Out later this month: The Presidency and Domestic Policy: Comparing Leadership Styles, FDR to Obama by Michael A. Genovese, Todd L. Belt and William W. Lammers.
Quote of the Day
“What an asshole.”
— House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by Texas Monthly, after Rep. Steve King (R-IA) compared young undocumented immigrants to drug mules.
Rom-denfreude
Ken Vogel: “Rom-denfreude (noun) — The pleasure Mitt Romney loyalists are
taking in the struggles of Chris Christie. The condition
is prevalent, stemming from a range of perceived Christie slights
towards Romney during the 2012 campaign, which several Romney loyalists
ticked off quickly — and with still-evident bitterness.”
Christie Meets with GOP Donors
“The first real test of the damage to Chris Christie’s chances of being the Republican nominee for president in 2016 from the “Bridgegate” scandal could come during the next few days,” Reuters reports.
“Christie is scheduled to attend a $1,000-per-ticket reception for New Jersey Republican House candidate Steve Lonegan on Thursday. He then will head to Florida for a series of weekend events aimed at raising money for Republican Governor Rick Scott’s re-election campaign, plus a meeting with wealthy Republican donors from all over the United States.”
USA Today: “More critical to Christie’s own political career is likely to be a gathering Sunday at the North Palm Beach home of Ken Langone, the Home Depot founder and major GOP donor who wants Christie to run for president in 2016. Langone says he has invited about 150 potential donors to “meet and greet” Christie in hopes that if he runs they will support him. Though the event has been planned for months, Langone says the guests will likely ask Christie about the politically motivated traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge.”
Obama May Raise Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors
The Hill:
“President Obama is considering using his executive authority to raise
the minimum wage for federal contractors, he told Senate Democrats
during a closed meeting at the White House. Lawmakers present at the
Wednesday night session said Thursday that Obama did not bring up the
matter himself, but appeared receptive to the idea when questioned on
the topic.”
Senate GOP Outraged Over Inability to Make Amendments
Senate Republicans “have deployed a new parliamentary tactic designed to end — or at least call attention to — the frequent Democratic ban on considering GOP amendments,” The Hill reports.
“Republicans have tried it four times, without success. But GOP aides say Republicans are likely to keep trying, to remind the Senate that its members are being denied the chance to amend legislation.”
“In the Senate, the majority leader gets the first crack at filing amendments to legislation that comes before the body. When Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) calls up legislation… That process is known as filling the amendment tree, and it usually blocks Republicans from offering up their own proposals for changing the bill. Republicans say Reid has used this tactic much more often than other recent Senate leaders.”
Gates Confirms Reid Won’t Like His Book
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates didn’t hide his contempt for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) when asked to answer Reid’s claim that he “denigrated” colleagues “to make a buck” with his new memoir, the Washington Examiner reports.
Said Gates: “It’s common practice on the Hill to vote on bills you haven’t read, and it’s perfectly clear that Sen. Reid has not read the book. He will find that I do denigrate him.”
Houston Mayor Marries Same-Sex Partner
Houston Mayor Annise Parker married her life partner of 23 years, Kathy Hubbard, in California, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Said Parker: “This is a very happy day for us. We have had to wait a very long time to formalize our commitment to each other. Kathy has been by my side for more than two decades, helping to raise a family, nurture my political career and all of the other ups and down and life events that come with a committed relationship.”
20 Subpoenas Issued as Christie Hires Attorney
“In another day of political drama and legal maneuvering, two new legislative committees were formed Thursday to investigate the George Washington Bridge scandal and within hours, 20 subpoenas were issued to 17 key people and three organizations in the unfolding story,” the Newark Star Ledger reports.
“The moves in Trenton provided a quick signal that the widening investigation into what role Gov. Chris Christie’s administration may have played in the bridge lane closures, which led to massive traffic jams last September, will be aggressive — and not likely to end anytime soon.”
Remember to listen to our deep dive into the scandal with Steve Kornacki. It’s excellent.
Utah Evenly Split on Gay Marriage
A Salt Lake Tribune poll “shows that Utahns’ views on same-sex couples’ relationships have dramatically shifted in the decade since voters amended the state’s constitution to prohibit them from receiving any legal recognition.”
“Residents are now evenly split on whether same-sex couples in Utah should be allowed to get state-issued marriage licences — 48% for and 48% against — and nearly three-fourths (72% said same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions or domestic partnerships in lieu of marriage.”
Coburn Will Resign Early
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) will resign after the current session of Congress, foregoing the final two years of his term, The Oklahoman reports.
Roll Call: “Coburn had already pledged not to seek another term in the Senate come 2016, but his announcement Thursday will open the seat ahead of schedule. Coburn is waging a fourth battle with cancer, and people in the state have been aware that Coburn might give up the seat ahead of schedule. Oklahoma will need to hold a special election to fill the seat.”
How Obama Will Try to Escape from NSA Trap
Marc Ambinder: “I tend not to see every presidential policy speech as legacy-defining, but Friday’s speech might just fit the bill. Obama has used his second term to review and claw back the advancing national security state that he endorsed and expanded when he took office. I’ve written this before, but he really does not want to be known as the president who enshrined indefinite detention of terrorism suspects into law, or who abused the state secrets privilege, or who allowed the surveillance state to run amok.”
Women Wielding Clout on Capitol Hill
“After decades of trying to amass power, several women have vaulted to the top of influential congressional committees, putting them in charge of some of the most consequential legislation being considered on Capitol Hill,” the Washington Post reports.
“In recent months, while the country has been distracted by extended disagreements in Washington, led mostly by men, a cast of powerful female lawmakers has been amassing some notable victories. This success is partly coincidence and partly the natural evolution of the old order. Seniority has produced a series of female heads of committees responsible for some of the most important, and often most controversial, legislation before Congress.”
Conversation with Steve Kornacki
Steve Kornacki, host of MSNBC’s “Up With Steve Kornacki,” is our guest on the Political Wire podcast.
We take an in-depth look at Gov. Chris Christie’s “Bridgegate” scandal, theories as to why it happened and why Democrats might be the key to the governor’s political survival.
Listen here:
Subscribe via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.
House GOP Considers Skipping Budget
House Republicans “are quietly discussing the option of not writing a budget in 2014, a maneuver that would free up time on the legislative calendar and protect GOP lawmakers from a potentially damaging vote in an election year,” National Journal reports.
“The idea of Republicans skipping this year’s budgetary process seems odd when considering the House GOP made history last year by attaching a policy rider called ‘No Budget, No Pay’ to a debt-limit extension. That measure tied lawmakers’ salaries to budgets being written in both chambers and paved the way for a budget agreement between House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray.”
“But unbeknownst to some lawmakers at the time–and still some today–is that ‘No Budget, No Pay’ was a one-year provision. It is now expired.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“A typical United States senator spends two-thirds of the last two years of their term raising money.”
— Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), quoted by National Journal.
Is Christie Still Mulling a Presidential Bid?
In a public appearance, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) really tried to dial down speculation that he’s going to run for president in 2016.
Barbara Bush Doesn’t Want Jeb to Run
Barbara Bush told C-SPAN that she hopes Jeb Bush doesn’t run for president in 2016.
