GOP Sure Is Acting Like The Dog That Caught The Car

INSIDE: Rudy ... Kilmeade ... McConnell
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - JUNE 21: Protesters from both sides of the abortion debate wave competing scripture interpretations during a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC., United States on June ... WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - JUNE 21: Protesters from both sides of the abortion debate wave competing scripture interpretations during a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC., United States on June 21, 2022. The Court continues to release opinions as the country awaits a major case decision pertaining to abortion rights. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

On Their Heels?

No one really knows how the politics of abortion will play out in the brave new world of Dobbs. Not in the midterms. Certainly not long term. But early signs point to some GOP squeamishness about the impact of the Supreme Court decision on their midterm prospects.

The GOP defensiveness manifests itself in three ways:

1. Downplaying the impact of Dobbs

TPM: GOP Guvs Brush Off Dobbs

2. Not making Dobbs the centerpiece of their midterm campaigns

WaPo: Republicans tread carefully

3. Loser vibes

Federalist: How To Win The Debate On Abortion In 12 Clear Counterpoints

Go Deeper

Linda Greenhouse: Requiem for the Supreme Court

Heather Cox Richardson: Dobbs defenders insist it does not outlaw abortion

Some Historical Perspective

About Those Exceptions

Politico: In states that allow abortion for rape and incest, finding a doctor may prove impossible

Protests All Weekend

CNN: Tear gas used to disperse protesters outside Arizona Capitol

The Cut: Truck driver ran into pro-choice protesters in Iowa

The Latest Polling

CBS has the first major poll since Dobbs:

Providence Punch

TPM: GOP Candidate Drops Out After Alleged Assault On Dem Rival At Abortion Rights Rally

Oops

TPM: GOP Rep Draws Backlash After Praising Overturn Of Roe As ‘Victory Of White Life’

Must Reads

Jeff Sharlet for Vanity Fair: January 6 Was Only The Beginning

Ron Brownstein for The Atlantic: America Is Growing Apart, Possibly for Good

Rick Hasen for NYT: No One Is Above the Law, and That Starts With Donald Trump

Paying The Price For Stepping Out Of Line

House GOPers who showed a glimmer of anti-Trump spine face serious blowback in their re-election campaigns. But it’s probably not the defining vote you’re thinking about! The WaPo with a good little story on the GOP members who voted for a Jan. 6 commission and are now paying the price. Remember: The Jan. 6 commission never came to be and instead Nancy Pelosi created the select committee that Kevin McCarthy boycotted.

Welcome To The Party, NYT!

The paper of record discovers the The Strange Tale of Tina Peters

If You’ve Lost Kilmeade …

The Fox and Friends host says Trump was “unhinged” and angry between Election Day and Jan. 6:  “So I think how you lose in life defines who you are, and even if there are things that bother you, welcome to the world.”

Rudy Assaulted?

The NYT headline captures the absurdist quality to this weekend’s kerfuffle: Rudy Giuliani Smacked on Back While Campaigning on Staten Island

The NYPost goes all Zapruder with the surveillance video.

McConnell’s Calculation

President Biden signed the most significant gun control in a generation Saturday. How did Mitch McConnell get on board with such a thing? Partially by defining the bill as a solution not for gun violence but for mental health and school safety. But it’s a bit more complicated:

Making The Rounds

From Sarah Huckabee Sanders victory speech last month:

Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know!

Latest Morning Memo
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: