Ken Cuccinelli (R) has a new book out and the Washington Post notes Democrats are promoting it with the hope that it will help sink his Virginia gubernatorial campaign.
What’s Really Wrong with Congress
Just out: Dangerous Convictions: What’s Really Wrong with the U.S. Congress by former Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME).
GOP Leaders Plot Their Way Back
Politico reports that for the last few days GOP leaders “have met behind closed doors to both craft an agenda that confronts the ghosts of Congresses past and figure out a way to sell it to the American people.”
There is agreement on sanding down “the party’s rough edges” and to stop talking “like the world is going to end.”
But the GOP leadership “has become
increasingly alarmed at how many lawmakers in the meeting think the
party has a messaging problem, not a policy problem.
Jackson Implicates Wife in Plea Deal
Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) implicated his wife, Sandi, in his plea agreement with federal prosecutors, CBS Chicago reports.
“Jackson will plead guilty to one felony count of misuse of campaign funds and then let a federal judge determine his punishment… Jackson’s deal calls for him to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars spent for things like travel and meals with a mistress and a $40,000 men’s Rolex watch he bought for himself. Jackson’s resignation from Congress was also part of the deal.”
“But Jackson’s pleading guilty to using campaign funds for personal expenses could expose Sandi, his campaign manager, to tax-fraud charges. The congressman’s guilty plea says Sandi knew about improper purchases that apparently include breakfast snacks, cosmetic services, even beds purchased for campaign workers.”
Vilsack Will Not Run for Senate
Tom Vilsack (D) has ruled out running U.S. Senate in 2014, the Des Moines Register reports.
His decision clears the way for Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) “to press forward and raise money for what’s expected to be one of the most fiercely competitive races in the country.”
Warren Schools the Bank Regulators
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) had her first hearing as a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and put on quite a performance. It’s worth watching.
Herman Cain Joins Fox News
Fox News has hired former Republican presidential candidate and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain as a contributor, TV Newser reports.
Cain will provide political and business analysis and commentary.
Top 10 Things Going Through Rubio’s Mind
David Letterman has the top 10 things going through Sen. Marco Rubio’s mind as he lunged for a drink of water during his State of the Union rebuttal.
Ryan’s Budget Will Include Sequester Cuts
House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s upcoming budget “is expected to include savings from looming military and discretionary spending cuts worth $85 billion — the same package of cuts that Republicans have desperate tried to hang around President Obama’s neck,” BuzzFeed reports.
“According to two senior GOP aides familiar with Ryan’s thinking on the budget, the Wisconsin Republican and former vice presidential candidate will use the so-called sequester as part of the baseline level of spending for his budget. Doing so will likely make it significantly easier for him to craft a plan that balances the budget in 10 years, a time frame conservatives within the conference have demanded.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“There’s a lot of ill will towards Sen. Hagel because when he was a Republican, he attacked President Bush mercilessly. At one point, he said he was the worst president since Herbert Hoover, said the surge was the worst blunder since the Vietnam War, which is nonsense. He was very ‘anti ‘his own party, and people don’t forget that.”
— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in an interview on Fox News, explaining the GOP backlash against Chuck Hagel.
Can Rubio Live Up to the Hype?
Beth Reinhard: “No matter that he’s only punched up the old
script, swung back and forth on immigration policy, and never shepherded
major legislation through Congress. What Rubio brings is the star
power, adoring fan base, and command of the national media unmatched
these days by anyone in Washington outside of the Oval Office. It’s the
same aggressive product placement that has made the 41-year-old a
top-tier presidential contender just two years after his swearing-in.
Rubio is the GOP’s Barack Obama, minus the intellectual heft intimated
by two Ivy League degrees and a law-school faculty post. A Generation
X-er with a name that sounds like change. The author of an American
Dream-laced memoir that, audiences are frequently reminded, helped pay
off his student loans. A former state lawmaker and a Senate short-timer
with a thin binder of achievements but perhaps blessed with the greatest
rhetorical gifts in politics today.”
Quote of the Day
“Frankly, every time I’ve gotten into one of these high-profile negotiations, you know, it’s my rear end that got burnt.”
— House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by the Associated Press.
Death of the Swing Seat
Charlie Cook: “Democrats face twin struggles as they seek to retake the House majority they lost in 2010. First, the chamber has largely sorted itself out. With 96 percent of Democratic House members representing districts carried by President Obama and 94 percent of Republican House lawmakers representing districts won by Mitt Romney, each party pretty much has the seats God intended. The House simply doesn’t have much elasticity right now. Substantial gains would either require Democrats winning a bunch of Romney districts or Republicans capturing a lot of Obama districts. Given this sorting out and the almost parliamentary-style voting we’re seeing these days, either party would require one heck of a head of steam to pick up a lot of seats from the other side.”
Tweets Were to Congressman’s Newly-Found Daughter
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) tells NBC News that “the 24-year-old woman he tweeted at during the State of the Union address was not a romantic interest, but in fact his daughter.”
“The congressman would not elaborate on how he only found out three years ago that he had a daughter. He said circumstances led him to search on Google for the mother of his child.”
Man vs. Machine in New Jersey
Roll Call: “It’s man vs. the machine: Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. are on track to have a New Jersey-style knockout primary for the Democratic Senate nod in 2014.”
“This brewing political battle would match an outsider with an army of Twitter followers, wealthy celebrity connections and television news fame against a congressman who has spent years currying favor with the state establishment to run for this very seat.”
However, Steve Kornacki says the way Booker “handled the past two months does raise questions about how he’ll hold up under the national spotlight.”
Former Mayor Gambled More Than $1 Billion
Former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor (D) “spent the last decade wagering more than a billion dollars at casinos across the country, eventually liquidating her savings, auctioning her belongings, selling off real estate, borrowing from friends and taking more than $2 million from a charity set up by her late husband, a fast-food tycoon,” the New York Times reports.
O’Connor “blamed an addiction to gambling aggravated by a brain tumor for the gargantuan spree. Her lawyers said that while she had made well over a billion dollars in bets at casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and San Diego, her actual net losses were around $13 million.”
Rahm Emanuel Said to be Considering Presidential Bid
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “is said by well-connected Democrats to be considering the idea of running for president if Hillary Clinton opts out of the 2016 race,” Lloyd Grove reports.
“The 53-year-old Emanuel, who is busy raising money for his 2015 reelection campaign in the Windy City, has had discussions both over the phone and face to face in the past month with Democratic Party donors and fundraisers about a possible White House run, according to sources.”
But the Chicago Sun Times says Emanual was “was scrambling to throw cold water” on the report.
Markey Holds Edge Over Lynch
A new WBUR poll in Massachusetts shows Rep. Ed Markey (D) leading Rep. Stephen Lynch (D) among likely Democratic U.S. Senate primary voters, 38% to 31% with 4% prefering another candidate and 26% still undecided.
