“No single law or set of laws can eliminate evil from the world… but that can’t be an excuse for inaction.”
— President Obama, speaking at a memorial service for victims of the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
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Boehner Offers to Lift Debt Limit for One Year
House Speaker John Boehner “has offered to push any fight over the federal debt limit off for a year, a concession that would deprive Republicans of leverage in the budget battle but is breathing new life into stalled talks over the year-end fiscal cliff,” the Washington Post reports.
“Boehner’s offer signals that he expects a big deal with sufficient savings to meet his demand that any debt limit increase be paired dollar-for-dollar with spending cuts. That would permit him to keep a key vow to his party — and head off a potentially nasty debt-limit fight — at least until the end of next year.”
Gun Control Lessons from LBJ
Joseph Califano: “If ever there were a moment for President Obama to learn from history, it is now, in the wake of Friday’s shootings at the elementary school at Newtown, Conn. The timely lesson for Obama, drawn from the experience of Lyndon B. Johnson — the last president to aggressively fight for comprehensive gun control — is this: Demand action on comprehensive gun control immediately from this Congress or lose the opportunity during your presidency.”
Berlusconi Announces His Engagement
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, 76 years old and still married to his second wife, announced he was engaged to Francesca Pascale, his 27-year old girlfriend, the Telegraph reports.
Said Berlusconi: “Finally I feel less lonely.”
Berlusconi plans to launch his fourth bid to be prime minister in elections expected to be held in February next year unless current Prime Minister Mario Monti decides to run.
Crist Heavily Favored in a Democratic Primary
A new ClearView Research poll in Florida finds former Gov. Charlie Crist (D) is the clear favorite for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2014 over Alex Sink (D), 55% to 34%.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I wish to God the principal had had an M4 in her office, locked up, so when she heard gunfire she pulls it out … and takes him out, takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids.”
— Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), quoted by CNN, arguing the deadly Connecticut school shooting could have been halted sooner if staff at the school had been equipped with guns.
Final Tally Shows Election Wasn’t Even Close
Los Angeles Times: “More than five weeks after election day, almost all the presidential votes have been counted. Here’s what the near-final tally reveals: The election really wasn’t close.”
“In the weeks since the election, as states have completed their counts, Obama’s margin has grown steadily. From just over 2 percentage points, it now stands at nearly 4. Rather than worry about the Bush-Kerry precedent, White House aides now brag that Obama seems all but certain to achieve a mark hit by only five others in U.S. history – winning the presidency twice with 51% or more of the popular vote.”
Feinstein Will Seek New Gun Law
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told Meet the Press that she intended to introduce a gun control bill on the first day of the next Congress would “take aim at limiting the sale, transfer and possession of assault weapons, along with the capacity of high-capacity magazines.”
Said Feinstein: “It can be done.”
She said her bill would be paired with a similar bill in the House and she expects President Obama will publicly support the proposal.
Wonk Wire: Arming people doesn’t stop mass murders.
Quote of the Day
“If Congress wasn’t so afraid of the NRA — and I can show you that they
have no reason to be — but if they were to stand up and do what was
right for the American public, we’d all be a lot better off.”
— New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in an interview on Meet the Press.
Boehner Proposes Millionaire Tax Hike
House Speaker John Boehner has proposed allowing tax rates to rise for the wealthiest Americans if President Obama agrees to major entitlement cuts, Politico reports.
“It is the first time Boehner has offered any boost in marginal tax rates for any income group, and it would represent a major concession for the Ohio Republican. Boehner suggested hiking the Bush-era tax rates for top wage earners, including those with annual incomes of $1 million or more annually, beginning Jan. 1.”
Kerry to be Nominated for Secretary of State
Microsoft Looks to Political Strategist to Battle Google
The New York Times profiles former Clinton strategist Mark Penn show is now in charge of “strategic and special projects” at Microsoft and “much of his job has involved efforts to trip up Google, which Microsoft has failed to dislodge from its perch atop the lucrative Internet search market.”
“The campaigns by Mr. Penn, 58, a longtime political operative known for his brusque personality and scorched-earth tactics, are part of a broader effort at Microsoft to give its marketing the nimbleness of a political campaign, where a candidate can turn an opponent’s gaffe into a damaging commercial within hours. They are also a sign of the company’s mounting frustration with Google after losing billions of dollars a year on its search efforts, while losing ground to Google in the browser and smartphones markets and other areas.”
Colbert Donates Super PAC Money to Charity
Splitsider reports that comedian Stephen Colbert will give the remaining $773,704.83 left over from his campaign super PAC to charities helping victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Quote of the Day
“This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws – and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait.”
— Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), on Facebook.
Clinton Sustains Concussion After Fainting
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who skipped an overseas
trip this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion
after fainting, the AP reports.
“The 65-year-old Clinton, who’s expected to leave her job soon, was recovering at home after the incident last week and is being monitored by doctors… No further details were immediately available.”
Close Race for Virginia Governor
A new Public Opinion Strategies (R) poll in Virginia finds Terry McAuliffe (D) edging Ken Cuccinelli (R) in next year’s race for governor, 43% to 42%.
The poll was done for Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and also shows him with a 67% approval rating.
Obama Brings Gun Debate to Fore
The Wall Street Journal reports that President Obama’s comments “on the need to act against gun violence mirror those he made in the aftermath of the 2011 shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that severely wounded then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six. He stopped short of making any proposals after that incident, however, and no new federal gun laws were enacted in its aftermath.”
“Whether the Connecticut school shootings, in which 27 people were killed, will lead to an effort to tighten gun laws will likely depend on the facts of the incident, many of which remained murky throughout Friday.”
Politico notes that “this time, the immediate, impassioned calls for new gun-control measures far outstripped the reaction to a series of other recent shooting sprees across the country, including at a Colorado movie theater, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and a shopping mall in Oregon.”
Schock Under Investigation for Ethics Violations
Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over possible violation of House rules, the Chicago Tribune reports, but the ethics panel declined to make public what it is investigating.
However, a spokesman said the ethics review involved super PAC money and reports that Schock solicited a $25,000 contribution from Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s political action committee to help fund a super PAC that successfully backed Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) in a March primary against another Republican incumbent, Don Manzullo (R).
