Dems Rally Around Markey in MA; NJ SEN Field Takes Shape; McDonnell Investigation Goes to Grand Jury

National Journal

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WHAT'S NEWS

  • "The individual responsible" for leaking details of NSA surveillance of Americans is Edward Snowden, "a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton." The British newspaper The Guardian, "after several days of interviews, is revealing his identity at his request" (London Guardian). The WH "said late Sunday that it would not have any comment on the matter, and a spokesperson for the Office of the dir. of Nat'l Intel "said the intelligence community is 'reviewing the damage' the leaks have done" (Washington Post).

  • Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Sunday "he wants to mount" a SCOTUS challenge "to the federal government logging Americans' phone calls and Internet activities" (Fox News).

  • MA SEN Special: TV Ads released Friday from the DSCC and Majority PAC accuse ex-Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez (R) of wanting to raise the retirement age and cut Social Security benefits, messages similar to those run against just about every GOP SEN candidate last year (Hotline reporting). VP Biden, Al Gore and Vicki Kennedy are "planning to headline" a DC fundraiser for Rep. Edward Markey (D) Tuesday night (Boston Globe).

  • NJ SEN Special: Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) "officially announced his candidacy" on Saturday (Newark Star-Ledger). Rep. Frank Pallone (D) "plans to announce" his bid on Monday, and state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D) told Dem leaders Sunday night "she planned to run, a source said" (Philadelphia Inquirer). A new Quinnipiac Univ. poll of Dem RVs, conducted 6/6-9, shows Booker leading Rep. Rush Holt (D) in the primary, 53-10%, with Pallone at 9%. Among all RVs, Booker (54-27%), Holt (36-31%) and Pallone (39-29%) all lead '09 GOV candidate Steve Lonegan (R) (release).

  • NJ GOV '13: A new Quinnipiac Univ. poll of RVs, conducted 6/6-9, shows Gov. Chris Christie (R) leading state Sen. Barbara Buono (D), 59-29%. In the previous poll, conducted 4/19-22, Christie led Buono, 58-26% (release).

  • IA GOV: A new Des Moines Register poll of LVs, conducted 6/2-5, shows Gov. Terry Branstad (R) leading state Sen. Jack Hatch (D), 55-27% (release).

  • MD GOV: AG Doug Gansler (D), who "is not likely to formally announce his campaign until fall," "said Friday that he has hired a campaign manager," Carrie Glenn (Washington Post).

  • PA GOV: Ex-state Dept. of Environmental Protection Sec. Katie McGinty (D) named ex-Rep. Mark Critz mgr. Mike Mikus as her campaign mgr. (release).

  • WI GOV: Rep. Ron Kind (D) said Friday night "he has pretty much ruled out a run" (Wisconsin Radio Network).

  • DC Mayor '14: Councilmember Jack Evans (D) "became the latest entrant in the city's burgeoning mayoral race," making his "announcement Saturday outside the recently opened Le Diplomate bistro" on 14th St. NW. (Washington Post).

OUR CALL

Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day

• We got a hint late last week of the politics that will come into play this week as immigration reform takes over the Senate when vulnerable Republican Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Jeff Denham (R-CA) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) voted against Rep. Steve King's (R-IA) deportation amendment, and vulnerable Dems John Barrow (D-GA), Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Nick Rahall (D-WV) voted in favor. We'll pay most attention to any Senate amendments that divide Rubio, Paul and Cruz this week -- those are the votes that will show up in mailers in IA, SC and NH in a few years.

• Little-known NYC mayoral candidates Sal Albanese (D) and George McDonald (R) are publicly taking shots at former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) over the scandal that led to his resignation from the House, but Weiner's main rivals for the Democratic nomination mostly have kept quiet on the issue. Expect that to change if Weiner is still in second place in the polls as the Sept. primary draws closer.

• Pennsylvania's crowded Dem GOV field is concentrated in the state's eastern half, but one prominent Western Pennsylvanian has just joined the fray. Mikus showed he has his finger on regional Dems' pulse when guiding the Critz campaign to a primary upset over Jason Altmire last year, and it's worth keeping an eye on McGinty's western connection as the field tries to reach out to the other side of the state.

HAIR OF THE DOG

FRESH BREWED BUZZ

  • VA state Del. David Ramadan (R) "has confirmed that he's been called to appear next month as a witness before a federal grand jury as part of an investigation related to" Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), "the first public indication of the impaneling of a grand jury" in the McDonnell case, "a significant escalation in the investigation" (Washington Post).

  • "I may have a primary; there is not any chance I'm going to lose a primary" -- Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell (Politico).

  • For the upcoming GA SEN GOP primary, Rep. Jack Kingston has hired a political consultant "for the first time in his career" (Savannah Morning News).

  • "It will be a challenge to hold that seat. I understand that. Our state demographics have changed" -- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), on the race to succeed Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) (Bloomberg News).

  • Ex-MA Gov./ex-U.S. Amb. to Canada Paul Cellucci (R), "who died Saturday after a five-year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, will be honored at the State House on Thursday and laid to rest on Friday" (Boston Globe).

  • "There is no Mo Cowan legacy" -- Sen. Mo Cowan (D-MA), who will be leaving the Senate later this month "with little more than an asterisk on the congressional record" (Boston Globe).

  • NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), "who has been publicly supportive of the embattled" state Aseembly speaker, Sheldon Silver (D), "is getting closer to his breaking point with ... Silver, insiders say" (New York Daily News).

  • "I sleep very well. I can survive it [in prison]. The only thing I'll be missing is my brandy and my cigarettes" -- Ex-NY state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D), who faces a year and a day in prison for stealing $88K "from a nonprofit group she controlled." Huntley turned "the family room of her Queens home into a sound stage for the feds to secretly record elected officials," though she "never got a cooperation deal from the feds" (New York Daily News).

  • Dick Cheney "will be shooting" for WY and in the One Shot Antelope Hunt, "co-hosted" by CO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) and WY Gov. Matt Mead (R) (AP).

  • "Did you see Roger Wicker rocking out?" -- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), as Wicker danced with an umbrella at a New Orleans-style "second line" at last week's Radio & Television Cong. Correspondents' Dinner (Jackson Clarion-Ledger).

SWIZZLE CHALLENGE

  • 30 people are holding telephones to their ears on the inside of the gatefold cover of 10CC's 1976 album, "How Dare You!"

  • That one stumped the Wake-Up Call! community, so here's a bonus Swizzle Challenge: "MD-based jockey Rosie Napravnik became the first woman to ride in all three Triple Crown races in the same year on Saturday. But who is the only woman ever to win a Triple Crown race?" The 4th correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.

NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

SHOT...

"I'm a huge Mets [fan], it's like me telling you the Mets are going to win the World Series. Promise you the Mets are going to win the World Series. No, they are last place or second-to-last place. So [House Maj. Whip] Kevin McCarthy has no credibility on that" -- DCCC Chair Steve Israel, responding to McCarthy's efforts to win back House seats in CA (Buzzfeed).

...CHASER

"He wanted to see poverty, so he came to see my team" -- Then-Mets manager Casey Stengel, on Lyndon Johnson in '64.

Reid Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

Steven Shepard, Executive Editor