Wiretap: Candidates gripe about big money in politics

The Benjamins

If you want to know how bad big money is in presidential politics these days, all you have to do is listen to Republican presidential candidates complaining about it. Start with Lindsey Graham (yes, he’s running for president), who says there’s “going to be a need and a movement” to do something about politics and money. Even Ted Cruz says that running for president means you have to “surgically disconnect your shame sensor.” Via The Atlantic.

No winning

Even if Hillary Clinton wins, she still can’t win, writes Amanda Taub at Vox. And if you don’t understand why, all you have to do is read a Maureen Dowd column. Any Dowd column will do, but this one especially.

A rock and a hard place

The Clinton conundrum: Can she keep the Bill Clinton Democratic coalition and the Barack Obama Democratic coalition at the same time? And if she tries, can she keep either? Via The National Journal.

Sky Walker

Keep this to yourself, but guess who the Koch brothers like? Yes, that’s right: Scott Walker. Now the question is whether they’ll show Walker the love, or the money, in the GOP primary. Via The New York Times.

Pro what?

Dana Milbank writes that this is an actual, official argument against same-sex marriage — that it causes abortions. Seriously. In fact, an amicus brief before the Supreme Court, claiming to be on behalf of “100 scholars of marriage,” says same-sex marriage would cause 900,000 abortions. Via The Washington Post.

Winners and losers

It was Pulitzer Day – the Times won three and the (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier won the Public Service award – but the big journalism story of the day may be the “exclusive deals” worked out with Fox News, The New York Times and The Washington Post to follow the money laid out in the anti-Hillary book Clinton Cash. Via The Washington Post.

Dear Jon

Jon Stewart explains why he quit The Daily Show. It’s as easy as this: you try watching Fox News and MSNBC all day. Via Politico.

 

Photo Credit: Thomas Galvez, Creative Commons, Flickr.

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