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Waves of Attacks Planned Over Health Law

November 21, 2013 at 5:20 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A House Republican document, “the product of a series of closed-door strategy sessions that began in mid-October, is part of an increasingly organized Republican attack on the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature legislative initiative. Republican strategists say that over the next several months, they intend to keep Democrats on their heels through a multilayered, sequenced assault,” the New York Times reports.

“The idea is to gather stories of people affected by the health care law — through social media, letters from constituents, or meetings during visits back home — and use them to open a line of attack, keep it going until it enters the public discourse and forces a response, then quickly pivot to the next topic.”

Radel Will Take Leave for Drug Treatment

November 21, 2013 at 5:18 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) “won’t resign, but he will take a leave of absence,” Roll Call reports.

“The Florida Republican faced the media late Wednesday night after pleading guilty earlier in the day to a misdemeanor charge of possession of cocaine. Radel apologized and said he would take a leave of absence while he seeks ‘intensive’ inpatient treatment, but he also said he wasn’t stepping down.”

Said Radel: “I will be taking a leave of absence. During that time, I’m going to donate my salary to a charity.”

Pay to Playbook?

November 20, 2013 at 10:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Erik Wemple tears apart Mike Allen’s Playbook email newsletter and reports how it’s filled with recycled press releases and “long hugs to powerful Washington interests, including advertisers.”

“Politico’s leaders didn’t cooperate for this piece. In rejecting a sit-down discussion, Editor-in-Chief John Harris said the premise ‘is without merit in any shape or form.’ Without an interview, it’s impossible to judge Allen’s motivations. For example, does he write nice things about the chamber because he wants more advertisers or because he feels their agenda doesn’t get fair play in other outlets? Did he publish those BP plugs because he thought they were newsworthy or because he’s got a friend at the company?”

Andrew Sullivan says “to my eyes, it reads like a meticulously researched tale of at least the appearance of blatant corruption.”


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Bonus Quote of the Day

November 20, 2013 at 3:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Leadership is gonna come out of the states, not Washington. Look at the governors.”

— Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R-IA), quoted by the Washington Post, nixing the idea that a Member of Congress should be the GOP nominee in 2016.

Radel is First Congressman Convicted for Cocaine Use

November 20, 2013 at 3:43 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) “appears to be the only member of Congress to have ever been convicted for cocaine use while in office,” NBC News reports.

“The only other member of Congress to be arrested and convicted on a drug charge was Rep. Frederick Richmond (D) of New York, who, 30 years ago, was convicted for marijuana use. Richmond, who also served as deputy finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee, in 1982 also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of evading taxes and a misdemeanor regarding a government contract.”

The Washington Post reports Radel first informed Speaker John Boehner of his arrest yesterday.

Utah Town Forgets to Hold Election

November 20, 2013 at 3:36 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The city employee responsible for oversight of elections in Wallsbugh, Utah “brought new meaning to the job description by overlooking the election altogether,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

“The new recorder in the town of about 275 just east of Deer Creek Reservoir forgot to announce the opening of the filing period or arrange to hold an election Nov. 5, when voters across the state cast their ballots in municipal elections. By the time the oversight was caught shortly before Election Day, it was too late to field candidates and hold the balloting on the fly.”

Obama Campaign Will Transfer Some Data to DNC

November 20, 2013 at 3:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“After nearly a year of discussion over the fate of reams of Obama campaign data, officials have decided to transfer some voter information to the Democratic National Committee, but to retain its email list and rent it out to Organizing for Action, party committees and other groups,” Politico reports.

Christie’s Tough Balancing Act

November 20, 2013 at 11:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

USA Today says Gov. Chris Christie (R) “has to walk a fine line: He must maintain the political
momentum he has been steadily gaining since he came to national
attention during Superstorm Sandy last year without risking overexposure
or becoming viewed as the ‘inevitable’ GOP nominee.”

Capitol Hill Democrats Angry with Obama

November 20, 2013 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Hill: “President
Obama’s relationship with congressional Democrats has worsened to an
unprecedented low, Democratic aides say. They are letting it be known
that House and Senate Democrats are increasingly frustrated, bitter and
angry with the White House over ObamaCare’s botched roll out, and that
the president’s mea culpa in a news conference last week failed to
soothe any ill will.”

Reid Prepared to Curb Filibusters

November 20, 2013 at 10:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “is prepared to move forward with a vote that could severely limit the minority party’s ability to filibuster presidential nominees, possibly as early as this week,” the New York Times reports.

“Exasperated with the refusal of Senate Republicans to confirm many of President Obama’s nominees, Mr. Reid has been speaking individually with members of his caucus to gauge whether there is enough support to change filibuster rules.”

Udall Barely Ahead in Colorado

November 20, 2013 at 10:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Quinnipiac poll in Colorado finds Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) just ahead of Ken Buck (R) in a possible re-election match up, 45% to 42%.

Udall holds slim leads over five other possible GOP challengers as well.

Said pollster Tim Malloy: “Though running even or ahead of six possible Republican challengers, Sen. Mark Udall must be pulling for a quick fix of the Obamacare website and a change of heart by Coloradans who dislike the Affordable Care Act by a wide margin.”

The Man Who Knew Too Much Talks

November 20, 2013 at 9:36 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former LBJ aide Bobby Baker “in recent years quietly recorded an even more unvarnished account of his anything-goes-era in Washington,” Politico reports.

“His recollections–of an age when senators drank all day, indulged in sexual dalliances with secretaries and constituents, accepted thousands of dollars in bribes and still managed to pass the most important legislation of the 20th century–were collected by Donald Ritchie of the Senate Historical Office in interviews with Baker in 2009 and 2010. The resulting 230-page manuscript was so ribald and riveting, so salacious and sensational, that the Historical Office refrained from its usual practice of posting such interviews online.”

Another Bush Enters the Fray

November 20, 2013 at 9:10 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Houston Chronicle: “George Prescott Bush, a political newcomer who is the grandson and nephew of U.S. presidents, filed to run for Texas land commissioner on Tuesday — a move that officially begins the continuation of his family’s political dynasty with a young, Hispanic, Spanish-speaking candidate.

Congressman Busted in Cocaine Sting

November 20, 2013 at 8:33 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) “was caught buying drugs as part of a federal investigation into a Washington, D.C., drug ring last month and is being charged with cocaine possession,” USA Today reports.

If found guilty, Radel faces a maximum of 180 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Bush Ramps Up Travel Schedule

November 20, 2013 at 8:27 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Week notes that even though former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) “has insisted that he’s not going to think about running for president until the middle of next year, but his busy travel schedule and his anti-ObamaCare talking points suggest that he is already laying the groundwork for the primaries.”

“All in all, it certainly looks like Jeb is intent on keeping his name in the mix, and is going through the necessary steps to establish a coherent platform. Whether he can find a position on the ideological spectrum between the Tea Party and Christie — and overcome suspicions about his position on immigration reform — remains to be seen.”

The Republican Party is the Tea Party

November 20, 2013 at 8:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Fix notes that “views of the Republican Party’s ideological leaning are essentially the same as the tea party… Views of the GOP and the tea party are virtually the same across all demographics.”

“In other words, if the tea party has moved the GOP to the right — and it has — it has done so to such an extent they are now viewed as ideologically very similar.”

Quote of the Day

November 20, 2013 at 8:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I did the best I could do. I’m also
very comfortable with the fact that it’s going take a while for history
to judge whether the decisions I made are consequential or not. And
therefore, I’m not too worried about it.”

— George W. Bush, quoted by The Wrap, reflecting on his presidency on “The Tonight Show.“

Obama Approval Plunges to New Low

November 20, 2013 at 7:32 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new CBS News poll finds President Obama’s job approval rating has plunged to the lowest of his presidency with just 37% percent approving of the job he is doing as president, down from 46% in October — a nine point drop in just a month.

National Journal: “This year, no one in Washington is doing a good job. That’s
according to favorability polls, which in the last few months have
steadily churned out record low after record low of the American
public’s confidence in its leaders.”

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan 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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