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Why Florida’s Lt. Governor Quit

April 5, 2013 at 9:44 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll (R) claimed she “had no idea law enforcement was investigating a veterans charity accused of running illegal slot machine-style casinos until two agents walked into her office last month,” the AP reports.

“She was taking photos with people in her office on March 12 when she was told the agents wanted to speak to her. When the agents walked out about 20 minutes later, Gov. Rick Scott’s chief of staff was waiting outside her office. He told her Scott wanted her to resign. She immediately said yes and called her husband to let him know.”

First Lady Refers to Herself as a Single Mother

April 5, 2013 at 9:32 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

First Lady Michelle Obama mistakenly referred to herself as a “single mother” during an interview with WCAX-TV.

Said Mrs. Obama: “Believe me, as a busy single mother — or I shouldn’t say single — as a busy mother, sometimes when you’ve got a husband who is president it can feel a little single. But he’s there.”

Job Growth Slows Dramatically

April 5, 2013 at 9:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The U.S. economy generated just 88,000 jobs last month, the smallest gain in 10 months, adding to fresh evidence that the pace of hiring has slowed, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The unemployment rate fell to 7.6% because of an unanticipated high number of people dropping out of the job market.

First Read: “Don’t be surprised if this lower-than-expected number puts pressure on Congress to alleviate the sequester cuts.”

The Week: Headed for a slowdown?

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Quote of the Day

April 5, 2013 at 7:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Today, more people than ever before — 69.5 million Americans, from college students to retirees to welfare beneficiaries — depend on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid, or other assistance once considered to be the responsibility of individuals, families, neighborhoods, churches, and other civil society institutions.”

— Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), quoted by the Huffington Post, in a letter to staff upon taking over as head of the Heritage Foundation.

How to Survive a Sex Scandal

April 5, 2013 at 6:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Daily Beast: “Looking at some of the biggest sex scandals of the last decade or so, we have tried to parse the factors that allow some pols to skate by and others to live out their days as little more than punchlines. Consider the following guidelines, then, a free, nonexpert, historically grounded What It Takes to keep your name out of the mud. A study, if you will, in what separates the Sanfords from the Weiners.”

Obama Budget Will Seek Grand Bargain

April 5, 2013 at 6:39 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Obama “will offer cuts to Social Security and other entitlement programs in a budget proposal aimed at swaying Republicans to compromise on a deficit-reduction deal,” Reuters reports.

“Under a proposal that would cut the deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years, the president will offer to apply a less generous measure of inflation to calculate cost-of-living increases… That change would result in lower payments to some beneficiaries of the Social Security program for retirees and is staunchly opposed by many congressional Democrats as well as labor and retiree groups.”

“However, the president will only accept these spending cuts if congressional Republicans, for their part, agree to higher taxes… The president’s budget proposal is due to be laid out in full on Wednesday.”

New York Times: “The administration’s hope is to create cracks
in Republicans’ antitax resistance, especially in the Senate, as
constituents complain about the across-the-board cuts in military and
domestic programs that took effect March 1.”

More Cabinet Members Take Pay Cuts

April 5, 2013 at 6:07 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has become the latest member of President Obama’s Cabinet to give back a portion of his salary, the AP reports.

“The Treasury Department said that Lew would contribute a portion of his salary to non-profit organizations that are supporting people and programs adversely affected by automatic government spending cuts. The amount of Lew’s contribution and the organizations receiving the money are still being worked out.”

The New York Times notes Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also agreed to a pay cut.

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

April 4, 2013 at 10:06 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“When you bring that up you get people who get crazy on us. And they’ll start saying, ‘Oh there you go comparing to the Nazis.’ And I understand the reaction, but it’s the truth.”

— Mike Huckabee, on his radio show, defending comparisons of the Obama administration to Nazi Germany.

Brown Won’t Rule Out Run from New Hampshire

April 4, 2013 at 10:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Declaring that he’s likely not done with politics,” former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) refused to rule out a run for office in New Hampshire, while describing the Granite State as ”almost a second home,” the AP reports.

Asked if he might challenge Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in 2014, Brown said: “I’m not going to rule out anything right now.”

ABC News: “A New Hampshire run would be feasible for him. The state’s
eligibility requirements to run for Senate are loose, and the Granite
State tends to be a friendlier territory for Republicans than
Massachusetts, offering greater political appeal for the former senator.”

French Budget Chief Admits He Lied

April 4, 2013 at 10:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Just as French President François Hollande is trying to impose budgetary discipline on his countrymen, his chief tax enforcer has admitted to hiding $770,000 in an offshore bank account, Businessweek reports.

“Budget Minister Jérôme Cahuzac, who resigned as budget minister two weeks ago, acknowledged this week that he lied to Hollande and others who questioned him after allegations about his secret overseas accounts surfaced several months ago.”

Majority of Senate Now Supports Gay Marriage

April 4, 2013 at 6:05 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) “has endorsed gay marriage, the latest in a string of lawmakers to change his position on the issue,” the Washington Post reports.

He becomes the 51st senator to announce his support for same-sex marriage.

Bonus Quote of the Day

April 4, 2013 at 5:57 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“She’s brilliant and she’s dedicated, she’s tough. She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general.”

— President Obama, quoted by the Washington Post, praising the appearance of California attorney general Kamala Harris (D).

BuzzFeed compiles a list of the 12 hottest attorney generals.

Election 2012 Recap

April 4, 2013 at 5:52 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Just published: Political Power: Election 2012 Recap by Marc Shapiro and illustrated by Nick Justus and Luciano Kars.

A new graphic novel recaps last year’s presidential election.

The Culture Wars Now Favor Democrats

April 4, 2013 at 5:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Ron Brownstein: “For decades after the cultural upheavals of the 1960s, Republicans regularly provoked confrontations on a broad array of polarizing noneconomic ‘wedge issues,’ from crime and welfare to immigration and gay rights. Democrats, with a few exceptions, mostly tried through those years to neutralize the debates and quickly pivot back to economic terrain.”

“Now, that has flipped. In Washington and in blue-leaning states, Democrats are forcing the collisions on these issues. Democrats may not win all of these fights legislatively, in Congress or in the state capitals. And in most red states, Republicans are still pursuing their own culturally conservative agenda, particularly on abortion. But the Democrats’ willingness to take the offense on so many cultural issues represents a stark change–and a measure of their confidence that they now represent the national majority on these disputes.”

Lawmaker Who Implicated Colleague Resigns

April 4, 2013 at 3:12 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Assemblyman Nelson Castro (D), “who wore a wire to help indict his colleague, Eric Stevenson, announced his resignation,” the New York Observer reports.

“Stepping down from office, in addition to cooperating with federal authorities, were steps he took in order to avoid prosecution himself.”

The Westchester Journal News notes Castro “has been working as an informant for investigators since July 2009.”

PAC Launches to Support Bearded Candidates

April 4, 2013 at 1:44 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new political action committee launched this week to support bearded candidates from across the political spectrum, The Hill reports.

Said spokesman Andy Shapero: “It’s been 125 years since our last bearded President, Benjamin Harrison, was elected. We’re hoping that with our support, bearded individuals will shrug off over a century of political irrelevance and start running for office again.”

Would Reagan Have Supported Gay Marriage?

April 4, 2013 at 1:37 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Patti Davis, daughter of former President Ronald Reagan, told the New York Times that she believes her father would back same-sex marriage if he were alive today.

Said Davis: “All I know is the heart of the man who raised me as my father.”

But Michael Reagan, the late president’s son by a different marriage, told the Washington Post that people shouldn’t be making assumptions about where this father would stand on the issue today.

Said Reagan: “You’d have to ask him… t’s easy to say he would do or not do something when he’s not here to answer.”

Santorum May Run Again

April 4, 2013 at 1:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rick Santorum tells Newsmax he’s not ruling out another presidential bid.

Said Santorum: “I’m certainly leaving the door open for that. I’m making no commitments at this point, but we’re not doing anything inconsistent with running in 2016.”

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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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