“It’s been obvious that they’re doing everything they can to make him
fail. And I hope, I hope — and I say this seriously — I
hope that’s based on substance and not the fact that he’s
African-American.”
— Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), quoted the The Hill, on GOP obstruction of President Obama’s agenda.
Political Moneyline finds that Rep. Tom Cotton’s (R-AR) position on the House Financial Service Committee are what have propelled the freshman lawmaker into a U.S. Senate race against Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and given him a large campaign war chest.
Nathan Gonzales finds four political lessons real-life candidates for public office can use in the children’s book, Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor.
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“He does what he believes in; he does what he likes. He portrays this person with all the wrong things you hear about Washington. He literally murders one member. If I could murder one member, I’d never have to worry about another vote.”
— House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), quoted by the Daily Pilot, about Kevin Spacey’s character in House of Cards.
The Cook Political Report has released its latest House ratings.
Key takeaway: There are twice as many Democratic House seats in the “lean” and “toss up” categories than Republican House seats.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) put out a dramatic video highlighting his campaign kick off at Fancy Farm last weekend.
Key line: “He’s for guns, freedom and coal.”
Anthony Weiner mocked a British reporter with a Monty Python joke and scolded his staff in front of a media scrum.
Check out some of the latest posts from Wonk Wire:
Jesse Benton, campaign manager for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), had a rough day yesterday when a recorded telephone conversation was leaked with him saying he was just trying to “hold my nose for two years” so he could go back to work for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
A quick search shows how deep Benton’s ties are to Paul and the tea party. He’s been paid more than $800,000 by various campaigns and committees tied to the Paul family.
Political Moneyline: “Contributors are already trying to build a relationship with New Jersey Democratic Senate candidate Cory Booker by contributing to his campaign. Washington, D.C.-area donors have given more than $100,000 to the Newark mayor’s federal campaign.”
The Washington Post reports “a surprising exodus of senior GOP staffers” has “darkened the outlook” for the budget confrontation this fall.
“Largely invisible to the public, these are the nuts-and-bolts guys the bosses trust to negotiate critical details with Democrats, draft deals into law and explain them to the GOP rank and file. Losing them now — weeks before the next fight — weakens Republicans and leaves Democrats without familiar negotiating partners.”
“Moreover, many observers worry that the exodus is an ominous sign that Republicans see low odds for significant progress toward taming the debt and an indication of the risk that another grinding, pressure-cooker confrontation really could end in catastrophe this time.”
Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer “are finding unexpectedly strong support in black communities,” the New York Times reports.
“Repeated polling has found a racial gap in the races for mayor and comptroller: black voters are far more likely than white voters to view Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Weiner favorably, and more likely to say they deserve a second chance… Interviews with black ministers, political leaders, scholars and voters suggest two major factors at work: an emphasis in black congregations on forgiveness and redemption, and an experience, particularly among older black voters, of having seen their revered leaders embroiled in scandal.”
Politico: “Thad Cochran is taking his sweet time. The Senate’s 2014 battle lines are already largely set with the increasingly glaring exception of Mississippi. But Cochran won’t say whether he will run for a seventh term and has indicated it will be months before he decides, stalling potential successors from laying groundwork in the race ahead of an impending spring primary.”
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) told the Washington Post that the House “has more than enough GOP votes — around 40 or 50 — to pass comprehensive immigration reform if it were brought to a vote. But Gutierrez said Republicans who support the idea are staying deliberately quiet to avoid a backlash from conservative activists.”
Said Gutierrez: “Some of them I’ve spoken to, and they say, ‘Love to do the activity with you, I want to be able to vote for it, I really don’t need to draw attention to myself at this point,’ but we can count on it.”
Reliable Sources says former Washington, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty is dating Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Peggy Noonan: “Dan Balz’s Collision 2012 is the best presidential campaign chronicle in many years. It is a great book, in part because it isn’t about what happened as much as about how people in the campaigns were thinking. It is unusual in that it gives proper place to the impact of thought on political outcomes.”
I completely agree. It’s highly recommended.
Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) told Q13 Fox News that he’s “thinking about” running for statewide office, such as governor or U.S. senator.
Said Reichert: “I’m thinking about all those options. I still feel like I’m young and energetic. And, you know, we’ll see how Gov. Jay Inslee does, and if he continues on the path that he is, it doesn’t look too good for him. So I’ll keep an eye on that, and who knows what Patty Murray does in the next year or two?”
A new New York Times/Siena poll in New York City finds that Eliot Spitzer leads Scott Stringer in the race for city comptroller, 44% to 35%.
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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