Correct The Record Tuesday September 2, 2014 Morning Roundup

podesta-emails 6,411 words email

P17 D6 P22 V11 P18

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- mQQBBGBjDtIBH6DJa80zDBgR+VqlYGaXu5bEJg9HEgAtJeCLuThdhXfl5Zs32RyB I1QjIlttvngepHQozmglBDmi2FZ4S+wWhZv10bZCoyXPIPwwq6TylwPv8+buxuff B6tYil3VAB9XKGPyPjKrlXn1fz76VMpuTOs7OGYR8xDidw9EHfBvmb+sQyrU1FOW aPHxba5lK6hAo/KYFpTnimsmsz0Cvo1sZAV/EFIkfagiGTL2J/NhINfGPScpj8LB bYelVN/NU4c6Ws1ivWbfcGvqU4lymoJgJo/l9HiV6X2bdVyuB24O3xeyhTnD7laf epykwxODVfAt4qLC3J478MSSmTXS8zMumaQMNR1tUUYtHCJC0xAKbsFukzbfoRDv m2zFCCVxeYHvByxstuzg0SurlPyuiFiy2cENek5+W8Sjt95nEiQ4suBldswpz1Kv n71t7vd7zst49xxExB+tD+vmY7GXIds43Rb05dqksQuo2yCeuCbY5RBiMHX3d4nU 041jHBsv5wY24j0N6bpAsm/s0T0Mt7IO6UaN33I712oPlclTweYTAesW3jDpeQ7A ioi0CMjWZnRpUxorcFmzL/Cc/fPqgAtnAL5GIUuEOqUf8AlKmzsKcnKZ7L2d8mxG QqN16nlAiUuUpchQNMr+tAa1L5S1uK/fu6thVlSSk7KMQyJfVpwLy6068a1WmNj4 yxo9HaSeQNXh3cui+61qb9wlrkwlaiouw9+bpCmR0V8+XpWma/D/TEz9tg5vkfNo eG4t+FUQ7QgrrvIkDNFcRyTUO9cJHB+kcp2NgCcpCwan3wnuzKka9AWFAitpoAwx L6BX0L8kg/LzRPhkQnMOrj/tuu9hZrui4woqURhWLiYi2aZe7WCkuoqR/qMGP6qP EQRcvndTWkQo6K9BdCH4ZjRqcGbY1wFt/qgAxhi+uSo2IWiM1fRI4eRCGifpBtYK Dw44W9uPAu4cgVnAUzESEeW0bft5XXxAqpvyMBIdv3YqfVfOElZdKbteEu4YuOao FLpbk4ajCxO4Fzc9AugJ8iQOAoaekJWA7TjWJ6CbJe8w3thpznP0w6jNG8ZleZ6a jHckyGlx5wzQTRLVT5+wK6edFlxKmSd93jkLWWCbrc0Dsa39OkSTDmZPoZgKGRhp Yc0C4jePYreTGI6p7/H3AFv84o0fjHt5fn4GpT1Xgfg+1X/wmIv7iNQtljCjAqhD 6XN+QiOAYAloAym8lOm9zOoCDv1TSDpmeyeP0rNV95OozsmFAUaKSUcUFBUfq9FL uyr+rJZQw2DPfq2wE75PtOyJiZH7zljCh12fp5yrNx6L7HSqwwuG7vGO4f0ltYOZ dPKzaEhCOO7o108RexdNABEBAAG0Rldpa2lMZWFrcyBFZGl0b3JpYWwgT2ZmaWNl IEhpZ2ggU2VjdXJpdHkgQ29tbXVuaWNhdGlvbiBLZXkgKDIwMjEtMjAyNCmJBDEE EwEKACcFAmBjDtICGwMFCQWjmoAFCwkIBwMFFQoJCAsFFgIDAQACHgECF4AACgkQ nG3NFyg+RUzRbh+eMSKgMYOdoz70u4RKTvev4KyqCAlwji+1RomnW7qsAK+l1s6b ugOhOs8zYv2ZSy6lv5JgWITRZogvB69JP94+Juphol6LIImC9X3P/bcBLw7VCdNA mP0XQ4OlleLZWXUEW9EqR4QyM0RkPMoxXObfRgtGHKIkjZYXyGhUOd7MxRM8DBzN yieFf3CjZNADQnNBk/ZWRdJrpq8J1W0dNKI7IUW2yCyfdgnPAkX/lyIqw4ht5UxF VGrva3PoepPir0TeKP3M0BMxpsxYSVOdwcsnkMzMlQ7TOJlsEdtKQwxjV6a1vH+t k4TpR4aG8fS7ZtGzxcxPylhndiiRVwdYitr5nKeBP69aWH9uLcpIzplXm4DcusUc Bo8KHz+qlIjs03k8hRfqYhUGB96nK6TJ0xS7tN83WUFQXk29fWkXjQSp1Z5dNCcT sWQBTxWxwYyEI8iGErH2xnok3HTyMItdCGEVBBhGOs1uCHX3W3yW2CooWLC/8Pia qgss3V7m4SHSfl4pDeZJcAPiH3Fm00wlGUslVSziatXW3499f2QdSyNDw6Qc+chK hUFflmAaavtpTqXPk+Lzvtw5SSW+iRGmEQICKzD2chpy05mW5v6QUy+G29nchGDD rrfpId2Gy1VoyBx8FAto4+6BOWVijrOj9Boz7098huotDQgNoEnidvVdsqP+P1RR QJekr97idAV28i7iEOLd99d6qI5xRqc3/QsV+y2ZnnyKB10uQNVPLgUkQljqN0wP XmdVer+0X+aeTHUd1d64fcc6M0cpYefNNRCsTsgbnWD+x0rjS9RMo+Uosy41+IxJ 6qIBhNrMK6fEmQoZG3qTRPYYrDoaJdDJERN2E5yLxP2SPI0rWNjMSoPEA/gk5L91 m6bToM/0VkEJNJkpxU5fq5834s3PleW39ZdpI0HpBDGeEypo/t9oGDY3Pd7JrMOF zOTohxTyu4w2Ql7jgs+7KbO9PH0Fx5dTDmDq66jKIkkC7DI0QtMQclnmWWtn14BS KTSZoZekWESVYhORwmPEf32EPiC9t8zDRglXzPGmJAPISSQz+Cc9o1ipoSIkoCCh 2MWoSbn3KFA53vgsYd0vS/+Nw5aUksSleorFns2yFgp/w5Ygv0D007k6u3DqyRLB W5y6tJLvbC1ME7jCBoLW6nFEVxgDo727pqOpMVjGGx5zcEokPIRDMkW/lXjw+fTy c6misESDCAWbgzniG/iyt77Kz711unpOhw5aemI9LpOq17AiIbjzSZYt6b1Aq7Wr aB+C1yws2ivIl9ZYK911A1m69yuUg0DPK+uyL7Z86XC7hI8B0IY1MM/MbmFiDo6H dkfwUckE74sxxeJrFZKkBbkEAQRgYw7SAR+gvktRnaUrj/84Pu0oYVe49nPEcy/7 5Fs6LvAwAj+JcAQPW3uy7D7fuGFEQguasfRrhWY5R87+g5ria6qQT2/Sf19Tpngs d0Dd9DJ1MMTaA1pc5F7PQgoOVKo68fDXfjr76n1NchfCzQbozS1HoM8ys3WnKAw+ Neae9oymp2t9FB3B+To4nsvsOM9KM06ZfBILO9NtzbWhzaAyWwSrMOFFJfpyxZAQ 8VbucNDHkPJjhxuafreC9q2f316RlwdS+XjDggRY6xD77fHtzYea04UWuZidc5zL VpsuZR1nObXOgE+4s8LU5p6fo7jL0CRxvfFnDhSQg2Z617flsdjYAJ2JR4apg3Es G46xWl8xf7t227/0nXaCIMJI7g09FeOOsfCmBaf/ebfiXXnQbK2zCbbDYXbrYgw6 ESkSTt940lHtynnVmQBvZqSXY93MeKjSaQk1VKyobngqaDAIIzHxNCR941McGD7F qHHM2YMTgi6XXaDThNC6u5msI1l/24PPvrxkJxjPSGsNlCbXL2wqaDgrP6LvCP9O uooR9dVRxaZXcKQjeVGxrcRtoTSSyZimfjEercwi9RKHt42O5akPsXaOzeVjmvD9 EB5jrKBe/aAOHgHJEIgJhUNARJ9+dXm7GofpvtN/5RE6qlx11QGvoENHIgawGjGX Jy5oyRBS+e+KHcgVqbmV9bvIXdwiC4BDGxkXtjc75hTaGhnDpu69+Cq016cfsh+0 XaRnHRdh0SZfcYdEqqjn9CTILfNuiEpZm6hYOlrfgYQe1I13rgrnSV+EfVCOLF4L P9ejcf3eCvNhIhEjsBNEUDOFAA6J5+YqZvFYtjk3efpM2jCg6XTLZWaI8kCuADMu yrQxGrM8yIGvBndrlmmljUqlc8/Nq9rcLVFDsVqb9wOZjrCIJ7GEUD6bRuolmRPE SLrpP5mDS+wetdhLn5ME1e9JeVkiSVSFIGsumZTNUaT0a90L4yNj5gBE40dvFplW 7TLeNE/ewDQk5LiIrfWuTUn3CqpjIOXxsZFLjieNgofX1nSeLjy3tnJwuTYQlVJO 3CbqH1k6cOIvE9XShnnuxmiSoav4uZIXnLZFQRT9v8UPIuedp7TO8Vjl0xRTajCL PdTk21e7fYriax62IssYcsbbo5G5auEdPO04H/+v/hxmRsGIr3XYvSi4ZWXKASxy a/jHFu9zEqmy0EBzFzpmSx+FrzpMKPkoU7RbxzMgZwIYEBk66Hh6gxllL0JmWjV0 iqmJMtOERE4NgYgumQT3dTxKuFtywmFxBTe80BhGlfUbjBtiSrULq59np4ztwlRT wDEAVDoZbN57aEXhQ8jjF2RlHtqGXhFMrg9fALHaRQARAQABiQQZBBgBCgAPBQJg Yw7SAhsMBQkFo5qAAAoJEJxtzRcoPkVMdigfoK4oBYoxVoWUBCUekCg/alVGyEHa ekvFmd3LYSKX/WklAY7cAgL/1UlLIFXbq9jpGXJUmLZBkzXkOylF9FIXNNTFAmBM 3TRjfPv91D8EhrHJW0SlECN+riBLtfIQV9Y1BUlQthxFPtB1G1fGrv4XR9Y4TsRj VSo78cNMQY6/89Kc00ip7tdLeFUHtKcJs+5EfDQgagf8pSfF/TWnYZOMN2mAPRRf fh3SkFXeuM7PU/X0B6FJNXefGJbmfJBOXFbaSRnkacTOE9caftRKN1LHBAr8/RPk pc9p6y9RBc/+6rLuLRZpn2W3m3kwzb4scDtHHFXXQBNC1ytrqdwxU7kcaJEPOFfC XIdKfXw9AQll620qPFmVIPH5qfoZzjk4iTH06Yiq7PI4OgDis6bZKHKyyzFisOkh DXiTuuDnzgcu0U4gzL+bkxJ2QRdiyZdKJJMswbm5JDpX6PLsrzPmN314lKIHQx3t NNXkbfHL/PxuoUtWLKg7/I3PNnOgNnDqCgqpHJuhU1AZeIkvewHsYu+urT67tnpJ AK1Z4CgRxpgbYA4YEV1rWVAPHX1u1okcg85rc5FHK8zh46zQY1wzUTWubAcxqp9K 1IqjXDDkMgIX2Z2fOA1plJSwugUCbFjn4sbT0t0YuiEFMPMB42ZCjcCyA1yysfAd DYAmSer1bq47tyTFQwP+2ZnvW/9p3yJ4oYWzwMzadR3T0K4sgXRC2Us9nPL9k2K5 TRwZ07wE2CyMpUv+hZ4ja13A/1ynJZDZGKys+pmBNrO6abxTGohM8LIWjS+YBPIq trxh8jxzgLazKvMGmaA6KaOGwS8vhfPfxZsu2TJaRPrZMa/HpZ2aEHwxXRy4nm9G Kx1eFNJO6Ues5T7KlRtl8gflI5wZCCD/4T5rto3SfG0s0jr3iAVb3NCn9Q73kiph PSwHuRxcm+hWNszjJg3/W+Fr8fdXAh5i0JzMNscuFAQNHgfhLigenq+BpCnZzXya 01kqX24AdoSIbH++vvgE0Bjj6mzuRrH5VJ1Qg9nQ+yMjBWZADljtp3CARUbNkiIg tUJ8IJHCGVwXZBqY4qeJc3h/RiwWM2UIFfBZ+E06QPznmVLSkwvvop3zkr4eYNez cIKUju8vRdW6sxaaxC/GECDlP0Wo6lH0uChpE3NJ1daoXIeymajmYxNt+drz7+pd jMqjDtNA2rgUrjptUgJK8ZLdOQ4WCrPY5pP9ZXAO7+mK7S3u9CTywSJmQpypd8hv 8Bu8jKZdoxOJXxj8CphK951eNOLYxTOxBUNB8J2lgKbmLIyPvBvbS1l1lCM5oHlw WXGlp70pspj3kaX4mOiFaWMKHhOLb+er8yh8jspM184= =5a6T -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- *[image: Inline image 1]* *Correct The Record Tuesday September 2, 2014 Morning Roundup:* *Headlines:* *Associated Press: “2016ers Jockey Even Before Congressional Elections” <http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MIDTERM_ELECTIONS_2016?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>* “The former secretary of state's every word will be parsed for her future plans. But Clinton has been offering plenty of hints that she's preparing for another campaign.” *MSNBC: “Hillary super PAC makes moves in South Carolina” <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-super-pac-makes-moves-south-carolina-granholm>* “Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is headlining a major Democratic event in South Carolina later this month on behalf of Ready for Hillary, the pro-Clinton super PAC.” *National Journal: “Why Democrats Are Headed for Vegas” <http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/why-democrats-are-headed-for-vegas-20140902>* “That's because on Thursday in Las Vegas possible presidential contender Hillary Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will preside over the senator's eighth clean-energy summit, an event that is emerging as a key stop in Nevada and Democratic Party politics.” *Wall Street Journal: “How the 2016 GOP Presidential Wannabes Spent the Summer” <http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-the-2016-gop-presidential-wannabes-spent-the-summer-1409595721>* “Whereas the early Democratic contest can be summarized in four simple words—is Hillary Clinton inevitable?—the Republican cast of characters has, over the course of the summer, sorted itself into a matrix of different categories defined by the potential candidates' varied circumstances and strategies.” *New York Times: “Christie Studies Foreign Affairs for a 2016 Test” <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/us/politics/chris-christies-trip-to-mexico-doubles-as-a-foreign-policy-test.html?_r=0>* “Similar doubts about the international savvy of other potential Republican presidential candidates have prompted some to begin a crash course, seeking to catch up with the experience and prestige of a likely Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.” *The Hill blog: Briefing Room: “Sanders calls for agenda 'for all Americans'” <http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/216352-sanders-calls-for-agenda-for-all-americans>* “Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, is considering challenging Clinton in the hopes of taking advantage of fears among party members that she is too close for comfort with Wall Street.” *New York Times column: Frank Bruni: “Obama’s Messy Words” <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/opinion/frank-bruni-obamas-messy-words.html>* “Echoing Hillary Clinton to some degree, Senator Dianne Feinstein just complained that Obama was perhaps ‘too cautious.’” *Articles:* *Associated Press: “2016ers Jockey Even Before Congressional Elections” <http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MIDTERM_ELECTIONS_2016?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>* By Steve Peoples and Ken Thomas September 1, 2014, 10:09 a.m. EDT PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- One set of elections ends in early November as another begins when presidential hopefuls cross the unofficial starting line in the 2016 race for the White House. With control of the Senate at stake, the months leading up to the mid-term elections offer a clearer window on a crowd of potential presidential candidates already jockeying for position from Nevada to New Hampshire. Their cross-country touring will intensify this fall under the gaze of voters who will pick their parties' nominees. Look for the would-be contenders to road-test rhetoric, expand coalitions, and consider their own political flaws-while keeping close watch on each other. Democrats want Hillary Rodham Clinton to carry their flag; the Republican field remains crowded, and wide open. The presidential jousting will be most apparent in states like New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary and the site of closely-watched races for governor, Senate and the House. Whichever party controls the Senate after the November 4 balloting-Republicans need a six-seat gain to win the majority-will say much about what President Barack Obama can accomplish in the final two years of his presidency and the tone of the race to succeed him. "The end of the 2014 general election does, in a sense, commence a beginning of the presidential primary phase," says New Hampshire Republican operative Rich Killion. "But an informal, unofficial opening to the process already is underway." Here's a look at potential 2016 candidates and what to expect this fall: HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: The former secretary of state's every word will be parsed for her future plans. But Clinton has been offering plenty of hints that she's preparing for another campaign. Her biggest splash could come in Iowa, where she'll join her husband at Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry fundraiser in Indianola on Sept. 14. The event is billed as a tribute to Harkin, but will generate wide interest as Clinton's first visit to Iowa since losing the 2008 caucuses. Clinton has limited her campaign activity since leaving the State Department, but this fall should give voters a more concrete look at how she might present her candidacy. Her allies are wary of a "third Obama term" label, so Clinton's speeches and appearances offer a chance to distinguish herself from the president. She will raise money for Democrats' four major campaign committees and could help several Senate campaigns where Obama remains a liability. JOE BIDEN: Vice President Joe Biden has not ruled out a third presidential bid and expects to be an active surrogate for Democrats this fall. Whether he'd challenge Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination remains the big question. Biden headlined high-profile meetings with young voters, liberals and African-Americans. He's also raised money for congressional candidates in Nevada and incumbent governors in Connecticut and Illinois. Biden is expected to visit New Hampshire, where he maintains ties to party activists, and Iowa, where Rep. Bruce Braley faces Joni Ernst in one of the top Senate battlegrounds. OTHER DEMOCRATS: Several Democrats are building for a national campaign in case Clinton doesn't run - or considering a longshot challenge. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has been the most active, raising money for candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire and traveling to states with active mid-term contests. Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb recently traveled to Iowa. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, plans to visit the Hawkeye State in mid-September. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has denied interest in the White House but would face pressure to run if Clinton doesn't. JEB BUSH More than seven years out of office, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been quieter than some of his GOP colleagues as he focuses on his private business dealings. He recently said he'd begin a more aggressive schedule to help Republicans this fall. He's set to headline a Florida fundraiser in late September to benefit top Republican Senate candidates, a group expected to include Cory Gardner in Colorado, Ernst in Iowa, Monica Wehby in Oregon and Tom Cotton in Arkansas. RAND PAUL Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has been perhaps the most aggressive prospective candidate. The ophthalmologist recently squeezed in a mission to perform eye surgeries in Guatemala-and invited news organizations to cover it-between stops in Iowa and South Carolina. He's confirmed September appearances in California and Virginia, and October visits to North Carolina and New Hampshire, among dozens more possible stops. The libertarian-leaning Paul, the son of former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, is trying to build on the small but passionate coalition assembled by his father. The elder Paul wasn't taken seriously by many Republicans, but Rand Paul has emerged as a leading GOP voice on foreign and domestic policy. CHRIS CHRISTIE Working to move past a bridge-clogging scandal that shadowed his plans, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continues an aggressive travel schedule this fall as chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Having already visited New Hampshire, he's announced a trip to South Carolina, where he'll have a chance to test his message with more conservative voters. He's also planning trips to Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida. Christie leads a delegation of New Jersey business and political leaders to Mexico in early September, a trip that gives him a chance to bolster his appeal with Latino voters and burnish his foreign policy chops. And at home, Christie will unveil a budget plan that is sure to draw fury from Democrats and union leaders. RICK PERRY Eyeing a second presidential bid, Texas Gov. Rick Perry was already facing challenges related to his disastrous 2012 campaign before his recent felony indictments. His advisers suggest the charges could actually help his political prospects, and he has pressed ahead with visits to Iowa, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire, and more. Perry heads to Iowa in early September shortly before a weeklong economic tour across Asia. He'll turn his attention to helping Republican governors win reelection when he returns. The Texas governor will launch a European tour in October. OTHER REPUBLICANS: The possible GOP field also includes Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker hopes to use his reelection test this fall as a springboard into 2016. Others must convince skeptical party leaders they have mainstream appeal - a group that includes conservative firebrand Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and social conservative Rick Santorum. *MSNBC: “Hillary super PAC makes moves in South Carolina” <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-super-pac-makes-moves-south-carolina-granholm>* By Alex Seitz-Wald September 1, 2014, 5:34 p.m. EDT With Hillary Clinton giving few public appearances ahead of a possible presidential run, some Democrats are happy to take the next best thing. Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is headlining a major Democratic event in South Carolina later this month on behalf of Ready for Hillary, the pro-Clinton super PAC. The South Carolina Democratic Party, which puts on the annual Blue Jamboree fundraiser, perhaps the biggest Democratic event in the state, reached out to Ready for Hillary to secure Granholm’s appearance, according to a source familiar with the planning. At the event, Granholm will deliver a $5,000 check from Ready for Hillary to the state party, bringing the super PAC’s total contributions to the federal maximum of $10,000. It cut a another $5,000 check to the state party in June. The group has donated to more than two dozen state party committees, including all of the early primary states. It’s the first time a state party has asked Ready for Hillary for a surrogate at a high-profile event like this. And it’s all part of the super PAC’s mission to build relationships and curry favor with local officials during the 2014 election cycle in lieu of Clinton herself, who has no political staff and is still technically a private citizen. (Clinton and the group cannot coordinate by law). “Ready for Hillary is proud to support the efforts of the South Carolina Democratic Party in this year’s election and beyond, and we will continue to channel the energy and organization around a potential Hillary 2016 candidacy to help SCDP and 2014 candidates,” Seth Bringman, the super PAC’s communications director, told msnbc. The super PAC will also use its massive list to find supporters in South Carolina and encourage them to purchase tickets to the Jamboree, much as they are doing now ahead of Clinton’s appearance at an Iowa Democratic Party event earlier in September. As with Iowa, Clinton’s struggles in South Carolina in 2008 will loom large if she decides to run again. Then-Sen. Barack Obama more than doubled Clinton’s vote share – 55% to 26% – after Bill Clinton made a series of comments that offended some African-Americans, who are the key Democratic voting base in the Southern state. Martin O’Malley, the Democratic governor of Maryland who is also considering a presidential bid, announced last week that he’s sending four staffers from his leadership PAC to help Democrats in South Carolina during the midterms. Ready for Hillary’s campaign-style bus also visited the state recently, making the rounds of South Carolina colleges in mid-August. “Students were drawn in by the Hillary Bus and the free Hillary posters, but we were then able to tell them about the critical elections taking place this year, and we’ll continue that conversation between now and November 4 to make sure they vote and get involved,” added Bringman, who was at all five stops. The bus will return to the state for the Jamboree and a Pride parade the week before. Tickets for the Blue Jamboree, which will be held in North Charleston on September 27, start at $10 and go up to $250. The rest of the speakers announced so far are mostly local to South Carolina. *National Journal: “Why Democrats Are Headed for Vegas” <http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/why-democrats-are-headed-for-vegas-20140902>* By Michael Catalini September 2, 2014 The Democratic Party's center of gravity will tilt toward Sin City this week. That's because on Thursday in Las Vegas possible presidential contender Hillary Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will preside over the senator's eighth clean-energy summit, an event that is emerging as a key stop in Nevada and Democratic Party politics. Superficially, the event gives green business leaders and policymakers an opportunity to swap ideas and map out a sustainable course for Nevada's and the nation's energy sectors. Summit organizers say they've attracted 10,000 supporters in the Silver State, with 250 businesses pledging to back clean-energy policies, according to Lydia Ball, executive director of the Clean Energy Project, which puts on the summit. Businesses interested in hosting an exhibit at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center will have to pay between $4,000 and $5,000 for a booth at the event—"a boutique trade show," as Ball calls it. And 28 exhibition booths are expected, according to an internal tally. But the summit is also a hive of political activity. The event is sponsored by Reid and the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, among others, and has attracted some of the biggest names in politics. Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore have headlined the event. Two years ago Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval spoke there. White House counselor and former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta is also a regular attendee, and at last year's event two party fundraisers were held at the same location as the summit, according to local media reports. "I don't want to insult former President Clinton by suggesting his wife is a bigger name," said former Reid aide Jim Manley, who regularly attended the event. "[But] it's all about getting big names to come to the state. There's a lot of networking going on. There's a lot of cross-pollination." Podesta will be speaking this year, as will CAP head Neera Tanden. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros will also be on hand. It's not just the headliners who are politically inclined. Many of the panelists have doubled as campaign donors: Ormat Technologies' Yoram Bronicki, for example, is expected to discuss leapfrogging technology. But he's also given to Reid and the Senate Democrats' campaign arm this cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Other panelists who are also Democratic donors include Rose McKinney-James of Energy Works Consulting, Patricia Wagner of Sempra Energy, and Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute. "There's a lot of like-minded people there, including top policymakers," Manley said. Those policymakers are certainly a draw for many of the small-business owners who plan to attend. But clean-energy entrepreneurs downplay the political side of the event. They point to Nevada as "ground zero" in the solar industry. They also suggest issues like energy efficiency, which as many as 30 states have embraced legislatively, tend to be bipartisan. "It's easy to become jaded, living in D.C., about gridlock and the partisan nature of politics," said Alex Laskey, president of Opower, a software firm whose clients include utilities in nine countries. "There seems to be an interest in solving problems and a recognition that it's good for our economy. I'm hopeful that there will be kumbaya about efficiency." The summit tends to attract Democratic-leaning voters, but it also appeals to some Republicans who see an upside to supporting the green economy. Jon Huntsman, a former GOP presidential candidate and Utah governor, will join a panel to discuss businesses' role in carbon reduction, as will MGM Resorts executive and Republican donor Jim Murren, another event cosponsor. "There is a dimension of altruism to it," Murren said in a conference call on the event, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "But we have learned this is good business sense. People will book conventions at Aria and Mandalay and Bellagio because they share the same core values as we do." For Reid, the event builds on his reputation as a centrifugal force in Nevada politics. And it doesn't hurt that Nevada has become a key battleground in presidential contests. "I've always looked at this event as a stage for Senator Reid on where he wants to move forward," Ball said. "Politics are involved in everything we do, but it's not Democratic Party-driven at all. It's very much Nevada-driven." But it's more than just state politics. With the Democratic Senate majority on the line this cycle, and with speculation mounting that Reid may step aside despite saying he plans to run for his seat in 2016, the event serves as a tangible sign of the Searchlight native's influence. "This is a legacy issue for Senator Reid," Manley said. *Wall Street Journal: “How the 2016 GOP Presidential Wannabes Spent the Summer” <http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-the-2016-gop-presidential-wannabes-spent-the-summer-1409595721>* By Gerald F. Seib September 1, 2014, 6:28 p.m. EDT [Subtitle:] Republican Cast of Characters Are Sorting Themselves Into a Matrix of Categories This Labor Day week marks the official start of the 2014 general-election season, so what's the logical thing to do? Look forward to the 2016 presidential election, of course. OK, so that isn't entirely logical. But there is no doubt that the 2016 presidential race—which figures to be as wide open, unpredictable and flat-out interesting as any in memory—will be providing much of the background music for this year's congressional election, important as that contest is in its own right. And at this early stage, the most intriguing presidential jockeying is unfolding on the Republican side. Whereas the early Democratic contest can be summarized in four simple words—is Hillary Clinton inevitable?—the Republican cast of characters has, over the course of the summer, sorted itself into a matrix of different categories defined by the potential candidates' varied circumstances and strategies. There are, for example, two potential presidential wannabes who have emerged as the policy wonks in the crowd. They are Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. The former, by dint of his position as chairman of the House Budget Committee, has written a blueprint for the kind of government he envisions, and, more recently, a new plan for how conservatives can fight poverty. The latter, having washed his hands of his early emphasis on immigration reform, has delivered a series of speeches on policies foreign and domestic that would help fill up a policy binder in a presidential campaign. Two of the party's elder statesmen, meanwhile, seem to be making it clear that they are available for a draft if party regulars clamor for them to run. They are former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and, improbably enough, 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney. Mr. Bush is the clear favorite of many in the party's establishment and money wings. But he doesn't look like a man who relishes the battles with movement conservatives that his candidacy would require, and may enter the fray only if it is clear establishment players commit to clearing a path for him. Mr. Romney, meantime, says there is only a one in a million chance he will run again, but his busy travel schedule on behalf of Republican congressional candidates in recent weeks suggests he is open to persuasion. Two other potential candidates are embarked on reclamation projects. One is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, seeking to recover from the disastrous scandal over a traffic jam at a bridge created by his aides in a fit of pique. The other is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, seeking to recover from an equally disastrous 2012 presidential run. Here's betting that both will conclude that their reclamation work has been successful enough to justify a run. Mr. Perry seems to be benefiting in the party from his recent indictment for trying to force out of office a Democratic prosecutor who has been a thorn in the Republicans' side. One GOP contender stands out for trying to lay sole claim to the hard-right space, and that is Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. On the big three areas of policy debate—economic, social and national security—Mr. Cruz is making sure nobody gets to his right in his unabashed quest to be seen as rightful heir to Ronald Reagan. Meanwhile, three other governors from around the country are forming a club of outsiders capable of running on an "I'm not from Washington" theme, a potentially lucrative approach at a time when views of Washington are scraping the bottom of the public-opinion barrel. They are Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Mr. Walker retains something approaching folk-hero status within the party for waging an epic battle against public-employee unions a few years ago. The question is whether the enmity he generated among other voters will undermine his bid for re-election this fall. Neither Mr. Pence nor Mr. Jindal has to worry about re-election this year, so they are focusing on enacting conservative governing agendas within their states that could serve them well with Republican primary voters. Mr. Jindal did that most recently by taking on the Common Core educational standards that conservatives love to hate as an example of government overreach. Two long-shots—former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a social conservative, and Sen. Rob Portman, a budget wonk—are circling the runway, their intentions and prospects unclear. Finally, there is a politician trying to carve an entirely new lane for himself in Republican politics: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. He is crafting a singular identity as a quasi-libertarian who nonetheless isn't an isolationist, who can appeal to young voters' hands-off views on social issues, and who reaches minority voters. It's a tough act to pull off, and Mr. Paul's quirkiness scares many in the GOP. Yet Scott Reed, a party activist who ran Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign, says Mr. Paul did more than anyone else to improve his position over the summer now drawing to a close. *New York Times: “Christie Studies Foreign Affairs for a 2016 Test” <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/us/politics/chris-christies-trip-to-mexico-doubles-as-a-foreign-policy-test.html?_r=0>* By Michael Barbaro September 1, 2014 A few days after Russian forces invaded Crimea, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey was asked at a confidential meeting of Republican activists how he would have handled the situation differently from President Obama. It was not, according to several of those in attendance, a tough or unexpected inquiry. But Mr. Christie, usually known for his oratorical sure-footedness, offered a wobbly reply, displaying little grasp of the facts and claiming that if he were in charge, Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president, would know better than to mess with him. According to an audio recording of the event, he said Mr. Putin had taken the measure of Mr. Obama. “I don’t believe, given who I am, that he would make the same judgment,” Mr. Christie said. “Let’s leave it at that.” One attendee described Mr. Christie’s answer as disturbingly heavy on swagger and light on substance. Another called it “uncomfortable to watch.” Now, as he considers a run for the presidency at a moment of spiraling global mayhem, Mr. Christie’s trip to Mexico this week is taking on a sudden urgency. Intended as a trade mission, it will double as a chance to demonstrate a level of acumen on foreign policy that has so far eluded him. Republican leaders are convinced that Mr. Obama’s second-term foreign policy — guided by an instinctive reluctance to use force and the mantra “don’t do stupid stuff” — has created an opening for a compelling Republican critique in 2016, and they are eager to find an authoritative statesman to deliver it. The question for the party is whether Mr. Christie, whose political ascent was powered by a lacerating, undiplomatic personality, could be the right messenger. Similar doubts about the international savvy of other potential Republican presidential candidates have prompted some to begin a crash course, seeking to catch up with the experience and prestige of a likely Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. For example, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky just returned from a weeklong trip to Guatemala. The job training has produced some stumbles. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas invited eye rolls from Pentagon officials when he declared it a “very real possibility” that fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria had come across the Mexican border and into the United States. Busy with his day job and still enmeshed in a scandal about orchestrated traffic jams, Mr. Christie is, by his own admission, unschooled in the nuances of global affairs. He has already committed several foreign policy faux pas this year — by the unforgiving standards of Republican presidential politics, anyway. They range from the minor (omitting the word “Israel” from a speech before an influential Jewish group) to the more meaningful (calling the West Bank the “occupied territories” before another influential Jewish group). Audible gasps ensued in a Las Vegas ballroom, and an apology from Mr. Christie soon followed. “This is something the governor has struggled with, because it’s so far outside his realm of experience,” said Brigid Harrison, a professor of political science at Montclair State University in New Jersey who has studied Mr. Christie throughout his tenure. “He is not,” she added, “a global guy.” He is, however, trying to become one. This summer, Mr. Christie finished “Reagan at Reykjavik,” Ken Adelman’s history of the pivotal 1986 Cold War summit meeting. He has struck up a friendship with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, now an informal foreign policy tutor; is known to consult with former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger on major speeches that touch on world affairs; and is in contact with trusted Republican hands like Robert B. Zoellick, a career diplomat and former head of the World Bank. After spending nearly three hours with Mr. Christie at the State House in July, spinning through the geopolitics of Asia, the economic future of Europe and the energy industry in Mexico, Mr. Zoellick described his pupil as “very quick.” “Sometimes people will flag,” he said. “He didn’t at all. It could have gone on longer.” Yet Mr. Christie’s tutorials appear less organized or far along than those of potential 2016 rivals like Mr. Paul or Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, and Mr. Christie has yet to articulate a distinct vision of America’s place in the world that strays from his party’s typical expressions of dismay with Mr. Obama and tributes to Ronald Reagan. Mr. Christie has been candid about the gaps in his international understanding. Pressed on them during an appearance in Chicago this year, Mr. Christie conceded, “I don’t have the briefings and the background to be able to say that I understand all the intricacies of it.” The pillars of the Christie worldview, as gleaned from about a dozen speeches and public appearances, tend to rise from a simple observation: A high-functioning America at home, liberated from partisan dysfunction, exerts greater influence abroad. “What we say and what we do here at home affects how others see us and in turn affects what it is they say and do,” Mr. Christie said during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in 2011. He places tremendous value on the personal projection of authority, as evidenced by his suggestion — at the event held by conservative activists — that Mr. Putin would think twice about challenging him. “Foreign policy, in my view, is about human relationships,” Mr. Christie said at the March conference held by the American Enterprise Institute at a resort in Georgia. The event was closed to the news media, but The New York Times was given access to a recording of Mr. Christie’s remarks. “Men and women across the world judge each other,” Mr. Christie said at the time. “And they take a measure of the person based on your actions and your words.” With Mr. Obama, he said mockingly, “words matter more to him than actions.” “He’s in love with words,” he said. “He loves the words coming out of his mouth.” At the event, Mr. Christie expressed confidence that his brand of resolute, no-nonsense foreign policy would have avoided the dilemma the United States faced when Syria deployed chemical weapons against its own citizens in the civil war. Mr. Christie said he would have never drawn a “red line,” as Mr. Obama did with President Bashar al-Assad, but, “if you do, you better finish the job.” Governors, whose duties entail little meaningful interaction with foreign governments, have always struggled to convey global know-how, or even familiarity with the names of foreign leaders. But for a variety of reasons, mastery of foreign relations is likely to become a bigger-than-usual yardstick in the 2016 Republican presidential contest. There is a determination within the party to avoid repeating mistakes of the 2012 primary season, when the unwieldy field of candidates displayed an occasionally embarrassing lack of international knowledge. (Herman Cain declared that it was immaterial which leader ran “Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan.”) By Election Day, polls showed that Mr. Obama was far more trusted on foreign policy than the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney. And there is the Clinton factor. Republican operatives said Mr. Christie had time to catch up, and they pointed to the models of Mr. Romney and George W. Bush, two state chief executives who committed themselves, early on in their governorships, to the rigorous study of global affairs. Mr. Romney invited specialists like Frederick W. Kagan, a former military historian at West Point, to brief him in Boston, and he studied custom-made booklets with the names of world leaders. Mr. Bush held Sunday night conference calls with a team of advisers nicknamed the Vulcans, including Ms. Rice, Stephen J. Hadley and Paul D. Wolfowitz. “My view is that he’ll have work to do, but he’s up to the task,” said Arthur C. Brooks, the president of the American Enterprise Institute, who was interviewing Mr. Christie at the event in Georgia when the governor talked about Crimea. (Mr. Brooks declined to comment on the exchange.) Ari Fleischer, Mr. Bush’s former press secretary, said there was a narrow window for a candidate like Mr. Christie to immerse himself in the subject, before the rigors of a campaign begin. “It becomes essential,” Mr. Fleischer said. “If you make a mistake, particularly later in 2015, and certainly in 2016, it will become magnified way beyond the mistake itself. “This is the time to do it,” he said. *The Hill blog: Briefing Room: “Sanders calls for agenda 'for all Americans'” <http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/216352-sanders-calls-for-agenda-for-all-americans>* By Martin Matishak September 1, 2014, 5:10 p.m. EDT Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said that the U.S. needs an economic plan that benefits “not just the very rich," but all Americans. “The sad reality of today's America is that while the wealthiest people and largest corporations are doing phenomenally well, the middle class is disappearing and millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages,” Sanders said in a statement commemorating Labor Day. “Congress must start listening to the needs of ordinary Americans, not just the billionaire class and their lobbyists,” he said. Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, is considering challenging Clinton in the hopes of taking advantage of fears among party members that she is too close for comfort with Wall Street. To that end, he spoke at an AFL-CIO breakfast hosted in Manchester, N.H., on Monday and intends to trek to Iowa in mid-September, at the same time Hillary Clinton will be there attending a steak fry hosted by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). Sanders said the U.S. could create “millions of new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and dramatically improve life for low-wage workers by raising the minimum wage,” popular issues among Democratic base voters. He called for trade policies that would “prevent corporations from throwing American workers out on the street and running to China for cheap labor" and tax reform so that businesses "can't stash their profits in foreign tax havens.” Sanders also urged his colleagues to pass “real campaign finance reform so that the Koch brothers and other billionaires are no longer able to buy elections.” *New York Times column: Frank Bruni: “Obama’s Messy Words” <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/opinion/frank-bruni-obamas-messy-words.html>* By Frank Bruni September 1, 2014 There are things that you think and things that you say. There’s what you reckon with privately and what you utter publicly. There are discussions suitable for a lecture hall and those that befit the bully pulpit. These sets overlap but aren’t the same. Has President Obama lost sight of that? It’s a question fairly asked after his statement last week that “we don’t have a strategy yet” for dealing with Islamic extremists in Syria. Not having a strategy, at least a fixed, definitive one, is understandable. The options aren’t great, the answers aren’t easy and the stakes are enormous. But announcing as much? It’s hard to see any percentage in that. It gives no comfort to Americans. It puts no fear in our enemies. Just as curious was what Obama followed that up with. Speaking at a fund-raiser on Friday, he told donors, “If you watch the nightly news, it feels like the world is falling apart.” He had that much right. But it wasn’t the whole of his message. In a statement of the obvious, he also said, “The world has always been messy.” And he coupled that with a needless comparison, advising Americans to bear in mind that the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the rapacity of Putin, the bedlam in Libya and the rest of it were “not something that is comparable to the challenges we faced during the Cold War.” Set aside the question of how germane the example of the Cold War is. When the gut-twisting image stuck in your head is of a masked madman holding a crude knife to the neck of an American on his knees in the desert, when you’re reading about crucifixions in the 21st century, when you’re hearing about women sold by jihadists as sex slaves, and when British leaders have just raised the threat level in their country to “severe,” the last thing that you want to be told is that it’s par for the historical course, all a matter of perspective and not so cosmically dire. Where’s the reassurance — or the sense of urgency — in that? And maybe the second-to-last thing that you want to be told is that technology and social media amplify peril in a new way and may be the reason you’re feeling especially on edge. Obama said something along those lines, too. It’s not the terror, folks. It’s the tweets. Is the president consoling us — or himself? It’s as if he’s taken his interior monologue and wired it to speakers in the town square. And it’s rattling. When he came along, many of us were fed up with misinformation and “Mission Accomplished” theatrics and bluster. America had paid a price for them in young lives. And we were tired and leery of an oversimplified, Hollywood version of world affairs, of the Manichaean lexicon of “evil empire” and “axis of evil.” We longed for something less rash and more nuanced. But there’s plenty of territory between the bloated and bellicose rhetoric of then and what Obama is giving us now. He’s adopted a strange language of self-effacement, with notes of defeatism, reminding us that “America, as the most powerful country on earth, still does not control everything”; that we must be content at times with singles and doubles in lieu of home runs; that not doing stupid stuff is its own accomplishment. This is all true. It’s in tune with our awareness of our limits. And it reflects a prudent disinclination to repeat past mistakes and overreach. But that doesn’t make it the right message for the world’s lone superpower (whether we like it or not) to articulate and disseminate. That doesn’t make it savvy, constructive P.R. And the low marks that Americans currently give the president, especially for foreign policy, suggest that it’s not exactly what we were after. In The Washington Post on Sunday, Karen DeYoung and Dan Balz observed that while Obama’s no-strategy remark “may have had the virtue of candor,” it in no way projected “an image of presidential resolve or decisiveness at a time of international turmoil.” And no matter what Obama ultimately elects to do, such an image is vital. But in its place are oratorical shrugs and an aura of hesitancy, even evasion, as he and John Kerry broadcast that the United States shouldn’t be expected to act on its own. Isn’t that better whispered to our allies and negotiated behind closed doors? Echoing Hillary Clinton to some degree, Senator Dianne Feinstein just complained that Obama was perhaps “too cautious.” Not in what he says, he’s not. Not when he draws and then erases red lines. Not with his recent adjectives. “Messy” is my kitchen at the end of a long weekend. What’s happening in much of Syria and Iraq is monstrous. *Calendar:* *Sec. Clinton's upcoming appearances as reported online. Not an official schedule.* · September 4 – Las Vegas, NV: Sec. Clinton speaks at the National Clean Energy Summit (Solar Novis Today <http://www.solarnovus.com/hillary-rodham-clinto-to-deliver-keynote-at-national-clean-energy-summit-7-0_N7646.html> ) · September 9 – Washington, DC: Sec. Clinton fundraises for the DSCC at her Washington home (DSCC <https://d1ly3598e1hx6r.cloudfront.net/sites/dscc/files/uploads/9.9.14%20HRC%20Dinner.pdf> ) · September 14 – Indianola, IA: Sec. Clinton headlines Sen. Harkin’s Steak Fry (LA Times <http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-tom-harkin-clinton-steak-fry-20140818-story.html> ) · September 19 – Washington, DC: Sec. Clinton fundraises for the DNC with Pres. Obama (CNN <http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/27/politics/obama-clinton-dnc/index.html>) · October 2 – Miami Beach, FL: Sec. Clinton keynotes the CREW Network Convention & Marketplace (CREW Network <http://events.crewnetwork.org/2014convention/>) · October 6 – Ottawa, Canada: Sec. Clinton speaks at Canada 2020 event (Ottawa Citizen <http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/hillary-clinton-speaking-in-ottawa-oct-6> ) · October 13 – Las Vegas, NV: Sec. Clinton keynotes the UNLV Foundation Annual Dinner (UNLV <http://www.unlv.edu/event/unlv-foundation-annual-dinner?delta=0>) · October 14 – San Francisco, CA: Sec. Clinton keynotes salesforce.com Dreamforce conference (salesforce.com <http://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/DF14/highlights.jsp#tuesday>) · October 28 – San Francisco, CA: Sec. Clinton fundraises for House Democratic women candidates with Nancy Pelosi (Politico <http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/hillary-clinton-nancy-pelosi-110387.html?hp=r7> ) · December 4 – Boston, MA: Sec. Clinton speaks at the Massachusetts Conference for Women (MCFW <http://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/speakers/>)