Correct The Record Tuesday September 2, 2014 Afternoon Roundup

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*[image: Inline image 1]* *Correct The Record Tuesday September 2, 2014 Afternoon Roundup:* *Tweets:* *Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton said Labor Day is chance to pay tribute to hardworking Americans #HRC365 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=93131 <http://t.co/JOfp5SJ10t> [9/1/14, 3:33 p.m. EDT <https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/506525150376763393>] *Headlines:* *National Journal: “Where does Hillary Clinton Stand on Energy?” <http://www.nationaljournal.com/policy/insiders/energy/where-does-hillary-clinton-stand-on-energy-20140902>* “After sidestepping talk of the controversial Keystone XL oil-sands pipeline in her book Hard Choices, Clinton expressed an inclination to tackle global warming and voiced cautious support for fracking.” *Yahoo: “Republicans tone down Benghazi talk as elections near” <http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-tone-down-benghazi-talk-as-elections-near-042821732.html>* “The politics of Benghazi have shifted.” *Sunshine State News: “Hillary Clinton Beating Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush in Florida Poll” <http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/hillary-clinton-beating-marco-rubio-jeb-bush-florida-poll>* “A poll released by Gravis Marketing on Friday shows Clinton cruising over U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in a potential 2016 match-up. Clinton takes 44 percent of voters in that scenario while Rubio lags behind with 35 percent. More than a fifth of voters -- 21 percent -- remain undecided.” *Wall Street Journal: “GOP's Presidential Hopefuls Travel the World” <http://online.wsj.com/articles/gops-presidential-hopefuls-travel-the-world-1409674483>* “Possible 2016 contenders on the Democratic side are well-known for their foreign-policy experience. Hillary Clinton has traveled much of the world as the former secretary of state, first lady and senator from New York serving on the Committee on Armed Services. *Washington Post blog: In The Loop: “Biden? Not running, maybe just strolling, in 2016” <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/09/02/biden-not-running-maybe-just-strolling-in-2016/>* “Well, after watching the disastrous Hillary Clinton memoir launch and surveying the rest of the Democratic field, it only makes sense for Biden, who’s run for president twice before, to do so some preliminary work now.” *Washington Post: Maryland Politics: “O’Malley headed to Florida for a full day of political events later this month” <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/omalley-headed-to-florida-for-a-full-day-of-political-events-later-this-month/2014/09/02/305d02ba-32ac-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html>* “The trip comes amid a busy period of travel for O’Malley, who has said he is actively preparing for a potential presidential run regardless of whether Hillary Rodham Clinton moves forward with a bid.” *Wall Street Journal blog: Washington Wire: “Bill Clinton, Usher Team Up to Raise Money for Michelle Nunn” <http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/09/02/bill-clinton-usher-team-up-to-raise-money-for-michelle-nunn/>* “Former President Bill Clinton, the last Democratic nominee to carry the state of Georgia, is slated to attend a Sept. 13 fundraiser for Senate candidate Michelle Nunn at the Atlanta home of the singer Usher.” *Articles:* *National Journal: “Where does Hillary Clinton Stand on Energy?” <http://www.nationaljournal.com/policy/insiders/energy/where-does-hillary-clinton-stand-on-energy-20140902>* By Clare Foran September 2, 2014 Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will deliver the keynote address at this year's Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. The event, organized by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, will take place Thursday. Clinton is not an official contender for the 2016 presidential race. But as the presumed Democratic front-runner, Clinton will be closely watched this week, and her remarks should provide additional insight into her stance on energy policy. After sidestepping talk of the controversial Keystone XL oil-sands pipeline in her book Hard Choices, Clinton expressed an inclination to tackle global warming and voiced cautious support for fracking. "The boom in domestic-energy production, especially in natural gas, created major economic and strategic opportunities for our country," Clinton writes in her book. But, she adds, "There are legitimate climate-change concerns about the new extraction practices and their impact on local water, soil, and air supplies. Methane leaks in the production and transportation of natural gas are particularly worrisome. So it's crucial that we put in place smart regulations and enforce them, including not drilling when the risks are too high." What should we expect from Clinton during her energy address this week? Will she echo her energy stance laid out in her book, or should we expect her to tread any new ground? Are there energy topics she has not yet addressed, but should? Where does Clinton stand on energy, and how different or similar are her positions when compared with the current administration? *Yahoo: “Republicans tone down Benghazi talk as elections near” <http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-tone-down-benghazi-talk-as-elections-near-042821732.html>* By Meredith Shiner and Olivier Knox September 2, 2014 [Subtitle:] With growing unrest in the Middle East and President Obama's sinking popularity, Republicans fear Benghazi media "circus" could hurt their 2014 electoral chances Just four months ago, the future chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi delighted core elements of the Republican base when he declared that the panel would be probing “what appears to be a White House cover-up.” Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina said he had secret evidence proving that President Obama’s administration had deliberately withheld key documents from lawmakers looking into the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in the eastern Libyan city. "I have evidence that not only are they hiding it, there’s an intent to hide it,” he told Fox News in May. “I can’t disclose that evidence yet, but I have evidence that there was a systematic intentional decision to withhold certain documents from Congress and we’re just sick of it.” Now, with the 2014 mid-term elections fast approaching and the panel’s first hearing slated for September, the former prosecutor from Spartanburg, S.C., is taking a more tempered, bipartisan tone. He has declared that he wants to avoid a media “circus.” Other House Republicans are sending out similar signals, denying that their creation of the special panel ever was political in nature. “You want to get on the news, go rob a bank,” Gowdy told ABC News earlier this month, after saying that he meant “no disrespect to the media.” “If you take the approach, ‘Are we doing this to learn more and better ourselves as a people? And be respectful of their sacrifice, then you won’t let it become a circus,” he continued. When the House voted in May to authorize the select committee, which could cost taxpayers up to $3.3 million to operate, the media attention such a panel was sure to draw was a huge part of the attraction for the Republicans who pushed for it. They wanted a channel to attack President Obama and the Democrats in the lead-up to the midterm election — so much so that House Democrats weren’t even sure they wanted to appoint representatives to the panel out of fear it would legitimize the GOP’s charged rhetoric on the issue. But the politics of Benghazi have shifted. Domestically, the GOP appears poised to win back the Senate for the first time in nearly a decade, and internationally, the foreign policy picture has become much more complicated, with unrest in the Middle East growing dramatically since the last election. The September 11, 2012 attacks on two American facilities in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. In the nearly two years since, Republicans have held up the tragedy to argue that the Obama administration has failure to prosecute the war on terrorism, and accused the president of fighting tooth and nail to keep evidence of incompetence (or worse) from the public. But a pair of reports from the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee – both of which are run by Republicans – have deflated many of the wildest allegations, with the intelligence panel publishing its findings in early August. In turn, these fact-finding operations have raised fresh questions about the purpose the special panel can serve. Gowdy, in a written statement to Yahoo News, declined to say whether he would hold more public hearings than the first one, which is on a topic suggested by one of the committee’s reluctant Democratic participants. “Public hearings are only one part of the work of this committee. The main work of an investigation involves much more outside the spotlight,” Gowdy said. “Depositions and witness interviews, both of which are not public, are more effective for gathering facts. The work of the committee will continue throughout the fall, whether it includes more public hearings or not.” As American foreign policymakers grapple with a new set of challenges across the Middle East, such as the rise of the brutal Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), there seems to be more risk for the GOP in looking political in their investigation. Accordingly, House Republicans have publicly and privately worked to shore up the bipartisan credibility of Gowdy’s investigation and banish all of what one Republican aide called the “circus” surrounding past GOP probes. “The timing is not completely right on this. There’s other stuff happening. There is ISIS happening. The most important thing for Republicans is to be careful with this. This could blow up in their face,” said John Feehery, a former senior House Republican aide who is now president of QGA Communications. Republicans hope to draw in independents and turn out their base in large numbers in November in their bid to defeat Democrats, who traditionally vote in smaller numbers in mid-term elections. With the president’s popularity already at a low ebb and the public unfazed by relatively good economic news, the last thing Republicans should do, some strategists say, is alienate potentially sympathetic voters or energize disaffected Democrats with a fresh over-the-top hearing on the inflammatory topic of Benghazi. “Things are going pretty well for Republicans,” Feehery explained. “Why screw it up? This is the time when you take the three (club) out but don’t take the driver out.” Gowdy has said he does not believe the committee will finish its work before the midterm election. In order for the panel to continue its work during the next Congress, the House would have to vote again to reauthorize it. Given its cost and current existential predicament, though, that vote might not be as easy in 2015 as it was in 2014. That’s a long way from where Republicans were even in May, when Speaker John Boehner of Ohio finally relented to rank-and-file pressure to create the panel. Leadership had been reluctant to vote to form the committee. Now, there may be no greater example of the shift in tone for Republicans on Benghazi than Gowdy himself, who was once one of the most outspoken advocates for going after the administration. Where he once invoked secret evidence of a cover-up, the chairman has put the rhetorical fireworks away and decreed that the committee’s first formal hearing will focus on how well the State Department has implemented the 24 recommendations of the independent Accountability Review Board formed to investigate Benghazi. Whether the GOP can stop the “circus” it now seems so intent on preventing remains an open question. One of the longstanding challenges this House conference has faced is keeping its conservative, flame-throwing rank-and-file membership in check. Just because Gowdy or Republicans involved have changed their tune, does not mean others have—or have to. Moreover, with millions of dollars allocated to the operation of the panel, there’s still the need for Gowdy to produce some final product, beyond what regular committees have done. Democrat Adam Schiff of California, the member who came up with the idea for the first hearing, told Yahoo News that while there seems to be an air of bipartisanship to the select committee now, that could change if and when Gowdy takes heat over the effectiveness — or lack thereof —of the committee. "The challenge will come down the road. I think there's going to be enormous pressure on the chairman to deliver something to justify the time, the expense of the select committee. Whether he can withstand that pressure, or wants to withstand that pressure, will determine how the committee is ultimately viewed," he said. When asked whether it was a good idea for Democrats to participate in this effort at all, Schiff’s answer was telling: "I guess time will tell whether the committee is constructive and whether our participation on it helps it be productive, or whether it degenerates into a circus." *Sunshine State News: “Hillary Clinton Beating Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush in Florida Poll” <http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/hillary-clinton-beating-marco-rubio-jeb-bush-florida-poll>* By Kevin Derby September 2, 2014, 7:09 a.m. EDT Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the heavy favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination, starts off the 2016 election cycle with the lead in the key swing state of Florida over two Republicans from the Sunshine State. A poll released by Gravis Marketing on Friday shows Clinton cruising over U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in a potential 2016 match-up. Clinton takes 44 percent of voters in that scenario while Rubio lags behind with 35 percent. More than a fifth of voters -- 21 percent -- remain undecided. But Clinton’s lead is cut dramatically when former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., is inserted as the Republican nominee. Clinton takes 39 percent in that scenario with Bush right on her heels with 37 percent. The percentage of undecided voters in that case rises to 24 percent. The poll of 859 registered voters was taken from Aug. 14-24 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent. Of those voters, 73 percent of them identified themselves as “very likely” to vote while 17 percent said they were “likely to vote” and 10 percent were “somewhat likely to vote.” Most of the sample -- 80 percent -- was collected via phone but the remainder came from Internet panels. *Wall Street Journal: “GOP's Presidential Hopefuls Travel the World” <http://online.wsj.com/articles/gops-presidential-hopefuls-travel-the-world-1409674483>* By Heather Haddon September 2, 2014, 12:14 p.m. EDT New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is set to make his second foreign trip as governor beginning Wednesday, a three-day visit to Mexico that comes as he and others considering running for president in 2016 are stepping up their overseas travels. While Mr. Christie's aides describe the trip as a trade and cultural mission, it also reflects an increasingly wide selection of international destinations for Republicans seeking to burnish their foreign-policy credentials. The current crop of 2016 Republican hopefuls have touched down in South Korea, China, the Philippines and Guatemala, among other places. The new itineraries reflect changing U.S. economic and diplomatic relationships, analysts said. "It provides very valuable perspective as you debate national issues," said Kevin Madden, a GOP strategist who was a senior adviser for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. "These candidates get exposed to how important the American economy is and the issue of global competitiveness." Among the open Republican field, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan is likely the potential 2016 candidate with the most foreign travel. He has visited 31 countries since taking office in 1999. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is catching up, though, having traveled to 16 countries since 2011. His list includes Cuba, Colombia and Haiti. In January, Mr. Rubio traveled to the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, and delivered a hawkish speech that criticized China and North Korea and advocated for the U.S. to increase its military presence in Asia. Texas Gov. Rick Perry is heading off Sept. 6 to China to meet business leaders. In April, he met with government officials in the island nation of Palau, a republic within Micronesia. And while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is known for an isolationist foreign policy stance, he joined a delegation last month to Guatemala to provide free eye care for the impoverished. Mr. Paul, an ophthalmologist, performed surgery on the trip, though he also met with Guatemala's president and brought three Senate aides with him. "It was a medical mission," said Sergio Gor, a spokesman for Mr. Paul's political organization. "While other folks may be traveling for other reasons, the senator is very much in his element in the operating room." Mr. Christie made his first international trip as governor to Israel and Jordan in 2012. The Mexico trip developed after Mr. Christie was introduced last year at Allen & Co.'s conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Choosing to visit nations such as Mexico and Guatemala could raise qualms among conservatives given the heated climate surrounding immigration policy, said Keith Appell, a GOP strategist who works with conservative candidates. "Going to Mexico carries some risk. You are going to be asked about immigration. You have to have an answer," Mr. Appell said. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican, said that the changing world gave national candidates a reason to diversify their travel list. "I'm still a trans-Atlantic guy, but you can't avoid the reality of new opportunities," Mr. Ridge said. "There are more relationships to be nurtured and developed." A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee declined to comment on the recent travels of Republican candidates. Possible 2016 contenders on the Democratic side are well-known for their foreign-policy experience. Hillary Clinton has traveled much of the world as the former secretary of state, first lady and senator from New York serving on the Committee on Armed Services. Vice President Joe Biden has traveled extensively as chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and as the Obama administration's frequent point-person on foreign affairs. *Washington Post blog: In The Loop: “Biden? Not running, maybe just strolling, in 2016” <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/09/02/biden-not-running-maybe-just-strolling-in-2016/>* By Al Kamen September 2, 2014, 12:11 p.m. EDT Vice President Biden is rousing the troops again. He may have raised an eyebrow or two a couple months ago when he hopped onto a conference call to touch base with many of the hundreds of his former Senate, vice presidential and campaign staffs. As we reported, he just wanted to say, “Hi, howahya,” to everybody. Biden spoke for a few minutes, saying that he’d wanted to do something like that for a couple of years and that he was sorry he hadn’t been able to keep up with everyone. (It was a one-way chat; the callers were on mute.) The call was organized via a Democratic National Committee e-mail invite from Biden counselor Greg Schultz. He had been Ohio state director for the Obama-Biden reelection camplaign and was Ohio deputy political director in 2008. Sure, we were suspicious, but figured Biden was just being friendly. But more eyebrows will likely be raised by the latest “Save the Date” invite to Biden alumni from Schultz. This one is for a Sept. 16 gathering of former Biden aides in both Delaware and here in Washington at 6 p.m. Venue and other details coming soon, Schultz advised. “This will be a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet other Biden Alumni from over the years,” Schultz said, reminding everyone to fill out updated contact info. Well, after watching the disastrous Hillary Clinton memoir launch and surveying the rest of the Democratic field, it only makes sense for Biden, who’s run for president twice before, to do so some preliminary work now. Not that that’s what he’s doing, of course. *Washington Post: Maryland Politics: “O’Malley headed to Florida for a full day of political events later this month” <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/omalley-headed-to-florida-for-a-full-day-of-political-events-later-this-month/2014/09/02/305d02ba-32ac-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html>* By John Wagner September 2, 2014, 10:45 a.m. EDT Add Florida to Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s political itinerary. O’Malley (D), who is weighing a 2016 White House bid, has a full day scheduled Sept. 20 that includes fundraising meetings, campaigning for Charlie Crist, the state’s Democratic nominee for governor, and an appearance at a Democratic party reception, aides said. The reception was noted in a save-the-date notice recently distributed by the Palm Beach County Democratic Party, which is holding its annual Truman-Kennedy-Johnson Dinner in West Palm Beach that night. O’Malley is expected to address a pre-dinner reception at the event, an aide said. The trip comes amid a busy period of travel for O’Malley, who has said he is actively preparing for a potential presidential run regardless of whether Hillary Rodham Clinton moves forward with a bid. O’Malley’s travel schedule next month also includes a trip to New Hampshire, the nation’s first presidential primary state. His Sept. 26appearance at the Portsmouth City Democrats fall dinner will be O’Malley’s fourth visit to the Granite State in 10 months. O’Malley is also dispatching campaign staff to 2014 battleground states — including New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina — to help fellow Democrats in competitive gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. *Wall Street Journal blog: Washington Wire: “Bill Clinton, Usher Team Up to Raise Money for Michelle Nunn” <http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/09/02/bill-clinton-usher-team-up-to-raise-money-for-michelle-nunn/>* By Beth Reinhard September 2, 2014 Former President Bill Clinton, the last Democratic nominee to carry the state of Georgia, is slated to attend a Sept. 13 fundraiser for Senate candidate Michelle Nunn at the Atlanta home of the singer Usher. The popular ex-president from Arkansas is filling an important role as a Democratic headliner in Republican-leaning, southern states where President Barack Obama receives low approval ratings. Mr. Clinton has also lent a hand to Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky and Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor. In a midterm election in which the GOP is expected to make the biggest gains, Ms. Nunn, who faces Republican nominee David Perdue, and Ms. Grimes, who is running against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are the Democratic Party’s best hopes for winning seats previously held by Republicans. This is not the first time Ms. Nunn will join Mr. Clinton and Usher. In 2010, Ms. Nunn received an award for her charitable work as CEO of the Points of Lights Institute and co-founder of the HandsOn Network from the New Look Foundation, founded by Usher. He and Mr. Clinton co-chaired the event in Atlanta. “Both in office and out, President Clinton has been a tireless advocate for Georgia families and a force for consensus building and creative problem solving in Washington,” Ms. Nunn said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. “I have been honored to work with him as CEO of President George H.W. Bush‘s Points of Light Foundation, and I am very grateful to have his support in this race.” Ms. Nunn and Usher also worked together on recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Polls on the race have been mixed. In the latest poll, conducted by Landmark Communications for WSB-TV, Ms. Nunn led Republican nominee David Perdue, 47% to 40%. A day before that poll’s release, Survey USA, in a poll for WXIA-TV, found Mr. Perdue leading 50% to 41%.