Bad headlines for Romney in London

Mitt Romney stumbles in London, the mayor of Boston backtracks on Chick-fil-A, Michael Bloomberg endorses Scott Brown and Rand Paul is endorsing all over Michigan.

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WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

* Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has gotten a somewhat rocky reception in London after saying he found the security and strikes around the Olympics “disconcerting” and wondering if the country was ready — a gaffe that reportedly left British leaders speechless. Prime Minister David Cameron jabbed back, “Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic games in the middle of nowhere.” (The mayor of Salt Lake City Mayor has invited Cameron to “stop by any time.”) London Mayor Boris Johnson mocked Romney too. The candidate also spoke about his meeting with the leader of the secret intelligence service MI6 — a no-no in Britain. Daily Mail editor James Chapman tweeted that Whitehall insiders called Romney “worse than Palin” and a “total car crash.” All in all, not exactly the headlines Romney wanted.

* The mayor of Boston can’t actually block Chick-fil-A from opening in his city. “I can’t do that. That would be interference to his rights to go there,” Thomas Menino said, days after saying the chain is not welcome due to its founder’s public opposition to gay marriage.  “I make mistakes all the time. That’s a Menino-ism.”

* Independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is holding a fundraiser for Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R). A spokesman for the mayor said he chose to back Brown over Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren (D) because of his “tough stand” on gun control — opposing concealed-carry reciprocity.

* Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has launched a federal political action committee, a pretty good sign of 2016 ambitions. He can use the “O’ Say Can You See” PAC to help out candidates around the country, but for now he’s using it to raise money for ballot measures on same-sex marriage and immigrant tuition rates.

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS:

* VP watch: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is opening an office in Springfield, Virginia for Romney on Friday. Thune is also holding a “We Did Build It” rally in Virginia Beach. 

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has endorsed teacher/farmer Kerry Bentilovio, the only Republican on the ballot for former GOP Rep. Thaddeus McCotter’s seat. Local Republicans are backing former state Sen. Nancy Cassis (R) as a write-in candidate in the Aug. 7 special election primary, but Bentiolovio is a Ron Paul supporter and also has the backing of Rep. Justin Amash (R). Paul also endorsed Clark Durant in the Michigan Senate race; he faces Rep. Pete Hoekstra in the primary.

* A new poll from the campaign of Rep. Brad Sherman (D) gives him a 17-point lead over Rep. Howard Berman (D) in the member-vs.-member, Democrat-vs-Democrat race for Congress’ 30th district. The two have been locked in a brutal battle for months over the new district, which contains far more of Sherman’s current territory.

* An internal poll from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee finds Rep. Lois Capps (D) 11 points ahead of Republican challenger Abel Maldonado, 51 to 40 percent, in California’s 24th district. Maldonado’s most recent poll had him down only two points.

THE FIX MIX:

Just a reminder of how British politics works.

With Aaron Blake