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2016 Senate Map Not That Bad for Republicans

November 12, 2014 at 7:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard 46 Comments

Politico: “The GOP has a bigger cushion than expected for its new majority, probably 54 seats. More veteran senators may stick around to preserve safe seats. And some vulnerable incumbents will have committee chairmanships that could pump up their profiles.”

“Even though conventional wisdom suggests this may be a short-lived Republican majority, interviews with nearly two dozen operatives in Washington and 2016 battleground states reveal a more nuanced picture of the next Senate landscape. The most vulnerable Democrats this year were up in very red states; the most endangered Republicans in 2016 will, with the exception of Illinois, be defending seats in purple terrain.”

Huckabee Begins to Build Political Team

November 12, 2014 at 7:24 am EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), “who turned his stunning victory in the 2008 Iowa caucuses into a thriving talk show career, is reconnecting with activists and enlisting staff to position himself in a growing field of potential Republican presidential candidates,” the Washington Post reports.

“Huckabee’s newly formed non-profit advocacy group, America Takes Action, has begun to serve as an employment perch for his political team, recently bringing on a number of experienced campaign operatives. Advisers are already scouting real estate in Little Rock, Ark., for a possible presidential campaign headquarters.”

Republicans Don’t Want Compromise with Obama

November 12, 2014 at 7:17 am EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

Pew Research: “A majority of Americans would like to see Barack Obama and Republican leaders work together over the coming year. But Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to favor a confrontational approach toward the political opposition, even if that results in less getting done.”

“Overall, 57% of the public says Republican leaders in Washington should try as best they can to work with Barack Obama to accomplish things, even if it means disappointing some groups of Republican supporters, while 40% say they should ‘stand up’ to Obama on issues that are important to Republican supporters, even if it means less gets done in Washington. And by about a two-to-one margin (62% to 30%) more say Obama should work with Republicans than say he should stand up to the GOP.”

Quote of the Day

November 12, 2014 at 7:10 am EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“I do not believe what happened the other night is a wave. There was no wave of approval for the Republicans. I wish them congratulations, they won the election, but there was no wave of approval for anybody. There was an ebbing, an ebb tide, for us.”

— House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D), quoted by Politico.

Democratic Party Favorable Rating Falls to Record Low

November 12, 2014 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Gallup: “After the midterm elections that saw the Democratic Party suffer significant losses in Congress, a record-low 36% of Americans say they have a favorable opinion of the party, down six percentage points from before the elections. The Republican Party’s favorable rating, at 42%, is essentially unchanged from 40%. This marks the first time since September 2011 that the Republican Party has had a higher favorability rating than the Democratic Party.”

Lawmakers Return for Lame Duck Session

November 12, 2014 at 7:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

“Fresh from an election that emphatically punctuated voter dissatisfaction with a gridlocked Washington, lawmakers return Wednesday for a lame-duck session that will provide the first crucial test of whether Democrats and Republicans can cooperate or if the next Congress will be another study in dysfunction,” the New York Times reports.

“Lawmakers acknowledge that clearing a backlog of stalled legislation and executive branch nominees without the partisan animus that has permeated the 113th Congress could signal a chance at progress when Republicans take over the Senate in January and solidify the party’s grip on Capitol Hill. But a postelection session that breaks down in finger-pointing and recriminations over immigration policy and Internet regulation will foreshadow the likelihood of limited compromise ahead.”

Clyburn Says GOP Will Try to Impeach Obama

November 12, 2014 at 6:56 am EST By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) is predicting that Republicans will try to impeach President Obama so that they can “put an asterisk” next to the name of the first black president, Politico reports.

Said Clyburn: “There will be some reason found to introduce an impeachment resolution. These Republicans have decided that this president must have an asterisk by his name after he leaves office, irrespective of whether or not he gets convicted. It is their plan to introduce an impeachment resolution.”

Sullivan Wins Senate Seat in Alaska

November 12, 2014 at 6:46 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

Dan Sullivan (R) has defeated Sen. Mark Begich (D) in Alaska, according to the Associated Press.

“The Alaska race was too close to call on Election Night last week, with Sullivan up by about 8,100 votes, but it became evident Tuesday when the state began counting about 20,000 of absentee and questioned ballots that Begich could not overcome Sullivan.”

New Rubio Book Set for January Release

November 11, 2014 at 5:58 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) “new book is set for a January release, followed by a book tour that comes at a critical time for him as he weighs a presidential run,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.

“American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone is listed on Amazon with a Jan. 13 release date. It is Rubio’s second book; the first was a story of his upbringing as the son of Cuban immigrants and his political rise. The new book is more policy oriented.”

Democrats May Vote on Keystone XL Before Runoff

November 11, 2014 at 5:47 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 37 Comments

Senate Democrats are considering a vote in the lame-duck session to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, a move that may bolster Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) re-election chances in next month’s runoff election, Bloomberg reports.

“Landrieu, chairwoman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, in her campaign has sought to distance herself from Obama on energy issues, including his delay in approving the pipeline. She has backed the pipeline project.”

Most Americans Want Congress to Set Nation’s Course

November 11, 2014 at 5:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 37 Comments

Gallup: “Following the midterm election that some have termed a Republican wave, the majority of Americans want the Republicans in Congress — rather than President Obama — to have more influence over the direction the country takes in the coming year. This is a switch from early 2012 when a slim plurality, 46%, wanted Obama to prevail in steering the nation.”

“Republicans’ 17-percentage-point edge over Obama on this measure exceeds what they earned after the 2010 midterm, when Americans favored Republicans by an eight-point margin (49% to 41%). It also eclipses the nine-point advantage Republicans had over Bill Clinton following the 1994 midterm in which Republicans captured the majority of both houses.”

George W. Bush Writes About His Father

November 11, 2014 at 5:03 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

New York Times: “The relationship between George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, might just be the most dissected filial relationship in modern history — compared, variously, to Shakespearean history, Greek tragedy and opéra bouffe. In his new book, the 43rd president draws an affectionate portrait of the 41st president that’s short on factual revelations and long on emotion.”

“In 41, Mr. Bush sheds little new light on his fateful decision to invade Iraq in 2003 or on other pivotal moments of his presidency, nor does he tell us much about his father’s tenure in the White House that we didn’t already know. Instead, he’s written what he calls a “love story” about his dad. At its best, the book has the qualities of the younger Mr. Bush’s recent and much-talked-about paintings: It’s folksy, sharply observed and surprisingly affecting, especially for someone not exactly known for introspection. At its worst, the book reads like a banquet-dinner-type testimonial about his father, with transparent efforts to spin or sidestep important questions about his own time in office.”

Kansas Revenues Fall Way Short

November 11, 2014 at 3:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 76 Comments

“Kansas will collect $1 billion less in revenue in 2015 and 2016 than its projected expenses following massive income tax cuts signed into law by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback (R),” the Kansas City Star reports.

“The new figure raises the prospect of deep cuts in the state budget following controversial income tax cuts that Brownback vigorously defended during his re-election campaign against Democrat Paul Davis. Critics worry that schools, roads and social services will be among the areas cut in coming months.”

The Worst Candidate of 2014

November 11, 2014 at 1:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 132 Comments

The Washington Post give the “award” to Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA), “who, through sheer force of personality, not only lost a very winnable open seat race but lost it badly. Some races are a failure of the campaign. This was a failure of the candidate.”

“Braley’s loss was so horrible for two reasons: 1) It was a seat that Democrats badly needed if they had any hope of holding the majority (they didn’t) and 2) it was so avoidable. Braley deserved what he got because he simply didn’t perform close to expectations as a candidate in a race with massive national import. And for that, he was the worst candidate of the 2014 election.”

Share your nominations in the comments.

Democrats Won’t Ram Through Attorney General Pick

November 11, 2014 at 1:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

President Obama “will have to get his nominee for attorney general past a Republican-controlled Senate, Democratic and Republican aides say,” The Hill reports.

“A packed schedule after the election is almost certain to push the vetting process for Loretta Lynch into January, when Republicans are set to take power in the upper chamber.”

Bloomberg Takes His Money Local

November 11, 2014 at 1:01 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 4 Comments

“Michael Bloomberg’s $40 million spending splurge on politics for this year’s election taught him a lesson for 2016: You get a much better bang for your buck by trying to tip state and local elections than high-profile federal ones,” Politico reports.

“So as the former New York mayor turned activist for gun control, healthier food choices, education reform, and other issues makes his spending plans for the next two years, he plans to weight his contributions more toward ballot measures, governor and school-board candidates, and away from House and Senate races, which have become glutted with outside money.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

November 11, 2014 at 12:06 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

“This is a very outstanding young woman from everything that I can tell.”

— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), quoted by BuzzFeed, voicing support for 55-year old Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch.

Sometimes the Rent Is Too Damn Low

November 11, 2014 at 11:20 am EST By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

“In 1989, Rep. Bobby L. Rush moved into an office space in Chicago’s South Side, while the Democrat was serving as an alderman on the city council. He has stayed there — rent-free — ever since, racking up $365,040 in unpaid rent, according to an Office of Congressional Ethics report made public Monday,” Roll Call reports.

“The House Ethics Committee simultaneously announced it will continue to gather facts in the case, without launching a formal investigation.”