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Jacksonland

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Coming this month: Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab by Steve Inskeep.

“Jacksonland is the thrilling narrative history of two men—President Andrew Jackson and Cherokee chief John Ross—who led their respective nations at a crossroads of American history. Five decades after the Revolutionary War, the United States approached a constitutional crisis. At its center stood two former military comrades locked in a struggle that tested the boundaries of our fledgling democracy.”

Inconsistencies Plague Carly Fiorina Bid

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Wall Street Journal: “She says the three first-term senators lack sufficient experience to be commander-in-chief, but she doesn’t have that line on her résumé, having lost to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.) in 2010, her first foray into politics as a candidate. And Ms. Fiorina is aiming to appeal to the same conservative activists she alienated in 2008 when she said Sarah Palin, then the GOP’s vice presidential nominee, wasn’t qualified to run a major corporation.”

“Ms. Fiorina was sacked from the job for which she is best known. The Hewlett-Packard board fired her after a 2005 boardroom-management slugfest. She now brands herself as a social conservative—though one who granted benefits to gay couples as a CEO and says she’d oppose a constitutional amendment to forbid gay marriage.”

And she apparently forgot to register the domain name carlyfiorina.org.


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Republicans and Democrats Don’t Agree on Top Issues

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Mark Murray: “When asked in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll which issue should be the top priority for the federal government to address, Republican primary voters’ leading response was national security and terrorism (27 percent said it was their first choice). That’s followed by the deficit and government spending (24 percent), job creation and economic growth (21 percent) and religious and moral values (12 percent).”

“By comparison, the top priority for Democrats in the poll was job creation and economic growth (37 percent) — followed by health care (17 percent), climate change (15 percent) and national security and terrorism (13 percent).”

GOP Rolls Out a More Diverse Field

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Rick Klein: “The Republican Party’s demographic challenges are too complicated and too acute to solve on or by a debate stage. But for a party struggling with attracting a diverse, young, and female electorate, the emerging field is remarkable. The six Republican candidates expected to be in by Tuesday will include two Latinos (both in their 40s), an African-American, and a woman. More white males are on deck, of course. Still, this represents a considerable range of backgrounds, if not necessarily issue viewpoints, for a GOP that’s all too aware of its short- and long-term prospects. None of this guarantees electoral success. But it does help prompt the kinds of conversations Republican leaders are seeking over the next 18 months.”

Clinton Defends Donations to Foundation

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Bill Clinton told NBC News he has “no regrets about taking millions in foreign cash for his foundation — even though the donations have caused a political headache for Hillary Clinton as she tries to follow him into the Oval Office.”

Said Clinton: “There is no doubt in my mind that we have never done anything knowingly inappropriate in terms of taking money to influence any kind of American government policy.”

Quote of the Day

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“What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong when you have more income and wealth equality. What’s wrong when they have a stronger middle class in many ways than we do, a higher minimum wage than we do and they’re stronger on the environment than we are.”

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on whether he wants America “to look more like Scandinavia.”

Just Seven Swing States

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The Crystal Ball says just seven states start as the only obvious toss-ups on our first 2016 Electoral Map.

“This map feels like déjà vu: It’s effectively the same map we featured for much of the 2012 cycle, and it unmistakably suggests the Democratic nominee should start the election as at least a marginal Electoral College favorite over his or (probably) her Republican rival. However, at the starting gate it is wiser to argue that the next election is basically a 50-50 proposition.”

GOP Candidates Try to Woo Middle Class

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New York Times: “The last three men to win the Republican nomination have been the prosperous son of a president (George W. Bush), a senator who could not recall how many homes his family owned (John McCain of Arizona; it was seven) and a private equity executive worth an estimated $200 million (Mitt Romney).”

“The candidates hoping to be the party’s nominee in 2016 are trying to create a very different set of associations… Their ability to do so — less bluntly, more sincerely — could prove decisive in an election year when power, privilege and family connections will loom large for both parties.”

Three More Candidates Join GOP Race

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“For the Republican Party, the presidential candidates keep coming,” the New York Times reports.

“The next wave arrives this week, with Carly Fiorina and former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas set to announce what most political analysts consider long-shot bids for the Republican nomination. Ben Carson announced his bid on Sunday night. They will join Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul in the race.”

Wall Street Journal: “Trying to write a fresh chapter to their careers, the three new contenders aren’t expected to compete financially with the party’s top candidates. But polling shows that Mr. Huckabee retains a reservoir of support from his prior White House bid, particularly in Iowa, home to the first 2016 caucuses.”

Politico: Pushing the limits on the fringe

McConnell May Shut Down Iran Debate

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “may be forced to end debate on the Iran bill early this week, marking the first time he has shut down the open amendment process that was a central promise of his bid for control of the chamber,” National Journal reports.

“Sen. Tom Cotton’s surprise move on Thursday to force votes on his own amendment and one from Sen. Marco Rubio highlights the perils of McConnell’s commitment to an open amendment process. When Sen. Harry Reid was leader, he often ‘filled the tree‘ in Hill-speak, essentially preventing members from filing amendments without his express written permission. McConnell’s stated preference for a free-wheeling debate allows members to follow in Cotton’s footsteps and force votes on their amendments.”

“McConnell now has an unpleasant choice: allow the Senate to move to votes on the Cotton and Rubio amendments, or shut down debate and cancel votes on all of the remaining 67 amendments to the Iran bill.”

Rubio’s Departure Puts Senate Seat in Play

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Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) “decision to run for president rather than seek re-election has put his Republican seat at risk, setting off a scramble in the GOP to recruit candidates and likely forcing the party to pump millions of dollars more into what promises to be a costly, high-profile race,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Retaining the seat is crucial if the GOP hopes to keep control of the Senate in 2016. Though the party holds a 54-to-46 advantage over Democrats, it must defend 24 seats next year—seven in states that President Barack Obama won twice, including Florida—while Democrats only need to safeguard 10.”

Extreme Secrecy Hurting Obama’s Trade Pact

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Politico: “If you want to hear the details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal the Obama administration is hoping to pass, you’ve got to be a member of Congress, and you’ve got to go to classified briefings and leave your staff and cellphone at the door.”

“If you’re a member who wants to read the text, you’ve got to go to a room in the basement of the Capitol Visitor Center and be handed it one section at a time, watched over as you read, and forced to hand over any notes you make before leaving. And no matter what, you can’t discuss the details of what you’ve read.”

O’Malley Would Announce Bid in Baltimore

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Martin O’Malley (D) said that he will announce his presidential campaign in riot-scarred Baltimore if he moves forward with a White House bid, the Washington Post reports.

He added: “I am more inclined and more deeply motivated now to address what’s wrong with our country and what needs to be healed. [tweetable alt=””]What’s happened in Baltimore should be a wake-up call for the entire country.[/tweetable]”

Sanders Ready to Surprise Once Again

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“Citing a history of surprising victories, Bernie Sanders said on Sunday the political world shouldn’t discount his chances of winning the presidency,” Politico reports.

Said Sanders: “Don’t underestimate me.”

He added: “We need a political revolution in this country and I want to lead that effort.”

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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