News Reporter: The Daily 202: House sit-in guarantees gun control will be a top issue in fall election

House sit-in guarantees gun control will be a top issue in fall election

Democratic members of the House stage a sit-in on the House floor to demand action on gun legislation. (Photo by Katherine Clark)

THE BIG IDEA: Paul Ryan calls it "a publicly stunt." That may be true. But it is proving to be a darn effective one.

Republicans, unsure about how to deal with a sit-in that started on the House floor yesterday at 11:30 a.m., tried to talk over Democrats and hold routine votes. Then, around 3:30 a.m., they adjourned the chamber until after July Fourth – two days earlier than planned. In so doing, they've guaranteed that the debate about gun control will roil the congressional recess and remain a dominant storyline for the next two weeks.

Democrats continue to occupy the House floor this morning. About two dozen stayed through the night.

-- "This isn't trying to come up with a solution to a problem; this is trying to get attention," the Speaker complained on TV late last night. That is neither true nor fair. In fact, nearly two weeks after the mass murder of 49 in Orlando, Democrats are merely trying to secure up-or-down votes on a variety of very specific gun control proposals – including a measure that would prevent suspected terrorists from being able to buy firearms and another that would expand background checks.

-- Being in the minority in a majoritarian institution like the House is a demoralizing drag. You get constantly shafted, and your priorities never get floor time. Nancy Pelosi's Democrats have spent six years in the wilderness now, and for the first time in years it looked last night like they were having fun: The chanting of "shame!" The singing of "We shall overcome." Taking a stand on principle.

Younger members of Congress loved that they were sitting in solidarity with civil rights icon John Lewis. "Thank you for getting in trouble! Good trouble," the Georgian told them. "Sometimes by sitting down, by sitting in, you're standing up."

For lawmakers too young to have marched at Selma, that's a moment they can imagine telling their grandkids about. And it was definitely more invigorating than sucking up to K Street lobbyists at fundraisers -- which, candidly, is how many members in both parties spend their evenings while in Washington.

Democrats have been brainstorming dramatic steps they could take to force a debate in the lower chamber. Compared to the Senate, their options are limited. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) gets credit for coming up with the sit-in idea and then convincing Lewis to get on board. (Paul Kane has more about the backstory here.)

To the right, it is an unruly and undignified spectacle. To the left, it is an energizing display of backbone.

-- No matter your politics, it was incredible political theatre. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" meets open mic night. Republicans gaveled the House out of session, cutting off the live video feed that C-SPAN broadcasts. Defying House rules, Democrats used their phones to stream low-resolution videos online. Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) used FaceTime on his iPhone to do an interview from the House floor – a first. MSNBC gave the drama wall-to-wall coverage.

Rep. Tammy Duckworth, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Illinois, lost both her legs in the Iraq war. She sat on the floor next to her empty wheelchair.

Last week, liberal House members walked over to the Senate side of the Capitol to offer moral support for Connecticut's Chris Murphy as he filibustered past 2 a.m. Last night, senators like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders came over to the House.

Kim Kardashian, of all people, even offered support on Twitter.

-- Certain Senate Republicans have been willing to compromise on an effort to stop people on the no-fly-list from getting guns because they knew that the deal will die in the House. So they will vote for the measure put forward by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), depriving Democratic challengers in states like Illinois and New Hampshire of a wedge issue while quietly reassuring the gun rights lobby that the House will be the backstop. (Collins's bill could get a vote as soon as today.)

-- The House will ultimately still serve its role as a backstop. Meaningful new gun laws are doomed to fail. And Ryan is very, very unlikely to cave – especially with rank-and-file GOP members using terms like "legislative blackmail" to describe the maneuvering. While Democrats hope this is a long-term tipping point, they are realistic about the institutional realities. Their short-term goal is to exact as high a political price as possible on the GOP.

There are a group of vulnerable House Republicans who will almost certainly get hammered on this issue through the July Fourth recess. Gun control advocacy groups like Mike Bloomberg's will birddog these members at parades and town halls, if they have them. There's a good chance some members will limit public appearances to avoid talking about guns or Trump…

Paul Ryan prepares last night to deal with the House Democrats who have taken over the chamber. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

-- Once again, Ryan finds himself taking the heat. The brouhaha on the floor, which surely prompted him to pop some aspirin, is a perfect illustration of why the Wisconsin congressman resisted taking the gavel from John Boehner last year. Not to mention his continuing contortions over Donald Trump.

This, for example, is the cover of today's Daily News:

The Speaker is becoming, for some, the new avatar of obstruction. Erica is the daughter of the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School:

Ryan has been systematically rolling out a six-part policy agenda, and yesterday was supposed to be all about the GOP's plan to replace Obamacare. But online virtually no one talked about or covered that. Almost all Ryan-related mentions on social media yesterday were about guns, terrorism or border security, according to analytics from Zignal Labs.

To Ryan's credit, he really is putting himself out there. His spokeswoman reiterated at 2:45 a.m. that he will go forward with a scheduled press conference later this morning – rather than avoiding the cameras.

-- The sit-in further illustrates how supporting gun control has become A LITMUS TEST for Democrats, just as opposing it has been one for Republicans ever since the crime bill passed in the mid-1990s. I wrote in Monday's 202 about how Democrat Ted Strickland ran for reelection as governor of Ohio with the NRA endorsement in 2010 but he's running for Senate in 2016 as a crusader for stricter guns laws. Hillary Clinton has also lurched to the left on guns compared to 2008, when Barack Obama said she sounded like Annie Oakley. This is what her press secretary said last night:

"Like gay rights and immigration, gun control now helps Democrats cement a coalition united mostly by liberal cultural values," Ron Brownstein explained in a piece for The Atlantic last fall. "Since Bill Clinton's era, the Democrats' base in the Electoral College has been equally transformed. The party has essentially written off rural, gun-friendly heartland states, such as Tennessee, and added cosmopolitan, racially diverse, and urbanized states, particularly along the coasts, that are more receptive to gun control—Virginia, say."

-- The Dingell family shows how the politics of this issue are changing in the House. Former Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) was a close ally of the National Rifle Association. His wife Debbie, who filled his seat when he retired, was an active participant in last night's sit-in. She even gave a chilling speech about an experience in her childhood that personalized the debate. "I lived in a house with a man that should not have had a gun," she said. "I know what it's like to see a gun pointed at you and wonder if you are going to live. And I know what it's like to hide in a closet and pray to god, 'Do not let anything happen to me.' And we don't talk about it, we don't want to say that it happens in all kinds of households, and we still live in a society where we will let a convicted villain who was stalking somebody of domestic abuse, still own a gun." (This interactive graphic, from The Post's graphics team, shows the sorting out between the two parties.)

-- To be sure, the sit-in will also energize gun rights supporters and undoubtedly lead to a gush of fundraising for the NRA. Tensions ran high between the Democrats and some Republicans. Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert yelled at Democrats that they should talk about "radical Islam," not gun control. One of the people he got into an argument with was Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), who represents the congressional district that includes the Pulse night club.

Conservative members were deeply annoyed to be on the floor after 3 a.m. Take these tweets, for example:

A Kansas congressman trash talked Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.):

-- Our video team made a three-minute highlight reel of the floor action:

Must-see moments from the House Democrats' sit-in

-- As this email goes out, it continues. Watch our live feed:

House Democrats continue sit-in

Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning newsletter.
With contributions from Breanne Deppisch (@b_deppy) and Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) Sign up to receive the newsletter.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:

Aedes aegypti (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

-- Zika talks broke down. On their way to adjourning, House Republicans passed their $1.1 billion plan signed off on by GOP leaders in the House and Senate. The problem is the GOP package can't get 60 Senate votes and Democrats abandoned negotiations. Democrats say Republicans insisted the funding be partially paid for by cuts to the Affordable Care Act and by shifting more than $100 million from the Ebola emergency fund, Kelsey Snell reports. So we approach peak mosquito season, and Congress once again fails to gets its job done.

GET SMART FAST:

Marco Rubio announced that he will run for reelection to the Senate, a big boost for Republican hopes of retaining the Senate majority. (Sean Sullivan and Mike DeBonis)
The Colombian government and FARC rebels reached a cease-fire agreement, clearing one of the last major hurdles in the effort to end a nearly 50-year conflict. (Nick Miroff)
Pakistan's government announced that it is giving a $3 million grant to the "University of Jihad," agreeing to subsidize one of the world's most controversial Islamist institutions even as the country vows to crack down on havens for the Islamic State. (Tim Craig)
The Senate rejected a Republican-led effort that would have allowed the FBI to access a person's internet browser history and email without a court order. (Karoun Demirjian)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) announced his intention to resign from Congress after being convicted of nearly two dozen public corruption charges. But he said he wants to make it effective on Oct. 3, the day before his sentencing. This means the convicted felon would collect a paycheck for three more months. Republicans may move for a vote to expel him. (AP)
Orlando gunman Omar Mateen shot continuously at wounded people on the floor of Pulse nightclub, according to surveillance footage, emptying a 30-round magazine to ensure the death of his early victims. The footage corroborates eyewitness accounts. (Adam Goldman and Matt Zapotosky)
U.S. generals are preparing to ask Obama to deploy "hundreds" of additional troops to Iraq. A formal proposal says increased personnel are necessary for progress against the Islamic State. (Josh Rogin)
Former State Department aide Bryan Pagliano invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 125 times during a 90-minute deposition related to Hillary Clinton's emails. He read the same statement off an index card each time under questioning from the conservative group Judicial Watch. (Fox News)
The New York City Council unanimously voted to approve a free tampon program, becoming the first U.S. city to give all women in public schools, prisons and homeless shelters access to feminine hygiene products at no cost. (Katie Mettler)
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy withdrew from the Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, a high-profile loss that could encourage more athletes to skip Rio. (New York Times)
Russia's weightlifting team now faces a potential ban from the Rio Olympics for anti-doping violations, less than a week after Vladimir Putin's track and field team was suspended on the same charges. (Reuters)
Canadian police are investigating after a pig's head was left outside a mosque, wrapped in cellophane with the words "Bonne appétit." (Travis M. Andrews)
A federal judge ruled that "Jackie" does not need to hand over any additional documents in a lawsuit against Rolling Stone, siding with lawyers for the woman at the center of a discredited account of gang rape. (T. Rees Shapiro)
Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear (D) is suing Gov. Matt Bevin (R) for the second time in as many months, challenging his overhaul of the University of Louisville board of trustees. Bevin has called for an investigation into Beshear's dad, who was his predecessor as governor. (Danielle Douglas-Gabriel)
Police arrested a Florida man who Ubered his way across the state to have intercourse with a minor. The man racked up a nearly $250 charge for his trip – and multiple criminal charges. (Fort Meyers News-Press)
Scientists discovered three species of clams that suffer from contagious cancer, suggesting that transmissible forms of the disease are not as rare as researchers once thought. (Sarah Kaplan)

The scene at a polling place this morning at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

THE BREXIT VOTE IS TODAY: "Among the five polls released on the eve of the vote, two showed a lead for 'in,' two gave the edge to 'out' and one forecast a tie," Griff Witte reports from London. "The final average of all polls was 50-50, with Britons evenly split over whether the country should exit the 28-member European Union.The referendum marks an existential decision that could dramatically reshape Britain's global role in a way not seen since London shed its empire after World War II. It could also lead to another push on Scottish secession, the further unraveling of the European Union and the fall of Prime Minister David Cameron's government."

"As the first votes were cast — with the often-variable British weather running the gamut from a torrential downpour in London to sunny, clear skies in Scotland — ANXIETY was the prevailing mood": "Hilary Clarke, a 45 year-old a full-time mom, was the first to vote at a southwest London polling station. She said she would use her stubby pencil to check 'remain' on her ballot, but was hardly assured that the rest of the country would agree with her. "If I had been confident I wouldn't be standing in the rain at 7 in the morning," she said. "The reason I'm first in the queue is I'm going straight to the airport to go to Barcelona, and I may not return if the vote goes the wrong way."

-- Much like Donald Trump's campaign, "Leave" supporters are driven by a mistrust of elites and "a trust-no-one mentality," explains Bloomberg. President Obama has weighed in strongly for the "remain" side, while Trump says he'd vote to "leave."

-- Other E.U. countries also want British to remain. Parisians are even passing out croissants around London this morning to convince their still-European compatriots not to give up on the marriage. (James McAuley)

THREE GREAT READS ABOUT TRUMP IN TODAY'S POST:

Three guys take turns putting at Trump's golf course on the Scottish coast north of Aberdeen. Trump opened the course in 2012, despite the steady complaints of neighbors whose properties have been negatively impacted by his construction. (Photo by Shannon Jensen Wedgwood/For The Washington Post)

-- "Trump's top example of foreign experience: A Scottish golf course losing millions," by Jenna Johnson in Balmedie, Scotland: "When Trump arrives this weekend at the golf course he built on the rugged dunes of this remote, windswept corner overlooking the North Sea, he will celebrate it as an example of his international business success. ... But to many people in Scotland, his course here has been a failure. Over the past decade, Trump has battled with homeowners, elbowed his way through the planning process, shattered relationships with elected leaders and sued the Scottish government. Trump has also reported to Scottish authorities that he lost millions of dollars on the project — even as he claims on U.S. presidential disclosure forms that the course has been highly profitable. 'In all fairness, right now it's not exactly top of my mind because I'm running for president,' Trump said."

Related: Two years ago, Trump tried to block a wind farm proposal that he said would hurt the views at his course. So strong was his opposition that he likened it to a terrorist attack that killed nearly 200 Americans. "Wind farms are a disaster for Scotland, like Pan Am 103," Trump said. (Buzzfeed)

Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. in Trump Tower (Photo by Jennifer S. Altman/For The Washington Post)

-- "Who does Trump listen to? Other Trumps," by Mary Jordan and Jose A. DelReal in New York: "At a time when Trump is under attack even by many within his own party, several who know him say a man who has always valued family loyalty is drawing them even closer. One trademark of the most unconventional campaign in modern history is that members of Trump's family — who have virtually no political experience — are so deeply involved in his campaign that they often act as gatekeepers and strategists. And because his operation is so tiny — about 70 paid staff members compared with Hillary Clinton's 683 — his family's impact is even more pronounced. 'Good kids. Good relationships,' Trump said, when asked about his children in a recent interview."

Trump and a friend, both about 11 years old, playing with snorkel gear in the pool of the Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach. (Courtesy of Peter Brant)

-- "Confident. Incorrigible. Bully: Little Donny was a lot like candidate Trump," by Paul Schwartzman and Michael E. Miller: "Trump left an indelible impression in the prosperous Queens neighborhood where he evolved from a [boy into a man.] His face crowned by a striking blond pompadour, young Donald commanded attention with his playground taunts, classroom disruptions and distinctive countenance, even then his lips pursed in a way that would inspire future mimics. A fierce competitor, Trump could erupt in anger, pummeling another boy or smashing a baseball bat if he made an out." He was Trump in miniature, an embryonic version of the bombastic, flamboyant candidate who has dominated 2016. Even Trump has acknowledged the similarities between his adult self and the boy whom friends alternately referred to as "Donny," "The Trumpet" and "Flat Top" (for his hair). "When I look at myself in the first grade and I look at myself now, I'm basically the same," Trump once said. "The temperament is not that different."

Trump smiles like a Cheshire Cat in New York yesterday. (EPA/Justin Lane)

-- Trump claimed that he's raised more than $3 million since Tuesday. National finance chairman Steve Mnuchin said on Fox Business that Trump would "personally match" the first $2 million. "So we made over $5 million online yesterday and we're just starting that effort," he said. "Raising such a huge sum in a short amount of time — through an email list that had never before been tapped for contributions — would make Trump's pitch for donations one of the most successful in American politics, Matea Gold explains. "Because not every email recipient responds to a solicitation, experts estimate that it would require a list of as many as 6 million supporters to raise a sum as large as $3 million in such a short period." Count us among those who are skeptical that the campaign is telling the truth...

-- This year's host committee for the Republican National Convention says it will meet its fundraising goal of $64 million. But the Cleveland Plain Dealer says the host committee has raised only $2 million since early April, and only $1 million since Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee in early May.

-- George F. Will urges Republicans to "save the party" and NOT give to Trump in his column today: "'Every republic,' writes Charles Kesler, 'eventually faces what might be called the Weimar problem.' It arrives when a nation's civic culture has become so debased that the nation no longer has 'the virtues necessary to sustain republican government.' … Various Republican moral contortionists continue their semantic somersaults about 'supporting' but not 'endorsing' Trump. In Cleveland, they will point him toward the highest elective office in a country they profess to love but that he calls 'a hellhole.'"

-- Former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft, who served George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford, endorsed Clinton. He said she is "uniquely prepared for the highest office in the land." (David Weigel)

-- Hispanic GOP operative Lionel Sosa, who worked for Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns, bid farewell to the Republican Party, blasting Trump as a self-promoting "shark" with an out-of-control ego: "Instead of 'Tear down this wall,' the party promotes a new and bigger wall," Sosa wrote in the San Antonio Express-News. "In place of compassionate conservatism, our nominee promotes callousness, extremism and racism. And instead of a unifier, the party now cheers the ultimate 'us against them' proponent. Divisiveness incarnate." (Ed O'Keefe)

-- Republican consultant Mike Murphy, who ran the Jeb Bush super PAC, eviscerates Trump for his "political suicide mission": "The total number of Republican primary voters this year, more than half of whom voted for somebody other than Trump, is significantly smaller than the number of minority voters that will vote this November. Put another way, Trump is likely to lose minority voters alone by roughly twice the total number of people who voted for him in the GOP primaries."

-- Tom DeLay hammered the evangelical leaders who have capitulated to Trump. The former House Majority Leader went to New York for Tuesday's closed-door conference with social conservatives, and he was stunned by how many are willing to look the other way and not ask tough questions about his dubious values. (National Review's Tim Alberta)

-- The Labor Department is investigating allegations that workers on the Trump-owned Old Post Office building are being paid less than federal law requires. There was an apparent wage-rule violation by a Trump Organization subcontractor that restores windows as part of the renovation, Politico's Marianne Levine reports.

-- An Italian luxury footwear designer filed a lawsuit against Ivanka Trump, claiming that the candidate's daughter ripped off the copyrighted design of an $800 fringed sandal, according to USA Today.

-- Clinton will roll out the endorsements of more than 50 business executives today, including several longtime Republicans. (Wall Street Journal)

Hillary speaks at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh yesterday. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

DUELING SPEECHES:

-- Attempting to engineer a course correction, Trump delivered a scathing and highly personal critique of Clinton from a teleprompter. "This was the Trump that Republican leaders have been waiting for," Jose A. DelReal and Philip Rucker write, "focused, systematic and, despite spraying a stream of falsehoods, ruthless." Absent were references to a federal judge's Mexican American heritage or colorful play-by-play of his exploits in the primaries – which Trump did not mention at all. "Instead, Trump zeroed in on the 'rigged' (a word he uttered 10 times) economic and political systems. He promised to make America "richer, bigger, better and stronger." And he portrayed Clinton as a "world-class liar" and a danger to the country. During his 42-minute performance, Trump moved closer to being the kind of general-election standard-bearer Republican leaders have been pleading with him to become."

He hurled the opposition-research book at her: on Benghazi; her and her husband's paid speeches; her use of a private email server; her ties to Wall Street; and her past support for trade deals. "No secretary of state has been more wrong, more often and in more places than Hillary Clinton," he said. "Her decisions spread death, destruction and terrorism everywhere she touched."

But, but, but: For leaders in The Republican Resistance, Trump's litany of verifiable falsehoods underscored his lack of seriousness and self-discipline. "Even in a teleprompter speech, he still has to include conspiracy theories and grossly exaggerate the case against her rather than sticking to the credible facts," said former Jeb Bush communications director Tim Miller. "So then you spend all afternoon talking about his lies and his conspiracy theories rather than the real, fair criticisms of her foreign-policy record and of the Clinton Foundation." (The Post's Fact Checkers reviewed 25 claims in Trump's speech.)

-- Meanwhile, Clinton outlined a long list of economic priorities during a speech in North Carolina, seeking to contrast her seriousness of purpose with Trump while simultaneously reassuring Bernie Sanders supporters of her progressive bona fides. From John Wagner and Kelsey Snell: "It takes more than stern words or a flashy slogan. It takes a plan," Clinton told the audience. "That means we need a president who knows what we're up against, has no illusions about what we need to do to move ahead, but can actually get it done. And that is what I am offering." She pledged to build on Dodd-Frank and "say no to bad trade deals," including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And she portrayed herself as someone who would work across the aisle as president to get things done, citing her efforts as first lady to create the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

-- A day after Trump questioned her faith, HRC also spoke about her religious upbringing. "As we Methodists like to say, 'Do all the good you can to all the people you can in all the ways you can,' and that is absolutely true for our children," she said. That's why I got into public service in the first place, and it's why I am determined that we will win this election in November."

-- Notably, both Clinton and Trump repeatedly described the system as "RIGGED" during their speeches.

Listen to The Washington Post's exclusive interview with Hillary Clinton

In an interview with Wonkblog's Jim Tankersley, Clinton said government and business have failed many white, working-class Americans, and that she understands why those workers -- especially men -- are responding to the appeals of Trump. "I respect the fear, the anxiety, even the anger that a lot of people are feeling," she said, "because the advance of globalization and technology has really replaced or undermined the future for many jobs. ... They just are looking for somebody who will explain, in a way they will accept, what's happened. So Trump comes along and he blames immigrants and he blames minorities and he blames women, and people are responsive to that because these are hard times that folks are going through."

Sanders: 'It doesn't appear that I'm going to be the nominee'

-- Sanders came closer than ever to conceding, telling C-SPAN that he will not be nominated when the party meets next month in Philadelphia. "It doesn't appear that I'm going to be the nominee, so I'm not going to be determining the scope of the convention," Sanders said. "I do think I'll speak at the convention." It is the latest in a series of Sanders statements that have softened the landing for his concession, while he continues to refrain from ending his campaign completely. The Vermont senator has stopped talking about a path to the nomination by flipping superdelegates, David Weigel writes, and has instead begun looking ahead to the party's platform fight and his future role in the Senate. "Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is one of the important committees in the Senate," Sanders said. "The Democrats on the committee are pretty progressive. And it deals with the issues I work on."

-- 55 percent of Sanders supporters said they will move to support Clinton in to a Bloomberg Politics poll. Meanwhile, 22 percent said they will vote for Trump, and 18 percent said they favored a Libertarian.

-- Elizabeth Warren will stump with Clinton in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday in what will be widely covered as a V.P. audition.

Gary Johnson waits to be introduced. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)

-- Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson blasted the two-party system at a CNN town hall last night, seeking to capitalize on the unpopularity of Trump and Clinton. "The two-party system is a two-party dinosaur, and they're about to come in contact with the comet here," Johnson said, appearing alongside running-mate Bill Weld. "It's almost like the parties exist more for the purpose of slandering each other than they do for having constructive approaches to legislation," said Weld, the former GOP governor of Massachusetts. "We like to think we're going to be the third way." Johnson needs to pull an average of 15 percent in the polls to get on the debate stage this fall.

A crowd protesting against Trump outside Trump Tower on Tuesday. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

-- A very worrisome disconnect: Political animosity has surged to record highs. People view those in the opposing party more negatively than at any point in a quarter century of testing, according to a new Pew Research Center study:

55 percent of Democrats say the Republican Party makes them feel afraid, while 49 percent of Republicans said the same about the Democratic Party. "And among those highly engaged in politics – who vote regularly and either volunteer for or donate to campaigns – fully 70 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of Republicans say they are afraid of the other party."
Negative feelings towards opposing parties are often more powerful than positive feelings about one's own: 16 percent of Republicans and 20 percent of Democrats say they "almost always" agree with their party's policy stances. Meanwhile, 44 percent of both Republicans and Democrats say they "almost never" agree with the other party's positions.
70 percent of Democrats said they believe Republicans are "closed-minded." And the majority of Republicans -- 59 percent -- believe they are harder working than their Democratic counterparts.

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:

Social media was full of photos and tweets about House Dems' sit-in:

From a leader of the Black Lives Matter movement:

Senate campaign primary rivals made nice for the cause:

Some reaction to Rubio's news:

And a response from Rubio:

Flashback:

From one of the Republicans staying in the primary against Rubio:

Our colleague Dave Fahrenthold is trying to find out the last time Trump gave a personal charitable gift:

An inspirational message from Vicki Hartzler:

Rory Gilmore stopped by the White House:

LeBron James celebrated in Cleveland:

Elizabeth Hurley urged votes for Brexit:

Speaking of super models...

Trump started selling a new shirt:

Clinton trolled him:

Oops:

Spotted in Tennessee:

HOT ON THE LEFT:

"'Make America White Again' campaign sign causing controversy in Polk Co," from WRCB: "It was put there by Rick Tyler, an independent candidate in the race for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district. Tyler told Channel 3 he has no hatred in his heart for 'people of color.' He says the sign's message is that America should go back to a '1960s, Ozzie and Harriet, Leave it to Beaver time when there were no break-ins; no violent crime; no mass immigration.' Tyler posted a second sign on Highway 64 with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 'I Have a Dream' quote written over a White House surrounded by Confederate Flags."

HOT ON THE RIGHT:

"How Nearly Getting Kidnapped Convinced This Congresswoman to Buy a Gun," from The Stream: Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) says that not having a weapon made her an easy target nearly 20 years ago, when three men broke her cheekbone and attempted to force her into their car on Vanderbilt's campus. "Eventually, they gave up at the sight of a nearby bystander," she said. "The police later told me that if my attackers had successfully dragged me into their vehicle, I would have never returned."

GOOD READ FROM ELSEWHERE:

-- Bloomberg Businessweek got an Obama interview that just posted: "The 'Anti-Business' President Who's Been Good for Business." He weighed in on free trade, regulating banks, and why his daughters won't work for Wall Street. Check out the full interview here.

On trade: "My argument with my friends in the union movement, for example—and I'm a strong union supporter—is if you're fighting that battle, you're fighting the last war. That you have to recognize that globalization is here to stay … And our goal, then, should be to try to shape trade deals that raise standards everywhere. And that's what we've done with the Trans-Pacific Partnership."
On Trumpism, the "Brexit," and anti-globalization: "I think that the temptation in that circumstance is to resort to nativism and nostalgia and the sense that these are things that are now out of control and I want to take control back. But I continue to believe that the majority of people … recognize that the world has shrunk, and that if the rules are structured properly, this gives them more opportunity, not less, to succeed. If you talk to the younger generation here in the United States, they're not knee-jerk anti-trade. They're not anti-globalization. If you look at surveys, it tends to be older workers who are feeling displaced who are attracted to this notion of 'let's pull up the drawbridge and shut everybody off.'"
On a future outside politics: "If I think about what would stir my passions had I not gone into politics, it'd probably be starting some kind of business. The skill set of starting my presidential campaigns—and building the kinds of teams that we did and marketing ideas—I think would be the same kinds of skills that I would enjoy exercising in the private sector."

DAYBOOK:

On the campaign trail: Sanders is in New York City.

At the White House: Obama meets with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, then travels to San Francisco, Calif. Vice President Biden is in Ireland.

On Capitol Hill: The House is out. The Senate meets at 10:30 to work on the Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies appropriations bill.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Donald Rumsfeld explained to the Daily Mail why he'll vote for Trump: "Mrs. Clinton is a known known. Donald Trump is a known unknown who's a recent entry into the equation. And I am a lot more comfortable with a known unknown, who I will support, than with a known known who is unacceptable."

-- Coming attraction: The Hollywood Reporter named Disney CEO Bob Iger as the most powerful person in entertainment on its annual list of 100 influencers. Asked about his life after he leaves the company, he suggested that he may try his hand at politics. "A lot of people — a lot — have urged me to seek political office," Iger told the magazine. Asked if he might run for governor of California, he replied: "I will not be specific about any office. I wouldn't rule in or rule out. … Honestly, I'm interested in politics … But I'm not exploring a run for governor or senator or anything along those lines. I'm focused on running Disney."

NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:

-- "Rain and embedded thunderstorms are likely from the start of the day," the Capital Weather Gang forecasts. "The potential for severe weather (i.e. damaging winds) is limited but locally heavy rains raise the likelihood of some commuting challenges. Gusty winds of 25 mph or more may accompany these storms making it tough to stay dry if you must be out in it. These storms are likely to diminish in strength and number by midday. Highs make the mid-80s in most areas and could reach upper 80s if the showers die out quickly enough."

-- The Nationals lost to the Dodgers 4-3.

-- Washington passed new lead contamination regulations after four libraries were found to contain excessive levels in their drinking fountains. The new standards are stricter than the federal EPA mandate. (Elise Schmelzer)

-- The Smithsonian asked Congress for $726 million to renovate the Air and Space Museum, as part of a $1 billion upgrade that will be the most expensive in Smithsonian history. Officials said the 40-year-old building needs repairs to its exterior and mechanical system, which are expected to take up to seven years to complete. (Peggy McGlone)

VIDEOS OF THE DAY:

Check out surveillance footage of flooding at D.C.'s Cleveland Park Metro station released by the transit authority. It's time elapsed over one minute:

Surveillance video shows flooding at Cleveland Park Metro station

The CBS Miami affiliate led its evening newscast last night with a devastating six-minute package about Rep. Patrick Murphy, the main Democratic candidate against Rubio in the Florida Senate race, accusing him of over-selling his accounting background and benefiting from his daddy's money:

Shocking Report Exposes Patrick Murphy's Multiple Lies: "Was Not A Small Business Owner"

Obama sat down for a friendly chat with baseball legend Derek Jeter:

President Obama and Derek Jeter - Full Conversation

(Chris Cillizza complains that the White House is not making POTUS available for substantive interviews.)

Seth Meyers took a closer look at the Senate's failure to pass stricter gun laws:

The Senate Fails to Pass Gun Control: A Closer Look

The Clinton-backed super PAC Priorities Action USA will launch a multi-million dollar online campaign targeting millennial voters today. The series of digital ads urges young voters to "Stop Trump/Stop Hate." Watch the first ad: