Damon Linker: “The competition for worst president since the early 1930s is pretty fierce. But for my money, Lyndon B. Johnson comes in first, winning the contest of awfulness over George W. Bush by a hair.”
Emails Pose a Problem for Walker
Thousands of pages of emails released in Wisconsin “do pose a potential problem for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who’s up for re-election this year and who very well could run for president in 2016,” First Read concludes.
“The real test for Walker is how he handles this new scrutiny and answers questions about these investigations… The allegation here against Walker and his team is more of a local story and, frankly, a tad more run of the mill: They were mixing politics with official business. Now that allegation still poses a problem for Walker, since Wisconsin is such a stickler for these kinds of rules; it’s a state that in many ways is the birthplace of political reform (it’s why folks get in trouble for doing things in Wisconsin that in many other states wouldn’t even be investigated). But for right now, this looks more like the finger-pointing from Bill Clinton’s Arkansas days than then national scandal the Jersey story has become.”
The Oldest Congressional Candidate
“The Constitution mandates that the minimum age to serve in the U.S. House is 25. That won’t be a problem for Joe Newman,” USA Today reports.
“Newman, 101, is seeking the House seat held by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) as a write-in candidate.”
Democrats Gear Up to Defend Senate Majority
Washington Post: “Across the Democratic firmament, a sense of urgency is taking hold. At the White House, top officials are stepping up their efforts to coordinate strategy with Senate leaders. Democrats are particularly alarmed that Americans for Prosperity, a super PAC funded by the industrialist Koch brothers, has been pummeling vulnerable Democrats with $30 million in attack ads, most of them regarding the health-care law.”
“But for the GOP, there’s also a cautionary tale: In 2010 and 2012, gaffe-prone candidates lost winnable Senate races by alienating mainstream voters. Again this year, hard-fought primaries could yield weak nominees in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa or North Carolina…”
Sean Trende: How likely are Democrats to lose the Senate?
House GOP Plans Anti-Regulatory Blitz
“House Republicans next week will pass a legislative package aimed at making federal regulations more transparent and less costly to the economy,” The Hill reports.
“The legislation is the GOP’s latest attempt to reduce the regulatory red tape that they say is stifling job creation. Republicans have said getting Washington out of the way of companies is the best way to turn around an economy that stills struggles to create jobs more than five years after the Great Recession.”
Quote of the Day
“If he is good enough for Ted Nugent, he is good enough for me!”
— Sarah Palin, in a Facebook post, endorsing Texas gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott (R).
Cruz Didn’t Want to Throw His Party ‘Under the Bus’
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that he did not want “to throw any of his colleagues under the bus by forcing a 60-vote threshold on a bill to increase the debt ceiling earlier this month,” The Hill reports.
Said Cruz: “I’ll tell you my response. My response is I don’t want to throw any Republicans under the bus. I would like to see all 45 Republicans stand together and actually do what we tell our constituents.”
He blamed “trickery” taking place during negotiations for Congress’s low approval rating: “And listen, that sort of show vote, that sort of trickery to the constituents is why Congress has a 13-percent approval rating.”
The GOP Has a Huge Advantage in the Midterm Elections
“For all their internal divisions and long-term worries as a party, political scientists and historical trends give Republicans a clear edge in the upcoming 2014 congressional elections,” TPM reports.
“Forget Obamacare, forget the government shutdown and forget the skirmish over the minimum wage. While these issues are atop the political conversation, mid-term elections are better understood by fundamentals like the economy and presidential popularity, voter turnout tendencies and the specific dynamics at play in the House and Senate.”
“In short, the deck is stacked against Democrats on Nov. 4, barring a drastic shift in the political landscape between now and then.”
Lawmaker Leaves Loaded Gun in Capitol
Denver Post: “In the moments after lawmakers and visitors cleared a committee room Feb. 6 following a debate on concealed handgun permits, Rep. Jonathan Singer (D) found a black canvass bag under the table where lawmakers sit. Inside, Singer discovered a loaded handgun that belonged to Rep. Jared Wright (R), who sits next to him on the House Local Government committee.”
“Wright, who is in his first term, told The Denver Post he often carries a concealed handgun inside the Capitol and under state statute has the right to do so as a peace officer.”
Walker Linked to Secret Email System
“Included in more than 27,000 pages of emails and other documents unsealed Wednesday are the closest links yet between Gov. Scott Walker and a secret email system used in his office when he was Milwaukee County executive,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Wrote one aide to another: “Consider yourself now in the ‘inner circle.’ I use this private account quite a bit to communicate with SKW and Nardelli. You should be sure you check it throughout the day.”
“Court documents have previously showed Walker’s aides set up a secret wireless router in the county executive’s office and traded emails that mixed county and campaign business on Gmail and Yahoo accounts. The email from Archer made public Wednesday is the closest link yet between that system and Walker.”
Why Parties No Longer Control American Politics
Time: “This is the dawn of the outsourced campaign. For decades, elections have been the business of candidates and political parties and the professionals they employed. But changes in campaign-finance law have atomized the game and sapped the power of party bosses. In a new era marked by unlimited political money, everything from data mining to digital strategy is now increasingly controlled by a band of outside hit squads waging proxy wars.”
“By Election Day 2014, interest groups across the ideological spectrum will have raised more money, run more TV ads and played a greater role in selecting candidates than in midterm elections past. Elected officials, and the parties they control, matter far less… To the outsiders, the migration of money and influence away from the party machines has made the political process more accessible to more people. It has also made it tougher to hold anyone accountable and to track the sources of the cash flooding into elections–and it has made it harder for lawmakers to govern.”
Keystone XL Pipeline Blocked
Wonk Wire notes a big victory in Nebraska for opponents of the pipeline.
Candidate Says Domestic Violence is ‘Overrated’
Lloyd Oliver (D), a candidate for district attorney in Harris County, TX, told the Texas Observer, “Family violence is so, so overrated.”
Oliver later clarified his comments to the Huffington Post: “There are some people — I don’t understand it — but part of their making love is to beat one another up first. Why do we want to get involved in people’s bedrooms?”
Edwards Seeks Political Comeback in Louisiana
Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards (D), who spent 8 years in federal prison for racketeering, is running for Congress to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R), Bloomberg reports.
Said Edwards: “I’m just figuring out all the legalities and how to set up a super PAC, and then I’m going.”
He added: “I’m the only hope the Democrats have here.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“He has all the intellectual horsepower of yogurt. But I admire his political skills. If Rick Scott could work a room like Charlie Crist, he’d be up by 25 points.”
— GOP strategist Rick Wilson, quoted by the Washington Post, on former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D).
Cotton Leads in Arkansas
A new Impact Measurement Group poll in Arkansas finds Rep. Tom Cotton (R) leading Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) in their U.S. Senate race, 46% to 42%.
This is a small shift for Cotton compared to an Oct. 24 poll that had Cotton leading 43% to 41%.
Missouri to Buy Tin Foil Hats
Missouri House Appropriations committee chairman Mike Lair (R) appropriated $8 “for two rolls of high density aluminum to create headgear designed to deflect drone and/or black helicopter mind reading and control technology,” according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.
The money was tied to an amendment removing language barring the state from accepting federal grants to implement Common Core standards for public schools which some conservatives believe is President Obama’s attempt to indoctrinate children.
Explained Lair: “Basically, when you deal with conspiracy theorists, you do logic first… If you can’t deal with folks with logic, you use humor. This is to stop all the problems from the black helicopters and drones. This is high density foil.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“You know, I haven’t seen him since he filed for office. It does strike me as a unique strategy.”
— Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), quoted by Slate, on his Republican primary challenger, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX).
