Mitt Romney said that President Obama “is naive when it comes to Russia, has shown ‘faulty judgment’ about Moscow’s intentions and could have done more to try to deter its annexation of Crimea,” the AP reports.
“The 2012 Republican presidential nominee said Obama didn’t have the foresight to anticipate Russia’s moves and should have been working earlier with allies to make clear the penalties that Russia would face if it moved into Ukraine.”
Nate Silver: “We think the Republicans are now slight favorites to win at least six seats and capture the chamber… You’ll find that our characterization of the 36 races in most cases is very close to that issued by such forecasters as the Cook Political Report and Rothenberg Political Report. We’re looking at the same sort of information they are, and they have strong track records, so it’s natural there should be similarities.”
“One point of difference is that we’re much more pessimistic about the Democrats’ chances in West Virginia, South Dakota and Montana. These races have a lot in common, taking place in three red states where longtime Democratic incumbents have retired.”
Meanwhile, Paul Krugman says the relaunch of Silver’s FiveThirtyEight “looks like something between a disappointment and a disaster.”
The Washington Post reports that ex-prisoners account for at least one in 10 Washington, D.C. residents and perhaps many more.
“That makes them a potentially pivotal, if uncertain, voting bloc — and a highly coveted target that no political campaign has ignored in the tightening April 1 Democratic primary for mayor. Every mayoral candidate has promised something. Any taboo that previously muted politicking with prisoners, some of whom once preyed on city residents, has fallen away in favor of winning a few thousand votes that could tip the balance in a close race.”
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Hillary Clinton said that “she is weighing another presidential campaign and is ‘very much concerned’ about the direction of the country, citing climate change as a particular focus,” the Washington Post reports.
“Clinton, who would be an overwhelming front-runner for the Democratic nomination should she seek it in 2016, made her comments in response to a question from a student at the close of the Clinton Global Initiative University conference at Arizona State University.”
Reuters reports that several people close to Jeb Bush “say that now more than ever, there are signs he might look past several potential hurdles – including polls that suggest Americans are not exactly enthralled with the idea of another President Bush – and seriously consider stepping into the fray.”
“At this point in previous election cycles when his name has surfaced, Bush has told friends, staffers and fellow Florida politicians that he would not run. However, he ‘has not given anyone the wave-off at this point’ for 2016, said a Washington-based Republican strategist familiar with Bush’s discussions about the presidency.”
“To the contrary, this strategist said, Bush has in place an ‘inner circle’ of fewer than a dozen people who are in regular contact with him weighing the pros and cons of running.”
Some Republicans say Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) needs to start acting more like a presidential candidate, the New York Times reports.
“They note that he does not have a political or fund-raising infrastructure to match his emerging national profile. Mr. Paul has been working to change that, keeping a frenetic schedule more befitting a presidential candidate than a first-term senator. While his speeches before conservative audiences and on liberal campuses draw headlines, he also is trying to cultivate relationships with wealthy Republican contributors — vital in this pre-primary season.”
“He is slowly fusing the small-dollar donor base that contributed $41 million to the 2012 presidential campaign of his father, Ron, with the more traditional donors who raised millions for more mainstream candidates.”
Democratic strategist Robert Shrum says Democrats need to stop running away from Obamacare:
Social media guru Nicco Mele talks about the disruptive and even dangerous power of the Internet:
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“On the day after state and federal investigators raided his State House office and home, House Speaker Gordon Fox (D) has announced his intention to resign as speaker,” the Providence Journal reports.
His statement: “The Rhode Island House of Representatives is an institution that I deeply respect and serving my constituents has been a major part of my life for the past 22 years. I will not let yesterday’s events distract my colleagues from addressing the challenges facing Rhode Island.”
“In a campaign shakeup, Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) top fundraiser — billionaire healthcare CEO Mike Fernandez — abruptly quit his post late after weeks of behind-the-scenes disagreements,” the Miami Herald reports.
“Fernandez said he was quitting to spend more time with his family and businesses.”
Jeb Bush “will get top billing when he and other potential 2016 presidential candidates join billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson for an exclusive Republican gathering next week in Las Vegas,” the Washington Post reports.
Federal law enforcement officials searched the office and home of the Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox (D), Reuters reports.
Providence Journal: “FBI and IRS investigators spent hours boxing up potential evidence on Friday, although there was no word on what the federal agencies were investigating.”
“One of four gubernatorial candidates introduced to California Republicans recently is a registered sex offender who spent more than a decade in state prison, convicted of crimes including voluntary manslaughter and assault with intent to commit rape,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Glenn Champ, 48, addressed hundreds of GOP delegates and supporters Sunday at the site of the state party’s semi-annual convention. Introduced by party chairman Jim Brulte and allotted 10 minutes, Champ spoke in between the main GOP candidates, former U.S. Treasury official Neel Kashkari and state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly of San Bernardino County.”
“It’s not a matter of a conscious omission. It’s just a matter of moving on to what they are really asking about.”
— North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Thom Tillis (R), explaining to the Raleigh News & Observer why he falsely represented where he went to college.
Alaska state Sen. Pete Kelly (R) “is declaring war on fetal alcohol syndrome, and he’s proposing to place state-funded pregnancy tests in bars and restaurants so that women can figure out if they’re pregnant before drinking,” the Huffington Post reports.
“But he also told the Anchorage Daily News this week that he opposes increased access to contraception, because birth control is only for women ‘who don’t want to act responsibly.'”
“Hawaii lawmakers on Friday vowed to restore a line in a bill that would make it illegal for police to have sex with prostitutes,” the AP reports.
“Currently in Hawaii, police working within the scope of duty are exempt from all prostitution laws. A line in House Bill 1926 would have removed that exemption if officers have sex with prostitutes, but it was removed when Honolulu police told lawmakers that exemption was an important part of fighting crime.”
A U.S. district judge has overturned Michigan’s bans on gay marriage and same-sex adoption, the Detroit News reports.
“In his 31-page written opinion released shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, Judge Bernard Friedman said the constitutional amendment known as the Michigan Marriage Act, passed by the voters in 2004, was unconstitutional because it denied gays and lesbians equal protection under the law.”
Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO), “who has been hammered for his position on social issues ever since he jumped into the U.S. Senate race, dropped a political bombshell Friday with his revelation that he was wrong to have supported previous personhood efforts,” the Denver Post reports.
“He said after learning more about the measures, which would have had the impact of outlawing abortion, that he realized the proposals also could ban certain forms of contraception, a prohibition he does not support.”
Said Gardner: “This was a bad idea driven by good intentions,” he told The Denver Post. “I was not right. I can’t support personhood now. I can’t support personhood going forward. To do it again would be a mistake.”
“The amazing thing, here we are looking at 2016, and many of the national polls don’t even put my name on the list. They review the candidates, and I’m not included on the list of people who they look at, which I sort of get a kick out of. It’s sort of been my strength over the course of my political career that I’m always underestimated. Always.”
— Rick Santorum, quoted by Time.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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