A publicist for Ashley Judd told E! News that she was appreciative for the attention Karl Rove’s attack ad gives her as she mulls a U.S. Senate bid against Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
The List
Juts published: The List: A Novel by Karin Tanabe.
The book was inspired by the author’s experiences working at Politico and is “bursting with behind-the-scenes details about what happens when media and politics collide.”
Christie Phoned Doctor He Called a Hack
Dr. Connie Mariano, the former White House doctor who drew the ire of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) for saying his obesity was not healthy — he called her a “hack” — actually got a phone call from the governor, KTVK-TV reports.
Said Mariano: “It was essentially the tone of the press conference only louder. It was hard to get anything across.”
Ironically, Mariano was a Christie supporter but isn’t likely to back him in 2016: “The way he acted lately I don’t think so. He wasn’t very nice to me. Politically if this is the way he handles stress… is this presidential? I’ll have to think about that. Is this a presidential way to behave? C’mon.”
There’s No Such Thing as Political Capital
Michael Hirsh says “the idea of political capital — or mandates, or momentum — is so poorly defined that presidents and pundits often get it wrong.”
An example is the “abrupt emergence of the immigration and gun-control issues illustrates how suddenly shifts in mood can occur and how political interests can align in new ways just as suddenly. Indeed, the pseudo-concept of political capital masks a larger truth about Washington that is kindergarten simple: You just don’t know what you can do until you try. Or as Ornstein himself once wrote years ago, ‘Winning wins.’ In theory, and in practice, depending on Obama’s handling of any particular issue, even in a polarized time, he could still deliver on a lot of his second-term goals, depending on his skill and the breaks. Unforeseen catalysts can appear, like Newtown. Epiphanies can dawn, such as when many Republican Party leaders suddenly woke up in panic to the huge disparity in the Hispanic vote.”
Clinton Gives Advice to House Democrats
Bill Clinton spoke to House Democrats at their retreat today and told them to “come up with a plan,” Politico reports.
Said Clinton: “I think we’re going to be fine, but we’ve got to learn to compare ourselves to the competition in a way that is not threatening and is not negative. We have got got to have a jobs agenda that seems affordable and realistic. We need a 10 year budget plan that doesn’t overdo the austerity… Do it all in a same spirit that you took out there in this last election.”
He added: “This last race was a referendum in large measure on what the American people did not want, we have to create a future that they do want.”
Quote of the Day
“Seemed odd at the time. But, you know, I’m an odd person. One thing about getting into the senior status of life, like I am, you don’t really care. You just say what you say and then you get away with it.”
— Clint Eastwood, quoted by NBC News, on his “invisible Obama” routine during last year’s Republican National Convention.
Jackson Near Plea Deal for Misuse of Campaign Funds
CBS Chicago reports a tentative plea deal for former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) “calls for him to plead guilty to misuse of campaign funds and let a federal judge determine whether he serves any time in prison.”
“The former congressman would also agree to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars spent over a four-year-period for things like a $40,000 men’s Rolex watch he bought for himself, as well as clothing, meals and travel expenses.”
NBC Chicago confirms Jackson has signed the deal.
Are Sequester Cuts a Time Bomb for GOP?
“Republicans open to letting billions in sequester cuts go through figure they can blame the president if the economy goes south,” Politico reports.
“But Democrats are betting they can shift that blame right back to the GOP. They’re so confident, in fact, that they’re already eyeing at least 10 Republican-held seats with strong military connections from Florida to California to target in 2014, after sequester cuts have trickled down to local bases where jobs are lost and voters notice.”
Most Iowans Want Vilsack for Senate
A new Des Moines Register poll in Iowa finds a majority of voters think U.S. secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack (D) would be an appealing Senate candidate, 56% to 35%.
He’s also the most favored candidate of the pack mulling a run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA).
Said pollster Ann Selzer: “This is the kind of poll finding that launches campaigns.”
What Chris Christie Could Learn from William Howard Taft
Dan Amira: “It’s unclear whether Christie would be the heaviest president in
American history, but he would certainly share one of the top two spots
with William Howard Taft, who served as our 27th president from 1909 to
1913. And though that was a long time ago, in a much different era,
there may be a thing or two that Christie can learn from Taft’s
experience.”
Ohio Poll Worker Admits to Voting Twice
John Fund reports on 19 possible cases of alleged voter fraud in Hamilton County, Ohio and has video of poll worker Melowese Richardson candidly admitting to a local television station that she voted twice in the last presidential election.
Rick Hasen counters saying “that vast majority of the relatively small number of cases involve either election officials committing fraud, or voters, candidates, and others committing absentee ballot fraud. The problem is that the supposed cure–voter id–does not stop these main types of fraud.”
Dick Morris Reinvents Himself Again
National Review points out that Dick Morris, who is the author of books such as Here Come the Black Helicopters!, Screwed!, and Revolt!, says that “he’s now fighting to do for the Republican party what he did for the Democrats during the Clinton years — moderate it.”
Said Morris: “I’m trying to explore ways in which the Republican party can make itself viable nationally, so it can win national elections without sacrificing its basic principles. That’s the mission I’ve set for myself.”
Jonathan Chait: “It’s probably a better way to get airtime on CNN. It’s also a logical persona for a huckster who is quickly running short on them.”
Here’s the Deal
Just out for the Kindle: Here’s the Deal by David Leonhardt.
Highly recommended essay by the New York Times columnist which “explains lucidly and with calm authority the mess we are in–and how we can get ourselves out of it.”
Obama Approval Below 50%
Two new polls show President Obama’s approval rate under 50%: Fox News has it at 49%, while Quinnipiac finds it at 46%.
Evangelicals Seek to Sway Immigration Debate
“Evangelicals nationwide are turning their Bibles to Matthew 25:35 and praying that Congress is listening to those words — part of a highly-coordinated effort to spur progress on the long unresolved and contentious issue of immigration,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“Faith leaders and their congregations have become an unlikely but powerful ally to reform advocates, framing the question over what to do with 11 million unauthorized residents as one of moral compassion, and tapping into influence among Republicans to soften opposition to a pathway to citizenship.”
Virginia Lawmakers Propose Creating Their Own Money
Virginia Del. Robert Marshall (R) introduced a bill to “study the feasibility of a metallic-based monetary unit,” ABC News reports.
Its preamble is rife with damnations of the Federal Reserve and its “unprecedented monetary policy actions” and “activist intervention in
banking and credit markets,” the point being that Virginia can no longer
trust federal fiat money, and might need “a more stable money unit
consistent with limited government.”
The bill easily passed the heavily Republican House of Delegates, 65 to 32.
Bloomberg Spends in Illinois Special Election
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Super PAC has spent at least $660,000 for 12 days of TV ads blasting Debbie Halvorson’s (D) past support from the National Rifle Association in an attempt to influence the outcome of the Illinois 2nd Congressional District special election, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Bush Family Emails Hacked
“The apparent hack of several e-mail accounts has exposed personal photos and sensitive correspondence from members of the Bush family, including both former U.S. presidents,” The Smoking Gun reports.
“The photos and e-mails were uploaded yesterday to an online account that appears to have been hacked for the purpose of hosting the material… Included in the hacked material is a confidential October 2012 list of home addresses, cell phone numbers, and e-mails for dozens of Bush family members, including both former presidents, their siblings, and their children.”
