Today’s edition of quick hits:
* As much as his opponents in Congress want him to stay in D.C., President Obama took his State of the Union message on the road today, speaking in North Carolina.
* I guess Chuck Hagel is being filibustered after all: “Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday that he planned to hold a procedural vote on Friday at a to-be-determined time on Hagel’s nomination. The vote isn’t final confirmation on the nomination, but it could presage the former senator’s chances at winning approval from his former colleagues.”
* Lew’s in better shape: “The Senate Finance Committee pummeled Treasury secretary nominee Jacob ‘Jack’ Lew with questions Wednesday, but the outgoing White House chief of staff kept his cool, and there was little reason to think his confirmation will be in jeopardy.”
* It took less than half a day for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to reject the bipartisan proposal to raise the minimum wage. Greg Sargent has a good piece on this, and you can expect more on the subject on tonight’s show.
* Speaking of State of the Union ideas, Jonathan Cohn has a helpful article on the complexities of President Obama’s universal pre-kindergarten plan.
* A Wisconsin man named Bob Welch, who has claimed to speak on behalf of the National Rifle Association, said this week that gun rights will wait for the “Connecticut Effect” to fade away, and then push policymakers to loosen existing firearm limits.
* A CNN host asked the other day whether an asteroid may have “perhaps” been caused by global warming. I really don’t know what to say about that. * Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) decided two weeks ago not to run for the Senate again; he’s instead going to spend more time with Roger Ailes’ family. * Here’s a tip for Republican media personalities: if a 102-year-old woman goes to the trouble of waiting six hours in line to exercise her right to vote, try to resist the urge to mock her. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
The place for in-depth analysis, commentary and informed perspectives. Recommended
