DSCC BESTS NRSC IN JUNE, FIRST HALF OF YEAR FUNDRAISING. The DSCC reported another strong fundraising month, raising $5.6 million in June, $1.5 million more than the NRSC, and reporting $8.9 cash-on-hand, $2.4 million more than the NRSC. The DSCC has now outraised the NRSC in four out of six months this cycle despite being in the minority, and has already outraised the NRSC by a total of $3 million this cycle — $27 million to $23.9 million.
Roll Call: NRCC, DSCC Tops In June Fundraising
The Hill: Senate Dems Outraise GOP In June
Washington Examiner: Senate Democrats Outraise Republicans By $1.5 Million In June
RON JOHNSON DOES HIS BEST MARK KIRK IMPRESSION – “IDIOT INNER CITY KIDS,” “CLOWN SHOW HEARING,” FAKE OBAMA PHOTO. So far this cycle, Mark Kirk has safely held on to his title as senator with the most offensive rhetoric, but this week, Ron Johnson gave him a run for his money. On a Milwaukee Radio show this week, Johnson made a comment referring to “idiot inner city kids.” It should be hard to outdo Mark Kirk’s first few months of racist, sexist and inflammatory remarks, but Ron Johnson is already well on his way. WATCH WGBA TV explain how he’s “taking some heat” for the comments.
But that wasn’t all that happened on this week’s edition of Ron Johnson’s farewell tour…
JOHNSON SHOWS ENERGY SECRETARY WHO THE REAL “IDIOT” IS. In a much maligned display of foolishness, Johnson lectured Energy Secretary and MIT physicist Ernest Moniz on a “nonsense science fiction ‘threat.’”
Vox: The Clown Show That Was The Senate Iran Hearing, In One Tweet
“Johnson is the senior senator from Wisconsin and a Republican. Ernest Moniz is the secretary of energy and one of the lead US negotiators on the Iran deal. Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons are a nonsense science fiction “threat… Johnson’s line of questioning, to a top-of-his-field nuclear physicist, is a little like asking Neil Armstrong if he thinks the moon landing might have been faked.”
MSNBC: Ron Johnson Flubs Another Test
“Today, however, seemed to reach a new low… Johnson, who Republicans also made chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, took the opportunity to lecture Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, an M.I.T. physicist, on “electro-magnetic pulse weapons.” … Right-wing chatter about EMP weapons is quite foolish and this nonsense has no place in a Senate debate over international nuclear policy.”
BUZZFEED UNCOVERS FORGED IMAGE IN PRO-JOHNSON AD. Because Ron Johnson refuses to sign the Badger Pledge to bar outside special interest groups from spending in Wisconsin, an outside ad supporting Johnson used a fake image of President Obama ansd the Iranian President.
FOLLOWING KIRK’S LATEST MELTDOWN, SABATO MOVES #ILSEN TO LEANS DEMOCRATIC. Last week, Mark Kirk doubled down on invoking Hitler to describe the Iran deal and called the President “Barack Hussein Obama” while accusing him of wanting to get nuclear weapons to Iran. So was anyone surprised when Larry Sabato moved the race from “Toss-Up” to “Leans Democratic?”
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: A Small Senate Battlefield
“Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) has a serious mountain to climb if he wants to hold onto the seat he won in 2010.”
“Using a poor choice of words once is one thing; doing so repeatedly — he recently said Obama wants “to get nukes to Iran” — has become all too common for Kirk. Part of the reason we’re moving Illinois now — after all, Kirk’s coattail problem is not new — is that we feel Kirk needs to run a near-perfect race to win, and he has not shown that ability thus far.”
Meanwhile back home…Kirk gets raked over the coals by two home-state editorial boards:
Southern Illinoisian: Illinois Will Pay For Mark Kirk’s Nonsense
Mark Kirk suddenly has more in common with your unhinged uncle than a deliberative member of the U.S. Senate.
Illinoisans thought they elected a center-right fiscal conservative. They instead got the love child of Michele Bachmann and Ted Cruz, a man more concerned with making a name within his party’s fringe than representing his constituents. And Kirk’s erratic, self-isolating behavior only hurts the state he’s supposed to represent.
Kirk is one of a growing number of political hacks whose rhetoric solely resides within the lowest common denominator.
The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus: Perhaps It’s Time Sen. Kirk Took A Bit Of His Own Advice
Not so easily dismissed, however, are the same kinds of intemperate remarks when they are delivered by an experienced, sitting U.S. senator who also has shown a disturbing and surprising propensity for making them in recent months.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk has been busily cementing his reputation as political loose cannon, most recently by all but declaring President Obama a traitor to the United States over the proposed nuclear weapons deal with Iran.
The comments, as over-the-top as they are, might have been easier to dismiss if inappropriate public pronouncement hadn’t become so common for Mr. Kirk.
WATCH: And in case you’ve missed any of Mark Kirk’s most offensive moments, check out this recap from Team Duckworth.
THINK JEB! IS BAD ON MEDICARE? VULNERABLE GOP SENATORS ARE WORSE. As Jeb! Bush admitted he wants to phase out Medicare this week, here’s a quick reminder that vulnerable GOP senators Rob Portman, Kelly Ayotte, Pat Toomey, Mark Kirk, Richard Burr and Roy Blunt have taken their radical ideas even furtherby actually voting to end Medicare as we know it.
IN THE STATES:
FLORIDA – FIVE’S A CROWD IN MESSY, NASTY PRIMARY. With David Jolly officially announcing his bid for Senate, the grand expected total in the messy, crowded Republican primary climbs to five. Reaction to Jolly’s announcement gives a sense of just how nasty the GOP primary will be – not to mention, outside groups are already getting involved and taking sides. Grab your popcorn, folks!
INDIANA – GOP PRIMARY GETS NASTY. In a sign that the messy GOP primary in Indiana will only get nastier – Club for Growth is already getting involved and taking sides by boosting Marlin Stutzman’s campaign.
NORTH CAROLINA – CHARLOTTE OBSERVER ON BURR’S VULNERABILITY. A must read from the weekend – Charlotte Observer’s Jim Morrill lists three big reasonswhy “Republicans might not want to get over confident” about their chances in the North Carolina Senate race.
WISCONSIN – FEINGOLD TRAVELING THE STATE WHILE JOHNSON IMPLODES. While Johnson implodes (see above), Russ Feingold has been making his way around Wisconsin as he continues his tour of every county in the state.
MISSOURI – KANDER CONTINUES GETTING RESULTS FOR MISSOURI FAMILIES. Secretary of State Jason Kander has recovered $50,000 in restitution from a broker-dealer firm.
TWEET OF THE WEEK: This week’s tweet goes to Jonathan Weisman, who highlighted the absurdity of Ron Johnson’s line of questioning to Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz yesterday: @jonathanweisman: “Now Sen. Ron Johnson is lecturing MIT physicist Ernest Moniz on electro-magnetic pulse weapons.”
