memeorandum: Begich's big decision: Challenge Murkowski? (Manu Raju/Politico)

9:35 AM ET, May 6, 2015

Top Items:

Nick Gass / Politico:

New Iowa poll: Scott Walker leads, Jeb Bush in 7th place — The latest Iowa polling numbers are great news for Scott Walker, and terrible news for Jeb Bush. — The Wisconsin governor retains his advantage among Iowa Republican caucus-goers, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Week and Bloomberg Business

John McCormick / Bloomberg Business:

Scott Walker Keeps Lead as Jeb Bush Struggles in Latest Iowa Polling — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker continues to lead prospective and declared 2016 Republican candidates in Iowa, while former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has lost ground, a Quinnipiac University poll shows.

Discussion: Yahoo Politics

Quinnipiac News + Events:

Release Detail — May 6, 2015 - Walker In Front Of Pack In Iowa GOP Caucus, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; At 5%, Bush Is A Distant Seventh — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is the top dog with a big early lead in the Iowa Republican Caucus, with a four-way scramble for second place …

Discussion: New York Times and Washington Post

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:

Conservatives Keep Pouring Fuel On The Texas Takeover Fire — The Pentagon has no plans to stage a military takeover of the Lone Star state. There are no tunnels covertly being constructed under West Texas' shuttered Wal-Mart stores. — So why are the fringes of the Internet still abuzz …

Discussion: The Texas Tribune, Trail Blazers Blog and The Daily Banter

Gohmert:

Gohmert Statement on Jade Helm Exercises — Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement on the ‘Jade Helm 15’ exercises scheduled to take place in Texas and various other states: — “Over the past few weeks, my office has been inundated with calls referring …

Discussion: National Journal, Trail Blazers Blog, Bloomberg Business and CNN

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
Louie Gohmert Sounds The Alarm About Possible Military Takeover Of Texas

Discussion: Daily Kos, Politico and Obsidian Wings

CBC News:

Alberta election 2015 results: NDP wave sweeps across province in historic win — Wildrose Party, led by newly elected leader Brian Jean, once again Alberta's Official Opposition — It's a massive shock that turns Canadian politics on its head: the NDP has won a majority government in Alberta.

Discussion: New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Political Wire and The Week

Rebecca Shabad / The Hill:

Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority — Congressional Republicans scored a major legislative victory on Tuesday as the Senate adopted the first bicameral GOP budget agreement in a decade. — The 51-48 vote capped weeks of work by Republican leaders in the House and Senate …

Discussion: Hot Air and Politico

Rachael Bade / Politico:
Republicans finally get their budget

Discussion: Wall Street Journal

Jordain Carney / The Hill:
Corker expects ‘overwhelming vote’ on Iran bill Thursday

Discussion: McClatchy Washington Bureau, The Huffington Post, RT and Daily Kos

New York Times:

Hillary Clinton's Appeal Survives Scrutiny, Poll Says — Hillary Rodham Clinton appears to have initially weathered a barrage of news about her use of a private email account when she was secretary of state and the practices of her family's foundation, an indication that she is starting …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Week, The Daily Banter, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Taylor Marsh, The Moderate Voice, OnPolitics, Wall Street Journal and Politico

Jose A. DelReal / Washington Post:
Here's what we know about the Democratic primary debates

Discussion: Business Insider, Liberal Values, The Reaction and TIME

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

McCain in Big Trouble for GOP Primary — John McCain's troubles with conservatives have him in a whole lot of trouble for reelection next year. Even among Republican primary voters just 41% approve of the job he's doing to 50% who disapprove. Only 37% of primary voters say they generally support …

Discussion: Political Wire and Balloon Juice

Annie Karni / Politico:

Warren met privately with ‘Draft Warren’ supporters — The Massachusetts senator recently huddled with progressives affiliated with the campaign urging her to run for president. Her office insists she was unaware of any connection. — Elizabeth Warren says she has no intention of jumping into the 2016 race.

Discussion: Political Wire and The Daily Caller

Los Angeles Times:

Texas attack refocuses attention on fine line between free speech and hate speech — Pamela Geller is a 56-year-old Jewish arch-conservative from New York, a vehement critic of radical Islam who organized a provocative $10,000 cartoon contest in this placid Dallas suburb designed to caricature the prophet Muhammad.

Discussion: BREITBART.COM, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Vox, Outside the Beltway and NPR

David Weigel / Bloomberg Business:
Republicans Tread Carefully as Islamic State Claims Credit for Texas Shooting

Discussion: Geert Wilders, Washington Monthly, Post On Politics and Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic:
The Dangerous Myths Surrounding Charlie Hebdo

Discussion: New York Times, First Reading, USA Today and Hot Air, more at Mediagazer »

Mike Allen / Politico:

Exclusive: Bill De Blasio plans ‘Contract with America’ for left — NYC's mayor will unveil his ‘Progressive Agenda’ next week at the U.S. Capitol. — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, using his muscular perch to try to nudge the national Democratic Party to the left, next week will unveil …

Discussion: The Week

Paul Mirengoff / Power Line:

A sign of things to come in the Democratic party — Last night at a public hearing on the budget in Prince George's County, Maryland, a flyer with the following headline was circulated: … The flyer goes on to attack the “Israel lobby,” which allegedly is using Black politicians to split …

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Instapundit and The Gateway Pundit

Kirsten Powers / USA Today:

‘Safe-space’ America dangerous to dissenters — Accusations of hate speech are so mainstream, they scare or force opponents into silence — Christina Hoff Sommers has been speaking on college campuses for two decades challenging students to embrace what she calls “equity feminism” over “gender feminism.”

Discussion: Hot Air

Nicole Haas / BizPac Review:

FLOTUS plays race card: Museums are for white people — First lady Michelle Obama used a speech Monday that was supposed to be celebrating the opening of a new museum to instead dig deeper the racial divide that's been growing ever wider during her husband's presidency.

Discussion: protein wisdom and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Brendan James / Talking Points Memo:

Lindsey Graham: Everything That Starts With ‘Al-’ In Middle East Is Bad — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is not a linguist. — “Everything that starts with ‘Al’ in the Middle East is bad news,” Graham said at a dinner in Boston on Monday with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to investigative journalist Uri Blau.

Discussion: The Week

Haaretz:
Senator Lindsey Graham: Everything that starts with ‘Al’ in the Mideast is bad news

Discussion: Mediaite, Vox, Washington Post and rubber hose

Manu Raju / Politico:

Begich's big decision: Challenge Murkowski? — With Obama off the ballot in 2016, Begich could mount a serious challenge against Murkowski. — Mark Begich nearly withstood the anti-Obama wave last year, losing his Senate seat by just 2 points to Dan Sullivan in the deep red state of Alaska.

Discussion: Political Wire

Rachel Shapiro / Staten Island Advance:

Staten Island special election 2015: Dan Donovan wins Congress seat — Republican District Attorney Daniel Donovan has won Tuesday's special election and is going to be Staten Island's new congressman. (Staff-Shot) — STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Republican District Attorney Daniel Donovan …

Rachel Feintzeig / Wall Street Journal:

The 40-Hour Work Week Is a Thing of the Past — The phrase “nine to five” is becoming an anachronism. — About half of all managers work more than 40 hours a week, according to a new survey from tax and consulting firm EY, and 39% report that their hours have increased in the past five years.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Wall Street Journal:

‘Flash Crash’ Overhaul Is Snarled in Red Tape — Five years after market meltdown, effort to prevent a repeat drags far behind schedule — Five years after the 2010 “flash crash,” are markets and regulators better prepared? WSJ's Bradley Hope joins the News Hub. — By

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg View, ValueWalk, New York Times and The Big Picture

Rick Perry / Wall Street Journal:

Why I'm Changing My Mind and Opposing the Ex-Im Bank — There are better ways to help businesses flourish. For starters, cut the sky-high U.S. corporate tax rate. — During the 14 years I served as governor of Texas, I made job growth the highest priority of my administration.

Discussion: RedState and Washington Free Beacon

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:

3 reasons why Huckabee 2016 will be a bust — In 2008, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee surprised many Beltway pundits by coming out of nowhere on a shoestring budget to win the Iowa caucuses and finish as the runner-up to eventual nominee John McCain in the delegate count.

Discussion: Betsy's Page and Hot Air

Kate Irby / Bradenton Herald:

Couple found guilty of having sex on Bradenton Beach — MANATEE — After only 15 minutes of deliberation, a jury Monday found a couple guilty of having sex on Bradenton Beach. — The convictions carry maximum prison sentences of 15 years. — Jose Caballero, 40, and Elissa Alvarez, 20 …

Discussion: NBC News and Raw Story