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Biden Back at Work After Son’s Death

June 11, 2015 at 6:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

“Joe Biden began a process on Wednesday that’s all too familiar for him: working through his grief by getting back to work,” Politico reports.

“The vice president returned to a White House full of affection for him, thinking about him, talking about him. The outpouring of sympathy has been a reminder of the sometimes amorphous but integral role he plays in the West Wing: the emotional center and gut check, the manager of significant parts of the foreign policy portfolio, and a truly loved and trusted friend of President Barack Obama.”

Republicans Attach Conditions to Trade Bill

June 10, 2015 at 9:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

“With a final House showdown coming on Friday on President Obama’s push for accelerated power to pursue a sweeping trade agreement, the vote brokering has begun — and it is all tilting to the right,” the New York Times reports.

“The legislative changes clearly show the fate of the president’s expanded trade-negotiating power rests with Republicans, not Democrats, even more so because Republicans have blocked provisions favored by pro-trade Democrats.”

Another Bonus Quote of the Day

June 10, 2015 at 7:56 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

“My party, quite frankly, has been guilty of speaking in a way that doesn’t sound very welcoming to new members.”

— Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by NBC News.

Republicans Still Playing Catch Up on Digital Campaigning

June 10, 2015 at 7:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

New York Times: “The criticism after the 2012 presidential election was swift and harsh: Democrats were light-years ahead of Republicans when it came to digital strategy and tactics, and Republicans had serious work to do on the technology front if they ever hoped to win back the White House.”

“Now, with the 2016 campaign already underway, Republicans are eager to show they have learned the lessons of past cycles and are placing a premium on hiring top digital talent to build the tools they deem necessary to compete. But their immediate problem is slightly more low-tech: the basics of supply and demand.”

How the Bush Campaign Went Off Track

June 10, 2015 at 7:08 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 25 Comments

Washington Post: “In interviews this week, dozens of Bush backers and informed Republicans — most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to comment candidly — described an overly optimistic, even haughty exploratory operation. Strategic errors were exacerbated by unexpected stumbles by the would-be candidate and internal strife within his team, culminating in a staff shake-up this week.”

“The original premise of Bush’s candidacy — that a bold, fast start would scare off potential rivals and help him overcome the burden of his last name — has proved to be misguided.”

Politico: “Though Jeb Bush’s campaign for president had a shakeup before it even officially became a campaign, one aspect of Jeb World remains as clear as ever: Sally Bradshaw is running the show. To the extent there was a shakeup of Bush’s political team this week, it’s Bradshaw who did the shaking, the shot-calling and the tough decision-making.”

Bill Clinton Will Stop Paid Speeches If Hillary Wins

June 10, 2015 at 3:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 25 Comments

Bill Clinton told Bloomberg he will likely not continue to give paid speeches if his wife Hillary were elected president.

Said Clinton: “No. I don’t think so. I don’t think that — because once you get to be president then you’re just making a daily story. I will still give speeches though on the subjects I’m interested in, and I’ve really enjoy those things.”

Isakson Says He Has Parkinson’s Disease

June 10, 2015 at 2:05 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) said that “he has been receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but added that the illness will not prevent him from seeking re-election next year,” the New York Times reports.

“Disclosures about health problems are challenging for politicians, and Mr. Isakson said that he wrestled with whether to go public with his illness. However, he said that his family decided that transparency was the best route.”

Rubio Catches Bush in Florida

June 10, 2015 at 2:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

A new Saint Leo University survey in Florida shows Sen. Marco Rubio (R) has pulled even with former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) as the top choice of Florida Republicans for president of the United States.

“By several measures, support for Rubio has surged since he officially declared his presidential candidacy earlier this spring, while Bush’s support has plateaued. Presented with a long list of candidates, Bush remains the top choice of Florida Republicans. However, Rubio’s support rose by eight points since a March survey by Saint Leo University, while Bush’s support stayed flat. Rubio also saw an eight-point increase in the number of voters naming him as their second choice. Combining the first and second place votes, Rubio has overtaken Bush. Rubio combines for 53 percent first- and second-choice votes, whereas Bush receives 42 percent.”

Kasich Signs Bill to Help Himself in Presidential Primary

June 10, 2015 at 1:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 39 Comments

“In a move that strengthens his looming presidential candidacy, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed a GOP-crafted bill today moving back Ohio’s 2016 primary election to make it a winner-take-all contest,” the Columbus Dispatch reports.

“Moving the presidential primary from March 8 to March 15 next year shifts Ohio from awarding its presidential convention delegates proportionally to granting all the delegates to the statewide winner. The change could set the stage for Kasich to sweep of all of Ohio’s GOP delegates. The governor has fared well in home-state polls suggesting he is the leading GOP candidate.”

Carson Proposes Spies on Government Workers

June 10, 2015 at 1:34 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 93 Comments

Ben Carson said that if elected president he might implement a “covert division” of government workers who spy on their coworkers to improve government efficiency, MSNBC reports.

Carson told a crowd of Iowa Republicans he is “thinking very seriously” about adding “a covert division of people who look like the people in this room, who monitor what government people do.” He suggested people would work harder if they suspected their coworkers of monitoring their work.

Durbin Insists Fundraising Email Isn’t an Endorsement

June 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) “says a fundraising e-mail isn’t the same as him making an official endorsement in next year’s Senate race,” according to River Bender.

“Durbin sent out a fundraising request on behalf of the Senate bid of Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), calling her ‘a friend’ and ‘a champion,’ but he says that’s not a formal endorsement. He says he’s helping with fundraising since the campaign is heating up earlier than he’d hoped.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

June 10, 2015 at 12:06 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

“Ultimately, Russia needs to be a European nation. Everything we do should be to isolate its corrupt leadership.”

— Jeb Bush, quoted by National Journal.

Obama Sends ‘Military Trainers’ to Iraq

June 10, 2015 at 10:46 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

New York Times: “In a major shift of focus in the battle against the Islamic State, the Obama administration is planning to establish a new military base in Anbar Province, Iraq, and to send up to 450 more American military trainers to help Iraqi forces retake the city of Ramadi. The White House on Wednesday is expected to announce a plan that follows months of behind-the-scenes debate about how prominently plans to retake Mosul, another Iraqi city that fell to the Islamic State last year, should figure in the early phase of the military campaign against the group.”

The Latest on Wonk Wire

June 10, 2015 at 10:40 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

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

Bonus Quote of the Day

June 10, 2015 at 9:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 48 Comments

“If you live by the pen, you die by the pen. Everything put in place by executive order can be undone by executive order.”

– Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), in Washington Post interview about how he’d spend his first 100 days as president if he won, pledging to roll back more than just the president’s controversial orders related to immigration.

Will Rubio’s Personal Finances Become a Big Story?

June 10, 2015 at 9:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 25 Comments

Rick Klein: “It’s easy enough to mock a particular media portrayal of Marco Rubio, cast as – shock! – someone who has struggled with his finances yet owns a luxury boat that isn’t that fancy and an expensive home that looks, well, fine. (The previous New York Times take on Rubio’s past, on his driving record, didn’t help its subsequent story.)”

“But even as Rubio’s campaign raises money off of the pair of Times stories, seeds of serious questions about Rubio are being planted. There are relationships with people as varied as former Rep. David Rivera and billionaire Norman Braman; credit-card missteps involving personal charges on a state-party card; and even the still-strange and very recent decision to cash out some 401(k) funds, penalty and all. If the story develops into one of a financially strapped young family, trying to make ends meet, it will all be part of a stump speech soon enough. But if it becomes one about a man with a law degree and six-figure income who couldn’t keep his finances straight, it will become part of a debate-stage attack just as quickly.”

Is John Kasich the Dark Horse?

June 10, 2015 at 8:58 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 36 Comments

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “If you’re looking for a dark-horse entrant into the first tier, it might be John Kasich. Few would bet on him today, but no sensible party will easily dismiss a popular two-term governor of swing-state Ohio. And Kasich’s federal, state and private sector experiences comprise impressive preparation for the presidency.”

“The primary obstacle for Kasich are his positions on Obamacare and Common Core, which have earned him the RINO label. He also has to generate interest in a hurry so he can get into the upcoming debates, for which he currently does not qualify. And Kasich must make a convincing case that he’s not just another Jon Huntsman, who won more plaudits from the media than votes from Republicans in 2012.”

GOP Fears They May Win Obamacare Court Battle

June 10, 2015 at 8:33 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 27 Comments

“Republicans in Congress are worried the Supreme Court will hand them a major headache this month if it rules against the federal health insurance exchanges in more than 30 states, ending subsidies for millions of people,” The Hill reports.

Wonk Wire: Obamacare contingency plans are few and far between