The Note: 5 Takeaways From Republicans In The Sunshine State
— -- By MICHAEL FALCONE
NOTABLES
--SEVEN MAJOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TOOK THE STAGE YESTERDAY in a conference center at Disney World to talk about their plans for the U.S. economy. Separately, they answered questions from the audience at the Economic Growth Summit at the invitation of Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has said he is using this forum, in part, to determine whom he'll endorse in the 2016 race. A few things became clear, ABC's CHRIS GOOD notes: http://abcn.ws/1AJUZ4t
--THERE'S A FIGHT OVER SOCIAL SECURITY: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recently spoke in favor of raising the retirement age for Social Security benefits and said we should consider doling out benefits based on means. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has stumped for limiting Social Security benefits for the wealthy. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had some harsh words for anyone who thinks that way, calling it a "recipe not just for political suicide, but for economic suicide."
--RICK SCOTT WANTS EVERYONE TO CAMPAIGN IN FLORIDA: Scott told ABC at the summit that none of the candidates have told him they won't compete in his state. And candidates pushed back on the notion that they won't campaign here: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker faulted the media for interpreting recent comments as a signal that he might consider skipping Florida. "If I didn't think I could compete, I wouldn't be here today, I wouldn't have made four trips to Florida," Walker said. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, similarly, was unequivocal: "If I do decide to run, I would absolutely compete in Florida," he said.
--REPUBLICANS SEEM TO KNOW THEY HAVE TO MAKE UP GROUND WITH MINORITIES: That was a big emphasis in the party's post-2012 analysis of why Mitt Romney lost to President Obama, and many of the candidates touched on that. "If you want to send the message to those communities [that] we care about you, we care about the future of your children, it's graduate them from high school," Rick Perry said. "My message is not going to vary by group," Walker told reporters after his speech.
--RAND PAUL VS. THE GOP -- IT'S STILL A THING: In an apparent swipe at Paul, Christie bemoaned the demonization of compromise in Washington: "We see that right now, people standing up blocking things, giving endless speeches, being self-important, not really in the business of governing." Bush, who has backed extending the Patriot Act in full, told reporters, "I don't ascribe any bad motives to the guy, I just think he's wrong about it."
POLLING NOTE -- OBAMA'S JOB APPROVAL SUFFERS AMID ECONOMIC AND ISIS WORRIES. Persistent economic anxiety at home and the advance of Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria are complicating life for Barack Obama, helping push his job approval rating back under water, to its lowest of the year, ABC's GARY LANGER notes. Forty-five percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll approve of Obama's job performance, while 49 percent disapprove, his weakest rating since late 2014. He's lost 5 points in approval since January and hasn't seen majority support since May 2013. When it comes to presidential approval, hell hath no fury like economic discontent, and the economy's gains haven't been enough to calm fears on that front. Seventy-three percent remain worried about the economy's direction, and among them Obama's approval drops to 35 percent. Further, Obama gets only a 31 percent approval rating specifically for handling the advance of Islamic State militants, with 55 percent disapproving. His approval for handling ISIS is 16 percentage points worse than his rating on handling the worrisome economy. http://abcn.ws/1FSeSVI
--ON ISIS: In this poll, 64 percent make the painful judgment that the U.S.-led war in Iraq was not worth fighting. That's up by 6 points from March 2013 and just 2 points from the broadest rejection of the war on record, 66 percent, at the height of Iraq's sectarian strife in spring 2007.
--ON THE ECONOMY: Eighty-nine percent of Republicans are worried about the condition of the economy over the next few years, as are 74 percent of independents and 64 percent of Democrats.
TODAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC's CHRIS GOOD: Lincoln Chafee announces for president today at George Mason in Arlington, Va., at 5:30 pm ET. Chris Christie is in South Carolina today for a morning town-hall in Greenville at Tommy's County Ham House. Later, he'll take a small-business tour of downtown Greenville and visit Wade's Family Restaurant in Spartanburg. Lindsey Graham is in New Hampshire campaigns in New Hampshire. Martin O'Malley will address the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the National Press Club in Washington, DC at 2 pm ET.
ANALYSIS -- ABC's RICK KLEIN: Enter Lincoln Chafee, the quirky former senator and governor who's never won an election as a Democrat and is extremely unlikely to make the presidency his first. The same sentence might be written for Bernie Sanders, just make if "current senator and former mayor." As for Martin O'Malley, a former mayor and governor who actually is a Democrat, he's going to have to emerge as competitive with Sanders in polls before he can hope to challenge Hillary Clinton. But taken together, Sanders-O'Malley-Chafee is a super candidate (maybe more like an anti-candidate?) that hits Hillary Clinton in some of her softest spots. Sanders provides the contrast on economic issues, Wall Street, and social justice, filling some Elizabeth Warren space. Martin O'Malley makes a generational argument, at least implicitly, and an anti-dynastic argument, more explicitly. And Chafee is providing the unlikely muscle, proving himself the most likely to directly criticize Clinton over foreign policy, starting with an Iraq War vote he says should disqualify her for office. Clinton of course doesn't have to run against this anti-Hillary monster. But its tentacles will felt rather uncomfortably, if these three men have anything to say about it.
THE BUZZ
with ABC's KIRSTEN APPLETON
OBAMA SIGNS BILL REFORMING NSA SURVEILLANCE POWERS. The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act yesterday -- legislation that reforms the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program -- and last night President Obama signed it. Senators approved the measure 40 hours after key provisions to the PATRIOT Act expired. The NSA shut down its surveillance program late Sunday night after senators failed to reach a deal before the powers expired. Now the NSA will restart its surveillance program, a process that will take an entire day, officials said. ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ reports the USA Freedom Act ends the government's bulk collection of Americans' phone metadata, instead requiring telecommunications companies to maintain the records. There will be a six-month transition period for the government to move its data to the phone companies. Intelligence officials would then need a court order to query the phone database. The bill also restores the "lone wolf" and roving wiretaps provisions, which expired Sunday, until 2019. President Obama indicated he would sign the bill quickly. http://abcn.ws/1Q4yIVQ Patriot Act vs. USA Freedom Act: What You Need to Know in 60 Seconds. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1KKZVch
BLANKET REDACTIONS TO HILLARY CLINTON'S BENGHAZI RECORDS 'TYPICAL,' ISSA SAYS. Rep. Darrell Issa ripped the State Department on Twitter for heavily redacted records related to Hillary Clinton's involvement in the Obama administration's response to the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks. However, though Issa suggested the redacted document was sent to the Benghazi Select Committee, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, the committee actually received an un-redacted version, according to committee aides. ABC's JOHN PARKINSON notes the heavily redacted version Issa tweeted was actually the one publicly posted on the State Department website as part of its release of Clinton's emails as secretary of state last month. "This fifteen-page redacted report is, unfortunately, not a fluke, but a typical example of the kind of petty gamesmanship we've come to expect from the ironically self-proclaimed 'most transparent administration ever,'" Issa, R-Calif., wrote in a statement to ABC News. http://abcn.ws/1KBO1yk
LINDSEY GRAHAM WOULD SUPPORT RAND PAUL OVER HILLARY CLINTON 'AFTER I CAME OUT OF MY COMA.' The latest Republican presidential candidate to enter the race, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had harsh words for fellow senator and GOP primary opponent Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., over the NSA domestic surveillance program, ABC's ALI DUKAKIS notes. Still, if it came down to it, Graham says he would pick Paul over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if the two faced off in the general election. "Well, when I came out of my coma, I would support Rand Paul," Graham told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America." "I mean, it would be devastating, I think, for our party to nominate Rand Paul as our nominee on national security, in particular. But if he wins the primary process, I will support him." Graham added, however, "that has very little chance of happening, in my view." http://abcn.ws/1KJYY4c
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
TWO WORLD WAR I SOLDIERS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED MEDAL OF HONOR. President Obama posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to two World War I soldiers yesterday, nearly 100 years after they risked their lives to save their comrades on the battlefields of France. "It has taken a long time for Henry Johnson and William Shemin to receive the recognition they deserve and there are surely others whose heroism is still unacknowledged and uncelebrated," Obama said. Obama said that the soldiers, one Jewish and one African-American, were not recognized during their lifetimes with the nation's highest military honor because of discrimination, ABC's JORDYN PHELPS reports. http://abcn.ws/1FrPpA0
WHO'S TWEETING?
@AP: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to make announcement on 2016 presidential election on June 24: http://apne.ws/1dKUsVz
@mikiebarb: Fantastic & colorful WaPo history of Clinton Foundation: http://wapo.st/1eNJPSg
@politico: The DNC's finance chairman has been raising money for Hillary Clinton, an apparent violation of party rules. http://politi.co/1GZ7v0N
@jmartNYT: .@emilyslist to make Madam President program a women turnout IE for Hillary, is taking over @readyforhillary accts http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/06/03/today-in-politics-welcome-to-the-party-lincoln-chafee/#post-mb-8 …
@DMRegister: The Register's Editorial: What you think about caucusgoers may be wrong http://dmreg.co/1IccWZ0
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