CQ just released its annual study of congressional voting habits:
The bottom line: “Last year’s roll call votes point to sharp and clear divisions
between the two parties in Congress, with no softening of partisanship
in sight.”
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Ellmers Notes Aiken Couldn’t Even Win ‘American Idol’
Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) apparently isn’t worried about a potential challenge from American Idol runner up Clay Aiken, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.
Said Ellmers: “Apparently his performing career isn’t going so well and he’s bored… As we know he doesn’t always fare all that well. He was runner up.”
On Wonk Wire
O’Malley Begins Preparing a Presidential Bid
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) told the Washington Post he is moving ahead with preparations for a possible presidential bid and can’t wait for Hillary Clinton to decide whether she is running.
Said O’Malley: “I have a great deal of respect for Hillary Clinton. But for my own part, I have a responsibility to prepare and to address the things that I feel a responsibility to address… To squander this important period of preparation because of horse-race concerns and handicapping concerns is just not a very productive use of energy… Right now, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing — the thought work and the preparation work.”
Quote of the Day
“But obviously I know how Peyton Manning feels at this point”
— New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), quoted by Politicker, on dropping his city’s Groundhog Day groundhog yesterday.
Headline of the Day
“GOP governor candidate denies unknown allegations”
— Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2014
Wendy Davis Bungles Her Campaign
Dave Mann: “I’ll concede here at the beginning that I’ve never worked on a political campaign. Nor do I have any experience in media relations, publicity, political communication or whatever else flacks do. I don’t know the nuances of trying to defuse controversy with a speech. But I have covered many political campaigns in Texas the past decade, so I know what it looks like when a campaign handles the press well.”
“And the Wendy Davis operation is about the worst at media relations that I’ve ever seen. Her team’s mismanagement of the press is damaging her candidacy.”
The Gap in Clinton’s Record
Beth Reinhard: “So much has happened since Clinton quit the race on June 7, 2008; and her tenure as secretary of State plus a year away from public office has allowed her to avoid fervid political debates…”
“The gap in Clinton’s public record between her first presidential campaign and the moment if and when she launches a second one offers both opportunity and risk. Opportunity for a baggage-laden veteran to reintroduce herself to voters and reposition herself to be more appealing to the rising populist Left. Risk, in that critics will scrutinize the reintroduction and repositioning for flip-flops.”
Depth Chart Shows Troubles for House Democrats
With many top House Democrats choosing not to run for re-election this year, David Hawkings looks at the next tier of party leaders.
“The internal dynamics are fluid enough that few clear answers are apparent, and the most adept and ambitious House Democrats are savvy enough to know it’s too early for open boasting about why they should move up the depth chart. But their legislative top tier is undeniably on the backside of a generational changeover.”
Christie Will Speak at CPAC
“After being denied a speaking slot last year at the largest annual gathering of conservatives, New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie has accepted an invitation to speak at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference next month,” Yahoo News reports.
“But while Christie may be back in the good graces of the ACU, at home, he’s struggling to escape a cloud of scandal.”
Meanwhile, CNN reports the embattled Christie will take listener questions on a radio show this evening.
Christie Ally Prepped Official Before Bridge Testimony
An attorney with close ties to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) administration “helped prepare an official who gave now-discredited testimony that lane closures at the George Washington Bridge were part of a traffic study,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Philip Kwon, a top attorney at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, spent parts of four to five days helping to prepare Bill Baroni, then the authority’s deputy executive director and its top executive appointment by Mr. Christie, before he spoke to a New Jersey legislative committee on Nov. 25, a person familiar with the matter said.”
Documents in Christie Scandal Pour In
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who watched the Super Bowl from the comfort of a luxury box at MetLife Stadium, “most likely had his thoughts on the outcome of a more personal test: that of the state and federal investigations into the conduct of his administration,” the New York Times reports.
“On Monday, the first of what are most likely thousands of pages of documents subpoenaed by the State Legislature from prominent members of the Christie administration were to be turned over to investigators.”
First Read: “After the last 72 hours of new developments in the scandals hitting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, the political story here is no longer about whether Christie can survive to be a top presidential contender in 2016. Rather, it’s about whether he’ll be able to hold on to his governorship.”
Attacking Sometimes Proves You’re Losing
First Read: “Team Christie’s reaction to Wildstein might have been worse than Wildstein’s actual revelation… Attacking your accuser allows you to live another day, but it doesn’t help people believe your story. Bottom line: When you’re attacking the press or bringing up things that someone did when in high school, you are usually losing.”
“And by the way, while Team Christie is now attacking Wildstein (‘David Wildstein will do and say anything to save David Wildstein’), it’s worth pointing out that they praised him after he resigned his post in the wake of growing scrutiny over the Fort Lee lane closures.”
Brown Takes the Penquin Plunge
Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who is mulling a Senate bid from New Hampshire, makes the front page of the New Hampshire Union Leader with a shirtless photo of him taking part in the “Penquin Plunge” to benefit the Special Olympics.
Christie Staffer Resigns Amid Probe
“A member of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration who has been subpoenaed in an alleged political payback investigation has resigned,” the AP reports.
“Christina Genovese Renna left the governor’s office Friday, the same day former Christie loyalist David Wildstein claimed to have evidence contradicting the governor’s account of a lane closing operation, apparently to create traffic chaos as a political vendetta.”
“Renna reported to Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly, who apparently set the lane closings in motion with an email to Wildstein.”
Will Push for Clinton Hurt Democrats in 2014?
“The formidable campaign apparatus that has sprung up to support a possible 2016 presidential bid by Hillary Clinton is rattling some Democrats, sparking concerns that it could suppress competition for the party nomination and siphon money from candidates running in the midterm elections this fall,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“With Democrats fighting to keep control of the Senate in the midterms, the emergence of the pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA could eat into donations that the party’s candidates need to win in November, some Democrats warn. A number of Democratic groups are soliciting donors for money, including super PACS devoted to House and Senate races along with traditional party fundraising committees.”
House Republicans Search for a Positive Message
The Hill: “House Republicans are at a turning point. A majority of them, having spent five years in opposition to President Obama — inviting Democrats to tag them as obstructive — are now intent on shaping a positive identity as the “alternative party” for voters in November’s midterm elections.”
“A year ago, House Republicans were staggering after crushing defeats in fights over taxes and relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Now they are forging ahead on an alternative to ObamaCare and testing support for a move on immigration.”
Wall Street Journal: “As the focus in Washington turns to the debt-ceiling debate, the result of that standoff will go a long way to determine whether Republicans can avoid making themselves the story this fall and help ensure voters focus on Mr. Obama and his unpopular health law. The outcome will help decide whether Republicans will have the wind at their back or Democrats can break historic trends.”
The Most Powerful Woman in the World
“When Janet Yellen takes over the reins of the Federal Reserve on Monday, she will become one of the most powerful women in the world — a historic achievement that she has yet to fully embrace,” the Washington Post reports.
“Her status has been trumpeted by others — she is featured in a Microsoft commercial “celebrating the heroic women of 2013” and heralded by glossy magazine Marie Claire as having ‘triumphed over the haters’ — but Yellen has been reticent about the role that her sex has played in her four-decade career. She has even instructed staff members that her new title be simply ‘chair,’ rather than ‘chairwoman.'”
