Wonk Wire looks at a new proposal — which would not need congressional approval — that President Obama thinks might be one of his biggest legacies.
Booker Wins Primary Easily
Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) has easily prevailed in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, the Newark Star Ledger reports.
Results show Booker well ahead of his three rivals: Reps. Rush Holt (D) and Frank Pallone (D), and state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D). The difference is so large — with Booker leading his closest opponent, Pallone, by a two-to-one margin — that the Associated Press called the race with just 7 percent of the vote in.
Roll Call: “Beyond his financial advantage and personal popularity, Booker is a
heavy favorite thanks to the state’s strong Democratic lean in federal
elections. President Barack Obama won the state with 58 percent in 2012,
and no Republican has been elected to the Senate from New Jersey in
four decades.”
Filner Rejects Recall Campaign
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D), “in his first public statement since taking a leave of absence to enter sexual harassment therapy, refused to bow to a campaign seeking his ouster through a recall election, touting his accomplishments in office instead,” Reuters reports.
Said Filner: “Now is not the time to go backwards. We need to continue to move forward.”
Quote of the Day
“That you did. That’s true.”
— New York City Comptroller candidate Scott Stringer, quoted by NY1, in response to Eliot Spitzer saying he “got my hands dirty” as attorney general and governor.
Democrats Have Still Secret Candidate in West Virginia
Democrats have finally found a recruit to run for the open Senate seat in West Virginia, Roll Call reports.
Said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): “I think we’re going to be very competitive in — in West Virginia, we have a candidate there who should be announcing shortly.”
A New Window Into the 2012 Campaign
Charlie Cook: “By the end of a presidential campaign year, I’m sure I’m not the only political junkie who finally hits a saturation point and is very glad it’s over. While no one actually lives and breathes politics 24/7, or even every waking hour, for those totally immersed in that world, you do eventually hit the wall and don’t even want to think about it anymore.”
“But as predictable as that tipping point is for me, there is another point, when the dust has settled and someone comes out with a really first-rate chronicle of a campaign. This chronicle normally covers not just the ‘what happened, when, and why’–based on unparalleled access to the candidates, managers, strategists, and others–but also fills in holes that even the most devout political aficionados missed during the campaign, when we are all drinking out of a proverbial fire hose of information, data, and opinions. For the 2012 election, that book is now out. Washington Post chief correspondent Dan Balz’s new book, Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America, is everything one would expect from the worthy successor to the mantle of Balz’s mentor, the late David Broder.”
De Blasio Jumps Into Lead for New York Mayor
A new Quinnipiac poll in New York City finds Bill de Blasio leads the Democratic race for mayor with 30%, followed by Christine Quinn at 24%, Bill Thompson at 22%, Anthony Weiner at 10% and John Liu at 6%.
Said pollster Maurice Carroll: “A few weeks ago, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio looked like an also-ran. Today, he’s the leader of the pack, and a winner in the runoffs. Follow the bouncing ball, folks. This line-up keeps changing.”
Haley Will Announce Re-election Bid This Month
The Columbia State reports
that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) will officially kick-off her
re-election bid on Aug. 26 with fellow governors — and potential 2016 presidential
candidates — Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Rick Perry of Texas, and Bobby
Jindal — in town for the rally and a subsequent fundraiser.
Biden Keeps You Guessing
Associated Press:
“Joe Biden may run for president in 2016, or he may not. But he wants
you to know he could. Iowa. New Hampshire. South Carolina. Michigan.
Three years out from the next presidential election, the vice president
is polishing his connections and racking up favors in all the right
states to ensure he stays part of the conversation, keeping his name
near the top of a list of likely contenders even if the prime spot seems
to have already been claimed by Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
McConnell Does Not Favor a Government Shutdown
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that while he does not like the President Obama’s health care law, shutting down the government over funding it “will not stop” it from existing, Roll Call reports.
Said McConnell: “I’m for stopping Obamacare, but shutting down the government will not stop Obamacare.”
“The political dangers of a government shutdown showdown are very real
for Republicans, and that McConnell would imply that, to constituents
at home, demonstrates how problematic this particular divide in the
party is.”
Wonk Wire: Just another Obamacare delay.
Does Cory Booker Really Want to Go to Washington?
Jay Newton-Small says Cory Booker would have been better off running for governor than dealing with a gridlocked Congress.
“Booker’s claim to fame is the ancient art of retail politics, with a very modern social media twist. Snowed in during a blizzard? Just tweet him and he’ll come dig you out. (Maybe personally.) Pothole? Let him know; he’ll send a crew. Booker might even come and rescue you from a burning house… Senators don’t fix potholes. Never mind flaming buildings-they rarely even kiss babies… Assuming Booker wins today and prevails against a weak GOP field in the October 16 special election, his prize will be a backbench seat in a hated institution where he’ll be expected to dim his wattage, at least in the short term. It’s almost enough to make a burning house sound like fun. But for now, it seems, Booker will have to settle for it.”
Can Twitter Predict Elections?
National Journal: “A study published Monday reports that campaigns could use Twitter to successfully predict the winner of most races… The key measure, researchers from Indiana University found, was a candidate’s ‘tweet share,’ the percentage of total tweets about a race that mention them. The more often a candidate is mentioned on Twitter relative to their opponent, the study reported, the greater their chance for victory.”
“The findings were comprehensive: An analysis of tweets from the 2010 midterm elections found the data correctly predicted the winner in 404 of the 406 House races.”
Expect Campaign Ads Earlier Than Ever
Roll Call: “Congressional campaign ad wars in the summer? It could happen in 2014. Without a presidential race dominating the airwaves, House and Senate races will be on the receiving end of an unprecedented deluge of political spending.”
Government Bullies
Just published: Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans Are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Feds by Sen. Rand Paul.
Clinton Begins Next Phase
“Hillary Clinton’s next phase of life — the co-leader of a family foundation — has officially begun,” Politico reports.
“She’s coming in to her husband’s signature foundation, which has been renamed for all three Clintons (their daughter has an increased presence). It’s the first time the two elder Clintons, both of whom have led independent careers as separate political actors, are yoking their careers together doing essentially the same type of work at the same place, and at the same time, since the 1992 campaign.”
Kerry Taps Old Allies for Top Positions
Secretary of State John Kerry “has filled the top rungs of the State Department with numerous advisers from his 30-year political career in Massachusetts,” the Boston Globe reports.
“Secretaries of state have always had leeway to name their own top officials, but Kerry, like Hillary Rodham Clinton before him, is one of the few politicians to hold the top diplomatic post in modern times. That gives him a deep network of loyal political supporters and experts to take on leadership positions.”
“While enlisting many familiar faces from policy circles, Kerry has also frequently promoted from the career ranks of the Foreign Service and elevated more women to senior posts, according to his supporters in the department.”
Lawmakers Limit Town Hall Meetings
New York Times: “Though Republicans in recent years have harnessed the political power of these open mic, face-the-music sessions, people from both parties say they are noticing a decline in the number of meetings. They also say they are seeing Congressional offices go to greater lengths to conceal when and where the meetings take place.”
“With memories of those angry protests still vivid, it seems that one of the unintended consequences of a movement that thrived on such open, often confrontational interactions with lawmakers is that there are fewer members of Congress now willing to face their constituents.”
Budget Deficit on Track to 5-Year Low
The government reported a $97.6 billion deficit for July but remains on track to post its lowest annual budget gap in five years, the AP reports.
