Houston Chronicle: “When
Texas Sen. John Cornyn launches his campaign for a third six-year term
on Friday with a rally in Austin, it will feature a cameo appearance by
Gov. Rick Perry — but no sign of tea party-backed freshman Sen. Ted
Cruz.”
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Obama Plays Defense
Dan Balz:
“Throughout his career as a national politician, President Obama often
has benefited from comparisons with others. Nearing the end of the first
year of his second term, he is running mostly against himself — and
falling short. The disastrous rollout of his health-care law has put him
on the spot in ways he has rarely been before. The cool and cerebral
chief executive, whose reliance on smart people and rational analysis
has been at the foundation of his often-insulated governing style, has
been forced to admit that he and his team vastly underestimated the
challenge of implementing the Affordable Care Act.”
USA Today:
“Whether it’s Richard Nixon over Watergate, Bill Clinton over Monica
Lewinsky, or President Obama over the problems with his health care
rollout, presidents have often apologized — or at least expressed regret
or taken responsibility for something gone publicly wrong.”
Voters Don’t Want Anyone to Win
Charlie Cook: “One Democratic pollster recently (and aptly) summed up the sentiment: ‘Voters want to punish Republicans but not reward Democrats.’ This dynamic suggests we are in for either a highly muddled election outcome next year–hardly the stuff for a wave, because one party has to be rewarded and looked favorably upon to create a wave–or a highly volatile environment, what a meteorologist might describe as an ‘unstable air mass.’ The latter dynamic could translate into a lot of surprise election outcomes, but not necessarily in any uniform direction.”
Joshua Green: “Americans are fast losing faith in the president, his party, and his
signature policy achievement. But while they’re open to the idea of
handing power to the opposition, Republicans are busy demonstrating that
they have no idea how to govern.”
TARP Chief Explores Bid for California Governor
Neel Kashkari (R), the former assistant Treasury secretary who oversaw the TARP bank bailout in the Bush administration, is mulling a bid against California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in what would be his first political campaign, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
“Kashkari — who is pro-choice, favors same-sex marriage rights and voted for Barack Obama in 2008 — is talking like a candidate on a mission to rebrand a California Republican Party that is tired of losing.”
Obamacare Could Haunt Democrats for Years
President Obama’s health care law “is now compounding a political problem it was meant to solve: the generation-long loss of faith in government activism, particularly among the white middle class,” Ron Brownstein reports.
“For decades, Democratic strategists have viewed universal health care as their best opportunity to reverse the doubt among many voters, especially whites, that government programs can tangibly benefit their families. Now the catastrophic rollout of the health law threatens instead to reinforce those doubts. That outcome could threaten Democratic priorities for years.”
Wonk Wire: An epic policy stumble.
Health Care Vote Tests Loyalty of Democrats
“The political fallout from the botched launch of the health-care law is presenting congressional Democrats with one of their toughest tests of party loyalty in the five years of the Obama administration,” the Washington Post reports.
“House Republicans are expected to pass a bill Friday that could dramatically undermine the law. And after years of trying to impale the initiative, GOP leaders are hopeful that the political turmoil over the rollout will provide them the support of a sizable bloc of Democrats.”
The Hill:
“The vote puts Democratic leaders in a pickle, caught between
the desire to maintain party unity and the propensity to allow
threatened rank-and-file members to vote their districts with
re-election in mind.”
First Read: “The question is how many Democrats vote for the legislation… Twenty or 30 red-state Dems voting for
it is one thing; but double or triple that amount would be a rebuke and
would signal that House Dems weren’t satisfied with the supposed fix
Obama announced.”
Quote of the Day
“If I had the problem, saying you’re sorry doesn’t help me worth a damn at the polls, unless I can staple your remarks to the ballot.”
— Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), quoted by the New York Daily News, on the bungled health care law roll out.
Obamacare Stumbles Compared to Bush’s Hurricane Response
Barack Obama “won the presidency by exploiting a political environment that devoured George W. Bush in a second term plagued by sinking credibility, failed legislative battles, fractured world relations and revolts inside his own party,” the New York Times reports.
“President Obama is now threatened by a similar toxic mix. The disastrous rollout of his health care law not only threatens the rest of his agenda but also raises questions about his competence in the same way that the Bush administration’s botched response to Hurricane Katrina undermined any semblance of Republican efficiency.”
Politico: “It’s hard to know right now where the Obamacare mess falls on the presidential calamity scale.”
Smooth Sailing for Yellen at Senate Hearing
Janet Yellen “breezed through questions about the financial crisis, the Fed’s stimulus efforts and banking regulation, as the Senate Banking Committee weighed her nomination to serve as future head of the Federal Reserve,” CNN Money reports.
Daily Beast: “The Senate remains a remarkably politicized place. Tea Party rogues like Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are gumming up the works. Republicans are filibustering Obama judicial nominees. And a grand bargain on taxes and spending remains elusive as ever. But at the Yellen hearing, the members of the Senate Banking Committee signaled that they essentially accept the status quo.”
Wonk Wire: The good news and bad news for Janet Yellen.
Wisconsin Moves to Limit Recalls
The Wisconsin state Assembly “kicked off a raucous, likely late-night session Thursday by approving the first of two proposals limiting the ability of voters to recall elected officials — measures Republicans are advancing because of a wave of attempts to recall Gov. Scott Walker and state senators in 2011 and 2012,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“The twin proposals — one a change to state law, the other an amendment to the state constitution — would limit recalls to those who have been charged with crimes or ethics violations.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“We fumbled the rollout on this health-care law.”
— President Obama, at a White House news conference.
Ford Apologizes for Lewd Language
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has apologized for the “unforgivable language” he used on Thursday, but is standing firm that the new allegations that he partied with a prostitute and snorted cocaine are “100 per cent lies,” the Toronto Star reports.
Said Ford: “I used unforgivable language, and again, I apologize. These allegations are 100 per cent lies. When you attack my integrity as a father and as a husband, I see red.”
Obama’s Legacy Isn’t Doomed Yet
Andrew Sullivan: “Given how volatile our politics is right now – remember the conventional wisdom only six weeks ago? – I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. Except this one: a president can survive a judgment of incompetence in a critical area – like the website clusterfuck. And a president can survive being exposed as a focus-grouped liar on a political promise. But both at once? That could be a fatal combination. And Obama really has no one to blame but himself.”
“This does not mean an indictment of an entire presidency, or even the sign of a failed presidency. In their second terms, Clinton and Reagan were both exposed as liars – in the Lewinsky mess and the more serious Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. They were deeply wounded by both dramas, but were retroactively deemed successful nonetheless.”
Quote of the Year
“I’ve never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I’m
happily married. I’ve got more than enough to eat at home. Thank you
very much.”
— Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, in a statement, on allegations he told a staffer he wanted to “eat her pussy.”
Obama Will Allow Insurers to Continue Canceled Plans
The White House “will announce a plan for allowing insurance companies to continue offering existing individual insurance policies even if they fall short of the coverage standards set by the 2010 health-care law,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The move is designed to ease the problem created by the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of policies in recent weeks. It is likely to make it easier for the White House to dissuade Democrats from voting for a House Republican bill due to come to a vote on Friday that the Obama administration believes goes too far in trying to address the cancellation problem.”
GOP Regains Lead on Generic Congressional Ballot
A new Fox News poll shows Republicans leading the generic congressional ballot, 43 to 40%. In last month’s poll, Democrats led, 45% to 37%.
“The improvement in the generic Republican candidate’s position comes mostly from increased support among independents. Republicans still trail Democrats in congressional job ratings.”
Christie Loses Kean
Charles Stile: “Former Gov. Thomas H. Kean has taken great pride in watching Chris Christie, his onetime 14-year-old campaign volunteer, rise to become what Republicans like Kean are now calling the party’s best hope of reclaiming the White House.”
“But this week, the typical Kean praise for his protégé was gone. In its place was a sharp critique of Christie, tinged with bitterness.”
Tea Party Wages War on GOP Incumbents
Buzzfeed:
“A tea party group has launched a campaign to support primary
challenges against all 87 Republicans who voted for the deal in late
October to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling.”
