Washington Post: “Well, depending on how you define corruption, it could be Florida, or Louisiana, or Tennessee, or New York, or Georgia. And then there’s the District of Columbia.”
Archives for January 2014
Schumer Seeks to Divide Tea Party
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) “has a plan to poison the Tea Party by driving a wedge between its rich funders and its blue-collar rank and file,” The Hill reports.
“Schumer, one of the Democrats’ most influential strategists, will argue in a major speech on Thursday that super-wealthy Tea Party donors have hijacked the grassroots movement that grew out of the economic anxiety of the 2008 financial collapse to suit their pro-big business agenda.”
“He’ll lay out a blueprint for how Democrats can exploit what he argues is a weakness in the opposition in the address at the Center for American Progress, a pro-Democratic think tank founded by John Podesta, who just joined President Obama’s inner circle at the White House.”
Race for Senate Control is a Toss Up
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball says Republicans have roughly a 50-50 shot to gain the six seats they need to win control of the U.S. Senate in this year’s midterm elections.
“We now favor Republicans in four Democratic-held seats: Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia, as well as — in a ratings change — Arkansas, where Sen. Mark Pryor (D) appears to be at least a slight underdog to Rep. Tom Cotton (R) in a reddening state. Assuming Republicans can win those, they have roughly even odds to win in three other states where there are Democratic incumbents: Alaska, which we’ve long classified as a Toss-up, and Louisiana and North Carolina, which we’re switching back to Toss-ups after having them in that category for much of last year. It’s possible that the race for the Senate will come down to these three Toss-ups, with the party that wins at least two of the three controlling the Senate. And that doesn’t even mention the lower-tier races in lighter shades of Red and Blue that adorn the map below, most of which are currently held by Democrats.”
A Political Wire reader sends an interesting simulation based on Cook Political Report ratings that shows Republicans with a 47% chance to take control.
Inequality Message Will Dominate State of the Union Address
President Obama “will try to pump some vitality into a lackluster second term on Tuesday when he delivers his State of the Union address. The address will include a “healthy dose” of the income inequality message the White House has focused on in recent weeks,” The Hill reports.
“A president who has yet to add to the big legislative accomplishments of his first term will call for raising the minimum wage to $10 per hour and extending federal unemployment benefits that expired last month. He will also discuss energy and college affordability, two other issues that relate to the economic mobility message that is a major White House theme ahead of this year’s midterm elections.”
Virginia Attorney General Will Not Back Gay Marriage Ban
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) “will announce today that after a legal review, he has concluded that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional,” the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.
Said a spokesman: “The attorney general has concluded that the ban violates the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution on two grounds — one, marriage is a fundamental right being denied to some Virginians, and two, the ban unlawfully discriminates on a basis of sexual orientation and gender.”
Washington Post: “The action will mark a stunning reversal in the state’s legal position on same-sex marriage and is a result of November elections in which Democrats swept the state’s top offices. Herring’s predecessor, Republican Ken Cuccinelli II, adamantly opposes gay marriage and had vowed to defend Virginia’s constitutional amendment banning such unions, which was passed in 2006 with the support of 57% of voters.”
First Read: “This might not be the attention that new Gov. Terry McAuliffe wanted
early in his term, but it’s another reminder that elections (especially
when you sweep GOV/Lt.GOV/AG) have consequences.”
Most See Growing Wealth Gap
A new Pew Research survey finds two-thirds of Americans see the gap between the rich and everyone else widening in the United States.
“Indeed, at a time when Republicans and Democrats disagree about almost everything, on this there is virtually no partisan gap: 61% of Republicans, 68% of Democrats and 67% of independents think economic inequality has been growing in the United States over the past decade.”
Wonk Wire: 85 richest people are as wealthy as the poorest 3 billion
Coakley Holds Early Lead in Massachusetts
A new WBUR poll in Massachusetts finds Martha Coakley (D) has the early advantage in the governor’s race and leads Charlie Baker (R) by double-digits, 39% to 29%.
Said pollster Steve Koczela: “She is doing very well among, particularly, women over the age of 50. They really are responding to what she has to say and have a very positive view of her so far.”
However, Baker “leads among women — and leads overall — in head-to-head matchups with four other Democrats vying for the governor’s chair.”
Case Against McDonnell No Slam Dunk
“Prosecutors laid out a startling corruption case against former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, but the government faces a high bar in proving that the couple committed a crime,” the Washington Post reports.
“To make its case, the government must show beyond a reasonable doubt that McDonnell (with wife Maureen as co-conspirator) struck a corrupt bargain with a Richmond businessman who lavished the McDonnell family with $165,000 in cash and gifts. They must deliver evidence that the former governor agreed to provide his official help to Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams in exchange for his largesse.”
Nugent Calls Obama a ‘Subhuman Mongrel’
Rock star Ted Nugent told Guns.com that President Obama is a “subhuman mongrel” and should be arrested and put in jail.
Said Nugent: “I have obviously failed to galvanize and prod, if not shame, enough Americans to be ever vigilant not to let a Chicago communist-raised, communist-educated, communist-nurtured subhuman mongrel like the ACORN community organizer gangster Barack Hussein Obama to weasel his way into the top office of authority in the United States of America.”
GOP Candidate Says God is Punishing Us
Illinois congressional candidate Susanne Atanus (R) told the Chicago Daily Herald that she “believes God controls the weather and has put tornadoes and diseases such as autism and dementia on earth as punishment for gay rights and legalized abortions.”
Said Atanus: “I am a conservative Republican and I believe in God first. God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions. Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it’s in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God.”
Where Is Steve Stockman?
Daily Beast: “The Tea Party Texas congressman challenging incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in March’s primary is the new invisible man of American politics. The Texas congressman hasn’t shown up on Capitol Hill for a vote since January 9. Instead, he has made only sporadic public appearances, surfacing once in North Dallas on January 14 and then a few days later in Cairo. In between, Stockman missed key votes in Washington, including the omnibus budget. His spokeman, Donny Ferguson, has not responded to inquiries on the Congressman’s whereabouts.”
Christie Favorability Rating Tanks
A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) favorability rating is now at 46%, down 22 points from a survey taken just before his landslide re-election victory last year.
Said pollster David Redlawsk: “Other polls taken immediately after the bridge scandal broke showed relatively small effects. But with another week of revelations, damage appears to have been done. The good will the governor built up among Democrats with his handling of the Sandy aftermath is gone, at least for now.”
How Obamacare Can Help Democrats in 2014
“The GOP has made opposition to Obamacare a central pillar of its 2014 campaign strategy. And even though the health care law has begun to turn around, that may not be such a bad idea given lingering public skepticism over the law,” The Week reports.
“However, there is one crucial piece of Obamacare that may well become a big winner for Democrats by the end of the year: The dramatic expansion of Medicaid. Unlike the overall law, the expansion of Medicaid is actually quite popular with voters of all political stripes.”
Greg Sargent notes how red state Democrats are handling the law: “They are not embracing Obamcare. But they oppose repeal, and they are standing behind the general goal of expanding coverage to those who can’t afford it.”
Lawmakers Skirt Law to Keep Next Jobs Secret
“A law designed to prevent conflicts of interest and shed light on lawmakers who negotiate for post-Capitol Hill work while still in office has failed, worn thin by a series of administrative rulings and narrow interpretations,” National Journal reports.
“The result is that lawmakers themselves now determine when a potential conflict exists and when disclosures should be released publicly. Moreover, because the law has yielded almost none of the public information it was designed to provide, it remains largely unknown whom lawmakers negotiate with–and whether their official duties present any conflicts with those employers.”
Can McDonnell Avoid Jail?
First Read says federal prosecutors might have a tough case to prove when it comes to the indictment of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R).
“It’s all clearly unethical, but being unethical is not a crime — it’s proving the quid pro quo. And McDonnell’s statement yesterday gives a hint as to his defense that he never thought he was doing anything in return for the gifts. Jonnie Williams has immunity, which is why there are SO MANY details in this indictment. But judging by what McDonnell’s lawyers are saying off camera, don’t expect some plea deal right away. This could very well end up in court.”
Kashkari Enters Race for California Governor
Neel Kashkari (R), who led the bank bailout during the Bush administration, announced his bid to unseat California Gov. Jerry Brown (D), the Sacramento Bee reports.
“His platform could appeal to many moderate Republicans, but Kashkari’s ability to raise sufficient money to broadcast it statewide is uncertain. Not only is Brown collecting millions of dollars from labor unions and other liberal allies, but his relatively moderate fiscal and environmental polices have endeared him to business interests on which GOP candidates could once rely. With the third-term governor heavily favored to win re-election, potential donors – many of them with business before the state – may not risk upsetting Brown by giving to any Republican in the race.”
Quote of the Day
“A little bit, yeah.”
— Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, quoted by CBC, admitting to drinking alcohol after a video appeared showing him at a restaurant swearing, mumbling and speaking in Jamaican patois.
Crist Holds Small Lead in Florida
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Florida shows a tight gubernatorial race between Charlie Crist (D) and Gov. Rick Scott (R), 43% to 41%.
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