In a visit to Iowa, Vice President Joe Biden referred to former Rep. Neal Smith (D-IA) as his “old butt buddy,” the Des Moines Register reports.
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Rubio Once Thought Early States Had Too Much Power
Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in a 2006 book that voters in Iowa and New Hampshire “have a disproportionate impact on the nomination of presidential candidates,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“Today, Rubio hits the road with a new book and his first stop is here in Iowa, a sure sign he wants to compete for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. We wonder if, given the benefit of time, he’d frame things as he did in 2006.”
Congress Lukewarm About War Powers for Obama
New York Times: “Now, six months after he sent the military back into combat to take on the terror group calling itself the Islamic State, Mr. Obama has acquiesced and sent a measure to Congress asking it to formally authorize what he has been doing all along. And now that they have gotten what they asked for, few in Congress seem all that enthusiastic about the prospect.”
“One side thinks the president’s request for war-making powers is too brazen and even reckless. The other side thinks it is too spineless and probably ineffectual.”
A new NBC News/Marist poll finds 54% to 32% support for Obama’s measure.
Wall Street Warms to Scott Walker
Wall Street Journal: “Several GOP fundraisers from the financial-services industry and other Manhattan business sectors are hosting donor events for Mr. Walker, a likely presidential candidate, when he visits New York next week. The events show that while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have strong support in New York money circles, neither has a lock on the city’s big-dollar donors.”
Kitzhaber Tried to Destroy Emails
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber’s (D) “office last week requested state officials destroy thousands of records in the governor’s personal email accounts,” Willamette Week reports.
“The request came as investigations into allegations of influence-peddling involving Kitzhaber and first lady Cylvia Hayes were intensifying… Records show the request to destroy Kitzhaber’s emails came from Jan Murdock, Kitzhaber’s executive assistant. She wanted all emails from Kitzhaber’s personal email accounts removed from state servers.”
Paul Asks Kentucky GOP to Help Him Run for Two Offices
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), “seeking a way to run for re-election to the Senate at the same time he pursues a presidential bid, has formally asked the Kentucky GOP to clear the way for him by changing the state’s presidential nominating contest from a primary to a caucus in 2016,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“In a letter sent earlier this month to members of the Kentucky GOP Central Committee, Mr. Paul said the change would ‘help me get an equal chance at the nomination’ by allowing him to circumvent a state law barring candidates from appearing twice on the same ballot.”
Democratic Leaders Call On Kitzhaber to Resign
Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney (D) and House Majority Leader Tina Kotek (D) met with Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) on Thursday morning and told him it was time to resign, the Oregonian reports.
“The leaders met with their fellow lawmakers earlier Thursday to let them know about the meeting with the governor.”
The Oregonian has a roundup of the latest headlines as the pressure increases on the governor.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“We took a hostage that the president wants to shoot. This is homeland security. It’s a conservative thing.”
— Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), quoted by TPM, on the inability of Republicans to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.
Is Ben Carson Really a Viable Candidate for President?
Stuart Rothenberg: “Carson has never run even a single political race, raising huge questions about what kind of a candidate he will be and what kind of political team he will put together. The early indications are not good.”
“He and his conservative admirers dismiss his lack of campaign experience, as well as the fact that he has never held either high elective or appointive office. To them, his values and views strongly outweigh any lack of electoral experience or government service. But most voters consider experience an asset, not a liability, and candidate skills go well beyond being interviewed by a friendly voice from Fox News or conservative talk radio.”
House Republicans Urge McConnell to Gut Filibuster
“A growing number of House GOP conservatives are pressuring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday to invoke the ‘nuclear option‘ and change the chamber’s rules to pass a bill defunding President Obama’s executive actions on immigration,” The Hill reports.
Lynch Nomination Caught in Partisan Battle
“The debate about confirming Loretta Lynch is suddenly getting partisan,” Politico reports.
“Democrats are now increasingly slamming Republicans’ handling of President Barack Obama’s nominee for attorney general, accusing them of slow-walking the veteran federal prosecutor’s confirmation. Their newest evidence: the Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision Thursday to postpone voting on Lynch until after next week’s recess — which means she won’t get a final floor vote until March, at least five weeks after her confirmation hearing.”
Alabama May Soon Gain Clarity on Gay Marriage
“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
“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?
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
“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
“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
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
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.”
