“There’s no sense picking a fight we can’t win.”
— Speaker John Boehner, quoted by Roll Call, in a private GOP conference meeting on raising the debt ceiling.
Drug Overdose Deaths Soar
Wonk Wire puts the recent death of actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman in a tragic context.
Junkets on the Rise
Legistorm: “Lawmakers and their staff broke a record for taking the most privately funded trips since 2007, when reforms came into effect after a major lobbying scandal. In 2013, members of Congress and their staff made nearly 1900 trips costing $6 million, breaking the record for the most
privately sponsored travel since rules were tightened in 2007. By comparison the previous post-reform high was 2011, when privately financed travel cost $5.8 million for 1600 trips.”
Where Was Obama’s Cabinet?
First Read: “Speaking of Obama’s cabinet members, observers have criticized the White House for often underutilizing the cabinet, especially when it’s trying to amplify a message. And this remains a legitimate criticism. Consider the activity (or lack thereof) after the president’s State of the Union address last Tuesday… If you were expecting a full cabinet blitz after the State of the Union, you didn’t get it. And that’s been a mystery for some time, especially when you have some pretty big heavy hitters,”
Vulnerable Democrats Usually Voted with Obama
Every vulnerable Senate Democrat up for re-election in 2014 voted with President Obama at least 90% of the time in 2013, according to Roll Call.
Griffith Back in the Fold as a Democrat
Multipe sources tell WHNT that former Rep. Parker Griffith “is on the verge of announcing his candidacy for governor of Alabama, and as a member of the party he famously abandoned just four years ago.”
“The Alabama Democratic Party recently voted to reinstate Griffith, clearing the way for a gubernatorial run that we’re told will likely be announced before Friday’s qualifying deadline.”
Obama Aides See Clinton Repeating Past Mistakes
BuzzFeed: “Top advisers and former aides to Barack Obama say Hillary Clinton is repeating the mistakes she made in 2008, building a machine in lieu of a message and lumbering toward the Democratic nomination with the same deep vulnerabilities that cost her the nomination eight years earlier.”
“In 2008, that sense of inevitability had tactical consequences: her positions drew more scrutiny than her rivals’, and observers developed a rooting interest in the underdog, while donors and operatives who hadn’t gotten in on the Clinton ground floor 20 years earlier went elsewhere. And Obama aides, who outmaneuvered the Clinton juggernaut seven years ago, see similar weaknesses developing already.”
Small Super PACs Will Play Big Role
“The next stage in the super PAC evolution is ready to upend the 2014 midterm elections,” National Journal reports.
“Small, state-based outside groups that are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money have proliferated in the early going of this year’s races and are threatening to have a bigger impact than those based in Washington, such as the Karl Rove-founded American Crossroads. These new groups are based in states where senators are battling for reelection, and dedicate themselves exclusively to that race.”
Don’t Assume Clinton Will Run
Ron Fournier: “The deeper you dive into her inner circle and talk to friends who are not financially and professionally invested in a 2016 campaign, the more likely you’ll find people encouraging her not to run–or at least to avoid getting stampeded. I’d put the odds at 80-20 in favor of her running, and yet I know I shouldn’t be surprised by anything she does.”
Colorado GOP Seeks to End Same-Day Voter Registration
Colorado Republicans “launched their bid to undo a new elections law that allows same-day registration, saying they’re still not convinced the change isn’t a recipe for possible voting fraud,” the Denver Post reports.
“Republicans say the law is riddled with problems, such as conflicting residency deadlines between state and local races. Their main gripe, though, is same-day voting registration, which makes voting more convenient for people who forget to register but could also make it more difficult to determine who’s eligible to vote in an election.”
Conservative Group Seeks to Topple GOP Leaders
A conservative group is launching a new campaign which calls on “the GOP leadership in both the House and the Senate to step aside,” CNN reports.
ForAmerica “says that its digital ads will target House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Whip John Cornyn, and the group adds that the first paid spots are now up online.”
Andrews Will Resign Seat
Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) will resign from Congress in February to take a job with a prominent Philadelphia law firm, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
“Andrews, in his 24th year in the House, will resign around President’s Day weekend, the source said. He will take over a public affairs job at the firm, who spoke on the condition of anonymity and did not want to name the firm in advance of Andrews’ announcement.”
Politico: “Andrews has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly misusing campaign funds for personal use. Allegations included that he used campaign funds to pay for a family trip to Scotland.”
Romney in 2016?
The Week notes that renewed affection for Mitt Romney in recent weeks “could point to deeper problems within the GOP.”
Splits Emerge Between Obama and Democrats
“Democrats in Congress are parting ways with President Obama on issues including trade, energy and health care as the gap widens between the political demands of keeping control of the Senate and advancing parts of the White House agenda,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“A phalanx of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have announced opposition to the president’s top trade initiative. Many Democrats are clamoring for Mr. Obama to act soon to allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline–a decision the White House is expected to make before midterm elections. Vulnerable Democrats are bluntly criticizing the rollout of the 2010 health-care law. Even an under-the-radar issue such as a flood-insurance bill has been a point of tension.”
The Hill: “A mood of anxiety hangs over President Obama and congressional Democrats as they conduct a series of meetings this week to coordinate their 2014 political and legislative agendas.”
House GOP Finalizes Demands to Raise Debt Ceiling
Several House members told the Washington Post that Republican leaders “have narrowed their list of possible debt-limit strategies to two options: trading a one-year extension for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, or trading a one-year extension for repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s risk corridors.”
Legal Duo Seeks Role in Same-Sex Marriage Cases
Ted Olson and David Boies, “the star legal duo who defied skeptics by successfully challenging California’s ban on same-sex marriage, are seeking to play a central role in the next round of marriage cases that appear to be on a fast track to the high court. But in doing so, they have touched off a debate over who gets the coveted job of arguing what could be a landmark gay rights decision,” the New York Times reports.
Karzai Makes Secret Contact with Taliban
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai “has been engaged in secret contacts with the Taliban about reaching a peace agreement without the involvement of his American and Western allies, further corroding already strained relations with the United States,” the New York Times reports.
“The secret contacts appear to help explain a string of actions by Mr. Karzai that seem intended to antagonize his American backers, Western and Afghan officials said. In recent weeks, Mr. Karzai has continued to refuse to sign a long-term security agreement with Washington that he negotiated, insisted on releasing hardened Taliban militants from prison and distributed distorted evidence of what he called American war crimes.”
White House Squeezed on Immigration
“New momentum in Congress for a broad overhaul of border-control laws has prompted White House allies to demand that President Obama halt deportations of millions of illegal immigrants, many of whom would be allowed to remain in the country under a legislative deal,” the Washington Post reports.
“The push places the White House in a difficult political position as it attempts to negotiate with a House Republican caucus sharply divided on immigration. Leading conservatives said over the weekend that the chief impediment to a deal is their distrust that Obama would enforce new border-security provisions if a large portion of the nation’s 11.7 million illegal immigrants are granted legal status.”
