Political Wire

Sequester Politics is Back

April 23, 2013 at 9:20 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Flights were delayed by up to two hours across the country on Monday,
the first weekday that the nation’s air traffic control system operated
with 10 percent fewer controllers. Pilots, gate agents and others were
quick to blame furloughs caused by mandatory across-the-board budget
cuts, but the Federal Aviation Administration said it was too soon to
tell,” the New York Times reports.

First Read: “For what it’s worth, this is what many in the Obama administration
warned about, but because it didn’t happen in the immediate days after
sequester kicked in, it was seen as hype. Now we’re seeing a PR battle
between congressional Republicans (who want to claim Obama is not
actively trying to avoid sequester fallout with the FAA) and the Obama
administration (which is saying it’s limited in what it can do and need
all of sequester rolled back to right this ship).”

A Lot is Riding on Immigration Reform

April 23, 2013 at 9:18 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

First Read: “Obama’s early second-term domestic agenda had three planks: 1) gun control, 2) budget, and 3) immigration reform. So to recap where things stand, gun control has been defeated; the budget talks (despite Obama having another dinner with senators tonight) are at a stalemate with no real sign of progress evident anywhere (how did that Chained-CPI offer go?); and immigration is moving through the Senate. If Congress passes immigration reform, this discussion about Obama’s legislative leadership will look like a silly exercise — he will have health care, financial reform, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, the fiscal-cliff deal, and immigration trophies on the wall. (Sure, they might have been ugly victories, but a win’s a win, right?) Yet if immigration doesn’t pass, then it will be more than fair to note that Obama was unable to navigate a divided Congress.”

“Bottom line: Judging Obama’s second term, just three months in, is way too early. But make no mistake, a lot is riding on immigration reform.”

Hanabusa Will Challenge Schatz in Primary

April 23, 2013 at 8:05 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) has decided to challenge Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in the Democratic primary next year, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports.

“Hanabusa was the late Sen. Daniel Inouye’s choice as his replacement, and the senator had urged Gov. Neil Abercrombie to select her just before he died at 88 in December. Abercrombie instead chose Schatz, his lieutenant governor.”

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Bolling Regrets Dropping Out So Soon

April 23, 2013 at 7:29 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling told the Richmond Times Dispatch the “political ups and downs” of the Ken Cuccinelli (R) and Terry McAuliffe (D) campaigns in the five weeks since he announced his decision not to run for governor as an independent have given him second thoughts.

Said Bolling: “If I have one regret about the decision it’s that I wish I had waited longer. Because if I had waited longer I think we may have (seen) the direction these campaigns were going and that may have made it easier to raise more money.”

Snyder Will Have Tough Re-Election Race in Michigan

April 23, 2013 at 7:15 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Even though a big majority of recently polled Michigan voters don’t know who Mark Schauer (D) and Bart Stupak (D) are, a new EPIC/MRA poll finds the two politicians are in a dead heat with Gov. Rick Snyder in head-to-head matchups for the 2014 gubernatorial election.

Said pollster Bernie Porn: “If they’re running even with Snyder and no one knows who they are, that’s an indication that Snyder is losing support.”

Immigration Reform Could Remake Electoral Map

April 23, 2013 at 7:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The immigration proposal pending in Congress would transform the nation’s political landscape for a generation or more — pumping as many as 11 million new Hispanic voters into the electorate a decade from now in ways that, if current trends hold, would produce an electoral bonanza for Democrats and cripple Republican prospects in many states they now win easily,” Politico reports.

“Key swing states that Obama fought tooth and nail to win — like Florida, Colorado and Nevada — would have been comfortably in his column. And the president would have come very close to winning Arizona…. Mitt Romney, by contrast, would have lost the national popular vote by 7 percentage points, 53% to 46%, instead of the 4-point margin he lost by in 2012, and would have struggled even to stay competitive in GOP strongholds like Texas, which he won with 57% of the vote.”

Sanford Trails by Nine Points

April 23, 2013 at 6:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Public Policy Polling survey in South Carolina’s 1st congressional district finds Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D) leading Mark Sanford (R), 50% to 41%.

Bush Back in the Spotlight

April 23, 2013 at 6:46 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

George W. Bush “will return to the spotlight this week for the dedication of his presidential library, an event likely to trigger fresh public debate about his eight fateful years in office. But he reemerges with a better public image than when he left Washington more than four years ago,” the Washington Post reports.

“Since then, Bush has absented himself from both policy disputes and political battles. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll suggests that the passage of time and Bush’s relative invisibility have been beneficial to a chief executive who left office surrounded by controversy.”

“Days before his second term ended in 2009, Bush’s approval rating among all adults was 33 percent positive and 66 percent negative. The new poll found 47 percent saying they approve and 50 percent saying they disapprove.”

Herseth Sandlin Mulls Senate Bid in South Dakota

April 23, 2013 at 6:25 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader she is seriously considering a run for the U.S. Senate and plans to make her decision soon.

Said Herseth Sandlin: “I know that for the benefit of a lot of (Democratic activists) who are energized and want to get out there and get behind a whole slate of candidates, the sooner the folks can make decisions and we can recruit other candidates in other races, the better. I’m hoping to make that decision in the upcoming weeks.”

Rangel Sues to Overturn House Censure

April 23, 2013 at 6:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) “is suing House Speaker John Boehner and six other lawmakers to overturn his censure on ethics charges, arguing that members of the House Ethics Committee withheld evidence that could’ve cleared his name,” Politico reports.

USA Today notes that in the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, Rangel alleges “numerous, flagrant, knowing and intentional violations” of his due process rights. He also says that he suffers “irreparable harm that cannot be compensated by money damages.”

Gun Bill Defeat Shows Obama Doesn’t Like to Twist Arms

April 23, 2013 at 6:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The New York Times says that after more than four years in the Oval Office, President Obama “has rarely demonstrated an appetite for ruthless politics that instills fear in lawmakers. That raises a broader question: If he cannot translate the support of 90 percent of the public for background checks into a victory on Capitol Hill, what can he expect to accomplish legislatively for his remaining three and a half years in office?”

Weiner is Back on Twitter

April 22, 2013 at 4:12 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner, “who infamously sent lewd photos from his @RepWeiner Twitter account two years ago-ultimately leading to his resignation-has signed back up on the social media service. He’s now under the handle @AnthonyWeiner,” the New York Observer reports.

Flake Said He Supported Background Checks Then Voted No

April 22, 2013 at 10:17 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Think Progress: “Shortly before the a crucial Senate vote to expand background checks in gun transactions, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) sent a letter to the mother of a shooting victim claiming that he was “truly sorry” for her son’s death and that “strengthening background checks is something we agree on.” A few days later, he voted to kill the background checks bill.”

Two Paths on Immigration Reform

April 22, 2013 at 9:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Roll Call:
“Two immigration trains have left the station in the House, but no one
knows which one Speaker John A. Boehner wants to eventually arrive on
the floor. A secretive bipartisan working group — akin to the
Senate-side ‘gang of eight’ — is trying to finalize its ‘comprehensive’
proposal. But House Judiciary Chairman Robert W. Goodlatte is flexing
his muscles by launching a piecemeal-type legislative push, causing
tension between the two factions and questions about who will take the
lead.”

Christie Pursues Background Checks

April 22, 2013 at 9:46 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) “is seeking expanded background checks for gun purchases and parental consent for minors to buy violent video games as part of his response to the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut,” Bloomberg reports.

“Christie, a first-term Republican seeking re-election, also wants to ban purchases of the .50-caliber Barrett rifle, and to make it easier for doctors and courts to commit ‘potentially dangerous’ people to mental-health treatment against their will.”

First Read: “Folks, this isn’t someone who’s thinking about the 2016 primaries; instead, this is someone who’s running for re-election in the blue state of New Jersey. If Christie does end up running for president in 2016, he’s going to bringing a record that is similar to Rudy Giuliani, circa 2007. And while Rudy’s personal baggage did him in with GOP primary voters before his ideological baggage did. Christie will be another test about whether personality and electability can trump ideology. Many folks we know in GOP circles are skeptical.”

Will Huntsman Run Again?

April 21, 2013 at 11:45 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jon Hunstman has “begun dipping his toe back into the political pond–traversing the country at a brisk pace and delivering meaty op-eds and speeches that pointedly address the woes of his party… But when asked if the reception he’s receiving indicates there’s an appetite for another White House run, it’s clear he’s not even sure of the answer,” David Catanese reports.

Said Hunstman: “I don’t know. It’s way premature.”

Quote of the Day

April 21, 2013 at 11:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“We need to let those who will come in the future to represent us [know] that we are serious. The 2nd amendment means nothing unless those in power believe you would have no problem simply walking up and shooting them if they got too far out of line and stopped responding as representatives. It seems that we are unable to muster that belief in any of our representatives on a state or federal level, but we have to have something, something costly, something that they will fear that we will use if they step out of line.”

— From the April newsletter of the Benton County, Arkansas Republican Party.

Garcetti Holds Commanding Lead for Los Angeles Mayor

April 21, 2013 at 9:20 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new USC Price/Los Angeles Times poll finds Eric Garcetti has opened a commanding 10-point lead in the Los Angeles mayor’s race over rival Wendy Greuel, 50% to 40%.

The poll suggests Greuel’s “dogged fight to win the backing of public employee unions appears to be undercutting her on her home turf in the San Fernando Valley… The survey also found no sign of success for Greuel’s effort to gain an edge among women by highlighting her potential to make history as the city’s first female mayor. Women preferred Garcetti, 50% to 41%.”

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