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Spitzer Takes Over Family Business

June 15, 2015 at 9:07 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

After a failed political comeback in 2013, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) “has found himself unexpectedly embracing a role he has largely sought to avoid all his life: assuming stewardship of Spitzer Enterprises, the family real estate business,” the New York Times reports.

Said Spitzer: “Politics is in my rearview mirror. This is exciting.”

“In customary fashion, Mr. Spitzer — who once, as governor, famously threatened to roll over a state lawmaker — has tackled his new career much like a steamroller, in overdrive. He signed a contract to buy nearly three acres on the Brooklyn waterfront last August, closed on the deal in February and got his building permits on June 8.”

Distracted Lawmaker Accidentally Approves Budget

June 15, 2015 at 9:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

California Assemblyman Scott Wilk (R) accidentally cast his party’s first vote for the California budget in years because he was distracted by Facebook, the AP reports.

Wilk posted on Twitter “My wife is right — I can’t multitask!”

Blogger Who Taped Senator’s Wife Sentenced

June 15, 2015 at 9:01 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

“A Mississippi man who last week pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for videotaping the ailing wife of Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) has been sentenced to five years in prison, though he will be released after two-and-a-half years,” Politico reports.


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Booker Is Writing a Memoir

June 15, 2015 at 9:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 4 Comments

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is set to release a memoir entitled United in January, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The book will trace the New Jersey native’s life from Rhodes Scholar and two-term mayor of Newark to the U.S. Senate. He will also discuss policy issues such as overhauling the criminal justice system, an issue on which he has partnered with Republican Sen. Rand Paul.”

Trump Will Claim $9 Billion Fortune

June 15, 2015 at 3:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 40 Comments

Donald Trump “will release a summary of assets that total about $9 billion as part of his likely entry into the race for the Republican presidential nomination,” the Washington Post reports.

“The two-page document — which will be published after he holds a political rally at Trump Tower in New York — will provide a valuation of his hotels and other properties. It will also show hundreds of millions in cash on hand and an outline of his debt… The details he will reveal Tuesday will provide one of the first looks at the worth of the real estate and television empire that the colorful impresario has amassed — one whose value has been avidly debated.”

McClatchy: “He’s flirted with running before, but this time he appears to be taking the steps needed to formally enter the Republican race.”

What’s the Best Political TV Show?

June 15, 2015 at 3:23 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

Dan Pfieffer: “House of Cards, Scandal, State of Affairs, and Madam Secretary all tell stories about Washington. But only one show gets it right…”

“Veep is the most authentic because it understands the three most important things about life in Washington: the humanity, the banality, and the absurdity. On its face it’s just another workplace comedy — the White House as Dunder Mifflin — but it dissects D.C. with a finely honed satirical scalpel. The characters stand out for their raw humanity… The characters are all recognizable not because they are modeled on real people, but because they are real people: human beings filled with insecurities, ambitions, and flaws — oh so many flaws! — just like the folks on the Hill.”

Pope Blames Global Warming on Humans

June 15, 2015 at 1:59 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 52 Comments

“Pope Francis said global warming is due mainly to human activity and is a major threat to life on the planet, and he called the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels an ‘urgent’ matter,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The pope’s words appear in a draft copy of his long-awaited encyclical on the environment. The draft was published online Monday by the Italian magazine L’Espresso, three days ahead of its scheduled publication date.”

Wonk Wire: Future climate uncertainty necessitates action

Illinois Governor Targets Speaker in $1 Million Ad Blitz

June 15, 2015 at 1:44 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) is launching a much-anticipated $1 million TV ad blitz aimed squarely at the governor’s prime antagonist: House Speaker Mike Madigan (D), according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

Will Jeb Bush Benefit from More Exposure?

June 15, 2015 at 1:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

Gerald Seib: “In that six-month stretch, Mr. Bush has borne the brunt of his two biggest problems—the fact that his famous name has become as much burden as asset, and the antipathy of many conservatives toward his immigration and education positions—without the ability to fully counter them. Convincing voters he isn’t just another guy named Bush requires offering the kind of fully formed rationale for a candidacy that only a real campaign can provide; easing conservative concerns requires the kind of extended conversation in the party’s trenches that a primary debate requires.”

“It’s also possible, of course, that Mr. Bush simply can’t overcome those two obstacles—that the time isn’t right, or has passed him by. Yet it seems likely that he is a better marathon runner than a sprinter, somebody who benefits from more exposure rather than less, and who has the money to endure a race that figures to be stretched out simply because of the time needed to winnow an extraordinarily large field.”

From Senate to Bike Repair Shop

June 15, 2015 at 1:23 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who lost a U.S. Senate bid last year in New Hampshire, is now a bike mechanic, according to Seacoast Online.

Said Brown: “Back in December, I came in and said, ‘Listen, I don’t need a job, I don’t need any money, but I’ve always wanted to learn how to put together and take apart bikes.’ I kind of like it. It gets me out of the house and it gets me doing different things.”

Undecided Leads GOP Presidential Field

June 15, 2015 at 1:15 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

A new Monmouth University Poll finds that “undecided” is the most popular response when Republican voters nationwide are asked who they support as their party’s standard bearer.

It remains difficult even to identify a clear “top tier” in the field of 16 possible 2016 Republican presidential candidates.

 

British Prime Minister Disputes Scott Walker’s Claim

June 15, 2015 at 1:12 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 40 Comments

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) “says British Prime Minister David Cameron confided in him that he was concerned about the direction of American leadership. But there’s a problem with the Republican’s tidy critique of President Barack Obama: Cameron doesn’t remember it that way,” Time reports.

Said Walker: “I heard that from David Cameron back in February earlier when we were over at 10 Downing. I heard it from other leaders around the world. They’re looking around realizing this lead from behind mentality just doesn’t work. It’s just not working.”

Responded a Cameron spokesperson: “The Prime Minister did not say that and does not think that.”

Grinding It Out

June 15, 2015 at 9:38 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

First Read: “Hillary Clinton (who’s begun her big kickoff rallies) and Jeb Bush (who officially announces his presidential bid today) have one other similarity beyond their famous last names: Their messages and paths to the White House are about grinding it out.”

“For Hillary, that was evident in her Saturday speech at Roosevelt Island in New York. If you were expecting the electricity of an Obama event in 2007-2008 or even 2012, you were mistaken. Instead, you got a candidate promising to fight and grind it out… And while she has maybe the clearest path to winning a party’s presidential nomination in modern times, her general-election strategy will be all about pushing that Democratic coalition to a third-straight presidential win, which won’t be easy. As for Jeb, his path to winning the GOP nomination is all about grinding out — in a large GOP field and to a Republican audience that might be resistant to his message on immigration and Common Core.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

June 15, 2015 at 9:35 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 51 Comments

“I think the biggest mistake I made was not focusing very early on minority voters.”

— Mitt Romney, explaining to NBC News why he lost the 2012 presidential election.

If Republicans Can’t Beat Hillary, the Party Is Over

June 15, 2015 at 9:33 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 93 Comments

Philip Klein: “When Republicans lost two elections to Obama, it was easy to explain away as a special phenomenon. In 2008, Obama was a rock star running against a boring old senator who represented an incumbent party that had presided over an unpopular war and financial crash. In 2012, he ran for re-election against a weak candidate who had trouble winning over his own party. But in 2016, Republicans have the ability to nominate a formidable candidate to put up against a Democrat with lots of baggage. If they blow it, then it may be time to throw in the towel.”

The Latest on Wonk Wire

June 15, 2015 at 9:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Here’s what’s trending on Wonk Wire today:

  • Upcoming SCOTUS Rulings: Clamoring for Telltale Clues
  • Is Health Care Spending Growing Again?
  • Kansas Avoids Massive Budget Cuts
  • Patent Troll Bills Split Innovation Community
  • Is the Nation’s Uninsured Rate the Lowest Ever?

And a few bonus pieces from Working Capital Review:

  • Why Do Some CEO’s Get Paid So Much?
  • Your Strategy Needs a Strategy

Bonus Quote of the Day

June 15, 2015 at 8:36 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

“We tried tall, good looking, smart, nice, great family man. Vote for me, we’re not going down that path again.”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by the Boston Globe, speaking at Mitt Romney’s summit over the weekend.

Sanders Could Make It a Race in New Hampshire

June 15, 2015 at 8:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 26 Comments

A new Morning Consult poll in New Hampshire shows Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential field with 44% but Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is within striking distance with 32% support.

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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.

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