Wake Up To Politics - November 13, 2014
To read today's edition of Wake Up To Politics in a PDF format, click here. Continue reading to find the text of the Wake Up in the body of the email!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
726 Days Until Election Day 2016
Sullivan wins AK Senate race, Senate votes on child care bill, House considers Cassidy Keystone bill, 43 writes about 41 (and 42 chimes in too), and some trivia on Rutherford Hayes and presidential books: It's Thursday, November 13, 2014, I'm Gabe Fleisher for this packed edition of Wake Up To Politics, and reporting from WUTP world HQ in my bedroom - Good morning: THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL!!!
To send me questions, comments, tips, new subscribers, and more: email me at wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com. To learn more about WUTP or subscribe, visit the site: wakeuptopolitics.com, or read my tweets and follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/Wakeup2Politics.
Election Central
- Called: Sullivan Wins AK Senate Race The Associated Press has called the Alaska Senate race for Republican Dan Sullivan over Democratic Sen. Mark Begich.
- This hands the GOP another Senate pick-up, placing control of the upper chamber at 53-46 for when the 114th Congress meets in January, with just one race still undecided (Louisiana, which will remain so until a December 6 runoff).
- The AP called the race even with thousands of ballots yet to be counted, and Begich yet to concede but the respected news organization said, “the results indicated that Begich could not overcome Sullivan’s lead.”
White House Watch
- Senate Status Update The lame-duck Senate meets today for three roll call votes: Randolph Moss to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia, Leigh Martin May to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, and a cloture vote on the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, which will improve child care for low-income families. Today, the Senate holds a cloture vote on House changes to the child care bill, and will soon hold a final vote on the legislation. If both votes are successful, the bill goes to the President’s desk.
- House Status Update The House will vote on a number of bills today, and will begin consideration of H.R. 5682, which would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, and is authored by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
- But right now, Cassidy is also engaged in a runoff battle with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and sponsorship of a bill so popular with many Louisianans (like the Keystone pipeline) could help his already-favorable chances.
Capitol Hill News
- Hot Book: 41 by George W. Bush I’m really excited about this one: George W. Bush is out with a new book…41: A Portrait of My Father. a The new biography will come from George W.’s unique perspective on George H.W. as his son, but also as his successor in the Presidency who understands the challenges of the office.
- Seems like a must-read for any fans of the Presidency or the President’s Club: and counting myself among those categories, I will be reading it soon – although I just got a LOT of books this past weekend, and it may be a while until I get to 41.
- Here’s a link to the book on Amazon and an excerpt from the little Amazon blurb: “Forty-three men have served as President of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But never before has a President told the story of his father, another President, through his own eyes and in his own words.”
- And the best…the presidential social media back-and-forth that has resulted from 41’s release (in which 42 tweets about 43’s book, and via hashtag, asked why he was not on Twitter; 43 replies on Instagram asking how 42 wasn’t on Instagram, and said #BrothersFromAnotherMother' and I just sat back and watched, a proud Tweep AND Instagrammer. (Screenshot of the back-and-forth in the PDF)
Question of the Day
- Today’s Question Three Presidents have written books on other Presidents. Name one (or more) of the presidential authors of those presidential books.
- Extra credit: Name the presidents the books were written about!
- Yesterday’s Answer Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, may be unknown at home, but in the small South American nation of Paraguay, he’s a national hero.
- After taking office in 1877, Hayes was thrown into a conflict known as the Triple Alliance War, which had just ended, nearly taking Paraguay with it as well. With no United Nations or any similar international organization, the two sides asked the United States to settle the territorial disputes following the war. President Hayes did so, and sided with Paraguay, ensuring the nation would keep 60% of its land and survive as a country.
- For this, Paraguay seems to owe Rutherford an internal debt of gratitude, naming a city after him – Villa Hayes (Spanish for “Hayesville”), where a museum in his honor is located – as well as a soccer team, Club Presidente Hayes, located in another part of the country, and featuring the former U.S. President on a postage stamp.
- And while America has all but forgotten Rutherford B. Hayes, at least he’ll always have Paraguay.
- GREAT JOB…Linda Randall, Alex Chandler, Steve Gitnik, Marlee Millman, Joe Bookman, and @GregCurtin (who answered via Twitter)!!!
