A new Quinnipiac poll gives us first look at three critical swing states — Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania — and shows Hillary Clinton tops possible Republican contenders in every matchup, except Florida, where she ties Jeb Bush (R), and Ohio, where she ties John Kasich (R).
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Quote of the Day
“You should get your kids vaccinated. The science is, you know, pretty indisputable. We’ve looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, but there aren’t reasons to not.”
— President Obama, in an interview with NBC News.
GOP Flexes New Muscle in Colorado Gun Debate
“Colorado Republican leaders have begun a legislative push to repeal recently passed gun control measures, reigniting one of the most intense political debates in recent history,” the AP reports.
“The GOP-introduced measures come as the party has gained a new majority in the state Senate and as the man charged in the suburban Denver theater shooting rampage, which touched off the fight over gun laws, goes to trial facing the death penalty.”
Carson Says Vaccines are Safe
“Dr. Ben Carson, a potential Republican presidential candidate, on Monday strongly backed vaccinations, splitting from two possible rivals who suggested parents should decide whether to immunize their children,” The Hill reports.
Said Carson: “Although I strongly believe in individual rights and the rights of parents to raise their children as they see fit, I also recognize that public health and public safety are extremely important in our society.”
He added: “Certain communicable diseases have been largely eradicated by immunization policies in this country and we should not allow those diseases to return by foregoing safe immunization programs, for philosophical, religious or other reasons when we have the means to eradicate them.”
Clinton Will Base Campaign in New York City
“If Hillary Clinton decides to run for president, her campaign is likely to be headquartered in New York City, as opposed to the suburbs where advisers had previously planned,” MSNBC reports.
“While Clinton and her advisers had previously eyed the Westchester County city of White Plains, about 25 miles north of Manhattan, Clinton has now more or less decided on a location in New York City, likely either Brooklyn or Queens… A base in gentrifying Brooklyn or Queens could help give Clinton’s campaign a youthful feel, and would likely be a relief for Democratic operatives dreading a relocation to the suburb, or a daily commute from New York City.”
Pennsylvania Treasurer Charged with Extortion
Pennsylvania Treasurer (D) Rob McCord was formally charged with extortion in a campaign shakedown of potential donors, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
“Filed days after his abrupt resignation, the charging documents recounted how the state official allegedly shook down the managing partner of a Philadelphia law firm and a western Pennsylvania property management company for campaign contributions by threatening to disrupt their business with the state.”
Paul Says Vaccinations Should Be Voluntary
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is standing by his statement that most vaccinations should be “voluntary,” telling CNBC that a parent’s choice not to vaccinate a child is “an issue of freedom,” NBC News reports.
Said Paul: “I have heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.”
Floridians Don’t Want Rubio to Run for President
A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds an overwhelming number of Floridians would prefer that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) run for re-election rather than for president. Just 15% of registered voters think he should make a White House bid while 57% think he should run for re-election to the U.S. Senate.
In contrast, 42% of voters think Jeb Bush should run for president.
Did Scott Walker’s Speech Really Deserve Praise?
Michael Tomasky: “I finally sat myself down and watched that Scott Walker speech from last week that everyone is raving about. If this was the standout speech, I sure made the right decision in not subjecting myself to the rest of them. It was little more than a series of red-meat appetizers and entrees: Wisconsin defunded Planned Parenthood, said no to Obamacare, passed some kind of law against ‘frivolous’ lawsuits, and moved to crack down on voter ‘fraud’—all of that besides, of course, his big move, busting the public-employee unions. There wasn’t a single concrete idea about addressing any of the major problems the country faces.”
O’Malley Plans Trips to Iowa
“As some Iowa Democratic activists voice frustration with the ‘arrogance’ of Hillary Clinton, liberal rival Martin O’Malley intends to seize on her absence from Iowa and the presidential race,” the Des Moines Register reports.
“There’s just a tiny seed of support here for O’Malley right now… But O’Malley, who has pitched himself as a results-driven progressive, wants to see if he can build on support for a White House bid during two upcoming trips here – one in March and one in April.”
Mitch McConnell Likes One of Ted Cruz’s Ideas
In a speech over the weekend, Sen. Mitch McConnell “acknowledged that he faced challenges from both the left and right in running the Senate, noting that Senator Ted Cruz of Texas had said he was willing to throw himself in front of a train to repeal the new health care law,” the New York Times reports.
Said McConnell: “That idea has some merit to it.”
Lawmaker Suggests Gay Marriage Is Too Costly
Alabama state Sen. Del Marsh (R) said he’s worried the legalization of same-sex marriage could become a financial burden, TPM reports.
Said Marsh: “You gotta look at the financial aspect of it. Let’s face it. If gay marriage is approved, I assume that those types of unions, those people would be entitled to Social Security benefits, insurance. Where does it end? I wonder if the federal government is looking at the actual cost to the government when they look at an issue like this.”
Hints of Possible Compromise in Obama’s Budget
The New York Times notes that “buried in the budget are kernels of proposals that could take root with a Republican Congress. Both parties are eager to release the military from constraints imposed by automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration, approved in 2011. Both understand that the highway trust fund will once again reach empty in June, making its replenishment — and the revitalization of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure — priorities for the coming year.”
“Those two issues alone could force the White House and the Republican leadership to the negotiating table, with Mr. Obama’s new budget the starting point for negotiations in the coming months.”
Obama Shuns Use of ‘Spending’ in Budget
President Obama’s budget message shuns the word “spending,” McClatchy reports.
“He refers to proposed new spending most often as ‘investing,’ as in investing in children or teachers or national defense. He also prefers to say his budget ‘provides’ things, such as child care. In his budget message to Congress, he uses some form of the word ‘invest’ 18 times. He uses some form of the word ‘provide’ 7 times. He uses a variation of the word ‘spend’ just three times, and none to describe his proposals.”
“A budget fact sheet sent out by the White House has a similar trend: 52 references to investing, 28 to providing, and just 6 to spending.”
Begich Will Not Run for Mayor
Former Sen. Mark Begich’s (D-AK) “next move is no longer a secret — he will not be running for the Mayor of Anchorage in this year’s election,” KTVA reports.
Said Begich: “I think I could offer a lot to the city as mayor. But, at the same time, those offices can come and go.”
Behind Scott Walker’s Rise
Peter Beinart: “Walker’s rise is a reminder that among Republican primary voters, and especially Iowa-caucus goers, the market for ideological or even stylistic innovation, may be smaller than the media assumes. Because the most striking thing about Scott Walker’s speech at the Freedom Summit, and his emerging campaign message more generally, is how retro it is. Walker concedes nothing to the conventional wisdom about what the GOP must do to compete in a more culturally tolerant, ethnically diverse and economically insecure America. And the GOP faithful love it.”
“While every Republican presidential hopeful wants to be seen as Reaganesque, other leading contenders clearly hope to improve on the Gipper’s relationship with people of color. Walker, by contrast, isn’t updating the 1980s script at all.”
Will Rubio Really Give Up His Senate Seat?
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) “is moving full throttle towards a White House bid, hitting the road hard to raise money and elevate his profile. While allies and advisors say he hasn’t made a final decision, most now privately expect he’ll take the plunge,” The Hill reports.
“It’s a gamble for the 43 year-old Rubio, who has to choose between running for another Senate term next year and undertaking a White House bid. Staying in the Senate is the surer bet, though reelection isn’t guaranteed in swing-state Florida.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“What I would also remind everybody and mentioned to our House friends at our joint retreat: How would you like to have to get 261 votes on almost everything you do? I hope that some day we will have a supermajority in the Senate, but for 100 years we haven’t, and there are some obvious limitations.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), quoted by Politico, telling House GOP colleagues there are limits to what the Senate can do.
