A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie is still enjoying a high job approval rating from his New Jersey constituents, but the number has dipped from 74% to 68%.
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Deal Reached on Background Checks
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA) signaled they have “reached a deal in principle on expanding background checks to include more gun sales, in what was widely seen as the major sticking point on the biggest gun control legislation to reach the floor since 1994,” Roll Call reports.
They will hold a news conference at 11 am Wednesday.
Did Somebody Bug Mitch McConnell’s Office?
The Week looks at the evidence.
Supreme Court Nominee-in-Waiting
Jeffrey Toobin: “The next Supreme Court confirmation hearing begins on Wednesday afternoon, April 10th. Technically, Sri Srinivasan is just a candidate for the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but few are misled. The stakes in this nomination are clear: if Srinivasan passes this test and wins confirmation, he’ll be on the Supreme Court before President Obama’s term ends.”
“Srinivasan, who is forty-six years old, is currently the Obama
Administration’s principal deputy solicitor general. He’s had twenty or
so arguments in the Supreme Court, including part of the
Administration’s attack on the Defense of Marriage Act last month.”
Kelly Will Replace Jackson in Congress
Robin Kelly (D) “claimed victory tonight in a low-turnout contest to decide the successor to former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in a 2nd Congressional District with a history of scandal-plagued representation,” the Chicago Tribune reports.
Reuters reports that with nearly three quarters of precincts reporting, Kelly had 91.9% of the vote.
Why You Can Ignore Obama’s Budget
Wonk Wire: President Obama is so late to the game that his budget — to be released tomorrow — might be irrelevant.
McConnell Leads Three Potential Challengers
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Kentucky shows Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) leading all three of his potential opponents for re-election.
McConnell leads Ben Chandler (D), 46% to 41%, tops Ed Marksberry (D), 46% to 35%, and beats Alison Lundergan Grimes (D), 45% to 41%.
Reid Tests GOP Fissures on Gun Filibuster
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is testing Republicans’ resolve to filibuster gun legislation by setting up an important procedural vote on the measure Thursday, Roll Call reports.
Reid “filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the most ambitious set of gun control proposals to reach the Senate floor since 1994. The package is a top priority for President Obama and congressional Democrats, who in recent days have assailed a group of 13 Senate Republicans — in addition to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — for threatening to block an up-or-down vote on the plan.”
The Week: Is the GOP’s filibuster threat collapsing?
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Under this law, I am considered a felon. I am not your equal.”
— Montana Rep. Bryce Bennett (D), quoted by the Missoulian, arguing for repeal of a state law that criminalizes gay sex.
The Most Vulnerable Governor in 2014
Micah Cohen: “The two most unpopular governors up for re-election in 2014 are Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, an independent, and Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, a Democrat. But the remaining eight governors with net negative job approval ratings are Republicans, including four who rode the Tea Party wave to power in blue and purple states in 2010 and now appear to be in some danger: Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, Gov. Paul LePage of Maine and Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan.”
The Most Vulnerable Senator in 2014
Stuart Rothenberg says the distinction of most vulnerable incumbent senator “surely boils down to either Arkansas’ Mark Pryor or Louisiana’s Mary L. Landrieu.”
“It’s a close call on who is more vulnerable, but I’d probably pick Pryor,” especially if Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR) runs. The Harvard-educated Iraq veteran who worked for McKinsey would be an especially difficult opponent for Pryor, and the Democratic base in Arkansas appears to be evaporating quickly.”
McConnell Wants FBI Investigation for Leaked Audio
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) “campaign has accused opponents of bugging McConnell’s headquarters and has asked for an FBI investigation after a recording from an internal campaign meeting surfaced,” the Washington Post reports.
Themes for the Midterm Elections
Charlie Cook: “At this point, there are two competing theories on what theme will
dominate the 2014 congressional elections. The one that seems to have
become the conventional wisdom is that Republicans will continue to have
problems with perception of their brand–specifically with younger,
minority, female, and moderate voters. The other scenario is that as
more provisions of the Affordable Care Act kick in early next year,
certain ones will alienate many voters who now either support or are
ambivalent toward ‘Obamacare,’ creating an undertow for Democratic
candidates. Other scenarios could develop, but these now seem to be the
most plausible.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“At the very least, the council should have also included a requirement for warning signs on women’s and girl’s public restroom and locker room doors saying that women and girls may be confronted there by men who think they are women.”
— Michigan state Rep. Tom McMillin (R), quoted by MLive, opposing a law because it would allow transgendered men and women to use restrooms designated for the opposite sex.
Tennessee Politician Arrested for Indecent Exposure
A former Tennessee politician “who was investigated on indecent exposure allegations while in office more than two years ago has been arrested… after a new complaint was filed,” the Kingsport Times-News reports.
William Lee Blakely “is charged with one count of indecent exposure as a result of allegations made by a female motorist who claimed that he ‘fondled himself’ and made obscene gestures while they drove beside each other on Interstate 26.”
A witness told WJHL-TV that Blakely was masturbating out of his open car window while speeding down the highway at 90 miles per hour.
Republicans Divided Over Gun Control Filibuster
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) broke with 14 of his Republican colleagues saying he believes gun control legislation deserves a “vote up or down,” Politico reports.
Said Isakson: “I’ll speak for myself on that question. There’s no ambivalence on the gun issue, I think everyone knows what the issues are. We have not seen the final draft of the legislation that was produced, I understand, last night, but I think it deserves a vote up or down.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) had similar sentiments on CBS News over the weekend “I don’t understand it. What are we afraid of?…If this issue is as important as all of us think it is…why not take it up and debate?”
The Week: Why Senate Republicans should think hard about a filibuster of gun control legislation.
Landrieu Holds Small Lead Over Cassidy
A new Harper Polling survey in Louisiana finds Sen.Mary Landrieu (D-LA) with a small lead over Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in a possible U.S. Senate race, 46% to 41%.
Key findings: Landrieu leads among women 50% to 33% while Cassidy leads among men 48% to 41%. Among white voters, Cassidy leads 49% to 34%.
Chicago Voters Head to the Polls
Chicago Tribune: “Voters across the Chicago area will go to the polls for local elections today, picking winners in a range of races from a replacement for U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson to a high-profile suburban mayoral contest featuring a former Bears’ star.”
