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Hillary Clinton Tries To Win Over Skeptical Pakistan
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a new set of aid projects for Pakistan, worth $500 million, in an effort to convince the country of American interest in them. “Of course there is a legacy of suspicion that we inherited. It is not going to be eliminated overnight,” said Clinton. “It is however our goal to slowly but surely demonstrate that the United States is concerned about Pakistan for the long term and that our partnership goes far beyond security against our common enemies.”

Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver a statement to the press at 10:30 a.m. ET about the economy. He will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10:45 a.m. ET and the economic daily briefing at 11:15 a.m. ET., and will meet at 12 p.m. ET with senior advisers. At 1:40 p.m. ET, he will welcome the WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury to the White House. He will meet at 2:05 p.m. ET with former Sen. John Glenn (D-OH). At 7 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will attend the White House Music Series event saluting Broadway, where the president will deliver remarks.

Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend an event at 12:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Congressional candidate Bryan Lentz. He will meet in the afternoon with senior advisers. At 5:30 p.m. ET, he will attend an event for Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD) in Baltimore, Maryland.

Up-And-Coming Conservative Candidates Shy Away From Media Analysis
The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz writes: “Some of the most conservative and combative Republicans running for Congress are convinced that the media have it in for them. But these candidates seem to regard it as an affront when reporters challenge them on their past statements and inconsistencies, which is a basic function of journalism. They are avoiding or limiting interviews with all but the friendliest faces as a way of circumventing the press. And some of them delight in skewering the mainstream media, a tactic that plays well with their base.”

Democrats Consider Life in the Minority
Roll Call reports: “It’s the nightmare scenario House Democrats don’t want to talk about: a potential leadership bloodbath if they lose the majority. The minority offers one fewer leadership slot, which would make for a messy post-election scenario in which Democrats already would be reeling from defeat. Unless Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) or another leader falls on his or her sword, a high-profile leadership fight would be all but guaranteed.”

Palace Intrigue Intensifies For GOP
Politico reports: “The growing belief that Republicans could win control of the House has set off a frenzy of behind-the-scenes jockeying for top leadership jobs — and created new tensions for those currently holding them. At the top, Minority Leader John Boehner is a slam-dunk to become speaker if Republicans do prevail. But many of the Ohio Republican’s allies are nervously eyeing Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the No. 2 leader, believing he is positioning himself to run the party if it falls short in November.”

Chances Of Campaign Finance Bill Affecting Midterms Dim
The Hill reports: “Democrats’ chances of passing campaign-finance legislation they had hoped would affect this year’s elections are dimming, as key senators have expressed concerns about the measure’s timing. A spokesman for Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a GOP champion of stricter campaign-finance rules in the past, said the senator thinks other legislation should be prioritized before the August recess.”

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