Subject: ​Correct The Record Tuesday February 3, 2015 Morning Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2015 08:33:02 -0500
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Tuesday February 3, 2015 Morning Roundup:*

*Headlines:*

*CNN: “Hillary Clinton hits GOP with pro-vaccine tweet”
<http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/02/politics/hillary-clinton-vaccines/>*

“Hillary Clinton jumped into the political story of the day late on Monday
night with a tweet that compared people who deny the power of vaccines to
those who question whether the earth is round or the sky is blue.”

*The Hill: “Hillary eyes Brooklyn for campaign HQ”
<http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/231525-hillary-eyes-brooklyn-for-campaign-hq>*

“Hillary Clinton is focused on housing her 2016 campaign headquarters in
New York City — potentially in Brooklyn, which has emerged as a leading
contender.”

*Associated Press: “EMILY's List to honor Hillary Clinton”
<http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268798/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=SUjRlg8K>*

“Hillary Rodham Clinton will be honored next month by EMILY's List, a
Democratic fundraising powerhouse, as she considers a potential 2016
presidential campaign that could make her the first woman to win the White
House.”

*New York Times: First Draft: “Hillary Clinton to Be Inducted Into
Irish-American Hall of Fame”
<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/02/02/hillary-clinton-to-be-inducted-into-irish-american-hall-of-fame/>*

“On March 16, Mrs. Clinton will deliver a keynote address to a network of
high-profile Irish-Americans who each year honor elected officials and
others and give them a chance to address the St. Patrick’s Day-themed
luncheon.”

*Hawaii News Now: “Schatz supports Hillary Clinton in possible run for
president”
<http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28004361/schatz-supports-hillary-clinton-in-possible-run-for-president>*

“U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz will back former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
in a possible 2016 presidential campaign, he announced Monday.”

*CNN: “Here are the senators who have already endorsed Hillary Clinton”
<http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/02/politics/hillary-clinton-2016-endorsements/>*

“Hillary Clinton has yet to declare her intentions to run for president,
but the likelihood of a 2016 campaign is such a foregone conclusion that 27
out of 46 senators in the Democratic caucus have already endorsed her
all-but-certain plans.”

*Real Clear Politics: “Obama Campaign Manager Jim Messina: ‘We Want Hillary
Clinton To Be The Next President Of The United States’”
<http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/02/02/obama_campaign_manger_jim_messina_we_want_hillary_clinton_to_be_the_next_president_of_the_united_states.html>*

“Former Obama campaign manager and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim
Messina said Priorities USA, the Super PAC he is co-chairman of, will
support Hillary Clinton for president of the United States.”

*CNN: “Poll: Clinton sweeps GOP foes save Bush tie in Florida”
<http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/03/politics/hillary-clinton-republicans-swing-states-quinnipiac-poll/>*

“Clinton has double digit leads over each of her would-be GOP foes for the
presidency in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, with the exception of ties in
Florida when matched up against the state's former Gov. Jeb Bush and in
Ohio against current Gov. John Kasich, according to a Quinnipiac University
poll released Tuesday.”

*Real Clear Politics: “Chris Matthews: Hillary ‘Could Really Rule This
Country,’ ‘This Country Needs Somebody To Get Control of It’”
<http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/02/02/chris_matthews_hillary_could_really_rule_this_country_this_country_needs_somebody_to_get_control_of_it.html>*

“Chris Matthews praised a potential Hillary Clinton presidency where ‘she
could really rule this country’ as a result of a decisive electoral
victory.”

*Washington Times: “House Benghazi committee to review secret Hillary tapes
on Libya”
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/2/hillary-clinton-libya-tapes-set-house-benghazi-com/>*

“The chairman of a special House committee created to investigate the 2012
Benghazi tragedy on Monday instructed his staff to review secretly recorded
tapes and intelligence reports that detail Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role in
advocating and executing the war in Libya, opening the door for a possible
expansion of his probe.”

*Des Moines Register: “O'Malley looks to seize on Clinton's absence from
Iowa”
<http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/02/02/martin-omalley-hillary-clinton-iowa-democrat-caucus-president-iowa-poll/22753007/>*

“As some Iowa Democratic activists voice frustration with what one called
the ‘arrogance’ of Hillary Clinton, liberal rival Martin O'Malley intends
to seize on her absence from Iowa and the presidential race.”

*Articles:*

*CNN: “Hillary Clinton hits GOP with pro-vaccine tweet”
<http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/02/politics/hillary-clinton-vaccines/>*

By Dan Merica

February 3, 2015

Hillary Clinton jumped into the political story of the day late on Monday
night with a tweet that compared people who deny the power of vaccines to
those who question whether the earth is round or the sky is blue.

Clinton is the prohibitive favorite for the Democratic presidential
nomination in 2016 and the tweet was seemingly aimed Republican
presidential hopefuls who have questioned whether vaccinations should be
required and whether they are tied to mental disorders.

*Sec. Hillary Rodham Clinton* @HillaryClinton: The science is clear: The
earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/vaccineswork?src=hash>. Let's protect all our
kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrandmothersKnowBest?src=hash> [2/2/15, 10:45
p.m. EST <https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/562456798020386816>]

Clinton ends the tweet with a nod to her granddaughter, Charlotte, who was
born late last year. Clinton regularly used her grandmother status as a
rhetorical tool while campaigning for Democrats in 2014.

Federal health officials have expressed concern over a recent measles
outbreak that has been fueled by skepticism among some parents of infant
vaccination schedules. Measles is a disease that children a regularly
vaccinated against.

The issue has become political, despite the fact that claims like vaccines
leading to childhood autism have been debunked by scientific research.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky questioned the safety of vaccines when he said
he had "heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who
wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines."

"I'm not arguing vaccines are a bad idea. I think they're a good thing. But
I think the parents should have some input," he said during an interview on
CNBC.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, when asked about the issue, said that he
choose to vaccinate his children, but added, "Parents need to have some
measure of choice in things as well, so that's the balance that the
government has to decide."

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who is also exploring a 2016 run,
told Buzzfeed that while she thinks vaccinating for the measles makes
sense, the decisions should be up to the parents.

But renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson, also a potential Republican
presidential candidate, broke from the pack and defended mandatory
vaccinations.

"Certain communicable diseases have been largely eradicated by immunization
policies in this country and we should not allow those diseases to return
by foregoing safe immunization programs, for philosophical, religious or
other reasons when we have the means to eradicate them," he told Buzzfeed.

But Carson aside, these comments from Paul, Christie and Fiorina contradict
with what Clinton tweeted and President Barack Obama said in an interview
on Sunday.

"I understand that there are families that, in some cases, are concerned
about the effect of vaccinations," Obama told NBC News before the Super
Bowl. "The science is, you know, pretty indisputable."

Both Obama and Clinton have altered their opinions on this issue, though,
because during the 2008 presidential nomination fight, the two left the
door open to vaccines causing autism and other issues.

Obama said the science was "inconclusive," while Clinton wrote in an
anti-vaccine questionnaire that she was "committed to make investments to
find the causes of autism, including possible environmental causes like
vaccine."

*The Hill: “Hillary eyes Brooklyn for campaign HQ”
<http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/231525-hillary-eyes-brooklyn-for-campaign-hq>*

By Amie Parnes

February 2, 2015, 7:25 p.m. EST

Hillary Clinton is focused on housing her 2016 campaign headquarters in New
York City — potentially in Brooklyn, which has emerged as a leading
contender.

Insiders say Clinton aides are looking at Brooklyn as a possible location,
and that an office in White Plains, near the Clintons’s Chappaqua, N.Y.,
home, has been all but ruled out.

For months, some in the Clinton universe thought that setting up the
campaign in or around White Plains, a middle-class enclave with dozens of
office parks, would be a good home for the former secretary of State’s
second presidential campaign.

But using Brooklyn for its headquarters could be a useful symbol for a
campaign that hopes to win over young people and has already been attacked
by Republicans as “old news.”

The borough is New York City’s most populous, and has had a renaissance
over the last decade as many of its neighborhoods have been transformed. It
is also one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the United States —
another aspect Clinton’s team will want to highlight as it seeks to attract
minority voters.

It would provide a stark contrast from the locale where Clinton based her
2008 presidential campaign: the Washington, D.C., suburb of Ballston, Va.
Back then, Team Clinton was housed in a stodgy former Immigration and
Naturalization Service building.

The former first lady has a personal office in midtown Manhattan, separate
from the office space in midtown she has at the Clinton Foundation, where
she has worked since leaving the State Department in 2013. Her husband,
former President Bill Clinton, also has a personal office in Harlem.

Clinton is currently huddling with a small team of aides to craft plans for
the 2016 campaign, including a potential start date for her bid.

The would-be presidential campaign contender hasn’t yet reached a consensus
on when exactly she’ll enter the race, but some insiders say it’s looking
more and more likely that she’ll do a pre-launch in April to “get things
going,” as one put it.

Aides are still examining a formal start date in July, but a pre-launch
could be spent fundraising and building out the campaign staff, some
Clinton allies say.

The allies say a soft rollout makes sense for Clinton because it would be
difficult for her to remain on the sidelines for the next five months.
Taking an initial and informal step, which wouldn’t have to be accompanied
by the traditional bells and whistles, would bring a sense of closure to
the will-she-or-won’t-she phase while giving her some breathing room to
prepare for the next steps on both the policy and politics fronts.

“I think the preference would be to wait longer so that she’s not firing on
all cylinders until July,” one ally said. “I think that time would be used
to continue making a lot of decisions with less time on the road. That
piece of it wouldn’t really come until 3rd quarter.”

Ready for Hillary, the super-PAC created to lure Clinton into the race two
years ago, will begin to shut down as soon as Clinton forms any kind of
exploratory committee or pre-launch. Donors to the political action
committee have been told in private conversations that the outside
organization would not compete with Clinton for money and would start to
wrap up work as soon as she indicated she would be entering the race.

*Associated Press: “EMILY's List to honor Hillary Clinton”
<http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268798/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=SUjRlg8K>*

By Ken Thomas

February 3, 2015

Hillary Rodham Clinton will be honored next month by EMILY's List, a
Democratic fundraising powerhouse, as she considers a potential 2016
presidential campaign that could make her the first woman to win the White
House.

EMILY's List, which works to elect Democratic women who support abortion
rights, said Tuesday that Clinton would appear at its 30th anniversary
awards gala in Washington on March 3. The former secretary of state will
receive the group's We Are EMILY Award to honor her leadership "as a
fighter for women and families," said Stephanie Schriock, the group's
president.

Schriock said Clinton has "dedicated her life to bettering the lives of
women and families and has inspired the next generation with a focus on
increasing economic empowerment across the country and around the world."

The political action committee has been among the Democratic groups laying
the groundwork for a Clinton campaign, holding events promoting the idea of
electing the nation's first female president and commissioning polling on
U.S. interest in sending a woman to the White House. Schriock, who has been
mentioned as a potential senior campaign aide for Clinton, noted that the
group has backed Clinton since her 2000 Senate election in New York.

Clinton is the leading Democratic contender for the White House and is
widely expected to announce another presidential campaign in the coming
months.

The group will also honor former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., for her
"commitment to community" and dedication to women and families. Giffords
was gravely wounded in a 2011 shooting during a political event she held at
a Tucson, Arizona, shopping center. Six people were killed and 13 were
injured, including Giffords.

*New York Times: First Draft: “Hillary Clinton to Be Inducted Into
Irish-American Hall of Fame”
<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/02/02/hillary-clinton-to-be-inducted-into-irish-american-hall-of-fame/>*

By Amy Chozick

February 2, 2015, 5:11 p.m. EST

Hillary Rodham Clinton will be inducted into Irish America magazine’s hall
of fame next month, giving her an early opportunity to try to charm a
critical voting bloc.

On March 16, Mrs. Clinton will deliver a keynote address to a network of
high-profile Irish-Americans who each year honor elected officials and
others and give them a chance to address the St. Patrick’s Day-themed
luncheon.

Previous inductees include former President Bill Clinton, Vice President
Joseph R. Biden Jr. and former Gov. Martin O’Malley or Maryland, who last
year addressed the crowd in a mix of English and Irish.

Mrs. Clinton traveled frequently to Ireland as first lady and as secretary
of state, and often talks about the end of the civil strife known as the
Troubles as a crowning foreign policy achievement of her husband’s
administration. She last visited Belfast in 2012 when she pledged to
continue to support peace in Ireland in whatever why she could.

“Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of the unsung heroes of the success of the
Irish peace process,” said Niall O’Dowd, publisher of Irish America
magazine.

As a result, Mrs. Clinton has enjoyed broad support among Irish-Catholic
voters in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the white
working class can sway elections. During her 2008 presidential campaign,
Mrs. Clinton marched in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Scranton, Pa.,
where her father was born.

Underscoring the importance of Irish-American voters, the hall of fame
luncheon, held in Manhattan, will be one of Mrs. Clinton’s only public
commitments as she keeps a relatively low profile before her anticipated
2016 presidential campaign announcement.

*Hawaii News Now: “Schatz supports Hillary Clinton in possible run for
president”
<http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28004361/schatz-supports-hillary-clinton-in-possible-run-for-president>*

[No Writer Mentioned]

February 2, 2015, 4:10 p.m. EST

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz will back former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
in a possible 2016 presidential campaign, he announced Monday.

"Given our shared passion for addressing challenges like climate change and
promoting policies to strengthen America's future generations, I am
encouraging Hillary Clinton to run for president, and I'm ready to support
her the moment she announces her decision," Schatz said in a statement.

Clinton has not yet declared her run for president, but it is suspected
that she will run. She previously ran against President Barack Obama in
2008.

Schatz, who has been at the forefront of environmental issues, said he's
supporting Clinton because of the way she addresses climate change.

"As a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton's commitment to
protecting our country and our planet from the threat of climate change was
both genuine and deep," he said. "Secretary Clinton literally changed the
way America approaches climate change, putting global warming at the center
of U.S. foreign policy, holding other nations and their leaders accountable
for their carbon emissions, and even appointing a Special Envoy for Climate
Change at the State Department."

Schatz also encouraged his supporters to sign join him in the national
grassroots effort, Ready for Hillary, by visitingreadyforhillary.com.

*CNN: “Here are the senators who have already endorsed Hillary Clinton”
<http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/02/politics/hillary-clinton-2016-endorsements/>*

By Dan Merica

February 2, 2015, 3:02 p.m. EST

Hillary Clinton has yet to declare her intentions to run for president, but
the likelihood of a 2016 campaign is such a foregone conclusion that 27 out
of 46 senators in the Democratic caucus have already endorsed her
all-but-certain plans.

Sen. Brian Schatz added his name to the growing list on Monday when he
tweeted his support for Clinton and sent out a press release to reporters.

Ready for Hillary, the pro-Clinton super PAC that has urged Clinton to run
since 2013, has been the force behind seventeen of these endorsements.
Senators like Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia and Dick Durbin of
Illinois and have all endorsed the former secretary of state through the
super PAC. The group is also currently working to line up more endorsements.

"We've been fortunate to have prominent Democrats lend their credibility,
their star power and their grassroots networks to help build a list of
millions of Hillary supporters," group spokesman Seth Brignman said about
the list of high-profile endorsements they have wrangled for Clinton.

What's more, every female Democratic senator in the last Congress backed
Clinton in a secret letter. "All of the Senate Democratic women have
written her a letter encouraging her to run," Sen. Kay Hagan, who lost
reelection in 2014, told an audience in 2013.

In fact, before Clinton has even declared her candidacy, nearly 60% of
Democratic senators have endorsed her run.

Here is the list:

Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut- Told CNN at a 2014 University of
Connecticut event that he "would support her when and if she" runs.

Sen. Barbara Boxer of California - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland - Headlined a December 2014 fundraiser
organized by Ready for Hillary

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois - Headlined a June 2014 fundraiser organized
by Ready for Hillary

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota - The senator told MSNBC this in December
2014: "I think that I'm ready for Hillary. I think that we've not had
someone this experienced, this tough, and she's very, very impressive."
Franken has also expressed support through Ready for Hillary.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico- Headlined a July 2014 fundraiser
organized by Ready for Hillary

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of Montana- Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida - Nelson reportedly called Clinton in December
2014 to urge her to run. "It's time for a woman," he told The Tampa Bay
Times. "I'm all for Hillary."

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia - Headlined a May 2014 fundraiser organized by
Ready for Hillary

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont - Told Vermont Public Radio this in June
2014: "I told her if she decided to run I would support her and would be
willing to do whatever she likes. I've made no secret of that ever since
then."

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia - He told Politico in January 2014 that
he wants Clinton to run. "I don't know if there's anyone more qualified.
I've seen it all," he said.

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii - Tweeted Monday morning that he was backing
Clinton in 2016.

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York - The outspoken senator has gone as far to
say that he would bet on Clinton running in 2016.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire - Signed a letter with all other
female senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan - Signed a letter with all other female
senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia - Headlined a July 2014 fundraiser organized
by Ready for Hillary

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts - Signed a letter with all other
female senators backing a Clinton run

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island- Told The Hill in January 2014 that
he was backing Clinton.

Not all senators, however, are ready to endorse Clinton this early.
Delaware Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons have both side-stepped questions
about Hillary Clinton 2016, largely because of uncertainty around whether
Vice President Joe Biden -- a Delaware native -- will run. Pennsylvania
Sen. Bob Casey told CNN last year that it was too early to endorse and Sen.
Bernie Sanders, an independent senator who caucuses with Democrats, is
actively pursuing a 2016 run himself.

Here is the list of not yet and nos to Clinton 2016:

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio - In a June interview, Brown said he wasn't "on
board with anybody" after being asked about Clinton 2016.

Sen. Thomas Carper of Delaware - The senator told The Hill in 2014 that
"It's entirely, entirely too early to be talking about anybody running for
president."

Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania - At a 2014 event in Philadelphia, Casey
told CNN that it was too early to talk about Clinton 2016. "I'm not going
to get into that," he said.

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware - "I think 2016 is a long way off, we have to
get through 2014," Coons told Politico in January 2014. "I have always
supported Sen. Biden, Vice President Biden, and I think all of Delaware
looks forward to a future in which he has great opportunities to serve."

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont - The independent senator is actively
pursuing a presidential run in 2016.

Some senators have been unclear about their support of Clinton in 2016. The
best example is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Reid sent a fundraising email through Ready for Hillary in 2014 and
regularly speaks highly of the Clintons. But he has not directly said that
he is support her possible run.

Here is the list of senators whose support is unclear:

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado - The Colorado Democrat sent an email
through Ready for Hillary in 2014, but to date, has not made it clear that
he would back her run in 2016.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey

Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana

Sen. Angus King of Maine - The Maine senator has not said outright that he
isn't backing Clinton, but in a post-election interview with MSNBC, the
independent senator who caucuses with Democrats said, "I think that is
going to be a difficulty for someone like Hillary Clinton, who has
tremendous experience and background, but she's going to have a hard time
saying, 'Oh, I'm a new person.'"

Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts

Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut

Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan - Clinton endorsed Peter's in 2014 and
although Peters hinted at Clinton's future, he didn't outright endorse her.
"Whatever she does, she is going to be really great at it in the future,"
he said at the event with Clinton.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island

Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada

Sen. Jon Tester of Montana - After losing the chamber in 2014, the Montana
Democrat was named chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
through 2016.

Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon

*Real Clear Politics: “Obama Campaign Manager Jim Messina: ‘We Want Hillary
Clinton To Be The Next President Of The United States’”
<http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/02/02/obama_campaign_manger_jim_messina_we_want_hillary_clinton_to_be_the_next_president_of_the_united_states.html>*

[No Writer Mentioned]

February 2, 2015

Former Obama campaign manager and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim
Messina said Priorities USA, the Super PAC he is co-chairman of, will
support Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. Messina is also
chairman of the 501(c)(4) Organizing for Action (formerly Obama for
America).

In an interview with MSNBC's Ronan Farrow that took place on Sunday but
aired Monday afternoon Messina complained about Citizens United, calling it
"the worst decision of the Supreme Court in our lifetime." However, Messina
then defended his use of Super PACS, saying he's going to "push back and
I'm going to fight for the ideals I believe in."

"Look, I run a Super PAC and I think they should be outlawed tomorrow,"
Messina told MSNBC's Farrow. "But if they're going to have that kind of
money, I'm going to push back and I'm going to fight for the ideals I
believe in."

"You're pouring your money towards Hillary, correct?" Farrow asked Messina.

"Yep," Messina said. "We want Hillary Clinton to be the next president of
the United States."

"It's her turn and her time," Messina also said. I think she would be the
right leader for this country moving forward. And we're going to do
whatever it takes to make sure she's the president of the United States."

RONAN FARROW, MSNBC: The Koch brothers pouring more than $800 million into
this election cycle. That's a huge game changer.

JIM MESSINA, FMR. OBAMA CAMPAIGN MANAGER, CHAIRMAN OF ORGANIZING FOR
ACTION: Look, I think the worst decision of the Supreme Court in our
lifetime is Citizens United. Unlimited spending allows one couple of
brothers to spend $900 million trying to win races. Turnout is down in
politics since Citizens United. People are sick of divisiveness, they are
sick of the ads.

Look, I run a Super PAC and I think they should be outlawed tomorrow. But
if they're going to have that kind of money, I'm going to push back and I'm
going to fight for the ideals I believe in.

FARROW: I was going to ask you about that. He is part of the problem. Your
Super PAC, you have Priorities USA of course.

MESSINA: Yep.

FARROW: You're pouring your money towards Hillary, correct?

MESSINA: Yep. We want Hillary Clinton to be the next president of the
United States.

[mild applause]

MESSINA: Thank you.

FARROW: Alright, some Hillary fans here.

MESSINA: That's right. It's her turn and her time. I think she would be the
right leader for this country moving forward. And we're going to do
whatever it takes to make sure she's the president of the United States.

FARROW: Before we get to Hillary and the Democratic field in 2016, I want
to linger on the subject of PACs a little more. You just expressed what has
become a common liberal sentiment at this point about Citizens United, and
yet you are partaking of the beneiftsa of the super PAC system and the
flood of money.

MESSINA: Look, I do not believe you can unilaterally disarm and get
outspend fifteen to one, and win an election in this country. People
believe the lie if it is not countered. So we're gonna push back on the
lies, but I think the system is broken and it should be changed.

Let me give you an example,m I am working on the Prime Ministers race in
England right now, by law there they can spend 29 million pounds in the
entire race, they can run 4 television ads, they have a real conversation
with voters. It is about issues, they have higher turnout, and I think a
better system than our system where we had to raise $1.1 billion to run an
election campaign, though it was really fun.

*CNN: “Poll: Clinton sweeps GOP foes save Bush tie in Florida”
<http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/03/politics/hillary-clinton-republicans-swing-states-quinnipiac-poll/>*

By Jeremy Diamond

February 3, 2015

Washington (CNN)Hillary Clinton is leading top Republican contenders in
three crucial swing states by hefty margins, but she has two scenarios
where she could be evenly matched, according to a new poll.

Clinton has double digit leads over each of her would-be GOP foes for the
presidency in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, with the exception of ties in
Florida when matched up against the state's former Gov. Jeb Bush and in
Ohio against current Gov. John Kasich, according to a Quinnipiac University
poll released Tuesday. No candidate has won the presidency since 1960
without winning two of those three crucial states.

Other native sons didn't fare as well against the former secretary of
state, with Clinton still topping Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio 49% to 39% and
also leading Pennsylvania's former Sen. Rick Santorum by 10 points in his
state.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie flopped to Clinton by double digits in each
of the three states, according to the poll, including in neighboring
Pennsylvania where he caps at 39% to Clinton's 50%, according to the
Quinnipiac survey of 881 voters in that state.

Clinton's lead in the polls also match her favorability ratings, which
topped 50 percent according to Quinnipiac polling in all three states.

And the former first lady also owes some of her success to her appeal to
women voters who gave Clinton an edge in every theoretical match-up. Even
in Florida where she ties Bush, Clinton still wins over the female vote by
an 11-point margin.

With 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney opting out of the
presidential race after spending three weeks leaning toward a third run,
the GOP establishment has been looking toward Bush as the party's
standard-bearer.

But the son and brother to two former presidents will have to overcome
struggles with voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where he trailed Clinton by
11 and 15 points, respectively, according to the Quinnipiac survey of more
than 900 voters in each state.

Christie, who is also ramping up his political operation and trying to
seize on the vacuum of donors freed up by Romney, faces 11- to 18-point
deficits against Clinton in the three swing states.

Other candidates offered up as the Republican alternative to a Clinton
presidency include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a social
conservative who loses to Clinton by at 15 to 20 points in the three
states. Huckabee also sought the Republican nomination in 2008.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who represents the libertarian wing of his
party, also faces at least a 12-point deficit against Clinton in the swing
states.

The poll is still a very early indicator of the race and Clinton, a former
first lady and secretary of state, continues to enjoy a higher profile than
the potential Republican candidates.

*Real Clear Politics: “Chris Matthews: Hillary ‘Could Really Rule This
Country,’ ‘This Country Needs Somebody To Get Control of It’”
<http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/02/02/chris_matthews_hillary_could_really_rule_this_country_this_country_needs_somebody_to_get_control_of_it.html>*

[No Writer Mentioned]

February 2, 2015

Chris Matthews praised a potential Hillary Clinton presidency where "she
could really rule this country" as a result of a decisive electoral victory.

"This country needs somebody to get control of it," Matthews said about a
Clinton presidency on the Monday broadcast of his MSNBC show.

"I think she should go for a 55% victory, 54% victory because then she
could bring the House in, she could bring the Senate in and she could
really rule this country. This country needs somebody to get control of
it," Matthews told his Hardball audience.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: I don't think Hillary Clinton should go for a close
election. I know you're not saying that. But I think she should go for a
55% victory, 54% victory because then she could bring the House in, she
could bring the Senate in and she could really rule this country. This
country needs somebody to get control of it. Somebody's got to win this
election; I don't want another split down the middle. And I think -- so,
I'm more conservative, I would think she should go more to the center.
People who say, follow Elizabeth [Warren] off to the left. I would say
there's a way not to get 55%. Go to the hard left.

*Washington Times: “House Benghazi committee to review secret Hillary tapes
on Libya”
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/2/hillary-clinton-libya-tapes-set-house-benghazi-com/>*

By Jeffrey Scott Shapiro and Kelly Riddell

February 2, 2015

The chairman of a special House committee created to investigate the 2012
Benghazi tragedy on Monday instructed his staff to review secretly recorded
tapes and intelligence reports that detail Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role in
advocating and executing the war in Libya, opening the door for a possible
expansion of his probe.

Rep. Trey Gowdy’s decision to seek a review of the materials, first
highlighted in a series of Washington Times stories last week, carries
consequences for the 2016 election in which Mrs. Clinton is expected to
seek the presidency. It could also move the committee to examine the
strained relationship between the State Department and Pentagon, which
sharply disagreed over the 2011 war in Libya and the response to the
terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi a year later.

The Times reported last week that U.S. intelligence did not support Mrs.
Clinton’s story of an impending genocide in Libya that she used to sell the
war against Moammar Gadhafi’s regime. The newspaper also unveiled secretly
recorded tapes from Libya that showed that the Pentagon and Democratic
Congressman Dennis Kucinich so distrusted her stewardship of the war that
they opened their own diplomatic channels with the Gadhafi regime.

The tapes included candid conversations and allegations that Mrs. Clinton
took the U.S. to war on false pretenses and was not listening to the advice
of military commanders or career intelligence officers.

“Chairman Gowdy and the committee are aware of the details reported by The
Washington Times, and we are reviewing them as part of the committee’s
inquiry into Benghazi,” Benghazi Committee spokesman Jamal Ware announced
Monday.

The emergence of the tapes and a new line of inquiry immediately had
repercussions, especially on the political front where the 2016 president
race has heated up.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a 2016 GOP hopeful who has been intensely
critical of Mrs. Clinton’s handling of the 2011 Libya intervention, said
the stories demonstrate she is not the right person to lead the country or
the nation’s military.

“Hillary’s judgment has to be questioned – her eagerness for war in Libya
should preclude her from being considered the next Commander in Chief,”
said Sen. Paul, who opposed the Libyan intervention at the onset.

“We want someone in that office with wisdom and better judgment… We created
chaos in Libya – as a result many arms have gone to Syria which are now
aiding jihadi terrorists. I couldn’t fathom how Hillary Clinton could
become Commander and Chief after this,” he added.

Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman have declined any comment about the tapes.

The Times reported that on one of the tapes, a Pentagon liaison told a
Gadhafi aide that Army Gen. Charles Jacoby, a top aide to Adm. Mullen,
“does not trust the reports that are coming out of the State Department and
CIA, but there’s nothing he can do about it,” the Pentagon liaison said,
offering a candid assessment of tensions within the Obama administration.

“I can tell you that the President is not getting accurate information so
at some point someone has to get accurate information to him… I think about
a way through former Secretary Gates or maybe to Admiral Mullen to get him
information.”

Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime,
Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, said the Pentagon’s
actions were “highly unusual,” but said that it would make sense for the
Pentagon to want to make sure their Commander in Chief was getting accurate
information.

“I think it’s unusual to have the military say wait a minute, that’s not
true,” Mr. Poe said in a telephone interview with the Times. “You have a
false report from the Secretary of State, and then the military holding a
completely different view of what’s taking place.

“They wanted [the president] to have facts – facts as opposed to what
Secretary Clinton was hoping the facts would be; that Moammar Gadhafi was
killing innocent women and children. That was was a false narrative. So, it
would make sense that they would want to get that information straight to
the president and not go through the Secretary of State,” he added

In reaction to the Times final installment of the series on Monday, which
revealed secret Libyan intelligence reports that linked NATO supported
rebels to al-Qaeda, Rep. Louie Gohmert said the news was not a complete
surprise.

“During the Obama-Clinton hunger to enter a bombing war in Libya, some of
us knew the rebels included al-Qaeda but we did not know the full extent of
their involvement,” he said. “So we pleaded for U.S. restraint. With
bombing in their heart and radical Islamists whispering in their ears, the
Obama-Clinton team would not even entertain offers of a ceasefire and
peaceful transition of power. While acting under U.N. approval to prevent
atrocities, it appears the Obama-Clinton bombing barrages caused atrocities
that sent a country into chaos which is continuing today.”

The Times series about the Libyan intervention was also picked up across
the Atlantic.

Britain’s Daily Mail described the story as “stunning” declaring that,
“[Sec.] Clinton will face tough questions about her march to war against
Moammar Gadhafi if she runs for president.”

Mr. Poe said that he believes the series will prompt new questions,
especially with the current state of military and political affairs in
Libya.

“As far as I’m concerned Benghazi is not going away,” Mr. Poe said. “That
the U.S. would give in and arm rebels and criminals to overthrow Col.
Gadhafi, and then mislead the world on that is shameful. We now have chaos
in Libya… it’s the U.S.’ undoing of a country. Gadhafi was no saint, but
what we have now are gangsters and jihadists running the country. We have
chaos because the US intervened in a deceitful way.

“Unfortunately, the administration is making more of an effort to protect
Hillary Clinton’s involvement than they are in finding out the truth about
what was really behind the overthrow of Gaddafi by the U.S.”

*Des Moines Register: “O'Malley looks to seize on Clinton's absence from
Iowa”
<http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/02/02/martin-omalley-hillary-clinton-iowa-democrat-caucus-president-iowa-poll/22753007/>*

By Jennifer Jacobs

February 2, 2015, 9:47 p.m. CST

As some Iowa Democratic activists voice frustration with what one called
the "arrogance" of Hillary Clinton, liberal rival Martin O'Malley intends
to seize on her absence from Iowa and the presidential race.

There's just a tiny seed of support here for the two-term former governor
of Maryland, who left office in January. He ranks dead last in a Democratic
field of six potential contenders, a new Iowa Poll shows.

But O'Malley, who has pitched himself as a results-driven progressive,
wants to see if he can build on support for a White House bid during two
trips here, one in March and one in April, aides told The Des Moines
Register Monday.

Iowans said this is a prime time for an alternative contender to make
headway. Vexation with Clinton has bubbled to the surface in the wake of
news reports that she may delay the timetable for her presumed campaign.

"I honestly don't know who I'll caucus for in 2016, but I do know that if
she wants my support she'll need to be here organizing like any other
candidate," Heather Matson, who was a member of the Iowa Democrats' state
central committee until last month, wrote on Facebook last week. "All this
says to me is that her advisers think it's a good idea to keep the mystery
going to avoid competition. Get in the game or don't. But don't leave Iowa
Democrats without options and undermine the value of the caucuses."

It's a "terrible idea" for Clinton to put off a campaign until summertime
just because she foresees no major challenge for the nomination, agreed
former state Rep. Phil Wise.

"(It) would indicate a total lack of understanding of recent political
history," Wise wrote on Facebook.

"Arrogance will cost her," Des Moines activist Nancy Bobo, founder of Women
for a Stronger America and a strong early supporter of President Barack
Obama, wrote in response to Wise and Matson.

For his upcoming Iowa trip, O'Malley will speak March 20 at the Scott
County Democratic Party's "Red, White and Blue Dinner," according to Lis
Smith, spokeswoman for O'Malley's political action committee, O'Say Can You
See.

He will also be in Des Moines on April 10 for the Polk County Democrats'
fourth annual Spring Awards Dinner, Smith told the Register. He has booked
trips to two other early states as well, South Carolina at the end of
February and New Hampshire in March.

For O'Malley, who in his spare time is also the lead singer/guitarist in a
Baltimore-based Irish folk-rock band, there's nowhere to go but up in Iowa.
Just 1 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers in the new Des Moines
Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll rank him as their first choice for
the nomination.

The poll shows Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state who made two trips
to Iowa last year, would dominate the field in Iowa if she runs. While
Clinton enjoys nearly universal recognition, 78 percent of likely
Democratic caucusgoers don't know enough about O'Malley to form an opinion.

Two other bottom-tier contenders on the Democratic side — U.S. Sen. Bernie
Sanders of Vermont, a liberal independent, and former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of
Virginia — both have limited appeal, O'Malley's supporters contend.

O'Malley has a lot of growth potential and can spend a lot of time here,
his backers say. O'Malley wrote an opinion piece for Monday's New York
Times that goes after the Obama administration for off-shore drilling on
the Altantic Coast.

Last year, O'Malley flew to Iowa for a couple of high-profile events:
speeches to several hundred Democrats at the Iowa Hall of Fame Dinner and
the Iowa Democratic Party Convention in June. Although O'Malley remains
relatively unknown to rank-and-file Democratic caucusgoers, he cached a
reservoir of goodwill with Iowa's most hardcore activists by doing
two-dozen events here last year, campaigning and fundraising for state and
federal candidates during the midterm elections.

Altogether, O'Malley's PAC gave $46,000 to Iowa candidates and two party
organizations, the Pottawattamie County Democrats and the Iowa Democratic
Party, PAC records show. O'Malley deployed one of his PAC staffers, Brad
Elkins, to Iowa in September to serve as Jack Hatch's political director in
the governor's race, and in mid-December retained Jake Oeth, who was U.S.
Senate candidate Bruce Braley's political director, as his Iowa consultant.

Top Iowa activists said Democrats are hungry for visits, especially as GOP
potential candidates blanket the state and draw national headlines at
events like U.S. Rep. Steve King's Iowa Freedom Summit.

"Hillary is NOT a shoo-in when it comes to Iowa caucuses," Kim Weaver,
chairwoman of the O'Brien County Democrats and a member of the Iowa
Democrats' state central committee, wrote on Facebook. "If she thinks so,
it will be a mistake she lives to regret — just my opinion anyway."

Weaver was writing in response to a piece Wednesday on Slate.com on "why
Hillary Clinton needs to fight hard for Iowa" and a report Thursday in
Politico that Clinton is "strongly considering delaying the formal launch
of her presidential campaign until July."

The draft-Clinton super PAC Ready for Hillary is doing a 99-county tour in
Iowa, but that's not enough, the activists said.

"Ready for Hillary can be doing all the events they want, but until the
candidate herself is in the state shaking hands at small events and having
those personal conversations with Iowans, it doesn't translate to solid
support," Matson wrote.

Clinton, whose last Iowa visit was before the fall elections, is currently
the first choice for 56 percent of likely caucusgoers, the poll shows.
Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren gets 16 percent support. Vice
President Joe Biden is at 9 percent. Sanders is at 5 percent, and Webb is
at 3 percent.

*Calendar:*

*Sec. Clinton's upcoming appearances as reported online. Not an official
schedule.*

·  February 24 – Santa Clara, CA: Sec. Clinton to Keynote Address at
Inaugural Watermark Conference for Women (PR Newswire
<http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillary-rodham-clinton-to-deliver-keynote-address-at-inaugural-watermark-conference-for-women-283200361.html>
)

·  March 3 – Washington, DC: Sec. Clinton honored by EMILY’s List (AP
<http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268798/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=SUjRlg8K>)

·  March 4 – New York, NY: Sec. Clinton to fundraise for the Clinton
Foundation (WSJ
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/15/carole-king-hillary-clinton-live-top-tickets-100000/>
)

·  March 16 – New York, NY: Sec. Clinton to keynote Irish American Hall of
Fame (NYT <https://twitter.com/amychozick/status/562349766731108352>)

·  March 19 – Atlantic City, NJ: Sec. Clinton keynotes American Camp
Association conference (PR Newswire <http://www.sys-con.com/node/3254649>)

·  March 23 – Washington, DC: Sec. Clinton to keynote award ceremony for
the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting (Syracuse
<http://newhouse.syr.edu/news-events/news/former-secretary-state-hillary-rodham-clinton-deliver-keynote-newhouse-school-s>
)