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Friday, November 30, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Watch Jon Stewart on Obama-Romney Lunch


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GOP Rejects White House Offer, Obama Says No Deal Without Top 2% Tax Increase - a familiar refrain coming from the "fiscal cliff" negotiations.  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said no deal to the offer presented by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner yesterday which included $1.6 Trillion in tax inceases and would reduce the deficit by $4 Trillion over ten years.  TheHill.com has more here.

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Obama Visits Pennsylvania Toy Factory - as part of his efforts to push for approval of tax hikes on the wealthy in the "fiscal cliff" negotiations.  You can read more here. 

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U.N. Votes To Recognize Palestine as Non-Member State - the vote was overwhelming with 138 for and only 9 against with 41 absetentions.  The status does not provide for full independence, but does provide for Palestine to join the International Criminal Court.  The United States and Israel opposed this recognition who feared this action will complicate the Israel-Palestine peace talks, already bogged down.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Morsi Receives Approval of New Constitution in Egypt - sparking new demonstrations against the actions taken by new President Mohamed Morsi.  Protestors will push for a "no" vote in a referendum most likely schedule for December, following the approval of the constitution by the 85 member general assembly.  Reuters.com has more here.

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Treasury Secretary Geithner Enters "Fiscal Cliff" Negotiations - He will meet with Congressional leaders today as negotiations continue to be mired in the Republicans refusing to raise taxes on the top 2% of wage earners and Democrats unwilling to negotiate on social security, medicaid and maedicare.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Last Undecided House Seat Won By Democrat, Final Tally Republicans 234, Democrats 201 - Rep. Mike McIntyre (D) won the last undecided race in the country by beating Republican challenger David Rouzer in North Carolina by less than 700 votes.  Democrats picked up a total of 8 House seats in the 2012 election. The seat vacated by Rep. Jesses Jackson Jr. is expected to be retained by a Democrat in the special election early next year. You can read more here.

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Will Senator Kerry Be Nominated for Secretary of State? - with UN Ambassador Susan Rice receiving stiff opposition from Republicans, it is a distinct possibility Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) could be nominated by President Obama.  There is also the possibility Kerry will be nominated for Defense Secretary.  If, Kerry would be confirmed for either position, it would trigger a special election for his Senate seat.  You can read more here.

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Former President George H.W. Bush in Hospital - for the past week, the 88 year old former President has been in a Houston hospital battling bronchitis.  Reports indicate the condition is not life threatening and he will be released this weekend.  You can read more here.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama To Lunch With Romney - tomorrow, Mitt Romney will join President Obama for luch at the White House.  In his victory speech, Obama said he would sit down with romney to discuss how we can work together in moving the country forward.  You can read more here.

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Obama To Begin Public Relations Campaign on "Fiscal Cliff" - today, the President will hold a press conference from the White House calling on Congress to extend middle class tax cuts and follow that with a road trip of campaign-style events.  The Washington Post has more here. 

You can watch live press conference below:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Simpson-Bowles Redo on "Fiscal Cliff" - two years ago the the co-chairs of the President's deficit reduction commission presented a plan that 60% of the commission members supported, yet the plan went nowhere.  Now, Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles are resurfacing with the same plan.  The NY Times has more here.

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McAuliffe To Try Again For Virginia Governor - former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe has announced he will run again for governor of Virginia after losing four years ago.  Republican state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has also announced his intension to run for governor next year.  It promises to be a fun race to watch.  You can read more here.

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House Committee Chairs All Men - Republicans have not helped themselves with the women vote as they announced yesterday the chairs of committees in the incoming Congress were all men.  Two chairs remain; the ethics committee and administrative committee, so a woman still could be named to chair a committee.  Politico.com has more here.

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Republicans Boost Kerry for Secretary of State - Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the latest to criticize U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, even bringing up her time spent in Africa and several bombings which took place which also claimed the lives of Americans.  Collins also promoted Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) to become Secretary of State.

The latest political rumor, also mentioned last night by MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow is the furor over Susan Rice is partly motivated by pushing for Kerry to receive the nomination so Republicans could run recently defeated Scott Brown for his vacant Senate seat in Massachusetts.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

McCain, Graham and Ayotte Still Troubled with Rice - following meetings with UN Ambassador Susan Rice this morning, Republican Senators John McCain (R-Az.), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) all said they were still troubled with the events surrounding the Benghazi tragedy.

Susan Rice, who is reportedly first in line to be nominated by President Obama to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State had sought the meetings to quell opposition to her appointment.  You can read more here.

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"Fiscal Cliff" Negotiations Hitting Same Roadblocks as Before - like the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray, the budget deficit talks are stuck along the same lines as before.  Republican lawmakers are saying they are okay with raising revenues by changing tax rules and not raising taxes on the wealthiest two per cent of wage earners, while insisting on equal cuts to entitlement programs.  The White House has insisted the tax raise on the wealthy is necessary and that social security is off limits.  You can read more here.

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Republicans Balk at Proposed Senate Filibuster Rule Change - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is outraged at proposed rule changes by Senate Democrats which would require Senators to actually speak during a filibuster and allowing for a "motion to proceed" to discuss a bill to only require a simple majority vote.  You can read more here.

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Multiple Candidates to File For Jesse Jackson Jr. Illinois Seat - it has not taken long for the candidates to begin filing for vacant seat following the resignation of Democratic Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.

So far, former Democratic Representative Debbie Halvorson and Alderman Anthony Beale (D) have announced they will run.  The special election primary will be on February 26, 2013.  The general election has been initially set for March 19, but a change to coincide with regularly scheduled local elections on April 9 is likely.  You can read more here.

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Voter Suppresion a Failed Policy of Republicans - in spite of Republican led efforts to make it more difficult to register to vote, passing voter ID laws and moves to limit early voting in states, Democratic voters still made it to the polls to cast their ballots.  Roger Simon of Politico.com has a good read here.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

"Framework" Expected on "Fiscal Cliff" - Congressional leaders and staff are expected to announce agreement on a down payment on the debt with some cuts and revenue increases. The "framework" will also act as a bridge to more substantative cuts and revenue increases to be determined over the next year.  Sound familiar?  You can read more here.

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Republicans Break With Norquist No-Tax Pledge - Yesterday, on the Sunday morning "talking heads" Senator Linsey Graham (R-S.C.), Representative Peter King (D-NY) and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) all made statements saying they will not be bound by their Grover Norquist pledges to oppose any and all tax increases.  You can read more here.

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Growth Stunted if Middle Class Tax Breaks End - the White House announced Middle Class spending next year would be reduced by $200 Billion if the average $2,000 tax cuts they are receiving come to an end.  You can read more here.

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Senate Republicans Balk at Filibuster Reform - following four years of senate Republicans enacting the filibuster a record setting number of times as they obstructed President Obama's agenda, Democrats are considering revising filibuster rules.  You can read more here.

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Court To Rule on Morsi Power Grab in Egypt - the move by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to give himself more power has been challenged by lawyers and activists whhich will be heard by an administrative court on December 4.  You can read more here.

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Israel Defense Minister To Step Down - Ehuid Barak announced he would not run for a member of Parliament and would step down as Defense Minister after the parliamentarty elections are held in January.  You can read more here.

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Cheat Sheet

George Wenschhof

The discussion on Sunday will continue with conjecture on the "fiscal cliff" negotiations, the resignation of General David Petraeus, as well as, more on the tragedy in Benghazi and the possible nomination of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice for Secretary of State.

Following, initail conciliatory statements from Republican leaders in Congress, after a meeting with President Obama at the White House, it has been more of the same bluster from Republicans.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wrote an op-ed last week where he said "Obamacare" will be on the table for cuts in the budget.  Resistance to an increase in taxes to the upper two per cent of earners continue as does the Republican leader's desire to make cuts in the entitlement programs of social security, medicare and medicaid.  

Also, sure to receive attention is the flare up of violence between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.  Speculation on whether the cease fire will hold and if meaningful peace talks can take place leading to the long term goal of a two state solution with Israel and Palestine is also likley on the table.

The move by new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to assume broader powers has added to the tensions in the Middle East, already under strain due to Iran's failure to open up it's nuclear program to U.N. inspectors and the civil war in Syria.

Somewhat lost as the Middle East grabbed the media attention was President Obama's trip to southeast Asia and his efforts to promote democracy in a region dominated by China.

The scheduled guests for this Sunday follow below.

NBC "Meet The Press" - Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY).

Roundtable with Ken Burns, Carly Fiorina, David Brooks, Rev. Al Sharpton and Andrea Mitchell

ABC "This Week" - Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ben Affleck and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.).

Roundtable with Matthew Dowd, Joe Klein, Ruth Marcus, Peggy Noonan, and David Sanger

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Woodward, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham and Evan Thomas

CNN "State of The Union" - Retiring Senators Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Joe Lieberman (I-Mass.), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Tex.) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)

Fox News Sunday -  Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Matthew Shay and John Sweeney

Roundtable with Bill Kristol, Kirsten Powers, Liz Cheney, and Juan Williams.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Clash on Border Tests Cease Fire - within a day of the announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egypt President Mohamed Morsi of a  cease fire between Palestine and Israel, Israeli soldiers shot and killed one Palestinian and wounded nine others on the southeast border of the Gaza strip.  So far, the cease fire has held.  The NY Times has more here.



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Morsi Claim of New Powers Sparks Protests - Thousands of protestors rallied in Tahrir Square against new seeping powers assumed by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi exempt him and other bodies from judicial review.  Morsi said the sweeping powers were temporary measures meant to stop "weevils" from the former regime from stopping progress.  You can read more here.

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Likely Areas of Affordable Care Act Subject to Debt Reduction Talks - Republicans hope to whittle away at some minor provisions in the law which will allow them to save face.  One, is the prevention and public health fund, which was originally set at $15 Billion and was reduced to $8.75 Billion after the first set of cuts enacted. Another, is the $10 Billion allotted for the creation of thre Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.  TPM.com has more here.

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Dow Jones Up as Black Friday Begins - the average was up 121 points and the week's gains are on track to be the highest weekly gains since June.  Strong economic indicators from Germany and China were positive signs driving the surge.  Politico.com has more here.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Republican Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) warned the clock is ticking on the looming "fiscal cliff".

“Republicans believe this is an opportunity to finally solve problems that Washington has ignored for too long, whether it’s a tax code that’s too costly and complicated or entitlement programs that are on the path to bankruptcy,” said McMorris Rodgers.

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Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



President Obama said the holiday was “a time to give thanks for each other, and for the incredible bounty we enjoy.”

“Today we give thanks for blessings that are all too rare in this world,” he said. “The ability to spend time with the ones we love; to say what we want; to worship as we please; to know that there are brave men and women defending our freedom around the globe; and to look our children in the eye and tell them that, here in America, no dream is too big if they’re willing to work for it..

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Clinton Presses For Truce - a bomb exploded in a bus in Tel Aviv, wounding 27 as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the region to help mediate a cease fire to the latest violence in Gaza. 

President Barack Obama also spoke with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi for the third time in a 24-hour period while flying back from a trip to southeast Asia aboard Air Force One.
 
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said the call was to continue the discussions both presidents have had about Egypt's ability to help end the rocket-fire in Gaza. You can read more here.
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Boehner Adds Affordable Care Act to Debt Talks - throwing cold water on the fiscal cliff discussions underway, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in an op-ed, he wants the Affordable Care Act on the table for discussions.  You can read more here.

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Obama Administration Defines Benefits Under Affordable Care Act - “Thanks to the health care law, no one will be discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition,” said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, who issued the rules with Phyllis C. Borzi, an assistant secretary of labor, and Steven T. Miller, the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
       
The rules lay out 10 broad categories of essential health benefits, but allow each state to specify the benefits within those categories, at least for 2014 and 2015. Thus, the required benefits will vary from state to state, contrary to what many members of Congress had assumed when the law was adopted. The NY Times has more here.
 
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Obama Ranked Ninth in Electoral Vote - the 332 electoral votes won by President Obama, in the 2012 election, earned him ninth place among the 44 candidates since 1896.  Mitt Romney's 203 electoral votes put him at 22 of the 44 candidates.  MSNBC.com has a complete list here.
 
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Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. Announcement Imminent - rumors abound over what will be said from the Democratic lawmaker who has been hospitalized for depression and who has been under investigation over misuse of campaign funds.  Speculation includes his resignation from Congress being part of a plea deal negotiated with prosecutors.  RollCall.com has more here.
 
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Cease-Fire in Gaza Imminent, Clinton Dispatched to Region - reports indicate a cease fire between Hamas and Israel will be announced within the next several hours.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is enroute to the region with scheduled meetings with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian leaders and Egyptian officials.  The NY Times has more here.

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West Concedes to Murphy in Florida - finally, after a recount showed him losing by an even larger number of votes, Republican Representative Allen West conceded to Democrat Patrick Murphy.  Allen was another of the whacked out Republicans in Congress who once claimed, without any substantiation, there were 78 to 81 Democrats in Congress who were Communists.  You can read more here.

With the victory by Murphy and several uncalled races tilting toward Democrats, it appears democrats will have a gain of 8 seats in the House, short of the 25 needed to regain a majority.  The split for the incoming House will be Democrats 201, Republicans 234.

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Attorney General Eric Holder Likely to Stay One More Year - reports indicate President Obama has asked Holderto stay for another year in the midst of the upheavel cuased by the resignation of General David Petraeus.  You can read more here.

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When Will Clinton Step Down? - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may well have made her last overseas trip with President Obama as they visited sotheast Asia counties.  As Clinton flies to the Middle East to help diffuse the current violence between Hamas and Israel and furor continues by Republicans over what happened in Benghazi and their opposition to an appointment of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to Secretary of State, the looming question is when will Hillary step down?  You can read more here.

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Seeks To Avoid Israel Invasion of Gaza - while the President acknowledged Israel's right to defend themselves, he cautioned against Israel launching a major ground assault in Gaza, saying such an act would set the peace process between Israel and Palestine indefintely.  Obama is reaching out to Egypt and Turkey to help broker an end to the current escalation.  Politico.com has more here.

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Obama Calls For Continuation of Reforms in Myanmar - President Obama gave a televised speech at the University of Yangon.  From the speech:

"When I took office as President, I sent a message to those governments who ruled by fear. I said, in my inauguration address, “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” And over the last year and a half, a dramatic transition has begun, as a dictatorship of five decades has loosened its grip. Under President Thein Sein, the desire for change has been met by an agenda for reform. A civilian now leads the government, and a parliament is asserting itself. The once-outlawed National League for Democracy stood in an election, and Aung San Suu Kyi is a Member of Parliament. Hundreds of prisoners of conscience have been released, and forced labor has been banned. Preliminary cease-fires have been reached with ethnic armies, and new laws allow for a more open economy.

So today, I’ve come to keep my promise and extend the hand of friendship. America now has an Ambassador in Rangoon, sanctions have been eased, and we will help rebuild an economy that can offer opportunity for its people, and serve as an engine of growth for the world. But this remarkable journey has just begun, and has much further to go. Reforms launched from the top of society must meet the aspirations of citizens who form its foundation. The flickers of progress that we have seen must not be extinguished -- they must be strengthened; they must become a shining North Star for all this nation’s people."

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World Bank Reports Warns of Global Warming - the report predicts an increase of 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.  The increase of temperature leading to floods, droughts and heatwaves which will impact severley underdeveloped countries.  TheHill.com has more here.

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Debt Ceiling Nears as Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Unfold - the nation's debt ceiling will be reached by the end of this year, with accounting procedures delaying a default until early next year.  Lawmakers are faced with not only reaching an agreement on the budget, but also will need to reach agreement on the amount to increase the debt limit.  CNN.com has more here.

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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Begins Southeast Asia Trip - the President will visit Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, promoting democratization and trade with the United States.  The NY Times has a good read here detailing the implications surrounding this trip.

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Violence in Gaza Continues - Isarel continued air strikes in Gaza, with government and minister buildings targeted.  Hamas continued with their artillery fire into Israel.  The Washington Post has an update here.

Keep an eye on this explosive situation in the Middle East.  President Obama, traveling on a Southeast Asia trip, said "Israel had the right to defend themselves".  Peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled for years and this latest action will not act to restart the peace process, but rather push it back years.

The Middle East continues to be a volatile area in the world, exacerbated, in part, by Iran's nuclear program, the new government in Egypt and the continued upheavel in Syria. 

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Boehner Wants To Kick Can Down the Road on Fiscal Cliff - the immiediate statements from Congressional leaders following the meeting with President Obama at the White House this week was similar to what took place over a year ago; a willingness to work together, but no agreement reached.  Now, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), unable to get his Republican caucus to go alog with a tax increase to the upper 2% of earners in the U.S., wants to put off a decision until next year.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) said today, there will be no agreement that does not include raising taxes on the wealthy.  Stay Tuned.  You can read more here.

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Democratic Representatives Lowey or Kaptur Will Be Ranking Member on House Appropriations Committee - both are capable, but it is Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) who appears to have the inside track with backing by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.).  However, Rep. Marcy Kaptur is working hard to earn the top Democratic spot on the committee.  You can read more here. 

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Republicans Maintained House Majority Through Redistricting - another twist in the American political system displayed as Democrats won more votes and did gain seats in the House, but Republicans maintained a majority, primarily due to redistricting resulting from the 2010 census.  Bloomberg.com has a good read here.

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Barber Wins Gifford's House Seat in Arizona - Democrats continue to win the close races in the House as Rep. Ron Barber (D-Az.) beat Republican Martha McSally.  Democrats now hold 199 seats in the House and Republicans 234.  Two seats remain to be decided with Democrats leading in both contests in Florida and North Carolina.  Democrats held 193 seats prior to the 2012 election.  CNN.com has more here.

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Cheat Sheet

George Wenschhof

Someone once asked me "how do you talk about politics every day?" and I said "it was easy because between people and issues, there was a never ending supply of topics to discuss".

This is especially true this Sunday as the "talking heads" discuss the aftermath of the election, the looming fiscal cliff, the resignation of General Petraeus, the Benghazi tragedy and the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine in Gaza.

Expect all of the above to be mentioned as key members of Congress appear to add their thoughts on the issues.

Republicans continue to reel from the presidential loss and Democrats maintaining their control of the senate.  But, House Republicans are still resisting raisng taxes on the upper two per cent of American earners.

Mitt Romney's call to donors following his loss, blaming his defeat on President' Obama's gifts to certain segments of voters only adds to the implosion of the Republican Party.

Four decades after the resignation of Richard Nixon, some Republicans are still trying to get even and the racheting up of the Benghazi tragedy is the latest example.

Meanwhile, violence erupting between Israel and Palestine is a serious issue with world wide ramifications.  The continued Syrian upheavel is also spilling over into Israel, only adding to the tension in the region with a new President of Egypt and Iran's alleged move to develope nuclear arms.

It should be a good morning to tune in.  Below is a list of the scheduled guests.

NBC "Meet The Press" - Senate chair of Intelligence Committee Diane Feinstein (D-Calf.) and House chair of Intelligence Committee (Mike Rogers R-MI). Sen. Lidsey Graham (R-S.C.)

Roundtable with Tom Friedman, John Podesta, Mike Murphy and Andrea Mitchell.

ABC "This Week" - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.), Representative Peter King (R-NY) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI).

Roundtable with Xavier Bacerra (D-Calf.), Newt Gingrich, George Will, Donna Brazille and Jonathan Karl. 

CBS "Face The Nation" - Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

Roundtable with Tom Ricks, David Ignatius, Margaret Brennan and Bob Orr

CNN "State of The Union" - Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Sen. Roy Blount (R-MO), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and rep. Tom Prince (R-Ga.).

Roundtable with Jackie Calmes, Gerald Seib, and Barbara Starr. 

Fox News Sunday - Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.)

Rountable with Bill Kristol, Bob Woodward, Kimberley Trassel, and Charles Lane.

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Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



President Obama points out in regard to the looming fiscal crisis, Republicans in Congress have two options; agree to increase the taxes on the top 2% of American earners or allow taxes to go up for all Americans.

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Republican Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) continues the Republican Party mantra of entitlement reform in addition to examining new revenue, but opposes new tax rates.

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Friday, November 16, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof



Jon Stewart Has Fun With Romney's Statement on Obama's Gifts

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Christie Condems Romney's "Gift Remarks" - New Jersey Repubulican Governor Chris Christie said yesterday "you can be the leader of all of the people and be divisive".  Christie made the statement in response to Mitt Romney's comment to donors explaining he lost the election because President Obama gave voters gifts.  You can read more here.

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Violence Rachets Up in Gaza - Israel used air strikes to bombard an estimated 150 missile sites overnight as Hamas launched missiles into Israel, some striking near Jerusalem.  Israel has called up reservists and has moved military units to the border with Gaza as the violence escalates.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Petraeus Testifies To House Intelligence Committee - David Petraeus, who just resgned as head of the C.I.A. due to a sex scandal, testified the intelligence he first provided was they believed the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya was the act of terrorists.  As part of the process, intelligence information is processed by a number of intelligence agencies before a final statement is put forward.  TheHill.com has more here.

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Obama Begins Fiscal Ciff Talks With Congressional Leaders - meeting at the White House, President Obama began the meeting by wishing House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) a happy birthday.  Politico.com has more here.

“What folks are looking for and I think all of us agree on this, is action,” the president said. “They want to see that we are focused on them, not focused on our politics here in Washington. So my hope is that this is going to be the beginning of a fruitful process where we’re able to come to an agreement that will reduce our deficit in a balanced way — that we will deal with some of these long-term impediments to growth, and we’re also going to be focusing on making sure that middle-class families are able to get ahead.”

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Oil Rig Explodes in Gulf of Mexico - news is still coming as pertaining to the explosion taking place 17 miles Sotheast of Grand Isle, Louisiana.  Four people have been rushed to a hospital and there is no immediate information available if the explosion has cause an oil spill.  The owner of the rig is Black Elk Energy.  MSNBC.com has more here.

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama To Visit Staten Island Today - one of the areas hit the hardest by Hurricane Sandy.  He will personally view the recovery efforts by meeting with affected families, first responders and local officials.  You can read more here.

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Romney Continues GOP Implosion - Mitt Romney continued to display why he lost the election when he told top donors yesterday he lost because President Obama gave "big gifts" to minorities and women.  Republican Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal condemed the remarks by Romney saying "it was absolutely wrong and we (Republican Party) have to stop dividing Americans".  You can read more here.

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Palestinian-Israel Violence Rises in Gaza - prompting President Obama to contact Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi Wednesday night about rocket attacks being launched from Gaza into Israel and escalating violence in the Gaza Strip.  You can read more here.

This comes as Israel has also responded to sporactic gunfire erupting on the Golan Heights from the ongoing conflict in Syria.

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BP To Pay Billions For Settlement in Gulf Oil Spill - a penalty up to $5 Billion is expected from the agreement coming with the U.S. Justice Department and BP, along with a criminal plea by BP.  You can read more here.

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U.S. Postal Service Lost $15.9 Billion in FY 2012 - another immediate problem facing Congress and President Obama. Over $11 Billion were a result of defaults to retiree healthcare benefits.  Although, the problem has been known, reform has been elusive to date.  You can read more here. 

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Euro Zone in Second Recession Since 2009 - in spite of modest economic growth by Germany and France, the 17 member euro zone is in another recession.  This has prompted riots in Spain and millions of workers across the euro zone to strike, protesting the austerity measures undertaken by government.  You can read more here.

Congress and President Obama would be wise to take note of what is happening in the Euro Zone countries as talks are underway to avoid the fiscal cliff.  Too tough of austerity measures have actually contributed to the second recession the euro zone is experiencing.

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Warren Buffett Supports 2016 WH Bid by Clinton - an early, but strong endorsement of a potential run for President by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  This endorsement by Buffett further solidifies the Clinton frontrunner status for the democratic nomination in 2016.  You can read more here. 

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama To Hold Press Conference Today - for the first time since winning reelection, President Obama will address reporters at 1:30 PM ET from the White House.  Look to see lots of questions pertaining to the Petraeus/Broadwell, Allen/Kelley sex scandals and also inquiries on the looming fiscal cliff and Congressional hearings on Benghazi.  You can read more here.

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Obama Deficit Plan Includes Raising $1.6 Trillion from Corporations & Wealthy - over the next ten years.  This figure is twice as much as was offered by Republican House Leader John Boehner (Ohio) in 2011.  You can read more here.

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Petraeus To Testify on Benghazi - under the cloud of his recent resignation over an affair with his biographer, General David Petraeus agreed to testify in front of a closed Senate intelligence meeting investigating what was know and when surrounding the tragedy in Benghazi which claimed the death of the U.S. Ambassador and three other Americans.  You can read more here.

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Pelosi To Stay as House Minority Leader - as expected, Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) announced this morning, flanked by women Representatives in the House, she will stay on as leader of the Democratic caucus in the House.

The election, by caucus members, is expected to be a formality with the 10 year House Leader of Democrats serving two more years.  You can read more here.

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Who Will Be Next Chair of DNC? - it is doubtful Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz will remain as chair of the Democratic National Committee, following her very successful stint. 

Names that are surfacing as possible replacements are Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak, who is DNC vice-chair, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa and former Governors Ted Srictland (Ohio) and Jennifer Granholm (Michigan).  I would also throw in Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.  You can read more here.

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57% Americans Support Pathway to Citizenship - in a new poll released by ABC News/Washington Post, a majority supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.  The poll also found 51% support same sex marriage and 48% support legalizing marijuana.  You can read more here.

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King To Caucus with Democrats - in no surprise, newly elected Independent U.S. Senator Angus King (Maine) announced today, he will caucus with Democrats.  King won the seat vacated by the resignation of Republican Olympia Snowe, who often sided with Democrats in the Senate.  Democrats will now have 55 seats in the Senate, with the inclusion of Independent Bernie Sanders (Vt.).You can read more here.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama To Meet with Business, Labor and Civic Leaders Today on Deficit - the White House released a list of two dozen executives who are meeting with the President today.

Expected at the meeting on Tuesday were four labor leaders - Mary Kay Henry of the Service Employees International Union, Lee Saunders of the public employees union AFSCME, Dennis Van Roekel of the National Education Association and Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO, the umbrella organization for U.S. labor.

Also at the session on Tuesday would be leaders of civic and politically progressive groups. They were John Podesta and Neera Tanden of the Center for American Progress, Robert Greenstein of the think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Laura Burton Capps of Common Purpose Project, Max Richtman of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security, Justin Ruben of MoveOn and Deepak Bhargava of Center for Community Change.

Business executives invited to meet the president on Wednesday were Mark Bertolini of Aetna Inc, Ursula Burns of Xerox Corp, Kenneth Chenault of American Express Co, David Cote of Honeywell International Inc, Michael Duke of Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric Co, Andrew Liveris of  Dow Chemical Co, Robert McDonald of Procter & Gamble Co, Alan Mulally of Ford Motor Co, Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo Inc, Ginni Rometty of IBM, and John Watson of Chevron Corp.  Reuters.com has more here.

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More Details Surface in Petraeus Affair Investigation - in a story of spies and sex, it is not surprising there is more to come as details continuing to emerge.

It turns out the F.B.I. agent who launched the investigation of the affair has been barred from the case due to his sending shirtless photos of himself to Jill Kelly, the woman who complained of harassing emails.  This agent, who also tipped off Republican Congressmen, is now under investigation.

Broadwell, the woman who allegedly had the affair with General Petraeus, sent harassing emails to Jill Kelley about inappropriate relationships with members of the high military command. General John Allen, who replaced Petraeus as the commander in Afghanistan is now also under investigation.  TPM.com has more here.

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Kerry, Rice Under Consideration for Defense Secretary and Secretary of State - The Washington Post is saying that U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) is being considered for Defense Secretary although he has always expressed interest in becoming Secretary of State.  Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. is being considered for secretary of State.  The Washington Post has more here.

However, don't look for either to be nominated by President Obama.  Kerry, although he helped Obama prepared for the presidential debates by playing Mitt Romney, has too much baggage and Democratic leaders will not want to risk losing his Senate seat in a special election where a Democratic candidate would likely face Republican Scott Brown, who just lost his seat to Elizabeth Warren.

With the Benghazi investigation still unfolding and the scrutiny over statements made by Susan Rice immediately following the death of U.S. Ambassador Stevens, it is unlikely she would receive confirmation.

Instead, it is likely both names were leaked to media so they would receive apprpriate recognition in the press and to also receive immediate feedback.

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Plouffe, Axelrod Among Advisers To Obama Set To Leave - the campaign team and senior advisers to President Obama; David Axelrod and David Ploufee and campaign manager Jim Messina are all expected to resign to pursue other interests.  Axelrod will be opening up a new politics institute at University of Chicago.

Chief of Staff Jack Lew, is he is not selected to replace Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, is also expected to step down.

Only Valarie Jarret, a close personal friend and adviser to President Obama has expressed a desire to continue.

TheHill.com has more here.

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Pelosi To Meet With Democratic Caucus Wednesday - after, the 2008 election, there was some dissention among House Democrats as to the leadership structure, with Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) beating out Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) for Minority Leader and a new leadership position created for James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

If, Pelosi says she wants to cintinue as Minority Leader, it is expected she will have unanimous support with Hoyer remaining as Minority Whip.  Politico.com has more here.

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5 House Seats Remain Undecided - a week after the election, two seats in California, one in Arizona, one in Florida and one in North Carolina remain too close to call.  Democratic candidates are leading in all five contests.  RollCall.com has more here. 

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof



Watch SNL "What Happened on Election Night" 

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Obama Approval Rating Highest Since July 2009 - the new Rasmussen poll showed Obama's approval rating is 54%.  You can read more here.

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Cabinet Shuffle in The Works - whether President Obama desires to make changes or not, he will be facing nominating new members of his cabinet, if certain secretaries resign as they have indicated previuosly.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasurer Secretary Timothy Geithner and Attorney General Eric Holder have all said they would not likely serve a second term.  Which leads to speculation as to who will be the replacements.  Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post has some thoughts here.

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Schumer and Graham Optimistic on Immigration Reform - Senior Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) indicated yesterday while appearingon the Sunday "talking heads", they will be restarting talks on comprehensive immigration reform indicated preliminary talks were already underway and there were hopes to reach an agreement this year.  TPM.com has more here.

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Will Republicans Replace McConnell as Senate Minority Leader? - Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had two goals - one was to defeat President Obama and the other was for Republicans to gain control of ther U.S. Senate.  He lost both, and speculation has begun in earnest whether McConnell will remain as Minority Leader. Reuters.com has more here.

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F.B.I. Knew of Petraeus Affair in Late Summer - as more details are emerging, The NY Times has reported the alleged harassing emails from Paula Broadwell to Jill Kelly werebrought to the attention of the F.B.I. in late summer.  The NY Times has more here.

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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof



Watch SNL on How Romney Spent Election Night

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Boehner Urges GOP House Members To Avoid Nasty Showdowns - as the fiscal cliff looms and following a big win by President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner told the House GOP members in a conference call they must avoid the nasty showdowns of the last two years.  The NY Times has a good read here.

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Petraeus Resignation Likely To Receive More Scrutiny - The head of the C.I.A. has an extramartial affair is a story out of a movie and is sure to continue to dominate the news for some time.  What does the F.B.I. and C.I.A. know and when did they know it, will fuel speculation, as the announcement came within days following the convincing win by Presidnet Obama.  You can read more here.

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What Next For Hillary Clinton? - the Secretary of State has made it clear she will not serve another term.  Now, speculation is rising on when she will leave, adding some additional turmoil to the Obama administartion, shaken by the resignation of C.I.A. Director David Petraeus.  Politico.com has more here. 

How about former President Bill Clinton for Secretary of State.  He worked tirelessly for the reelection of President Obama and would be one who would be perfect for the job.

Despite, the continuous denials of interest on a 2016 run for President, Hillary Clinton remains the frontrunner to win the Democratic nomination.

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Who Will Take Lead in immigration Reform? - President Obama added comprehensive immigration reform to his victory speech, an issue that has eluded a solution from Congress.  President Obama will obviously be one who should lead, but who else serving in Congress will step up to help forge the compromise needed on this issue?  TheHill.com has more here.

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



..."If we’re serious about reducing the deficit, we have to combine spending cuts with revenue – and that means asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more in taxes. That’s how we did it when Bill Clinton was President. And that’s the only way we can afford to invest in education and job training and manufacturing – all the ingredients of a strong middle class and a strong economy.

Already, I’ve put forward a detailed plan that allows us to make these investments while reducing our deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade. Now, I’m open to compromise and new ideas. But I refuse to accept any approach that isn’t balanced. I will not ask students or seniors or middle-class families to pay down the entire deficit while people making over $250,000 aren’t asked to pay a dime more in taxes. This was a central question in the election. And on Tuesday, we found out that the majority of Americans agree with my approach – that includes Democrats, Independents, and Republicans...."

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