Morning Must Reads: July 21

3 minute read

Finally, they’re all in. Ohio Gov. John Kasich becomes the 16th major Republican presidential candidate today when he announces at The Ohio State University. Brash and outspoken, the governor is hoping his announcement will be enough to boost his name recognition to get him in the first debate in just two weeks. Kasich is something of a hybrid candidate: Bucking party orthodoxy, Kasich expanded Medicaid in his state and has frequently clashed with conservatives in the GOP, but he launched a fight against his state’s public sector unions. He’s hoping his style gains traction in New Hampshire, where he may be the worst thing to happen to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The Iran nuclear agreement has become the first major battleground for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The pair are squaring off over what they will pledge to do on their hypothetical first day in office, with Walker suggesting he’s prepared to strike on Day 1 and Bush advocating a more cautious approach. With tens of millions of dollars (and more than $100 million in Bush’s case), this is only the beginning. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a Facebook Q&A Monday in which she embraced the “Black Lives Matter” movement after stumbles by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley over the weekend. She also quipped about her love for pantsuits and fired off at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who suggested she was playing the “gender card.” And President Obama makes his final appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight.

Here are your must-reads:

Jeb Calls For ‘Disrupting’ Government
Targeting lobbyists and bureaucrats, Bush pledges to modernize Washington [TIME]

Like It or Not, Donald Trump Is News
TIME’s James Poniewozik on his rise.

Bush-Walker Dispute Catches Fire Over Iran Nuclear Deal
The gloves come off over what to do on “day one” [Weekly Standard]

John Kasich Keeps It Real, Maybe Too Real
The latest candidate doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind [Yahoo News]

Democratic Party Machinery Shows Rust
Midterm losses highlight the party’s troubles in the states [Wall Street Journal]

Sound Off

“I don’t want a pollster. Because if a pollster’s so good, why aren’t they running? I don’t need a pollster, I don’t want a pollster.” — Donald Trump to the New York Times on his untraditional campaign

“There are so many men and some women who have served and sacrificed who happened to have been held prisoner — to denigrate that service I think is offensive to most of our veterans.” — Sen. John McCain on Trump’s criticism of him in an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe

Bits and Bites

Judge Slams State Department Over Hillary Clinton-Related Records [Politico]

Scott Walker Proposes Shutting Wisconsin Ethics Board [New York Times]

Sarah Palin Says Donald Trump and John McCain Are Both Heroes [TIME]

Hillary Clinton Bashes Wall Street, But Only a Little [Washington Post]

Groups Supporting Scott Walker Have Raised $26 Million [Washington Post]

Hillary Clinton Holds a Facebook Q&A

What Donald Trump Was Up to While John McCain Was a Prisoner of War [Washington Post]

NRA: Give Guns to Military Recruiters [CNN]

Fox News Changes Plans for GOP Forum [Politico]

More Must-Reads From TIME

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