Political Wire


Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!


McCain Hopes New Post Will Refine Legacy

By 22 Comments

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “is waging another national campaign — this time, to define his legacy,” the AP reports.

“After two unsuccessful presidential bids, the 78-year-old former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war has rebounded as the chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee. The post gives the Arizona Republican a significant say on national security — and a chance to ensure that his loss to Barack Obama in the 2008 White House race isn’t the final word in the colorful McCain chronicles.”

Quote of the Day

By 12 Comments

“Romney’s problem has always been really about believability and connection with the challenges of average Americans. It’s simply never going to be believable to go from car elevators, off-shore accounts and his famous 47 percent comment to the populist income equality warrior.”

— Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina, quoted by Politico, on Mitt Romney’s new focus on poverty.

Obama Will Propose Middle Class Tax Cut

By 37 Comments

President Obama will call on Congress “to raise taxes and fees on the wealthiest taxpayers and the largest financial firms to finance an array of tax cuts for the middle class, pressing to reshape the tax code to help working families,” the New York Times reports.

“The proposal faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress, led by lawmakers who have long opposed raising taxes and who argue that doing so would hamper economic growth at a time the country cannot afford it. And it was quickly dismissed by leading Republicans as a nonstarter. But the decision to present the plan during Tuesday’s speech marks the start of a debate over taxes and the economy that will shape both Mr. Obama’s legacy and the 2016 presidential campaign.”


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.




Warren Explains Her Influence

By 17 Comments

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) “has an explanation for the singular nature of her power,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Warren: “I’ll always be an outsider. That’s how I understand the world. There’s a real benefit to being clear about this. I know why I’m here. I think about this every morning before I open my eyes, and I’m still thinking about it every night when I go to sleep.”

Republicans Snub Univision on Debates

By 37 Comments

“The Republican National Committee announced Friday which networks landed 2016 presidential debates — and Univision, the most-watched Spanish-language network, didn’t make the cut,” the Huffington Post reports.

“How Republicans engage with Univision this election cycle is being closely watched given that the network reaches 96 percent of Hispanic households, a key demographic for either party hoping to win the White House.”

Watch Scott Walker in Iowa

By 21 Comments

The Economist: “Mr Walker is almost tailor-made to prevail in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. A credibly conservative evangelical Christian (he’s over there on the right with Messrs Paul and Cruz), Mr Walker has proved his capacity to vanquish Democrats first by laying low Wisconsin’s public-sector unions in a noisy battle, and then by facing a recall and winning re-election in the face of an organized national campaign to avenge the union defeat. Though he is not exactly an electrifying presence, Mr Walker is a well-tested, articulate, union-slaying, budget-cutting exponent of conservative ideals that could appeal to both the pro-business party establishment and the Christian conservative grassroots. This race could get interesting.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

By 9 Comments

“Romney’s case is different than Reagan’s. He lost the nomination decisively to John McCain in 2008, and in 2012 he defeated a historically weak field (well, aside from my dad) – and that was mainly thanks to his ability to raise more money and pound his competitors with negative ads.”

— Abby Huntsman, writing for MSNBC, on Mitt Romney thinking of running for president a third time.

Feinstein’s Husband Stands to Profit from Deal

By 18 Comments

“Ever wonder how lowly paid lawmakers leave office filthy rich? Sen. Dianne Feinstein is showing how it’s done.,” the New York Post reports.

“The US Postal Service plans to sell 56 buildings — so it can lease space more expensively — and the real estate company of the California senator’s husband, Richard Blum, is set to pocket about $1 billion in commissions.”

Court Will Decide Gay Marriage on Its Own Terms

By 19 Comments

“The first page of a petition seeking Supreme Court review is the most important. It sets out the ‘question presented,’ the one the court will answer if it takes the case,” the New York Times reports.

“The justices do not ordinarily tinker with the wording of those questions. But on Friday something unusual happened: In agreeing to hear four same-sex marriage cases, the court framed for itself the issues it would address.”

Rick Hasen: “The framing of these questions apparently differ from the way the questions were presented in all of the petitions, which raises the question of why were they rewritten… This strikes me as the handiwork of the Chief Justice, perhaps looking for a way to have as narrow a win for same sex couples as it is possible to achieve.”

Quote of the Day

By 6 Comments

“The third time is not a charm. And as much respect and admiration as I have for Governor Romney I’m not one of those who is encouraging him to enter the race right now. Again, I just don’t think there’s much to be gained by a third kick here. I don’t think it’ll work out for him.”

— Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA), quoted by TPM.

Cuomo Plans Trade Trip to Cuba

By 2 Comments

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) “is expected to announce in his state-of-the- state address on Wednesday that he will lead a trade mission to Cuba in the coming months,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

The trip “would be among the first by a high-profile U.S. politician since the Obama administration loosened travel and trade rules for the country.”

Romney Outlines Theme for Possible Campaign

By 96 Comments

“Mitt Romney made it clear publicly on Friday night what he has spent the last week conveying in private to Republicans across the country: He is considering another presidential campaign,” the New York Times reports. “He said the 2016 campaign should center on making the world safer, offering opportunity for all Americans and lifting people out of poverty.”

Said Romney: “Under President Obama the rich have gotten richer, income inequality has gotten worse and there are more people in poverty in America than ever before.”

Associated Press: “Romney is offering a rare glimpse of his softer side as he marches toward an unlikely third presidential bid focused on poverty and the middle class.”

Carson Builds a War Chest

By 23 Comments

New York Times: “As a political outsider, Ben Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, is given only a slight chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination. But people who want him to run for president have already donated $12 million to the cause. A look at whom those donors also backed suggests that his support isn’t relegated to the fringe of the Republican Party, although the donors have given more to Tea Party and insurgent Republican groups than to party committees.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan 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.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.