Texas State Rep. Drew Darby (R) “is facing a felony charge after he attempted to take a weapon through a security screening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this month,” the Austin American Statesman reports.
Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
2014 Ad Strategy Snapshot
“Using this map, you can see every US media market with reference to political leanings, voter demographics, upcoming 2014 political races and what it will likely cost to place an ad in each market.”
Kerry Heads to Join Iran Nuclear Talks
Secretary of State John Kerry planned to fly to Geneva “to join the talks on imposing a temporary freeze on Iran’s nuclear program, a sign that the negotiations are edging close to an agreement,” the New York Times reports.
“The top diplomats from the six world powers that are negotiating with Iran–the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany–had been expected to go to Geneva if an accord appeared to be at hand and their involvement was needed to push it over the finish line.”
The Return of the New Democrats?
Out next month: The New Democrats and the Return to Power by Al From with a forward written by Bill Clinton.
Very interesting.
GOP Congressional Candidate Hits a Beer Bong
Minneapolis City Pages published photos of Stewart Mills (R), who is seeking to unseat Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN), which show him drinking from a beer bong and licking the mouth of a woman to whom he is not married.
His statement: “It’s no secret that in the past I’ve let my hair down to have fun with family and friends. My wife and I have had many lighthearted moments in our lives but right now I am focused on my Congressional campaign and the disastrous effects of our overreaching government and sky high unemployment in the north eastern Minnesota.”
On Wonk Wire
Begich Gets Challenger from New York
Bill Bryk (D), “a 58-year-old attorney from Brooklyn who’s never been west of Buffalo, N.Y., is challenging current U.S. Senator Mark Begich in Alaska’s 2014 Democratic primary,” the Anchorage Daily News reports.
Said Bryk: “If the Democrats of Alaska are so wise as to nominate me at their primary then indeed I will be a resident of Alaska on Election Day. Until that time, though, it’s not necessary.”
“Bryk is something of a serial out-of-state candidate. He’s run, unsuccessfully, for Congress in Indiana and for U.S. Senate seats in Wyoming and Idaho. There may even be another state in there somewhere.”
George W. Bush, Professional Artist
“The artwork of George W. Bush — the painter known as ’43’ — is finally for sale,” the Dallas Morning News reports.
“While the former president’s paintings won’t be found at the National Gallery of Art — or even the Dallas Museum of Art — the George W. Bush Presidential Center is selling a limited-edition Christmas ornament that highlights one of Bush’s pieces.”
Obama to Push Back Health-Insurance Enrollment
The Obama administration “is planning to push back the period during which Americans sign up for coverage under the new health law in its second year of operation, a change that could reassure insurers while also avoiding the 2014 midterm elections,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Such a shift “would ensure that Democrats facing tough re-election races next fall don’t have to campaign at the same time as open enrollment is taking place, although some premium information would be already available during the campaign.”
Jon Stewart Mocks the ‘Nuclear Option’
Jon Stewart: “It’s just like Hiroshima of voting.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I just have a Midwestern filter, that’s the difference. I’m willing to speak out, but I’m not going to call you an idiot.”
— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), quoted by the AP, comparing himself with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
Why the Senate Went Nuclear
First Read highlights what really triggered yesterday’s rules change in the U.S. Senate:
“It used to be that the up-or-down vote was what ultimately mattered. But over the last few years, interest groups and partisan media began holding senators accountable for their cloture votes. It was no longer good enough to simply vote against a nominee on final passage; you also had to vote to deny that nominee the 60 votes needed to even consider the nomination… Bottom line: This trend wasn’t going to end.”
“By the way, another reason Reid may have decided now was the time to
pull this trigger: If Republicans do take control of the Senate in 2014,
it would mean judicial nominations would probably come to a screeching
halt in 2015 and 2016, so this is essentially the Democrats’ last year
to impact the makeup of the federal courts.”
Wonk Wire: Two contrasting views of the nuclear option.
Landrieu Approval Plummets in Louisiana
A new Southern Media & Opinion Research poll in Louisiana finds Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) approval rating falling more than ten points to 47% in the last six months.
Said pollster Bernie Pinsonat: “Senator Landrieu’s job performance has deteriorated since this spring. If (she) faced re-election in the next few months, her outlook for re-election would be highly unlikely.”
That said, Landrieu still leads Bill Cassidy (R) by seven points, 41% to 34%. “But the data questioned whether she would be able to clinch the 50% necessary to win outright. With Tea Party-endorsed Republican Rob Maness receiving just under 10% in the poll, Cassidy could conceivably win in a runoff if he could claim all or most of Maness’ support for himself.”
Conversation with Michael Beschloss
A perfect way to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is to listen to presidential historian Michael Beschloss. He was our guest on the latest episode of the Political Wire podcast.
Listen here:
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or RSS to get the latest episodes automatically downloaded.
Walker Seeks to Leapfrog Christie in 2016 Speculation
“Many Republican activists, citing Congress’ deep unpopularity, say they want a governor to be their next presidential nominee. The buzz centers on New Jersey’s Chris Christie for now, but Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is using a national book tour to try to climb into the 2016 conversation,” the AP reports.
“Everything depends on Walker winning re-election next year. If he does, he can join Christie in casting himself as a two-term Republican governor who thrived in a Democratic-leaning state.”
Walker has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing that standing on principle is the way Republicans can win the White House.
Partisan Divide Likely to Grow in Senate
President Obama “will get a short-term lift for his nominees, judicial and otherwise, but over the immediate horizon, the strong-arm move by Senate Democrats on Thursday to limit filibusters could usher in an era of rank partisan warfare beyond even what Americans have seen in the past five years,” the New York Times reports.
“Ultimately, a small group of centrists — Republicans and Democrats — could find the muscle to hold the Senate at bay until bipartisan solutions can be found. But for the foreseeable future, Republicans, wounded and eager to show they have not been stripped of all power, are far more likely to unify against the Democrats who humiliated them in such dramatic fashion.”
The Washington Post notes the move “should make it easier for President Obama to accomplish key second-term priorities, including tougher measures on climate change and financial regulation, that have faced intense opposition from Republicans in Congress.”
Wonk Wire: Why Harry Reid needed to invoke the “nuclear option.”
Quote of the Day
“It’s like putting 1,000 more people on the Titanic when you knew what was going to happen.”
— Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), quoted by the New York Times, on why he chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Another New Low for Obama Approval
A new CNN/ORC poll finds that 41% of Americans approve of the job President Obama is doing in the White House, the lowest level for that crucial indicator in CNN polling. Fifty-six percent questioned say they disapprove of Obama’s performance, an all-time high in CNN surveys.
