Hotline Sort: No Ordinary Joe
Welcome back to Hotline Sort. Dennis Kucinich is making moves in Washington state, the Club for Growth's favorite congressman gets busted for not paying child support, and two prominent Senate prospects leading the opposition to Boehner's debt ceiling bill. Here's today's rundown:
8) Freshman Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., a Tea Party favorite, owes over $100,000 in child support to his ex-wife and three children, according to documents his ex-wife filed last December, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Walsh's attorney called the claim of a $117,437 debt "unfounded."
The timing of the news is bad luck for the Club for Growth, who on Wednesday endorsed Walsh, urging him on to run in the district currently held by Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren.
7) Sarah Palin is headed to Iowa on Sept. 3, to be the keynote speaker at the Tea Party of America's "Restoring America" event.
6) 2010 Nevada Senate nominee Sharron Angle is trying to get back in the news by taking on John McCain, R-Ariz. McCain on Wednesday accused conservatives of abandoning reason by standing in opposition the House Republican leader's plan to resolve the debt crisis, the New York Times notes. "This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into G.O.P. nominees," he said, echoing an argument made by the Wall Street Journal editorial page.
Angle hits back this morning in a statement: "Ironically, this man campaigned for TEA Party support in his last re-election, but now throws Christine O'Donnell and I into the harbor with Sarah Palin. As in the fable, it is the hobbits who are the heroes and save the land. This Lord of the TARP actually ought to read to the end of the story and join forces with the TEA Party, not criticize it." That's in part a response to McCain quoting a Wall Street Journal editorial that uses the term "Tea Party Hobbits." Had your fill of Lord Of The Rings this morning?
5) "I will mow your grass, limited to one acre. Or I will cook dinner, menu of my choice. Or if you like hockey, we'll organize a hockey game and make sure you score." That's from Tim Pawlenty, stumping in Iowa, challenging people to find entitlement reform proposals from the president. Hey, we thought he wasn't running for entertainer-in-chief.
4) Texas Republican state Rep. Randy Weber announced Wednesday that he's formed an exploratory committee to look at retiring Rep. Ron Paul's, R-Texas, seat, Roll Call reports. Weber joins least one other Republican, former Rep. Steve Stockman, who has expressed interest in running for Paul's seat.
3) Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, is going back Washington next week to speak at the Washington State Labor Council's annual convention, the Seattle Times reports. The state's Democratic Party chair doesn't appear to be warming to a potential Kucinich congressional bid in Washington, but he's speaking at a big-time event that will feature other prominent pols as well. Kucinich hasn't yet said he is committed to running in the Evergreen State.
2) Texas Gov. Rick Perry, edging ever closer towards a presidential run, told reporters in Houston that of a default are grossly exaggerated. "I think this threat that somehow or another the world's going to come to an end and the threat of we're not going to be able to pay our bills is a bit of a stretch," Perry said. The AP has the full story.
1) After hitting some roadblocks with conservatives on his debt ceiling bill, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, rallied his troops and is looking more likely that he'll be able to pass his deficit reduction plan through the House today.
Boehner can't afford more than 23 defectors from his caucus - as of now, there are 15 House Republicans who have said they won't support it (check out the latest tally at the Hotline Whip Count). Interestingly, two of the bill's opponents are either running for the Senate (Missouri Rep. Todd Akin) or seriously considering it (Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz). A third Senate candidate, Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, initially opposed the bill but now says he's leaning towards supporting it.
-- Kathy Kiely contributed to this post
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