“I’m very excited about where we are. It’s tight but we got momentum. And we’re going to shock some people Tuesday. There’s some powerbrokers who are really throwing their weight and money around. And it’s not sticking.”
— David Perdue (R), quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, after polls showed a much closer GOP Senate runoff with Jack Kingston (R) than expected.
New York Times: “Today, as a wave of unaccompanied minors fleeing Central America poses a new crisis for Congress and the White House, Republicans are struggling to calibrate a response that is both tough and humane, mindful of the need to reconcile their freighted history with Hispanic voters and the passions of a conservative base that sees any easing of immigration rules as heresy.”
“Some senior Republicans are warning that the party cannot rebuild its reputation with Hispanics if it is drawn into another emotional fight over cracking down on migrants — especially when so many are young children who are escaping extreme poverty and violence. But pleas for compassion and even modest proposals for change are dividing the party, and setting off intense resistance among conservative Republicans who have resisted a broader overhaul of immigration.”
Former Rep. Allen West (R-FL) thinks President Obama is “indirectly responsible” for the Malaysian Airlines plane crash in Ukraine which was officials say was caused by an anti-aircraft missile from pro-Russian separatists, Business Insider reports.
Said West: “The blood on Vladimir Putin’s hands was poured by Barack Obama, who is indirectly responsible, accountable …. and no different than Neville Chamberlain’s weakness in the face of the 20th Century maniacal dictator Adolf Hitler.”
You're reading the free version of Political Wire
Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.
Some great clicks over at Wonk Wire:
Sen. John McCain (R) told CNN that if he had been elected president in 2000, there might not have been a war in Iraq.
Said McCain: “I think I would have challenged the evidence with greater scrutiny. I think that with my background with the military and knowledge of national security with these issues that I hope that I would have been able to see through the evidence that was presented at the time.”
Los Angeles Times: “Though single women make up a growing share of the electorate — nearly 4.2 million became eligible to cast ballots since 2008 — they turn out in far lower numbers in midterm elections than presidential contests. The dropoff in their share of the electorate between 2008 and 2010 was significant. In 2010, some 22 million fewer unmarried women voted than in 2008… 10 million fewer married women voted.”
“Facing the very real possibility of losing the Senate, Democratic operatives are doing everything they can to reverse that trend between now and November. That is why voters in Colorado, Montana and Michigan have seen a flurry of ads focused on abortion and contraceptive coverage from the campaigns and outside groups like the Senate Majority PAC, which is focused on maintaining Democrats’ control of the Senate.”
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) said that “most immigrants from Central America who are crossing illegally into the United States are driven by economic reasons, not fear of physical danger in their homeland,” the Sante Fe New Mexican reports.
However, Pearce said “he and the rest of the House delegation that visited Honduras and Guatemala did not venture from their hotel very often because of the dangers…”
In surveys conducted in the early primary states of South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa, Vox Populi Polling found that over 70% of Republican primary voters would be open to a Mitt Romney presidential run in 2016.
Washington Post: “Along with a driven campaign manager and sophisticated social media strategy, candidates need a rich friend or relative. For the first time, the kinds of super PACs that became prominent in the 2012 presidential campaign are also a basic requirement in competitive, down-ballot House races.”
“As one of their first to-do items, congressional hopefuls are now asked to identify wealthy family members, friends or business associates willing to spend on behalf of their candidacies. As a result, deep-pocketed political patrons and special interests have a greater ability than ever before to influence the outcome of individual races, with a relatively modest investment of funds.”
Joshua Green gives three reasons why it’s safe to assume Hillary Clinton will be the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee:
1. “Clinton is insanely popular among Democrats, now more than ever… That’s higher than any conceivable Democratic challenger, and it doesn’t even factor in the big advantage she has in resources and experience.”
2. “Clinton doesn’t have the kind of glaring vulnerability with Democrats she did last time around because of her vote in favor of the Iraq War.”
3. “Clinton’s strength in 2008 was always exaggerated by hubristic political consultants and the legions of journalistic lemmings who accepted their claims uncritically.”
Capitol Police arrested a staffer for Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) on charges of carrying a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and magazine into the Cannon House Office building, Roll Call reports.
Ryan Shucard, the congressman’s press secretary, “is charged with a carrying a pistol without a license, a felony.”
Amazon introduced Kindle Unlimited which lets you read or listen to as many books as you want for just $9.99 per month.
Amy Walter says “it’s telling that two of the most popular surrogates on the campaign trail — Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul for the Republicans — are both newbies to the national political scene. While they disagree on a whole lot of issues, they represent a similar yearning for a more populist, less regal (established) voice by both parties.”
“We’ve got a long way to go before 2016. But the fact that two relative newcomers who preach a message that is outside what we’ve long held as the established ‘norms’ of their respective parties are gaining so much traction is noteworthy. For any candidate hoping to win the nomination in 2016, listening to the current beat, not being content to stay on the same station, is going to be critical.”
Noam Bramson, the mayor of New Rochelle, NY who wrote a remarkable essay that has gone viral across the Internet, joined us on the Political Wire podcast for a discussion of political courage and leadership.
Listen here:
Subscribe via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.
Special thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring this episode.
A new Boston Globe poll finds Martha Coakley has seen her edge over Charlie Baker (R) nearly erased in the last several weeks and is now leads by just three points, 39% to 36%.
Just a month ago, Coakley held a nine-point advantage over Baker.
A new EPIC-MRA poll in Michigan finds Gary Peters (D) leading Terri Lynn Land (R) in the U.S. Senate race by nine points, 45% to 36%.
In the race for governor, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) holds a slim lead over challenger Mark Schauer (D), 46% to 43%.
President Obama’s “unflappability was a selling point on the 2008 campaign trail.. But as much of an asset as it was for the candidate, Mr. Obama’s steady-as-she-goes approach to life can cause problems as president,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“This conflict was on full display Thursday, as Mr. Obama decided to stick to his regular schedule amid news reports of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet crash in Ukraine that killed nearly 300 people. That decision generated a split-screen aspect to Mr. Obama’s day, as TV networks broke into regular programming to broadcast pictures of smoldering plane wreckage while the president appeared to go about his regular business.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to Fox News: “I don’t understand this president … this is what we used to call in the military A-W-O-L.”
John Dickerson: “If Warren joined the race, she would not win, but she would till the ground, putting grit and the smell of earth in the contest. She would energize the Democratic Party’s liberal base, which would then stir up other Democrats who seek to moderate or contain that group. Warren would challenge the Democratic Party on issues like corporate power, income inequality, and entitlements. She would be a long shot and she would have nothing to lose–which means she could keep talking about those ideas out loud. Because Clinton is close to Wall Street and finance executives and Warren is gunning for them, she has the potential to put campaign pressure on Clinton that other candidates can’t. Clinton and other candidates would be forced to explain where they stood more than if Warren weren’t in the race.”
“Whether you agree with Warren’s ideas or whether she would even make a good president is immaterial to the benefits of her candidacy. She would keep the campaign lively and focused on ideas.”
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.
“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”
— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”
“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”
— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report
“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”
— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report
“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”
— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia
“Political Wire is a great, great site.”
— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”
“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”
— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post
“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”
— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit
“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”
— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.