Stu Rothenberg: “The deal to open the government and raise the debt ceiling may be done, but the damage to the national Republican Party is considerable.”
Cuccinelli Falls Further Behind
A new NBC4/NBC News/Marist poll finds Ken Cuccinelli (R) slipping further behind Terry McAuliffe (D) in the race for Virginia governor, 46% to 38% among likely voters. Libertarian Robert Sarvis gets 9 percent.
McAuliffe’s lead is 3 points wider than a month ago when he was ahead by 43% to 38%.
Key finding: “The Republican Party brand appears to be badly damaged in the commonwealth – 62% said they had an unfavorable view of the party, while just 33% said they viewed the party favorably. Among independents, it was even worse. By a 71% to 23% margin, the GOP was viewed negatively.”
Mitch McConnell, Then and Now
“The House has been sending over, we think, perfectly reasonable suggestions about trying to slow down the train wreck called Obamacare… The House has been very reasonable here in trying to get the Senate to at least engage in some adjustments to this Obamacare train wreck.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in an interview with WHAS on the budget showdown, 9/28/13
“They knew I had a weak hand, given the time we had squandered on this quixotic venture that had no chance of success.”
— McConnell, in an interview with National Review, 10/17/13
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“There’s nothing in this for conservatives. Not even a bright or shiny object. I don’t know how you negotiate up from this capitulation. I think the long faces are a result of the realization, if not the vocalization yet, that this sets the precedent for this Congress.”
— Rep. Tom Massie (R-KY), quoted by TPM, on the deal to end the government shutdown and lift the debt ceiling.
Conservative Groups Align Against Cochran
A trio of conservative groups — The Club For Growth, Senate Conservatives Fund and the Madison Project — announced they will back Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) who announced a primary challenge against Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), the Washington Post reports.
Dick Cheney’s Heart
Out next week: Heart: An American Medical Odyssey by Dick Cheney and Dr. Jonathan Reiner, his longtime cardiologist.
Screaming Donkeys
Former Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) has a new ad out for her new super PAC.
You have to watch it to believe it.
McConnell Says He Will Not Allow Another Shutdown
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told The Hill that he will not allow another government shutdown as part of a strategy to repeal Obamacare.
Said McConnell: “One of my favorite old Kentucky sayings is there’s no education in the second kick of a mule. The first kick of a mule was when we shut the government down in the mid 1990s and the second kick was over the last 16 days. There is no education in the second kick of a mule. There will not be a government shutdown.”
He added: “I think we have fully now acquainted our new members with what a losing strategy that is.”
On Wonk Wire
Alien Movie Quote or GOP Description of Obamacare?
This Huffington Post quiz is harder than you might think.
Weiner Says He’s a ‘Soulless Vessel’
GQ speaks to Anthony Weiner about his failed attempt at a political comeback and the stress it put on his marriage with Huma Abedin.
Said Weiner: “One thing I’m grateful for is that now I’m under no obligation to answer anything like this. But we’ve had a very rough time. It causes me a great deal of pain in the way she gets reported and the way she gets discussed. Her treatment in the press has been rough. It pains me because I deserve it. She doesn’t.”
“I duck it as best I can, but her reputation has become the Woman Who Married an Idiot and Stuck with Him. More of it rolls off my back, because that’s the way I am constitutionally. She’s more sensitive. I’m just an empty, soulless vessel, so it doesn’t hurt me as much.”
Don’t Underestimate Democrats in 2014
Harry Enten: “The indispensable Cook Political Report has only has 13 Democratic-held seats listed in the relatively competitive tossup or “lean” category. Of course, Democrats need to take 17 seats to win the House. The ratings reflect, among other things, a lack of strong challengers for the Democrats and lack of retirements by Republicans.”
“The thing is that expert ratings (like most polling) are not all that predictive a year out from an election. At this point in the 2006 cycle, there were 17 Republican seats in the lean or tossup categories. That’s well short of the 30 seats that Democrats would ultimately take from Republicans.”
McConnell Now Trails in Re-Election Race
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Kentucky finds Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) now trails challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes (D), 45% to 43%.
Key finding: 48% of Kentucky voters say they’re less likely to support McConnell for reelection next year because he supported the government shutdown, compared to only 34% who say they’re now more likely to support him.
Obama Pushes Immigration Reform, Farm Bill
President Obama “urged his Republican adversaries to view the end of the government shutdown and debt ceiling battles of recent weeks as new opportunities for bipartisan compromise in the weeks ahead,” the New York Times reports.
“Obama declared that the ‘full faith and credit of the United States remains unquestioned.’ But he pleaded for a new spirit of cooperation in Washington that did not undermine government as an institution. He proposed working this year on developing a long-term budget, agreeing on an immigration overhaul and passing a new farm bill.”
The Sequester is Worse
Norm Ornstein: “Damaging as the shutdown is for governance, it is minor compared with the long-term damage of the sequester. The FBI has had to reduce its focus on white-collar and organized crime to deal with the higher, immediate priority of cybersecurity. The food-inspection infrastructure has been hit, reducing the number of inspectors in the U.S. and in foreign plants that ship food to the United States. This will undoubtedly lead to more outbreaks of salmonella and E. coli, with a weakened Centers for Disease Control less able to cope with the epidemics. Basic research, as I have written before, is taking devastating hits–starting with NIH but including DARPA and every other area done primarily by the federal government. Some of the damage will never be repaired. And the nation’s economy will grow more slowly, adding to our deficits and debt.”
6 Surprises in House Fundraising
Roll Call: “House campaigns reported their fundraising totals for July through September this week, revealing some surprising hauls from more than a handful of members and candidates.”
Cruz Left with Few Friends
Dallas Morning News:
“It might be time for Ted Cruz to get a dog. Because as the saying
goes, if you want a friend in Washington, that’s what you do. And by the
time Cruz’s crusade to defund Obamacare finally crashed to a halt
Wednesday, the Texas senator had precious few friends left. The
government shutdown alienated colleagues in both parties. It generated
fresh animosity toward the tea party and a flurry of recriminations
toward Cruz. Voter support for the Republican Party plunged. And the
health care law survived unscathed.”
Did Republicans Just Hand Clinton the White House?
Michael Hirsh: “In the innermost sanctum of Clintonland, it is difficult to imagine that Hillary and Bill, two of the savviest politicians in the country, are not pinching themselves to make sure that it’s all real. Perhaps they’re dancing a jig together, or knocking back shots and howling at the moon out of sheer, giddy joy at their good luck. (OK, Hillary’s not howling, but Bill might be.) Or maybe they are just quietly kvelling over the latest turn of events.”
“Because the trend lines are unmistakable, and they’re looking better all the time: If she wants to run in 2016, Hillary Rodham Clinton could have the easiest walk into the White House of any candidate in either party since, well, one has to go back a very long way. Maybe to Reagan in ’84. LBJ in ’64, or Eisenhower in ’52, or even FDR in 1932, 1936 and 1940. The presidency is looking like it’s hers to lose, more than ever.”
