Political Wire

Remembering Marion Barry

November 24, 2014 at 12:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

David Remnick on the late Washington, DC Mayor Marion Barry:

“Give him this: Marion Barry was the most vivid local politician in the history of the District of Columbia. Like Earl and Huey Long, of Louisiana, he was a kaleidoscopically strange and contradictory political beast: a man of civil rights, a man of fallen character, a cunning operator, an arrogant hack, a builder, an underminer, a spokesman for the dispossessed, a bullsh!% artist.”

Jeff Smith notes that other than “I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky,” Barry contributed perhaps the most memorable quote to the political scandal lexicon when he realized that his ex-girlfriend had videotaped him smoking crack cocaine: “I’ll be goddamned. Bitch set me up.”

Ready for Hillary, But Why?

November 24, 2014 at 11:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

Ryan Lizza: “It was an odd event: reporters asked questions about Hillary Clinton’s plans and policy agenda to a group of people who knew as little as anyone about her presumptive campaign and its messaging. In that sense, the Ready for Hillary meeting was the perfect embodiment of the Democrats’ current Hillary problem: everyone in the party seems to be supporting her, and yet nobody can articulate exactly why.”

“The meeting came at the end of an eventful week—one that only underscored Clinton’s continued reluctance to explain what she might want to do as President. In Congress, the Senate debated two major issues: the Keystone XL pipeline and reform of the National Security Agency. Clinton remained silent about both.”

Democrats Buried in West Virginia

November 24, 2014 at 11:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard 79 Comments

“Election night was bad for Democrats all over the country, but arguably there were few states where it was worse for their future — and better for Republicans — than in West Virginia,” the New York Times reports.

“Democrats in the state, long accustomed to controlling virtually every part of the government, lost a Senate race and two competitive House races. They secured a majority in the state legislature’s lower house for the first time in eight decades, and after a postelection party switch gave up control of the state Senate as well. Come January, Republicans will hold all of West Virginia’s congressional House seats for the first time since 1921. They even elected the nation’s youngest legislator, 18-year-old Saira Blair, to the state house.”

Why Republicans Are Losing the Immigration Fight

November 24, 2014 at 11:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

First Read: “There are two reasons why Republicans aren’t winning the political fight over President Obama’s executive action on immigration. One: The GOP remains divided in how to respond (beyond decrying the action Obama took on Thursday). Two: It ceded the political high ground when House Republicans refused to consider any immigration bill that dealt with border enforcement and the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.”

Over the weekend, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said, “I think we ought to put legislation on the president’s desk. That ought to be the response.” And Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “Shame on us as Republicans. Shame on us as Republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that it’s national security, that’s cultural and it’s economic… I’m disappointed in my party.”

“As long as there are these kinds of quotes from Republicans, the GOP isn’t going to win this fight, even if the public doesn’t like the process Obama used here.”

Kirk Warns Duckworth Not to Challenge Him

November 24, 2014 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 41 Comments

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) says Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) “has a bright future ahead of her” — as long as she doesn’t get in his way in 2016, The Hill reports.

Said Kirk: “She has a very bright future ahead of her. After only one term … you know, when you run for the Senate, you have to give up your congressional seat. If she gives up her congressional seat and loses against me, that’s a very sad ending to a bright career.”

He added: “To fight and lose a Senate race against Kirk is a terrible start to a career.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]It’s touching that Kirk is so concerned for Duckworth’s career. [/speech_bubble]

Shortlist to Replace Chuck Hagel

November 24, 2014 at 10:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard 26 Comments

The New York Times says the shortlist to replace Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel includes Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Michele Flournoy, a former under secretary of defense, and Ashton Carter, a former deputy secretary of defense.

Roll Call says that confirmation of Reed “would presumably be a foregone conclusion.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Of course, Reed has turned down the job before. Perhaps the thought of being in the Senate minority will help change his mind. [/speech_bubble]

Hagel Stepping Down as Defense Secretary

November 24, 2014 at 9:14 am EST By Taegan Goddard 39 Comments

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel “is stepping down under pressure, the first cabinet-level casualty of the collapse of President Obama’s Democratic majority in the Senate and a beleaguered national security team that has struggled to stay ahead of an onslaught of global crises,” the New York Times reports.

“The president, who is expected to announce Mr. Hagel’s resignation in a Rose Garden appearance on Monday, made the decision to ask his defense secretary — the sole Republican on his national security team — to step down last Friday after a series of meetings over the past two weeks… The officials described Mr. Obama’s decision to remove Mr. Hagel, 68, as a recognition that the threat from the Islamic State would require a different kind of skills than those that Mr. Hagel was brought on to employ.”

One administration official “insisted that Mr. Hagel was not fired, saying that he initiated discussions about his future two weeks ago with the president, and that the two men mutually agreed that it was time for him to leave.”

However, senior defense officials confirmed to NBC News that Hagel was forced to resign. Said one: “He wasn’t up to the job.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Obama’s relationship with all three of his defense secretaries – Gates, Panetta and Hagel – has ended badly. [/speech_bubble]

The Most Powerful Woman in the World

November 24, 2014 at 7:59 am EST By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

The New Yorker has a must-read piece on the rise of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Said former U.S. Ambassador to Germany John Kornblum: “If you cross her, you end up dead. There’s nothing cushy about her. There’s a whole list of alpha males who thought they would get her out of the way, and they’re all now in other walks of life.”

Paul Will Introduce War Resolution

November 24, 2014 at 7:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard 48 Comments

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) will introduce a measure in the U.S. Senate next month to declare war on the Islamic State, the Daily Beast reports.

“The move is part of Paul’s ongoing campaign to position himself as a foreign-policy heavyweight ahead of the Republican presidential primaries, when he is expected to mount a campaign for the nomination. But it may simply be dismissed as a tit-for-tat gesture as Republicans complain of executive overreach in the aftermath of President Obama’s executive order on immigration.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]A very clever move that helps quell doubts about Paul’s desire to use the military abroad while at the same time reasserting congressional authority.[/speech_bubble]

GOP Hopefuls Avoid Specifics in Response to Obama

November 24, 2014 at 7:11 am EST By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

“The rhetoric is barbed, but Republican presidential hopefuls generally fell in line behind the voices of restraint in the wake of President Obama’s order blocking deportation for millions of immigrants in the country unlawfully,” the AP reports.

“Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has been an exception. He said the new Republican-controlled Senate that takes office in January should refuse to confirm any of Obama’s nominees except for vital national security positions as long as the president’s order remains in effect.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Of course, they’re mostly avoiding specifics because Republican voters are divided on immigration reform.[/speech_bubble]

Christie Leads GOP Field in New Hampshire

November 24, 2014 at 7:09 am EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

A new Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm New Hampshire Poll finds Chris Christie leading the GOP presidential field in New Hampshire with 22%, followed by Jeb Bush at 20%, Sen. Rand Paul at 19%, Mike Huckabee at 8%, Ben Carson at 7% and Rep. Paul Ryan at 5%.

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]If there’s any news in this very early poll, it’s Rand Paul’s strength in New Hampshire. He has real potential to shake up the GOP presidential primaries.[/speech_bubble]

McConnell Already Plotting to Keep Majority in 2016

November 24, 2014 at 6:51 am EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “is quietly pushing his fellow Republican senators to beef up their political shops. He’s considering a new super PAC that could spend millions on Senate races. And he’s locking down operatives for another cycle who were key to GOP triumphs this month,” Politico reports.

“The under-the-radar moves less than three weeks after the 2014 midterms and a month-and-a-half before McConnell takes over for Harry Reid makes clear the brutal reality in front of Republicans: Their majority could be short lived.”

No Republican Next In Line This Time

November 23, 2014 at 5:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 61 Comments

“Republican presidential primaries have for decades been orderly affairs, with any momentary drama mitigated by the expectation that the party would inevitably nominate its tested, often graying front-runner,” the New York Times reports.

“But as the 2016 White House campaign effectively began in the last week, it became apparent that this race might be different: a fluid contest, verging on chaotic, that will showcase the party’s deep bench of talent but also highlight its ideological and generational divisions.”

‘I’m Just an Executive Order’

November 23, 2014 at 1:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

SNL mocked President Obama’s use of an executive order to change the country’s immigration policy.

Graham Says White House Bid Possible

November 23, 2014 at 12:23 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 51 Comments

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will not rule out a 2016 presidential bid, The Hill reports.

Said Graham: “I’m thinking of trying to fix illegal immigration and replacing sequestration. I will let you know if I think about running for president. It’s the hardest thing one could ever do. You go through personal hell. You have got to raise a ton of money. I’m nowhere near there.”

Asked if his response could be labeled as a “maybe,” Graham nodded and said, “That’s what it was.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]There’s no downside to saying you’re considering running for president but I’d be very surprised if Graham jumped in the race.[/speech_bubble]

Democrats Have Given Up on Landrieu

November 23, 2014 at 12:21 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 41 Comments

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) “is running out of ways to win her runoff in Louisiana next month,” National Journal reports.

“At this point, her party isn’t swooping in to save the day: National Democrats have pulled the plug on her race. With roughly $10 million in debt from the 2014 election cycle and a pile of losses from Arkansas to Colorado, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee canceled roughly $2 million in television advertising spots it had reserved when Landrieu’s runoff race was still seen as competitive or possibly the deciding race for control of the Senate.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]Landrieu is the last Democratic senator in the Deep South. It may be quite a while before there’s another one.[/speech_bubble]

Obama Kicks Off Long Fight

November 23, 2014 at 12:19 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 36 Comments

President Obama “did more in 15 minutes Thursday night to ignite a divisive debate across the country he had once promised to unite than at any other moment during his six years in the White House,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“As a result, Mr. Obama now faces a final two years in office likely to be consumed by a new set of legal challenges and bitter political battles that will stretch far beyond the divided halls of government in Washington.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

November 23, 2014 at 12:16 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

“Shame on us as Republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that’s national security, that’s cultural, that’s economic. I’m close to the people in the House, but I’m disappointed in my party. Are we still the party of self-deportation?”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by The Hill.

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