Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Boehner Failing in "Fiscal Cliff" Negotiations - House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) inability to control his own conservative caucus, has led him to schedule a House vote tonight on extending the Bush administration tax cuts for all except for those earning more than $1 million.  The bill is receiving push back from conservatives, but is likely to barely pass the House tonight in a vote scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.  However, it is a non starter in the Senate and President Obama has promised a veto if it did pass the House.  You can read more here.

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U.S. Economy Grows 3.1% Third Quarter - The Commerce Deparment report showed the economy grew at a higher rate than forecasted from July through September.

However, analysts are predicting growth to fall to 1.5% in the fourth quarter of this year due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy and the uncertainty surrounding the "fiscal cliff" negotiations.  You can read more here.

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Booker To Announce Senate Run - coming as no surprise, reports indicate Newark mayor Cory Booker will announce via Twitter, his intention to run for U.S. Senate.  Instead of challenging popular Republican Governor Chris Christie, the Democrat will run for the seat currently held by Democrat Frank Lautenburg.  Lautenburg is 88 years old and is not expected to run for reelection in two years.  You can read more here.

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Mikulski To Head Senate Appropriations Committee - Democratic Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski was the beneficiary of the fall of dominos after Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) announced he will stay on as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Leahy was expected to become chair of the Appropriations Committee and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calf.) was set to become chair of the Judiciary Committee.  You can read more here.

This also takes a future political option off the table for Maryland Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley.  If, Hillary Clinton chooses to run for president in 2016, O'Malley who is term limited will have no chance as securing the Democratic nomination.  His fall back was a run for U.S. Senate, assuming Mikulski would retire in 2016.  As chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Mikuski will not retire anytime soon. 

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Brown, Leading in Poll To Replace Kerry, Backs Assault Weapons Ban - Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who was defeated by Democrat Elizabeth Warren, is the leading contender for the seat of Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) should he receive confirmation to Secretary of State.  Brown received 47% support of the voters in the  WBUR poll, with 39% supporting the generic Democratic challenger.  You can read more here. 

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3 State Department Officials Resign Over Benghazi - the resignations coming after a critical independent report on the “serious, systemic problems” that led to inadequate security at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi before the fatal assault in September,  was released on Monday.  Two deputy secretaries of state; Thomas Nides and William Burns testified before Congress today after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was unable to attend after suffering a concussion after falling due to dehydration from a stomach virus.  Senator Kerry (D-Mass.) stated Clinton would tesify before Congress in January.  You can read more here.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Named Time Person of the Year for Second Time - the first was the year he first won election.  Time.com has more here.

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Pelosi Announces Gun Control Task Force - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelsoi (D-Calf.) announced Representative Mike Thompson (D-Calf.) will chair the House Democratic committee.  You can read more here.

As I reported yesterday, President Obama will announce today he is naming Vice President Joe Biden to head an national task force to reduce gun violence.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Theatrics Enter "Fiscal Cliff" Negotiations - with the Janyaury 1 deadline rapidly approaching and no agreement, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is moving forward with two votes tomorrow to extend the Bush administration tax cuts.  Tomorrow, Boehner will introduce his Plan "B" which extends tax cuts for all except those earning above $1 million.  Boehner will also introduce President Obama's proposal to extend the tax cuts for all except the upper 2% of wage earners over $250,000.  President Obama has already threatened to veto the millionaire proposal by Boehner.  TPM.com has more here. 

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Independent Review of Benghazi attacks Criticizes State Department - security at the U.S. consulate was "grossly inadequate".  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accepted all 29 recommendations put forward in the report.  The BBC has more here.

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Feinstein To Become Chair of Senate Judiciary Committee - Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calf.) will become chairwoman after Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) is named as the replacement for deceased Senator Inouye (D-Hawaii), who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee.  The Hill.com has more here.

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Opposition Grows To Hagel as Defense Secretary - the former Republican Senator from Nebraska has been widely floated as being the nominee by President Obama to replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Republican Senators, led by John McCain (R-Az.) are expressing their dissatisfaction with Hagel. “We had some disagreements; obviously those will be examined, for example, when he said the [Iraq] surge could not succeed, and obviously he was wrong there,” Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said. “We obviously want to review his whole record and go through the regular process.”  Politico.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Biden to Lead Effort To Stem Gun Violence - President Obama has named Vice President Joe Biden to head a commission to make recommendations on legislation aimed to stem gun violence.  TheHill.com has more here.

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Obama's Offer Narrows Gap on "Fiscal Cliff" - the latest offer from President Obama to reduce increased tax revenue from $1.6 trillion to $1.2 trillion, limit tax increases to those earning more than $400,000, $1 trillion in entitlement cuts and make adjustments on rate increases to social security moves the country closer to a deal.

However, House Speaker John Boehner this morning said, it is not enough and they are working on a plab "B" to avoid taxes going up for everyone as of January 1.  Republicans are likley to introduce legislation to allow all current tax rates for those earning up to $1 million to stay the same.

The Senate has alreday passed legislation to allow tax rates to stay the same for all except the upper 2% of wage earners making over $250,000.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) has tried to get the same bill to the floor of the House for a vote.

Politico.com has an update here.

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74% Approve of Tax Rate Increase on Those Earning More than $250,000 - the Wsahington Post/ABC News poll also shows Americans oppose slashing spending on Medicaid and the military, as well as raising the age for Medicare eligibility and slowing the increase of Social Security benefits.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) Dies at Age 88 - The long-time senator had been hospitalized since early December because of respiratory problems. Inouye had served in the Senate since 1963 and represented Hawaii since 1954, serving as the Aloha State’s first congressman beginning in 1959. He served as the Senate pro tempore — the designation for the chamber’s longest-serving Senator — and the person third in line to the presidency. He also chaired the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee at the time of his death. You can read more here.

In a letter delivered just hours before his death, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, wrote to Gov. Neil Abercrombie asking him to appoint Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to succeed him.  RollCall.com has more here.

 Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was selected this morning to be president pro tempore of the Senate.  The position traditionally goes to the longest serving member of the Senate. Leahy is the body's most senior member, having served since 1975.

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Independent Commission Submits Benghazi Report - the classified report will be delivered to Congress today.  The House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees will hear open testimony on the report on Thursday from William Burns and Thomas Nides, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's two main deputies.

An unclassified version of the report is expected to be released to the public after board chairman Thomas Pickering, a former ambassador, and Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appear at Wednesday's hearings. 

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama-Boehner Meet as Differences Remain in "Fiscal Cliff" Negotiations - the two are meeting at the white House this morning after House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) relented and proposed a tax increase on those making more than $1 million, but total new revenue was $1 trillion v. President Obama's revised offer of $1.4 trillion and tax hikes for those earning more than $250,000.

In a significant shift, Boehner also offered to put off talks on raising the debt limit for one year.

The two sides are remain apart on cuts to entitlement programs.  Reuters.com has more here.

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Action By Congress on Assault Weapons Likely - in the wake of the tragedy in Newton, Connecticut, lawmakers are speaking up to reinstitute the ban on assault weapons.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has vowed to introduce legislation to ban assault weapons at the start of the next Congress. Retiring Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) has also called for reinstating the ban, which expired in 2004.

“I don’t know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle,” Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) said on “Morning Joe” on Monday. “I don’t know anyone that needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting.”  The Washington Post has more here.

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Scott To Replace DeMint in Senate - reports indicate Governor Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) will appoint Represenative Tim Scott (R) to replace Seantor Jim DeMint who announced his resignation recently to run the Heritage Foundation.

Mr. Scott will become South Carolina’s first black senator, and the first black Republican in the Senate since Edward Brooke of Massachusetts left in 1979. Over all, he will be the seventh black senator, and the chamber’s fourth black Republican.  The NY Times has more here.

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Dukakis May Be Interim Replacement for Kerry - if, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) is nominated by President Obama to become the Secretary of State, as expected, Governor Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) may select former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis to serve until a special election is held next year.  TheHill.com has more here.

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Electoral College Makes it Official Today - November 6 saw Obama pass the electoral threshold of 270 – from a total of 538 votes - as ballots from Ohio rolled in, besting Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Ultimately, Obama won 332 electoral votes, with 51% of the popular vote, to Romney's 207, with 47% of the popular vote.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president and vice president are elected indirectly by electors, who are elected by popular vote.

Electors meet in their respective state capitals on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Each state has electors equal to its representation in Congress. CNN.com has more here.
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