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Senators Quietly Seek Deal on Background Checks

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“A bipartisan quartet of senators, including two National Rifle Association members and two with ‘F” ratings from the potent firearms lobby, are quietly trying to find a compromise on expanding the requirement for gun-sale background checks,” the AP reports.

“A deal, given a good chance by several participants and lobbyists, could add formidable political momentum to one of the key elements of President Obama’s gun control plan. Currently, background checks are required only for sales by the nation’s 55,000 federally licensed gun dealers, but not for gun show, person-to-person sales or other private transactions.”


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Dick Morris Makes Another Prediction

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Dick Morris told Piers Morgan that he “absolutely believed” Mitt Romney would beat President Obama in last year’s presidential election.

Said Morris: “I absolutely believed it and so did a lot of people.”

Morris also made another prediction: “The Republican Party has to change in fundamental ways, otherwise it will never win another election.”

New York Times: Dick Morris and Fox News part ways.

Bonus Quote of the Day

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“I’m going to try to be brief because I notice you’re on your fourth glass of water, and I don’t want to be accused of
waterboarding you.”

— Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), quoted by Politico, in the middle of a long, contentious confirmation hearing for John Brennan as CIA Director.

Obama Says Pelosi Will Be Speaker Again

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Following reports that he plans an aggressive campaign schedule in the midterm elections, President Obama predicted that if Democrats pursue an ambitious agenda, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will soon have the speaker’s gavel back, the Washington Post reports.

Said Obama: “It won’t be smooth, it won’t be simple, there will be frustrations, there will be times when you guys will be mad at me, and I’ll occasionally read about it. I would expect that Nancy Pelosi is going to be speaker again pretty soon.”

Iowa Lawmaker Seeks to Define Abortion as Murder

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Iowa State Rep. Rob Bacon (R) and eight of his colleagues introduced legislation to alter the definition of a person in murder cases to “an individual human being, without regard to age of development, from the moment of conception, when a zygote is formed, until natural death,” the Ames Tribune reports.

“Those charged with murder, under the bill, would include a mother who takes abortion-inducing drugs or a doctor who performs an abortion. It also grants no exceptions for rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother.”

Christie Gets Testy About His Weight

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) took on a former White House doctor who said he was at risk of dying in office because of his weight, calling her a “hack” and telling her to “shut up” unless she examines him, ABC News reports.

Said Christie: “If she wants to get on a plane and come here to New Jersey and asks me if she wants to examine me and review my medical history, I’ll have a conversation with her about that. Until that time she should shut up.”

First Read: “This is about Christie trying to confront, on his terms, what would be one of his biggest obstacles if he launches a presidential bid in 2016. He knows this is a hurdle; he knows it’s not an insignificant one. The biggest thing is he has changed his tone on this, becoming much more open about it, even hinting that he’s on a program and that people would notice if it’s working relatively soon. As late as last year, Christie’s standard response was essentially: my weight is my business, period. Not anymore. If you needed a hint that Christie is trying to get it together to run for president, this is it.”

Quote of the Day

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“I’ve always viewed politics the following way: if you do a good job at the job you’re doing, you’ll have opportunities to do other things in the future. Maybe things you never envisioned.”

— Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), quoted in a cover story in Time magazine.

Americans Confused About the NRA

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A new Quinnipac poll finds that an astonishing 92% of Americans, including 89% of Republicans, support requiring a background check for all would be gun buyers. Fifty-six percent support banning assault weapons and high capacity magazine clips.

That said, Americans also say they think the National Rifle Association better represents their views than President Obama, 46% to 43%.

Greg Sargent: “Okay, so nine in 10 Americans support universal background checks, and solid majorities back the assault ban, both of which are opposed by the NRA and regularly characterized as gun-grabbing tyranny — yet people think the NRA better represents their views. There’s been a lot of chortling on the right about the NRA’s favorability ratings, but this poll makes it plain: People don’t have any idea what the NRA really stands for.”

Jeb Bush Tries to Buy a Baseball Team

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The Miami Herald reports that Jeb Bush was rebuffed in an offer to buy the Miami Marlins baseball team during the offseason.

First Read: “Just asking… but doesn’t the fact… send a signal he’s not
all that interested in running for president? Trying to buy a baseball
team doesn’t exactly say your focus is prepping for a presidential run.”

Drones in the Spotlight

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President Obama’s pick to head the CIA, John Brennan, heads to the Senate today for a likely contentious confirmation hearing before the Intelligence Committee.

First Read: “Brennan is certainly going to get tough questions, especially from Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, but what could be more remarkable is we’re likely to learn more about America’s drone war in a public setting than we ever have before. It may be technically a confirmation hearing for Brennan, but he will also be up there defending America’s drone program, as someone who’s worked in both of the last two administrations, for both a Democrat and a Republican.”

“Contention aside, it’s likely Brennan will be confirmed. But the White House, by saying last night it would brief Congress on the classified legal justifications of the targeted killing of Americans, made a decision not to have a confrontation — mostly with Democrats.”

Obama Close to Picking Commerce Secretary

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The Atlantic Wire reports that President Obama is “close to choosing” Chicago
billionaire Penny Pritzker as America’s next Secretary of Commerce.

“There’s only one problem. She and her secretive family have been caught
up in some pretty dodgy commercial ventures including but not limited to
dodging taxes and running a bank that specialized in subprime
mortgages.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan 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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