s hard to pick out the details of the two-tone paintings covering the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit in an unbroken grid. Step closer, and you see President Barack Obama looking back from hundreds of canvases. 'The Obama Paintings' exhibition, which opened at MOCAD last month, shows a staggering 2,300 of New York artist Rob Pruitt’s pieces. For the last six years, Pruitt has painted a portrait of Obama for each day he’s been in office to create a record of his presidency. 'I committed myself to tracking the presidency with one painting per day from an unbiased perspective,' Pruitt told The Huffington Post in an email. 'An image of the President deep in thought walking through the Rose Garden is painted with the same attention to detail and mid-range palette as the signing of the [Affordable Care Act].' While some debate the impact and legacy of Obama's presidency, Pruitt busies himself with his day-by-day chronicle." [HuffPost]
COMFORT FOOD
- "Star Wars" mixed with "Ocean's Eleven."
- The most boring viral video ever
TWITTERAMA
@nickbaumann: Can't wait until hipsters get into blogging because it's retro and authentic.
@marincogan: Thrilled to announce I'm launching my next venture: the HOESB4BROS Super PAC
@igorbobic: For what purpose does the compadre with no madre rise?
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