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Scott Walker Running on Faith

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“Scott Walker, the son of a Baptist preacher, learned a lot about being a politician by going to church,” the New York Times reports.

“He was introduced to glad-handing while greeting worshipers beside his father after Sunday services. His confidence as a public speaker began at 2, when he delivered a Christmas greeting from the pulpit, and it blossomed when he preached occasional sermons as a teenager. And now, Mr. Walker’s lifelong church involvement may be a powerful asset as he positions himself to run for the Republican presidential nomination and focuses on early primary and caucus states dominated by evangelical voters.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

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“I didn’t fall off a turnip truck, here. I was a state senator, I was nine terms in Congress, I’ve been elected governor and won 86 out of 88 counties.”

— Gov. John Kasich (R),  quoted by Real Clear Politics, saying he’s more experienced than any of the other GOP presidential candidates.


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Quote of the Day

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“I think it’s fair to say that Christian convictions are under attack as never before. Not just in our lifetime, but ever before in the history of this great nation. We are moving rapidly toward the criminalization of Christianity.”

— Mike Huckabee, quoted by Politico.

Williams Embellished Reporting At Least 11 Times

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“A months-long internal investigation of Brian Williams by NBC News has turned up 11 instances in which the anchorman publicly embellished details of his reporting exploits, according to a person familiar with details of the probe,” the Washington Post reports.

“It’s not clear when, or even if… findings about Williams will be made public. Although the investigation could be a critical factor in whether NBC decides to bring Williams back, it could also remain confidential as a condition of any potential severance agreement, an NBC journalist said on Friday.”

Bill Seeks to Block Steve King from Legislating

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Rep. Steve King (R-IA) “proposed a bill this week that would block the courts from hearing cases that could legalize same-sex marriage, so Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) has proposed a (satirical) bill to block King from legislating,” the Huffington Post reports.

“Polis’ office issued a press release on Friday announcing the Restrain Steve King from Legislating Act, playing off King’s Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act. Polis’ fake bill would prevent King from ‘abusing taxpayer dollars by substituting the judgments of the nation’s duly serving judicial branch of government with his own beliefs.'”

Clinton Campaign Faces Early Test

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“An assertive Republican Congress coupled with new disclosures about the Clinton family’s charitable foundation threaten to shadow Hillary Clinton’s newly minted presidential campaign for months, a period when she will be trying to reintroduce herself to voters as an advocate for the middle class,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Gay Marriage Becomes Tricky Issue for GOP

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“Republican presidential hopefuls are struggling with how to position themselves on same-sex marriage, an issue that is bedeviling a party hoping to avoid social controversies as the 2016 election approaches,” the Washington Post reports.

“Rapidly changing public opinion has forced much of the field to recalibrate their pitches. Early front-runners have sought balance between the GOP base and the broader electorate — saying that they have no problem with gay people but oppose a national right to gay marriage and favor strong legal protections for business owners who do not want to serve same-sex ceremonies.”

Obama Takes On Liberal Democrats Over Trade

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President Obama “escalated a public feud over international trade with the liberal wing of his own party, a brawl that threatens to undermine one of the key goals for the White House this year,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The schism over trade widened with several testy exchanges this week between Mr. Obama and his liberal base, including remarks Friday in which the president said critics were mischaracterizing the deal.”

Huffington Post: Obama hits Warren and Democrats on trade

Bonus Quote of the Day

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“I have proposed a new rule to allow school districts to install deep fat fryers and sell beverages like diet soda. I believe each school district – not the state or federal government – should decide what foods are offered to students… If a school district doesn’t agree with any of these changes, then the district doesn’t have to implement them. That’s the beauty here. It’s not about French fries; it’s about freedom.”

— Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, in a letter to the Houston Chronicle.

Senate Staffer Admits Drugs-for-Sex Scheme

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A staffer for Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) imported drugs from China in a plan to exchange them for sexual favors, the Washington City Paper reports.

“Fred W. Pagan… first came on law enforcement’s radar on April 9, when customs agents found a Chinese package addressed to him in Ohio that held more than a kilo of GBL, a controlled drug akin to ‘date rape drug’ GHB. After the search, Pagan allegedly told investigators that he had received three other GBL packages. According to the court filing, Pagan said that he handed out the GBL and meth ‘in exchange for sexual favors.'”

Most Don’t Want ‘Religious Freedom’ Laws

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“One of the apparent side effects of the religious freedom controversies in Indiana and (to a lesser extent) Arkansas: More Americans now oppose such laws than before,” the Washington Post reports.

“While a Pew Research Center poll conducted in September showed Americans were split on whether businesses with religious objections should be able to refuse service to a gay wedding (with 47 percent in favor), and a January AP-GfK poll showed a clear majority (57 percent) thought they should be able to, a new CNN/Opinion Research poll suggests increasing skepticism of religious freedom laws. The new poll shows just 41 percent think businesses should be able to refuse service to gay weddings, while 57 percent disagree.”

Why Political Parties Don’t Try to Inspire Voters

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A new research paper by Alan Abramowitz and Steven Webster looked at a variety of political characteristics to see what best predicts party loyalty.

The key determinant was fear of the other party: “Regardless of the strength of their attachment to their own party, the more voters dislike the opposing party, the greater the probability that they will vote consistently for their own party’s candidates.”

Ezra Klein: “It’s worth saying that a bit more clearly: you’re more likely to vote Democratic if you hate Republicans than if you love Democrats, and vice versa. What parties need to do to keep you loyal isn’t make you inspired. Rather, they need to make you scared.”

Why Marco Rubio Is a Strong Candidate

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Harry Enten: “What makes Rubio strong isn’t his polling surge, but that he is well-liked across the party apparatus. He pulls in conservatives with his voting record and moderates with his impressive 2010 Senate victory in Florida, a crucial battleground state… When voters actually start tuning into the race, Rubio will be in a good position to win over Republicans who are currently undecided or tentatively supporting another candidate. (That’s not to say he’ll actually win them over; he’ll just be in a good position to.)”

“Rubio’s current polling uptick may or may not last. But few other candidates look as strong in the underlying data that will ultimately dictate the direction that the 2016 Republican primary takes.”

Foreign Money May Flow to Ballot Measure Elections

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Rick Hasen points us to a Bloomberg BNA report:

“The Federal Election Commission has dismissed—on a deadlocked party-line vote—charges that Manwin International, a foreign company producing online pornography, violated the law by bankrolling a campaign committee opposed to a Los Angeles ballot measure requiring the use of condoms in video sex scenes. According to documents released April 23, the FEC’s three Republican commissioners voted to dismiss the case, supporting recommendations from the agency general counsel’s office. An FEC counsel’s report concluded that a broad federal ban on foreign contributions in U.S. elections didn’t apply to ballot measure elections.”

Gun Control Advocates Energized by Clinton Bid

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“Gun control advocates have high hopes for Hillary Clinton’s presidential run, viewing her as an ally who can finish the push for tightened background checks that has stalled in President Obama’s second term,” The Hill reports.

“Clinton has been a staunch advocate of gun-control proposals such as expanding background checks and banning assault weapons. Last summer, she ripped groups that oppose those ideas as out of step with public opinion.”

Wonk Wire: Guns make us less safe. That’s a fact.

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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