Afternoon Fix: Case against John Edwards dropped

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Wednesday, June 13, 2012 EARLIER ON THE FIX House GOP previews fall ad strategy Who's spending what where in the 2012 race — in one chart North Dakota's Senate race is no sure thing for GOP Can President Obama talk his way out of political trouble (again)? Sheldon Adelson is giving $10 million to Mitt Romney super PAC President Obama's mythical black voter problem — in three charts North Dakota voters overwhelmingly reject 'Fighting Sioux' nickname Crossroads groups launch six state Senate blitz Obama's '08 economic advantage disappears WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED * The Justice Department has dropped the five remaining charges against John Edwards, meaning the former North Carolina senator will not face a new trial. Last month he was cleared on one of six campaign finance-related allegations. * JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon testified before a Senate panel today, apologizing for the bank's $2 billion in trading losses but calling it "an isolated event." Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is pushing for stronger restrictions on proprietary trading, but observers say Congress will likely just scold Dimon and move on. * In an interview with CBS' "Face to Face," Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) declared, "we're the state that launched Obama but I think in this election we're the state that's going to sink him." * Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) defended his state's purge of non-citizens from the voter rolls. "How could anyone argue against a state identifying people who are not rightfully on the voter rolls and removing them from the voter rolls?" he said at a Bloomberg event. Gov. Rick Scott (R) is spearheading the controversial effort. WHAT YOU SHOULDN'T MISS * Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (Wash.) demurred when asked about the race to replace Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) in Maine. Democrats know independent Angus King is the heavy favorite and are hoping he will caucus with them, but there is a Democratic candidate — Cynthia Dill, who just won a primary. "We're talking to a lot of people on the ground in Maine," she told the Hill. * In a meeting with business leaders today, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney bracketed the big economic speech President Obama is giving tomorrow. "My own view is that he will speak eloquently but that words are cheap," Romney said, and argued that Obama's policies are "anti-business, anti-jobs." * Iraq War veteran Jesse Kelly declined to commenttoday on whether he would run again in November for the Arizona House seat he lost in a special election Tuesday night. Kelly lost the open seat vacated by Gabrielle Giffords to Ron Barber, her former aide, by six points. Kelly said he would have an announcement on his future by the end of the week. * Romney is launching a $3.3 million ad buy in Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia. That should put him on more equal footing with President Obama, who has already spent about $7 million this week. THE FIX MIX Furbies survived, and they're forming armies. With Rachel Weiner and Aaron Blake. Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? Here's how: Mobile: Alerts: Social Media: Applications Web site E-mail SMS RSS Feeds Facebook Twitter SEND TO A FRIEND UNSUBSCRIBE E-NEWSLETTER CENTER GET HELP Washington Post Digital E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071 © 2012 The Washington Post Privacy Policy