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You are here: Home / Archives for White House

White House Warns of GOP Efforts to Strip Women of Rights

June 27, 2022 at 11:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Biden administration is promising to fight Republican efforts in the House of Representatives to pass a nationwide abortion ban at 15 weeks following the Supreme Court’s historic decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, calling it an attempt to strip away women’s rights,” CNN reports.

“After the Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling and upheld the Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks, some House Republicans who oppose abortion rights are pushing legislation to implement a similar abortion ban nationwide. Such legislation does not currently have the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, but the push for such a ban is a notable effort given that Republicans have a strong chance to take back control of the House in this year’s midterms.”

Filed Under: White House

Groundhog Day at the White House

June 27, 2022 at 6:06 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

CNN: “For Biden’s economic team, the process is a continuation of more than a year of all-hands-on-deck approaches to confront pop-up crises — ‘basically whack-a-mole’ was how one senior White House official referred to it — only to immediately confront another challenge.”

Filed Under: White House

A Bombshell That Could Define Biden’s Presidency

June 25, 2022 at 10:17 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “It’s not clear whether Roe’s demise will give Biden a path to find his voice and re-energize his presidency, or will simply exacerbate the social divisions that have created such obstacles to governing.”

Filed Under: Abortion, White House

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It’s Time to Convene a Grand Jury

June 24, 2022 at 9:40 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rick Hasen: “In a 2019 ruling requiring the former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify at a congressional hearing about former President Donald Trump’s alleged abuses of power, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson declared that ‘presidents are not kings.’ If we take that admonition from our next Supreme Court justice seriously and look at the evidence amassed so far by the House select committee on the Jan. 6 attack, we can — and in fact must — conclude that the prosecution of Mr. Trump is not only permissible but required for the sake of American democracy.”

“This week’s hearings showed us that Mr. Trump acted like he thought he was a king, not a president subject to the same rules as the rest of us…”

“The evidence and the testimony offered demonstrates why Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Justice Department should convene a grand jury now, if it hasn’t already, to consider indicting Mr. Trump for crimes related to his attempt to overturn the results of the election, before he declares his candidacy for president in 2024, perhaps as early as this summer.”

Filed Under: Trump Legacy, White House

Biden’s Approval Ties Record Low

June 23, 2022 at 7:13 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds President Biden’s approval rating hit 36%, tied for an all-time low.

A new Gallup poll shows Biden’s approval holding steady at 41%.

Filed Under: White House

What Worries Biden Most About Running Again

June 21, 2022 at 12:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Tara Palmeri: “Biden is intently focused on his family, who have become an ‘unhelpful, distraction’ to the White House, as the senior official put it, and a huge consideration for the president.”

“People close to Biden have told me that he is genuinely wondering whether he wants to put himself and his family through the excessive scrutiny that would accompany re-election. Hunter Biden is now under federal investigation, and the White House has been preparing for the reality that Republicans, once they retake the House, could mount a scorched-earth inquisition with the aim of scrutinizing his alleged nefarious political activity and trying to tie it to the president.”

Filed Under: 2024 Campaign, White House

Biden Nears Decisions on Gas Taxes and Student Debt

June 20, 2022 at 3:46 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Joe Biden said Monday he hopes to decide soon whether to support a temporary pause in the federal gasoline tax and is nearing a decision on student loan relief as he looks to ease the burden of high prices on Americans,” CNN reports.

A decision on the gas tax holiday is expected by the end of the week.

Filed Under: White House

Merrick Garland’s Decision on Trump Is Complicated

June 20, 2022 at 2:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jack Goldsmith: “If Mr. Garland decides that a criminal investigation of Mr. Trump is warranted, Justice Department regulations require him to appoint a special counsel if the investigation presents a conflict of interest for the department and if Mr. Garland believes such an appointment would be in the public interest.”

“The department arguably faces a conflict of interest. Mr. Trump is a political adversary of Mr. Garland’s boss, President Biden. Mr. Trump is also Mr. Biden’s likeliest political opponent in the 2024 presidential election. Mr. Garland’s judgments impact the political fate of Mr. Biden and his own possible tenure in office. The appearance of a conflict sharpened when Mr. Biden reportedly told his inner circle that Mr. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, and complained about Mr. Garland’s dawdling on the matter.”

“Even if conflicted, Mr. Garland could keep full control over Mr. Trump’s legal fate if he believes that a special counsel would not serve the public interest.”

Filed Under: White House

Biden Stays Confident

June 19, 2022 at 12:04 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Associated Press: “As the challenges confronting President Joe Biden intensify, his predictions of a rosy political future for the Democratic Party are growing bolder. The assessments, delivered in speeches, fundraisers and conversations with friends and allies, seem at odds with a country that he acknowledged this week was ‘really, really down,’ burdened by a pandemic, surging gas prices and spiking inflation.”

“Biden’s hopeful outlook tracks with a sense of optimism that has coursed through his nearly five-decade career and was at the center of his 2020 presidential campaign, which he said was built around restoring the ‘soul of America.’”

“Few of Biden’s closest political advisers are as bullish about the party’s prospects as the president.”

Filed Under: White House

Biden’s Long Deliberations Frustrate Democrats

June 19, 2022 at 11:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Biden’s recent commencement address at the University of Delaware, his alma mater, seemed like the perfect place to announce a long-awaited plan to forgive student debt, at least in the view of some administration officials,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The May 28 speech came and went without a word about debt reduction. Mr. Biden, officials said, was still deliberating and a decision might not be announced until later this summer, frustrating some of his allies, who believe the internal discussions have been dragging on too long.”

“It is part of a pattern for Mr. Biden. Facing politically difficult decisions, the president sometimes pumps the brakes, rejecting calls to deliver a speedy outcome. Instead, according to administration officials and others close to the president, he favors deliberations that can last for months, with policy advisers analyzing the issue from multiple angles in a string of meetings.”

Filed Under: White House

Biden Fell Off His Bike

June 18, 2022 at 3:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Biden fell off his bike briefly — but got right back up — in Delaware this morning.

Washington Post: “It isn’t the first time Biden has taken a spill. He fell in December 2020 while chasing his dog Major at his home, resulting in an injury that required him to wear a medical boot for several weeks. He has also tripped while walking up the steps of Air Force One.”

“Critics use each instance to raise doubts about the fitness of the nation’s oldest president, although, in this case, it was an occurrence that many cyclists who clip in or have a toe cage have experienced.”

Filed Under: White House

Let Joe Be Joe

June 17, 2022 at 2:43 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) told Chuck Todd he wishes President Joe Biden’s staff would let the president face the public more often, despite any fears about “gaffes.”

Said Jones: “He wears that office very well, he can be very presidential, but I think they overcorrected. And I think they need to let Joe be Joe.”

Filed Under: White House

Biden’s Approval Stuck at Dismal 39%

June 17, 2022 at 10:10 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new USA Today/Suffolk Poll shows the country in a funk, and one that sets a problematic political landscape for Democrats in the November elections that are approaching fast.

Key takeaway: Only 39% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president. A stunning 47% ‘strongly’ disapprove; just 16% ‘strongly’ approve.”

Also important: “71%, say the United States is on the wrong track; 16% say it’s headed in the right direction. Even most Democrats say the country is on the wrong track, 46% to 34%.”

Filed Under: Trends, White House

White House Clams Up on Biden Covid Testing

June 17, 2022 at 7:25 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“In an abrupt change of course, the White House is now declining to comment on the frequency of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 testing regimen, even as it maintains that it would inform the public if he were to ever test positive for the coronavirus,” the AP reports.

“Since Inauguration Day, the White House had frequently answered questions from reporters about when Biden, 79, last tested negative for the virus. Now, the White House says its policy is not to answer those questions.”

Filed Under: White House

Biden Says Americans Are ‘Really, Really Down’

June 16, 2022 at 4:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Biden told the Associated Press that the American people are “really, really down” after a tumultuous two years with the coronavirus pandemic, volatility in the economy and now surging gasoline prices that are hitting family budgets.

He said a recession is not inevitable and bristled at claims by Republican lawmakers that last year’s Covid-19 aid plan was fully to blame for inflation reaching a 40-year high, calling that argument “bizarre.”

Said Biden: “They’re really down. The need for mental health in America, it has skyrocketed, because people have seen everything upset. Everything they’ve counted on upset. But most of it’s the consequence of what’s happened, what happened as a consequence of the Covid crisis.”

While certainly true, this probably isn’t the best midterm message.

Filed Under: White House

Justice Department Seeks January 6 Transcripts

June 16, 2022 at 4:05 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Justice Department on Thursday revealed a deepening rift with the Jan. 6 House select committee, accusing the panel of a ‘failure’ to share its 1,000 witness transcripts,” Politico reports.

“DOJ officials say those documents would aid the prosecution of people who breached the Capitol, including leaders of the Proud Boys.”

Insider: “The Justice Department previously requested transcripts in April, but Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the House January 6 committee, responded that it would be premature for the panel to share its work while its inquiry remains ongoing.”

Filed Under: White House

Merrick Garland’s Dilemma

June 16, 2022 at 10:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Economist: “Whether Merrick Garland might charge him is another matter. While prosecuting hundreds of foot-soldiers of the Capitol riot, Joe Biden’s attorney-general has given no indication that he intends to pursue Mr Trump. A cautious institutionalist, Mr Garland is intent on removing Mr Barr’s taint of politicization from his department. Arresting the previous president would make that hard.”

“As Ms Cheney knows, the prospects of blocking Mr Trump electorally are receding. Most Republicans say he won the election and hardly any Republican politician dares say otherwise. On June 14th a Trump-backed primary challenger defeated Tom Rice of South Carolina, making him the fifth of the ten Republican House members who voted to impeach Mr Trump to be pushed out. Mr Trump is the clear favorite to be the Republican nominee in 2024. It is why Mr Garland’s decision looks so important. Yet that will perhaps make him even more reluctant to act.”

Filed Under: Trump Legacy, White House

Will Merrick Garland Be Moved?

June 15, 2022 at 3:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Tara Palmeri: “If members of the January 6th committee hope that their must-see TV spectacle will inspire Americans to rise up and demand that Attorney General Merrick Garland press charges against Trump or his inner circle—like, say, Rudy Giuliani or Sidney Powell—well, then they don’t know much about Garland.”

“According to two people who have worked alongside him since the start of his career in the Carter administration, Garland is avowedly stoic and apolitical, despite the manner in which his own Supreme Court nomination was politicized and derailed by Mitch McConnell.”

Said one former colleague: “Merrick would be the person that would be most reluctant to do something if there was a fervor coming out of the committee. He wouldn’t like to look like he’s been pressured into doing something because of the demands of the committee.”

Filed Under: White House

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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.

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