Michael Crowley: “Clinton has demonstrated a well-documented willingness to use American military power overseas. Gates’ book is just the latest evidence, along with previous reporting and original interviews with current and former Obama officials, of the strikingly hawkish voice Clinton offered during Obama Situation Room debates…In fact, Clinton may have been the administration’s most reliable advocate for military action. On at least three crucial issues–Afghanistan, Libya, and the bin Laden raid–Clinton took a more aggressive line than Gates, a Bush-appointed Republican.”
Christie Was With Official During Traffic Fiasco
Gov. Chris Christie (R) “was with the official who arranged the closure of local lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 11, 2013 — the third day of the closures, and well after they had triggered outrage from local officials beset by heavy traffic,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“It isn’t known what, if anything, Mr. Christie discussed with David Wildstein that day.”
Condoleeza Rice to Headline GOP Fundraiser
Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice will headline a big fundraising dinner for House Republicans in March, the Washington Post reports.
“Rice has gradually stepped into the political arena since departing George W. Bush’s White House. Her speech at the Republican National Convention in August 2012 earned widespread praise, and she has also begun raising money for GOP causes, particularly for a Republican women’s political action committee.”
“Rice has said she’s not interested in running for office, but speculation persists that she could run in 2016.”
Will Christie Cooperate?
First Read: “As for the investigation into the GWB lane closures, the level of Christie’s cooperation will be a big tell. If he and his administration are truly cooperative — turning over every email, appearing before every investigative panel — then it will appear they have nothing to hide, and it will be a reminder he really does want to rescue his national ambitions. But if they stonewall, then it may be that Christie and his folks have concluded they have bigger problems than 2016.”
Some Democrats Tried to Stop Investigation Into Christie
Former New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey (D) said that some Democrats “tried to quash an investigation into the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal to protect Gov. Chris Christie (R),” the Newark Star Ledger reports.
Codey noted “that while the state Assembly was ramping up its investigation on the massive traffic jam — eventually finding that several people in Christie’s office were involved — there was ‘an intense campaign’ by some Democrats to stop it in its tracks.”
Said Codey: “People know that there was an effort by certain Democratic circles to have this thing not see the light of day.”
Quote of the Day
“No, I wasn’t drinking, I don’t drink.”
— Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, quoted by the Toronto Sun, on his much-publicized visit to a nightclub over the weekend.
Hillary’s Iowa Problem
Peter Hamby looks at Hillary Clinton and the invisible primary in Iowa, a state the tripped up her presidential ambitions in 2008.
“But beneath the surface here, familiar pitfalls might await Clinton should she decide to run: A restive and emboldened progressive base long suspicious of Clintonian moderation, a hunger for fresh Democratic voices, and a caucus electorate that boasts a cherished tradition of voting with its heart rather than its head.”
Congressman to Marry Same-Sex Partner
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) will marry his longtime partner, designer Randy Florke, CNN reports.
Said Maloney: “After 21 years together, we are excited for the next step in our journey as a family. For decades, we’ve fought to ensure that all families can experience the joys of loving commitment and we are proud to have our friends and family share this special moment with us in the near future.”
McDonnell Pranks McAuliffe
On his way out of the door, the out-going Virginia governor pulls a prank on the incoming governor, WTVR reports.
“So for his prank, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) left a very big surprise for newly-elected Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to find. A giant stuffed black bear in his office bathroom.”
Said McAuliffe: “McDonnell left a few items for me. One was pretty cute; he had an alarm clock hidden in a drawer.”
Democrat in South Carolina Has Troubled Past
Jay Stamper (D), the lone Democratic candidate in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race is a felon, the Columbia State reports.
“Grudging and reluctant support has come from some corners of Stampers’ own party after revelations he pleaded guilty to three felony charges associated with the illegal sale of securities in 2006. Stamper was ordered to repay millions of dollars and said at Monday’s meeting that $600,000 of that came from his own pocket. Stamper called the incident “a business mistake I made several years ago,’ and said securities laws are very complicated, and he acted on advice from two teams of lawyers.”
Wave of Staff Turnover on Capitol Hill?
A new Congressional Management Foundation survey finds that nearly four in ten senior staff on Capitol Hill said they plan to look for a job in the next 12 months.
Was Christie Really the GOP Frontrunner?
Charlie Cook: “Christie indeed sat at the top of some of the polls that lay out a long laundry list of every imaginable contender (as well as some who are harder to imagine), but does that make him the front-runner? I think not.”
“Think for a moment who makes up the Republican Party, and most specifically the part of the GOP base that dominates the presidential nomination process. Think about the people they seriously considered for their party’s presidential nomination last time around. Think Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and Newt Gingrich. Now, quickly, think Christie. Now think Sesame Street: ‘One of these things is not like the others; one of these things just doesn’t belong.’ It’s laughable that the party that has previously seriously considered some fairly inconceivable candidates as worthy of the GOP nomination would suddenly reverse course and head over to a center-right candidate such as Christie.”
Just One in Four Americans Satisified with Direction of U.S.
A new Gallup poll finds just 23% of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. at this time, unchanged from December and within one percentage point of the 24% average for 2013.
House Will Take Up Bill on Iran Sanctions
“House leaders are planning to take up Senate legislation to enact new sanctions against Iran, a surprise move that would intensify a standoff between the White House and Congress in the wake of progress this past weekend in President Obama’s diplomatic drive with Tehran,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Mr. Obama has said he would veto any new Iran sanctions Congress sends to his desk while the U.S. and other world powers negotiate a long-term deal to curtail Tehran’s nuclear program, a process underway after a six-month interim deal was finalized Sunday.”
Greg Sargent: “Where are all the Senate Democrats on the bill to impose sanctions on
Iran that is being pushed by Senators Robert Menendez and Chuck Schumer?
How many of them are really prepared to support this bill, and how many
oppose it? By my count, more than half the Democratic caucus have been
mum on where they stand.”
The Dangerous Dozen
Stu Rothenberg lists his “dangerous dozen,” the open House seats most-likely to switch party control in this year’s elections.
Christie Survives (So Far)
Michael Gerson: “Judged purely as a matter of politics, Christie has done well. Assuming his vehement denial of all involvement is accurate — the alternative is the end of his credibility and his career — Christie’s news conference was a model of crisis management. He accepted responsibility without admitting culpability. He apologized while maintaining he was a victim. I can’t recall a political figure who has done the scandal drill — mistakes were made, heads will roll — any better.”
“In the pre-primary primary, this is actually a qualification. Presidential candidates, who are often human beings, have been known to face draft-record controversies, bimbo eruptions, early DUI revelations, drug-use allegations, questions about discreditable pastoral associations and the like. The successful ones share Christie’s talent for crisis containment.”
Christie Hopes Speech Will Distract from Scandal
“In a political high-wire act, Gov. Chris Christie will try on Tuesday to refocus attention from a controversy over a vindictive traffic jam to the day-to-day work of governing, by outlining plans to extend the school day, lower taxes for homeowners and reduce urban crime,” the New York Times reports.
“Christie’s State of the State address, with all its pomp and formality, offers him a welcome if awkwardly timed opportunity to present himself as a policy-purveying statesman, without having to answer questions. It will be a far cry from his last turn at the podium last week, when he appeared before voters as an angry, humiliated and, in his words, ‘heartbroken’ man who accepted responsibility for his staff’s role in closing traffic lanes to the George Washington Bridge.”
Washington Post: “The governor is expected to address the bridge scandal in Tuesday’s speech, but he is unlikely to linger on it. ”
Lawmakers Reach Deal on $1 Trillion Spending Bill
House and Senate negotiators “unveiled a $1.012 trillion bill to fund the federal government for the next eight and a half months, a compromise that marks a temporary cease-fire in the budget wars that have rocked Congress and the economy in recent years,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The compromise restores some of the funding cut last year from domestic programs such as the National Institutes of Health and Head Start, but keeps overall discretionary spending lower than when President Obama took office in 2009.”
The Hill: “The series of votes this week creates opportunities for disagreements that could lead to a shutdown, particularly given the secretive talks on the bill and the possibility that members of either party will object to spending provisions.”
