Labrador dijo en Al Punto que el Congreso no debería considerar ningún proyecto de ley sobre inmigración este año.
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50 YEARS LATER, LEWIS STILL MARCHING ON WASHINGTON – Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports for the New York Times:” John Lewis was the 23-year-old son of Alabama sharecroppers and already a veteran of the civil rights movement when he came to the capital 50 years ago this month to deliver a fiery call for justice on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Mr. Lewis’s urgent cry — ‘We want our freedom, and we want it now!’ — was eclipsed on the steps that day by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. But two years later, after Alabama State Police officers beat him and fractured his skull while he led a march in Selma, he was back in Washington to witness President Lyndon B. Johnson sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
– “Today Mr. Lewis is a congressman from Georgia and the sole surviving speaker from the March on Washington in August 1963. His history makes him the closest thing to a moral voice in the divided Congress. At 73, he is still battling a half-century later. With the Voting Rights Act in jeopardy now that the Supreme Court has invalidated one of its central provisions, Mr. Lewis, a Democrat, is fighting an uphill battle to reauthorize it. He is using his stature as a civil rights icon to prod colleagues like the Republican leader, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, to get on board. He has also met with the mother of Trayvon Martin and compared his shooting to the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till.
– “Mr. Lewis has an answer for those who say the election of a black president was a fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream: It was only ‘a down payment,’ he said in an interview.” http://nyti.ms/19g61g4
BOOKER CRUISES TO VICTORY IN N.J. SENATE PRIMARY – Matt Friedman and David Giambusso have the story for The (Newark) Star-Ledger: “For two months, polls showed Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker and conservative Republican activist Steve Lonegan with seemingly unbeatable leads in their party’s primaries for U.S. Senate. They were right. Booker and Lonegan romped to victory tonight after brief campaigns in which they virtually ignored their opponents. The rare August election took place on a rainy day, during which a small fraction of those eligible turned up to cast their votes. ‘There are those and others who deride the vision that brought us all here together. They dismiss the idea that we can come together,’ Booker told supporters outside the Prudential Center in Newark. ‘They said that I — they say that we — are being naïve. To them I say, have you ever met us? … This is Newark, New Jersey, and we don’t do naïve.’
– “The results set up a battle between the celebrity Newark mayor and the strong-willed former Bogota mayor — whose outsized personalities inspired documentary movies about them — in a special Oct. 16 general election to succeed the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg.” http://bit.ly/14KjGuD Watch Booker’s speech here: http://bit.ly/13Yjs3l
WILL LABRADOR ANNOUNCE RUN FOR GOVERNOR TODAY? – Robert Ehlert reports for the Idaho Statesman: “Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, said this afternoon he will announce his future political plans during a press conference Wednesday though he gave no indication of the exact time or location. The two-term congressman from Idaho’s First District made the announcement during an Idaho Statesman Editorial Board meeting after he was asked if he would be running for Governor of Idaho. There has been speculation for months that Labrador would be among the challengers to unseat Gov. Butch Otter, who has announced his intention to run for re-election in 2014. Labrador entertained questions from the Editorial Board for nearly 90 minutes but declined to provide clues about what his political decision would be. He appeared at the meeting and introduced several new staff members — hired in the past few months — a sign, perhaps, that he was shoring up his official staff so he could begin paying more attention to something else.” http://bit.ly/13TRnu2
RUBIO’S NEW IMMIGRATION PITCH – Anna Palmer and Burgess Everett report for the hometown paper: “Marco Rubio’s back in the ring on immigration reform and he’s got a new move: Congress needs to fix the problem — or Barack Obama will. The line is meant to touch a nerve with conservatives who might dislike the idea of immigration reform, but loathe the idea of Obama taking on any major issue on his own — let alone immigration. Rubio’s goal is to re-ignite momentum behind a reform package that fizzled this summer in the House, where most Republicans have balked at the idea of a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented workers. The fierce House ‘no’ caucus argues its base doesn’t want immigration reform and passing it would just hand Obama a gift — and the Democratic Party millions of new voters. But if Rubio has a shot at building the urgency needed to convert enough Republicans to pass a comprehensive bill, the end of the August recess could be his best bet, since it’s a time when the news cycle is slow and lawmakers can be pressured before heading back to Washington in September.” http://politi.co/13XoblV
BLOODSHED IN EGYPT – The Wall Street Journal’s Maria Abi-Habib and Leila Elmergawi report from Cairo: “Egyptian troops staged a crackdown on protesters that turned deadly Wednesday morning in efforts to clear two antigovernment sit-ins in Cairo, a development that observers worry could plunge the already divided country further into uncontrollable violence. Ten civilians died and 98 were injured as two squares in the capital were stormed, according to Mohammed Soltan, head of the ambulance authority at the Ministry of Health. The Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the field hospitals the Brotherhood has set up in the two squares have recorded more than 300 deaths. The Egyptian Interior ministry said one police officer died and nine were injured by gunshots that were fired to disperse the sit-ins.” http://on.wsj.com/1a3xog2
McCONNELL: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WON’T STOP OBAMACARE – Tanner Hesterberg reports for WYMT-TV in Corbin, Ky.: “A government shutdown would not prevent the Affordable Care Act from being funded, Kentucky’s senior senator said Tuesday. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to publicly take a side as some members of his party lobby for shutting down the federal government. ‘The problem is the bill that would shut down the government wouldn’t shut down Obamacare,’ McConnell said. ‘Most of it is permanent law and not affected by that. It also wouldn’t stop the taxes. Taxes that are going in on medical devices, taxes that are going in on health insurance premiums.’ McConnell, who is also the GOP leader in the Senate, spoke to a group of healthcare workers Tuesday at Baptist Health Corbin, a hospital in southern Kentucky. During the meeting, McConnell told audience members, ‘I’m for stopping Obamacare, but shutting down the government will not stop Obamacare.’” http://bit.ly/1cAN24t
– But WaPo blogger Greg Sargent argues that McConnell actually isn’t taking sides in the shutdown debate happening in the GOP: http://wapo.st/19goysp
WHY MADISON PROJECT ENDORSED BEVIN OVER McCONNELL – In a USA Today op-ed, former GOP Rep. Jim Ryun explains why his PAC is backing insurgent Republicans Matt Bevin and Art Halvorson over incumbents Mitch McConnell and Bill Shuster: “If we want to win legislative battles, we have to win electoral wars first. Many of those start in primaries against establishment Republicans who have either become complicit in the endless expansion of the federal government or feckless in stopping its aggressive champions. Over the past year, my political action committee, The Madison Project has had the opportunity to help recruit a number of conservatives who understand the gravity of our public policy problems and are willing to fight for solutions that will fundamentally restore our constitutional republic. They are committed to promoting a new standard in Washington – one in which principled leaders actually fight and win battles for conservatives. They will do whatever it takes to shrink the size of government – including filibusters against harmful legislation in the Senate or voting against rules to consider bad legislation backed by GOP leadership in the House.” http://usat.ly/1cxoARx
JACKSONS TO PUSH FOR LIGHTER SENTENCE TODAY – Natasha Korecki and Lynn Sweet report for the Chicago Sun-Times: “Mental health issues are expected to take center stage at Jesse Jackson Jr.’s Wednesday’s sentencing hearing as his lawyers will ask a judge for leniency because the former congressman suffers from bipolar disorder. Portions of court filings made public on Tuesday reveal U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson (no relation) has already reviewed multiple documents involving Jackson’s health issues as well as difficulties the family has faced in recent years. Attorneys for the Jacksons had asked that some of the documents not be made public. But prosecutors argued that the public’s right to know only increases if the Jacksons are to make health reasons a central factor to ask for a break in sentencing.” http://bit.ly/1btzEva
KLOBUCHAR REACTS TO DOJ CHALLENGE TO AIRLINES MERGER – Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who sits on both the Judiciary and Commerce, Transportation and Science committees, sent along this statement: “Whether it’s a family looking for affordable flights or a small business-owner looking for the best frequent flier program, we need to make sure consumers have as many choices as possible at the lowest prices and that no airline or small group of airlines has a stranglehold on the market. As chair of the Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee I held a hearing to examine this merger’s potential impact on fares, fees, jobs, service and safety. At the hearing there were serious issues raised about the effect of the merger on prices in particular markets, and the Justice Department’s complaint reflects those concerns.”
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GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, August 14, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
My new followers include @IPCPR_KipTalley and @swagodio.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – Both the House and Senate have adjourned for the summer recess.
SAN DIEGO HOOTERS BAN FILNER – Matt Smith and Kyung Lah report for CNN: “How bad has it gotten for embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner? Even Hooters — the restaurant chain sometimes criticized for its scantily clad waitresses — says he’s no longer welcome. The chain’s downtown location has joined a campaign by a local radio talk-show host, who’s urging businesses to post signs in their window that declare Filner persona non grata. The signs note that the mayor “will not be served in this establishment” and ‘We believe women should be treated with respect.’ In a statement posted on Twitter, the company said restaurant acted on its own. ‘Our Hooters Girls in San Diego have spoken. Not a corporate gig, but we support our girls,’ it read.” http://bit.ly/15BReax See the sign: http://bit.ly/17ncYtn
N.Y. MAYORAL DEBATE MOVES PAST WEINER – Maggie Haberman reports for POLITICO: “The Anthony Weiner Show hit prime time Tuesday night. The lather-rinse-repeat act of asking the former congressman and current New York City Democratic mayoral hopeful about his sexting scandal and his regrets took place on a stage and over broadcast TV with his four rivals in the first televised debate of the primary campaign. But for the first time, Weiner, currently polling in fourth place in the latest public survey in the race, didn’t suck up all the oxygen in the room. In fact, three of Weiner’s rivals seemed content to ignore him and the scandal that has dominated headlines for weeks. Only City Council Speaker Christine Quinn engaged Weiner repeatedly, invoking his scandal to say he has no standing to lecture his opponents. But for the most part, the first debate in a campaign that’s been characterized by the salacious was largely a snooze. Save for Weiner revealing during a lightning round at the end that “after midnight” he plays ice hockey, there was very little new ground covered for the former Queens congressman.” http://politi.co/16JDVYg
– A Hillary Clinton spokesman said he had no idea what Weiner was talking about when he said he knew what role his wife, Huma Abedin, would play in a Clinton 2016 presidential run. Weiner says his comments were all a joke. http://politi.co/16JGwRX
STUDY: TWEETS CAN PREDICT ELECTIONS – Alex Roarty writes for National Journal: “Who needs polls? A study published Monday reports that campaigns could use Twitter to successfully predict the winner of most races, findings that might bolster the social media service’s already robust political presence. The key measure, researchers from Indiana University found, was a candidate’s ‘tweet share,’ the percentage of total tweets about a race that mention them. The more often a candidate is mentioned on Twitter relative to their opponent, the study reported, the greater their chance for victory. The findings were comprehensive: An analysis of tweets from the 2010 midterm elections found the data correctly predicted the winner in 404 of the 406 House races. ‘We plotted it and thought, ‘Holy moly, it was a very strong correlation,’ ‘ said Fabio Rojas, a sociology professor at Indiana and one of the study’s coauthors. He added that preliminary analysis of last year’s congressional elections show similar results.” http://bit.ly/16MUkx1
GOP WANTS SOME OF LERNER’S PERSONAL EMAILS – Josh Hicks reports for WaPo: “House Republicans opened a new front Tuesday in their examination of the IRS targeting issue, demanding all work-related e-mails from the personal account of agency official Lois Lerner. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) requested the communications in a letter to Lerner, who was placed on administrative leave in May after an inspector general’s report revealed that the agency had screened groups for extra scrutiny based on their political ideology. The congressman said investigators had discovered that Lerner sent documents relating to her official duties to a personal e-mail account labeled ‘Lois Home.’ ‘This raises some serious questions concerning your use of a non-official e-mail account to conduct official business,’ the letter said.” http://wapo.st/1a3TEXk
YUCCA DECISION DEALS SMALL SETBACK FOR REID – Niels Lesniewski reports for Roll Call: “The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion Tuesday that’s a bit of a setback to Majority Leader Harry Reid’s ongoing efforts to ensure that Yucca Mountain never becomes a nuclear waste repository. The opinion noted, however, that Congress could very well continue to use the power of the purse to deny funding for the project in the Democratic senator’s home state of Nevada. Reid has long used his clout as majority leader to ensure that federal money isn’t appropriated for the project. In a split decision, a three judge panel of the Court of Appeals held that the law requires that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission comply with a law requiring the agency to consider a permit application for storage of nuclear waste at the site.” http://bit.ly/16NDmi6
TUESDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Tom Flanagin was first to correctly answer that in the film “Advise and Consent,” Henry Fonda played a Secretary of State nominee whose nomination was tainted because of his alleged past history with communism.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Rachel Gorlin has a follow-up question: Which star of a 1980s Emmy-award winning sitcom plays a U.S. senator from Kansas in Otto Preminger’s 1962 film “Advise and Consent”? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
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There are various of reasons behind having a Labrador. Perhaps it was that charming puppy with lovable eyes or you are impressed with your impaired neighbor\’s even-tempered and gentle therapy dog. Needless to say, an obedient one is best and that needs Labrador training to achieve. This article provides some useful ideas for doing just that.
Before you ever get a dog, make sure that you have everything you need. You need to have: sturdy food and water bowls; top quality dog food; a comfy bed; a crate/kennel in the right si e for the dog you plan to bring home; and the right leash and collar or harness. By having everything set, you can avoid lots of hastening around and doubt with a new dog or puppy. This will help everyone settle in better.
Select a perfect name for your furry friend and train him to understand it. Nonetheless, you\’ve to understand that a dog\’s name should only be used when positively communicating with the animal. Call the dog\’s name to motivate him to come to your side or call his name when you\’re serving his dinner. Do not call your dog\’s name to punish him when you\’re not happy with his actions. Doing so would only make him badly associate that with punishment.
Efficient Labrador training must always include rewarding his good behavior. Positive reinforcement has been known to be more effective in a training situation than negativity. Dogs are social beings and love praise. By rewarding your four-legged friend with a treat, a rub or in any other way, you are reinforcing this right behavior. This guarantees the likelihood that your pet will repeat this good behavior simply because he was rewarded. Your attempts will go quite a distance toward enhancing forthcoming training sessions as well.
Correct poor behavior without delay. The common error lots of people make in the care for their dog is permitting bad habits to go unresolved until it becomes a problem. Right training of a dog, regardless of the breed, requires knowing poor behavior straight away and improving it. It\’s harder to fix a problem as soon as it has grown out of proportion.
So, now are you ready to get to work? Hopefully, the tips in this post gave you some important Labrador training strategies. Utili e the tips that will best work for you in the scenario you find yourself in for whatever reason!
Kate Truman has been creating articles about labrador training. If you need to know valuable information about labrador training, feel free to visit the site specially dedicated to the breed.
(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
THE ROGERS REPORT: THE 1-PENNY SEQUESTRATION SOLUTION – “Washington is in a swivet these days over across-the-board cuts March 1 that threaten to wreak havoc with domestic agencies and military readiness. But the reality is that if every American were to get one penny less on each dollar of government benefits and pay one penny more on each dollar of taxes, the budget improvement would be almost the same,” David Rogers writes for the hometown paper. Indeed, based on new estimates this week, just a 1 percent increase in revenues and a 1 percent cut in spending would add up to more than $ 800 billion over 10 years — roughly the same as the almost $ 790 billion in appropriations cuts in the March sequester.
– “Old budget hands hate such simplistic formulas. But does one across-the-board approach deserve another? And could the March sequester be replaced by such an alternative that would spread the pain more broadly and reduce the disruptions?” http://politi.co/11tF1Jv
DEMS PLOT PLAN TO WIN SEQUESTRATION WAR – POLITICO’s Manu Raju reports: “Senate Democrats are digging in against Republican calls for deeper spending cuts by bringing out some of their favorite punching bags: corporate jets, Wall Street and Big Oil. With the automatic budget cuts in the sequester coming up next month, Democrats hope to vote on an alternative plan to raise taxes on some of their favorite boogeymen in hopes of shifting the blame when the GOP inevitably rejects it. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana and Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski of Maryland met Thursday to map out their options and plan their public rollout.
– “The Democratic public pressure campaign is expected to begin in earnest next week, starting with President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday and a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing expected Thursday at which senior administration officials will most likely sound the alarm that so-called sequestration cuts would devastate the economy. … Democrats are leaning toward a plan that would be split 50-50 between spending cuts and tax hikes, financed in large part by new taxes on corporate and wealthy taxpayers.” http://politi.co/11tF1sT
– Democrats are confident the GOP will get the blame if the cuts take effect, so much so they’re already eyeing at least 10 Republican-held House seats with strong military connections from Florida to California to target in 2014, POLITICO’s Darren Samuelsohn reports.” http://politi.co/XViFtK
Washington Post, A1, “Brennan defends drone policies … Heated exchange won’t derail confirmation,” By Greg Miller: “A Senate hearing on the nomination of John O. Brennan to serve as CIA director exposed deep skepticism of key aspects of the Obama administration’s approach to fighting terrorism, including its unprecedented reliance on targeted killing and the secrecy it maintains around the exercise of that lethal power. Brennan, who served as the White House’s top counterterrorism adviser for the past four years, was challenged in often blunt terms to explain why under President Obama the number of drone strikes has soared while captures of terrorism suspects have dwindled to single digits. He was prodded to defend the administration’s refusal to provide basic information, including the death toll in drone strikes, and was asked to square his assertion that he opposed the CIA’s use of brutal interrogation measures with not trying to stop them while he was in the agency’s leadership ranks during the George W. Bush administration.
–“The hearing was one of the most heated sessions for a CIA nominee over the past decade … Brennan delivered a confident and at times combative defense of his record and the administration’s decisions, and emerged from the session on course to be confirmed for the CIA job, perhaps as early as next week. But Brennan, whose opening remarks were interrupted repeatedly by protesters in the audience, also expressed dismay with the way the administration’s actions have been perceived. Defending the drone campaign, he said, ‘We only take such actions as a last resort, to save lives when there is no other alternative.’” http://wapo.st/XrlwL3
– Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein was forced to clear the hearing room after protesters disrupted Brennan’s opening remarks five separate times: http://bit.ly/XZ9GpI
– POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein offers four takeaways from Brennan’s grilling Thursday: 1) Senators were looking for a piñata. 2) Drones are here to stay. 3) The campaign is over, but attacking Obama for leaks is not. 4) Torture remains bitter topic. Read his piece here: http://politi.co/11txiLp
LEAHY, GRASSLEY QUESTION W.H. ON TARGETED KILLINGS – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to share any legal memos on the targeted killings of Americans abroad. The Senators’ bipartisan request came one day after the Administration’s decision to share classified legal opinions justifying the president’s ability to authorize the targeted killings of American citizens with the Senate and House Intelligence committees.
– “The deliberate killing of a United States citizen pursuant to a targeted operation authorized or aided by our Government raises significant constitutional and legal concerns that fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the Committee,” Leahy and Grassley wrote. “Given the important constitutional issues implicated by the targeted killing of U.S. citizens by our Government, and given our Committee’s jurisdiction over these issues and the Department, we respectfully request that you direct the Department to promptly provide our Committee with access to unredacted copies of any and all legal opinions drafted by OLC that pertain to the targeted killing of U.S. citizens abroad.” Read the letter here: http://1.usa.gov/14Hwi4k
MENENDEZ DONOR PROBED FOR BILLING MEDICARE FOR TREATMENTS PATIENTS DIDN’T NEED – Jay Weaver and Marc Caputo write on A1 of the Miami Herald: “A South Florida eye surgeon who’s a friend of a U.S. senator is under federal criminal investigation for billing Medicare millions of dollars to treat elderly patients for services they may not have needed, The Miami Herald has learned. Federal agents began investigating Dr. Salomon Melgen last year, sources say, after investigators suspected he overbilled the taxpayer-funded health program by overprescribing a high-priced drug called Lucentis, which is injected into patients’ eyes. Several sources familiar with the doctor’s practice said he used the drug, which costs $ 2,000 a vial, to treat patients with macular degeneration more than any other ophthalmologist in Florida and possibly the country. His high patient volume also raised red flags for investigators, the sources said. …
– “Melgen, whose lawyers have denied any wrongdoing, finds himself in the middle of two federal investigations: His Vitreo-Retinal eye clinics in West Palm Beach and two other South Florida sites were raided last week by agents with the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services, who are investigating possible Medicare fraud. A separate FBI investigation revolves around the doctor’s relationship with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and the trips they took on his private plane to Melgen’s villa at a resort in the Dominican Republic. Melgen donated more than $ 750,000 last year to Menendez’s reelection campaign and other political committees and candidates.” http://hrld.us/V3uWh6 Front-page image: http://bit.ly/Yfc64h
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GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 8, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
My new followers include but are not limited to @RobColeDC and @CWoodyKF.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – Both the House and Senate are out today. The Senate is back at 2 p.m. Monday and will vote at 5:30 p.m. on a series of amendments to the Violence Against Women Act. A vote on final passage could come as early as Monday night.
OFF THE HILL – At 11 a.m., Sen. Ben Cardin, a member of the Finance committee, will hold a town hall with employees at the National Institutes of Health headquarters in Bethesda, Md.
McCAIN: THE GRAND INQUISITOR – Jonathan Allen reports for POLITICO: “It usually takes a lot to rattle the Pentagon’s top brass, but John McCain’s got a knack for doing just that. Since returning to the Senate after his failed 2008 presidential bid, McCain has settled into the role of his party’s chief inquisitor on military issues and foreign affairs, a position that has given him new life as an informal leader among his GOP colleagues. Never has that status been more evident than in his aggressive questioning at three recent hearings on the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks on America’s consulate in Benghazi and a nearby U.S. facility. On Thursday Martin Dempsey, the highest-ranking military officer in the land, found just how deep McCain’s frustration runs the hard way at an Armed Services Committee hearing on the assault, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.” http://politi.co/XVizlZ
OBAMA BLOCKED REBEL ARMS – Adam Entous writes the A1 lead for the Wall Street Journal: A proposal to arm Syrian rebels was backed by the Pentagon, the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency, but the White House decided not to act on the plan. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed publicly for the first time at a Senate hearing on Thursday that they supported the proposal last year by senior officials including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-CIA director David Petraeus. The officials came to favor the plan last year with the meltdown of an international diplomatic initiative to end the Syrian civil war, according to current and former officials involved in the deliberations. The White House stalled the proposal because of lingering questions about which rebels could be trusted with the arms, whether the transfers would make a difference in the campaign to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and whether the weapons would add to the suffering, the U.S. officials said.” http://on.wsj.com/YJifaW
HOUSE DEMS NEW REALITY: THEY MATTER – Jeremy Peters reports for the New York Times from the retreat in Leesburg, Va.: “After more than two trying years in the political wilderness, House Democrats who gathered here for their annual retreat are starting to appreciate a new political reality that few of them expected: They matter. It is one of the more notable aspects of the current House of Representatives, which is still controlled by Republicans and more deeply partisan than ever. With Democrats now in control of 200 seats, a handful more than they had in the last Congress, and Republicans often sharply split on big issues like spending and taxes, Democratic votes have been decisive in getting major legislation through the House. Other issues that are equally threatening to Republican unity like gun laws and immigration changes will likely be on the agenda early this year, giving Democrats what they hope will be an even bigger opportunity to play a pivotal role both in shaping legislation and in deciding its fate.
– “So far this year, two major bills — the multibillion dollar Hurricane Sandy aid package and the fiscal compromise that let tax rates on high-earners rise — have made it through the House without a majority of Republicans voting yes. That left Democrats as the ones who provided the needed votes.” http://nyti.ms/UJoMVP
And POLITICO’s Kate Nocera reports that Democrats are fully embracing Obama: “At their retreat in Leesburg, Va., this week, lawmakers positively beamed while listening to President Barack Obama speak on Thursday, erupting into applause and snapping photos with their iPhones. In fact, Obama told them, if House Democrats stick with him, he expects ‘Nancy Pelosi to be speaker again.’ That’s a long way up for a party that was depressed and downtrodden — and is still in the minority after devastating losses in the 2010 elections. Judging by their enthusiasm at the retreat this week, it seems hard to remember the Democrats of two years ago, who viewed Obama as something of a dead weight on their reelection chances.” http://politi.co/11tF08c
– Pelosi will interview comedian Stephen Colbert today at the retreat, while President Bill Clinton will also address House Democrats, The Hill’s Russell Berman reports: http://bit.ly/YJminO
CONGRESS MEMBERS’ KIDS BEHAVING BADLY – Alex Isenstadt reports for POLITICO: “The cases sound like the blotter entries at a busy police station: Assault. Drug possession. DUI. Breaking and entering. Carrying a weapon. Except the alleged perpetrators aren’t your typical troublemakers — they’re the children of members of Congress. One after another in recent weeks has been posing for a mug shot, generating embarrassing headlines and causing their prominent parents plenty of heartburn. In December, Patrick Moran, the 23-year-old son of Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), was arrested outside a Washington bar for allegedly slamming his girlfriend’s head into a metal trash can after she confronted him for talking to another woman. … Last month came news of another alleged assault: William Paul, the 19-year-old son of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), was arrested for allegedly using physical force with a female flight attendant. … Next up was the son of Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), James Barrow. Cops found a small amount of marijuana in his car when he was pulled over for speeding. …
– “Lots of parents toss and turn at night, worrying that their kids’ rebellious behavior might cross the line to something worse. As it turns out, members of Congress are no different. … The rash of recent headlines shines a harsh spotlight inside the political fishbowl — a place where an embarrassing incident that for most families would remain private turns public in a flash.” http://politi.co/XaOIIf
LABRADOR SACKS SPOX AFTER NAUGHTY TWEET – The Idaho Statesman reports: “Immediately deleted: The tweet, ‘Me likey Broke Girls,’ was deleted after 14 seconds. But that was long enough for Phil Hardy to lose his job as Rep. Raul Labrador’s spokesman. Super Bowl ad: The tweet followed a CBS promo featuring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, the stars of ‘2 Broke Girls,’ pole-dancing in revealing clothing. The Idaho Republican’s office apologized Monday, saying Hardy mistakenly used Labrador’s Twitter account. Heavy metal background: Hardy worked in the music industry before coming to Idaho. A Labrador aide confirmed the firing, but neither the congressman nor Hardy could be reached for comment.” http://bit.ly/V3xP1u
SNEED: JACKSON JR. PLEA DEAL OFFER INCLUDES ‘SIGNIFICANT JAIL TIME’ – Michael Sneed writes for the Chicago Sun-Times: “Sneed has learned a plea deal is now on the table between former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and federal authorities probing allegations of campaign fund misuse. Sneed is told the plea deal includes Jackson serving time in federal prison. ‘Significant jail time is now definitely a part of the deal,’ said a top Sneed source close to the probe. ‘But I think [Jackson’s wife] Sandi, feels like she was thrown under the bus by her husband,’ now that a separate probe has begun on her, a second source added. Sandi Jackson claims she was stunned by campaign finance abuse disclosures against her husband, who has been treated for mental disorders and allegedly spent $ 40,000 on a Rolex watch purchased with campaign funds. This disclosure follows in the wake of an exclusive report Tuesday by Sneed and Sun-Times political reporter Natasha Korecki, revealing the feds’ financial probe of the once-politically powerful Jackson couple has evolved into two separate investigations, with federal authorities now taking an independent look at former Ald. Sandi Jackson.” http://bit.ly/XsBZgh
SCHUMER: WORKHORSE, SHOW HORSE – Todd Purdum profiles the New York Democrat in Vanity Fair: “In the circus that is the United States Senate, there have always been two kinds of horses, work and show. Like Dr. Dolittle’s pushmi-pullyu, Chuck Schumer is that rarest of two-headed breeds: he is both a show horse and a workhorse. That’s never been a secret to the New Yorkers who’ve followed his career with care (and occasional exhaustion) for more than 30 years now. But it’s become especially apparent in recent weeks as Schumer has emerged as a key figure on the national stage on two of the biggest legislative issues bedeviling Washington and the country: guns and immigration.
– “In the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, Schumer reached out to Senate colleagues of both parties who have been strong advocates of gun rights—including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Mark Kirk of Illinois—to see if there isn’t room for compromise on questions such as tighter background checks, limits on magazine size, or closing the loophole that allows weapons to be sold at gun shows without a criminal background check. Details of their negotiations have been scant, but the mere fact that they are talking is a near miracle. … It’s easy to mock Schumer. He’s the world’s biggest publicity hound, famous for chewing through press secretaries. A standing joke in Washington: What’s the most dangerous place on Capitol Hill? Between Chuck Schumer and a television camera. He is an observant Jew but hardly an exponent of that maxim from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the one about “a time to keep silence.” He is serially monomaniacal, waking each day freshly appalled by some new outrage and vowing to do something—anything—about it. ‘Inaction is perhaps the greatest mistake of all,’ he once said, and he meant it.” http://vnty.fr/VL4Cef
‘BLOOD FEUD’: BACA SEEKS REVENGE IN 2014 – Kyle Trygstad reports for Roll Call: “The first congressional grudge match of the 2014 cycle has launched in California’s Inland Empire. Redistricting, ambition and dynasty politics laid the groundwork there last year for the unceremonious end to former Rep. Joe Baca’s two-decade reign. His fellow California Democrat, freshman Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod, took advantage of a new top-two primary system and a redrawn district to defeat the six-term incumbent by a remarkable 12 points. But to the surprise of few, the ambitious Baca wants back in, adding a new chapter to what some local observers have dubbed a ‘blood feud’ between the two politicos. Baca, one of seven California incumbents to lose in 2012, blamed his defeat in the vast exurbs east of Los Angeles on $ 3.3 million in outside spending. In the final weeks of the campaign, a super PAC controlled by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched the multimillion-dollar campaign targeting Baca’s conservative record on gun control.” http://bit.ly/VL5PT4
GOP STATE REP. JUMPS INTO MASS. SENATE RACE – Bob Salsberg writes for the AP: “Massachusetts Rep. Daniel Winslow said Thursday he would run in the upcoming special election for the U.S. Senate, giving Republicans a candidate for the seat after former Sen. Scott Brown and other high-profile party members declined to enter the race. Winslow, a one-time judge who served as chief legal counsel in the administration of former Gov. Mitt Romney, announced his decision in a letter to supporters and GOP activists. He said the next two years represent the ‘last, best opportunity’ to fix a ‘runaway federal deficit and crushing federal debt.’” http://bo.st/14HtAvu
THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Jim Brewer and Matthew Erwin correctly answered seconds apart that Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) gained political campaign experience as a child by placing bumper stickers for her uncle, Lawton Chiles, who served as both governor and senator of Florida. Also, a minor correction: It was David Torre who offered the trivia question.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – David Albert has today’s question: Name the person who succeeded his grandmother in Congress. First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/
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