“It’s going to be a rough one, but, you know, it’s like shooting crap. Either you win or you lose; you just can’t stay even with the first shot.”
— Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), quoted by Politico, on his re-election bid in 2014.
“It’s going to be a rough one, but, you know, it’s like shooting crap. Either you win or you lose; you just can’t stay even with the first shot.”
— Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), quoted by Politico, on his re-election bid in 2014.
President Obama “has picked up five points in public approval since he’s gone away to Hawaii for a year-end family vacation,” Bloomberg reports.
“The president’s public approval rating was hanging at 39% in the days before Christmas, by the Gallup Poll’s average of daily tracking surveys. Today… his approval has risen to 44%. His disapproval rating, 54% pre-Christmas, is down to 49%.”
Wonk Wire notes that 5 million Americans will have no health care insurance next year simply because they live in a state that declined expanded Medicaid coverage.
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As Montana governor, Brian Schweitzer (D) said “he threw away the 2010 U.S. Army inspector general’s report concluding that Adj. Gen. and now Lt. Gov. John Walsh had improperly used his position in the Montana National Guard for personal gain,” the Helena Independent Record reports.
Said Schweitzer: “I treated it with the respect it deserved. I put it in the round file.”
Walsh is one of three Democrats running for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and the disclosure of the investigative report is being used by his opponents.
Joshua Spivak notes a steep drop off in elected officials who were recalled by voters this year.
“In 2011, we had 151. In 2012, we had 168, with 509 attempts. In 2013, we have 107, with 478 attempts. Of those 107 recalls, 73 were ousted; 51 officials lost a race, and another 22 resigned — a 68% removal rate. As in the past, these number probably understate the amount of recalls that took place.”
Chicago Tribune: “Illinois taxpayers will get a little something extra with their tax refunds in 2014: a one-page sheet from Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka that offers a broad overview of how state government spends money.”
“The flier will be sent to those who receive their refunds via a check in the mail. It features a chart showing how the state’s $35.2 billion budget is divided among various programs including education, health care and retirement funds for state workers. It will also detail the state’s backlog of unpaid bills, currently estimated at $7.6 billion.”
“Senate Republicans still smarting from a Democratic rules change that diminished their power to block President Obama’s appointees are vowing retribution against the majority when lawmakers return to work in January,” the Washington Examiner reports.
“The GOP in the final weeks of the 2013 session provided a glimpse into what that might mean in 2014. Unable to block most presidential nominees because of the Democratic rule change, Republicans are using their remaining authority to slow the Senate to a crawl, delaying action on routine matters that typically pass uncontested.”
The imminent departure of Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), from both the Senate and the Senate Finance Committee, “has put a new focus on the panel and the chairmanship, which has declined in stature and influence compared with the vital role it played in the Senate almost from the beginning,” the New York Times reports.
“Without a shift in the power structure of the Senate, it appears likely the next committee leader will have only a fraction of the clout of those in the past.”
The Week: 4 reasons our political dysfunction isn’t going to end soon.
A new Pew Research survey finds that 60% of Americans say that “humans and other living things have evolved over time,” while 33% reject the idea of evolution, saying that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”
Most interesting: “In 2009, 54% of Republicans and 64% of Democrats said humans have evolved over time, a difference of 10 percentage points. Today, 43% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats say humans have evolved, a 24-point gap.”
Haaretz: “Israel will pay for abortions for women aged 20 to 33 regardless of circumstance starting next year, health officials said Monday, adding that they hope to make eligibilty for state funding universal in the future.”
Todd Portune (D) told WCPO that he will challenge Ed Fitzgerald (D) in a Democratic party primary for governor of Ohio in May.
“Fitzgerald’s campaign to challenge Republican incumbent John Kasich hit a rough spot late in 2013 when his running mate for lieutenant governor, State Senator Eric Kearney withdrew from the race under pressure surrounding poor vetting. Even with that bump in Fitzgerald’s road, he has somewhat of a head start against Portune. Fitzgerald officially kicked off his campaign for the state office on Aug. 24.”
Steve Benen: “The general impression is rooted in fact: the Sunday shows love Republicans. Meet the Press, Face the Nation, This Week, State of the Union and Fox News Sunday, hoping to reflect and help shape the conventional wisdom for the political world, collectively favor GOP guests over Democratic guests every year, but who were the big winners in 2013?”
“In all, 10 of the top 13 are Republicans, as are six of the top seven.”
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) “filed a statement of candidacy this week for his re-election campaign,” the Sacramento Bee reports.
“But instead of listing the 39th congressional district he has represented since winning re-election in 2012, he listed the 40th congressional district, the number of the district he represented during the 2000’s.”
“As to how to stay involved, I’ll be very blunt. I knew exactly what I needed to say after 2010 to rebuild a career in Democratic politics. I also knew exactly what I needed to say to become a Republican superstar in 2013. But in neither case was I willing to say and spout the things that would make smart party politics.”
— Former Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), quoted by the Birmingham News, on why he hasn’t yet launched a political comeback as a Republican.
“An analysis by the New York Times shows that Mr. Bloomberg has doled out at least $650 million on a wide variety of perks and bonuses, political campaigns and advocacy work, charitable giving and social causes, not to mention travel and lodging, connected to his time and role as mayor.”
“In the process, he has entirely upended the financial dynamics surrounding New York’s top job. In the past, the city paid its mayor; Mr. Bloomberg paid to be the city’s mayor.”
“Democratic Party leaders, bruised by months of attacks on the new health care program, have found an issue they believe can lift their fortunes both locally and nationally in 2014: an increase in the minimum wage,” the New York Times reports.
“The effort to take advantage of growing populism among voters in both parties is being coordinated by officials from the White House, labor unions and liberal advocacy groups.”
“In a series of strategy meetings and conference calls among them in recent weeks, they have focused on two levels: an effort to raise the federal minimum wage, which will be pushed by President Obama and congressional leaders, and a campaign to place state-level minimum wage proposals on the ballot in states with hotly contested congressional races.”
Wonk Wire: “The minimum wage will rise in 13 states this week, and as many as 11
states and Washington, D.C., are expected to consider increases in 2014.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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