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Alabama May Soon Gain Clarity on Gay Marriage

February 12, 2015 at 1:45 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 40 Comments

“After days of judicial confusion, some clarity may come on Thursday to Alabama’s approach to same-sex marriage, as a federal judge considers whether to compel a probate judge here to issue marriage licenses to gay couples,” the New York Times reports.

“While a ruling would pertain only to the probate judge in Mobile County, it would send a signal to judges statewide, who are caught between a federal ruling that lifts the state ban on same-sex marriage and an order from the State Supreme Court chief justice to ignore the ruling. For now, probate judges in 23 of Alabama’s 67 counties are issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Licenses are being handed out only to straight couples in 18 counties, and no marriage licenses at all are being issued in 26 counties.”

Meanwhile, The Hill reports that Alabama Supreme Court’s chief justice “is ready to go to war with the Supreme Court, if the high court rules in favor of same-sex marriage, asserting that the potential ruling could be as damaging as historical decisions that set back racial equality.”

GOP Hopefuls Court Club for Growth

February 12, 2015 at 1:17 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

“The Club for Growth has long been an antagonist to many in the Republican establishment. But that has not deterred some prospective presidential candidates from that wing of the party from signing up to address the organization’s meeting in Florida later this month,” the Washington Post reports.

“Six potential 2016 candidates have accepted invitations… They are Former Florida governor Jeb Bush; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Indiana Gov. Mike Pence; and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.”

What Is It with Those Foreign Trips?

February 12, 2015 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 42 Comments

Morning Line looks at the early fumbles made by Gov. Scott Walker and Gov. Chris Christie when they made foreign trade visits designed to enhance their presidential credentials.

“These early portions of campaigns really can be a revealing test of candidates. Asking whether Walker believes in evolution is no hardball question. Voters are going to want to know MUCH more than that. Walker is going to have to show he can take the scrutiny with clearer answers than what he gave. There are a lot of headstones in the graveyard of presidential campaigns with candidates who let it get under the skin. Blaming the media is a tried and true strategy, especially in Republican primaries. It can work for a while and to fire up the base, but, remember, the candidate blaming the media, is usually the one on the losing side.”

Democrats Pick Philadelphia for Convention

February 12, 2015 at 10:41 am EST By Taegan Goddard 50 Comments

“Philadelphia has been selected to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention, DNC chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced this morning,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“The city beat out Columbus, Ohio, and Brooklyn, for the event, which will take place the week of July 25, 2016.”

New York Times: “The symbolism of the city, where the founding fathers overcame broad ideological and regional differences to forge consensus, helped Philadelphia prevail over New York and Columbus, Ohio.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

February 12, 2015 at 10:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard 72 Comments

“Texas has been criticized for having a large number of uninsured but that’s what Texans wanted.”

— Rick Perry (R), quoted by NH Journal.

Bush Is Already Running Full Steam

February 12, 2015 at 8:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

Morning Line: “For someone who is supposedly not running yet for president, Jeb Bush is running what is pretty close to a full-on presidential campaign. There have been bumps on the road — his digital chief who quit before barely starting because of misogynistic (and more) tweets. And his email dump — meant to pre-butt criticism — that was unredacted and included some sensitive constituent information. But when you step back, you can see his campaign is trying to orchestrate a careful message rollout, complete with a string of policy speeches meant to frame thorny issues — as well as media pushback and outreach through his PAC, Right to Rise, that looks more like the rapid response during a presidential than any other campaign yet.”

Kasich Steps Up Preparations for Presidential Run

February 12, 2015 at 8:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard 38 Comments

Gov. John Kasich’s (R) “presidential deliberations are accelerating, as evidenced not only by an upcoming trip to South Carolina announced this week but also by the prominent Republican advisers entering his political orbit,” the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

“Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, met recently with Team Kasich… One Republican said a separate dinner meeting included former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu of New Hampshire, the first primary state. Richard Allen, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution who served as national security adviser under President Ronald Reagan, also attended the dinner.”

Big Majority Thinks Obama Has No Clear Plan for ISIS

February 12, 2015 at 8:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard 42 Comments

A new Fox News poll finds an overwhelming 73% of Americans don’t believe the Obama administration has a clear plan for defeating the Islamic State, up from 64% in September. Just 19% think the strategy is clear.

Perry Says Americans Won’t Pick an Untested Senator

February 12, 2015 at 7:51 am EST By Taegan Goddard 38 Comments

Rick Perry (R) predicted that the next president will have a track record of executive experience, NH Journal reports.

Said Perry: “Americans are going to want someone who has been tested, someone who’s got results in their background and we’re not going to choose another young, untested United States senator. I don’t think that is where Americans are going to want to go.”

Quote of the Day

February 12, 2015 at 7:46 am EST By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

“I’ve had many friends who are homosexual.”

— Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, interviewed by Bloomberg, adding that he would never attend a gay wedding.

Harris Endorsements Help Her Fend Off Villaraigosa

February 12, 2015 at 7:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard 4 Comments

“In any other campaign, a labor union backing a Democrat for U.S. Senate would be routine. But the first to line up publicly behind state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris turned out to be the Los Angeles Police Protective League,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“The announcement Wednesday underscored that a paramount goal for Harris is to keep Antonio Villaraigosa from entering the Senate race — or at least to make it more difficult for the former Los Angeles mayor should he decide to jump in. Indeed, for Harris, the ritual of rolling out endorsements has appeared to be largely about fending off Villaraigosa, a fellow Democrat whose allies say he is leaning toward announcing his candidacy and could do so soon.”

Albright Accuses Netanyahu of Meddling

February 12, 2015 at 7:28 am EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of meddling with U.S. politics, The Hill reports.

Said Albright: “He is interfering in our internal affairs.”

She added: “I don’t want to interfere in Israeli internal affairs, but it strikes me that there is an awful lot going on in his neighborhood in the Middle East, and that’s where he should be.”

Does a President Need a College Degree?

February 12, 2015 at 7:13 am EST By Taegan Goddard 43 Comments

The Washington Post looks at whether Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) lack of a college degree is disqualifying in the presidential race.

“What is clear is that if Walker ascended to the White House — he’s holding his own in most GOP primary polls — he’d be the first president in more than 60 years without at least a bachelor’s degree. Of America’s 44 presidents, just 11 didn’t graduate from college.”

Kitzhaber Planned to Resign Then Changed His Mind

February 12, 2015 at 7:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) “decided to resign Tuesday but then changed his mind, insisting Wednesday afternoon that he’s staying,” the Oregonian reports.

“Events developed as the Democratic governor, now in a historic fourth term and fighting multiple investigations, faced eroding support from other elected officials and even his own advisers. The governor decided to pull back from resigning – set for Thursday or Friday — after meeting with his attorney, Portland lawyer Jim McDermott, and his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes.”

What Is Hillary Clinton Waiting For?

February 12, 2015 at 6:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

“Hillary Clinton is all but certain to seek her party’s nomination, and there are no signs she will have a serious challenge. But there is some drama—and tension among Democrats—surrounding her timetable,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Many of those close to her believe that the former secretary of state can wait as long as she wants and is best served by delaying her entry in the 2016 race. At this point, an announcement is most likely to come between April and July, people familiar with the matter say.”

“Some allies and prominent Democrats say she needs to jump in sooner than that and begin raising campaign funds and organizing in states with early contests, even if the payoff means more in the general election than the primaries.”

Debate Begins Over Obama’s War Powers

February 11, 2015 at 9:38 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

President Obama “asked Congress for new powers to wage military operations against the Islamic State militant group, kicking off a renewed national debate over the scope of wartime powers that should be afforded to the commander-in-chief,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The new powers must be approved by Congress, where a debate quickly began taking shape as both Democrats and Republicans voiced sharp concerns. Democrats advocated for stricter limitations on presidential war power, particularly on the use of ground troops; many Republicans said the president needs greater flexibility in the fight against the group in Syria and Iraq than Mr. Obama has proposed. The U.S. has the authority to keep fighting while Congress debates the proposal.”

The New York Times notes Obama “did something that few if any of his predecessors have done: He asked Congress to restrict the ability of the commander in chief to wage war against an overseas enemy.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

February 11, 2015 at 9:34 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“I ran a large company, sir, what have you done?”

— Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, quoted by the Washington Post, to Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) in a heated exchange after it was suggested McDonald had accomplished little in his first six months on the job.

Which States Split Their Presidential-Senate Vote?

February 11, 2015 at 9:32 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

Smart Politics: “Several states where the Democrats hope to pick up U.S. Senate seats in 2016 rarely split their vote in presidential elections – good news for the party if it believes it can carry the state at the top of the ticket. North Carolina has done so only once over the last century in 16 cycles (6.3 percent), with Wisconsin splitting in two of 17 cycles (11.8 percent), and Illinois in three of 18 (16.7 percent). Florida (21.1 percent), Ohio (23.5 percent), and Iowa (25.0 percent) have also done so in a quarter of election cycles or less.”

“However, there are two 2016 battleground states that have been more prone to splitting their vote for these two offices: New Hampshire has split its ticket in seven out of 16 cycles over the last century (43.8 percent) while Pennsylvania has done so in seven of 17 cycles (41.2 percent).”