Former President George H.W. Bush is set to receive the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s prestigious Profile in Courage Award for breaking his “read my lips” pledge not to raise taxes — and for being “pilloried by conservatives for doing so,” The Week reports.
Harry Reid Rips Nate Silver
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) blasted Nate Silver’s political forecasts in an interview with the Washington Post.
Said Reid: “He gave me a 16 percent chance of being reelected, he gave Heidi Heitkamp an 8 percent chance of being reelected, he gave Jon Tester a 34 percent chance of being reelected. So all polls are about like Nate Silver’s predictions: good sometimes, bad most of the time.”
Christie Ally Quits as Port Authority Chairman
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) “announced today that David Samson, whose chairmanship of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has come under fire in recent months, has resigned,” the Newark Star Ledger reports.
“Samson, a close ally of Christie and a former attorney general of New Jersey, is reportedly under investigation by the U.S. Attorney of New Jersey in the face of accusations that his law firm, Wolff & Samson, had enriched itself by lobbying for companies with business before the Port Authority.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“If I would have to do it all over again, I would. The results speak for themselves.”
— Dick Cheney, quoted by Huffington Post, on the Bush administration’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding.
Burke Backs Away from Self-Funding Expectations
Mary Burke (D) says she won’t be able to self-fund her campaign for Wisconsin governor, Wisconsin Public Radio reports.
“When Burke first floated the idea of running for governor, her personal wealth made her an appealing candidate to some Democrats and made others think twice about entering the race. The former Trek executive, whose father founded the company, has not disclosed her net worth, though she did donate more than $400,000 to her campaign in just its first few months.”
No Election to Pick Charlotte Mayor
“Charlotte City Council members are poised to select a new mayor as early as Monday – and could go outside their own ranks to do it,” the Charlotte Observer reports.
“A Democratic state senator threw his name into the mix Thursday, a day after Democrat Patrick Cannon’s sudden resignation after his arrest on federal corruption charges.”
Conservatives Angered by ‘Bullshit’ Vote
“Angry House conservatives denounced the Republican leadership for abruptly ramming through a fix to Medicare doctor payments on Thursday without a full roll call vote,” The Hill reports.
“House Republican leaders had planned to bring up the ‘doc fix’ under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority to pass, but after a series of closed-door meetings on Thursday morning, they determined they didn’t have the votes… So with just a few members on the House floor… Republicans brought up the Medicare bill by voice vote. When no one in the chamber objected, the measure passed.”
Said Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC): “Bullshit.”
Chris Christie, Then and Now
“Our leaders today have decided it is more important to be popular — to be popular! — to say and do what is easy, and say yes rather than to say no when no is what’s required. I believe we have become paralyzed — paralyzed — by our desire to be loved.”
— Gov. Chris Christie (R), in a speech to the 2012 Republican National Convention.
“I think they love me in Iowa, too. I’ve been there a lot. I think they love me there too, especially because of the way I am.”
— Christie, in an interview yesterday with ABC News.
Public Corruption Cases Soar
“A string of federal corruption cases involving officials in Charlotte, N.C., San Francisco and other cities shows the fruits of an increased use of aggressive tactics by the Justice Department to root out state and local corruption,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The near-constant run of federal cases against state lawmakers, governors and mayors in recent months that rely on hard-hitting tactics stands in contrast to an absence of such cases brought against members of Congress.”
A PAC to End PACs
Politico: “This, in essence, is the path recently trod by Jonathan Soros, the son of the financier George Soros, who, like his father, has given prodigiously to Democratic interests–more than $2 million in the last few years to various candidates and causes. But now he’s hoping his cash can buy him something more: He’s quietly bankrolling an effort to limit the very influence of rich donors like him.”
Quote of the Day
“They’ve got to find work for the horses, because the horses become depressed. I hope the mayor changes his mind about it.”
— Rudy Giuliani (R), quoted by WCBS-TV, on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) proposal to ban horse-drawn carriages.
GOP Struggles With Gay Marriage
Wall Street Journal: “Polls show that social conservatives, who make up a large share of the party’s core supporters, remain firmly opposed to gay marriage. But in a half-dozen state legislatures controlled by the GOP, bills allowing businesses to refuse services for gay weddings are dead or on hold. In Illinois, three Republicans who voted to allow gay marriage in their state won primaries this month, despite opposition from social conservatives, preliminary results showed.”
“The developments worry some opponents of gay marriage… They also come as the GOP is debating whether its best course for building a national majority, which has eluded it in five of the past six presidential elections, is to recommit to conservative principles or to adjust its tone and stances to reach new voters.”
Cassidy Implies Uninsured are Less Educated
Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the GOP front-runner to take on Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) this cycle, sought to clarify comments he made characterizing the uninsured as “relatively less sophisticated, less comfortable with forms, less educated,” The Hill reports.
Cassidy noted the involved sign-up process for Obamacare was inaccessible for those who need the most help.
Said Cassidy: “They’re illiterate. I’m not saying that to be mean; I say that in compassion. They cannot read. The idea that they’re going to go on the internet and work through a 16-page document to put in their data and sign up does not reflect an understanding of who is having the hardest time in our economy.”
Wonk Wire: States where residents struggle most to afford healthcare
GOP Candidate with White Supremacy Ties Drops Race
Nate Marshall (R) told the Denver Post that he “is dropping his brief candidacy for the state House after publicity about his arrest record and ties to white-supremacy movements made him a target for Democrats and members of his own party.”
Said Marshall: “I didn’t think things all the way through.”
Majority Don’t Think Obamacare Will Be Repealed
A new Associated Press-GfK survey finds public support for President Obama’s health care law “is languishing at its lowest level since passage of the landmark legislation four years ago.”
The poll finds that 26% of Americans support the Affordable Care Act. Yet even fewer — 13% — think it will be completely repealed. A narrow majority expects the law to be further implemented with minor changes, or as passed.
Rogers Will Not Seek Re-Election
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), “the powerful Republican chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, will not seek re-election to Congress after his term expires this year,” the Daily Beast reports.
Roll Call: “Rogers’ 8th District is currently rated Safe Republican by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call. But without Rogers, it could be competitive. Mitt Romney carried the district by 3 points in 2012, and President Barack Obama won it by 6 points in 2008.”
Walker Signs Early Voting Bill
“Acting out of the public eye on controversial measures, Gov. Scott Walker signed asbestos liability legislation Thursday opposed by a number of veterans groups and used a partial veto to loosen new restrictions on early voting opposed by Democrats,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“Wielding his pen privately on a stack of 31 bills, Walker approved a number of elections bills Thursday, including the absentee voting measure and another one to give lobbyists more time to give campaign donations to state officials.”
Conversation with Jim Galloway
Jim Galloway, author of the Atlanta Journal Constitution‘s Political Insider blog, joins us on the Political Wire podcast for a deep dive into Georgia politics — including a U.S. Senate race that may ultimately decide control of the chamber.
Listen here:
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.
