Correct The Record Monday December 29, 2014 Roundup

podesta-emails 4,550 words email

P17 D6 V11 P22 P20

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*​**Correct The Record Monday December 29, 2014 Roundup:* *Tweets:* *Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton <https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> proposed providing states with at-home infant care benefits to low-income families #HRC365 <https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC365?src=hash> https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3797 … <https://t.co/EEtMzdoIFx> [12/28/14, 10:02 a.m. EST <https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/549218760582639616>] *Correct The Record *@CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton <https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> supported programs to research & educate people about autism#HRC365 <https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC365?src=hash> https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/843/cosponsors … <https://t.co/7elZwOXvnS> [12/27/14, 11:31 a.m. EST <https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/548878778793877505>] *Headlines:* *Washington Times: “Hillary Clinton way ahead in 2016 Democratic match-up, leads potential GOP rivals” <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/29/hillary-clinton-way-ahead-2016-democratic-match/>* “Mrs. Clinton also leads potential Republican candidates when put into head-to-head match-ups. The closest potential rival is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who leads the GOP field of contenders but trails in a match-up with Mrs. Clinton, 54 percent to 41 percent.” *USA Today: “Hillary Clinton again leads Gallup's list of most admired women” <http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2014/12/29/hillary-clinton-most-admired-gallup/>* “This is the 17th time in the last 18 years — and 19th overall — that Clinton has been named most admired woman in the Gallup Poll.” *Fox News: “Dems race to back Clinton even before 2016 announcement” <http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/27/dems-race-to-back-clinton-even-before-2016-announcement/>* “High-profile Democrats are jumping on the “Ready for Hillary” bandwagon, supporting Clinton for president before she even enters the race -- boosting her presumptive candidacy and potentially their own political fortunes.” *Wall Street Journal: “Hillary Clinton Faces Uphill Fight for White, Rural Vote” <http://www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-faces-uphill-fight-for-white-rural-vote-1419812605>* “Now, as the 2016 election takes shape, some of Hillary Clinton ’s allies are trumpeting her potential as a presidential candidate to bring these voters back to the Democratic Party and to run competitively in a handful of states, including Arkansas, that have spurned President Barack Obama.” *Associated Press: “Hillary Clinton's Economic Approach Under Scrutiny” <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/27/hillary-clinton-economic-approach_n_6384452.html>* “Members of her party are watching closely how the former secretary of state outlines steps to address income inequality and economic anxieties for middle-class families.” *CNN Opinion: “Why Hillary Clinton needs an Elizabeth Warren challenge” <http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/29/opinion/zelizer-hillary-clinton-needs-elizabeth-warren/>* “If Warren forces Clinton to confront these issues and to articulate a stronger response to the economic issues of our days -- creating countervailing pressure to the political experts who will implore her to stay away from these questions -- it would only make the former first lady and secretary of state a stronger candidate.” *Articles:* *Washington Times: “Hillary Clinton way ahead in 2016 Democratic match-up, leads potential GOP rivals” <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/29/hillary-clinton-way-ahead-2016-democratic-match/>* By David Sherfinski December 29, 2014 Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is comfortably ahead of potential Democratic rivals for the 2016 presidential nomination and holds double-digit leads against would-be Republican foes, according to a new poll. Mrs. Clinton is the choice of two-thirds of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 9 percent and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. at 8 percent, the CNN/ORC poll said. Those numbers are essentially unchanged from a month ago. Mrs. Clinton also leads potential Republican candidates when put into head-to-head match-ups. The closest potential rival is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who leads the GOP field of contenders but trails in a match-up with Mrs. Clinton, 54 percent to 41 percent. She leads Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin by 15 points, 56 percent to 41 percent, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie by 17 points, 56 percent to 39 percent. Mrs. Clinton also leads Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky by 20 points, 58 percent to 38 percent, and has 21-point leads over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. She also leads Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas by 25 points, 60 percent to 35 percent. The survey of 1,011 adults was taken Dec. 18-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. It includes 469 Democrats, and the margin of error for that group is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. *USA Today: “Hillary Clinton again leads Gallup's list of most admired women” <http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2014/12/29/hillary-clinton-most-admired-gallup/>* By Catalina Camia December 29, 2014 Hillary Rodham Clinton wasn’t on a ballot, doesn’t have her own TV network or magazine, and didn’t win a Nobel Prize this year. But for the 13th year in a row, Clinton is the most admired woman in the world in an annual Gallup Poll. The former secretary of State, who just might run for president in 2016, was mentioned by 12% of Gallup respondents when they were asked whom do you admire the most. Clinton topped Oprah Winfrey, the multi-hyphenated media mogul who was mentioned by 8% of respondents, and Malala Yousafzai, the teenager from Pakistan who risked her life so girls could have the right to an education. Malala, the youngest-ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was named most admired woman by 5% of the Gallup respondents. This is the 17th time in the last 18 years — and 19th overall — that Clinton has been named most admired woman in the Gallup Poll. Laura Bush toppled Clinton in 2001 for the top spot on the Gallup list. Despite a challenging year for President Obama, he was named the most admired man in the world by 19% of Gallup respondents. Obama has occupied the top spot in the Gallup Poll for each of the last seven years, since he was first elected president in 2008. Pope Francis came in second this year (6%) and Bill Clinton was third on the 2014 Gallup list (3%). The survey of 805 adults was taken Dec. 8-11 and has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points. *Fox News: “Dems race to back Clinton even before 2016 announcement” <http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/27/dems-race-to-back-clinton-even-before-2016-announcement/>* [No author mentioned] December 27, 2014 High-profile Democrats are jumping on the “Ready for Hillary” bandwagon, supporting Clinton for president before she even enters the race -- boosting her presumptive candidacy and potentially their own political fortunes. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Al Franken, D-Minn., are among the biggest names to get on board -- positioning themselves in a familiar game in which early supporters are often rewarded with plum administration jobs or some political favor if their candidate wins. “It’s a time-honored tradition,” said Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor. “And a lot of candidates remember who was there early, who was willing to take the leap.” What makes Clinton’s case so remarkable is the number of soft endorsements from A-list Democrats before she has officially announced whether she will run. Kaine was among the first, telling a gathering of female Democrats in South Carolina this spring that Clinton is “the right person for the job.” “So I’m doing my bit now to encourage Hillary Clinton to run,” he said. Clinton appears to have plenty of encouragement, including extraordinary early-polling numbers. A recent averaging of polls by RealClearPolitics.com shows her leading all potential Democratic White House candidates with 61.5 percent of the likely vote -- 49.2 percentage points ahead of her closest potential challenger, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Though Clinton also enjoyed the lead in early polls in her 2008 presidential run, such numbers appear enticing for politicians, donors and others looking for perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have a friend in the White House and even land a top appointment. Franken is among the most recent to give his support. “I think that Hillary would make a great president,” he told MSNBC. “I think that I’m ready for Hillary.” Franken, whose politics appear closer to those of Warren’s, said she is also “great” but “not running.” The phrase “Ready for Hillary” appears to have started in January 2013 as a political action committee that organizers say “quickly became a nationwide grassroots movement” encouraging Clinton to run. The PAC now boasts more than 2 million supporters and 50,000 donors. It has so far collected $4.43 million in donations with $875,626 in available cash, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings. Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate, also is backing Clinton, a former first lady, secretary of State and New York senator. Earlier this month, Dean wrote a 660-word op-ed piece in Politico in which he touted his long-time political association with Clinton and listed her professional accomplishments, declaring her “by far the most qualified person in the United States to serve as president.” “If she runs, I will support her,” he wrote. Dean was chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2008 when Clinton and Barack Obama competed for the party’s presidential nomination and his job was to get a Democrat in the White House. His successful effort led to speculation, particularly after he resigned from his chairmanship days after the general election, that Obama would offer him a Cabinet or other high-level administration post. However, such a deal never materialized. Clinton appears as if she’s already running a campaign, considering she published a book and spent the past several months fulfilling a full slate of speaking engagements and stumping for fellow Democrats during the elections that concluded last month. However, she has given no specific deadline on announcing whether she will indeed run in 2016. That several Democratic politicians have already signed on might seem unusual. But Trippi points out that those who wait often get passed over in the game of low-risk, low-reward. “And if an endorsement comes after the nomination it’s like ‘ehh,’ ” he said. Among the other Democrats also throwing early support to Clinton is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who worked in the Bill Clinton administration and later served as Obama’s chief of staff. In June, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin joined Emanuel as a headliner for a Ready for Hillary fundraiser in the Chicago area. And California Rep. Brad Sherman, a 2008 Clinton supporter, is encouraging her to run again. “Millions of Americans are ready for Hillary to run -- and ready to support her if she does” he said recently. “She was an outstanding senator and secretary of State. I know she will be an outstanding president.” *Wall Street Journal: “Hillary Clinton Faces Uphill Fight for White, Rural Vote” <http://www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-faces-uphill-fight-for-white-rural-vote-1419812605>* By Beth Reinhard December 29, 2014 1:19 a.m. ET DEVALLS BLUFF, Ark.—White, working-class voters in eastern Arkansas for years backed Democratic candidates, among them Bill Clinton and outgoing Gov. Mike Beebe, but have moved sharply toward Republicans in recent elections. Now, as the 2016 election takes shape, some of Hillary Clinton ’s allies are trumpeting her potential as a presidential candidate to bring these voters back to the Democratic Party and to run competitively in a handful of states, including Arkansas, that have spurned President Barack Obama. But even here, where Mrs. Clinton was the state’s first lady, many voters say they view her with the same leeriness they do Mr. Obama and other national Democrats. That points to a significant question should Mrs. Clinton run: whether enough such voters can separate her from the national party many have grown to dislike. “I’m mad at the Democratic Party, and I don’t see Hillary changing that,” said Eddie Ciganek, a 61-year-old farmer who serves on Prairie County’s governing board and who has voted Democrat at times. “Her thinking isn’t going to be very far off from President Obama’s thinking, and I don’t think they’re moving the country in the right direction.” Occasional Democratic voter Johnny Watkins, 64, wearing a light-blue work shirt after finishing his shift at the county landfill, said of Mrs. Clinton: “I don’t think she has any concerns about us.” Working-class voters have long been a bedrock of Democratic support, and the party continues to do well with voters from lower-income households overall, according to exit polls. But white, more rural voters in the South and elsewhere have been fleeing the party. Just five years ago, Arkansas Democrats held both Senate seats, three out of four House seats, the governor’s office and control of both chambers of the state legislature. The election in November of Republicans Tom Cotton to the U.S. Senate and Asa Hutchinson to the governor’s office will leave the Democratic Party without a single federal or statewide officeholder in Arkansas, a state that Bill Clinton carried twice by at least 17 percentage points. Mrs. Clinton’s allies are confident she can attract white voters who have turned away from her party, particularly women. Democratic pollster Geoff Garin, who worked on her 2008 campaign, said she “demonstrated a significant ability to not only win votes from working-class white women but to connect with them on a personal level.” After a rocky start in that campaign, Mrs. Clinton cast herself as a scrappy underdog and union ally while topping Mr. Obama in more than 20 states in Democratic primaries in places such as Pennsylvania and Ohio that have many white, working-class voters. Recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News polling shows that Mrs. Clinton’s appeal among those voters has withered. In June 2008, Mrs. Clinton was viewed positively by 43% of whites without college degrees and negatively by 44%. Last month, 32% of that group held a positive view and 48% had a negative view. Her image among those voters is only slightly better than that of Mr. Obama. “The Democratic Party is in terrible shape with white, working-class voters, and there’s no evidence that Hillary Clinton brings anything unique to the table,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who helps direct Journal/NBC News polling. At the same time, Mrs. Clinton draws substantial support from white women overall and from suburban women. Narrow majorities of those groups said in a December Journal/NBC News survey that they would consider supporting Mrs. Clinton for president, putting her far ahead of seven potential Republican candidates and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Mrs. Clinton’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. In Arkansas, which Mr. Obama lost by 24 percentage points in 2012, interviews suggest the years that Mrs. Clinton spent here don’t mitigate her support of the Affordable Care Act or the president’s order shielding millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. “She’s never been a home girl,” said Mr. Ciganek, who pointed to her choice of names after marriage. “It’s not Hillary Clinton. It’s Hillary Rodham Clinton,” he noted. Republicans also are trying to sully Mrs. Clinton with working-class voters by flagging her ties to Wall Street and her six-figure speaking fees. In a sign those attacks may be breaking through, 40-year-old Angela Thrift, who earns $9 an hour at a day-care center in nearby Carlisle, said, “She may have cared before she became famous and rich, but she doesn’t work for a living like we do.” Mrs. Thrift said she voted a straight GOP ticket in November. Local officials say that a state where a candidate’s personality, roots and populism were once able to transcend party lines has become as politically polarized as the rest of the country. “The nationalization of politics has come to Arkansas,” said Democratic state Rep. John Vines over a plate of barbecue at McClard’s, a favorite Bill Clinton haunt in Hot Springs, where the former president grew up. In the November election, close ties to the Clintons and deep family roots in the state didn’t save Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor, who lost his re-election bid and trailed Mr. Cotton by 28 points among white voters without college degrees, exit polls found. Democrats have been winning a smaller slice of white voters in general, but increasing participation by Hispanic and Asian-American voters have helped the party in presidential-election years, even without winning many Southern states. Still, the steep Democratic losses among white voters in the latest midterm, coupled with uncertainty about minority turnout without Mr. Obama on the ballot, is fueling concerns in the party about 2016. Democratic strategist Mitch Stewart, who is advising a super PAC preparing for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, called the former senator and secretary of state “a natural messenger for working families” because of her support for raising the minimum wage and measures aimed at ensuring equal pay for women. “Secretary Clinton can appeal to a broad cross-section of voters—and she has a proven track record of building support among white, working class voters in key states,” said Mr. Stewart, who worked for Mr. Obama in 2008’s primaries. Mr. Beebe, the governor, said Mrs. Clinton needs to speak plainly to middle-class voters who feel the American dream is out of reach. “She has to try to make as much personal contact as she can, given the constraints of a national election,” he said. *Associated Press: “Hillary Clinton's Economic Approach Under Scrutiny” <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/27/hillary-clinton-economic-approach_n_6384452.html>* By Ken Thomas December 17, 2014 8:29 a.m. EST If Hillary Rodham Clinton seeks the White House again, her message on the economy could be an important barometer as she courts fellow Democrats. Members of her party are watching closely how the former secretary of state outlines steps to address income inequality and economic anxieties for middle-class families. Some members of the party's liberal wing remain wary of Clinton's ties to Wall Street, six-figure speaking fees and protective bubble. Clinton is widely expected to announce a presidential campaign next year and remains the prohibitive favorite to succeed President Barack Obama as the party's nominee in 2016. But how she navigates a party animated by economic populism, an approach personified by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, could represent one of her biggest hurdles. Democrats bruised from GOP gains in the 2014 elections are pushing for big policy changes — raising the minimum wage and pay equity, for example — that favor the declining middle class. "We don't win when we play small-ball and calibrate. Why not try to be bold?" said Anna Galland of MoveOn.org, which launched a draft campaign to lure Warren into the race. Warren says she's not running for president, but her confrontational approach on Wall Street and reducing the gap between the rich and poor has generated a loyal following. She showcased this posture during December's "lame duck" session of Congress, when she led the charge against a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill — ultimately signed by Obama — that repealed part of the Dodd-Frank financial law and loosened contribution caps for some political donors. Clinton has yet to comment on the spending plan. During the fall elections, Clinton often pointed to the broad prosperity during her husband's administration and advocated for policies to raise the minimum wage, address pay equity for women and provide paid leave for new mothers. In a nod to liberals, Clinton has voiced concerns about the concentration of wealth, pointing to the rise in income and wealth to the top 0.01 percent of the population. "Some are calling it a throwback to the 'Gilded Age' of the robber barons," Clinton said in May. Clinton also has stumbled on the economy. At a fall event, she drew criticism from Republicans when she said "don't let anybody tell you that it's corporations and businesses that create jobs." She quickly cleaned up those comments, arguing that trickle-down economics had failed. Her supporters point to her 2008 primary campaign, when she scored wins in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as an indicator of how she could connect with working-class families. They also downplay the differences between her and Warren on the economy. "I think the debate is not going to be about big major fundamental directions for the economy. The disagreement will be how to get there," said former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who has backed Clinton. Clinton could have more opportunities to connect with — or alienate — liberals in 2015. One moment could come on the nomination of Lazard investment banker Antonio Weiss to lead a Treasury Department office overseeing domestic finance. Weiss, Warren contends, would represent a long line of Wall Street executives who are part of the revolving door between Washington and the financial markets. Clinton has not yet spoken publicly about Weiss' nomination. She remains a favorite of Wall Street from her time representing New York in the Senate. At a recent conference sponsored by the New York Times' DealBook, Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein said he had "always been a fan of Hillary Clinton" and argued it was important for political leaders to have relationships with key institutions. "I certainly don't think it's a virtue to declare a big segment of the economy off limits," he said. Promoting economic growth and wages will also be on the calendar. The AFL-CIO has invited Warren to deliver the keynote address at its national summit on wages in early January, giving her a plum appearance before labor leaders. About a week later, the Center for American Progress, which was founded by ex-Clinton administration officials, will release a report offering ways to spur middle-class growth, ideas that might guide Clinton's agenda. The panel is co-chaired by Lawrence Summers, a former Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton. Tad Devine, an adviser to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is considering a 2016 presidential campaign, noted that Bill Clinton campaigned in 1992 as a different kind of Democrat willing to reform welfare and appeal to centrists. This time, he said, Hillary Clinton will need to make a decision of how she will position herself on the economy. "There is a huge audience right now for people who want to have a completely different economic theory of what's wrong with the country and how to fix it," Devine said. *CNN Opinion: “Why Hillary Clinton needs an Elizabeth Warren challenge” <http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/29/opinion/zelizer-hillary-clinton-needs-elizabeth-warren/>* By Julian E. Zelizer December 29, 2014 7:53 a.m. EST Hillary Clinton hasn't said whether she's going to run for president in 2016. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has said, repeatedly, that she's not planning to run. But, given the dynamics of today's politics, the two women need each other. And they both should run for the Democratic nomination. A primary challenge from Warren could be the very best thing to happen to Clinton in a run for the presidency. Most pundits have argued that a Warren challenge would be a problem that Clinton needs to confront, a genuine roadblock in her path to the presidency. The division and discord, they say, would be a repeat of the 2008 primaries where she ultimately lost to Barack Obama. But a Warren candidacy could have a very healthy effect for Clinton and for the Democratic Party. The biggest challenge that Clinton faces right now, assuming that she decides to run, is that she might be unable to generate enough excitement among Democrats that would mobilize voters and excite the media in the general election. Part of the problem revolves around the same old issue of "inevitability." As in 2008, people treat her candidacy as a given and assume that she would be the likely Democratic nominee. In American politics, voters tend to like the underdog. When Clinton hit the campaign trail in 2008 as the "inevitable" winner, she often fell flat. Obama used the image of inevitability against her. Indeed, some of the finest moments in her campaign came toward the end when it became clear that Obama was probably going to win the nomination. Her fight intensified, and she made a much stronger appeal to key elements of the Democratic Party. As New York Sen. Chuck Schumer recently reminded his party, Democrats do best when they deal with the issues facing the middle class and advance an agenda that focuses on economic security for all. Far from being "radical," this has been the kind of policy agenda for which Democratic voters thirst. It was the heart of the New Deal and the Great Society, as well as successful Democratic midterm campaigns (like 1982 or 2006) and the 2008 election. In recent times, Democrats have done well when they pay attention to the middle class and suffer when they move too far away from these issues. This kind of agenda could inspire Democratic voters and attract independents who are frustrated with the continued challenges facing the middle class. If Warren forces Clinton to confront these issues and to articulate a stronger response to the economic issues of our days -- creating countervailing pressure to the political experts who will implore her to stay away from these questions -- it would only make the former first lady and secretary of state a stronger candidate. Warren's candidacy would force Clinton to put herself on the record over how she would help the middle class -- committing to the kinds of policies that will be desirable to many voters, including some independents and even moderate Republicans who are struggling in this economy and who are uncomfortable with the solutions offered by a GOP that continues to lean hard to the right. A Warren candidacy would also put pressure on Clinton's team to make sure they pay close attention to the grass roots. In the 2008 primaries, the Clinton campaign faltered in dealing with the political ground war, the job of mobilizing and organizing local activists and deploying social media to bring out supporters. If there is no Democratic challenger, Clinton might not do enough to prepare for the onslaught she would face from a GOP, a party armed with tea party activists and a huge network of campaign donors ready for battle. If Warren runs, Clinton will be forced to have her campaign infrastructure in place and in top form before the general election campaign begins. There is also the virtue of Clinton sharpening her basic campaign skills. Although she has never really left politics since her husband's election as President in 1992, she is probably a bit rusty, as her book rollout in June showed. In the current media environment, there is no room for mistakes -- and given that the Republicans might have some pretty strong candidates in the mix, she will have to be at the top of her game. Clinton is an immensely skilled politician and can compete with the best, but the challenge of running against Warren would make her stronger by the fall of 2016. Both candidates would benefit from a real primary. Polls show Clinton has a commanding lead against any challenger, including Warren, so the odds are this would not be a genuine threat to her nomination. But a primary would vastly enhance Warren's stature on Capitol Hill and give her a bigger profile within the party for years to come. For Clinton, a vigorous challenge from the base of the party will be just the kind of competitive spur that she needs. *Calendar:* *Sec. Clinton's upcoming appearances as reported online. Not an official schedule.* · January 21 – Saskatchewan, Canada: Sec. Clinton keynotes the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s “Global Perspectives” series (MarketWired <http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/former-us-secretary-state-hillary-rodham-clinton-deliver-keynote-address-saskatoon-1972651.htm> ) · January 21 – Winnipeg, Canada: Sec. Clinton keynotes the Global Perspectives series (Winnipeg Free Press <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Clinton-coming-to-Winnipeg--284282491.html> ) · February 24 – Santa Clara, CA: Sec. Clinton to Keynote Address at Inaugural Watermark Conference for Women (PR Newswire <http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillary-rodham-clinton-to-deliver-keynote-address-at-inaugural-watermark-conference-for-women-283200361.html> ) · March 19 – Atlantic City, NJ: Sec. Clinton keynotes American Camp Association conference (PR Newswire <http://www.sys-con.com/node/3254649>)