Saturday Night Live planned a skit making fun of the Senate Republicans’ grilling of defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel but it was cut from the show at the last minute.
It was released later online.
Former Florida GOP Chief Pleads Guilty
Former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer pleaded guilty “to charges of money laundering and theft, avoiding trial in a case that could have potentially embarrassed former Gov. Charlie Crist and much of the state’s Republican elite,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“As part of the deal, Greer faces a maximum of 42.6 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled March 27.”
Grayson’s Big Swing
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) told Roll Call that the House historian “informed him the victory, a 43-point swing from
his 2010 loss, was the biggest comeback in history of the House. His
lesson from the experience is to press on, full steam ahead.”
What Americans Want in the State of the Union
A new Quinnipiac poll finds President Obama “should focus on the economy in his State of the
Union Address, 35 percent of American voters say in a Quinnipiac
University national poll released today. Another 20 percent say the
federal deficit is the top priority, with 15 percent citing gun policy
and 12 percent listing health care.”
Meanwhile, two-thirds of people say they’re
either “likely” or “very likely” to watch.
White House Insists Focus Has Remained on Jobs
Ron Fournier:
“White House officials tell me they feel stung by coverage of the
inaugural address. Reporters highlighted the president’s left-leaning
stances on immigration, gun control, climate change and gay and women’s
rights. Obama’s aides argue that he devoted more inaugural address
language to the economy, jobs and the deficit than all other issues
combined. Still, the perception remains that Obama lost focus on the
economy — the top issue in the minds of most voters. So look for an
address Tuesday tilted heavily toward policies pledging action on
joblessness, growing the economy and expanding the middle class, White
House officials said Friday. The other issues will be discussed, aides
said, but there will be no mistaking that Obama’s paramount concern is
the economy.”
Hagel Nomination Lingers
The Senate Armed Services Committee could vote on Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be defense secretary as soon as Tuesday, “but Republican aides reacted to that idea by suggesting that some members could walk out in protest,” Politico reports.
First Read notes that while Hagel still has the votes to be confirmed “any day that goes by when there’s not a vote isn’t a good day for him.”
The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden
Esquire: “For the first time, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden tells his story — speaking not just about the raid and the three shots that changed history, but about the personal aftermath for himself and his family. And the startling failure of the United States government to help its most experienced and skilled warriors carry on with their lives.”
Pope Benedict XVI Will Resign
“Citing advanced years and infirmity, Pope Benedict XVI, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, stunned the Roman Catholic world on Monday by saying that he would resign on Feb. 28, less than eight years after he took office, the first pope to do so in six centuries,” the New York Times reports.
“While there had been questions about Benedict’s health and infirmity, the timing of his announcement — even by the Vatican’s official account — sent shock waves across the globe, even though Benedict had in the past endorsed the notion that an incapacitated pope could resign.”
Marc Ambinder: “Generally, when American political officials resign, a scandal is in the offing. But the former John Cardinal Ratzinger genuinely seems to be stepping down as Pontifex because he no longer believes he can do the job that he believes God has called him to do. There is something profound and endearing about someone elected (anointed?) to an incredibly powerful lifetime job deciding, with years still left, to walk away. That in and of itself is a powerful example to set for everyone.”
Quote of the Day
“The performance now of Barack Obama as he staffs up the national security team for the second term is dismal… Frankly, what he has appointed are second-rate people.”
— Former Vice President Dick Cheney, quoted by the AP.
Obama Plans Aggressive Speech
President Obama’s State of the Union speech “will be less a presidential olive branch than a congressional cattle prod,” Politico reports.
“Emboldened by electoral victory and convinced the GOP is unwilling to cut deals, Obama plans to use his big prime-time address Tuesday night to issue another broad challenge at a Republican Party he regards as vulnerable and divided, Democrats close to Obama say.”
“He’ll pay lip service to bipartisanship, but don’t expect anything like the call for peaceful collaboration that defined his first address to a joint session of Congress in 2009, they say.”
Is Rubio the Answer for Republicans?
The Washington Post says Sen. March Rubio (R-FL) “is indeed a politician of unusual gifts. But the spotlight that has fallen on this relatively new arrival to the national scene says as much about the state of the Republican Party as it does about the 41-year-old senator. And it remains to be seen whether he represents the solution to the GOP’s problems, or whether the party’s sky-high hopes in an untested newcomer are just another measure of its drift.”
Paul Waldman: “But you can only be the Next Big Thing for so long, and there’s really
only one way to become your party’s savior: win the White House. If
immigration reform passes, Rubio will probably be given credit on the
right. But what if, in 2014, Republicans do no better with Latino voters
than they did in 2012? That might make them decide that moderating
their stance was a waste of time. Or it might make them decide they need
Rubio more than ever.”
Obama Weighs Executive Actions
President Obama “is considering a series of new executive actions aimed at working around a recalcitrant Congress, including policies that could allow struggling homeowners to refinance their mortgages, provide new protections for gays and lesbians, make buildings more energy-efficient and toughen regulations for coal-fired power plants,” the Washington Post reports.
“The moves underscore Obama’s increasingly aggressive use of executive authority, including 23 administrative actions on gun violence last month and previous orders that delayed deportations of young illegal immigrants and will lower student loan payments.”
AP:
“This is what ‘Forward’ looks like. Fast forward, even. President
Barack Obama’s campaign slogan is springing to life in a surge of
executive directives and agency rule-making that touch many of the
affairs of government.”
The Tea Party Fades
Ezra Klein: “The Republican establishment is reasserting control. It’s purging some of the hucksters who’d taken the party’s reins — or at least the airtime — in recent years. It’s resisting much of the brinkmanship that marked the last Congress and trying to present a more fearsome, united front against counterproductive strategies favored by the right. All of the major 2016 presidential contenders have made the same political calculation: It’s better to build a reputation as one of the party’s adults than as one of its firebrands.”
“Just don’t call this process moderation. The Republican Party isn’t reinventing itself so much as reverting to its previous form. There’s little evidence of a rethinking of core Republican policy ideas.”
Hackers Put Bush on the Couch
The Cloakroom: Looking for psychological clues in the secret art work of George W. Bush.
Nevada Lawmaker Arrested Again
Jon Ralston reports that Nevada Assemblyman Steven Brooks (D) has been arrested for domestic battery and making a false statement to obstruct a police officer.
Brooks was arrested last month for threatening the life of the House Speaker.
Church Used Cemetery Money to Pay Sex Abuse Settlement
“Pressed to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars to settle clergy sex abuse lawsuits, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony turned to one group of Catholics whose faith could not be shaken: the dead,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Under his leadership in 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles quietly appropriated $115 million from a cemetery maintenance fund and used it to help pay a landmark settlement with molestation victims.”
“The church did not inform relatives of the deceased that it had taken the money, which amounted to 88% of the fund. Families of those buried in church-owned cemeteries and interred in its mausoleums have contributed to a dedicated account for the perpetual care of graves, crypts and grounds since the 1890s.”
The Confessional Campaign
Mark Sanford’s (R) congressional bid “is equal parts political campaign and confessional tour,” Politico reports.
“The disgraced ex-South Carolina governor is back on the trail seeking forgiveness for the sins that caused his political career to collapse in spectacular fashion four years ago: The mysterious days-long disappearance, the lies about hiking the Appalachian Trail and the extramarital affair with an Argentine woman that splintered the Republican’s picture-perfect family and shattered his presidential aspirations.”
Said Sanford: “I’m not in any way unaware of how I’ve let you down. I’m not in any way unaware of my well-chronicled failings as a human being. But I am equally aware that God forgives people who are imperfect.”
Graham Threatens Hold on Nominations
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “threatened to block the
confirmations of President Obama’s nominees for secretary of defense and
head of the Central Intelligence Agency if the administration does not
provide more information about its response to the deadly Sept. 11, 2012
attack on a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya,” the Washington Post reports.
“Graham said that he would not attempt to filibuster, but nodded yes
when asked if he was willing to put holds on the nominees, which
essentially means asking for the courtesy of notification before the
Senate majority leader moves ahead on a vote.”
