Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… Marco Rubio is the only presidential contender to make The Hill’s “50 Most Beautiful” list, so looks like that $31.9 million his super PAC raised is already paying off.
THE LID: JULY 29, 2015
From Carrie Dann and Andrew Rafferty
’16 AT 30 THOUSAND:
Rick Perry on Wednesday sought to deliver a meaty economic speech that both showed off his domestic policy chops and tied the Clintons to the financial meltdown of 2008. But his attempts to showcase Perry 2.0 were largely overshadowed because...well… Donald Trump.
“Let’s get a pull-up bar out there and see who can do more pull-ups,” Perry said after a reporter asked him to respond to the many criticisms Trump has leveled against the former Texas governor.
Perry’s speech was mostly policy heavy, taking aim at the Dodd-Frank bill and blaming President Bill Clinton’s economic agenda for creating a housing bubble that contributed to the recession. But the pull-up challenge is just as much a part of the story.
The moment is perhaps the best display so far of what impact the Trump Factor is having on the Republican presidential primary. Not only does The Donald overshadow, but he undercuts. And he has the power to make candidates start talking about chin-up competitions when they are are trying to flex not their muscles, but their economic policy chops.
POPPING ON NBC POLITICS
Hillary Clinton will call for a lifting of the Cuba embargo on Friday, her campaign says.
Donald Trump says he’d “love” to pick Sarah Palin for a Cabinet position.
Msnbc.com’s Benjy Sarlin notes that Bobby Jindal is dinging Jeb Bush on his immigration position even though both men have similar policy ideas.
Rep. Chaka Fattah was indicted Wednesday on charges that include bribery, illegal use of campaign contributions and stealing charitable funds.
Rick Perry suggested a pull-up competition with Donald Trump to settle their ongoing feud.
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore has filed paperwork with the FEC for a presidential run.
CAMPAIGN QUICK READS
CHRISTIE: The New York Times talked to local GOP officials in New Hampshire about their concerns with Chris Christie.
TRUMP: The Washington Post reports on the candidates’ debate prep, including this nugget: “Ed Rollins, who was campaign manager for former president Ronald Reagan in 1984 and later advised Ross Perot’s independent campaign in 1992, met with Trump advisers in early June at the 21 Club in New York as they were seeking advice about how to navigate the GOP contest.”
In an interview with CNN, he elaborated about his battle with a female lawyer who once requested a break in the middle of a deposition, calling her a “vicious, horrible person.”
FOR THE RECORD…
“This is not Deflategate, alright? This is a normal issue of which there are allegations after a very long running eight year investigation."
- Rep. Chaka Fattah on his indictment Wednesday.
TOMORROW’S SKED
Mike Huckabee campaign in Iowa.
Bernie Sanders attends a rally commemorating Medicare’s 50th anniversary on Capitol Hill.
Lincoln Chafee speaks to Winchester County Democrats in New Hampshire.
