First Read : Democrats

2010 Update: GOP purity test dangers

firstread — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:15:00 GMT

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Conservative blogger Erick Erickson warns of side effects that a Republican "purity test" resolution, proposed by RNC Committeeman Jim Bopp, would have on the party's 2010 chances. The test would deny RNC funding to any GOP candidate who disagreed with more than two of the resolution's ten policy positions. Erickson cites the precedent of Dede Scozzafava, a moderate Republican who Erickson said received undue conservative bona fides by signing a no-new-tax pledge from the group Americans for Tax Reform. "Conservatives in the RNC, however well meaning they may be, risk giving liberal candidates easy opportunities to get conservative endorsements simply by checking the box without ever meaning it," Erickson writes.

The New York Times Caucus blog points out this "tiny point" with Erickson's post: "Mr. Erickson kicks off his post with a neat line suggesting that if Rome no longer sells indulgences, why should conservatives? Well, believe it or not, the Vatican has revived its indulgence policies, with bishops explaining that sinners need all the help they can get these days."

FLORIDA: Marco Rubio amps up his conservative creds with a shout-out from Rush Limbaugh, during the talk show host's appearance on a local radio show, according to liberal blog Talking Points Memo. "I like Rubio," said Limbaugh, in a guest appearance on a local Florida radio show. "I've never met him, nor have I met Crist, but I know that there's a sea change brewing and effervescing in this country." Rubio posted the interview clip on his website.
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HCAN gives thanks and also attacks

Mark Murray — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:47:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayThe liberal-leaning group Health Care for American Now (HCAN) is up with a new TV ad in Arkansas that thanks Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor for "standing up to the insurance industry" and voting to proceed on debating the Senate health-care bill. But HCAN is also airing a TV ad in Nebraska blasting GOP Sen. Mike Johanns for voting to block debate on the bill. "Johanns voted to stop the debate on health insurance reform from even taking place," the ad's narrator...(read more)

Schmidt, Plouffe named center fellows

Domenico Montanaro — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:59:00 GMT

From NBC's Domenico MontanaroIn August of 2008, Bloomberg News headlined one of their stories this way: "Harvard? Yale? No, Delaware School Is New Epicenter of Politics." That's because both Steve Schmidt (who ran day-to-day operations for the McCain campaign), David Plouffe (Obama's campaign manager), as well as Obama's vice presidential running mate Joe Biden all attended the University of Delaware, about an hour and a half north of the Beltway. (Biden's the only one of the three to graduate....(read more)

Dems to get their White knight in TX?

Mark Murray — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:01:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark Murray and Ali Weinberg
The last full year in which Texas had a Democratic governor -- in 1994 -- Bill Clinton was in his second year in office, Texas A&M was the dominant college football team in the state, and Kurt Cobain had just died.

In short, it was a LONG time ago.

But today's chain of events -- Tom Schieffer (D) exiting the gubernatorial race and popular Houston Mayor Bill White (D) possibly getting in -- could very well give Democrats their best chance at the governor's mansion since Ann Richards served there in the early 1990s.

Indeed, a Democratic source tells First Read that it appears White is getting in. "It's not firm or done yet," the source adds.

Perhaps biggest reason why White has a solid chance in this red state is due to the Rick Perry-vs.-Kay Bailey Hutchison primary on the Republican side. Perry beating Hutchison in a bloody, divisive primary -- in which both Republicans are appealing to the right -- could very well end up alienating independents and women, opening the door for a strong Democratic candidate.

Enter Bill White...

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Kennedy flap reveals old Catholic divide

Domenico Montanaro — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:48:00 GMT

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The news of Rep. Patrick Kennedy's Communion flap with Rhode Island's hard-line bishop is yet another chapter in the long history of the divide between Kennedy social justice Catholics and more hard-line conservatives, whose overarching issue is abortion.

Remember that the St. Louis Archbishop said he would deny Rudy Giuliani and John Kerry communion. Kerry was also rebuked by the Boston Archbishop, who stopped short of calling for him to not receive the eucharist.

Kerry, Giuliani and Patrick Kennedy may be the most recent but they are two in a long line of politicians who have clashed with the church over their views on abortion. New York Democrats Mario Cuomo and Geraldine Ferraro, for example, have drawn the church's ire for their public views on abortion.

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Dems search for public option fix

Mark Murray — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:22:00 GMT

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Senate Democratic aides say that Majority Leader Harry Reid and his leadership team have begun searching for a fix on the public option. At least four Democratic Senate moderates made it clear this weekend they would block the final passage if it included the current version of a government-run insurance program.

As Reid needed 60 votes to get the bill on the floor, he'll also need 60 votes to pass it -- every member of his Democratic caucus. But drawing his moderate members into the fold may simultaneously push out liberals.

After Sen. Mary Landrieu gave a speech on Senate floor Saturday voicing her support to start debating the bill, she told a small gaggle of reporters the failure to find a compromise with centrists could "blow up the whole effort."

"I believe it's going to be very clear at some point very soon that there are not 60 votes for the current [public option] provision in the bill," she said. "And that the leader and the leadership are going to have to make a decision. And I trust they will figure out how to do that."

Democratic sources say the leadership has started feeling out the caucus for two possible compromises.

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The significance of Moore's retirement

Domenico Montanaro — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:51:00 GMT

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Is the news of Kansas Rep. Dennis Moore's (D) retirement a finger pulled out of the dam of more retirements to come?

That has to be a big fear of Democrats looking to stave off a massive loss of House seats next year.

A Moore aide confirms that he will be retiring and added that a written statement will be released later today.

"He's been 30 years serving the public, and it's time to start spending time with his family," the aide said on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the congressman's thinking.

Democrats are already expected to lose double-digit House seats, given (1) The history of the party in power of a newly elected president's first term traditionally loses double-digit seats, (2) That Democrats likely hit a high-water mark in the House after big gains in the last two election cycles, where they won in lots of right-leaning districts, (3) The economy, (4) Populist outrage over government bailouts and the like, and (5) An overall anti-government/anti-Washington climate.

*** UPDATE *** Moore's full statement after the jump, but how about this piece of it?

I have always sought to represent the moderate mainstream of the district, which I hope now will host a robust competition between the two parties to fill this congressional seat. As the first Democrat elected to represent this district in 40 years back in 1998, I know that there didn't used to be partisan competition in northeast Kansas. This progress is good for democracy and important in ensuring that all voices are heard.

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Reid's 'Louisiana Purchase'?

Domenico Montanaro — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:17:00 GMT

From NBC's Domenico MontanaroThere's been a lot of talk about the $300 million Medicaid "fix" that Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu got for her home state just before voting in favor of cloture last night, thereby putting the Senate health bill on the floor for conisderation. Republicans have derisively called this Harry Reid's Louisiana Purchase. We talked about it this morning on MSNBC. A clip is below. HERE'S THE FULL DISCUSSION. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about...(read more)

Reid: 'We can see the finish line'

Domenico Montanaro — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:52:00 GMT

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
After tonight’s vote to put a health reform bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate for the first time in American history, Senate Democrats vowed to pass it, but acknowledged there would be changes.

“We can see the finish line, but we’re not there yet,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

The contentious public option is one thing that may likely change, Reid acknowledged. He said that Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu, one of the final three Democratic holdouts before tonight’s vote, is working with Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Tom Carper (D-DE) to come up with an “alternative” public option, one that would be “acceptable” to all Democrats."

“It’s going to be a long stretch,” Reid said, but he declared, “We have the momentum."

He said that not all 60 Democrats agree on the bill as it is now, “but they agree on the vast majority.” Reid said they agreed on more than 90 percent of the bill.

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Nelson's a 'yes'

Domenico Montanaro — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:37:00 GMT

From NBC's Ken Strickland
As was expected after Sen. Ben Nelson's (D-NE) statement yesterday explaining what a vote for cloture would mean, he has now released a statement saying that he will vote with Democrats.

His full written statement after the jump:

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