Subject: ​Correct The Record Friday January 9, 2015 Afternoon Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 14:29:04 -0500
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Friday January 9, 2015 Afternoon Roundup:*

*Tweets:*

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> practiced “smart power” to modernize
American diplomacy #HRC365 <https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC365?src=hash>
http://correctrecord.org/hillary-clinton-smart-power-foreign-policy/ …
<http://t.co/Q5etDthifB> [1/8/15, 8:01 p.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/553355781920157696>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: "Progressives support @HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> because of her experience and
leadership" on top issues, says @RepTimRyan <https://twitter.com/RepTimRyan>
http://www.rollcall.com/news/progressives_are_ready_for_hillary_commentary-239087-1.html
…
<http://t.co/wStdewXLpU> [1/8/15, 2:11 p.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/553267671232299010>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@RepTimRyan
<https://twitter.com/RepTimRyan>: @HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton>’s progressive record "speaks for
itself." Read more:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/progressives_are_ready_for_hillary_commentary-239087-1.html
…
<http://t.co/wStdewXLpU> [1/8/15, 1:32 p.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/553257891222663168>]

*Headlines:*

*Politico blog: Dylan Byers on Media: “N.Y. Times hires Maggie Haberman”
<http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/ny-times-hires-maggie-haberman-200843.html#.VK_4TQLfBQ8.twitter>*

“The New York Times has hired POLITICO senior political reporter Maggie
Haberman to anchor First Draft, the site's political news page, and "help
drive our campaign news during the day," Washington Bureau Chief Carolyn
Ryan announced Friday.

*NBC News: First Read: “Jeb Bush's Last-Name Problem”
<http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/jeb-bushs-last-name-problem-n282876>*

“Hillary Clinton didn't fare much better in the focus group.”

*Wall Street Journal: “Aide: Jim Webb’s Vietnam-Wounded Knee Replaced”
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/09/aide-jim-webbs-vietnam-wounded-knee-replaced/>*

“Former Sen. Jim Webb will be out of commission from his presidential
exploratory campaign after undergoing surgery to replace a knee injured in
combat in Vietnam, an aide said Friday.”

*CNN: “With a new knee, Webb's still considering 2016 plans”
<http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/politics/jim-webb-new-knee-2016/index.html>*

“Jim Webb, a former Virginia senator contemplating a run for president, was
released from the hospital Tuesday after having his left knee replaced.”

*Articles:*

*Politico blog: Dylan Byers on Media: “N.Y. Times hires Maggie Haberman”
<http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/ny-times-hires-maggie-haberman-200843.html#.VK_4TQLfBQ8.twitter>*

By Dylan Byers

January 9, 2015, 10:47 a.m. EST

The New York Times has hired POLITICO senior political reporter Maggie
Haberman to anchor First Draft, the site's political news page, and "help
drive our campaign news during the day," Washington Bureau Chief Carolyn
Ryan announced Friday.

Haberman was a lead reporter on the 2012 presidential campaign and, more
recently, has been covering Hillary Clinton's run up to a likely
presidential bid in 2016. She previously worked at The New York Post.

In a memo to POLITICO staff, editor Susan Glasser called Haberman "a star
reporter... a leader of our campaign coverage — and world leader on the
Hillary beat — and a relentless force for scoops and news at all hours of
the day and night."

Earlier on Friday, Glasser announced that POLITICO had hired longitme media
critic Jack Shafer to serve as a columnist and reporter.

*NBC News: First Read: “Jeb Bush's Last-Name Problem”
<http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/jeb-bushs-last-name-problem-n282876>*

By Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Andrew Rafferty

January 9, 2015

If he runs for the White House, Jeb Bush will have considerable name ID, a
deep roster of party honchos he can count on, and tons of money (Bloomberg
News says Bush's allies are setting a $100 million goal for their first
quarter). But he's also going to have one major problem: his last name.
That was the conclusion after one of us observed a focus group NBC/WSJ
pollster Peter Hart (D) conducted in battleground Colorado for the
University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center. The 12
focus-group participants -- a combination of Democrats, Republicans, and
independents -- appeared to have two beefs with Bush. One, they were down
on dynastic candidates (including Hillary Clinton; more on her below). "I
wouldn't be opposed to Congress saying, 'If your last name is Clinton or
Bush, you don't even get to run,'" said Charlie Loan, a 52-year-old
GOP-leaning independent. Half of the participants agreed with him. Two,
they clearly associated Jeb Bush with his brother. "Jeb Bush is more of the
same," said Brandon Graham, a 38-year-old independent who says he leans
Democratic. "I enjoy gas [prices] being low. I enjoy my house appreciating
and I enjoy being in not any more wars." Added Susan Brink, a 56-year-old
independent: "I just can't stand him." The words associated with Bush in a
free-association exercise were: "Joke." "No thank you." "Clown."
"Interesting." "Don't need him." "Intriguing." "Greedy." "Bad scene."

Hillary doesn't fare much better

Hillary Clinton didn't fare much better in the focus group. The words used
to describe her: "Hopeful." "Crazy." "Strong." "Spitfire." "Don't like
her." "Untrustworthy." "More of the same." "Next candidate, please." "A
politician but gets things done." Andrew Regan, a 28-year-old Democrat who
says he supports Elizabeth Warren, said of Clinton: "She's just not
relatable." By comparison, half of the participants said they'd pick Warren
as their next door neighbor. "She is personable and knowledgeable, and I
think she's got a good handle on what's going on in the country," said
Jenny Howard, a 43 year-old GOP-leaning independent. In addition to Warren,
the focus-group participants said positive things about Rand Paul:
"Entertaining," "Interesting," "Very intriguing," "Honest," "Freedom." You
have to conclude here that the love for Warren and Paul is more about the
participants looking for something new.

More from the focus group

Participants still aren't feeling the improving economy: There's another
stellar jobs report out today: 252,000 jobs were created in December, and
the unemployment rate fell from 5.8% to 5.6%. The AP says it year-end job
creation was the best year in 15 years (!!!). But according to the same
Denver-area focus group one of us observed last night, Americans aren't
necessarily feeling these better statistics. "The simple fact is,
regardless of what the numbers say, there's a lot of hurting people out
there," said Rick Lamutt, a 40 year-old independent. "You've seen on the
news, 'Everything's fine, the economy's great, there's jobs everywhere!'
Well, if you want to make $9 an hour, you can go get a job, but if you want
to make a wage that can support your family, good luck." Loan, the
52-year-old independent who leans Republican agreed: "The media tells us
that unemployment is down considerably, but that's not the feeling that I
get from talking to my friends and family across the country." Overall, the
12 participants in the focus group, which was moderated by pollster Peter
Hart, described the state of the country as "cloudy" and "gloomy." Yet a
bright spot for many of them was sinking gas prices. Nine of the 12
participants said that the low price of fuel has made an impact on them.
"It's awesome," said Karstyn Butler, a 39 year-old Democratic homemaker who
says she's saving a substantial chunk when she fills up her truck.

California Dreamin'

The most interesting state to watch over the next three years? If you love
politics and campaigns, you're going to love California over the next three
years -- now that Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) announced she wouldn't be
seeking re-election, creating the state's first open Senate seat in more
than 20 years. What's more, you're likely going to see another open Senate
in 2018 (with Sen. Dianne Feinstein likely retirement), as well as an open
governorship that year (with Jerry Brown term limited). From 1990 to 1998,
California politics was INCREDIBLY volatile. Think Pete Wilson's two
gubernatorial wins and his Prop. 187. You had the Boxer and Feinstein
victories in 1992. There was Michael Huffington's expensive California
campaign. Indeed, California politics have only calmed down since the 2003
gubernatorial recall. But, folks, that all changed starting yesterday.

The battle for Boxer's seat could look a lot like last year's race to
replace Henry Waxman

If you want to know how the battle for Boxer's seat will play out, last
year's race to succeed ex-Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) is probably a
good guide. It will be jam-packed with candidates, and it will be VERY
expensive. As one of us wrote yesterday, you could see high-profile
Democrats like Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Attorney General Kamala Harris,
and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa all run for the seat (though
it's also very possible these Democrats strategically divide up which
offices they'll pursue over the next three years -- Boxer's seat,
Feinstein's seat, and Brown's seat). And then there's the likelihood you'll
see deep-pocketed Silicon Valley or Hollywood types throw their hats into
the ring. (Politico says that wealthy environmentalist Tom Steyer is
considering a run.) Remember: California has a top-two primary system --
regardless of party -- so it's possible that two Democrats clash in the
2016 general election. Or one Democrat and one Republican. Or even two
Republicans (though that's very, very unlikely in this blue state). If
there's JUST ONE Republican running, then it's quite likely that person
makes it to the general (because that person would get all of the GOP
support). But if there are two or more Republicans, that's how two
Democrats would reach the general. One other thing in this Super PAC era,
if any state is going to hit the $1 billion for a Senate race, it's
California.

Two ways to look at the (still-emerging) 2016 GOP field

Two different stories described two different ways to look at the emerging
Republican presidential field. The first, by the New York Times' Jonathan
Martin, describes how Jeb Bush (and Mike Huckabee, to a lesser extent)
might not fit into the GOP politics of the Obama Era. "Figures like Mr.
Huckabee and Mr. Bush, who rose to prominence in that earlier era, are
likely to face off with men like Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted
Cruz of Texas, whose vigorous opposition to Mr. Obama has been a central
organizing principle of Republican politics." The other way comes courtesy
of National Journal's Ron Brownstein: Too much competition from
conservatives could create a wide-open path for someone like Bush to win
from the middle. As Harry Enten puts it, you take both of these theories
about the GOP field, and "the GOP nominee has a pretty good chance of
coming from anywhere... seems about right." Exactly.

Huckabee's interesting take on gay marriage

Mike Huckabee says plenty of provocative things in his new book, "God,
Guns, Grits and Gravy." He suggests that Jay-Z is a pimp for exploiting his
wife as a sex object. And he has a chapter entitled, "Bend Over and Take It
Like a Prisoner" -- on airport security. But it's his views on gay marriage
that we find the most interesting. "The claim that same-sex marriage is
destroying society is actually greatly overstated," Huckabee writes, per
NBC's Andrew Rafferty. "Christians who themselves abandoned the primacy of
lifelong marriage to follow the divorce and remarriage customs of a secular
society have as much to answer for as those who militantly push to redefine
marriage." More Huckabee: "Marriage as an institution is not so much
threatened by same-sex couples as it is by heterosexuals' increasing
indifference to it." First Jeb Bush and now Huckabee -- but we're seeing
how Republican politicians are trying to defuse the politics of gay
marriage by playing down their objections.

Grand jury problems for Kane, Brownback

Finally, don't miss these two stories. The Philly Inquirer: "The special
prosecutor and grand jury investigating allegations that Pennsylvania
Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane leaked secret information to a newspaper
have found evidence of wrongdoing and recommended that she be criminally
charged, according to numerous people familiar with the decision." The AP:
"A federal grand jury is looking into loans made to Kansas Gov. Sam
Brownback's re-election campaign and has ordered the state's ethics chief
to testify next week as part of its investigation."

Click here to sign up for First Read emails. Text FIRST to 622639, to sign
up for First Read alerts to your mobile phone. Check us out on Facebook and
also on Twitter. Follow us @chucktodd, @mmurraypolitics, @carrienbcnews

*Wall Street Journal: “Aide: Jim Webb’s Vietnam-Wounded Knee Replaced”
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/09/aide-jim-webbs-vietnam-wounded-knee-replaced/>*

By Reid J. Epstein

January 9, 2015, 9:14 a.m. EST

Former Sen. Jim Webb will be out of commission from his presidential
exploratory campaign after undergoing surgery to replace a knee injured in
combat in Vietnam, an aide said Friday.

“Jim has just undergone a full knee replacement as a consequence of
shrapnel wounds received from an enemy grenade,” Webb spokesman Craig
Crawford said. “He is out of the hospital and recovering quite well. The
upside is he can catch up with the new season of ‘Downton Abbey.’”

Jokes about Mr. Webb enjoying British period dramas aside, the Virginia
Democrat’s Jan. 3 operation won’t exactly put a dent in his public
schedule. The 68-year-old hasn’t held a public appearance since Dec. 3 in
Richmond, Va., and has conducted only a few press interviews since
launching his exploratory committee in November.

The Vietnam knee injury is a well-documented piece of Mr. Webb’s history. A
1969 shelling that left shrapnel in his left knee, skull and kidney
eventually led to his working at the Pentagon, where he rose to become
secretary of the Navy during the Reagan administration.

Mr. Crawford said Mr. Webb’s recovery will take three to four weeks. The
latest season of “Downton Abbey” debuted in the United States on PBS just
last Sunday.

Mr. Webb is the only significant Democrat to make official moves toward a
2016 presidential candidacy. He is seen as a long shot in a Democratic
field likely to include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There
are also groups aiming to convince Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) to
seek the White House.

*CNN: “With a new knee, Webb's still considering 2016 plans”
<http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/politics/jim-webb-new-knee-2016/index.html>*

By Mark Preston

January 9, 2015, 10:54 a.m. EST

Jim Webb, a former Virginia senator contemplating a run for president, was
released from the hospital Tuesday after having his left knee replaced.

Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, needed the surgery because of a
combat related injury during the war.

"Jim has just undergone a full knee replacement as a consequence of
shrapnel wounds received from an enemy grenade," said Craig Crawford,
Webb's spokesman. "He is out of the hospital and recovering quite well. The
upside is he can catch up with the new season of 'Downton Abbey.'"

Webb, who served in the Senate from 2007-2013, announced in November he was
actively exploring a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"True leadership makes a difference," Webb said in straight to camera
statement announcing his intention to consider a presidential run. "Results
can be obtained, even in a paralyzed political environment, and in fact I
believe we can un-paralyze the environment and re-establish a transparent,
functioning governmental system in our country."

Crawford, who released details of the operation Friday, said that doctors
told Webb his recuperation would last a few weeks.

Hillary Clinton, who served alongside Webb in the Senate, is also
considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination as is Vermont
Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.