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1.) Things are about to get faster and more furious — Eric Holder is going to have a case of the Mondays, reports TheDC’s Matthew Boyle:
“House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa is expected to file a civil contempt of Congress lawsuit Monday against Eric Holder, in the hope that a federal judge will force the U.S. Attorney General to turn over documents related to the Operation Fast and Furious scandal. ‘The committee expects to file the civil contempt suit against the Attorney General Monday,’ a Republican congressional source told The Daily Caller.”
2.) Ryan’s World — You may have heard that Mitt Romney made a little announcement this weekend. In front of the USS Wisconsin, he named House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan to be his running mate, enthusing not only conservatives but also Democrats because they see unlimited opportunity to demagogue Ryan’s courageous budget plan. But how well do we know Ryan? TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein (ME!) put together some interesting facts about him, including that “Ryan worked for Oscar Meyer while in college and even drove the Wienermobile” and “Ryan previously worked as a fitness trainer in Washington, and he leads a group of congressmen in the workout P90X when Congress is in session.” Don’t let anyone tell you this ticket can’t make history — has any president ever drove the Wienermobile before?
Read all ten. Now.
3.) Midwestern mindset — Could Paul Ryan help Mitt Romney win the crucial battleground state of Ohio? Well, besides going to college in the Buckeye State, some analysts say some of his other attributes could aid the ticket in attracting votes there. TheDC’s Alexis Levinson reports:
“By choosing Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney picked up an asset to help him win the Badger State, but some analysts say Ryan could also potentially benefit Romney in the crucial swing state of Ohio. As a fellow Midwesterner, ‘Ryan can evoke midwestern values,’ emailed Trey Grayson, director of the Harvard University Institute of Politics … ‘Moreover, Ryan helps balance the ticket in a way that could be an asset for Romney given Ohio’s demographics. ‘Being Catholic,’ Grayson noted, ‘will help him appeal to the many Catholic swing voters in Ohio.'”
Now, only if Ohio was as fun as it is important electorally. Well, at least Cleveland rocks.
4.) Pax Americana forever — Paul Ryan may not have a tremendous amount of foreign policy experience, but he does have a clear vision, which he laid out passionately in a 2011 speech to the Alexander Hamilton Society. TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein (ME!) reports:
“The speech’s fundamental theme was that American decline — domestic and international — is not preordained. ‘Look — our fiscal problems are real, and the need to address them is urgent,’ he declared. ‘But I’m here to tell you that decline is not a certainty for America. Rather, as Charles Krauthammer put it, decline is a choice.’ … America, he said, ‘must lead.’ ‘And a central element of maintaining American leadership,’ he added, ‘is the promotion of our moral principles — consistently and energetically — without being unrealistic about what is possible for us to achieve.'”
Viva the American age!
5.) Poll of the Day: Many Americans don’t know who Paul Ryan is yet — CNN/ORC poll on Paul Ryan from last week before he was tapped to be VP candidate: 27% viewed him favorably, 19% unfavorably, 38% never heard of him and 16% were unsure.
6.) Tweet of Yesterday — David Burge: The USA is $16T in debt. What does a PAC accusing Romney of murder call itself? “Priorities USA.”