Since 2011

Gabe Fleisher, Editor-in-Chief

wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com wakeuptopolitics.com @WakeUp2Politics
THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL





Election Central

Results Day As NBCs Chuck Todd says, if its Tuesday, somebodys
voting somewhere, and, if its Wednesday, weve 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 didnt 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 4
th
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 Democrats loss is the tea partys 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 Presidents Schedule The big thing on President Obamas schedule
today is a 10 AM commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at
West Point, New York.
Obamas 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 Americas top spy in Afghanistan was accidentally
released.
The officials name was on a list of those briefing Obama released to the
trips 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 CNNs
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 Snowdens 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.