Topic: Mitch McConnell

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Decoder Wire 'Sequester' is happening. What does the White House do now? (+video)

The White House repeatedly told Americans that the sequester would be devastating. Now that the cuts are here, President Obama is trying to strike a less-alarming tone.
Sen. Mitch McConnell takes on group for criticizing his wife

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is gearing up for a tough reelection fight next year in Kentucky. Among other things, he's had to deal with one group's criticism of his wife's Asian heritage.
Obama 'Jedi Mind Meld' flub mixes confuses 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars'

Obama Jedi Mind Meld: Yoda-quoting nerds, Beltway insiders, and even Hollywood heroes were instantly abuzz.
Why backroom deals are out in 'sequester' talks

Backroom deals resolved the debt-ceiling crisis and the 'fiscal cliff' – why not the sequester? Because the House Republican rank and file are not allowing it.
Why March 1 isn't Congress's last chance to amend 'sequester' cuts

True, $85 billion in spending cuts kick in on March 1, but they won't be widely felt for several weeks. Meanwhile, funding for government operations expires March 27. The two fiscal issues could be rolled into one, but a top GOP appropriator sees that as a recipe for disaster.
President to meet Friday with congressional leaders about sequester cuts

President Obama is planning to meet with House and Senate leadership after the budget sequestration cuts go into effect.
Decoder Wire Ashley Judd: Is she starting to act like a real Senate candidate? (+video)

Ashley Judd has recently met with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Kentucky Democrats, according to media reports, fueling speculation that she might actually run.
As clock ticks on 'sequester,' Washington runs short on ideas

President Obama takes to the bully pulpit again to blame Republicans even before sequester spending cuts begin. He's positioning himself for the debate to come, not to prevent the cuts from starting March 1.
Decoder Wire Does Ashley Judd scare Mitch McConnell? (+video)

Sen. Mitch McConnell's first campaign ad criticizes his reelection opponents, including Ashley Judd. Recent statewide polls show waning support for the minority leader.
Is the South ready to say howdy to hemp?

Along with a federal bill, Kentucky is mulling the legalization of industrial hemp, marijuana's close cousin. Is it good business sense – or a Trojan horse for legalizing pot in the South?
Obama urges a budget without brinkmanship. But can Congress stop the insanity?

In his State of the Union address, Obama calls on Congress to reject manufactured crises as a way of doing its budgetary business. But with fiscal flash points looming, the temptations are powerful.
Robert Reich Why the budget deficit is not 'the transcendent issue of our time'

The Republican’s biggest economic lie is that the budget deficit is, in Sen. Mitch McConnell's words, “the transcendent issue of our time,” Reich writes. The transcendent issue is jobs and wages, he adds.
The Vote Ashley Judd mocked in GOP ad. Will it scare her off Kentucky Senate run?

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is not popular in Kentucky, and a poll puts actress Ashley Judd, a Democrat, within range of defeating him in 2014. The ad is a preemptive strike.
Chuck Hagel: Filibuster in store for Obama nominee?

Chuck Hagel filibuster: Republican Senator Mitch McConnell said opposition to the former Republican senator leading the Pentagon was growing.
The Vote Ashley Judd getting a divorce. Does that make a Senate run more likely?

Ashley Judd, an-eighth generation Kentucky native, has lived in Tennessee and Scotland with her husband. Some Kentucky Democrats would like to see Ms. Judd take on Mitch McConnell in 2014.
Judges slap down Obama 'recess appointments.' Case headed to Supreme Court?

President Obama's appointments to the labor-relations board were unconstitutional because they bypassed the Senate, a court ruled Friday. Recess appointments have been a tactic of both parties.
Robert Reich How Obama is unraveling Reagan Republicanism

President Obama has finally found ways to exploit these inconsistencies the Republican party, Reich writes.
Ashley Judd: Senate race for real? (+video)

Ashley Judd hints at Senate run in Kentucky. If Ashley Judd ran for Senate in 2014, she'd be up against Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell.
What is it about an inauguration that lightens the mood on Capitol Hill?

At a post-inaugural lunch on Capitol Hill, Obama and US lawmakers put rancor aside, and comity and laughter presided. On Inauguration Day, at least, Washington can still get along.
Obama inaugural speech: a sharp call to action

Obama began his second inaugural speech by citing the Constitution and the collective strength it affords America. Then he segued into a second-term agenda sure to raise some political hackles, calling for action on climate change, women’s rights, immigration, gay rights, and gun control.
Decoder Wire Obama's refusal to negotiate on debt ceiling: Smart or risky? (+video)

President Obama reiterated in a press conference Monday that he will not negotiate over the debt ceiling. But Republicans say they want dollar-for-dollar spending cuts, and some are willing to threaten default.
13 Republicans who might run in 2016

The GOP has a history of nominating people who have run before, which could give heart to some familiar faces. But there’s also a crop of young rising stars who could steal the show.
Decoder Wire Suddenly, Joe Biden is everywhere. Are prospects for a 2016 run improving? (+video)

Vice President Joe Biden is leading the gun-control task force and also recently sealed the fiscal-cliff deal. It's possible that his old-school, backslapping style of politicking may be coming back in vogue.
Biden meets with gun safety and victims groups, 'critically important' to act

The meeting was part of a series Biden is holding this week to build consensus around proposals to curb gun violence after the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn. Twenty school children were killed.
Tax VOX 'Fiscal cliff' II: predictions about the sequel

The "fiscal cliff", which was to be the ultimate forcing mechanism, instead became something of legislative self-parody, Gleckman writes.