Lady, First- An Obama story

[NewYorkExpress]

November 5, 2014

Republicans underperform in the House, Senate, gain several Governor's mansions.

Despite an underwhelming midterm, the signs point to a Republican wave having taken place last night as Republicans gained a handful of House seats, several Senate seats, and several Governor's mansions. Still, for Republican leaders, this was an underwhelming result, failing to take back the Senate, and both Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are under pressure to step down as of the beginning of the next Congress.

Midterm results

House of Representatives

Republican gains: GA-12, IL-12, NY-21 NY-24, WV-3, IA-1, UT-4, NC-7
Democratic Gains: FL-2, CA-31

Senate

Republican gains: Arkansas, Montana, South Dakota, West Virginia
Democratic gains: Georgia
Independent gains: Kansas (Greg Orman will caucus with the Democratic Party).

Governors

Republican gains:Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York

Democratic Gains: Kansas, Pennsylvania

Independent Gains: Alaska

November 6, 2014

Anonymous anti-Clinton activist encourages Michelle Obama to run for President

An anonymous activist in the anti-Hillary Clinton movement in the Democratic Party, which has grown stronger again in recent months as speculation has swirled around Clinton making a second Presidential bid, stated that he would like to see Michelle Obama launch a Presidential Campaign, going as far as to tell the Huffington Post that the First Lady is "the only Democrat who can stop Clinton". The First Lady and her office had no comment today, while a source close to the Obama's said the First Lady was "flattered" by the interest in her running for President, but was not ready to make any sort of decision one or the other.

Joe Biden will not run for President in 2016

While most potential candidates are testing the waters for a 2016 Presidential bid, one high-profile candidate has taken his name out of contention. Vice President Joe Biden has told both the Obama's and his own political team that he will not run for President in 2016, according to MSNBC. Biden's decision not to run is expected to create an easy path to the nomination for Hillary Clinton, or a possibly more heavily contested primary to face Clinton, as polls consistently show Biden's support not backing Clinton by any significant margin.

Mike Huckabee becomes first major Republican to announce campaign

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee became the first major candidate in either party to announce their campaign for President today, launching his bid in hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa Caucuses, en route to finishing runner-up in the nomination battle to John McCain, is widely considered one of the favored candidates of the religious right of the Republican Party, however he is believed to have weaknesses on crime, as he granted 1,033 pardons and commutations as Governor of Arkansas, his past support of cap and trade, and on immigration, where he is to the left of the party.

November 7, 2014

NFL under fire after bombshell expose on ESPN exposes owners as liars on Rooney Rule

A bombshell expose on ESPN.com came out last night that had NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell scrambling to do damage control. In it, 23 of 32 team owners admitted to lying when talking about interviews with minority candidates for coaching positions with NFL executives, and that in fact, no such interviews had ever taken place since the rule's inception in 2003.

Speaking earlier today, NAACP President Cornell Brooks called on state and Federal Governments to "shut the NFL down" stating that the league was "beyond saving", and a "bastion of racism".

Mitch McConnell to step down as Senate Minority Leader

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told his caucus yesterday that he would not seek the Minority Leader's position again, citing the Republican's failure to take back the Senate. McConnell's decision is expected to set off a battle to be named his successor, with John Thune (R-SD), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) having all expressed interest in the position should McConnell step aside.

Obama Cabinet reshuffle

In reaction to the modest losses in the midterms, President Obama has announced the resignations of multiple members of his cabinet today.

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs Eric Shinseki, who has been under fire for a continuing scandal at the Veteran's Health Administration has resigned. President Obama has nominated Representative Tulsi Gabbard as the new Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has resigned. Sebelius, who has drawn criticism from Republicans for the rollout of Obamacare, is believed to be considering a campaign for President in 2016. President Obama has nominated former Representative, and 2014 nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul to replace Sebelius.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan has resigned. Donovan, who is believed to be considering a run for Governor of New York in 2018, has accepted a position as an analyst on NBC News. President Obama has nominated Chicago Mayor, and his former Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced his resignation pending the confirmation of a successor. Vilsack is believed to be considering either a second run for President in 2016, or a run for the Senate in 2016 against Chuck Grassley. President Obama has nominated Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to replace Vilsack.

Secretary of Defense Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Agriculture means that position is now open. President Obama has nominated retired general and 2004 Presidential candidate Wesley Clark to replace Hagel.

[NewYorkExpress]

November 9, 2014

Bashar al-Assad assassinated in Damascus, Syrian Civil War drawing to a close

A drone strike today killed Syrian Dictator Bashar-al Assad in Damascus, bringing the prospect of a close to the Syrian Civil War, which has been ongoing for almost two years. While there was no official comment from either the United States or Israel, the two most likely suspects, most analysts believe the CIA was responsible, with a source close to the Israeli Defence Minister's office stating that the drone in question "likely was of United States make, and would have been remotely operated from the United States".

Nancy Reagan dead at 92

Former First Lady of the United States Nancy Reagan died this morning of heart failure at home in California. Statements praising the former First Lady have been given throughout the day by Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, as well as by most leading Republican politicians.

Michelle Obama to undergo listening tour of early states

Michelle Obama has given a clear signal that she's interested in running for President, with her schedule for November and December including a "listening tour" of the first four primary states, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The tour begins on November 15 in South Carolina, and concludes on December 13 in Nevada.

Harry Reid says Tulsi Gabbard will not be given hearing, urges Obama to nominate another candidate.

Citing Tulsi Gabbard's past opposition to same-sex marriage, Harry Reid, who is expected to remain Majority Leader in the new Senate, has stated that Tulsi Gabbard will not be given a committee hearing or vote in the Senate and called on President Obama to appoint another candidate. Reid also warned that if Obama tried to appoint Gabbard via a recess appointment, he would sue to block recess appointments both from him and from future Presidents.

November 10, 2014

Lisa Murkowski will not run for reelelction

With polls showing Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in line for a second straight primary loss, and early polls of a three-way race showing Murkowski in third place, Murkowski announced this morning that she will not run for reelection to the United States Senate, becoming the first incumbent in either chamber to announce their retirement.

Sarah Palin passes on Senate bid, announces Presidential campaign

The Republican Presidential field has grown to two serious candidates coming out of the midterms, as former Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced on The O'Reilly Factor that she had filed with the FEC to run for President in 2016. In doing so, Palin passes up on a potentially competitive Senate race in Alaska, that most political insiders believe she would have won.

November 12, 2014

New Federal rules to go into effect, prohibiting any university receiving federal funding from having an athletic program

Citing the refusal of the NCAA to pay student-athletes for what is essentially a "minor league for professional sports", Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced a new rule that has been passed by the Department of Education, which prohibits any university receiving federal funding from having an athletic program. The rule is scheduled to into effect on January 1, 2016. A lawsuit is considered likely, and most legal scholars think this will reach the Supreme Court, however, Duncan's proposed rule change has found broad support in Congress, with most Representatives and Senators speaking in favor, and only a handful, most notably Rand Paul, Justin Amash and Ted Cruz speaking out against it.

Antonin Scalia to retire at conclusion of current term

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia announced today that he would retire when the Supreme Court's term ends in June, stating in a letter that his doctors had advised him that continued service on the court would be hazardous to his health.

Some Republicans have indicated they intend to filibuster any Obama nominee, given the Scalia retirement would change the composition of the court from a 5-4 conservative majority to a 5-4 liberal majority, but it remains to be seen whether any filibuster is actually attempted, who Obama nominates, and whether Senate Democrats can be persuaded to eliminate the filibuster.

November 14, 2014

Obama Supreme Court shortlist leaks

The Washington Post has acquired what is believed to be President Obama's shortlist to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. The list consists of the following indviduals:

U.S Court of Appeals Judge, D.C Circuit, Merrick Garland
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval
U.S Court of Appeals Judge, Second Circuit, Denny Chin
U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara
U.S Court of Appeals Judge, D.C Circuit, Sri Srinivasan
California Attorney General Kamala Harris

[NewYorkExpress]

November 15, 2014

Michelle Obama met with warm reception in South Carolina

At the first stop in her listening tour, in Charleston, South Carolina, Michelle Obama was met with a warm reception today. Asked by local reporters if she was considering a Presidential bid, she admitted she was thinking about it, stating that "while she didn't like politics, she didn't want to see a Republican Administration trash her husband's accomplishments". Asked if a decision by Hillary Clinton would impact her decision to run, Obama told reporters that "if Hillary ran, that would probably push me into the race even further. I don't think she can win in November 2016."

There was no comment from Hillary or Bill Clinton today.

John Boehner will not run for another term as Speaker, will retire in 2016

John Boehner confirmed to reporters today that he would not run for another term as Speaker of the House, and that this upcoming term in Congress would be his last one. Boehner is the first member of the House of Representatives to announce their retirement, and a crowded Republican Primary is expected.

In terms of the Speakership, the Republican Party is divided, though a source close to Louie Gohmert, who has been elected chair of the Tea Party Caucus in the new Congress, said that either Paul Ryan or Steve Scalise would be acceptable to a broad majority of the Republican Caucus as the next Speaker.

Wesley Clark, Kathy Hochul, Rahm Emanuel, Chuck Hagel confirmed by Senate in marathon pre-Thanksgiving session

In an almost nine-hour long session on the final day before the Senate left town for Thanksgiving, four of President Obama's cabinet nominees were confirmed.

Wesley Clark was confirmed to the position of Secretary of Defense 54-46 (John McCain and Lindsey Graham joined the Democrats in voting for the nominee. Bernie Sanders voted against the nomination with all Republicans)

Kathy Hochul was confirmed to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services, 99-1 (Rand Paul was the lone no vote)

Rahm Emanuel was confirmed as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 59-41.

Chuck Hagel was confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture, 51-50, with Joe Biden breaking the tie in favor of the nomination. All 47 Republicans (plus Joe Manchin, Mark Pryor and Bill Nelson) voted in favor of Hagel, while the remaining 47 members of the Democratic caucus voted against Hagel and the Administration.

November 22, 2014

Marco Rubio will be the new Senate Minority Leader

At a retreat in Daytona Beach, Florida, the Senate Republican Conference met (some by video conference), and voted on who would be the new Senate Minority Leader in the next Congress. According to sources, the Senators chose a surprise candidate, Marco Rubio (R-FL) on the third ballot, defeating Ted Cruz and John Thune.

Rubio, speaking to reporters stated that was inclined to let Obama make a Supreme Court nomination before deciding what to do about it, pointing out the Democrats can kill the filibuster at any time if they see fit. He also predicted that a nomination of Sandoval, Chin or Garland would win the most Republican votes in the Senate, and that a nomination of Harris of Bharara would lead to a doomed nomination, as it would cost Obama votes among Democrats in the Senate.

Tulsi Gabbard withdraws name from consideration for Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, will run for President.

Tulsi Gabbard has withdrawn her name from consideration for the position of Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, and has instead filed to run for President in 2016. The second term Representative becomes the first serious Democrat to enter the race, but she's expected to have significant trouble in the primaries, given her strident past opposition to same-sex marriage.

November 24, 2014

Michelle Obama draws rave reviews in New Hampshire

Michelle Obama's listening tour criss-crossed New Hampshire over the past two days, and the First Lady drew rave reviews. The New Hampshire Union Leader stated in an editorial that the First Lady stood head and shoulders above the other prospective Democratic and Republican candidates, and even her own husband, with her command and grasp of the issues of the day when talking to voters, and called her "a new candidate for the modern age" and "a worthy choice to be the first female President if she chooses to run".

Obama will have new Supreme Court nominee by Christmas

A source close to President Obama says that the White House is targeting Christmas as the deadline to announce the nominee to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. The same source also stated that Preet Bharara is no longer in consideration, and that Kamala Harris, Brian Sandoval and Merrick Garland performed well in interviews with Obama.

November 28, 2014

Colin Powell nominated for Secretary of Veteran's Affairs

President Obama today announced that former Secretary of State Colin Powell would be the nominee for Secretary of Veteran's Affairs's. Powell, whose endorsement of Obama in 2008 and 2012 was considered decisive (especially in 2008), is expected to have a difficult road ahead in the Senate, as some Democrats will look to take out their frustrations on Iraq on him, and confirmation is not guaranteed.

December 2, 2014

Colin Powell confirmed in close vote

Following Harry Reid's decision to skip a committee hearing and send Colin Powell's nomination for the position of Secretary of Veteran's Affairs directly to the Senate floor, Powell was confirmed by the Senate today, 51-49, with both parties being divided roughly down the middle over the nomination.

December 3, 2014

Michelle Obama impresses in Iowa

Michelle Obama's listening tour is ongoing in the Hawkeye State, and all signs point to her continuing to impress voters who will be voting in the Iowa Caucuses in just over one year from now. The First Lady says she expects to have a formal decision on whether or not she will run for President by Easter, telling reporters that "every day, I'm closer to a decision".

Des Moines Register poll shows Obama, Clinton tied in Iowa, Paul Ryan leads Republican field

An early look at the Iowa Caucuses, to be held one year from now, shows Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton in a virtual tie.

Meanwhile, over on the Republican side, 2012 Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan holds a sizable lead over the field.

Des Moines Register: Iowa Caucuses-Democrats

Michelle Obama 28%
Hillary Clinton28%
Elizabeth Warren15%'
Tom Vilsack 7%
Kathleen Sebelius 7%
Kirsten Gillibrand 4%
Amy Klobuchar 2%
Tulsi Gabbard 2%
Undecided/Other 7%

Des Moines Register: Iowa Caucuses-Republicans

Paul Ryan 43%
Sarah Palin 21%
Mike Huckabee 15%
Ted Cruz 9%
Marco Rubio 6%
Scott Walker 3%
Nikki Haley 1%
Rob Portman0%
Rick Santorum0%
Undecided/Other 2%

[BigVic]

Interesting

[NewYorkExpress]

Interesting

Some advice (or maybe some help) would certainly be appreciated (I would need help deciding what to do with the 2016 Primary Calendar, as other than Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, I don't want to use the same order in real ilfe). Ditto for 2020, and if we get to 2022, help with redistricting would be appreciated.

[John King wannabe]

Interesting

Some advice (or maybe some help) would certainly be appreciated (I would need help deciding what to do with the 2016 Primary Calendar, as other than Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, I don't want to use the same order in real ilfe). Ditto for 2020, and if we get to 2022, help with redistricting would be appreciated.

I would be interested in helping....

[NewYorkExpress]

Interesting

Some advice (or maybe some help) would certainly be appreciated (I would need help deciding what to do with the 2016 Primary Calendar, as other than Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, I don't want to use the same order in real ilfe). Ditto for 2020, and if we get to 2022, help with redistricting would be appreciated.

I would be interested in helping....

Thanks. If you could PM me a draft primary calendar (or better yet, post it here), that would be appreciated. Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina have to be the first four states, but beyond that you can go wild.

It would also be nice to have mocked up reactions from current and former posters, in the style of posts here. I'm not sure how to do that, and it's something I'd like in this TL, so if you or anyone else could include that, I'd be delighted.

[Shaula🏳️‍⚧️]

Harry Reid says Tulsi Gabbard will not be given hearing, urges Obama to nominate another candidate.

Citing Tulsi Gabbard's past opposition to same-sex marriage, Harry Reid, who is expected to remain Majority Leader in the new Senate, has stated that Tulsi Gabbard will not be given a committee hearing or vote in the Senate and called on President Obama to appoint another candidate. Reid also warned that if Obama tried to appoint Gabbard via a recess appointment, he would sue to block recess appointments both from him and from future Presidents.

Lol ironic given that 3 years before this, Obama didn't even support same-sex marriage.

[NewYorkExpress]

Harry Reid says Tulsi Gabbard will not be given hearing, urges Obama to nominate another candidate.

Citing Tulsi Gabbard's past opposition to same-sex marriage, Harry Reid, who is expected to remain Majority Leader in the new Senate, has stated that Tulsi Gabbard will not be given a committee hearing or vote in the Senate and called on President Obama to appoint another candidate. Reid also warned that if Obama tried to appoint Gabbard via a recess appointment, he would sue to block recess appointments both from him and from future Presidents.

Lol ironic given that 3 years before this, Obama didn't even support same-sex marriage.

Obama also didn't introduce legislation defining marriage as between a man and a woman, as Gabbard did in Hawaii.

[NewYorkExpress]

December 6, 2014

Mary Landrieu wins Senate runoff, secures Senate Majority for Democrats in new Congress.

Mary Landrieu won another term this evening, defeating Representative Bill Cassidy in a runoff, to ensure that Democrats would retain the Senate Majority in next Congress.

United States Senate: Louisiana-Runoff Election

Incumbent Mary Landrieu (D) 51.21%
Representative Bill Cassidy (R) 48.79%

December 9, 2014

Obama to nominate Kamala Harris to the Supreme Court

According to sources within the White House, President Obama intends to nominate  California Attorney General Kamala Harris to the United States Supreme Court to replace retiring Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Harris would be the first African American-Woman and First Asian-American Woman to serve on the Supreme Court if confirmed, but she faces a tough road to confirmation, as most Republicans have stated that they oppose her nomination, and several Democrats, most notably Joe Manchin, are on the fence.

DNC Rules Committee agrees to eliminate superdelegates from Presidential Primaries

Starting with the 2016 Presidential Primaries, the DNC rules committee has agreed in principle to eliminate superdelegates from the primary process, with a source close to DNC Deputy Chairwoman Donna Brazile stating that "one of the things we came to a broad agreement about was that the concept of Superdelegates had to go".

The DNC also agreed to study the use of a National Primary for the 2020 campaign, and agreed that Fox News would not be allowed to host primary debates during the 2016 cycle, nor would any Fox News personnel be allowed to appear on debates or candidate forums during the 2016 cycle.

Michelle Obama performs well in Nevada

The Obama listening tour continued on to Nevada this week, and so far, Michelle Obama has been doing well, showing an in depth knowledge of both national and local issues. Several Nevada legislators have stated that they are interested in endorsing Obama should she run for President.

December 10, 2014

Alison Lundergan Grimes will run for Senate in 2016

Following her loss to Mitch McConnell a month ago, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes confirmed that she would forgo running for a second term as Secretary of State of Kentucky and would instead run for the United States Senate again in 2016 against Rand Paul. Paul is considering a Presidential campaign, but has also expressed interest in running for Governor in 2015 instead of running for reelection, and has stated he will make a decision about which race he is running in by New Year's Day.

December 14, 2014

Japanese Elections lead to continued majority for LDP.

Elections in Japan for the House of Representatives, led to a continued majority for the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Shinzo Abe, and the likely continuation of Abe's term as Prime Minister of Japan. The election, which was seen as an endorsement of Abe's policy of Abenomics, gave the LDP a slightly reduced majority.

Japan General Elections: House of Representatives

LDP: Shinzo Abe 293 seats (-1)
Democratic: Banri Kaneda: 65 seats (+8)
Innovation: Kenji Eda: 53 seats (New Party)
Komeito: Natsuo Yamaguchi 48 seats (+17)
Communist: Kazuo Shii 16 seats (+8)

December 17, 2014

Michelle Obama forms exploratory committee for President, formal announcement scheduled for late February.

First Lady Michelle Obama filed with the FEC for an Exploratory Committee for President today, allowing her to begin fundraising. A formal announcement is expected towards the end of February or beginning of March, and likely would take place in Illinois.

House Republicans select Kevin McCarthy as their candidate for Speaker

Among the activities at Freshman Orientation for House Republicans, was getting the entire caucus behind a single candidate for Speaker of the House when the House reconvenes in January. Today, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was found to be the winner of that process, as Paul Ryan and Steve Scalise declined to run for Speaker. McCarthy defeated Representatives Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Justin Amash (R-MI) with 219 votes in the caucus, one more than the majority that will be needed to elect him Speaker. Blackburn and Amash have since withdrawn their candidacies, with Blackburn now running for the vacant position of Majority Leader,  where she will face Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and Amash has chosen to run for Vice-Chairman of the Republican Conference against Lynn Jenkins.

Kathleen Sebelius will pass on Presidential bid, will run for Senate instead

Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has decided to pass on a bid for President and will instead run for the United States Senate in 2016, in a decision that was sought by national Democrats, as well as Democrats back home in Kansas, where she served as Governor. Sebelius would face the incumbent Jerry Moran, if she won the nomination.

Lincoln Chafee will run for President as an Independent

Lincoln Chafee, the former Governor of Rhode Island has switched his political affiliation back to being an Independent, and has indicated he will run for President as an Independent. A formal announcement, including the unveiling of a running mate, believed to be former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is scheduled for some time next week.

[John King wannabe]

Obama to nominate Kamala Harris to the Supreme Court

According to sources within the White House, President Obama intends to nominate  California Attorney General Kamala Harris to the United States Supreme Court to replace retiring Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Harris would be the first African American-Woman and First Asian-American Woman to serve on the Supreme Court if confirmed, but she faces a tough road to confirmation, as most Republicans have stated that they oppose her nomination, and several Democrats, most notably Joe Manchin, are on the fence.

Honestly, Kamala would probably decline the nomination as it would interfere with her future plans to become President.

[NewYorkExpress]

Obama to nominate Kamala Harris to the Supreme Court

According to sources within the White House, President Obama intends to nominate  California Attorney General Kamala Harris to the United States Supreme Court to replace retiring Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Harris would be the first African American-Woman and First Asian-American Woman to serve on the Supreme Court if confirmed, but she faces a tough road to confirmation, as most Republicans have stated that they oppose her nomination, and several Democrats, most notably Joe Manchin, are on the fence.

Honestly, Kamala would probably decline the nomination as it would interfere with her future plans to become President.

At this point, there isn't currently an open Senate seat, as Barbara Boxer has yet to announce her plans for 2016, and Kamala might well try to run for President after a couple of years on the Supreme Court (she wouldn't be the first Justice to try. Charles Evans Hughes managed to get the Republican nomination in 1916, while an active Supreme Court Justice.).

[NewYorkExpress]

December 18, 2014

Hillary Clinton files for exploratory committee for President.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has filed with the FEC for an exploratory committee for President last night, allowing her to begin fundraising. A formal announcement will likely take place some time in the next couple of months.

Eric Schniderman accused of sexual assault, will resign as Attorney General of New York

New York Attorney General Eric Schniderman was accused of sexual assault by two different women during the past year. Schneiderman is disputing the allegations, but has agreed to resign as part of a deal with the accusers, who have stated that his resignation is the only way they will not press criminal and civil charges against him.

December 21, 2014

New York State Legislature selects Cyrus Vance Jr. as New York State Attorney General

The New York State Legislature, tasked with filling the vacancy of the Attorney General's office, selected New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr to fill vacancy in a party-line vote over Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.

December 24, 2014

Rick Santorum to run for President

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum became the third Republican to announce a Presidential campaign today, in a Christmas themed video. Santorum, who won the second most delegates in 2012, notably winning the Iowa Caucus and ten other states, will be competing the religious right vote with Mike Huckabee and possibly others during the Republican Primaries.

Dan Sullivan to run for Senate

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan became the first prominent candidate on either side to enter the race for the open Senate seat in Alaska, joining the Republican Primary.

December 27, 2014

Kamala Harris nomination may be sunk, as Manchin, Begich announce opposition.

Two Democratic Senators whose votes were sorely needed to get Kamala Harris onto the Supreme Court today announced their opposition to the prospective nominee in separate press releases.

Joe Manchin stated that he opposed placing Harris on the Supreme Court due to her lack of judicial experience and her current involvement in partisan politics as Attorney General of California.

Mark Begich stated that he opposed Harris's nomination, citing Harris's opposition to the Death Penalty.

With Manchin and Begich stating that they will vote against Harris, she is two votes short of confirmation should the nomination reach the Senate floor, assuming all Republicans vote against the nomination.

It is expected that Harris will either withdraw her nomination or President Obama will pull the nomination in the coming days, as two more Democratic Senators/Senators-Elect, Michelle Nunn and Mary Landrieu have both expressed reservations about Harris, and both may likely now state that they too will vote against her on the Senate floor.