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Just One Ad Per Candidate in Germany

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Politico: “Germany is in the heat of election season: in just over a week, voters will head to the polls to determine whether Chancellor Angela Merkel and her party get a third term leading the government. So where are the TV ads?”

“The comparative lack of political advertising on the airwaves here would be almost inconceivable to an American swing-state voter, who during presidential election season is bombarded by round-the-clock political advertising. Here in Germany, the air war isn’t really an air war: it’s more of a minor disagreement (and a polite one, of course). And instead of myriad ads on different topics featuring different people, each party in Germany typically releases just one main minute-and-a-half ad for the entire election.”

Lawmaker Lost Drunken Arm-Wrestling Match with Putin

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Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) told KPCC that Russian President Vladimir Putin once beat him in an arm-wrestling match to decide who won the Cold War.

Said Rohrabacher: “I didn’t know who he was then. He was deputy mayor of St. Peteresburg. That’s all we knew… But anyways, we started arguing about who won the Cold War, etc. And so we decided to settle it like men do when they’ve had too much to drink in the pub. And so we got down to these arm wrestling matches. And I ended up being paired up with Putin. And he’s a little guy, but boy I tell you, he put me down in a millisecond. He is tough. His muscles are just unbelievable.”

Vitter Seeks Ethics Investigation of Reid and Boxer

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Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) “is pushing back against a legislative proposal that alludes to his prior connection to a prostitution scandal,” Roll Call reports.

Vitter asked the Senate Ethics Committee for an investigation of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Ethics Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) contending that the offices of the two senators are running afoul of the rules with “attempted bribery.”

Democrats Threaten to Bring Up Vitter Prostitution Scandal

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“Senate Democrats have had all they can take from David Vitter and his fixation on Obamacare — and they’re dredging up his past prostitution scandal to hit back,” Politico reports.

“Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, has infuriated Democrats this week by commandeering the Senate floor, demanding a vote on his amendment repealing federal contributions to help pay for lawmakers’ health care coverage.”

“But Democratic senators are preparing a legislative response targeting a sordid Vitter episode. If Vitter continues to insist on a vote on his proposal, Democrats could counter with one of their own: Lawmakers will be denied those government contributions if there is ‘probable cause’ they solicited prostitutes.”

Bloomberg Will Not Make Endorsement

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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he had decided not to make an endorsement in the general election for mayor, the New York Times reports.

Said Bloomberg: “Helping the next mayor get prepared for the job so he can hit the ground running is really one of the most important things I can do for New Yorkers after November. I don’t want to do anything that complicates it for the next mayor, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve decided I’m just not going to make an endorsement in the race.”

The Top 8 Most Fascinating Recruits (So Far)

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Roll Call: “Congressional candidates often boast a résumé that includes time in local office, terms in the legislature or experience running a business. It’s a formula that instantly boosts name identification with voters. But the cast of congressional candidates usually offers some upstarts — people with an unusual background, a unique curriculum vitae or an unconventional motivation that gives them a shot at Congress.”

Reid Will Campaign Against McConnell

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will help raise funds for Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) Democratic opponent, Politico reports.

“Reid’s move comes after he had said last year that
he would not publicly campaign against Senate Republican leader Mitch
McConnell because he didn’t think it would be appropriate to do so.”

GOP Gains Favor on Key Issues

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A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds the Republican Party “is gaining a public-opinion edge on several key issues ahead of the 2014 elections, as Americans question President Obama’s leadership on Syria and worry about the country’s overall direction.”

“Republicans are now rated higher than Democrats on handling the economy and foreign policy, and the GOP’s lead has strengthened on several other issues, including dealing with the federal deficit and ensuring a strong national defense. On topics such as health care, Democrats have seen their long-standing advantage whittled to lows not seen in years.”

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.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.