| EARLIER ON THE FIX: Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton to speak in Texas on Wednesday What President Obama can learn from female Senators Hillary Clinton is beloved. Joe Biden is be-liked. And therein lies his 2016 problem. Another race-tinted showdown in Hawaii The Senate ain't a fun place to be these days All eyes on Brian Schweitzer in wake of Max Baucus retirement How much does EPA's objection to Keystone XL matter? A lot. Stephen Colbert on George W. Bush's presidential library (VIDEO) Why the American public isn't mad as hell about the failure of the gun bill (in numbers) The Senate's defeat of a package of popular proposals aimed at curbing gun violence last week seemed certain to foment public outrage at out-of-touch politicians who don't listen to their constituents. Not so much, according to a new Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll. Yes, a plurality (47 percent) describe themselves as either "angry" or "disappointed" about the failure of the gun legislation but 39 percent call themselves "relieved" or "happy" about what happened. That's a far cry from the 90-ish percent support that expanding background checks – the centerpiece of the proposed legislation — enjoyed. And, among those who said they were "very closely" keeping tabs on the vote, the split was even closer; 48 percent said they were angry/disappointed while 47 percent were relieved or happy. (That piece of data is indicative of the passion gap on the issue between those supporting gun rights and those pushing for more restrictions.) 
Viewed broadly, the new Post-Pew poll numbers suggest that, in the end, the Senate vote last week wound up functioning in the minds of most Americans as a sort of stand-in for how they feel about gun rights more generally as opposed to the specifics (background checks in particular) of the legislation. So, not surprisingly, those who who were most angry about the failure of the gun bill were reliably Democratic groups like those with postgraduate degrees and those living in the Northeast. 
Ditto those who described themselves as "very happy" about the collapse of the legislation. Three in ten Republicans put themselves in that category as did one in four whites without college degrees. 
The numbers suggest that the White House wound up losing the message fight over the gun legislation. Rather than a conversation centered on widely-popular measures supported by members of both parties, the debate — at least as people perceived it — became a wider referendum on the proper place for guns in society. To their credit, the President and his White House tried like hell to emphasize that the proposals in the bill were ones that drew support across party lines. But, their failure to make that case effectively speaks to the entrenched views much of the country holds on guns. The conclusion? Most people simply weren't really listening to the argument President Obama was trying to make. Fixbits: Authorities dropped charges against man they had accused of sending ricin-laced letters to the White House, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and a judge. Federal authorities appeared to turn their attention toward his longtime antagonist. A House GOP report says that when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, she rejected a direct plea for security reinforcements in Libya before the Benghazi attacks. Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D), a possible challenger to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), met in 2011 with Shawn Reilly, who co-founded the liberal group Progress Kentucky, which has come under controversy. Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) released abridged tax information. He made $8.2 million in 2011. The AP's Twitter feed was hacked. Rep. Ed Markey slammed Rep. Stephen Lynch for 'Karl Rove swiftboat' tactics during the final debate in the Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary campaign. Former Pennsylvania Democratic congressman Bob Edgar died at 69. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) pushed back on a Politico report about immigration. Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) won't be running for the Senate. CNN could reboot "Crossfire" with Newt Gingrich and Stephanie Cutter. Must-reads: "Baucus retirement opens way for sweeping legislative changes" — Paul Kane and Lori Montgomery, Washington Post "Will Wyden's Rise Create More Democratic Headaches?" — Meredith Shiner, Roll Call | 
Megyn Kelly -> Pete Hegseth responds to 2017 rape accusation. 🔥 vol. 3, issue 13 | December 6, 2024 Quick Hits All the news you need in...
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