The Commentariat -- May 12, 2015

Internal links removed.

Contributor Unwashed points us to a Roosevelt Institute panel discussion going on now (9: 15 am ET) about how government rules & laws could lower income inequality. "Speakers include: Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz and panel of expert economists and strategists." You can listen in here. Stiglitz says the TPP is another move to increase corporate power & income inequality. He whacks the President for his "nasty" remarks about TPP opponents.

Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Obama administration gave conditional approval on Monday for Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc. to start drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The approval is a major victory for Shell and the rest of the petroleum industry, which has sought for years to drill in the remote waters of the Chukchi seas, which are believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas.... The Interior Department decision is a devastating blow to environmentalists, who have pressed the Obama administration to reject proposals for offshore Arctic drilling. Environmentalists say that a drilling accident in the icy and treacherous Arctic waters could have far more devastating consequences than the deadly Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010...."

Dana Milbank: "The vast majority of lawmakers in [President Obama's] own party oppose him on trade legislation. Yet rather than accept that they have a legitimate beef, he shows public contempt for them -- as he did in an interview with Matt Bai of Yahoo News released over the weekend.... The fast-track legislation faces its first test Tuesday with a vote in the Senate, and it looks to be a squeaker.... If Obama loses on trade, blame should go to the twin pillars of detachment that have underpinned his presidency: insularity and secrecy." ...

... Greg Sargent interviews Sen. Elizabeth Warren about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. ...

... Jared Bernstein & Dean Baker in the Washington Post: "... the TPP contains no currency provisions, meaning there are no enforceable rules in the deal that would prevent our trading partners from managing their currency so that it stays low relative to the dollar.... Previous research has found that a few of the countries in the TPP have a history of managing their currency to subsidize their exports. We estimate that currency interventions by Japan, Malaysia and Singapore have cost us 250,000 to 320,000 jobs annually over the past few years.... Although we strongly disagree, the administration has quite clearly argued that we are helpless in the face of these interventions." ...

... ** David Dayen in Salon: "It's beneath the dignity of the Presidency to so aggressively paint opponents as not just wrong on the facts, but hiding the truth on purpose. Warren has responded without using the same indecorous tactics. Unfortunately, I don't have the same self-control. So by way of response, here are ten moments where the Presidentor his subordinates have lied -- call it 'misled' or 'offered half-truths' or whatever; but I'm in an ornery mood so let's just say lied -- about his trade agenda." CW: Read 'em all.

Andrea Peterson of the Washington Post: "The USA Patriot Act has been at the nexus of the debate over privacy and civil liberties since it was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But a looming legislative deadline, a recent court ruling against a controversial program that collects the details of millions of Americans' phone calls and a filibuster threat mean that the government's spying abilities face an uncertain future.... Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is advocating for an extension of Section 215 through 2020. But that would likely push the issue to the Supreme Court to settle. On the other side of the debate, long-time government surveillance critic Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) threatened in an interview with MSNBC to filibuster a short-term extension of the law 'unless there are major reforms like getting rid of this bulk phone record collections.'" ...

... David McCabe of the Hill: "Seven tech groups are backing a bill that would reform provisions of the Patriot Act some say are responsible for unreasonable government surveillance. 'Public trust in the technology sector is critical, and that trust has declined measurably among both U.S. citizens and citizens of our foreign allies since the revelations regarding the U.S. surveillance programs began 2 years ago,' the groups say in the letter written to House leaders endorsing the USA Freedom Act.... The letter was signed by the Information Technology Industry Council, the Internet Association, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, BSA|The Software Alliance, TechNet, Reform Government Surveillance and the Software & Information Industry Association." ...

... Julian Hattem of the Hill: "The National Security Agency isn't making any policy changes following a sweeping federal court ruling against its bulk collection of Americans' phone records last week. Instead, NSA Director Adm. Michael Rogers said in his first public comments since Thursday's ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that the ball was back in Congress's court, and it was up to lawmakers to consider how the agency should proceed."

Robert Pear of the New York Times: "The Obama administration on Monday put health insurance companies on notice that they must cover all forms of female contraception, including the patch and intrauterine devices, without imposing co-payments or other charges. In the last month, the National Women's Law Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation issued separate reports that found that insurers often flouted a federal requirement to provide free coverage of birth control for women under President Obama's health care law."

Simon Miloy of Salon makes fun of "Wall Street tycoons advis[ing] Democrats that the UK elections show people hate it when you say mean things about banks." ...

... Scammers R Us. Peter Eavis of the New York Times: "... on Monday, in the starkest of terms, a federal judge ... ruled that two banks misled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in selling them mortgage bonds that contained numerous errors and misrepresentations. 'The magnitude of falsity, conservatively measured, is enormous,' Judge Denise L. Cote of Federal District Court in Manhattan wrote in a scathing 361-page decision. The ruling came in a closely watched case brought by the government against the Japanese bank Nomura Holdings and Royal Bank of Scotland. They were the only two of 18 financial firms that took their case to trial, arguing that it was the housing crash, and not deceptive loan documents, that caused the bonds to collapse. The other firms -- including Goldman Sachs and Bank of America -- settled, together paying nearly $18 billion in penalties but avoiding a detailed public airing of their conduct."

"Swindle Our Troops!" -- GOP. Zach Carter of the Huffington Post: "House Republicans are again attacking measures aimed at protecting U.S. troops from predatory lending practices, two weeks after a similar GOP effort failed." Via Paul Waldman.

Sarah Wheaton of Politico: "The Barack Obama presidential library will be built in his adopted hometown of Chicago, the Barack Obama Foundation announced in a video message posted online Tuesday. A bid by the University of Chicago, where Obama taught constitutional law before turning to politics, beat out rival proposals from Hawaii and New York to host the location of Obama's presidential archives and museum." ...

Diaper Boy Not Feeling the Love. Manu Raju of Politico: "Within the chummy confines of the U.S. Senate, [Sen. David] Vitter [R-La.] has emerged as one of the most disliked members. The second-term senator's effort to kill the federal health care contribution [to Members of Congress & their staffs], worth several thousand dollars [each] to lawmakers and their staffers, is a big part of it. But the two-year drive, his [Senate] critics say, symbolizes an operating style that Vitter's critics complain is consumed with public relations, even for an ambitious member of Congress: speeding in and out of meetings, railing about issues on the Senate floor but doing little to execute behind the scenes, firing off news releases left and right. In an institution in which the inside game is critical, Vitter doesn't even pretend to bother with it.... His unpopularity in the Senate hasn't translated to his poll numbers: One survey in December showed four in five Republicans viewed him favorably." He's likely to win his bid for governor of Louisiana.

American "Justice," Ctd. Matt Apuzzo of the New York Times: "A former Central Intelligence Agency officer on Monday was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on espionage charges for telling a journalist for The New York Times about a secret operation to disrupt Iran's nuclear program. The sentence was far less than the Justice Department had wanted. The former officer, Jeffrey A. Sterling, argued that the Espionage Act, which was passed during World War I, was intended to prosecute spies, not officials who talked to journalists. He asked for the kind of leniency that prosecutors showed to David H. Petraeus, the retired general who last month received probation for providing his highly classified journals to his biographer." ...

... Marcy Wheeler talks to the Real News about the Sterling case. Pretty fascinating. Thanks to Victoria D. for the lead:

Pew Research Center: "The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center. Moreover, these changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups. While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults, it is occurring among Americans of all ages. The same trends are seen among whites, blacks and Latinos; among both college graduates and adults with only a high school education; and among women as well as men." ...

... Emma Green of the Atlantic: However, 44 percent of those who don't identify with a particular religion still say that religion is very or somewhat important to them.

Andrew Kirell of Mediaite: "In response to anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller's controversial 'Draw Muhammad' cartoon contest, liberal comedian and commentator Dean Obeidallah announced a 'Draw Your Favorite Islamophobe' contest this Saturday on his Sirius XM radio show.... 'You pick, draw it, take a photo of it and send it to me at submissions@thedeansreport.com. The winner will be announced on my show this coming Saturday and receive a tasty falafel (or a gift certificate up to $10 to a restaurant in your area that serves falafels),' the website read."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh alleged in a long-rumored 10,000-word story published Sunday [and linked in yesterday's Commentariat] that the United States and Pakistan lied about major details about the 2011 raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, but the CIA and White House are both rejecting his account.... A CIA official told The Washington Post that Hersh's story is 'utter nonsense.' White House spokesman Ned Price said it had 'too many inaccuracies and baseless assertions' to fact-check each one, and added that the premise that bin Laden was killed in 'anything but a unilateral U.S. mission is patently false.'" ...

... Ben Kamisar of the Hill: "The former Navy SEAL who says he killed Osama bin Laden is slamming a new report that challenges the White House's account of the mission, calling it 'garbage.' 'The story that I read, the part from [Seymour] Hersh, was full of lies,' Rob O'Neill said on Fox News's 'Shepard Smith Reporting.'" ...

... Max Fisher of Vox: Hersh's "allegations are largely supported only by two sources, neither of whom has direct knowledge of what happened, both of whom are retired, and one of whom is anonymous. The story is riven with internal contradictions and inconsistencies. The story simply does not hold up to scrutiny.... Hersh produces no supporting documents or proof, nor is the authority of either source established." ...

... Jon Schwarz & Ryan Devereaux of the Intercept: "R.J. Hillhouse, a former professor, Fulbright fellow and novelist whose writing on intelligence and military outsourcing has appeared in the Washington Post and New York Times, made the same main assertions in 2011 about the death of Osama bin Laden as Seymour Hersh's new story in the London Review of Books -- apparently based on different sources than those used by Hersh.... The Intercept cannot corroborate the reporting of either Hillhouse or Hersh..., nor can we rule out the possibility that Hersh's sources based their beliefs on Hillhouse's writing. In reporting that appears to back up major elements of that of Hillhouse and Hersh, NBC today asserted that a Pakistani intelligence officer 'walk in' told the CIA about bin Laden's location in the year before the raid on his compound." ...

     ... Hillhouse called Hersh's piece is "either plagiarism or unoriginal."

... Matthew Cole, et al., of NBC News: "Two intelligence sources tell NBC News that the year before the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a 'walk in' asset from Pakistani intelligence told the CIA where the most wanted man in the world was hiding - and these two sources plus a third say that the Pakistani government knew where bin Laden was hiding all along." ...

... Dylan Byers of Politico: "Seymour Hersh's alternative history about the killing of Osama bin Laden was offered to and declined by The New Yorker, where Hersh is a regular contributor, years before its publication in the London Review of Books...." ...

... Steve M. on why the right won't want to defend Seymour Hersh: "One reason the story is unsatisfying to the right is obvious right away: If Hersh's version of how the U.S. learned about bin Laden's whereabouts were to prove true, it would end forever the discussion of whether torture had anything to do with bin Laden's death, and not in the right's favor."

Erik Wemple of the Washington Post: Pseudojournalist Mark Halperin apologizes for using an interview to pelt Ted Cruz with Cuban-stereotype questions. And it wasn't just Ricky Ricardo-type questions: "... Halperin requested that the senator do his 'very good and very respectful imitation' of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), another presidential candidate. Cruz declined. He also declined to welcome Sanders to the race 'en Español.'" CW: How bad does a major-media "journalist" have to be to actually victimize Ted Cruz? Halperin-bad. ...

... Ian Millhiser of Think Progress: "The prize for the most racist interview of a 2016 candidate goes to Bloomberg's Mark Halperin."

Presidential Race

David Nakamura of the Washington Post: Hillary Clinton, who helped write the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, is now keeping mum on the agreement. ...

Whatever the merits of the TPP, this issue has become a surrogate within the party for a larger debate about corporate power and fairness, which puts her in a difficult spot. She was the [secretary of state] when these negotiations began, and the previous Clinton administration was closely identified with trade. But it is a volatile issue, and supporting it could add to fears on the left that she is too oriented toward big business and give additional impetus to a potential primary challenger. -- David Axelrod

Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: Bill Clinton does not intend to participate -- much -- in Hillary Clinton's campaign, but he'll still be in the public limelight, giving speeches for the Clinton Foundation & to other groups "to pay the bills," etc.

Michael Bender of Bloomberg: "He may be a staunch critic of President Obama's executive orders on immigration, but Jeb Bush wouldn't rush to repeal them if he's the next White House resident. In an interview scheduled to air Monday night on Fox News, Bush suggested that he would wait until a new law was in place before overturning Obama's actions." ...

In response, Bobby Jindal promised to hold an exorcism in the Oval Office to drive out any hints of Barack Obama that might remain. -- Paul Waldman

Mark Halperin isn't interested in any of that. He is trying to get commitments from Bush & Ted Cruz to participate in a Latin-American cookoff. -- Constant Weader

... Alex Isenstadt & Ken Vogel of Politico: Jeb Bush & Karl Rove have long disliked each other. Now, they're involved in a clash for cash: "As Bush intensifies fundraising for his Right to Rise super PAC, expected to reach $100 million by the end of this month, he finds himself approaching many of the same contributors as Rove, whose American Crossroads super PAC is also financially dependent on many of the givers who have long supported the political causes and campaigns of the extended Bush family network." CW: I'd really like to see a fistfight.

"Christie's Big Appetite." Mark Lagerkvist of New Jersey Watchdog: Gov. Chris "Christie spent $360,000 from his state allowance during his five years in office. More than 80 percent of that money, or $300,000, was used to buy food, alcohol and desserts, according to a New Jersey Watchdog analysis of records released by the governor's office.... On 58 occasions, Christie used a debit card to pay a total of $82,594 to Delaware North Sportservice, which operates the concessions at MetLife [Stadium, where the New York's Giants and Jets play their home games].... To avoid a potential scandal that could embarrass their rising political star, the New Jersey Republican State Committee reimbursed the Treasury in March 2012 for Christie's purchases from 'DNS Sports.'" Christie halved his grocery store expenditures after he had Lap-Band surgery.

Republicans Are Weird. Adam Lerner of Politico: "No candidate likes being hounded by opposition researchers, but one member of Rand Paul's team has a peculiar way of expressing his distaste. At a townhall event Monday for Rand Paul in Londonderry, New Hampshire, the Kentucky senator's political director for the state, David Chesley, licked the camera of a tracker sent by American Bridge, a left-leaning opposition research group."

... So peculiar, yes, but definitely not as scary as the naked Michigan Democratic state senator who took several rifle shots at his ex-wife -- see Beyond the Beltway below.

Senate Race

On, Wisconsin! Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is A-okay with a constituent's repeatedly calling the POTUS "a Muslim terrorist."

Beyond the Beltway

Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times: "Dean G. Skelos, the majority leader of the New York State Senate, agreed on Monday to step down from his leadership post after his arrest last week on federal corruption charges. The move followed days of escalating pressure on Senator Skelos, 67, who has proclaimed his innocence and sought to stay on as the chamber's leader."

Ann O'Neill of CNN: Sister Helene Prejean, "a Roman Catholic nun famous for counseling the condemned on death row took the witness stand in federal court Monday and vouched for" Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev [in his death penalty trial].... Prejean ... said she believed Tsarnaev was 'genuinely sorry' for the pain and suffering he inflicted on his victims." Prejean opposes the death penalty.

The Naked Gunman. George Hunter of the Detroit News: "State Sen. Virgil Smith [D] told police his ex-wife stormed into his house and assaulted his girlfriend before he did 'the most stupid thing in his life' -- opening fire at the ex-wife's Mercedes Benz with a rifle -- according to a police report obtained by The Detroit News. He was naked when he met her at the front door, the senator's ex-wife claims in a second police report, beat her with his fists, chased her outside and shot at her four or five times." ...

... Update. Gina Damron & Robert Allen of the Detroit Free Press: "Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Smith was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a gun and malicious destruction of property following the incident outside of his east side Detroit home at about 1 a.m. Sunday."

Jeff Weiner & Stephanie Allen of the Orlando Sentinel: "George Zimmerman, the former Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin in 2012, suffered facial injuries in a roadside shooting Monday near a busy intersection in Lake Mary, police said. Lake Mary Police Department Chief Steve Bracknell said the shooter is believed to be Matthew Apperson of Winter Springs -- a man who accused Zimmerman of making threats during a road-rage incident last year. No one had yet been arrested in the shooting late Monday. Zimmerman, 31, was released from a hospital in Sanford after a brief stay to treat his injuries, which were likely caused by flying glass or some other type of debris, according to his attorney, Don West.... A police spokeswoman, Officer Bianca Gillette, described Zimmerman's wounds as 'minor.'"

News Lede

New York: "An Amtrak train heading from Washington, D.C. to New York crashed in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, and at least 50 people are injured, said the front 'looks pretty bad.'"

The Commentariat -- May 11, 2015

Internal links removed.

Paul Krugman: Congressional Republicans are trying to figure out ways to undo Dodd-Frank, the better to please their Wall Street masters. But "almost nobody wants to be seen as a bought and paid-for servant of the financial industry, least of all those who really are exactly that."

Elise Viebeck of the Hill: "Michelle Obama gave a candid view Saturday of the challenges and emotional toll of being the country's first black first lady. Obama, speaking to graduates at Tuskegee University in Alabama, described insensitive media questions and derogatory remarks from political pundits that she said have kept her up at night."

Elise Viebeck: "Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Sunday that the United States is facing a new era in which a lone-wolf terrorist could 'strike at any moment.' 'We're very definitely in a new environment, because of ISIL's effective use of social media, the Internet, which has the ability to reach into the homeland and possibly inspire others,' Johnson said in an interview with ABC's 'This Week,' using the administration's preferred acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)." ...

... Amy Davidson of the New Yorker: Thanks in part to scaremongering politicians, Texans are confused about where the real dangers lie. One hint: Texas's open-carry laws.

Leonard Pitts: "Look, I get it: No one wants to be compared to [Tim] McVeigh. And I'll repeat: No one in a position of responsibility embraces his prescription of terrorist violence. But it seems to me beyond argument that in the philosophical struggle for the soul of conservatism, he lost the battle and won the war. Much of what now passes for conservatism proceeds from extremes of government loathing that would have stunned Ronald Reagan himself."

Seymour Hersh in the London Review of Books: "The White House still maintains that the mission [to kill Osama bin Laden] was an all-American affair, and that the senior generals of Pakistan's army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) were not told of the raid in advance. This is false, as are many other elements of the Obama administration's account. The White House's story might have been written by Lewis Carroll." CW: Haven't read this & probably won't have time, but it's getting da buzz, so you might find it of interest.

Steven Mufson of the Washington Post: "The White House's willingness to push ahead with the nuclear accord with Beijing illustrates the evolving relationship between the world's two largest powers, which, while eyeing each other with mutual suspicion and competitiveness, also view each other as vital economic and strategic global partners."

Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that its new monarch, King Salman, would not be attending meetings at the White House with President Obama or a summit gathering at Camp David this week, in an apparent signal of its continued displeasure with the administration over United States relations with Iran, its rising regional adversary."

Presidential Race

Katie Glueck of Politico: "Jeb Bush on Saturday made a major overture to evangelical voters, seeking to reassure a skeptical voting bloc that when it comes to core beliefs about religious freedom and Christianity's role in the world, he's with them.... [Bush] made his pitch at a commencement address at Liberty University, a prominent symbol of evangelical Christianity in Lynchburg, Va., that has become a routine campaign stop for presidential hopefuls."

Mark Hensch of the Hill: "Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) said both he and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would have ordered the 2003 war in Iraq. 'I would have [authorized the invasion], and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everyone,' Bush told Fox News host Megyn Kelly in an interview that will air Monday night on 'The Kelly File.'... Bush also said he had no disagreement with his brother, former President George W. Bush, over the controversial military campaign." ...

     ... CW: Clinton should respond.

Simon Maloy of Salon: Ben "Carson, whose political identity and stardom are based entirely on his often outlandish attacks on President Obama, is hilariously unprepared to be an official candidate for the presidency.... Last week, he sat down for an interview with CNBC's John Harwood who laid down a series of rakes for Carson to step on, and Carson trod upon them with palpable gusto."

Gabriel Sherman of New York: "After being the subject of a spate of negative newspaper accounts about potential conflicts of interest and management dysfunction this winter -- long before Clinton Cash -- the Clinton Foundation wound up on a 'watchlist' maintained by the Charity Navigator, the New Jersey-based nonprofit watchdog.... Since March, the Foundation has embarked on an aggressive behind-the-scenes campaign to get removed from the list.... It didn't work." ...

... Steve Eder of the New York Times: "For decades [Tony Rodham, Hillary Clinton's brother,] has tried to use his connections with his sister and her husband to further his [shady business] pursuits."

Bill Curry ran the board of presidential candidates this weekend. Here's part of his entry on Carly Fiorina, which I particularly enjoyed: "Listening to her one got a sense of what Sarah Palin would sound like had she gone to Stanford, as when she said the Founders didn't want a permanent political class when in fact they were all members of one. She vows to run government like a business, by which we assume she means one other than Hewlett Packard."

Beyond the Beltway

Sarah Nir of the New York Times: "Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered emergency measures on Sunday to combat the wage theft and health hazards faced by the thousands of people who work in New York State's nail salon industry. Effective immediately, he said in a statement, a new, multiagency task force will conduct salon-by-salon investigations, institute new rules that salons must follow to protect manicurists from the potentially dangerous chemicals found in nail products, and begin a six-language education campaign to inform them of their rights.... The new rules come in response to a New York Times investigation of nail salons -- first published online last week -- that detailed the widespread exploitation of manicurists, many of whom have illnesses that some scientists and health advocates say are caused by the chemicals with which they work."

News Ledes

New York Times: "The consequences of General Motors' long-delayed recall of defective small cars hit a grim milestone on Monday, when the company's compensation fund said it had approved the 100th death claim tied to faulty ignition switches. The toll far exceeds the 13 victims that G.M. had said last year were the only known fatalities linked to ignitions that could suddenly cut off engine power and disable airbags."

ESPN: "The NFL has suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady four games for his role in deflating footballs for the AFC Championship Game, the league said in a statement Monday. The Patriots will also lose a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2017 and have been fined $1 million."

New York: "Former President Jimmy Carter was forced to end his trip to South America early on Sunday due to health concerns. "President Carter was not feeling well and has departed Guyana to return to Atlanta today," the Carter Center announced."

The Commentariat -- May 9 & 10

All internal links removed.

Steven Erlanger of the New York Times: "Prime Minister David Cameron, having achieved a smashing and unexpected outright victory in Britain's general election, heads into his second term facing severe -- even existential -- challenges to his nation's identity and place in the world: how to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union and Scotland in the United Kingdom." ...

... Dan Balz, et al., of the Washington Post: "... if the [U.K.] election produced an unexpectedly clear outcome, it may only have heightened the degree to which the country faces a period of internal debate, inward-looking politics and potential instability, with questions about the durability of the United Kingdom and its place in both Europe and the world still to be answered." ...

... Patrick Wintour of the Guardian: "Britain's political landscape was left transformed as a triumphant David Cameron hailed the sweetest victory of his career after defying his critics by securing the first Conservative working majority since 1992 and forcing three of his vanquished rival party leaders to resign in the space of two hours. With the Conservatives winning an overall majority -- confounding all the opinion poll predictions -- Labour's Ed Miliband, the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage of Ukip all announced their resignations in quick succession on Friday morning."

Dan Roberts of the Guardian: President Obama expressed frustration yesterday with Democrats who are opposing the transpacific trade agreement:

Robert Pear of the New York Times: "The White House is moving to address two of the most common consumer complaints about the sale of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act: that doctor directories are inaccurate, and that patients are hit with unexpected bills for costs not covered by insurance. Federal health officials said this week that they would require insurers to update and correct 'provider directories' at least once a month, with financial penalties for insurers that failed to do so. In addition, they hope to provide an 'out-of-pocket cost calculator' to estimate the total annual cost under a given health insurance plan. The calculator would take account of premiums, subsidies, co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, as well as a person's age and medical needs.

Julian Hattem of the Hill: "Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper wasn't lying when he wrongly told Congress in 2013 that the government does not 'wittingly' collect information about millions of Americans, according to his top lawyer. He just forgot." The lawyer, Robert Litt, said Clapper had not reviewed the questions Sen. Ron Wyden had sent to him the prior day, so Clapper was "hit unaware" by the question. Litt added that he himself "also erred after the hearing by not sending a letter to the panel to correct the mistake." ...

... CW: I find the I-forgot excuse fairly credible in Clapper's case. He is not the brightest bulb, & his staff has a history of not briefing him timely on critical security matters.

Gail Collins on spineless Texas politicians who are encouraging crazy conspiracy theorists. CW: The one hope for Texas is that sane people -- maybe from someplace else -- take over the government. Or secession. I'm for that, too. Really, as far as Texas goes, I'm totally with the crazy.

NEW. Nicole Perlroth of the New York Times reports the strange case of Sherry Chen, whom federal prosecutors accused of spying for China -- until they didn't. "Mrs. Chen was caught in a much broader dragnet aimed at combating Chinese industrial espionage." CW: Their "evidence" against Chen sounds pretty flimsy to me. Of course they did ruin Chen's life. As of now, "Mrs. Chen's benefits and pay have been restored, but she is waiting to hear whether the Commerce Department will allow her to return to work."

NEW. Everything Is Obama's Fault, Ctd. Sahil Kapur of Bloomberg: "Representative Steve King was in his element at the South Carolina Freedom Summit on Saturday, saying after a speech to raucous conservatives that the fault for riots in Baltimore lies with President Barack Obama." Something about Obama "instinctively ... driving wedges people."

The Essential Rectitude of Nepotism. Elizabeth Bruenig of the New Republic: "Today, The New York Times' David Brooks gave family dynasties a hearty endorsement in one of his increasingly deranged fireside chats, suggesting that since some 'powerhouse families' regularly produce successful members, 'we should be grateful that in each field of endeavor there are certain families that are breeding grounds for achievement.... I bet you can trace ways your grandparents helped shape your career,' Brooks advises, proving once again he knows zero people who are not rich.... Combine a heavy emphasis on family values with an equally intense desire for money, and the outcome is what we from the South recognize as good ol' boy networks, wherein a hapless dweeb who can barely manage a baseball team stumbles into the presidency because his daddy made a good run of it."

NEW. Karoli of Crooks & Liars notices that Dylan Byer, Politico's media reporter, mentions -- almost as an aside -- that "the national media have never been more primed to take down Hillary Clinton (and, by the same token, elevate a Republican candidate)." ...

... NEW. digby: "I am always grateful when Village scribes are upfront with their agenda. 'Taking down' Clinton (either or both) is the Village's Holy Grail. And the young Village turks, eager to prove their manhood, are taking up the challenge and joining the crusade. Maybe they'll be the ones who'll finally get 'er done."

Presidential Race

NEW. Jeff Greenfield in the Daily Beast: "Throughout their public lives, Bill and Hillary Clinton have benefitted enormously from the fury of their ideological enemies. Making a case that will persuade Democrats to move away from Clinton on character grounds will be the political equivalent of defusing a ticking bomb." ...

... NEW. Steve M.: "The right just can't let go of any scandal, real or fake. This actually works for Republicans in non-presidential years, because it keeps the GOP voter base fired up and ready to turn out when Democratic voters won't. But it fails them in presidential elections -- as Greenfield says, the constant attacks on the Clintons actually boost their popularity, and help them downplay what might otherwise be legitimate scandals."

NEW. Friends of Marco, Part 1. Michael Barbaro & Steve Eder of the New York Times: "As [Marco] Rubio has ascended in the ranks of Republican politics, [billionaire Norman] Braman has emerged as a remarkable and unique patron. He has bankrolled Mr. Rubio's campaigns. He has financed Mr. Rubio's legislative agenda. And, at the same time, he has subsidized Mr. Rubio's personal finances, as the rising politician and his wife grappled with heavy debt and big swings in their income. Now..., Mr. Braman is ... expected [to contribute] ... approximately $10 million for the senator's pursuit of the White House." ...

... NEW. Friends of Marco, Part 2. Ben Terris of the Washington Post: David Rivera, whom Rubio calls his "most loyal friend and supporter," and "who won a U.S. House seat in 2010, the year of Rubio's come-from-behind Senate victory — has left politics under an ethics cloud. Rivera, who failed to win reelection, has been a target of state and federal investigations looking into his alleged failure to disclose income as well as his alleged role in support of a 2012 shadow campaign designed to undercut his chief Democratic rival for Congress." CW: I don't find this a big deal. While Charlie Rangel probably isn't Hillary Clinton's BFF, I doubt she would snub him because of his ethical lapses. Politics is shady & politicians have plenty of friends & supporters who are or should be "under an ethics cloud."

Alex Isenstadt of Politico: Jeb Bush's superPAC, "Right to Rise, is said to be on track for raising an historic $100 million by the end of May, and its budget is expected to dwarf that of Bush's official campaign many times over." ...

... Jeb Ditches the .1 Percent Solution. Laura Clawson of Daily Kos: "Jeb Bush didn't want to look like he was bought and paid for by one specific billionaire, so he limited donations to his super PAC to a puny $1 million per person. Bush wasn't going to be seen as the candidate of Sheldon Adelson or Foster Friess or Robert Mercer — he was going to be the candidate of the entire .1 percent, or at least as much of it as he could persuade to give him money. But screw that. Time is running short, other Republicans are raising more money than expected, and Bush is now ready to ditch his $1 million contribution cap." ...

... Digby in Salon: Jeb "Bush's recent comment about listening to Junior's advice on Israel was made to [a] group of potential big money donors, some of whom presumably had some of the same concerns as [Sheldon] Adelson. Considering how unpopular his brother remains with the public, it's a testament to just how important winning the donor primary is that he would evoke his name in any gathering other than George or Barbara's birthday parties." CW: I admire digby for consistently figuring out candidates' real motives. I think she's right on this one: Jeb pretends to be Bigger than Billionaires, but he's courting them all the same, if in a more oblique way than are some of his competitors.

Lauren French of Politico: "Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul will host a meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus next week to discuss criminal justice reform.... He's teaming up with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and other black lawmakers, to craft a strategy for advancing legislation as law enforcement issues have taken center stage following the death of several unarmed black men at the hands of police."

There are a few Republican ideologues up with which climate-change denier George Will will not put: one of them is a Bible-thumping, Constitution-nullifying presidential candidate from Hope, Arkansas (and of course he doesn't like those other "seedy" politicos from Hope, either).

Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "Mitt Romney ... will ... host GOP presidential hopefuls and some of the party's biggest donors in Utah ... June 11-13.... Confirmed speakers from the likely 2016 Republican field include Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.). Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, long seen as a Romney rival due to tensions between their camps, was invited but will not attend, per a Romney ally."

Beyond the Beltway

Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "Delaware police have released the dashboard camera video of a 2013 incident in which an officer kicked a suspect in the face, knocking him unconscious and breaking his jaw. A grand jury initially declined to indict the officer, Dover Police Cpl. Thomas Webster, in March 2014, and Webster was allowed to return to full duty that June. But on Monday, Webster was arrested on felony second-degree assault charges after a second grand jury was convened to review the case. Days later, Dover police released the dashboard camera video after a federal judge ruled that it was no longer confidential." CW: Here's hoping this is another sign that prosecutors are beginning to get that the public won't put up with brutality as routine police procedure.

CBS Miami/AP: Florida Gov. Rick Scott first said he vehemently opposed ObamaCare, then -- after his mother's death in 2013 -- he said he favored the Medicaid expansion component of ObamaCare, then this week he said that was a ruse, now he says the AP reporter who reported his latest remark "incorrectly characterized" his admission. CW: Thank you, my fellow Floridians, for twice electing a guy you knew was a lying, crooked jerk.

Let Us Now Praise Small Businessmen. Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "The owner of a Colorado barbecue restaurant is beginning to feel the heat over plans for a 'White Appreciation Day,' where only white customers will receive a 10 percent discount on their orders.... The owners, both of whom are Hispanic and who recently purchased the restaurant, said the idea began as a joke, but now it has been scheduled for June 11." Because Black History Month & Hispanic Heritage Month. CW: As a promotional gimmick, this is superb. Look at the attention it's generating.

News Lede

New York Daily News: "Bernie Madoff's right-hand man -- who snitched to federal investigators about the historic Ponzi scheme -- has died before he could be sentenced for his crimes. Frank DiPascali was 58. He died Thursday of lung cancer, his lawyer, Marc Mukasey, said."