Since 2011

Gabe Fleisher, Editor-in-Chief

wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com ● wakeuptopolitics.com ● @WakeUp2Politics

THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL

Election Central

Results Day As NBC’s Chuck Todd says, “if it’s Tuesday, somebody’s

voting somewhere,” and, “if it’s Wednesday, we’ve got results.” Well on

Tuesday, “somewhere” was Texas, as voters returned to the polls to cast

votes in primary runoffs where needed. Here are your results:

TX-4 Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), who has served 17 terms in Congress and at

91 years of age is the oldest member in the history of the U.S. House, was

defeated Tuesday by his primary challenger, tea party-backed former U.S.

Attorney John Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe ousted Hall, winning the runoff 53% to 47%. Hall had promised

that, if elected in November, it would be his last term – but he will not get

that far. Even though the incumbent received first place in the March

primary, Hall didn’t get to 50% of the vote, forcing him into a runoff, which

Ratcliffe won Tuesday. With no Democrat running, Ratcliffe is now the next

Congressman from Texas’ 4th

district. He has promised to abide by a self-set

term limit of eight years, or four two-year terms.

Hall becomes the first congressional incumbent to leave at the primary level

this cycle, and the former Democrat’s loss is the tea party’s gain – giving the

wing of the Republican Party its first real win against an incumbent in 2014.

Lieutenant Governor Another tea party win in the Lone Star State came

Tuesday, as Lt. Gov. David Drewhurst (R-TX) was ousted by primary

challenger state Sen. Dan Patrick, a tea party favorite.

It is the second loss to the tea party in two years for Drewhurst, who lost to

Patrick 65-35. His first primary defeat was in 2012, when the lieutenant

governor was the heavily favored establishment candidate to win the GOP

nomination for U.S. Senate, but instead the unknown former state Solicitor

General Ted Cruz came from nowhere, and rode to victory.

In Texas, the lieutenant governorship is a powerful position – with even

more influence than the governor, some would say – and although

Drewhurst was not very moderate, it will be useful for the tea party to have

an ally in the position.

White House Watch

The President’s Schedule The big thing on President Obama’s schedule

today is a 10 AM commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at

West Point, New York.

Obama’s West Point address is part of a larger focus this week on foreign

policy, coming after a Memorial Day trip to Afghanistan and a statement on

the war there from the Rose Garden yesterday.

At his commencement address, the President is expected to outline the

Afghanistan plan he offered Wednesday, which would have all American

soldiers out of Afghanistan by 2016. The 32,000 troops currently stationed

there would become 9,800 at the end of this year, a number which would be

cut in half by the end of 2015, so at the end of the next year, the only

Americans in the country would be protecting the Kabul embassy and

helping with military purchases.

In Afghanistan Sunday, President Obama signaled intent to keep his promise

of ending the American combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of this

year.

While in Afghanistan, the White House also experienced a national security

flap, as the name of America’s top spy in Afghanistan was accidentally

released.

The official’s name was on a list of those briefing Obama released to the

trip’s pool reporter, who then followed standard practice in emailing the list

to thousands of fellow journalists, who usually receive White House pool

reports.

An updated list was later sent out, with two people omitted, including one

identified as “Chief of Station” – the designation used by the CIA for its top

intelligence officer in a foreign country.

Deputy White House National Security Advisor Tony Blinken told CNN’s

Wolf Blitzer on “Situation Room” Tuesday that Chief of Staff Denis

McDonough has requested a review of the incident be led by new White

House Counsel Neil Eggelston.

First American TV Interview with Snowden to Air

NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s first interview with an American TV station

will air Wednesday in an hour-long primetime special. Snowden sat down

with “Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams, and the special will air at 10

PM Eastern Time.