[the media] write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass. But she’s got to be young and beautiful.”
• Trump once sent NYT columnist Gail Collins a copy of something she had written about him with her picture circled and “The face of a dog!” written over it. In a 2006 book, he wrote of women as objectified collectibles: “Beauty and elegance, whether in a woman, a building or a work of art is not just superficial or something pretty to see.”
• In 2012, he tweeted that HuffPo founder Arianna Huffington is “unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.” Huffington’s ex-husband, former Rep Michael Huffington (R-Calif) came out as gay after their divorce
• Thursday night, Kelly said to Trump, “You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. ” Apparently amused, Trumps said he was referring to Rosie O’Donnell. Kelly said that he once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would a pretty picture to see her on her knees.”
• Trump threatened Kelly: “Honestly, Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.” (so a liar as well as a misogynist)
29 Top Scientists Praise Iran Deal in Letter to Obama (NYT, TRNS, me)
• Twenty-nine of the nation’s top scientists – including six Nobel laureates, veterans of nuclear arms and former WH science advisers – wrote to President Obama Saturday to praise the Iran deal, calling it innovative and stringent
• The letter may give the WH arguments a boost after the blow Obama suffered Thursday when Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY), among the most influential Jewish voices in Congress, announced he would oppose the deal, which calls for Iran to curb its nuclear program and allow inspections in return for an end to international oil and financial sanctions
• In a technical judgment that seemed more ominous than some other assessment’s of Tehran’s nuclear capability, the letter says that Iran, before curbing its nuclear program during the long negotiations, was “only a few weeks” away from having fuel for nuclear weapons (that’s major – conventional wisdom is about two to three months)
•The deal’s plan for resolving disputes, the letter says, greatly mitigates “concerns about clandestine activities.” It hails the 24-day cap on Iranian delays to site investigations as “unprecedented,” adding that the agreement “will allow effective challenge inspection for the suspected activities of greatest concern.”
• The letter notes criticism that the Iran accord, after 10 years, will let Tehran potentially develop nuclear arms without constraint. “In contrast,” it says, “we find that the deal includes important long-term verification procedures that last until 2040 and others that last indefinitely.”
• President Obama doubled down in a CNN interview aired Sunday on his comparison of Republicans with Iranian hardliners. “What I said is absolutely true, factually. The truth of the matter is, inside of Iran, the people most opposed to the deal are the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, hardliners who are implacably opposed to any cooperation with the international community.”(TRNS, Hill)
Report: Problems with Controls of Health Exchanges (WSJ, me)
• Some consumers who got health coverage or subsidies through healthcare.gov might not have been eligible to receive them last year because of deficiencies in the federal exchange’s internal controls, according to a Health and Human Services’ Office of the IG report to be released today – likely to cause Republicans to fume
• The report notes that without properly verifying eligibility and resolving inconsistencies, the federal exchange couldn’t ensure that applicants met requirements for subsidies or that subsidies were the right amount, based on audits and in a review of two different samples of 45 applicants – doesn’t necessarily mean the exchange improperly enrolled applicants
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which implements the health law, said in comments attached to the report, that it has taken or will undertake steps to improve the vetting process. The IG found that applicants’ Social Security numbers weren’t always validated and that citizenship, family size and household income weren’t always verified
• The findings come on the heels of a July report by the GAO that found 11 fictitious applications submitted in an undercover operation were able to maintain coverage and re-enroll in 2015 on the federal exchange
• Meaghan Smith, a CMS spox, said multiple safeguards are used to verify eligibility, resulting in the termination of coverage for about 226,000 individuals as of the end of March 2015 who failed to properly verify their citizenship or immigration status. She said tax credits were adjusted for hundreds of thousands of others
• A family of six children and two parents were mostly handcuffed and all were fatally shot in the head at a Houston home by a man with a violent criminal history who had previously been in a contentious relationship with the mother. Question: Did he acquire the gun legally or how did he get it? Not seen reporting on that so far (AP, me)
RedState Convention: 5 Takeaways (Politico, me)
• 1) Remember that Donald Trump had been disinvited. This was Ted Cruz turf. Many candidates got enthusiastic receptions, but Sen Cruz (Texas) basked in several sustained standing ovations and chants of “Ted! Ted! Ted!” In talks with around 20 participants,, nearly everyone mentioned him as a candidate under consideration – most had him as one of top two choices
• 2) Keep an eye on Scott Walker in the South. After Cruz, Gov Scott Walker (Wis) was one of the most talked about candidates of the weekend. Attendees, many of them Southerners from right to work states themselves, expressed admiration for his work taking on unions in the Midwest as well as his record of winning elections
• 3) Bush held his own in hostile territory. Former Gov Bush’s (Fla) high-energy performance Saturday was a marked contrast with his lackluster debate performance, and he was well-received. He didn’t convert many attendees, but showed he could hold his own in deeply conservative territory
• 4) Lots of Carly Fiorina fans, but not necessarily Fiorina voters. The former Hewlett-Packard CEO delivered a well-received speech, and earned some of the loudest applause of the day when she slammed Hillary Clinton for “lying” about Benghazi and about her email practices. But no one named her as a first choice (veep? Gov Nikki Haley (SC) is also a possible)
• 5) The Trump tide may be turning. By Saturday evening, many attendees were expressing regret at best, fury at worst, over Donald Trump’s Friday evening attack on Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. There was a sense that the attacks broke through in a way that previous controversial remarks didn’t, suggesting that he’d crossed a conservative activist line (will be apologize?)
• Frank Gifford, star football player and later an ABC broadcaster, died over the weekend of natural causes, aged 84. Gifford won the 1956 NFL title with the New York Giants and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977. Gifford made 367 catches for 5,434 yards with 43 touchdowns, whilst also running for 3,609 yards and 34 touchdowns
Clinton to Propose “New College Compact” (AP, WSJ, me)
• Calling for a “new college compact,” Hillary Clinton today will unveil a $350 billion plan aimed at making college more affordable and reducing the crushing burden of student debt. The plan, a main plank of her policy platform, is an effort to address a major financial stress for many American families and satisfy the Democratic Party’s liberal wing – (may not work)
• At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, the state with the highest average student debt in the country, Clinton will propose steps to reduce the cost of four-year public schools, make two-year community colleges tuition-free and cut student loan interest rates, according to campaign aides
• The proposal centers on a $200 billion federal incentive system aimed at encouraging states to expand their investments in higher education and cut student costs. States that guarantee “no loan” tuition at four-year public schools and free tuition at community colleges will be eligible to receive federal funds
• In May Sen Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) released his own plan that would eliminate tuition and fees for public universities. The $70 billion annual proposal would be funded by imposing a tax on transactions by hedge funds, investment houses and other Wall Street firms. (Clinton’s plan – below – requires payment from families and students – liberals won’t be impressed)
• While military veterans, lower-income students and those who complete a national service program like Americorps would go to school for free in the Clinton plan, others would incur costs for schooling and living expenses. For most students, their families will still be expected to make a “realistic” contribution, and students will contribute wages from 10 hours of work a week
• Hillary Clinton has told a federal judge that she’s turned over all of her work-related emails to the State Dept after she was ordered to certify that she had done so. This follows District Judge Emmet Sullivan ordering Clinton and two former aides to state under penalty of perjury that they have produced all govt records in their possession (CNN)
Sanders Shut Down, Then Addresses Big Crowd (Politico, Hill, me)
• After being driven off the stage Saturday afternoon, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed the issue later before a crowd of about 12,000 at the University of Washington. Sanders was interrupted at a Seattle park by activists from Black Lives Matter, who demanded the opportunity to speak about police brutality against African Americans
• Sanders’ campaign allowed the activists to speak – they also sought moments of silence for Michael Brown. When Sanders, amid some confusion, tried to regain the mic, he was unable to do so. The protester who spoke identified herself as Marissa Johnson. She called out “white progressives” for lack of action on Black Lives Matter
• At that point, Sanders waved to the crowd and left the stage, greeting some attendees. Some of the crowd was audibly restless as the protesters spoke, with some people chanting: “Let Bernie speak.” Others said “let her talk.” Some shouts of “arrest her” were audible.” (Sanders has a bit of a problem with African American voters; doesn’t seem to get it)
• Johnson said, “Bernie says that he’s all about the people and about grassroots. The biggest grassroots movement in this country right now is Black Lives Matter.” She said later that Sanders had been confronted by activists at NetRoots Nation. “You have yet to put out a criminal justice reform package like [former Gov Martin] O’Malley did.”
• Speaking Saturday night, Sanders said, “No president will fight harder to end institutional racism and reform criminal justice system. Too many lives have been destroyed by [the] war on drugs, by incarceration; we need to educate people. We need to put people to work.” Sanders spoke Sunday night to c. 19,000 people in Portland, about income inequality and other issues
