Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

NRA Ad "Over The Top" - In a video, the NRA questions Obama's opposition to armed guards in schools, citing the security detail protecting his daughters.The ad comes as President Obama is set to propose this morning, at 11:55 AM ET, new gun legislation to ban assault weapons, eliminate sale of high capacity magazines and use executive orders to further enforce reasonable gun control measures.



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58% Say Handle Debt Ceiling Separate From Spending Cuts - the lastest Wsahington Post/ABC News Poll also shows president Obama with a 55% approval rating.

Only 22% support having a partial government shut down or default if budget cuts are not agreed upon.

This does not support the Republican Party position in these negotiations.  ABC News has more here.

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Interior Secretary Salazar Latest Cabinet Official To Step Down - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversaw a moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP oil spill, will leave the Obama administration in March, Obama administration officials said Wednesday.

A former senator from Colorado, Salazar pushed renewable power such as solar and wind, but gained the most attention for his role in the drilling moratorium, a key part of the administration’s response to the April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. It was one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history and led to the unprecedented shutdown of offshore drilling.  You can read more here.

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Hagel Confirmation Hearings to Begin January 31 - The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold nomination hearings for former Sen. Chuck Hagel on January 31, the committee announced Wednesday. Hagel was nominated by President Barack Obama to become secretary of defense.

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French Troops Move Against Rebels in Mali, Pressure Grows For U.S. Assistance - After fierce bombardment by the French military, Islamist insurgents in Mali have hunkered down to fight again, facing a column of French ground forces moving north from here on Wednesday in a phalanx of armored vehicles and preparing for battle “within hours.”   The NY Times has more here.

The Obama administration is considering significant military backing for France’s drive against al-Qaeda linked militants in Mali, but its support for a major ally could test U.S. legal boundaries and stretch counterterrorism resources in a murky new conflict.

The United States is already providing surveillance and other intelligence help to France and may soon offer military support such as transport or refueling planes, according to U.S. officials, who stressed that any assistance would stop short of sending American combat forces to the volatile West African nation.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Citizen United Ruling Led To $933 Million Increase in Campaign Spending - The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision unleashed nearly $1 billion in new political spending in the 2012 election, with media outlets and a small number of political consulting firms raking in the bulk of the proceeds.

Spending records released by the Federal Election Commission show that throughout the 2012 election, corporations, unions and individuals that could take advantage of the high court’s ruling were responsible for about $933 million of the estimated $6 billion spent during the contest.  MSNBC.com has more here.
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Sanford To Begin Comeback Today - Republican Mark Sanford will launch his comeback bid for Congress on Wednesday, a move he has telegraphed for weeks and which will make him the immediate front-runner in a crowded special election primary. 
 
The former South Carolina governor represented the 1st District from 1995 to 2001, when he kept a term limits pledge and retired. He was elected governor in 2002. The coastal district is now open because GOP Gov. Nikki R. Haley appointed Republican Tim Scott to fill a Senate vacancy.

Sanford gained a national and international profile for disappearing from the state for days in 2009 and then admitting to an extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina in a stunningly frank and emotional press conference. RollCall.com has more here.
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