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Obama Plans Aggressive Speech

February 11, 2013 at 5:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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?

February 11, 2013 at 5:22 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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

February 11, 2013 at 5:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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.”

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The Tea Party Fades

February 10, 2013 at 3:27 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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

February 10, 2013 at 2:36 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Cloakroom: Looking for psychological clues in the secret art work of George W. Bush.

Nevada Lawmaker Arrested Again

February 10, 2013 at 2:01 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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

February 10, 2013 at 1:30 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“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

February 10, 2013 at 1:03 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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

February 10, 2013 at 1:01 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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.”

Republicans on the Sequester: Then and Now

February 10, 2013 at 8:24 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The DNC is out with a new video.

[Read more…]

Budget Cuts That Weren’t

February 10, 2013 at 8:21 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Late on the night of April 8, 2011, Washington’s leaders announced that they’d just done something extraordinary. They had agreed to cut the federal budget — and cut it big,” the Washington Post reports.

“Nearly two years later, however, these landmark budget cuts have fallen far short of their promises.”

“In some areas, they did bring significant cutbacks in federal spending. Grants for clean water dried up. Cities got less money for affordable housing. But the bill also turned out to be an epic kind of Washington illusion. It was stuffed with gimmicks that made the cuts seem far bigger — and the politicians far bolder — than they actually were.”

Obama Will Shift Back to the Economy

February 10, 2013 at 8:10 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Obama “will concentrate his State of the Union speech Tuesday on the economy, shifting the emphasis away from the broad social agenda of his second inaugural address to refocus attention on a set of problems that vexed his first term,” the Washington Post reports.

“Several senior administration officials involved in the speech say he will use his fourth State of the Union address to talk about jobs after the national unemployment rate ticked up last month. He will propose ways to make college more affordable to more people. And, the officials said, he will argue for the need to spend public money — on research, on roads, on education — to prepare Americans for a world where a warming climate, a nomadic labor force and new technology are shutting doors and opening new ones across the national economy.”

Byron York: “Now, apparently, Obama has noticed public opinion.”

Third Act for Gabby Giffords

February 10, 2013 at 8:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Her career as a lawmaker is behind her, but so is her role as the fragile, slightly mysterious victim in the months after she was shot point-blank in a parking lot here just over two years ago. Now, she is the face and emotional dynamism behind a new advocacy group and a separate political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, dedicated to reducing gun violence. It is an effort, she said, that gives her ‘purpose.'”

Parallels Arise Between Bush and Obama on Security

February 10, 2013 at 8:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Four years into his tenure, the onetime critic of President George W. Bush finds himself cast as a present-day Mr. Bush, justifying the muscular application of force in the defense of the nation while detractors complain that he has sacrificed the country’s core values in the name of security.”

“The debate is not an exact parallel to those of the Bush era, and Mr. Obama can point to ways he has tried to exorcise what he sees as the excesses of the last administration. But in broad terms, the conversation generated by the confirmation hearing of John O. Brennan, his nominee for C.I.A. director, underscored the degree to which Mr. Obama has embraced some of Mr. Bush’s approach to counterterrorism, right down to a secret legal memo authorizing presidential action unfettered by outside forces.”

Bachmann Campaign Accused of Stealing Mailing List

February 9, 2013 at 11:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Eight months after Michele Bachmann’s 2012 presidential bid ground to a halt in Iowa, her campaign manager there signed a sworn affidavit, pointing his finger at another top staffer in a still-simmering dispute over the misuse of a contact list of home-school family names,” NBC News reports.

“The list was the at the center of a flap late in Bachmann’s presidential run, when a powerful Iowa home-school network called NICHE complained that its collection of contacts for thousands of home-school families had been mined by the campaign and used to expand its fundraising.”

Schwartz Eyes Run for Pennsylvania Governor

February 9, 2013 at 10:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) is seriously considering seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in Pennsylvania as her party tries to unseat incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett (R) in the 2014 election, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“Democrats are seeing Corbett as vulnerable in light of his low approval ratings in recent statewide polls. Though state Treasurer Rob McCord and of other Democrats have dropped hints about entering the race, the only one to toss his hat in the ring to date is John Hanger, the former state environmental secretary.”

Leave Chris Christie Alone

February 9, 2013 at 10:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Michelle Cottle says too much is being made of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) weight.

“More to the point, why is Christie’s fatness exponentially more problematic than, say, John Boehner’s manic chain-smoking or crazy tanning fetish? And what about some of the borderline alcoholics we’ve watched swan about the halls of the Capitol over the years? Or, if we really want to fret over an impaired ability to govern, what about the members of Congress who cling to office until they are so senile they can barely recognize their own wives? (Lighthearted case in point: a now deceased senator once tried to compel a former colleague of mine to escort him to the bathroom because the lawmaker mistook the young reporter for his aide.) I’ve been in Washington going on 17 years, during which time I’ve dealt with more than one lawmaker unnervingly past his prime.”

Blizzard Could Leave GOP Without Candidate

February 9, 2013 at 10:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The blizzard that struck New England has some Massachusetts Republicans concerned that the storm “could jeopardize the ability of state Rep. Dan Winslow and other GOP candidates to qualify for the ballot in the special election to replace Secretary of State John Kerry,” National Journal reports.

“Candidates for the special election must submit 10,000 certified signatures by Feb. 27 to qualify for the April 30 primary. With Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick (D) declaring a state of emergency Friday afternoon and banning cars from driving on the roads, Senate contenders are forced to put a hold on signature collecting until the storm passes.”