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Budget Deal Offers a Reprieve From Washington Paralysis

December 18, 2013 at 6:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Something odd happened here on Tuesday. The Senate advanced a two-year bipartisan budget deal that will now surely be sent to the president for his signature later this week without waiting for a cliff, a chasm, a deadline or a shutdown to force its hand.”

“Just like that, declarations sounded in Washington that the city almost seemed to be working again. The assertions may be little solace to competing ends of the ideological spectrum that saw the budget deal as a craven capitulation to the spenders or the cutters, depending on which end was looking at it. But flawed as critics complained it was, the deal represented a break in the paralysis that has gripped the capital for years.”

Can Podesta Save Obama?

December 18, 2013 at 6:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “When President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough, approached John Podesta a few weeks ago about taking over the high-aggravation job of White House counselor, the biggest concern wasn’t that he would say no. After all, he had already done so twice before. Obama’s team was more worried that Podesta would say no and that word of his rejection would leak, making the White House look feckless and desperate at the end of Obama’s brutal fifth year in office. So, the circle of people in the know was kept to a small handful; it was so closely held that even the perpetually plugged-in ‘Davids’–Obama confidants Axelrod and Plouffe–weren’t consulted.”

“That Obama’s team couldn’t afford to suffer even the minor embarrassment of a possible Podesta rebuff is a measure of just how precarious things have gotten less than a year after the president’s triumphant second inauguration–and how much the White House could use the services of Podesta, the closest thing Washington has to a turnaround specialist for wayward Democratic commanders in chief.”

Latham Will Not Run Again

December 17, 2013 at 6:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA), a top ally of Speaker John Boehner, became the third member of Congress to announce his retirement today, Roll Call reports.

The Hill: “His retirement comes as a surprise — just a year ago he’d defeated fellow Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) in a hotly contested race, and had turned down national Republicans’ pleas to run for an open Senate seat.”

President Obama carried the district in 2012 by over four points.

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Walker Mulls Eliminating the Income Tax

December 17, 2013 at 3:44 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said his administration’s “ongoing discussion about taxes includes a look at whether it would be feasible to eliminate the income tax,” WisPolitics.com reports.

Said Walker: “There are many states that do very well, better than most states in the country, that have no income taxes. That’s one thing for us to look at. Is that feasible? What would that mean in terms of an economic boost? That’s not only for individuals, but small businesses in this state.”

Inside Stockman’s Condemned Office

December 17, 2013 at 3:22 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Local officials ordered the emergency closure of an unorthodox campaign headquarters for Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) last month, citing multiple safety violations, the Houston Chronicle reports.

TPM “has obtained photographs taken by the local officials who recently shut down Stockman’s campaign office… And the images are dirty. And dusty. And grimy.”

Is Obama Really Worse Than Bush?

December 17, 2013 at 3:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Week looks at the evidence.

Brown Won’t Rule Out Another Presidential Bid

December 17, 2013 at 2:55 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Los Angeles Times: “If he weren’t the nation’s oldest governor, a ripe 75, Jerry Brown would automatically be counted among serious Democratic candidates for president in 2016. He boasts a household name, an impressive list of accomplishments in the country’s most populous state — a state some once deemed ungovernable — glowing national media coverage and a deep familiarity with the pitfalls and rigors of a White House bid, having run three times before.”

“The famously Delphic governor often leaves people guessing about his motivation and intentions, which leaves plenty of leeway ahead of 2016. Absent a clear-cut statement of disinterest from Brown — who sought the White House in 1976, 1980 and 1992 — some see familiar signs of a presidential-candidate-in-waiting.”

Keep Track of Retiring Lawmakers

December 17, 2013 at 2:47 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

For a complete list of retirements, see Roll Call’s excellent casualty list for the 113th Congress.

And keep track of the latest race ratings changes at the Cook Political Report.

Matheson Will Not Run Again

December 17, 2013 at 2:43 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) announced on Facebook that he “will not seek reelection to the House of Representatives.”

Roll Call: “This essentially takes his seat — the heavily Republican 4th District — out of play for Democrats… Mia Love, a top GOP recruit, came within a few hundred votes of defeating him in 2012. She promptly announced her rematch in early 2013.”

[Read more…]

Scott’s Own Poll Shows Him Trailing

December 17, 2013 at 1:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Charlie Crist (D) leads Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) by 4 points in his own internal poll, 49% to 45%, Politico reports.

“The Florida governor’s race will perhaps be the most expensive campaign of 2014 and, coming in such a key presidential battleground, might be the hottest race of the midterms.”

Wolf Will Retire from Congress

December 17, 2013 at 1:28 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) will not seek an 18th term in Congress, Roll Call reports.

“Wolf’s decision puts into play a Northern Virginia seat that was only safe based on the strength of his incumbency. Democrats are almost sure to go after it. Mitt Romney narrowly carried the district, with 50 percent of the vote to President Barack Obama’s 49 percent, in 2012.”

The Hill: “There has been speculation
for months that Wolf might retire, given his age and weak fundraising efforts, but his office had insisted that he planned to run again.”

What Now for Obama?

December 17, 2013 at 12:28 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Walter Shapiro: “The inescapable reality of the remainder of the Obama presidency is that he never again will have the congressional votes to pass liberal legislation. That leaves the president with stark choices: Does he continue to make speeches into the wind about economic inequality knowing that nothing will change during the next three years? Or does he embark on an experimental effort to find non-traditional backdoor methods to spark the economy? Does he go with partisan talking points or the quest to find Republican partners?”

A Look at the 2014 Primary Schedule

December 17, 2013 at 10:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Stu Rothenberg: “The first Senate primary contest will be March 4 in Texas. Rep.
Steve Stockman’s last-minute challenge to GOP Sen. John Cornyn got
plenty of media attention. But unless Stockman can find a pot of gold
(worth at least $10 million or so) at the end of a rainbow, Cornyn will
cruise to victory. … The next incumbent senator facing a primary is
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky on May 20. Gauging Matt
Bevin’s credibility and McConnell’s vulnerability in a primary is not
easy. But up to this point, most observers believe McConnell will
survive. … So right out of the gate, it’s very possible that two of the
highest ranking Republicans in the Senate — McConnell and Cornyn — win
their primaries and hand the anti-establishment crowd two high-profile
losses.”

Menino Learns to Drive Again

December 17, 2013 at 10:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) test drove a car as he will soon be driving himself, after 20 years of having a police officer drive him around, the Boston Globe reports.

Said Menino: “There was a button to turn on the engine! A button to call somebody. I kept looking for the clutch!”

Quote of the Day

December 17, 2013 at 10:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The question that we have is, will it be the Hillary that leads the progressives? Or is it the Hillary that says, ‘I’m already going to win the Democratic nomination, and so I can shift hard right on Day 1.’ We can’t afford any more hard right. We had eight years of George Bush. Now we’ve had five years of Obama, [who], I would argue, in many cases has been a corporatist.”

— Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), quoted by the Weekly Standard.

[Read more…]

Virginia Recount Underway

December 17, 2013 at 10:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The recount in Virginia’s attorney general race began Monday and will likely conclude toward the end of this week,” Politico reports.

If Mark Herring (D) “prevails after the recount, Democrats will control all three statewide constitutional offices for the first time since 1989.”

Conversation with John Sides

December 17, 2013 at 8:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

John Sides, political scientist and founder of The Monkey Cage, joins us on the Political Wire podcast
for an interesting discussion about his new book, The Gamble, and his early forecast for the 2014 midterm elections.

Listen here:

Subscribe via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically or download the episode here.

Thanks to the Cook Political Report for sponsoring this episode and offering listeners a special trial subscription offer.

McConnell Barely Ahead in Kentucky

December 17, 2013 at 8:22 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Kentucky finds Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) clinging to a one point lead over challenger Alison Lundergran Grimes (D), 43% to 42%.

Key finding: McConnell’s approval rating is a dismal 31% to 61%.

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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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