December 05, 2012
"It's not me being stubborn; it's not me being partisan. It's just a matter of math."
-- President Obama, in an interview with
Bloomberg, hardening his position that he'll accept no fiscal cliff deal without an increase in tax rates on the wealthy.
The
Washington Post notes that in Washington, "debate over the 'fiscal cliff' is cloaked in apocalyptic warnings of soaring tax rates and a crashing economy. On Wall Street, the tone is different: All will be fine."
"The stock market has been little changed in the past three weeks, with few wild swings. That comes despite the Jan. 1 deadline when tax hikes and spending cuts are to go into effect unless politicians reach a deal to avert them."
December 04, 2012
"He believes in socialism, in redistributing, in confiscating
hard-earned dollars of our small businessmen and women so that they
cannot re-invest their dollars and hire more people and grow and
expand. Instead he believes in these failed socialist
policies."
-- Sarah Palin, speaking about President Obama on
Fox News.
Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R), who was recently embroiled in a scandal over
strip club visits, said he is considering vying to replace the resigning Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), the
St. Louis Beacon reports.
"Kinder's statement appeared, in part, to respond to comments on Twitter that seemed to take him out of the running. Some social-media talk centered on concern that if Kinder were successful, Gov. Jay Nixon -- a Democrat -- might appoint his successor. The state law is somewhat unclear. Kinder touched on such concerns as he reflected on the process to choose a Republican nominee. Because Emerson's replacement would be chosen via a special election, the 8th District party committees will choose the nominees."
Newt Gingrich tells
Robert Costa that he has "explicitly no interest" in running for U.S. Senate from Georgia in 2014.
A poll
released earlier today suggested that Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) is potentially vulnerable to a primary challenge.
A new
Public Policy Polling survey shows finds that 49% of Republican voters nationally say they think that ACORN stole the election for President Obama, as compared to 52% that thought ACORN stole the 2008 election, "a modest decline, but perhaps smaller than might have been expected given that ACORN doesn't exist anymore."
Though he once predicted he would be
dead or in jail if President Obama was re-elected, musician Ted Nugent takes to the
Washington Times with a new proposal to disenfranchise some Americans:
"Let's also stop the insanity by suspending the right to vote of any American who is on welfare. Once they get off welfare and are self-sustaining, they get their right to vote restored. No American on welfare should have the right to vote for tax increases on those Americans who are working and paying taxes to support them. That's insane."
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) received an $8 million payout to leave the conservative Tea Party group, FreedomWorks, "because of an internal split over the group's future direction," the
AP reports.
A confidential contract shows that
Armey agreed in September to resign from his role as chairman of FreedomWorks in exchange for $8 million in consulting
fees paid in annual $400,000 installments.
TMZ spots Mitt Romney on a shopping spree at Costco.
The
Boston Globe reports Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will get a seat on the Senate Banking Committee when the next Congress convenes in January.
"The appointment has not been formally announced by Senate leaders and will not be final until an official vote on assignments by the members. The pending appointment was described to the
Globe by aides who requested anonymity because Senate Majority Leader Reid has not made a formal announcement."
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) left her state but no one will says where she is, the
Arizona Republic reports.
"The GOP governor left the state Sunday and doesn't plan to return until Saturday, according to the notice she is required to file with the Arizona Secretary of State. But beyond that, mum's the word from her office, other than to note that she is on official state business."
At least they didn't say she's
hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Two aides tell
National Journal that President Obama is "genuinely conflicted" between Susan Rice and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) for secretary of state.
"As rumors mount that outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may run for president in 2016, the former First Lady took steps to solidify her relationships with some Democrats by sending hand-signed notes to candidates who got bested in close congressional races,"
Politicker reports.
"Multiple sources who have worked with Ms. Clinton during her lengthy political career told us they were unaware of her sending similar letters in the past."
Filmmaker Michael Moore received $841,145 in tax incentives from the State of Michigan to make
Capitalism: A Love Story, a documentary against corporate welfare, the
New York Times reports.
Sarah Palin on
Fox News described some congressional Republicans as "wusses" who are being "wobbly" on conservative principles in the fiscal cliff debate.
CNN reports Palin later apologized: "Well I guess I shouldn't call politicians names, so I apologize for calling the wobbly ones wusses."
"I believe that the self-inflicted fatal blow of Mr. Romney's statement
came among Americans who find themselves in receipt of some form of
government transfer, but reject or even despise the notion that they are
permanent parasites for doing so."
-- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), quoted by the
Wall Street Journal, saying Mitt Romney's infamous 47% comments on hidden video "deeply offended countless citizens."
Winston Group: "As a result, there was little clear rationale for a Romney
presidency, other than that he would not be Obama. That was not enough
to win, as the electorate was looking for solutions and an explanation
of how each candidate would govern. But to simply blame Romney would not
be correct. Many other Republican candidates also lost in races they
were expected to win, and at the Senate level, some actually did worse
than Romney."
"For example, in North Dakota, a Senate race that Republicans were
expected to win, Berg trailed Romney by 9%. In Montana, another Senate
race that Republicans should have won, Rehberg trailed Romney by 10%. In
neither of these states did minorities play a significant role the way
they did nationally, and younger voters decreased as a percentage of the
electorate in Montana, going from 22% In 2008 to 15% in 2012. In exit
polls in Montana, 1 out of 8 voters voted for Romney and Tester."
In a telephone call confirmed by three people, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg encouraged Hillary Clinton "to consider entering the 2013 mayor's race, trading international diplomacy for municipal management on the grandest scale," the
New York Times reports.
"Much about the call, which occurred some months ago, remains shrouded in mystery. But Mr. Bloomberg's overture to the former first lady highlights the level of his anxiety about the current crop of candidates, his eagerness to recruit a replacement who can rival his stature and his determination to become a kingmaker in the political arena he will soon exit..."
"During their conversation, Mrs. Clinton left little room for doubt: she was not interested in seeking the mayoralty."
A new
Public Policy Polling survey in Georgia finds Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) is at least theoretically vulnerable to a primary challenge in 2014.
Key findings: Just 38% of Republican primary voters say they want Chambliss to be their nominee, compared to 43% who would prefer someone more conservative.
That said, Chambliss is way ahead of most of the people who've shown the most interest in taking him on. He leads Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) by a 57% to 14%, leads Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) by 50% to 22% and tops former Secretary of State Karen Handel 52% to 23%.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney "is working on a book about his many battles with coronary disease and the revolutionary changes in treatment that helped keep him alive," the
New York Times reports.
Gawker: "The book will chronicle Cheney's heart through the years, starting with
his first heart attack in 1978 and his four other heart attacks in the
34 years since. No word if the book will cover other incidents involving
Cheney's bad heart, like the time he shot his friend in the face with a
shotgun or the time(s) he helped engineer the disastrous invasion of
two countries."
"With an immigration overhaul on next year's agenda, House Republicans
must decide which members of their conference will play a visible role
in the negotiations -- an important consideration for a party that is
struggling to attract Latino voters,"
Roll Call writes.
The White House isn't impressed with the GOP's offer to avoid the fiscal cliff, but
The Week notes "this game of fiscal chess has finally started in earnest."
First Read: "While the two proposals seem far apart -- and they are -- look at them when you split the difference between the two. You get $1.2 trillion in revenue and about $450 to $500 billion in savings to Medicare and Medicaid. And then say you throw in some stimulus for the Democrats (unemployment insurance, transportation spending), as well as the cost-of-living adjustments on Social Security for Republicans. That sounds like a pretty serious deal that both sides could live with, though it would look more like a "win" for the White House. Of course, Republicans would have to relent (in some form or fashion) on rates going up, while Democrats would have to acquiesce (one way or another) on the Social Security."
David Brooks: "Republicans have to realize that they are going to cave on tax rates. The only question is what they get in return. What they should demand is this: That the year 2013 will be spent putting together a pro-growth tax and entitlement reform package that will put this country on a sound financial footing through 2040."
Wonk Wire: Fiscal cliff politics point to a deal (eventually).
A new
Pew Research/Washington Post poll finds just 40% of Americans think President Obama and House Republicans will reach a deal on the fiscal cliff by January 1 to prevent automatic tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect, while 49% say they will not.
If no deal is reached, 53% say congressional Republicans are to blame while just 27% think Obama is at fault.
Wonk Wire: Republicans lost and Boehner knows it.
President Obama has tapped Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) to remain at the helm of the Democratic National Committee "as the party looks toward the 2014 midterm election and an opportunity to solidify electoral gains,"
ABC News reports.
A new
Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie (R) with an all-time high approval rating of 67% to 21%
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