Wonk Wire notes President Obama is the first post-World War II president to oversee a contraction of the federal government during his term in office.
GOP Senate Candidate Addressed Neo-Confederate Group
Mississippi U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel (R), who is challenging Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) in a GOP primary, addressed a neo-Confederate conference and costume ball last summer, Mother Jones reports.
“The tea party-backed Mississippi Senate candidate addressed a neo-Confederate conference and costume ball hosted by a group that promotes the work of present-day secessionists and contends the wrong side won the ‘war of southern independence.'”
“After announcing his run last week, McDaniel quickly picked up endorsements from the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee founded by former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a prominent backer of the tea party. Both groups are key players in the internal GOP battle between establishment-minded Republicans and tea party insurgents and are backing right-wing challenges to incumbent Republicans whom they deem insufficiently conservative.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I don’t even buy into the idea that we lost the election because of health care. One of the most damaging votes that our members had to take was the
TARP. The Democrats were the one who
saved the day with that vote, and people never really got over that
vote.”
— House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), quoted by the Washington Post, on the 2010 midterm elections;
Germany Says U.S. May Be Spying on Merkel’s Phone
Germany said it believed U.S. intelligence may be spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone in what it said would constitute a “grave breach of trust” between the longtime allies, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Merkel called President Obama and made clear that such alleged surveillance among allies would be “fully unacceptable.” Obama assured the German leader that the U.S. isn’t monitoring her communications.
Very Close in Arkansas
A new University of Arkansas poll finds Rep. Tom Cotton (R) edging Sen. Mark Pryor (D) in the Arkansas U.S. Senate race, 37% to 36%.
GOP Senator Says His Party Can’t Govern
Ramesh Ponnuru talks to an unnamed Republican senator who “doesn’t think that his party is
ready to govern the country.”
“The Republicans who were in the public eye during the
shutdown have generally been either the party’s top
congressional leaders or its most vocal hard-liners. Most
Republicans in Congress don’t fall into either category. This
senator — who requested anonymity so he could describe the
party’s problems candidly — is part of that less-high-profile
contingent. My impression is that his views are widely shared
within it.”
Romney’s New Utah House Has a Hidden Room
“If you look closely at the bookshelves there, you find something interesting: a secret door. The second bookshelf from the far wall is really a door that swivels out to reveal a hidden room.”
“This is but one voyeuristic tidbit the Salt Lake Tribune uncovered by examining the architectural and landscape drawings approved… in September that clearly identify the project as a home for the former Republican presidential nominee and his wife, Ann.”
Quote of the Day
“In a ‘negotiation’ meeting with the president, one GOP House Leader told the president: ‘I cannot even stand to look at you.'”
— Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), on Facebook.
Tight Race for Boston Mayor
A new WBUR poll in Boston finds John Connolly barely leading Martin Walsh by two points, 41% to 39%.
Two Big Political Problems, Two Different Reactions
First Read: “Combining the two biggest political stories over the past week, we have
this question: What has been the more significant disaster — the
problems associated with the federal Obamacare website, or the state of
the Republican Party after the shutdown? There is one important
difference between the two stories. While the Obama administration is
throwing every resource to fix its website issue, is anyone inside the
GOP trying to prevent an all-out ideological civil war from breaking
out? In fact, it seems to be just the opposite: Gas is being thrown on
the internal GOP fire.”
Can Obama Close a Trade Deal?
“Some presidents have a natural affinity for trade deals, but in the first year of his administration, President Obama seemed to many observers like he couldn’t care less. He appointed a likable Dallas mayor without much experience in the field to be his trade representative and gave him very little negotiating to do,” Politico reports.
“Four years later, Obama has a chance to create the biggest free-trade deal in history — a pact involving 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, dwarfing NAFTA — and remaking global trade policy for a generation.”
“The question is, can Obama actually do it? There’s plenty of reason for doubt.”
Congressional Disapproval at All-Time High
A new CBS News poll finds 85% of Americans disapprove of the way Congress does its job — the highest percentage ever recorded since CBS began asking the question in 1977. Just 9% approve, matching the all-time low recorded two years ago.
Kasich Does End Run Around Republicans
Jill Lawrence:
“Ohio Gov. John Kasich has kicked up a political storm by circumventing
his legislature to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Conservatives don’t like Obamacare, the expansion, or the techniques by
which their determined Republican governor made it happen, and they’re
already challenging him in court. Yet Kasich may have strengthened his
hand going into his 2014 reelection race. And should he decide to pursue
higher ambitions, a solid victory next year in his purple presidential
swing state could hasten forgiveness from GOP primary voters — or a
nominee in search of a ticketmate — in 2016.”
Majority Favor Legalization of Pot
A new Gallup Poll finds that a majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana — by a 58% to 39% margin
McAuliffe Still in Front
A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds Terry McAuliffe (D) leading Ken Cuccinelli (R) by seven points, 46% to 39%, with Libertarian Robert Sarvis at 10%.
Tight Senate Primary in Hawaii
A new Civil Beat poll in Hawaii finds Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) barely ahead of Democratic primary challenger Colleen Hanbusa (D), 38% to 36%.
7 Republican Senators Most Vulnerable to a Primary
Roll Call: “Hard-line conservatives are rising out of the ashes of a weekslong government shutdown, emboldened by the possibility of adding to their ranks in the Senate next year — whether by picking up Democrat-held seats or taking out Republican incumbents.”
Lee Facing Backlash Over Government Shutdown
“When Mike Lee toppled longtime Republican Sen. Robert F. Bennett here in 2010, it was the tea party’s first big triumph. But now, after a 16-day government shutdown, it’s Lee who faces a revolt within his own party,” the Washington Post reports.
“Lee’s approval ratings in Utah have cratered, and prominent Republicans and local business executives are openly discussing the possibility of mounting a primary challenge against him. Top Republicans are also maneuvering to redesign the party’s nomination system in a way that would likely make it more difficult for Lee to win reelection in 2016.”
Wall Street Journal: “Critics in the Republican Party, including former governors and
sitting legislative leaders, openly blame Mr. Lee for helping chart a
course they say weakened the party’s standing nationally and dented a
state economy reliant on tourists drawn to its national parks.”
