Obstructionism

Time For Republicans To 'Put Up Or Shut Up,' Axelrod Says

Christina Bellantoni | January 28, 2010, 7:45PM

Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod

White House political adviser David Axelrod said Democrats "haven't shined a bright enough light" on Republican obstructionism, but said it's time for the GOP to step forward and be accountable.

It's a new message the White House has telegraphed this week first from Vice President Joe Biden to a Democratic party gathering, then President Obama during his State of the Union address. It's also a combative tone that the Democratic National Committee pushed even before Obama stopped speaking Wednesday night.

As Obama prepares to speak to the House Republicans during their annual retreat tomorrow in Baltimore, Axelrod spoke to reporters and opinion makers at the White House detailing a newly aggressive Democratic strategy.

He noted that House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) called for a jobs bill a few months ago and wondered if Republicans will continue support one now.

"It's time to put up or shut up," Axelrod said. "We will put the other party to the test and they will have to explain why they are standing in the way."

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Health Care

Axelrod: 'Great Political Mistake' To Walk Away From Health Care

Christina Bellantoni | January 28, 2010, 6:45PM

White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod

President Obama's senior adviser David Axelrod said that despite saying jobs is his No. 1 priority and offering no deadline for getting health care passed, the president remains intent on getting a plan passed so Democrats can get on with campaigning on its merits.

Axelrod said today during a briefing with reporters and opinion-makers he would not entertain "what happens if it doesn't work," because it would be "a great political mistake to walk away from this issue."

"There were plenty of people who said before the speech last night, just stand up there and say 'It's over.' Say 'We tried,' and move on because it's too politically difficult," Axelrod said. "And that's not what he did and we are working closely with folks on the Hill to develop the way forward and get this done and that's all we're focused on, on health care, is getting it done."

Axelrod, who has worked with Obama for years, said the president wants to allow Democrats time to process the new political reality of 59 Senate seats but he wants them to "go back at it soon."

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Al Franken

Franken: Pro-Reform Bumper Stickers Have 'Just Way Too Many Words'

Eric Kleefeld | January 28, 2010, 6:17PM

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) spoke to a group of health care reform activists today, and called upon the House of Representatives to pass the Senate bill. He also discussed the political disadvantages that reform advocates face.

"The opponents of reform have found their bumper sticker, their slogan, their rallying cry, it's one word: No. You can read that on a bumper," said Franken. "Our bumper sticker has -- it's just way too many words. And it says, 'Continued on next bumper sticker.'"

Franken also sought to calm liberals' objections to the Senate bill: "We have to stop letting perfect be the enemy of the merely very good. And I believe that the bill we passed in the Senate is a very good foundation on which to build."

Max Baucus

Harkin And Baucus: Health Care Reform Isn't Dead Yet!

Jillian Rayfield | January 28, 2010, 6:16PM

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Senators Tom Harkin (D-NH) and Max Baucus (D-MT) said today that the Democrats are not going to give up on health care reform.

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MA-SEN

White House Didn't Have MA-Sen Health Care Contingency Plan

Christina Bellantoni | January 28, 2010, 5:59PM

David Axelrod and President Obama

The White House had no contingency plan for health care reform if Democrat Martha Coakley lost the special election in Massachusetts, and officials did not discuss the possibility a Democratic loss would dramatically imperil their legislative efforts, a top adviser said today.

President Obama's senior advisor David Axelrod said there "wasn't much discussion" about an alternative path to passing health care with just 59 Democrats in the Senate because there was "widespread assumption was that that seat was safe."

"The truth is the flares went up about 10 days before that election," Axelrod said during a briefing today with reporters and opinion-makers.

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James Bopp

RNC Member Bopp: Steele 'Misstates Reagan's Position'

Eric Kleefeld | January 28, 2010, 4:03PM

RNC Committee Member James Bopp Jr.

I just spoke with James Bopp Jr., the Republican National Committee member from Indiana who is sponsoring two key resolutions to prevent RNC funding from going to insufficiently conservative candidates. He says he is still reviewing his options headed into today's meeting of the resolutions committee, and tomorrow's full session of the RNC's winter meeting in Hawaii.

Bopp's main resolution, to forbid RNC funding for candidates who do not show that they hold conservative positions on at least eight out of ten key issues, suffered two setbacks yesterday. A committee of state party chairmen voted against it, and RNC Chairman Michael Steele came out against it. Bopp is simultaneously pursuing that resolution as well as a simpler one, which would expressly empower the RNC chairman to consider ideology as a factor in sending money to candidates.

"Well, I'm glad to know what his [Steele's] position is," Bopp told me, "And I still look forward to coming up with some approach that ensures accountability. I mean, we have two resolutions that deal with that issue, and hopefully one of them will win. I expect one of them will win."

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Polls

Got A Master's Degree? You Probably Love Obama

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 28, 2010, 3:26PM

President Barack Obama

If you've ever laid awake at night, haunted by the due date for your master's thesis, you probably think President Obama's doing a good job. That's the finding of a new report by Gallup out today.

Over the past month, only people with some post graduate education have given Obama a steady approval rating of above 50%, Gallup found. Obama's standing among those with academic hoods collecting dust in their closets averaged 58% over the month. Among those who went out and got a real job after graduating college, his approval rating In the opening weeks of the year was 49%. High school graduates gave Obama a 50% approval.

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AZ-SEN

Poll: McCain Job Approval At 15-Year Low In AZ

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 28, 2010, 2:50PM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is facing his lowest public approval ratings in his home state since 1994, according to the new Rocky Mountain Poll. The last time he faced approval ratings as bad as the ones released to today was in the aftermath of the Keating Five scandal, when McCain had to rebuild trust with voters in his home state.

Just 40% of Arizonans approve of the job McCain is doing for them in D.C., according to the poll. In January of 2006, that number was 60%. It's not clear how much of an impact the tanking numbers will have on McCain's primary battle with conservative J.D. Hayworth. McCain does better with Republicans than he does with the rest of the state. He's got a 52% approval rating among the GOP.

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Health Care

Reid: We'll Pass Health Care Reform...Sometime...This Year

Brian Beutler | January 28, 2010, 2:41PM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) assured reporters today that health care reform will pass...sometime...this year.

At a press event this afternoon, I asked Reid whether, procedurally or politically, he could move ahead with "Plan B," and pass a 51-vote bill to make amendments to Senate health care legislation, allowing the House to seal the deal on comprehensive reform.

"This is not a one-year Congress, this is a two-year Congress and we have had a number of extensive meetings of trying to come up with a path forward," Reid said. "We are going to move forward on health care. We're going to do health care reform this year. The question at this stage is procedurally how do we need to get where we need to go."

Not really an answer. Asked whether Reid had given her any signs that Senate could act on the plan, Pelosi dodged as well. "We're in discussions," she said.

Health Care

With Reform Jammed, Pelosi Moves Forward On Insurance Industry Antitrust Bill

Brian Beutler | January 28, 2010, 1:59PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

As I reported yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning to move ancillary health care measures through the House, which she hopes will augment comprehensive legislation if and when House and Senate leaders figure out how to move ahead on a bill. One of the issues said to be under consideration was a repeal of the health insurance industry's anti-trust exemptions.

A House source confirms that, the week after next, Pelosi will likely move ahead with legislation to accomplish such a repeal.

Pelosi hinted strongly that such a move was afoot at her weekly press conference this morning.

"We must pass this legislation, and we must take whatever time it takes to do it," Pelosi said. Some things we can do on the side which may not fit into a bigger plan. That doesn't mean that's a substitute for doing comprehensive [reform]. It means we will move on many fronts. Any front we can."

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State Of The Union

Digging Into The Insta-Polls: Did The SOTU Bring Independents Back To Obama?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 28, 2010, 12:30PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama's State Of The Union address last night helped Obama reconnect with the angry Independent voters he's lost during his first year in office. That's one takeaway from a pair of instant polls published by major TV outlets last night. Though the quick overnight polls are rarely given the credibility of other opinion polling, the large jumps in positive impressions of Obama's leadership from respondents last at least point to a potential turnaround for the White House when it comes to communication.

Polls from CBS and CNN overnight showed Democrats were more likely to watch the speech than either Independents or Republicans. That's not rare, according to pollsters -- supporters of the president in power usually tune in the speech more than opponents. But in both polls, Independents represented more than a third of viewership -- a number in keeping with the electorate as a whole, according to CBS. The high marks viewers gave the speech suggest Obama connected with some of the Independents, a critical constituency Democrats have lost in the most recent elections.

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2010 elections

DNC Slams GOP Even As Obama Calls For End To 'Perpetual Campaigning'

Christina Bellantoni | January 28, 2010, 11:23AM

Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and John Boehner (R-OH)

"We can't wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side -- a belief that if you lose, I win," President Obama said last night in his State of the Union address.

But 14 minutes before Obama's speech ended, the Democratic National Committee had clipped some reaction video from the Republican side of the chamber and sent it to reporters with an embarrassing headline.

"Republicans Sit on Hands as POTUS Calls for Banks to Pay Back Bailout Funds," was the subject line on a 10:06 p.m. press release from the DNC, along with the first of several Web videos showcasing Republican reactions during the speech.

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2010 elections

Poll: Dem Giannoulias Leads GOPer Kirk For Illinois Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | January 28, 2010, 11:08AM

Illinois Senate candidates Mark Kirk (R) and Alexi Giannoulias (D)

The new survey of Illinois by Public Policy Polling (D) shows State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for President Obama's former Senate seat, starting out with the advantage in a prospective general election with Republican Rep. Mark Kirk, though undecideds remain high.

Kirk, the clear favorite for the GOP nomination, was tested against three Democrats. Giannoulias led Kirk by 42%-34%. Kirk had statistically insignificant leads over the other two Democrats, edging former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman by 37%-36%, and Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson by 38%-36%. The party primaries will be held this Tuesday.

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