The Obama administration “is considering putting the Pentagon in charge of arming and training moderate rebel forces in Syria, a move that could help expand the effort significantly beyond the limited scope of the current Central Intelligence Agency program,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The move would substantially revamp one of the administration’s most secretive and controversial undertakings in the 2½-year-old civil war.”
New York City comptroller candidate Scott Stringer (D) “voted against Megan’s Law — which created a state registry to track convicted sex fiends after their release from prison — when he was in the state Assembly in 1995,” the New York Post reports.
Stringer said he voted against the law “initially because of concerns that such monitoring would drive sex offenders further underground. But he subsequently changed his tune.”
Stringer was accused yesterday of voting in favor of a pro-pedophile group.
Charles Baker (R), the GOP’s defeated candidate for governor in 2010, “will announce a second gubernatorial campaign Wednesday, according to three top Massachusetts Republican leaders briefed on his decision, a highly anticipated move that party insiders see as critical to Republican hopes of recapturing the governor’s office,” the Boston Globe reports.
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Nathan Gonzales: “Local races rarely have an impact on statewide or congressional elections, but a trio of local races this year could have an effect on three competitive House districts next year.”
David Hawkings points out that “only one of the top five members of the bipartisan congressional hierarchy still sits on the fence about launching a punitive strike against Syria: Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader.”
“McConnell looks to be taking as much time as he can. He’s weighing his political considerations back home, where an isolationist stance would provide clear short-term benefit, against the pressures of his leadership role at the Capitol, where he’s spent almost three decades as a Republican voice for a hawkish defense posture and an interventionist foreign policy.”
Ruby Cramer and Evan McMorris-Santoro report that Al Gore’s climate change group, which was supposed to revolutionize the movement, has shrunk considerably in the last six years — down in employees, contributions, and expenditures.
“The numbers, according to a review of the nonprofit’s tax filings, show the change has been severe. In 2009, at its peak, Gore’s group had more than 300 employees, with 40 field offices across 28 states, and a serious war chest: It poured $28 million into advertising and promotion, and paid about $200,000 in lobbying fees at the height of the “cap and trade” energy bill fight on Capitol Hill.”
“Today, the group has just over 30 people on staff and has abandoned its on-the-ground presence — all of its field offices have since shut down — in favor of a far cheaper digital advocacy plan run out of Washington. Advertising expenses have decreased from the millions to the thousands, and the organization no longer lobbies lawmakers.”
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing shot back after Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said that he would “blow up” Detroit and start over, the Detroit News reports.
Said Bing: “I would think the mayor of a city that recently experienced a deadly bombing attack would be more sensitive and not use the phrase ‘blow up.'”
The Boston Herald notes Menino apologized for his choice of words.
“After years of enormous power and political influence, no member of the Bush family currently holds political office,” the New York Times reports.
“But as the focus on military action in Syria drags former President George W. Bush’s Iraq war policy back into the spotlight, the Bush family is quietly but forcefully gearing up for another, still-developing debate: The fight on Capitol Hill over a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws — a discussion critical to protecting the Bushes’ legacy on what has, for decades, been a defining issue for them.”
Wonk Wire has a video of a Republican official explaining how he’ll stop implementation in Georgia.
The Washington Post has a nice interactive chart that tracks how many lawmakers favor, oppose or are undecided on authorizing the use of military force against Syria.
Wonk Wire highlights four reasons why stagnant economic growth will continue.
Also interesting is how state and local governments are a drag on GDP.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak “has a simple solution for gay Chicago couples looking to get legally married — come to our city,” NBC Chicago reports.
“Rybak, a vocal proponent of same-sex marriage in Minesota, is spearheading a Chicago campaign that includes print and digital ads that will appear in local publications this week.”
A new Quinnipiac poll finds Bill de Blasio surging to 43% support among likely voters in the Democratic primary for mayor, followed by William Thompson at 20%, Christine Quinn at 18%, Anthony Weiner at 7% and John Liu at 4%.
If anyone exceeds 40% support in the primary there is no run off.
Said pollster Maurice Carroll: “Can Public Advocate Bill de Blasio keep his surge going for seven more days? If he does, his first contribution could be to the New York City budget – saving the expense of a run-off election.”
Carl DeMaio (R) announced that he will continue his bid for Congress against freshman Rep. Scott Peters (D) and will not run in a mayoral special to replace disgraced San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D), Roll Call reports.
Jeb Bradley (R) tells WMUR-TV that he will not run for statewide office in 2014, “a significant blow” to New Hampshire Republicans who nearly took it for granted that Bradley would run for either governor or U.S. Senate next year.
A new Pew Research survey finds President Obama “faces an uphill battle in making the case for U.S. military action in Syria. By a 48% to 29% margin, more Americans oppose than support conducting military airstrikes against Syria in response to reports that the Syrian government used chemical weapons.”
Key findings: “Just 29% of Democrats favor conducting airstrikes against Syria while 48% are opposed. Opinion among independents is similar (29% favor, 50% oppose). Republicans are more divided, with 35% favoring airstrikes and 40% opposed.”
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds 59% oppose U.S. missile strikes in Syria, far more than the 36% who support them.
Wonk Wire looks at the evidence.
And First Read asks a very interesting question: “Would a Congress that authorizes military action in Syria shut down the U.S. government and default just a few weeks later?”
“President Obama did not write the red line. History wrote the red line decades ago.”
— House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), quoted by the New York Times, on the need to attack Syria over its use of chemical weapons.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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