By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Feb 28, 2013 at 9:15 AM ET
If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Recovering Politician‘s KY Political Brief (click here RIGHT NOW to do so), here’s what you missed over the past few days about the potential epic 2014 U.S. Senate battle between Ashley Judd and Mitch McConnell:
2014 SENATE DERBY — Most Kentucky state Democratic Senators lukewarm on Ashley Judd candidacy – KY Public Radio’s Rae Hodge – “Taken as a whole, Democratic state senators were unenthusiastic about the idea of a Judd candidacy. But not all. Walter Blevins (Morehead), Kathy Stein (Lexington) and Gerald Neal (Louisville) expressed direct support for a Judd candidacy. Three declined to answer: Louisville’s Perry Clark and Denise Harper-Angel, and Frankfort’s Julian Carroll, a former governor. The rest were lukewarm—and many expressed enthusiasm for Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Kentucky secretary of state and another rumored candidate. Regardless, a single thought emerged from each response: Democrats must unify behind one candidate, if they want to replace McConnell.” [WFPL]
—ICYMI: Jonathan Miller discusses possible Judd Senate bid on HuffPost Live [TheRP]
—Judd’s decision on run at office may be close – CNHI’s Ronnie Ellis – “Actress and activist Ashley Judd may be getting closer to a decision on whether to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Larry Clark, the Democratic Speaker Pro Tem of the state House, told CNHI News Wednesday Judd called him and they talked about the race. Later, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Judd had called his cell, but he hadn’t spoken with her so far.” [CNHI]
TWITTER TURNABOUT — Progress Kentucky apologizes to Mitch McConnell’s wife over ‘Chinese’ Twitter messages – WFPL’s Phillip Bailey – “The group’s Tweets accused former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan, of moving American jobs to China and that her “Chinese (money)” was buying state elections. Critics slammed the comments as racially offensive, and a national backlash against the group was ignited. Progress Kentucky executive director Shawn Reilly says they remain dedicated to educating voters about McConnell’s record, but their messages “included an inappropriate comment on the ethnicity” of the former labor secretary.” [WFPL]
—Group under fire for McConnell tweets also faces FEC questions [POLITICO]
WILL JUDD RUN? — Ky. voters react as Judd’s liberal positions are detailed – WHAS-TV’s Joe Arnold – “As Judd inches closer to a decision, her outspoken nature is yielding decades of pointed and controversial comments which Kentucky Democratic strategists concede are a gold mine for the campaign of potential opponent, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R).” [WHAS]
—Daily Caller: Ashley Judd’s biggest problem: Her history of bizarre comments [Daily Caller]
—Mother Jones: Ashley Judd is not the next Todd Akin [Mother Jones]
AL MAYO: McConnell Could Seize the Day, writing for KY Political Brief – “With the sequestration cuts looming, and a deadlock already in place between Senate Democrats and House Republicans, McConnell is in the perfect position to help effect an agreement via compromise.” [KPB column]
If politics is just like show business, Ashley Judd’s possible run for senate could be a success. What does it take to make the transition and will we take her seriously?
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue Feb 26, 2013 at 9:15 AM ET
If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Recovering Politician‘s KY Political Brief (click here RIGHT NOW to do so), here’s what you missed over the past few days about the potential epic 2014 U.S. Senate battle between Ashley Judd and Mitch McConnell:
2014 SENATE DERBY
—Will Ashley Judd challenge Mitch McConnell for Senate? Kentucky Democrats think so – ABC News – “She hasn’t announced yet, but her biggest supporter in Kentucky, Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth, told ABC News, “I would be surprised if she doesn’t run at this point.” … One thing that’s guaranteed is it will be a brutal race — a 30-year veteran of Washington against a Hollywood star active in liberal Democratic politics from a legendary family. … Yarmuth says Judd is ready and has even done opposition research on herself to see areas McConnell will try to “exploit.”” [ABC News]
—THE R.P.I. — Handicapping the 2014 U.S. Senate race — Quick glance: #1 Mitch McConnell … #2 Ashley Judd … #3 Alison Lundergan Grimes … #4b Steve Beshear … Unranked: Larry Forgy [Full RPI]
—NEW THIS MORNING: Liberal PAC launches new ad hitting McConnell on guns – The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal PAC that recently ran a television ad attacking Sen. Mitch McConnell on gun control, is launching a new ad featuring a Kentucky gun owner and hunter beginning this morning. The group spending at least $25,000 to run its second ad in the Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green and Paducah markets and online in Kentucky. The PCCC says it will soon have spent $100,000 on its campaign against McConnell and said the ad is timed to precede Wednesday’s Senate “Hearing on the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.” [See the ad]
—IN GOOD HUMOR : Ashley Judd, Mitch McConnell and how to tell a Tea Party candidate from a Democrat [Insider Louisville]
—Mitch McConnell vs. Ashley Judd: The Most Epic Election Battle Of 2014 – PolicyMic – “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has an unprecedented re-election battle on the horizon. Despite his power in Congress, at home, he is incredibly vulnerable. … Enter Ashley Judd. Raised as a Kentuckian, her experience and active participation in Bluegrass politics have led Democrats around the country to rally around her as-yet unconfirmed election bid. There are several reasons why liberals find her candidacy compelling.” [PolicyMic]
—Ashley Judd starts March with two public events – in Washington [C-J]
—NY Magazine: Don’t Run for Senate, Ashley Judd! It’s a Trap! – In ‘Daily Intelligencer’ post: “… while a Mitch McConnell concession speech after losing to Ashley Judd is possibly the most gratifying political event I could possibly imagine, it is also impossible. … Democrats are going to lose the Senate race pretty much regardless. But Ashley Judd would raise a ton of money across the country and spend it bolstering turnout across the state, which would help other Democrats, most of whom would be distancing themselves from Judd like she was George Clooney.” [NY Mag]
By Jonathan Miller, on Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 7:36 PM ET
Oh, no. First the Chinese. Now the Mexicans are attacking me. As you can see in the screenshot, UPI Espanol is calling me y “el ex director del partido, Jonathan Miller” which I am pretty sure is Spanish for a “former dictator who throws bad parties.”
Newly confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry joked today that he is a “recovering politician,” relating a funny story about the occasional perils of being such a widely recognized public figure.
Watch the clip:
Are there any intellectual property lawyers who want to represent me in a lawsuit?
UPDATED: February 22, 2012
From today’s Washington Post, writes Al Kamen in an article titled, “John Kerry, a ‘recovering politician’“:
Back when he was running for president in 2003 and 2004, then- Sen. John Kerry was giving speeches ripping into President George W. Bush for spending money overseas and allowing “a preparedness gap” in terms of the fight against terrorism.
“We should not be opening firehouses in Baghdad,” he told a crowd in a Roanoke fire station Feb. 9 2004, “and shutting them in the United States of America.”
But at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Wednesday — about a two-hour drive from Roanoke — Kerry made a pitch for not cutting funds for foreign policy and overseas aid, noting that it’s only a bit more than 1 percent of the overall budget.
And “every embassy, every program that saves a child from dirty drinking water, or from AIDS, or reaches out to build a village, and bring America’s values, every person” comes out of that “one penny plus a bit, on a single dollar.”
So why do people criticize foreign aid spending and think it’s a quarter of the budget?
“Well, I’ll tell you,” he said, according to a State Department transcript, “It’s pretty simple. As a recovering politician (laughter) … I can tell you that nothing gets a crowd clapping faster in a lot of places than saying, “I’m going to Washington to get them to stop spending all that money over there.”
