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California Awaits Boxer’s Decision

December 8, 2014 at 5:07 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 31 Comments

“A parade of ambitious California public figures, who’ve spent years itching for a shot at the state’s top political offices, are anticipating a shake-up of the state’s political hierarchy that could begin in a matter of weeks with the possible retirement of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. And some big names — including the mayor of Los Angeles — are already sizing up possible bids to succeed her,” Politico reports.

“Sources close to Boxer, 74, say the outspoken liberal senator will decide over the holidays whether to seek reelection in 2016 and will announce her plans shortly after the new year. Few of her friends believe she will run for a fifth term. Boxer has stopped raising money and is not taking steps to assemble a campaign.”

Government Funding Bill Stalled

December 8, 2014 at 4:42 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

The release of the “cromnibus” has been delayed as lawmakers across the Capitol continue to work out a number of issues on the spending bill, Roll Call reports.

“House and Senate appropriators expected to finish the legislative language of the cromnibus (a combination of a continuing resolution and an omnibus) by Monday afternoon in order to release a text of the bill later in the day — which is still the goal, according to a senior GOP aide. But negotiators are running into a host of issues, according to GOP aides and there are enough sticking points that it now seems likely the plan’s release will slip to Tuesday and a planned House vote Wednesday could shift to Thursday.”

Political World Braces for Torture Report

December 8, 2014 at 1:36 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

First Read: “The biggest political story over the next 48 hours is likely to be the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report this week on the torture of CIA prisoners during the Bush era. And even before its official release, folks are already preparing for a fight.”

“But it’s quite possible that the political fallout — domestically — could be small. After all, many Americans have already made up their minds on these interrogation practices long ago. But the real immediate impact could be overseas, with the Obama administration bracing for the report to produce violence and unrest directed at U.S. embassies and western personnel in the Middle East. That is why Secretary of State John Kerry called Senate Intel Chair Dianne Feinstein to warn about the report’s release — not to necessarily scuttle the report, but instead to give everyone an ample heads up about the potential overseas blowback.”

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Low Gas Prices Give Obama a Break

December 8, 2014 at 1:33 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

Even President Obama “likely would agree that 2014 has been a tough year for him—and he doubtless would welcome a sign that he will catch a break or two in 2015,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Well, here’s one: Low oil prices now appear likely to be with us deep into next year, at least, and they are shaping up as a win-win for the president. It’s hard to imagine a single development that carries so many upsides and so few downsides. The domestic economic benefits are obvious; more intriguing but less obvious are the ways low oil prices benefit American strategy around the world.”

Top GOP Donors Seek to Anoint Candidate

December 8, 2014 at 12:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 44 Comments

“Dozens of the Republican Party’s leading presidential donors and fund-raisers have begun privately discussing how to clear the field for a single establishment candidate to carry the party’s banner in 2016, fearing that a prolonged primary would bolster Hillary Rodham Clinton, the likely Democratic candidate,” the New York Times reports.

“The conversations, described in interviews with a variety of the Republican Party’s most sought-after donors, are centered on the three potential candidates who have the largest existing base of major contributors and overlapping ties to the top tier of those who are uncommitted: Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mitt Romney.”

The Hill: “The starting gun for what could be the most competitive presidential primary in recent memory will be fired once a big-name candidate announces, and political insiders are placing their bets on who will be first out of the gate.”

The Fix: Who’s most likely to be the GOP nominee?

McConnell Sees Democrats Working With Him

December 8, 2014 at 12:47 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told Roll Call that he thinks Democrats “are ready to join him in crafting a more open, functional Senate.”

Said McConnell: “The worst experience any majority can have is that you convene and you look around and nothing’s ready to go. So what I said to the members who hoped they would be chairmen [was], ‘Let’s don’t have that problem. Be thinking now about legislation that you have, preferably that enjoys some Democratic support, because we certainly didn’t think we were going to have 60 and we don’t.'”

Democratic Group Puts Out Oppo File on GOP Hopefuls

December 8, 2014 at 7:50 am EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“No Republican has yet made a formal presidential announcement, but American Bridge is not waiting,” the New York Times reports.

“The liberal group is releasing a bound book on Monday of opposition research on the potential Republican presidential field. Covering 20 would-be contenders, the ‘2016 Scouting Report’ is a 194-page compilation of innocuous biographical information alongside unflattering pictures and potentially damaging anecdotes and issue positions. Nearly a third of the tome is endnotes, a signal to reporters who may use the information that it is all sourced.”

Will Republicans Need Pelosi to Prevent Shutdown?

December 8, 2014 at 7:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

“Nancy Pelosi insists she doesn’t gloat when House Republicans can’t shore up the votes among their own members to pass any number of critical bills, and it’s Democrats who get to swoop in and call themselves the heroes,” Roll Call reports.

Said Pelosi: “I would rather they did the responsible thing so we wouldn’t have to bail them out every time.”

“But the minority leader… must be feeling gratified. The government is on the precipice of a shutdown, and if Republicans can’t get to 218 votes on their side of the aisle, Pelosi will get to call in the cavalry once again.”

Just Half Who Voted for Obamacare Remain in Senate

December 8, 2014 at 7:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

With Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) defeat overt the weekend, Bloomberg notes that “only half of the Senators who voted to pass the Affordable Care Act will still be in office in 2015, when the new members are sworn in.”

“Nineteen of them retired or resigned, eight were defeated for re-election, and three died in office.”

Are the Koch Brothers Building a New Party?

December 8, 2014 at 7:11 am EST By Taegan Goddard 29 Comments

“The Koch brothers and their allies are pumping tens of millions of dollars into a data company that’s developing detailed, state-of-the-art profiles of 250 million Americans, giving the brothers’ political operation all the earmarks of a national party,” Politico reports.

“The Koch network also has developed in-house expertise in polling, message-testing, fact-checking, advertising, media buying, dial groups and donor maintenance. Add mastery of election law, a corporate-minded aggressiveness and years of patient experimentation – plus seemingly limitless cash — and the Koch operation actually exceeds the RNC’s data operation in many important respects.”

Bush Officials Challenge Torture Report

December 8, 2014 at 7:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

“A long-awaited Senate report condemning torture by the Central Intelligence Agency has not even been made public yet, but former President George W. Bush’s team has decided to link arms with former intelligence officials and challenge its conclusions,” the New York Times reports.

“The report is said to assert that the C.I.A. misled Mr. Bush and his White House about the nature, extent and results of brutal techniques like waterboarding, and some of his former administration officials privately suggested seizing on that to distance themselves from the controversial program, according to people involved in the discussion. But Mr. Bush and his closest advisers decided that “we’re going to want to stand behind these guys,” as one former official put it.”

Clinton Rates High on Vision and Leadership

December 8, 2014 at 7:06 am EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

A new Bloomberg poll finds Hillary Clinton “would enter the presidential race with positive views of her past experience and personal traits, making her a formidable contender against lesser-known Republican rivals.”

“Greater numbers of Americans view her as a strong leader, who has a better vision for the future, shares their values, and empathizes with their concerns… Among the Republicans tested against her, former Republican nominee Mitt Romney has the best name recognition and strengths to challenge her standing as this early stage in the 2016 race. Romney, however, has repeatedly said he won’t campaign for the presidency for a third time.”

Is Ted Cruz Losing His Influence?

December 8, 2014 at 7:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

“It is a classic Ted Cruz moment: The Capitol this week is poised for a fight over government spending and immigration, and the Texas Republican senator has seized the moment to bash his party leaders’ strategy and rail against Washington,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Last year, Mr. Cruz led the charge in a similar battle over health-care funding that resulted in a government shutdown. This time, with his party poised to become Congress’ governing majority, he’s having a more difficult time getting other Republicans to follow his lead.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

December 7, 2014 at 9:14 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

“I think we really have to take into consideration that based on some of the modeling and the national mood last cycle … we could have lost 20 or more seats. The team we had in place … kept that to 13. As we’re moving into all of this, that’s something to build off of.”

— DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), quoted by National Journal, arguing that Democrats don’t need to make major changes.

Conservatives Are a Force on Facebook

December 7, 2014 at 8:58 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

National Journal: “In the last four years, ForAmerica has quietly amassed what it likes to call a ‘digital army’ on Facebook — a force that that now numbers more than 7 million. The group’s spectacular growth can be explained in part by the paid acquisition of its members through targeted advertising. But thanks to a daily stream of savvy and snackable red-meat messaging, these mercenaries have become loyal conservative digital soldiers whose engagement is attracting new recruits. These days, a routine post on ForAmerica’s page reaches more than 2 million people, achieves more than 100,000 “likes,” and has tens of thousands of people repost and comment.”

Their new target: “policing the 2016 Republican presidential race.”

Obama Readies His Veto Pen

December 7, 2014 at 8:53 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

“Veto brinkmanship between congressional Republicans and President Obama was virtually absent in his first six years in office, but it’s about to unleash itself on Washington,” the AP reports.

“Until now, controversial Republican-backed legislation rarely reached the president’s desk because Senate Democrats blocked it. Starting in January, however, Republicans will control both the House and Senate, and Obama may have to decide more often whether to sign or veto GOP-crafted bills.”

The GOP’s Last Chance to Fight Obamacare

December 7, 2014 at 8:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

“The GOP is refocusing its attention on the courts as it searches for any way to weaken President Obama’s signature healthcare law while he continues to wield a veto pen,” The Hill reports.

“The reach to the Supreme Court is part of a flurry of recent legal action that reflects a growing consensus within the GOP that the party must rely on courts instead of Congress to strike down ObamaCare, especially as more pieces of the law are put into place.”

Wonk Wire: Where are the soaring health care costs?

GOP Congress Will Make Anti-Abortion Push

December 7, 2014 at 8:19 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

Wall Street Journal: “Now, for the first time since the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act was passed in 2003, outlawing a late-term procedure, the antiabortion movement sees opportunity on Capitol Hill as the GOP prepares to take charge of the U.S. Senate.”

“At the top of the agenda: legislation that would ban abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later, pushing the legal boundaries set by the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. Activists on both sides of the debate are gearing up for a fight that will demonstrate the consequences of Republican gains in the 2014 election.”