New Fix '16 rankings: 10. Perry 9. Jindal 8. Christie 7. Kasich 6. Cruz 5. Rand 4. Huck 3. Walker 2. Rubio 1. Jeb
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— @TheFix
Philip Bump:
On Thursday, what polls suggested would be a close race between Conservatives and Labour in the U.K. turned out to be a Conservative rout. We sat down with Scott Clement of the Post's polling team to try and figure out why the final polls were so far off the mark -- and to discuss the theories some other knowledgeable people are putting forward.
(This has been edited and organized for clarity.)
@owillis my UK prediction: Netanyahu will pull it out.
— @DemFromCT
Brutal
Ron Fournier piece on Mike Huckabee:
But wait! There's more. "Three decades after the Huckabees' wedding," Brantley wrote, "his wife registered at department stores so their new home, post-governor's mansion, could be stocked with gifts of linens, toasters, and other suitable furnishings."
Say what you want about Bill and Hillary Clinton's ethical corner-cutting after they left Arkansas (or scroll my diatribes here), their conduct in the 1980s and early 1990s never approached Huckabee's depths. They didn't use the governor's office as a personal ATM. They didn't trade on the public's trust.
Gov. Bill Clinton registered historic ethics reform.
Gov. Mike Huckabee registered at Target.
What's worse is the pious, prickly way Huckabee addresses these issues.
More politics and policy below the fold.
Ryan Cooper:
Now, I'm no expert in British politics, but I think there are a few general principles that might be gleaned for left-wing and center-left parties the world over. There is surely much handwringing going on at Labour headquarters right now over the direction of the party, which will be framed as whether to move right or left. I submit that the problem is much simpler: This is about austerity, nothing more. If Labour can't bring itself to run against austerity, which will require both a huge fight with the British media and a political education campaign, they will continue to lose.
TPM:
Conservative radio host Howie Carr on Thursday grilled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on his proposed cuts to the social security program, and the debate quickly devolved into a shouting match.
Carr began the interview by telling Christie that he's concerned about "illegal aliens" getting social security benefits. Christie assured Carr that he would roll back President Obama's executive actions on immigration if he were elected president.
The two then launched into a heated debate over Christie's proposal, which would reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for individuals who exceed a certain threshold of retirement income. Christie also proposed raising the retirement age.
Frontline:
The death of Freddie Gray from injuries sustained in police custody in Baltimore last month may soon lead to a structural overhaul of the police department.
On Friday, the Department of Justice announced that it would open an investigation into whether the Baltimore police have a pattern or practice of using excessive force; unlawfully stopping, searching and arresting residents; and engaging in discriminatory policing.
This is the 67th investigation of a law enforcement agency by the Justice Department since it first gained the power to do so in 1994. (The DOJ has investigated 62 agencies in all, though it has investigated five of them twice.) That’s a sliver of the nearly 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the country, but in most instances, departments have made significant improvements in their police practices after being investigated.
The DOJ now has cases open against 13 departments, four of which are fighting reforms in court. In April, the DOJ opened two new investigations of small departments in rural Louisiana, over allegations of improper detentions.
Baltimore’s investigation will be much more widespread, covering most of the major aspects of constitutional policing that the DOJ has probed in other departments.
Brent Budowski:
It is with great pleasure that I rise in praise of Karl Rove, who now largely agrees with me that Republicans should place into the dustbin their bogus proposal to repeal ObamaCare.
In my recent column in The Hill, "The 'Clinton Cash' con," I suggested that the new book by Peter Schweizer proves absolutely nothing on the matter of whether Hillary Clinton committed any wrongdoing, and it is a con to suggest or imply otherwise. I add today a discussion of another con game by Republicans, the suggestion that they will repeal ObamaCare, which they know they will not do, but pretend they will to give red meat to the right-wing base; a promise they know they will not keep.
Mark Murray:
In today's rapid-fire political news cycle, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the different news out there. So here's a look back at the past week in the 2016 presidential contest, making sense of the developments and events that we think mattered - and those that didn't.
What Mattered
1. Hillary Goes Big on Immigration: Her announcement that she would take executive action beyond what President Obama has done was a win-win-win political move for her. It pleased the Democratic base, excited the Latino community (which once again will be key in the 2016 general election) and baited Republicans to reenter the immigration debate. Remember how that DHS funding/immigration debate played out earlier this year for the GOP?
2. The Republicans Who Reacted to Hillary's Immigration Move (And Those Who Didn't): Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Carly Fiorina all criticized Hillary's move. But two Republicans didn't say a word: Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. And that silence speaks volumes.