Subject: Correct The Record Tuesday October 7, 2014 Afternoon Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2014 14:04:08 -0400
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Tuesday October 7, 2014 Afternoon Roundup**:*

*Tweets:*

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> led successful efforts to provide
health care to millions of children #HRC365
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC365?src=hash> #ChildHealthDay
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChildHealthDay?src=hash>http://bit.ly/1hHZrVc
<http://t.co/1IkhFQuAX3>[10/6/14, 3:02 p.m. EDT
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/519200938058203137>]

*Headlines:*

*Fortune: “Warren Buffett on Clinton 2016: 'Hillary is going to win'”
<http://fortune.com/2014/10/07/warren-buffett-on-clinton-2016-hillary-is-going-to-win/>*

“At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit Warren Buffett, the Oracle of
Omaha, made a bold statement about former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton’s chances in the 2016 Presidential election. ‘Hillary is going to
run,’ he told retired Fortune writer Carol Loomis onstage. 'Hillary is
going to win.'"

*Bloomberg: “Buffett Says He’d Bet on Clinton Presidential Victory”
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-07/buffett-says-he-d-bet-on-clinton-presidential-victory.html>*

“Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said
he thinks Hillary Clinton will be the next U.S. president.”

*Public Policy Polling: “Republicans lead in Georgia, but Senate race
close”
<http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/10/republicans-lead-in-georgia-but-senate-race-close.html>*

“It looks like there's a pretty decent chance it will be a swing state in
the 2016 Presidential election if Hillary Clinton is the Democrat
candidate. Clinton leads against 6 out of 7 potential Republican opponents
we tested, trailing only Jeb Bush at 45/44.”

*Boston Globe opinion: Tom Keane, Globe columnist: “It’s still the economy,
stupid”
<http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/10/06/still-economy-stupid/tEX2gSbRLUSjAyTOWYkPbI/story.html>*

“For good reason, people still don’t feel confident about the economy;
upbeat statistics don’t feed, house, or clothe. Thus the grim outlook for
Democrats for the election. But two years from now, as (presumably) Hillary
Clinton makes a run? Almost certainly yes.”

*Associated Press: “Blunders Renew Questions About Biden’s Discipline”
<http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BIDEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>*

“As Biden seeks to fashion himself as a credible alternative to Hillary
Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, his latest missteps have
rekindled lingering questions about his ability to serve as commander in
chief.”

*Politico: “Maryland poll: No to O’Malley 2016 run”
<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/poll-marin-omalley-2016-presidential-run-111658.html>*

“A strong majority of Maryland residents don’t want Gov. Martin O’Malley to
run for president in 2016, a new poll says.”

*The Hill blog: Ballot Box: “O'Malley 2016 isn't catching on in Maryland”
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/219975-poll-only-19-percent-of-marylanders-want-omalley-2016-run>*

“Maryland residents are decidedly unenthusiastic about Gov. Martin O'Malley
(D) running for the White House in 2016, according to a new poll.”

*Articles:*

*Fortune: “Warren Buffett on Clinton 2016: 'Hillary is going to win'”
<http://fortune.com/2014/10/07/warren-buffett-on-clinton-2016-hillary-is-going-to-win/>*

By Benjamin Snyder

October 7, 2014, 1:04 p.m. EDT

[Subtitle:] At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, Warren Buffitt made a
big claim about Hillary Clinton’s presidential chances in 2016.

At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit Warren Buffett, the Oracle of
Omaha, made a bold statement about former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton’s chances in the 2016 Presidential election. “Hillary is going to
run,” he told retired Fortune writer Carol Loomis onstage. “Hillary is
going to win.”

The audience erupted in applause at the statement.

Buffett has offered his support to Clinton in the past, including in his
third tweet on Twitter in 2013. “Hello @Hillaryclinton,” he wrote. “Happy
to welcome one of my favorite women in the world to twitter. #45.”

The number 45, of course, suggests his belief that the former Secretary of
State and First Lady would be elected as the next U.S. president after
Barack Obama.

He even added that he’d be willing to bet money on it.

*Bloomberg: “Buffett Says He’d Bet on Clinton Presidential Victory”
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-07/buffett-says-he-d-bet-on-clinton-presidential-victory.html>*

By Zachary Tracer

October 7, 2014, 12:38 p.m. EDT

Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said
he thinks Hillary Clinton will be the next U.S. president.

“Hillary is going to win,” Buffett said today at the Fortune’s Most
Powerful Women Summit in Laguna Niguel, California. “I will bet money on
it. I don’t do that easily.”

Buffett also reportedly backed Clinton’s 2008 election campaign and held
fundraisers in her honor, according to CNBC. He’s a known supporter of
President Obama as well.

*Public Policy Polling: “Republicans lead in Georgia, but Senate race
close”
<http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/10/republicans-lead-in-georgia-but-senate-race-close.html>*

[No Writer Mentioned]

October 7, 2014

Public Policy Polling's newest Georgia survey finds a tight race for the US
Senate. Republican David Perdue is at 45% to 43% for Democrat Michelle
Nunn. Libertarian Amanda Swafford is polling at 5%, which would be enough
to send the contest into a January runoff if it remains this close.
Swafford's support could reflect residual unhappiness among voters who
supported one of Perdue's opponents in the Republican nomination contest-
70% of them voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 compared to only 16% of them who
voted for Barack Obama. They say they would support Perdue over Nunn 43/12
if they had to choose between the two, which would push Perdue's overall
lead to 48/45.

Voters are pretty mixed in their feelings about both candidates. Nunn has a
slightly better net favorability rating at -1, with 41% of voters giving
her positive marks to 42% with an unfavorable opinion. Perdue comes in at
-4 with 39% rating him favorably to 43% who have a negative view. One thing
that may be aiding Nunn's competitiveness is the continued very positive
legacy of her father- 54% of Georgians have a favorable opinion of former
Senator Sam Nunn to only 20% with a negative one.

Republicans have leads of varying sizes in all the statewide races. In the
contest for Governor Nathan Deal is at 46% to 41% for Democratic challenger
Jason Carter. Libertarian Andrew Hunt is getting 4%, which based on Deal's
current lead would not be enough to force the election into a December
runoff. Voters are mixed in their feelings about both Deal and Carter as
well. Deal has a 43/42 approval rating, and Carter's favorability stands at
39/36.

The GOP candidates lead all of the down ballot state races by margins
ranging from 6 to 11 points. Casey Cagle is up 48/37 for Lieutenant
Governor, Brian Kemp is up 48/39 for Secretary of State, Sam Olens, Gary
Black, and Mark Butler are all up 45/36 in their contests for Attorney
General, Agriculture Commissioner, and Labor Commissioner respectively,
Ralph Hudgens is up 41/34 for Insurance Commissioner, and Richard Woods is
up 46/40 for State Superintendent.

Other notes from Georgia:

-It looks like there's a pretty decent chance it will be a swing state in
the 2016 Presidential election if Hillary Clinton is the Democrat
candidate. Clinton leads against 6 out of 7 potential Republican opponents
we tested, trailing only Jeb Bush at 45/44. She leads Rand Paul (47/44),
Mike Huckabee (48/45), and Herman Cain (48/45) all by 3, Chris Christie
(46/41) by 5, and Ted Cruz (47/41) and Newt Gingrich (49/43) both by 6.

There is little desire in Georgia for a repeat Presidential bid by either
of its native sons who ran in 2012. Just 27% want Cain to run again, to 57%
who say he should sit it out. And for a Gingrich bid there's even more
skepticism- only 21% think he should run to 64% who believe he should take
a pass.

-A couple key issues where Georgians strongly side with the Democrats could
be one piece of the puzzle explaining why the state is so competitive this
year. 56% of voters support expanding Medicaid to only 33% who are opposed,
and 56% also support increasing the minimum wage to $10 an hour to 38% who
are opposed. Both of those things have around 90% support from Democrats,
as well as from about 25% of Republicans.

-It was a tumultuous end of the season for the Atlanta Braves, and fans of
the team are pretty mixed in their feelings about Fredi Gonzalez continuing
on as manager. 40% say they approve of the job he's doing, to 28% who
disapprove. Those numbers pretty closely mirror fan opinion on whether he
should be back next year- 41% support his being retained to 27% who think
he should have been replaced. There's less division when it comes to the
firing of General Manager Frank Wren- 45% of fans say they're on board with
that move to only 14% who disagree.

-As usual there is no contest when it comes to college loyalties in
Georgia- 48% of voters in the state say they're Georgia fans to only 20%
for Georgia Tech. Both fan bases are relatively happy with their football
coach. Mark Richt has a 70/10 approval rating among Bulldog fans, while
Paul Johnson is at 47/18 with Jackets fans.

*Boston Globe opinion: Tom Keane, Globe columnist: “It’s still the economy,
stupid”
<http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/10/06/still-economy-stupid/tEX2gSbRLUSjAyTOWYkPbI/story.html>*

By Tom Keane

October 7, 2014

The headline number sounds pretty good — unemployment in September dropped
to 5.9 percent — and President Barack Obama is out on the stump proclaiming
the news and taking a healthy measure of credit. So if “the economy,
stupid” is the issue that really drives elections, why are Democrats still
looking at the prospect of some serious losses in this year’s midterm
voting?

The latest figures, released last Friday, showed unemployment below 6
percent for the first time since July 2008. The drop came because the US
economy created 248,000 new jobs in September, the 48th month in a row that
job growth has been positive. Without question, there’s been a dramatic
turnabout from the grim years of 2008 and 2009 — the height of the Great
Recession — when the economy lost a total of 8.7 million jobs. Since then,
the United States has more than made up ground with over 9.7 million new
jobs created. Combine that with strong numbers for real GDP growth (4.6
percent in the April-June quarter), and things really do seem to be humming
along.

Not so fast, argue Obama detractors. They point to two contrary pieces of
data that dull the rosy picture: the declining labor participation rate and
stagnant median incomes.

The unemployment rate only counts those who are actually looking for work.
But many Americans have either gotten discouraged or have simply withdrawn
from the workforce altogether, meaning that the so-called labor
participation rate continues to fall. In September it was 62.7 percent, its
lowest point in recent history (by comparison, in July 2008, it was 66.1
percent). You may wonder how this is possible. After all, the number of net
new jobs since the recession (8.7 million lost and 9.7 million created) is
about 1 million. How, then, can more people be unemployed? The short answer
is that our population is growing. Just to keep the same percent of the
population employed, the economy needs to add between 1 million to 1.8
million jobs each year. The 1 million net, of course, is over almost six
years. That’s nowhere near enough to keep pace.

Second, the average worker isn’t getting any richer. Median weekly wages so
far this year are about $780, the same as they were in 2013. Meanwhile, the
inflation rate was 2.1 percent for the year. Thus, “real” wages (incomes
adjusted for inflation) are actually lower this year than last. That’s why,
even as he hailed the drop in unemployment, Obama had to acknowledge that
“there are still a lot of families where somebody in the family is out of
work, or isn’t getting as many hours as they want.”

It can’t remain this way, forever, though, which is why Obama is right to
celebrate. The economy created 2.3 million new jobs in 2013 and seems on
pace to create 2.7 million this year. That’s well above the number needed
to keep pace with population growth. Labor markets will eventually function
like other markets. A surplus of jobs will draw people back into the
workforce, causing the labor participation rate to rise again. Similarly,
as we start getting closer to “full employment” (in the range of a 4.0 to
5.5 percent unemployment rate), employers will have to start offering
higher wages to attract the workers they want. Real incomes will start to
rise.

In other words, the future is bright. Unfortunately for Democrats, the
elections are next month.

There’s an irony here. When Bill Clinton ran against incumbent George H.W.
Bush, the then-lousy economy was a central theme of his campaign, with
unemployment in 1992 at 7.9 percent. Clinton’s “the economy, stupid”
message resonated with voters and ushered Bush out of office. In
retrospect, however, Bush in fact had managed a turnaround and that the
economy was growing at the tail end of his presidency. The data were good;
voters just didn’t feel it.

So too this time around. For good reason, people still don’t feel confident
about the economy; upbeat statistics don’t feed, house, or clothe. Thus the
grim outlook for Democrats for the election. But two years from now, as
(presumably) Hillary Clinton makes a run? Almost certainly yes.

*Associated Press: “Blunders Renew Questions About Biden’s Discipline”
<http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BIDEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>*

By Josh Lederman

October 7, 2014, 3:05 a.m. EDT

Vice President Joe Biden's supporters often brush off his slips of the
tongue as byproducts of the speak-your-mind politics many Americans crave.
But this time, Biden's verbal blunders are causing more than just a few
rough headlines and a momentary nuisance for the White House.

Twice in two days, Biden had to apologize to key U.S. allies in the fight
against Islamic State militants after accusing the allies of arming and
funding al-Qaida-linked groups in Syria. Not only did his comments threaten
to jeopardize President Barack Obama's fragile coalition, they also put the
White House on the defensive, forced to clean up for Biden without
specifically rebutting what he said.

As Biden seeks to fashion himself as a credible alternative to Hillary
Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, his latest missteps have
rekindled lingering questions about his ability to serve as commander in
chief. After all, voters who affectionately overlook a bit of misplaced
candor may be less thrilled by the prospect of a president who has trouble
differentiating between what he says in public and in private.

"When he makes missteps, he becomes a character," Democratic strategist
Hank Sheinkopf said. "Although he may be successful in lining up some of
the Democratic leadership, he will be less likely to get the Democratic
nomination if he looks foolish."

In this case, Biden's mistake wasn't in saying something that wasn't true.
In fact, what Biden said at Harvard University largely conformed to what
Obama administration officials long have said privately. His mistake was in
saying it in front of television cameras that carried his remarks to
far-away capitals like Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, where exasperated leaders
demanded - and received - a mea culpa.

"The vice president is somebody who has enough character to admit when he's
made a mistake," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Making matter worse: Biden's blunt talk about the situation in Syria came
during a two-week period in which the vice president's loose tongue had
already gotten him in trouble with groups ranging from the Anti-Defamation
League to Asian-Americans.

After a quick visit to Iowa last month, Biden had to apologize to the head
of the ADL, a Jewish group that fights anti-Semitism, after using the word
"shylocks" to describe unscrupulous moneylenders who had taken advantage of
U.S. troops. On the same trip, he raised eyebrows by referring to Asia as
"the Orient," and the White House had to clarify comments he made that
seemed to suggest the U.S. would consider deploying ground troops to fight
the Islamic State group.

Former aides who have prepped Biden say they repeated predetermined talking
points to him over and over before sensitive meetings and high-profile
speeches. The vast majority of the time he hits the script perfectly, the
aides said.

But sometimes their pleas not to freelance were met with a roll of the eyes
by Biden, who served for decades on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
and has strong views of his own.

Biden's supporters say his candor amid an overly sanitized political
environment is part and parcel of his appeal.

"The more people know about him, the more they value that he says what he
thinks," said former Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., Biden's longtime confidante
and political adviser. "I think that's really put him in a good stead with
foreign leaders around the world."

But Biden's detractors say the short-term headaches that emerge when he
goes off-script pale in comparison to the damage that could be done with
Biden in the Oval Office. As Biden ponders a third presidential bid in
2016, they say, voters will have to make a call about whether they want a
loose cannon in charge when, for instance, the U.S. is confronting the
threat from the Islamic State group.

"As head of state there are times when you have to have a moment where you
are trying to achieve larger national ends that aren't always served by
having a case of no internal monologue that tells you to shut the heck up,"
said Rick Wilson, a Republican strategist.

Such caricatures of the second highest-ranking U.S. leader paint a
particularly stark contrast to Clinton, who gained a reputation as a
hawkish, intensely disciplined diplomat during her tenure as Obama's
secretary of state. Most Democrats doubt that Biden will challenge Clinton
if she decides to run.

But even with Clinton emerging as the overwhelming favorite to win the
Democratic nomination, Biden has offered frequent reminders that he still
covets the top job. As he told a student council vice president last week
about holding the No. 2 job, "Isn't that a bitch?"

*Politico: “Maryland poll: No to O’Malley 2016 run”
<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/poll-marin-omalley-2016-presidential-run-111658.html>*

By Jonathan Topaz

October 7, 2014, 7:45 a.m. EDT

A strong majority of Maryland residents don’t want Gov. Martin O’Malley to
run for president in 2016, a new poll says.

According to a Goucher poll released Tuesday, 65 percent of those surveyed
do not believe the governor should run for the 2016 Democratic presidential
nomination, compared with 19 percent who said they think he should. Nine
percent said they didn’t know and 7 percent said it depends.

O’Malley — whose second and final term as governor ends in January — has
said he is “seriously considering” a potential presidential bid. The Wall
Street Journal reported last month that he has told Democratic donors that
he would make a run for the nomination even if former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton — widely seen as the prohibitive front-runner should she
choose to run — enters the race. He has also recently visited early
presidential nominating states like Iowa and New Hampshire to stump for
Democratic candidates in the November midterm elections.

The former Baltimore mayor has emerged as a national progressive figure
during his tenure as governor, signing bills to legalize same-sex marriage
and repeal capital punishment in Maryland. Most recently, he has taken on
the White House on immigration, making national headlines by breaking with
President Barack Obama and Clinton by arguing against fast-tracking the
deportation process for the undocumented Central American children along
the U.S.-Mexico border.

Tuesday’s poll reported that 43 percent of Maryland residents have an
unfavorable opinion of O’Malley, compared with 40 percent who view him
favorably. That 3 percent net negative rating is 2 points worse than
results from last October.

The survey was conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 2 with 708 Maryland citizens on
landlines and cellphones. The margin for error is plus or minus 3.7
percentage points.

*The Hill blog: Ballot Box: “O'Malley 2016 isn't catching on in Maryland”
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/219975-poll-only-19-percent-of-marylanders-want-omalley-2016-run>*

By Peter Sullivan

October 7, 2014, 9:35 a.m. EDT

Maryland residents are decidedly unenthusiastic about Gov. Martin O'Malley
(D) running for the White House in 2016, according to a new poll.

Just 19 percent of Maryland residents say their governor should run for
president, compared to 65 percent who say he should not, according to a
poll by Goucher College in Maryland.

More Marylanders have an unfavorable view of their governor than have a
favorable one, at 43 percent to 40 percent. O'Malley was elected in 2010
with 56 percent of the vote.

O'Malley has been been traveling the country to try and build support for a
possible presidential run, recently touting his work as mayor of Baltimore
and governor of Maryland in a video that aired in New Hampshire when he
visited to campaign for Democrats.

The video touts O'Malley's record on crime and education in Maryland and
his focus on using data to solve problems.

O'Malley has made no secret that he is considering a presidential run,
despite trailing far behind Hillary Clinton in early polls.

He has sent staffers to campaign for Democrats in the midterms, and has
tried to position himself to the left of Clinton and the White House on
immigration by criticizing the move to send back unaccompanied children at
the border.

Polling has consistently shown Clinton with a sizable lead over possible
Democratic challengers for the nomination.