SO MUCH FOR REBRANDING, GOP THINKS “SCANDALMANIA” WILL HEAL ALL WOUNDS. The National Journal reports that the GOP appears to have abandoned plans to rebrand the party to appeal to moderates and independents, and have decided to focus exclusively on squeezing political gains from what they now boastfully refer to as “scandalmania.” The problem for Republicans is that Democrats have been thoughtful and outspoken in their condemnation of what took place at the IRS, and playing more politics with t
GOP OVERREACH: 2014 COULD LOOK A LOT LIKE 1998. Republicans are foaming at the mouth over Benghazi, AP, and the IRS. They are throwing out the ‘I’ word (impeachment) and gloating about months and months of hearings that will block progress on other issues people care about. The GOP excitement has many wondering if 2014 could look like a repeat of the 1998 midterms. A more moderate breed of Republicans came into power in 1994, stormed the Bastille with unpopular policies that led to electoral defeats in the presidential year.
GOMEZ IN “A POLITICAL PRISON” OVER $280K TAX SCAM – REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. This week, Republican investor Gabe Gomez came under fire on the front page of the Boston Globe for using a seemingly fraudulent tax scheme involving a sham charity to fleece taxpayers out of thousands of dollars, despite warnings from the IRS and a
KARL ROVE SAYS GOP HAS CANDIDATE PROBLEM. This week GOP boss Karl Rove penned an op-ed spelling out that the only way Republicans can win the majority in 2014 is to avoid awful and “self-destruct[ing]” candidates that have plagued the Republican Party. The Atlantic notes that the GOP’s slate of candidates is already shaping up to look like a bunch of “Mini Todd Akins.”
DSCC BREAKS RECORD IN FIRST QUARTER. The Denver Post reported that the DSCC had the best first quarter in the committee’s history, raising $13.7 million in the first three months of 2013 and outraising the NRSC by nearly $7 million.
Our thoughts are with the people of Boston and West, Texas today, and we hope for much better news in the days and weeks to come. One final note on Senate races before this week comes to a close…
MITCH MCCONNELL COMPARES HIMSELF TO VICTIMS OF THE NAZIS: Kentucky voters already know the truth about Mitch McConnell: He sides with Washington special interests and against Kentuckians. He is the most unpopular senator in the nation. He used to sell himself as the pork barrel earmark king who could twist arms to deliver federal cash to Kentucky. Now he has absolutely nothing positive to say about himself. …So he plays the victim.
IS OBAMACARE A SLEEPER ISSUE OR A SNOOZER ISSUE? In 2012 Republican outside groups, including the NRSC, the U.S. Chamber, and American Crossroads, spent approximately $200 million attacking Democratic Senate candidates with basically the exact same message.
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN FOR REPUBLICANS: The Washington Post reports this week that 2014 is already shaping up to look a lot like 2012 for Republicans. “The stage is certainly set for a potential redux,” the Post reports.
ON VOTE-A-RAMA: Mitch McConnell and GOP leadership are clearly wasting taxpayer money and playing partisan political games with the budget. In fact, the National Journal confirms that, “the National Republican Senatorial Committee have worked with Senate GOP leadership offices in recent days to craft targeted amendments.”
