Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Syria issues warning after Israeli airstrikes - The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned Sunday that a series of powerful Israeli airstrikes near the Syrian capital opened the door to “all the options,” underscoring the possibility that Syria’s civil war could spill across regional borders.
 
Assad’s cabinet held an emergency meeting Sunday after explosions lit up the sky on the outskirts of Damascus on Friday and early Sunday.

Syrian state media said the air attack had targeted a military and scientific research facility. The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes, but the Associated Press quoted an anonymous Middle East intelligence official as confirming that the research facility was hit.

The airstrikes targeted Fateh-110 missiles, which have precision guidance systems and may have been destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the official said. The Washington Post has more here.
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U.N. says rebels, not Assad, appear to have used chemical weapons - United Nations human rights investigators said Sunday they have gathered testimony from outside Syria suggesting rebels, not Bashar Assad's regime, may have used chemical weapons.

“Our investigators have been in neighboring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals and, according to their report of last week which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated,” Carla Del Ponte, a member of the independent commission of inquiry on Syria, told Swiss-Italian television. “This was use on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities.”

The allegations will likely make it harder for the Obama administration to justify taking a more active role in the two-year-old civil war on the side of the opposition. The administration has said in recent days that chemical weapons appeared to have been used in Syria, which would violate the “red line” Obama set for Assad's forces.  TheHill.com has more here.

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Obama begins new jobs tour - President Barack Obama will travel on Thursday to Austin, Texas, the first stop in a new series of day trips designed to draw attention to policies and programs that help spur the economy, and build support for his economic policies, the White House said on Sunday.

In Austin, Obama will visit a high school and a technology company, and will talk with entrepreneurs and workers about proposals he made earlier this year to boost jobs and training.

Despite often saying that his top priority is creating more jobs, Obama's proposals have been overshadowed by debates over reforms to gun and immigration laws as well as efforts to reduce the deficit.

Unemployment in the United States fell to 7.5 percent last month, the lowest level since Obama took office.  Reuters.com has more here.

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Sanford, Colbert Busch in close race for S. Carolina congressional seat - The former governor leads Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in the special election for South Carolina's 1st congressional district by one point, 47 percent to 46 percent, according to a new survey by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling released Sunday, a race the pollster deems "too close to call." The result marks a 10 point reversal from PPP's last poll of the district two weeks ago, in which Colbert Busch carried a comfortable 50 percent to 41 percent lead after Sanford became mired in the midst of new trespassing allegations by his ex-wife, Jenny Sanford.

Despite his recent setbacks, the poll suggests Sanford has had success tying Colbert Busch to House Democrats -- in particular Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) -- who remains deeply unpopular with the first district electorate. While the race is still up for grabs, it appears Sanford has the "momentum headed into election day" on May 7, according to PPP.

The poll surveyed 1,239 likely voters on May 4th and 5th and its margin of error is +/-2.8%.  TPM.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Karzai: C.I.A. promises to continue sending cash - Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he has received assurances from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's station chief in Kabul that it will continue delivering cash, as it has for the past decade, to his offices.

"Yes, we received cash from the CIA for the past 10 years. It was very useful, and we are very thankful for this aid," the president said during a news conference Saturday in Kabul.

"Yesterday, I thanked the CIA's chief in Kabul and I requested their continued help, and they promised that they will continue. "

Karzai's comments follow last week's report by The New York Times that the CIA has been dropping off shopping bags full of money every month or so for more than a decade to the offices of the Afghan president.  CNN.com has more here.

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Syria reports being bombed by Israel again - Israeli warplanes bombed the outskirts of Damascus early Sunday for the second time in recent days, according to Syrian state media and reports from activists, signaling a sharp escalation in tensions between the neighboring countries that had already been exacerbated by the conflict raging in Syria.
 
Though there was no official confirmation that Israel had carried out the attack, the Israeli military later announced that it had deployed two of its Iron Dome rocket defense batteries near its northern border, in response to what it called “ongoing situational assessments.”  Reuters.com has more here.
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Cuccinelli leads McAuliffe in Virginia governor's race - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has an early lead over businessman Terry McAuliffe in their race for governor, a new Washington Post poll shows, even as most voters in the commonwealth have yet to engage in the nationally watched contest.
 
Six months before Election Day, Cuccinelli (R) has a slender 46 to 41 percent edge over McAuliffe (D) among all Virginia voters and a significant 51 to 41 percent lead among those who say they’re certain to cast ballots in November. But those numbers may change before then: The poll found that barely 10 percent say they are following the campaign “very closely” and that nearly half of the electorate says they’re either undecided or could change their minds.  The Washington Post has more here.

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Incoming NRA President says they are the front line of a “culture war” that goes beyond gun rights - The incoming leader of the National Rifle Association has a long history with the powerful gun rights lobby and a penchant for bold statements that are sure to enflame an already explosive national debate over gun control.

James Porter, an Alabama attorney and first vice president of the NRA, assumes the presidency on Monday after the group’s national convention wraps up in Houston. He didn’t wait until then to ignite a new furor over gun control, telling the NRA grass-roots organizers on Friday they are the front line of a “culture war” that goes beyond gun rights.

“(You) here in this room are the fighters for freedom. We are the protectors,” Porter said.
Porter, 64, whose father was NRA president from 1959-1961, is part of the small, Birmingham, Ala., law firm of Porter, Porter & Hassinger. The firm’s website notes its expertise in defending gun manufacturers in lawsuits.

Porter takes over the organization as the NRA finds itself in a national fight over gun control in Washington, D.C., and state capitols around the country.  You can read more here.

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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Cheat Sheet

George Wenschhof

In the aftermath of the Boston bombings, expect more discussion surrounding the cooperation between U.S. intelligence agencies and how effective they have been in preventing terrorist acts in America.

The drop in unemployment to 7.5% and where the U.S. economy is headed will be discussed when Warren Buffett appears on ABC "This Week". 

Also, on "This Week" look to see some discussion on the recent military bluster and threats by North Korea, along with the imprisonment of an American accused of attempting to topple their government.  Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has been successful in the past negotiating the release of U.S. prisoners, will be a guest who will add his thoughts.

With, the disclosure some chemical weapons were likely to have been in the Syrian conflict, CBS "Face The Nation", will discuss what the U.S. role should be in that conflict with with Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Maryland.

CBS will also look, with a roundable discussion, at how Jason Collins is changing the face of professional sports by coming out as a gay man this week. 

CNN "State of The Union" will take a stab at examining the roots of radicalization with an expert panel. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Director of the Center for the Study of Terrorist Radicalization at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Founder and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; Jessica Stern, former member of the National Security Council under President Clinton and author of DENIAL: A Memoir of Terror; and Sushail Khan, a Senior Fellow for Christian-Muslim understanding at the Institute for Global Engagement.

Fox News Sunday will continue to beat the Benghazi attack asking for more answers on what was known by U.S. officials, and when, with a key member of the House Oversight Committee, Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA).

The scheduled guests follow below.     

NBC "Meet The Press" - Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Jane Harman.

Roundtable with Harold Ford, Newt Gingrich, Rich Lowry and Joy-Ann Reid

ABC "This Week" - Warren Buffett

Roundtable with James Carville, Mary Matalin, Bill Richardson, Jim DeMint and Cokie Roberts

CBS "Face The Nation" - Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Darrell Issa (R-Calf.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.)

Roundtable with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Ezera Tuaolo, Ted Leonsis, Domonique Foxworth, William Rhoden and Chris Stone

CNN "State of The Union" - Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)

Fox News Sunday - Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.)

Roundtable with Evan Bayh, Nina Easton, Julie Pace and Jennifer Rubin 

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Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



President Obama in his weekly address said fixing the U.S. immigration system and strengthening trade ties with Latin America represent an “incredible opportunity” to create “good, middle-class jobs”. 

Obama called on Congress to pass legislation this year creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented workers.

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