Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof



Fox News Host Jim Wallace Calls Out NRA Executive: That's Ridiculous, and you know it, Sir - Fox News host Chris Wallace called out National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre on Sunday for arguing that President Obama's children live under the same threats to their security as all other school children.

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Kelly Calls For Background Checks - Mark Kelly, the former astronaut and husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), says it's imperative for Congress to move forward on universal background checks, close the gun show loophole, limit ammunition magazines and put in place an assault weapon ban.
 
"These are difficult problems in the United states of America, we solve difficult problems," Kelly said on "Fox News Sunday." "We can fix this."

A top priority, Kelly said was background checks, arguing that 1.7 million people have failed the criminal background checks.

"Seventy-four percent of NRA members think very reasonable thing to do. I hope he would listen to his membership," Kelly said.  You can read more here.

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Mayors Against Illegal Guns, It's Time - A gun control group founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is airing an advertisement during the Super Bowl calling for background checks.
 
The 30-second spot by Mayors Against Illegal Guns will air in the Washington area during the third quarter of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.
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Reid Comes To Menendez's Defense - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) defended Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) Sunday, expressing confidence his Democratic colleague who has come under scrutiny from the Senate Ethics panel didn’t do anything wrong.

“I have confidence he did nothing wrong. But that’s what investigations are all about,” Reid said in an interview with ABC News’ “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” airing Sunday.

Menendez’s relationship with a political donor has come under scrutiny, with the Senate Ethics Committee reviewing whether Menendez accepted inappropriate gifts from him. Reid has been defending Menendez since the allegations surfaced. Last week, he called Menendez “an outstanding senator.”  The Washington Post has more here.

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Panetta: Political knives' were out for Hagel during hearing - Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says he was disappointed in the confirmation hearing for former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), President Obama’s choice to replace Panetta at the Pentagon.

“It's pretty obvious that the -- political knives were out for -- Chuck Hagel,” Panetta said on NBC "Meet The Press".

Panetta said senators spent too much time questioning Hagel about past quotes instead of issues that the secretary of Defense confronts today.

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House Group of 8 Plans To Propose Immigration Reform Legislation - Prior to Febraury 12, a bipartisan group of about eight House members hopes to unveil its own immigration  legislation, adding a voice to a growing swell of politicians — a bipartisan group in the Senate, as well as President Obama — who say they are serious about overhauling the nation’s immigration system by the end of the year.

“For the last six or seven years, there had been no one to partner with, but since Nov. 6 there’s been a lot of new dance partners, and that’s good,” said Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois and a member of the group. “The table is filling up with people, and people are talking and they’re having conversations.”

Aides and members would not confirm on the record the group’s exact composition, but they said it had an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. In addition to Mr. Gutierrez, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s immigration task force, those involved in the discussions, aides said, include Representatives Xavier Becerra and Zoe Lofgren, both California Democrats; John Yarmuth, Democrat of Kentucky; Representatives John Carter and Sam Johnson, both Texas Republicans; Mario Diaz-Balart, Republican of Florida; and Raúl R. Labrador, Republican of Idaho.  The NY Times has more here.

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