Political Wire

Using the China Appointment for Political Purposes

December 19, 2013 at 11:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

First Read notes that appointing Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) as ambassador to China “isn’t the first time the Obama White House has used the China ambassadorship for political reasons.”

“Remember, Obama’s first ambassador there was then-Utah Gov. John Huntsman (R), whom the president’s political team back in 2009 viewed as a potential threat in a 2012 general election. (Huntsman ran for president anyway, but having worked for Obama wasn’t seen as a positive by GOP primary voters.) And after Huntsman (who spoke Mandarin) and Gary Locke (a Chinese American), Baucus might seem like a curious choice for U.S. ambassador to China, arguably one of the most crucial relationships to the U.S. economy in particular. But don’t forget he’s been a powerful U.S. senator for years who has some experience when the issue of Most Favored Nation status for China was being shepherded through the Senate.”

Conversation with Frank Rich

December 19, 2013 at 8:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Frank Rich, Writer-at-Large at New York magazine and Executive Producer of HBO’s Veep, joins us on the Political Wire podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on the narrative behind our politics.

Listen here:

Subscribe via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.

The Best Candidate in 2016

December 19, 2013 at 8:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Week says a candidate styled in the mold of Barack Obama in 2008 would be quite formidable come 2016.

Branstad Says Biden Has No Chance

December 19, 2013 at 8:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) told CNN that Vice President Joe Biden’s had little chance in the Iowa caucuses if he runs for president in 2016.

Said Branstad: “Biden is dead meat out here. He is not going anywhere.”

Prosecutors Were Ready to Charge McDonnell

December 19, 2013 at 8:10 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Federal prosecutors told Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) “last week that he and his wife would be charged in connection with a gift scandal, but senior Justice Department officials delayed the decision after the McDonnells’ attorneys made a face-to-face appeal in Washington,” the Washington Post reports.

Quote of the Day

December 19, 2013 at 8:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I will look carefully at what I think I can do and make that decision sometime next year.”

— Hillary Clinton, in an ABC News interview, on whether she’ll run for president in 2016.

Reporter Drops Libel Suit After Ford Apology

December 19, 2013 at 7:24 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford “admitted repeated statements he has made about an incident involving Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale are inaccurate in a two-page written apology issued Wednesday evening,” the Toronto Star reports.

“In the apology, Ford confirms that many aspects of Dale’s account of that night are true, including that no pictures were taken of the mayor’s home or backyard and that Dale never set foot on the property, nor was he looking over the fence.”

Congressional Retirements Just Beginning

December 19, 2013 at 6:14 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Roll Call: “Nine House members have announced retirements for reasons other than seeking higher office… An average of 23 House members retired in each of the past three cycles, and many of them announced their departures around the holiday season.”

“There are often clues as to which members are eyeing the exits. Without an incentive to bring in big bucks for re-election, they often report low fundraising numbers. Health problems or personal changes prompt some members to reconsider the long weekends and flights to Capitol Hill. And the comforts of home and family can strike a contrast to the brutal political environment in Congress.”

“These clues, plus interviews with dozens of congressional operatives from both parties, yielded the following names of members who — despite their public denials — might call it quits in 2014.”

The Hill: Who’s next?

Liz Cheney’s Husband Registered to Vote in Two States

December 18, 2013 at 9:16 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Liz Cheney’s husband has been registered to vote in both Virginia and Wyoming for the past nine months, even though he signed a document in Wyoming saying he was not registered elsewhere,” Politico reports.

Majority of Uninsured Skeptical of Obamacare

December 18, 2013 at 9:07 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new New York Times/CBS News poll finds that “Americans who lack medical coverage disapprove of President Obama’s health care law at roughly the same rate as the insured, even though most say they struggle to pay for basic care.”

Key findings: “53% of the uninsured disapprove of the law, the poll found, compared with 51% of those who have health coverage. A third of the uninsured say the law will help them personally, but about the same number think it will hurt them, with cost a leading concern.”

Baucus to be Named Ambassador to China

December 18, 2013 at 6:12 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) “is expected to be nominated by the White House to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to China,” Politico reports.

“It remains unclear when the appointment would take effect, but Baucus would have to win confirmation from his Senate colleagues. If he leaves before his term ends, Baucus would relinquish his gavel on the powerful Senate Finance Committee at a time when he is still aggressively pushing for a dramatic rewrite of the Tax Code, putting its chances in peril this Congress.”

Washington Post: “Assuming Baucus is confirmed sometime in 2014, it means there will be a vacancy in his seat. Gov. Steve Bullock (D) will get to make the appointment for the final year of Baucus’s term.”

The Fix: Three reasons the White House is sending Baucus to China.

Record High Say ‘Big Government’ is Biggest Threat

December 18, 2013 at 4:53 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Gallup poll finds that 72% of Americans say big government is “a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor, a record high in the nearly 50-year history of this question.”

Kingston Wants Poor Students to Sweep Floors for Lunch

December 18, 2013 at 3:38 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) proposed that “low-income children do some manual labor in exchange for their subsidized meals,” the Huffington Post reports.

Said Kingston: “Why don’t you have the kids pay a dime, pay a nickel to instill in them that there is, in fact, no such thing as a free lunch? Or maybe sweep the floor of the cafeteria — and yes, I understand that that would be an administrative problem, and I understand that it would probably lose you money. But think what we would gain as a society in getting people — getting the myth out of their head that there is such a thing as a free lunch.”

Obenshain Will Concede in Virginia

December 18, 2013 at 2:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Virginia attorney general candidate Mark Obenshain (R) will concede the race to Mark Herring (D) this afternoon, the certified winner of the Nov. 5 election, the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.

“As Herring’s lead in the statewide tally had steadily widened since the recount began Monday, it became increasingly clear that Obenshain would not be able to swing the race in his favor.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

December 18, 2013 at 1:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I’m not the shadow chief of staff.”

— Valerie Jarrett, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on her personal relationship with President Obama while working as his adviser.

On Wonk Wire

December 18, 2013 at 1:47 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Some great clicks over at Wonk Wire:

Christie Leads Clinton in Early 2016 Match Up

December 18, 2013 at 1:39 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Public Policy Polling survey finds Chris Christie (R) leading Hillary Clinton — and all other Democratic candidates — in potential 2016 match ups.

Christie leads Clinton, 45% to 42%, “because he’s viewed favorably across party lines. He’s at 48/26 with Republicans, 46/28 with independents, and 38/36 with Democrats.”

Reid Wants 8 More Years as Senate Leader

December 18, 2013 at 1:12 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “sounds like a man who intends to stay in his office into the next decade,” Roll Call reports.

Said Reid: “I don’t want to do it more than eight more years.”

“Reid is up for re-election in 2016 and has repeatedly said he intends to run again. He reiterated that intention again on Wednesday and indicated he’s looking at serving another full term running the Senate, if Democrats hold onto the majority the entire time. If he and Democrats are able to hold onto power that long, Reid would be the leader for 16 years, matching the current record set by the legendary Montana Democrat Mike Mansfield.”

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