Charlie Cook: “Clinton turns 67 this October. At that age, she will likely be
making her candidacy decision, and if nominated Clinton would turn 69
two weeks before the 2016 general election, notably the same age Ronald
Reagan was when he was first elected in 1980. The choice to run for
president is effectively a nine-year commitment: one year to run,
another four years if she wins a first term–finishing up that term at
age 73–and then, assuming she runs for reelection and wins, serving four
more years to end a second term at 77 years of age. None of this is to
say that the age issue could successfully be used against her. After
all, Reagan won the presidency at the same age. But how many
67-year-olds make nine-year commitments, and what concerns have to be
addressed if they do?”
Why the Democrats are Unlikely to Win Back House
First Read: “There are 17 House Republicans who represent congressional seats Obama won in 2012 — so Democrats would need to win ALL of them to win back control of Congress, or a mixture of them and seats that Mitt Romney narrowly carried. Yes, Dems have pick-up opportunities in some open seats (CA-31, FL-13, IA-3, VA-10). And there are Republican incumbents who will have to play defense (Michael Grimm in NY, Jeff Denham in CA, Scott Rigell in VA). But Democrats have almost no margin of error. And we haven’t even mentioned the pick-up opportunities Republicans have, which exist thanks mostly to retirements in Utah and North Carolina.”
Meanwhile, National Journal looks at how tough it is to be in minority in the House.
Another Poll Shows Tight Kentucky Race
A new Wenzel Strategies (R) poll in Kentucky finds Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) barely ahead of challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes (D), 43% to 42%.
In the GOP primary, McConnell crushes challenger Matt Bevin (R), 59% to 17%.
Investor Suggests Rich Should Get More Votes
Venture capitalist Tom Perkins suggested that “only taxpayers should have the right to vote — and that wealthy Americans who pay more in taxes should get more votes,” CNN Money reports.
Said Perkins: “The Tom Perkins system is: You don’t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes. But what I really think is, it should be like a corporation. You pay a million dollars in taxes, you get a million votes. How’s that?”
“The audience at the Commonwealth Club reacted with laughter. But Perkins offered no immediate indication that he was joking.”
Gay Marriage Ban in Virginia Struck Down
“A federal judge struck down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban, finding that it violates the equal protection clause under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.
New York Times: “The ruling, which overturned a constitutional amendment adopted by Virginia voters in 2006 as well as previous laws, also said that Virginia must respect same-sex marriages that were carried out legally in other states.”
Republicans Lead in Michigan
A new EPIC-MRA poll in Michigan finds Gov. Rick Snyder (R) leading Mark Schauer (D) in the race for governor, 47% to 39%.
In the U.S. Senate race, Terri Lynn Land (R) edges Gary Peters (D), 41% to 38%.
Rutherford Won’t Release Report Ordered to Clear Him
llinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford (R) “ordered a taxpayer-funded investigation, vowing it would clear him of sexual harassment charges. Now, in a monumental about-face, Rutherford won’t release the results,” the Chicago Sun Times reports.
“The office’s decision could mean the issue will continue to dog Rutherford for the remainder of his bid for the GOP gubernatorial primary nod.”
Davis Spends Big on Obama Campaign Veterans
“Now that President Barack Obama has run his last race, veterans of all levels of his political team have found new green pastures in Texas, working as strategists, fund-raisers, pollsters and data wizards for Wendy Davis and the long-term effort to make the state competitive,” the Dallas Morning News reports.
“The Davis campaign for governor and Battleground Texas, a group of former Obama political organizers assisting her, have spent more than $1.5 million on operatives and vendors who were part of Obama’s national re-election effort… More than half the expenditures listed on the Wendy Davis for Governor report alone have gone to members of the president’s 2012 political team. The services include such areas as fundraising, Web advertising, legal services and campaign buttons.”
Six GOP Senators Switched Votes on Debt Ceiling
“Six Senate Republicans switched from ‘nay’ to ‘aye’ on the critical vote allowing the nation’s debt limit to be extended, a copy of the official Senate vote tally sheet provided to Roll Call suggests.
“The tally sheet is the only record of which senators may have switched their votes because the Senate clerk — in a break with tradition — didn’t name names during the nearly hourlong vote. Capitol Hill reporters are protesting that change, still within the rules, as lacking transparency.”
India Lawmakers Use Pepper Spray During Debate
“India’s normally disruptive parliament was widely derided on Friday as having hit a new low after lawmakers fought, broke equipment and pepper-sprayed the chamber over a bill to create a new state,” AFP reports.
“India’s media condemned the lawmakers’ behaviour as ‘revolting’ and a ‘disgrace to democracy’ after mayhem erupted on Thursday over the bill to carve a new state out of existing Andhra Pradesh.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I think he’s a real good retail politician and I think he handles town hall meetings really well. Wouldn’t hurt to be a little more humble. Iowans really like their leaders to be hard-working and humble.”
— Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), quoted by the Los Angeles Times, about Gov. Chris Christie (R).
No Deaths Resulted from Christie Traffic Jam
“A traffic jam deliberately orchestrated by members of Gov. Chris Christie’s staff that caused days of gridlock in northern New Jersey appeared not to lead to anyone’s death or seriously compromise their medical care,” according to a comprehensive review by the Associated Press.
Cruz Goes Unpunished as Colleagues Fume
“A growing group of Ted Cruz’s Republican Senate colleagues are infuriated with his tactics,” Bloomberg reports.
“So frustrated was Arizona Senator John McCain with the latest, forcing fellow Republicans to take a politically risky vote on lifting the debt ceiling, that yesterday he tweeted a Wall Street Journal editorial accusing the Texas lawmaker of instigating ‘needless drama that helps to explain why Republicans remain a minority.'”
“Yet there’s not much McCain, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell or other Republicans can do to change Cruz’s behavior… In decades past, leaders could rein in such behavior by threatening to take away coveted committee assignments, withdrawing financial support, or shunning lawmakers. None of those tactics are effective in a political era in which campaign cash flows freely from outside the party machinery and cable outlets offer many ways to grab attention and influence.”
McConnell Sought Funding for Project He Criticized
Two years ago, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “took to the Senate floor to deride President Obama for a speech that called for developing biofuel from algae — dismissing it as nothing more than a pipe dream,” the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.
Said McConnell: “I think the American people realize that a president who’s out there talking about algae when they’re having to choose between whether to buy groceries or to fill up the tank is the one who’s out of touch.”
“But a few years earlier, McConnell himself worked to obtain a $30 million grant for a company that wanted to build a plant in Springfield, Ky., to turn algae, switchgrass, corn cobs and other such materials into ethanol — a plant that ultimately was never built and a grant that was never spent.”
The Death of the Death Penalty?
Wonk Wire looks at the fascinating trend in the states over the last two decades.
Hastings Will Retire
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, announced that he won’t seek reelection in 2014, the Washington Post reports.
“Hastings joined Congress after winning in the GOP wave election in 1994… His seat is considered likely to remain in GOP hands. It went 60-38 for Mitt Romney in the 2012 election.”
Hastings is the 18th member of Congress to announce retirement this term, according to Roll Call.
Conversation with Amy Walter
Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report joins us on the Political Wire podcast to discuss the national political landscape and look at the all-important battle for control of the U.S. Senate.
It’s a great discussion.
Listen here:
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.
Special thanks to The Foghorn Magazine for sponsoring this show. Click here to get a free 7-day trial.
Arizona AG Insists He Broke No Campaign Laws
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne (R) took the stand in his own defense “against allegations that he illegally coordinated with an outside group to attack his opponent in ads during his 2010 campaign for office, repeatedly saying he ‘absolutely’ did not break the law,” the Arizona Republic reports.
“Horne and Kathleen Winn, who ran Business Leaders for Arizona, are accused of illegally coordinating on funding and creating negative ads targeting Democratic challenger Felecia Rotellini.”
