David Remnick: “For twenty years, many people in Israel and in the West have expressed the hope that Benjamin Netanyahu would prove to be the Richard Nixon of the State of Israel … the Nixon who yearned to enter the pantheon of statesmen, and who defied his Red-baiting past and initiated diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. … It is amazing to recall how long this fantasy persisted.”
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Cruz Will Sign Up for Obamacare
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), a leading critic of the Affordable Care Act, admitted to CNN that he will sign up for health care insurance for his family through the law’s health care exchanges.
Cruz said he “would no longer have access to health benefits through his wife’s employer, Goldman Sachs. Heidi Cruz, a managing director at the firm’s Houston office, has gone on unpaid leave for the duration of the senator’s presidential campaign and will not have access to the company’s benefits during that time.”
“Cruz’s campaign appeared caught by surprise Monday by questions about the senator’s health care.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Like most psychopaths. That’s why they’re successful. That’s the way they look. They all look great.”
— Ben Carson, quoted by GQ, commenting on how President Obama looked at the State of the Union address.
No South Carolina Firewall for Jeb
Politico: “Twice before, South Carolina has delivered for the Bush family. In 1988, it famously served as George H.W. Bush’s firewall after he finished third in Iowa. Twelve years later, it served the same role for George W. Bush after John McCain’s New Hampshire victory.”
“But as Jeb Bush seeks to become the third in his family to win here, he’s finding the state almost unrecognizable. The electorate in the first primary state in the South is more conservative than before — and the former Florida governor is perceived as a moderate. Much of the old Bush team has defected to other candidates. And the presence of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is eating into Bush’s natural base of support.”
Obama Slows Afghan Troop Withdrawal
President Obama “has decided to slow the pace of the U.S. troop drawdown in Afghanistan in response to a request from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, leaving roughly 10,000 American forces in place through the end of the year,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The U.S. had planned to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan to nearly 5,000 this year.”
New York Times: “The announcement was not unexpected. Administration officials had strongly suggested in recent days that Mr. Obama would agree to slow the pace of the troop withdrawal.”
Obama-Netanyahu Feud Gets Worse
First Read: “A week after Prime Minister Netanyahu’s election win last Tuesday, relations between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu aren’t getting better — they’re getting worse.”
“We’re having a hard time thinking of another time when two allies have been THIS angry and been THIS public about their disagreements. Talk about venom and score-settling. As with most angry disagreements between friends, it’s hard to remember who landed the first punch.”
Clinton Seeks Fresh Start with Reporters
“Weeks after being dogged by accusations of secrecy, Hillary Clinton told journalists that she wanted “a new relationship with the press,” Politico reports.
She acknowledged that her “relationship with the press has been at times, shall we say, complicated” and said she was “all about new beginnings…. A new grandchild. A new hairstyle. A new email account. A new relationship with the press. No more secrecy, no more zone of privacy … After all what good did that do for me?”
Coats Will Not Seek Another Senate Term
Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN) told Indy Politics that he will not run for another term in the U.S. Senate.
“Coats said he deliberated for months before making his decision. He says he informed leadership today of his decision and will be making a formal announcement later.”
A Low Bar for Congress
Neil Irwin: “On the central question around which America’s partisan battles are fought, the size and scope of the federal government, Ryan-Murray didn’t decisively move the needle one way or the other, which is why it was able to attract bipartisan support. Rather, it preserved the basic status quo while making both parties a little bit happier with the exact mix of federal spending.”
“It’s not the stuff of soaring political oratory or world-historical accomplishment, but in a world of divided government and polarized politics, keeping the government running without a lot of brinkmanship and high drama may be the best we can hope for. If the start of 2015 is a guide, even that much isn’t guaranteed.”
Clinton Caught in the Middle on Education
New York Times: “The last time she ran for president, Hillary Clinton did not have to take a position on the Common Core, teacher evaluations or Race to the Top… Now, as she prepares for a likely second run at the White House, Mrs. Clinton — who largely avoided domestic policy when she was secretary of state — is re-entering the fray like a Rip Van Winkle for whom the terrain on education standards has shifted markedly, with deep new fissures opened up in the Democratic Party.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I wish Reagan would rise from the dead and come back.”
— Pat Robertson, on his television show The 700 Club, while noting President Obama “does not believe in America” and was mentored by “leftists who don’t really love this country.”
Baker Slams Netanyahu as Obstacle to Peace
Former Secretary of State James Baker harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough’s comments earlier in the day, Haaretz reports.
Baker acknowledged his disappointment with “the lack of progress regarding a lasting peace,” saying that the chances for a two-state solution diminished since Netanyahu’s reelection last week. Baker further slammed Netanyahu’s “diplomatic missteps and political gamesmanship,” saying that the prime minister’s “actions have not matched his rhetoric.”
Trump Raises Birther Charge Against Cruz
Donald Trump told Fox News he doubts Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) can legally run for president because he was born in Canada.
Said Trump: “It’s a hurdle; somebody could certainly look at it very seriously. He was born in Canada. If you know and when we all studied our history lessons, you are supposed to be born in this country, so I just don’t know how the courts will rule on this.”
The Hill reports Cruz said he is still a natural born citizen by birth because his mother was American.
Democrats Cheer On Ted Cruz
Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential bid “has prompted an outpouring of excitement and delight — from Democrats,” The Hill reports.
“To liberal activists, the firebrand Texan is much too far to the right for the nation at large and too extreme to even win the Republican nomination. But they want nothing more than for him to run strongly throughout the primary season. The more momentum he develops, they argue, the more likely he is to push the eventual GOP nominee further to the right than that person will want to go.”
The New York Times has a good look at what it would take for Cruz to win.
Emanuel Maintains Wide Lead for Re-Election
A new Ogden & Fry survey in Chicago finds Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) well ahead of challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D) in the race for mayor, 49% to 32%.
Israel Spied on U.S.-Iran Talks
“Soon after the U.S. and other major powers entered negotiations last year to curtail Iran’s nuclear program, senior White House officials learned Israel was spying on the closed-door talks,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The spying operation was part of a broader campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to penetrate the negotiations and then help build a case against the emerging terms of the deal, current and former U.S. officials said. In addition to eavesdropping, Israel acquired information from confidential U.S. briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, the officials said.”
The BBC reports Israel denies spying on the nuclear talks.
White House Unmoved by Netanyahu Apology
Even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Israeli Arabs for comments made during his re-election campaign, “the White House issued a new signal that it remained furious with Mr. Netanyahu for campaign comments that also appeared to close the door on a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict,” the New York Times reports.
Cruz Entry Sparks Fight for the Right Wing
Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) “splashy entry into the 2016 race Monday intensifies the early battle to consolidate conservative voters who are intent on denying the Republican Party establishment yet another presidential nomination,” the Washington Post reports.
“In a primary fight more up for grabs than Republicans have seen in a generation, at least a half-dozen credible contenders are likely to join Cruz in competing for the hearts of conservatives. They face a labyrinth of tests of ideology and temperament, on talk radio and at tea party and faith forums, in a melee to become the hard right’s standard-bearer.”
Politico: Cruz’s strategy is to destroy the “mushy-middle.”
