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From The Reporter's Notebook
Newswriter Caitlin Cruz wrote about an extended interview given by Monique Pressley, the lawyer for comedian Bill Cosby, about sexual assault allegations against him. In addition to saying Cosby did not prevent any women from coming forward, she disputed the use of quaaludes as a sedative to facilitate rape. Her legal strategy of framing the conversation in terms of criminal prosecution is smart, as the statute of limitations is up in most cases.
Agree or Disagree?
Brian Murphy thinks presidential candidate Chris Christie’s recent effort to rebrand as a champion of commuters is one of those stunning reversals that can only happen in the context of an ailing presidential campaign.
Say What?!
“Yeah, we didn’t want our daughters to marry you and we didn’t want our children to go to school with you,” he said. “But you’ve got to realize something, your parents didn’t want it, either.”
– A participant in a pro-Confederate flag rally spoke to some black counter-protestors about how their ancestors also supported segregation.
BUZZING: Today in the Hive
From a TPM Prime member: "The basic purpose of a political party is to manage elections. The RNC no longer controls funding for Presidential candidates – that has moved to the big-time donors. The infrastructure of elections (the mailing lists) are also largely held by PACs and big-time donors and the RNC has been begging to get control of them, largely unsuccessfully. The debates that are make or break for lesser funded candidates, are managed by Fox “News” in terms of who gets on the stage and who gets the children’s table. Social media now allows anyone to self-declare what purports to be the GOP position. Individual Senators make foreign policy on their own (e.g. Tom Cotton) and lock in the GOP leadership. And, most importantly, significant segments of the GOP base have no use for establishment politicians who compromise (meaning, “govern”) in collaboration with the other side. We will see as the convention nears, but it’s not clear to me right now that the GOP leadership has the ability or credibility to drive this effort."
Related: Josh Marshall on the GOP's many divisions.
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What We're Reading
Jon Stewart is an American hero. (The New Yorker)
Why do people run for president even though they can't possibly win? (National Journal)
Recent border-crossers say they're being increasingly coerced into wearing ankle monitors. (L.A. Times)
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