• Rep. Mark Meadows, R-11th District (at right), is out of the doghouse. For now. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who heads the committee on government reform, restored Meadows to the top slot on one of that panel’s subcommittees. Chaffetz removed Meadows from the post after the Jackson County Republican voted against the House leadership on a trade bill. Private protests from other committee members, along with pretty nasty press, led Chaffetz to change his mind.
• Meantime, Meadows, along with 3rd District Rep. Walter Jones, notched the highest ratings among the state’s congressional delegation from the conservative activist group Heritage Action.
• Now that former U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan definitely will not challenge incumbent GOP Sen. Richard Burr next year, who will? The Charlotte Observer’s Taylor Batten puts current U.S. Transportation Secretary (and former Queen City Mayor) Anthony Foxx at the head of his list, though Batten points out that Foxx reportedly has told Burr he’s not running.
• The Washington Post’s Chris Cilizza says Hagan’s decision to stay out of the race is one of several pieces of bad news hitting national Democrats in recent days.
