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Is Obamacare on Life Support?

November 18, 2013 at 8:09 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

National Journal: “More than anything, politics is about self-preservation, and the last two weeks provided numerous examples of how public opinion has turned so hard against the law that even its most ardent supporters are running for the hills. It’s not just red-state Democrats, like Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, distancing themselves from the law. It’s blue-state senators like Oregon’s Jeff Merkley and New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen — and top blue-state recruits like Michigan’s Gary Peters and Iowa’s Bruce Braley, who voted for GOP legislation Friday that the White House said would ‘gut’ the law. Nearly every House Democrat in a competitive district joined with Republicans to threaten the law. Without a quick fix, those ranks will grow.”

Wonk Wire: Will Obamacare make Obama a lame duck?

Walker’s Campaign Subpoenaed

November 18, 2013 at 7:58 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) campaign and more than two dozen conservative groups
were recently subpoenaed by a special prosecutor,  the Wall Street Journal editorial page reports.

“Copies of two subpoenas we’ve seen demand ‘all memoranda, email . . .
correspondence, and communications’ both internally and between the
subpoena target and some 29 conservative groups… In other words, tell us who your donors are.”

Quote of the Day

November 18, 2013 at 6:57 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“What amazes me is that she says she’s running to be a new generation of leader. I’m not sure how sticking to the positions of the last 20 or 30 years is the best way to do that.”

— Mary Cheney, quoted by the New York Times, further criticizing her sister, Liz Cheney, for not supporting same sex marriage in her U.S. Senate campaign.

Clinton Hopes for a Woman President

November 18, 2013 at 6:39 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Bill Clinton told a Chinese audience that hopes there will be a woman in the White House in his lifetime, AFP reports.

Said Clinton: “I hope we have a woman president in my lifetime, and I think it would be a good thing for the world as well as for America.”

However, he tempered his remarks regarding his wife, Hillary Clinton: “But I do not know if she’s going to run, and there is no such thing as a sure thing in politics… If that’s what she wants to do, I will support her. But if she decides for whatever reason she doesn’t, I will support that.”

White Mayor, Black Wife

November 18, 2013 at 6:07 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Associated Press: “Even in a nation with a biracial president, where interracial marriage is more accepted and common than ever, Bill de Blasio’s marriage to Chirlane McCray is remarkable: He is apparently the first white politician in U.S. history elected to a major office with a black spouse by his side.”

“This simple fact is striking a deep chord in many people as de Blasio
prepares to take office on Jan. 1, with McCray playing a major role in
his administration.”

Cuomo Job Approval Sinks to New Low

November 18, 2013 at 6:03 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Siena poll in New York finds Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) with the the lowest job performance rating he’s had since becoming governor, 44% to 52%.

That said, Cuomo still has a 61% favorability rating and crushes potential challengers in hypothetical match up.s

Quote of the Day

November 17, 2013 at 8:34 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Republicans need to understand that their political problems are neither tactical nor transitory. They are structural and demographic. The hard truth is the GOP coalition constitutes a shrinking portion of the electorate. To change that daunting reality, Republicans must appeal to groups that are currently outside their ranks or risk becoming a permanent minority.”

— Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), quoted by the Washington Post.

Pressure Builds to Finish Volcker Rule

November 17, 2013 at 8:03 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Obama administration, currently stumbling through the health care overhaul, has reached a critical stage in its other signature effort: reining in Wall Street,” the New York Times reports.

“The push to reshape financial oversight hinges on negotiations in the coming weeks over the so-called Volcker Rule, a regulation that strikes at the heart of Wall Street risk-taking. The rule, which bans banks from trading for their own gain, has become synonymous with the Dodd-Frank overhaul law that Congress adopted after the financial crisis.”

Cheney Blasted by Her Sister on Same Sex Marriage

November 17, 2013 at 1:50 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Mary Cheney and her wife, Heather Poe, sharply criticized a comment by Liz Cheney, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming, that they disagreed on the issue of same-sex marriage, the New York Times reports.

Wrote Mary Cheney on her Facebook page: “Liz – this isn’t just an issue on which we disagree, you’re just wrong – and on the wrong side of history.”

Poe’s comments were more personal: “Liz has been a guest in our home, has spent time and shared holidays with our children, and when Mary and I got married in 2012 – she didn’t hesitate to tell us how happy she was for us. To have her say she doesn’t support our right to marry is offensive to say the least.”

Walker Says GOP Nominee Should Be a Governor

November 17, 2013 at 9:25 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) — while offering praise for his GOP colleagues — dismissed Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Paul Ryan as the ideal 2016 Republican presidential nominee, ABC News reports.

Said Walker: “I think it’s got to be an outsider. I think both the presidential and the vice presidential nominee should either be a former or current governor, people who have done successful things in their states, who have taken on big reforms, who are ready to move America forward.”

O’Malley Makes His Case in New Hampshire

November 17, 2013 at 9:13 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) was in New Hampshire last night where he “made an aggressive and at times impassioned case for executive leadership, framing his approach as mayor of Baltimore, and the ‘Believe’ campaign he launched there more than 10 years ago, as a strategy that should be applied at the national level,” Ruby Cramer reports.

“Before O’Malley took the dais, he was introduced by a three-minute glossy black-and-white video… that described the Baltimore campaign… The video, produced by Jimmy Siegel, Eliot Spitzer’s longtime ad man, looked like a campaign spot, just as easily as O’Malley’s talk sounded like the platform of a national campaign in the making. The speech, focusing almost exclusively on Baltimore, was a major departure from O’Malley’s previous political appearances.”

[Read more…]

Ford Discusses His Drug Use

November 17, 2013 at 9:12 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Saturday Night Live opened with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford apologizing for his recent behavior.

[Read more…]

White House Looks at What Went Wrong

November 17, 2013 at 8:57 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The White House “has begun a quiet self-assessment in the wake of the troubled health-law launch, recognizing that administration officials missed warning signs and put too much trust in their management practices in implementing a program that is the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s domestic legacy,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“White House officials want to learn how the rollout flopped, despite what they believed had been sufficient planning, preparation and attention to the issue. Although not a full-bore ‘forensic’ inquiry into what went wrong, the administration aims to organize itself so that ‘going forward, we don’t have these problems,’ a senior White House official said in an interview.”

Will GOP Blow Another Chance at Taking the Senate?

November 17, 2013 at 8:48 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“After Republican primaries produced that horror show of candidates in two consecutive elections, probably costing the party control of the Senate, GOP leaders vowed that 2014 must be different,” Politico reports.

“But as Barack Obama learned the hard way, promising change is one thing, producing it is another. And while the GOP has clearly made headway this year curbing intraparty, resource-draining firefights that yield outside-the-mainstream nominees, it’s less apparent that the progress will be enough to net the six seats it takes to make Mitch McConnell majority leader.”

How Quickly Political Fortunes Change

November 17, 2013 at 8:17 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “For Democrats across the country, the reversal of political fortunes over the past month has been head-spinning. In mid-October, as Republicans were contending with voter fury over a 16-day government shutdown, Democrats had the momentum. In polls, a growing number of voters said they wanted the party to control Congress after next year’s election. Emboldened, a wave of strong recruits entered House contests. Democrats’ control of the Senate seemed secure. Money was flowing.”

“Then the problems with the Internet-based health exchanges came into focus, followed by millions of letters from insurance companies canceling individual policies that did not meet the health law’s minimum coverage requirements. Republicans found their voice. Democrats lost theirs. The polling gap closed, and Republican wallets opened. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $3.8 million in October, its best monthly showing of the year.”

Washington Post: “In some minds, the health-care law’s flubs have merged with the
government shutdown to render an unfavorable verdict on all of
Washington.”

What Would Howard Dean Do?

November 16, 2013 at 11:30 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Political Wire: I bet you’re happy not to be the DNC Chair today?

Howard Dean: I’m happy not to be the DNC Chair, but I’d give anything
to be in the White House and kick some serious butt over fixing this
thing.

Listen to the whole thing:

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.

Surprise Win in Louisiana Special Election

November 16, 2013 at 11:03 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Vance McAllister (R) won a special election in Louisiana’s 5th District, “stunning the heir apparent in the contest to become the next member of Congress,” Roll Call reports.

McAllister, a self-funding newcomer, defeated Neil Riser (R) who “had long been considered a shoo-in to win the special election to replace Rep. Rodney Alexander, who resigned over the summer to take a post in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration.”

Democrats Already Laying Groundwork for Clinton

November 16, 2013 at 3:51 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The institutional apparatus of the Democratic coalition is shifting gears as party strategists, outside groups and the people who finance campaigns prepare for what they believe is an inevitable 2016 presidential bid by Hillary Clinton,” the Washington Post reports.

“All of this may seem premature, and in many ways it is… Still, the signs of activity, and the implications of those efforts, speak to Clinton’s unique position in the Democratic Party and to the understanding that the sophistication of modern politics — especially on the scale of a presidential campaign — requires far more lead time and preparation than it did a generation ago.”

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About Political Wire

Taegan 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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