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November 14, 2012

Bonus Quote of the Day

"I'm very sorry that we didn't win. I know that you expected to win, we expected to win, we were disappointed with the result, we hadn't anticipated it, and it was very close but close doesn't count in this business. And so now we're looking and saying, 'O.K., what can we do going forward?' But frankly we're still so troubled by the past, it's hard to put together our plans from the future."

-- Mitt Romney, quoted by the New York Times, on a conference call with fundraisers.

Romney Blames Loss on Obama "Gifts"

Mitt Romney told fundraiser that he lost the election because of big "gifts" that President Obama had bestowed on loyal Democratic constituencies -- "specially the African American community, the Hispanic community and young people," the New York Times reports.

Said Romney: "In each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups. With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest, was a big gift. Free contraceptives were very big with young college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents' plan, and that was a big gift to young people. They turned out in large numbers, a larger share in this election even than in 2008."

Least Shocking News of the Day

U.S. official says Army has suspended Paula Broadwell's security clearance, the AP reports.

The Clinton Factor

Ross Douthat: "There won't be an incumbent on the ballot in 2016. But Obama does have a debt to the Clintons to pay off, and bequeathing Hillary his campaign operation might settle it. That possibility alone should inspire any Republican who hopes to improve on Romney's showing to internalize the lessons of this campaign as early as possible, leaving plenty of time to get ready for whatever surprises await."

What Going Over the Fiscal Cliff Would Mean

Wonk Wire has the chart of the day.

Paul Rips Big Government

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) delivered a "blistering farewell speech" on the House floor, The Hill reports.

Said Paul: "In spite of my efforts, the government has grown exponentially, taxes remain excessive, and the prolific increase of incomprehensible regulations continues. Wars are constant and pursued without congressional declaration, deficits rise to the sky, poverty is rampant and dependency on the federal government is now worse than any time in our history. All this with minimal concerns for the deficits and unfunded liabilities that common sense tells us cannot go on much longer."

Quote of the Day

"When they go after the UN ambassador... because they think she's an easy target, then they've got a problem with me."

-- President Obama, quoted by The Hill, defending Susan Rice from criticism.

Nate Silver Goes to Hollywood?

A "high-level talent agency" tells the Hollywood Reporter that Nate Silver "is attracting strong interest from the industry. This person believes Silver could try his hand at everything from box-office analysis to a correspondent gig on a television news program, not to mention radio shows and public speaking."

Silver confirms he "has been approached with offers from TV producers, is pondering a follow-up to his best-selling book The Signal and the Noise (which hit No. 2 on Amazon post-election) and has been courted by Los Angeles-based talent agencies."

McCain Pledges Filibuster if Rice Nominated

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said "point-blank" that he would oppose the nomination of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, National Journal reports.

Asked if he would do anything to block her, including filibuster, he bluntly answered "yes."

Share Your Opinions

Take part in polls (and possibly win prizes) by joining the Ipsos Survey Panel.

How Romney Killed Reaganomics

Michael Tomasky: "Here's something that happened in this election that has been largely overlooked but I think is a very big deal indeed. Trickle-down economics died last Tuesday. The post-election chatter has been dominated by demographics, Latinos, women, and the culture war. But economics played a strong and even pivotal role in this election too, and Reaganomics came out a huge loser, while the Democrats have started to wrap their arms around a simple, winning alternative: the idea that government must invest in the middle class and not the rich. It's middle-out economics instead of trickle-down, and it won last week and will keep on winning."

Hillary Clinton Gets Early 2016 Endorsement

Buffalo News: "We've barely finished a bruising, expensive campaign for president, but it's not too early to be thinking about who would make an excellent candidate for the presidency in 2016 - particularly if there is a conspicuously capable individual already on the political scene. There is such a candidate, and it should surprise no one that her name is Hillary Clinton."

Florida Remains an Election Disaster Area

WSVN-TV: "Nearly a thousand ballots that were not included in Florida's final count have been found in a warehouse in Broward County."

Rick Hasen notes election officials say this is "routine" in the county.

Petraeus Will Testify Before Senate

Gen.. David Petraeus will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein told Politico. But the exact schedule has not been set for his testimony.

Republicans Will Increase Taxes But Not Rates

First Read: "They're willing to give up additional REVENUES; they just don't want to see tax RATES go up. The two sides actually aren't that far apart. The question is whether they can agree on a revenue target for tax reform. That's Step 1; Step 2 is how the temporary agreement is forged regarding the tax rates for 2013, sequestration, payroll tax, etc. The White House's view: If you let the Bush tax rates expire for the Top 2%, it makes negotiating the issues surrounding sequestration (even the farm bill!) a lot easier. But the hurdle is big: getting the votes in the House. No Republican wants to vote for a tax RATE hike; it's likely a primary suicide mission."

"Ironically, the GOP may end up giving the president and Democrats MORE cover on taxes by agreeing to a revenue goal within tax reform, essentially, covering up tax hikes while the politicians can claim they've lowered tax RATES. Ah, the politics of the now vs. the politics of the long term. It's the GOP's challenge in managing its own base right now."

Financial Times: Republicans shift stance on taxing the wealthy.

Wonk Wire: Romney adviser calls for raising (some) taxes.

King Picks the Democrats

After months of speculation and sidestepping the question, Sen.-elect Angus King (I-ME) announced what many observers had already predicted: he will caucus with the Democratic party when he officially assumes his seat in the Senate, the Portland Press Herald reports.

His reasoning was simple: "Affiliating with the majority makes more sense."

Pelosi Will Seek Leadership Post Again

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Democratic colleagues that she wants them to reelect her as House minority leader when they return from Thanksgiving break, National Journal reports.

No one is expected to challenge her for the top House Democratic spot as a result.

Washington Post: "She said she felt compelled to remain in leadership as Congress and President Obama embark on an effort to resolve a fiscal crisis that could jeopardize core government programs. And she vowed to work to limit the role of money in politics and to empower women in the workplace and the political arena."

Liberals in the Senate

Politico: "There's a new gang of senators who ran their campaigns as unabashed progressives and won... But the question in a divided Senate is whether the new liberals will be hard-liners who refuse to compromise with the tea party types on the other side of the aisle or negotiators, like Kennedy, who made deals with Republicans ranging from Ronald Reagan to Rep. John Boehner to George W. Bush. In the modern Senate, it's a lot harder to do the kind of work that won Kennedy fans on the Republican side."

Candidates Eye Potential Senate Vacancy in Massachusetts

Potential candidates in Massachusetts "are quietly scrambling to position themselves to run for Sen. John Kerry's seat if President Obama appoints Kerry to be his next secretary of state, or secretary of defense," the Boston Globe reports.

"A Senate vacancy would probably create a comeback scenario for Senator Scott Brown, the Republican who lost the seat to Democrat Elizabeth Warren in last week's election. He has sent clear signals in his concession speech and in recent interviews that he has an eye on another run."

"Among the high-profile Democratic officeholders who are expressing interest are three of the state's congressmen: Edward J. Markey of Malden, the 66-year old dean of the congressional delegation; Michael E. Capuano of Somerville, who ran second to Martha Coakley in the 2009 Senate primary; and Stephen F. Lynch of South Boston, a conservative Democrat who won his seat in a 2001 special election in which several liberals divided the vote on the left."

The Petraeus Scandal Timeline

The Week: "New twists and dime-novel characters pop up daily, but the basic story of the celebrated general's downfall is falling into place."

Warner Big Favorite for Virginia Governor

A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds that if Sen. Mark Warner (D) wants his old job as governor back next year, he's the overwhelmingly favorite.

Warner, who says he will decide whether to run for governor or remain in the U.S. Senate by Thanksgiving, beats Lt. Bill Gov. Bolling (R), 53% to 33%, and tops Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), 52% to 34%.

If Terry McAuliffe (D) is the Democratic candidate, he edges Bolling, 38% to 36%, and Cuccinelli, 41% to 37%.

Lee Atwater on the Southern Strategy

The Nation dug up an interview with the infamous GOP strategist Lee Atwater explaining how Republicans can win the vote of racists without sounding racist themselves.

Said Atwater: "You start out in 1954 by saying, 'Nigger, nigger, nigger.' By 1968 you can't say 'nigger' -- that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states' rights, and all that stuff, and you're getting so abstract. Now, you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.... 'We want to cut this,' is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than 'Nigger, nigger.'"