Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

NRA President Says Assault Weapon Ban Will Not Pass Congress - David Keene, appearing on CNN "State of The Union" said "I would say that the likelihood is that they're not likely to get an assault weapons ban through this Congress."  He said he also doesn't believe a ban on certain clips could pass either. 

Senator John McCain (R-Az.) echoed his remarks when he appeared on CBS "Face The Nation".

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Powell Endorses Hagel for Secretary of State, Criticizes GOP - appearing on NBC "Meet The Press", former Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke highly of Chuck Hagel and predicted he would be confirmed by the Senate.

Powell went on to criticize the Republican Party, saying "I think the Republican Party right now is having an identity problem," he said. "And I'm still a Republican."

"In recent years there's been a significant shift to the right, and we have seen what that shift has produced: two losing presidential campaigns," Powell said. "I think what the Republican Party needs to do now is take a very hard look at itself and understand that the country has changed. The country is changing demographically. And if the Republican Party does not change along with that demographic, they're going to be in trouble."

"There's also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party," he said. "They still sort of look down on minorities."

Powell added that the GOP cannot merely represent the "far right wing of the political spectrum" if it wants to remain a viable party into the future.
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Obama To Push For Comprehensive Immigration Reform - that will alos include a pathway to citizenship. A framework of his proposal is expected to be included in the State of The Union Address which will be given on February 12.  TheHill.com has more here.

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GOP Continues To Push For Voter ID Laws - in spite of the failed efforts prior to the 2012 election.

All of the activity will bring the debate — which pits conservatives targeting potential election fraud against voting-rights groups convinced the laws are really about disenfranchising low-propensity liberal voters — to the forefront again.

This year promises a flurry of new voter ID legislation across the country as well as reignited court battles in states where the laws were blocked last year and a Supreme Court ruling on part of the Voting Rights Act.  Politico.com has more here.

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Netanyahu Pushes Ahead With Controversal Jewish Settlement - Israel’s prime minister pledged Sunday to move ahead with construction of a new Jewish settlement in a strategic part of the West Bank, speaking just hours after Israeli forces dragged dozens of Palestinian activists from the area.

Jewish settlements are at the heart of the current four-year impasse in Mideast peace efforts. The Palestinians have refused to negotiate while Israel continues to build settlements on the lands they seek for their state. Netanyahu says peace talks should start without any preconditions. Netanyahu also rejects any division of Jerusalem.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Mubarak, Former President of Egypt, To Get Retrial - An Egyptian court Sunday ordered a retrial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, granting an appeal of the former autocrat’s life sentence for failing to prevent the killing of more than 900 protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his rule.

Mr. Mubarak, who has been held in the military hospital because of health concerns, will remain in custody. The NY Times has more here.

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