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Christie Negotiated Secret Pension Deal

February 24, 2015 at 7:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

Gov. Chris Christie (R) “will disclose that he and the teachers’ union have spent weeks in secret talks aimed at closing the billion-dollar deficit that involves the teachers’ retirement and health benefits,” the New York Times reports. The union, an aide to the governor said, has “signed on to and endorsed a road map for reform that the governor will outline in today’s speech.”

“It is an unexpected turn in a relationship that has at times redefined dysfunction. Since 2009, the Democratic-leaning teachers’ union has clashed often and openly with the governor, a Republican who is bent on overhauling benefits and tenure rules for teachers.”

The Humbling of Rahm

February 24, 2015 at 7:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

Politico: “It ought to be a coronation, Rahm Emanuel must figure. But as he nears what might or might not be the end of his exhausting race for a second term as Chicago’s mayor, the former White House chief of staff and tough-guy insider on Tuesday faces a possibly humiliating setback—particularly ego-crushing because he is running against an extremely weak field of four, has vastly more money than any of them, has television ads airing 24/7 and has run the table on endorsements. He ought to be resting easy—well, Rahm seems never to rest, but at least he should be confident of a win.”

“During his first run, against more seasoned competitors, it was clear early on that Emanuel would win; four years later, after Chicagoans have gotten to know the guy who spent most of his career in Washington—he was a congressman for four terms before heading to the White House—it’s not clear whether he wins outright tomorrow (he needs 50 percent plus one vote) or, according to the rules, faces a time- and money-consuming runoff on April 7 against the second-place candidate.”

Senate GOP Blocked In Effort to Repeal Obamacare

February 24, 2015 at 7:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

“The Senate’s chief referee has dealt a significant setback to conservatives who want to send an Obamacare repeal bill to the president’s desk this year,” The Hill reports.

“GOP sources say Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has raised red flags in response to queries about whether it’s possible to use a special budgetary procedure to repeal the controversial law “root and branch,” as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said. Senate Republican officials have pushed for an interpretation of the rules that would allow for repealing the law with a one-sentence provision on a simple-majority vote.”

Wyoming Lawmaker Kicked Out of Committee Meeting

February 23, 2015 at 8:57 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 29 Comments

Wyoming state Rep. Harlan Edmonds (R) was kicked out of a House Labor, Health and Social Services meeting after proposing an amendment to a bill protecting gay and transgender people from discrimination that would make it effective when “hell freezes over,” instead of the date of July 1, the Casper Star Tribune reports.

“Many longtime observers said that while some members of the public have been tossed from committees, this was the first time they’d seen a lawmaker removed from a meeting.”

Feingold Looks Likely to Run Again for Senate

February 23, 2015 at 8:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

“To most Democratic and Republican leaders in Wisconsin, it’s no longer a question of if Russ Feingold runs for Senate—it’s a question of when he’ll formally enter the race,” National Journal reports.

“If Feingold’s departure is imminent, that comes as no surprise in Wisconsin, where political insiders have believed for months that Feingold would return to take on GOP Sen. Ron Johnson next year in a repeat of their 2010 matchup.”

Schock’s Ethics Problems Grow

February 23, 2015 at 8:44 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL), “a rising Republican star already facing an ethics inquiry, has spent taxpayer and campaign funds on flights aboard private planes owned by some of his key donors,” the Associated Press has found.

“There also have been other expensive travel and entertainment charges, including for a massage company and music concerts.”

“The expenses highlight the relationships that lawmakers sometimes have with donors who fund their political ambitions, an unwelcome message for a congressman billed as a fresh face of the GOP. The AP identified at least one dozen flights worth more than $40,000 on donors’ planes since mid-2011.”

Judge Says Christie Broke Law with Pension Cuts

February 23, 2015 at 8:20 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

A New Jersey judge ruled that Gov. Chris Christie (R) “violated state law when he declined to make the full payment into the state’s pension system for public employees last year and ordered him to find a way to fund it now,” the New York Times reports.

“Christie, a Republican, was hoping to use his budget address on Tuesday to revive his presidential hopes, which have suffered in recent weeks as donors have moved to candidates considered more likely to win his party’s nomination. Polls show that his approval ratings in New Jersey, once sky high, are at the lowest point of his tenure. The decision instead complicates that plan.”

The Newark Star Ledger says Christie decried the ruling as “liberal judicial activism.” He will appeal the ruling to a higher court.

Emanuel Still Short of Support to Avoid Runoff

February 23, 2015 at 7:48 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 1 Comment

A new Ogden and Fry poll in Chicago, one day before the election, finds Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) doesn’t have the 50% needed to avoid a run-off.

Emanuel leads with 48%, followed by Jesus “Chuy” Garcia at 27% and Willie Wilson at 15%.

GOP Remains Divided on Homeland Security Funding

February 23, 2015 at 7:20 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“Congressional Republicans remain sharply divided over the looming standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security, prompting White House officials to prepare to shut down an agency designed to protect everything from the nation’s borders to the president,” the Washington Post reports.

Politico notes Republicans “are now left with two messy options: punt or risk getting blamed for shutting down an agency that fights terrorism.”

New York Times: “It is a risky moment for the new congressional majority. A nasty partisan impasse over funding for a vital agency would probably damage the party’s brand just months after Republicans took power, and the impact could carry over into the next election cycle.”

Lawmaker Asks If Woman Can Swallow Camera for Gynecological Exam

February 23, 2015 at 5:01 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 72 Comments

Idaho state Rep. Vito Barbieri (R) “received a brief lesson on female anatomy after asking if a woman can swallow a small camera for doctors to conduct a remote gynecological exam,” the AP reports.

Dr. Julie Madsen was testifying in opposition to a bill that would ban doctors from prescribing abortion-inducing medication through telemedicine when Barbieri asked the question. Madsen “replied that would be impossible because swallowed pills do not end up in the vagina.”

Why Doesn’t Rudy Giuliani Love America?

February 23, 2015 at 5:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

Foreign Policy: “It’s hard to know exactly what Giuliani meant by this remark beyond his obvious, general distaste for the president, but in comparing himself to Obama, Giuliani makes an implicit distinction: That he holds in his heart an abiding love for the United States that the current occupant of the White House does not.”

“What Giuliani doesn’t mention is that the consulting company that has made him a very wealthy man since leaving public office has done work on behalf of a country that all but certainly does not love America in the vague, jingoistic way Giuliani would like you to believe that he does: Qatar, the tiny oil-rich kingdom has drawn criticism in the past for its cozy relationship with violent Islamist movements.”

Lawmaker Says Obama Reflects His Overseas Education

February 23, 2015 at 3:58 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 58 Comments

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) said comments from President Obama on Christian history and modern Islamic extremism reflect his education overseas as a child, BuzzFeed reports.

Said Huelskamp: “Well as you said he believes this and uh, don’t forget this was not a man educated in our American system. He learned all kinds of things wherever he was educated. He spent time in Indonesia and their schools there and this is exactly what they taught there. It’s probably close to what he believes.”

Quote of the Day

February 23, 2015 at 3:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 56 Comments

“We’ve had presents in the past who have abused power. But when that has happened: When Richard Nixon abused power, Republican senators stood up to him and said, ‘Mr. President, you’ve gone too far.’ In fact, it was Republican senators who went to the Oval Office, … and said, ‘Mr. President, it’s time for you to resign.’ What is strikingly missing are Democratic senators who have more commitment to the Constitution and rule of law than they do to their party.”

— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), quoted by Business Insider.

Where to Find Good Coffee in the Early Voting States

February 23, 2015 at 2:11 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

Boston Globe: “Let’s just say that the Granite State and the Hawkeye State are known for many things — including, well, nominating presidents — but in the coffee world they aren’t exactly the most sought after states.”

“For coffee snobs, a sure turnoff is a shop with flavor pumps, something many shops here have. But honestly, this is not the time nor place to be snobby. It’s a time to get a good caffeine fix, and some places are quite good and quite unique. ”

I’ll just stick with the Blue Bottle Travel Kit.

Why Do We Elect Judges?

February 23, 2015 at 1:55 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

John Oliver has a fantastic look at some “downright horrifying” campaign ads for judges and how running for election can distort judicial rulings.

Christie Plans Town Halls to Boost Approval at Home

February 23, 2015 at 1:21 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) “is returning to the format that helped make him famous,” Bloomberg reports.

“The likely Republican presidential candidate is set to host a town hall-style meeting in Moorestown, N.J., on Wednesday, according to his office. It will be his first such event since August.”

Why Candidates Have to Answer ‘Gotcha’ Questions

February 23, 2015 at 1:15 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

Domenico Montanaro: “Presidential candidates have to answer all kinds of questions. Sometimes they are relevant or germane to the event they’re at or the campaign at large — and sometimes they’re not. But how they answer, even these ‘gotcha’ questions – designed as a litmus test of rationality – can be revealing of their mindset, their depth and their mettle as a candidate.”

Three Takeaways on the DNC’s Autopsy Report

February 23, 2015 at 11:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard 70 Comments

First Read: “One, the chief shortcoming the DNC highlighted was message… Two, this nine-page ‘preliminary’ report pales in comparison to the big report the RNC did after its losses in 2012. And three, the DNC omitted what is perhaps the organization’s biggest shortcoming in the Obama Era: Obama’s OFA (in many ways) has become a separate party organization that has diverted resources and attention away from the DNC. That’s a real problem as the party moves away from the Obama years. “