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Most Don’t Think Midterm Elections Will Change Much

November 19, 2014 at 6:35 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 76% of Americans say the midterm election won’t substantially change the nation’s direction.

Also interesting: Americans are split almost evenly between positive (41%) and negative (39%) reactions to Republicans controlling both the House and Senate next year.

Said pollster Fred Yang: “While this wave election has changed the composition of Congress and added Republican governors, it has not changed the nation’s psyche or their expectations… It is almost like the election never happened.”

White House Times Announcement with Latin Grammys

November 19, 2014 at 5:22 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

President Obama’s announcement of his plans Thursday night “to overhaul the nation’s immigration system is scheduled to happen at an opportune time — at least if the White House is hoping to reach a captive audience of Hispanic television viewers,” the Washington Post reports.

“Obama’s 8 p.m. ET announcement will come at the start of the second hour of the 15th annual Latin Grammys, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday on Spanish-language TV network Univision… Univision says it will postpone part of the awards show to air Obama’s speech, while the big four TV networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, currently have no plans to air the address.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]The White House usually requests time from the broadcast networks but didn’t this time. [/speech_bubble]

Bachmann Says ‘Illiterate’ Immigrants Will Vote

November 19, 2014 at 5:01 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 45 Comments

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) told the Washington Post that the immigrants given new protections by President Obama could become “illiterate” Democratic voters.

Said Bachmann: “The social cost will be profound on the U.S. taxpayer — millions of unskilled, illiterate, foreign nationals coming into the United States who can’t speak the English language. Even though the president says they won’t be able to vote, we all know that many, in all likelihood, will vote… It’s a wink and a nod, we all know it’s going to happen.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]The House Republican leadership won’t be sad to see Bachmann fade away into retirement next year. [/speech_bubble]

Judge Overturns Gay Marriage Ban in Montana

November 19, 2014 at 4:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris ruled that Montana’s ban limiting marriage to between a man and a woman is unconstitutional, the Billings Gazette reports.

The Los Angeles Times notes Morris “did not stay his injunction, which means officials could decide to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples immediately.”

“In 2004, Montana voters passed an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In his ruling, Morris said that violated the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and barred Montana from enforcing it.”

Have You Smoked Pot with Bill de Blasio?

November 19, 2014 at 4:43 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio “said today he does not smoke marijuana and has not in many years, after he was asked point-blunt about the herb,” the New York Daily News reports.

Gawker: “We’re skeptical, to say the least. Have you—or someone you know—recently smoked pot with the Blaz? If so, send us an email or hop in below.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

November 19, 2014 at 4:24 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

“He is defiant and angry at the American people. If he acts by executive diktat, President Obama will not be acting as a president, he will be acting as a monarch.”

— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), writing in Politico, on President Obama’s plan to use his executive authority to address immigration.

Cassidy Leads by Double-Digits in Runoff

November 19, 2014 at 3:43 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

A new Vox Populi Polling survey in Louisiana finds Bill Cassidy (R) way ahead of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) in their U.S. Senate runoff, 53% to 42%.

Bonus Quote of the Day

November 19, 2014 at 1:48 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 34 Comments

“It’s never going to go away. It’s always there, just as Bill Clinton’s 1988 convention speech is always there. It’s always part of your past. I’m a big believer that Americans…are interested in how do you perform after you’ve been knocked down.”

— Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), quoted by the Washington Post, on overcoming his failed 2012 presidential bid.

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]As Rick Perry knows too well, people do forget. [/speech_bubble]

Why Cuomo Wrote a Book

November 19, 2014 at 12:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

New York Times: “The origins of Andrew M. Cuomo’s new political memoir are as revealing as anything contained within its pages. In 2012, 16 successful months into the governor’s first term, an Albany columnist for The New York Post set out to write a Cuomo biography, and Cuomo agreed to cooperate. But his relationship with The Post subsequently soured, and last year he announced he would be writing his own book — for the same publisher, which has since backed away from the first book.”

Nearly Half Oppose Executive Action on Immigration

November 19, 2014 at 12:21 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 87 Comments

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 48% of Americans disapprove of President Obama’s expected plan to take executive action that would potentially allow millions of undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the United States, while 38% support it and another 14% have no opinion or are unsure.

Illinois Odd Couple

November 19, 2014 at 12:18 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

Illinois Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner (R) “is an enigma to many or most veterans of the political scene in President Obama’s home state — but not to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel,” Politico reports.

“The two men have a genuine friendship that dates back a decade and a half, to Emanuel’s brief but lucrative stint at the investment firm Wasserstein Perella in the late 1990s. There, the future White House chief of staff helped cement a half-billion dollar deal for Rauner’s company GTCR.”

Hillary Clinton Expected to Announce Bid in January

November 19, 2014 at 11:34 am EST By Taegan Goddard 72 Comments

“Hillary Clinton is expected to announce in January that she will run for president… and the shape of that effort is becoming clear — with a campaign operation headquartered in the New York City suburbs and a campaign message that plays up the possibility of electing the first female president much more so than in 2008,” NBC News reports.

“Party sources emphasize there is still a small chance the former first lady will opt not to run, and some Democrats say there is no reason for her to begin a campaign so soon. But she is expected to begin preparation for a campaign over the next two months, while also giving speeches on some of her favorite causes, such as appearances at the Massachusetts Conference for Women and the League of Conservation Voters in December.”

Obama Immigration Actions to be Unveiled Friday

November 19, 2014 at 11:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard 29 Comments

President Obama “will announce his planned changes to the U.S. immigration system on Friday in Las Vegas… moves that are expected to give temporary legal status to millions of people in the U.S. illegally,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The decision to announce changes this week follows Mr. Obama’s promise to take executive actions by year-end aimed at improving the immigration system, after Congress failed to pass legislation.”

The New York Times notes undocumented immigrants “will not receive one key benefit: government subsidies for health care available under the Affordable Care Act… The decision would reflect the political sensitivities that arise when there is a collision between two of the most divisive issues in Washington: health care and immigration.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill wanted more of a delay while they finish year end legislative business. [/speech_bubble]

Voter ID Laws Don’t Swing Many Elections

November 19, 2014 at 11:21 am EST By Taegan Goddard 34 Comments

Nate Cohn: “Voter ID laws might well be a cynical, anti-democratic attempt to disenfranchise voters to help Republicans, as Democrats claim. But that doesn’t mean that voter ID laws are an effective way to steal elections. They just don’t make a difference in anything but the closest contests, when anything and everything matters.”

Did Obama Break the Democratic Party?

November 19, 2014 at 11:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard 75 Comments

Politico: “Democrats are in worse shape than when President Barack Obama came into office — the number of seats they have in Congress, the number of governors, a party approval rating that’s fallen behind Republicans for the first time in recent history, enthusiasm, energy.”

“Interviews with leading party strategists turn to three main suggestions: Obama should be a much more frequent and strong voice on Democratic priorities, he should transform his West Wing political office from a midterm clearinghouse to an instrument for true party outreach, and he should reinvest his energy in the Democratic National Committee — including seeking a full-time chair who can begin the major clean-up and overhaul they need ahead of 2016.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Of course, the same question was asked about George W. Bush and the Republican party after the 2006 midterm elections. [/speech_bubble]

McCaskill Book Delayed Until Next Summer

November 19, 2014 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

Sen. Claire McCaskill’s (D-MO) forthcoming book, tentatively titled Plenty Ladylike, was expected by the end of 2014 but has been delayed until July 2015, the Kansas City Star reports.

“The Missouri Democrat has promised the full story of her 2012 victory over Todd Akin, and the tome may include other insider score-settling as well.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]This book has been talked up for months but I question how interesting the McCaskill-Akin race will seem next summer. [/speech_bubble]

House Republicans Stick Mostly with White Men

November 19, 2014 at 9:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

“House Republicans have selected white men to chair all but one of their standing committees next year,” National Journal reports.

“The secretive Republican Steering Committee announced its recommendations late Tuesday after an all-day meeting to pick the heads of 17 committees, with all of those slots going to white men. Rep. Candice Miller, who was previously reappointed by Speaker John Boehner to lead the House Administration Committee, will remain the only woman to wield a gavel.”

Carter May Run Again in Georgia

November 19, 2014 at 9:14 am EST By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

Jason Carter (D) told the Atlanta Journal Constitution he could run again for Georgia governor.

Said Carter: “I’m not ruling it out. And I’ll certainly commit to having a role in this debate that we’ve started, and the future of politics in this state. And whether that puts me on the ballot again is a question that has to be answered later. I’m not going anywhere.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Carter’s grandfather lost his first run for Georgia governor in 1966 and came back to win in 1970. Six years later he was elected President of the United States. [/speech_bubble]