Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Debt Limit Increase Battle Next - Congress declared a holiday truce in the budget wars Wednesday, sending President Obama a blueprint for funding the government through 2015. But the next skirmish was already on the horizon: an election-year fight over the national debt.

The budget deal that passed the Senate on Wednesday amounts to a handshake agreement to avoid a government shutdown when a temporary funding measure expires Jan. 15. However, the accord does not address the need once again to raise the debt limit, setting up a potentially complicated confrontation in late February or early March.  The Washington Post has more here.

---

Clinton to Decide on 2016 Run for President Next Year - Hillary Clinton said she would look carefully at running for president in 2016 and decide sometime next year. 

In an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, the former secretary of State said she has still not made up her mind about a second run for the White House. 

"Obviously, I will look carefully at what I think I can do and make that decision sometime next year,” she said. TheHill.com has more here.

---

Baucus To be Nominated Ambassador to China - The White House is expected to nominate Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus as the next U.S. ambassador to China, two sources familiar with the matter confirm to NBC News.

Baucus, the chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, announced in April that he would not seek re-election in 2014. He has served in the Senate since 1978.

One Democratic official familiar with the matter said Baucus is expected to step down from the Senate before his term expires. That will allow Montana's Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock to appoint an interim senator to serve out the remainder of the year, giving Democrats an advantage in the coming Montana Senate race.  NBC News has more here. 

---

Panel Advises Obama To Curb Data Mining By NSA - A panel of outside advisers urged President Obama on Wednesday to impose major oversight and some restrictions on the National Security Agency, arguing that in the past dozen years its powers had been enhanced at the expense of personal privacy.

The panel recommended changes in the way the agency collects the telephone data of Americans, spies on foreign leaders and prepares for cyberattacks abroad.  The NY Times has more here.

---

Please donate today to Frederick Politics by clicking on a Donation Button in the right hand margin of page - Thank You!