Detroit Free Press:
“Today, Detroit has the eye of the Republican Party. This morning, the
state Republican Party will open an African American Engagement Office
as part of a nationwide effort to reach out to black voters. Then, U.S.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. — expected by many to run for president in 2016 —
will outline a plan to the Detroit Economic Club to get the bankrupt
city back on its feet by slashing taxes. Along with a grassroots event
featuring Paul at Grace Bible Chapel on Oakman, the moves are designed
to help support a Republican plan to connect with minority voters who
widely rejected the party in last year’s presidential election.”
Brown Says No Timetable for Senate Decision
Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) was in New Hampshire last night but kept dodging the question of whether he would run for Senate from that state, the Londonberry Patch reports.
Said Brown: “I don’t think anything’s off the table at this point. I’m in no hurry, there’s no timetable.”
Meanwhile, a video caught Brown showing he wasn’t even sure what state he was in.
Politico: “Scott Brown: Where am I?”
Democrats Blast Third Way
“Several House Democrats are feeling heat for their connections to a centrist think tank that has called for cuts to federal entitlements, highlighting fissures within the Democratic Party over the direction of economic policy,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The lawmakers are being criticized by progressive groups due to their association with Third Way, a centrist think tank whose positions on issues are more conservative than those in the Democratic base. For instance, Third Way advocates some cuts to entitlement programs to help shrink the federal deficit.”
Obama Won’t Pick Between Clinton and Biden
President Obama stayed neutral about his possible successor, saying both Vice President Biden and former secretary of State Hillary Clinton “would make outstanding presidents,” The Hill reports.
Asked to “compare and contrast” the pair’s presidential attributes, Obama said there was “not a chance am I going there.”
He added: “They’ve got different strengths, but both of them would be outstanding.”
Obama Says Republicans Should Be Embarrassed
President Obama told Chris Matthews that Republicans ought to be “embarrassed” of their record low productivity during their time in charge of the House of Representatives.
Said Obama: “They’ve got to be embarrassed. Because the truth of the matter is they’ve now been in charge of the House of Representatives – one branch or one chamber in one branch of government – for a couple of years now. They just don’t have a lot to show for it.”
Quote of the Day
“I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set. And so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.”
— President Obama, quoted by the Washington Post.
World Mourns Nelson Mandela
“South Africans have gathered in Johannesburg and Soweto to mourn their former leader, Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday aged 95,” the BBC reports.
“Mandela spent 27 years in jail before becoming South Africa’s first black president in 1994. His administration replaced the racist white-minority regime that had enforced segregation of black and white people in a policy known as apartheid.”
New York Times: “As flags flew at half-staff across South Africa, a sense of loss, blended with memories of inspiration, spread around the world from President Obama in Washington to members of Britain’s royal family and on to those who saw Mr. Mandela as an exemplar of a broader struggle.”
Washington Post: “To a country torn apart by racial divisions, Mr. Mandela became its most potent symbol of national unity, using the power of forgiveness and reconciliation to heal deep-rooted wounds and usher in an era of peace after decades of conflict between blacks and whites… And to a world roiled by war, poverty and oppression, Mr. Mandela became its conscience, fighting to overcome some of its most vexing problems.”
Conversation with Mark Halperin
Mark Halperin, the co-author of Double Down: Game Change 2012, is our guest on today’s episode of the Political Wire podcast. It was a great conversation.
Listen here:
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This episode is sponsored by the Cook Political Report. If it’s your business to know politics, you need to be reading it.
On Wonk Wire
Republicans Back Off Pledges to Repeal Obamacare
“In a significant development, GOP candidates have embraced a concept
that was unthinkable a year ago: fixing President Obama’s landmark law,” The Hill reports.
“Others, meanwhile, have offered replacement healthcare plans.”
“Polling shows a majority of people would rather Congress fix the law than scrap it entirely, which is clearly playing a role in the Republican pivot. Yet, offering to fix a law that is reviled by the GOP base is politically tricky. Some in Republican circles want the law to flop miserably, which would increase the chances of an eventual repeal.”
Ford Denies Trying to Buy Crack Video
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford called allegations in a police document that he tried to buy a video showing him smoking crack cocaine an “outright lie” and “ridiculous,” the Toronto Star reports.
“The documents describe Ford’s habit of doing drugs including heroin with gang members, his offering to buy the crack video for $5,000 and a car and his being targeted for a blackmail attempt.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“The Affordable Care Act, as I said, the bill itself has got very good concepts and yes, I would support it again.”
— Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), quoted by WAFB.
LePage Says Climate Change is Good for Maine
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said that global climate change could have an upside for his state, the Bangor Daily News reports.
Said LePage: “Everybody looks at the negative effects of global warming, but with the ice melting, the Northern Passage has opened up. So maybe, instead of being at the end of the pipeline, we’re now at the beginning of a new pipeline.”
“The Northeast Passage, also known as the northern sea route, is a maritime route through the Arctic Circle that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, providing a shortcut from the U.S. East Coast to Asia — and all the markets therein — that shaves 40 percent off the distance of the traditional route through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal.”
Brown Holds Huge Leads in California
A new Field Poll finds California Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) public approval rating “has surged to a new high, and he is the overwhelming early favorite to win re-election next year.”
Key finding: 58% approve of the job Brown is doing, up seven points from July.
Brown leads his closest Republican challengers, former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado (R) and Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R), by more than 40 points.
Said pollster Mark DiCamillio: “It’s overwhelming. Voters may be satisfied enough with Jerry Brown that they never seriously entertain any of the challengers. At least that’s what it’s looking like at this stage.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Some of our members just aren’t as sensitive as they ought to be.”
— Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by the Washington Post, on GOP attitudes towards women.
De Blasio Picks Bratton as Police Chief
New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio (D) named William Bratton to lead the New York Police Department, the New York Times reports.
“The move will return Mr. Bratton to the helm of the nation’s largest force at a time of historically low crime rates and a deepening rift between officers and the public. The appointment has been highly anticipated and will most likely be among the most consequential for Mr. de Blasio, who turned discontent with the Police Department’s stop-and-frisk practices into a key part of his winning election run.”
White Women Sour on Obamacare
Political polling provided to National Journal shows that “white women” have soured considerably on Obamacare, “especially in the month since its botched rollout. The skepticism runs especially deep among blue-collar women, sometimes known as ‘waitress moms,’ whose deeply pessimistic attitudes toward the Affordable Care Act should riddle Democratic candidates with anxiety.””
Quote of the Day
“I think that we have to be very aggressive on what she’s done or hasn’t done. And the things that she is famous for, like a
botched health care rollout in the 90s, and Benghazi, and the things
that she is involved with that are or went obviously pretty badly, we
need to focus in on.”
— RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, tell Hugh Hewitt that the opposition research against Hillary Clinton has already begun.
