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Since 2011
Gabe Fleisher, Editor-in-Chief
wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com

wakeuptopolitics.com @WakeUp2Politics

Election Central
Whos Doing What: 2016 Roundup Hillary Clinton The likely Democratic
presidential candidate has hired two veterans of the Obama 2008 and 2012
campaigns, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. Jim Margolis will be the
campaigns media adviser, while Joel Benenson will play the role of chief
strategist.
Benensons role in the Clinton campaign will be closer to David Axelrods
position in the Obama campaigns; Benenson was chief pollster for Obama in
2008 and 2012.
Other likely Clinton hires that have been previously speculated are John
Podesta, currently White House counselor to Obama, who would chair
Clintons campaign, and Robby Mook, likely campaign manager of Hillary
Clintons 2016 run.
Marco Rubio American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for
Everyone, the Florida Senator and potential 2016 Republican presidential
candidates second book came out Tuesday.
As potential candidates explore runs for the Presidency, they almost always
write books to get their message out, and then go on a book tour (and stop in
key primary states) to test the waters of a campaign. As Politico writes,

 Such books, which tend to be anodyne at best, are a handy way for hopefuls
to introduce themselves to activists on their own terms, give an excuse for
travel to early primary states, generate media and make cash.
Rand Paul The Kentucky Senator and likely candidate for the Republican
nomination in 2016 has hired Chip Englander, the Washington Post also
reported Tuesday.
Englander, who managed Bruce Rauners successful 2014 campaign for
Illinois governor, would serve as campaign manager for Pauls likely 2016
presidential efforts.
In addition, today Paul will be back in New Hampshire the key first-in-thenation primary state for the first time since the midterm elections in
November. Paul will meet with activists opposed to the education program
Common Core, which his likely opponent for the GOP nomination Jeb Bush
supports. Paul dished on Bushs support for Common Core in an interview
saying, Hes been a proponent of Common Core, a proponent probably of a
much bigger government a Big Government Republican who believes
more things should be occurring in Washington rather than
decentralization.
Chris Christie The same day he delivered his annual State of the State
address, the New York Times reported Tuesday that New Jersey Gov. Chris
Christie is forming a leadership PAC (political action committee) this
month.
This PAC would allow Christie to launch a de facto campaign that could
make hires, raise money, and let the New Jersey Republican travel around
the country.
Launching the PAC is the latest move by Christie suggesting a 2016
presidential run; other potential presidential candidates already have PACs,
including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R).
Christie is also headed to the early primary state of South Carolina today to
hold a meet and greet organized by the state Republican Party, where
business leaders, state legislators, and powerful local Republicans, according
to CNN.

Capitol Hill News

Senate: Status Update The Senate is in recess for the rest of the week,
while both party caucuses hold their annual retreats (Democrats today and
tomorrow; Republicans tomorrow and Friday).
House: Status Update Meanwhile, the U.S. House votes today on passage
of two bills President Obama has promised to veto.
First up: DHS funding. The cromnibus spending bill passed at the end of
last year only funds the Department of Homeland Security through February
28. This provision, pushed in by Republicans, was a way to block the
President exeucitve order on immigration.
However, the department still must be funded, and the House will vote on a
bill today that will do sowhile still blocking Obamas immigration action.
This will cause a problem, as the President will definitely veto the bill, and it
might not even pass the Senate where some Republicans may defect, and it
could be filibustered. Causing Washingtons next fiscal showdown, with
both sides agreeing the DHS needs funding, but likely to fight over
immigration before doing it.
Also today, the House will vote on the Promoting Job Creation and
Reducing Small Business Burdens Act. The Obama Administration has
already issued a formal veto threat of this measure (one of five such threats
the White House has released in the first week of the Republican-controlled
114th Congress). The point of controversy on the bill is a provision that
would delay a part of the Volcker Rule, a key component of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform Act that prevents institutions from taking
excessive risks through proprietary trading and fund investing, according to
the White House.
Both bills are expected to pass the House.
Obama Nominee Withdraws after Pressure from Warren President
Barack Obamas nominee for Under Secretary of Domestic Finance (the
third-ranking official at the Treasury Department has withdrawn his
nomination, after pressure from the left.
The nominee, Antonio Weiss faced opposition led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren
(D-MA) over his connection to Wall Street, where he currently works as a

Lazard banker. President Obama accepted the withdrawal, and promptly

tapped Weiss as counselor to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, a position not
requiring Senate confirmation.
Weiss withdrawal represents Warrens emergence in the new Congress as a
force to be reckoned with in the Democratic Party, not afraid to stand against
her own party to advance the liberal cause. As many in the left wing of the
Democratic Party hoped she might be, Warren has become a Democratic
Ted Cruz of sortsbut her forcing Weiss to step down shows she might be
even more effective.

White House Watch

The Presidents Schedule President Obama travels to Iowa today,
obviously to lay groundwork for a presidential campaign. Oh wait
In reality, the President is in Cedar Falls, Iowa to continue his State of the
Union preview tour. This week, the theme has bene Internet-related issues,
and Obama will speak about increasing high-speed and affordable
broadband access across the country, especially in rural areas like the one he
will be visiting today.
Obama, who departs the White House at Noon (Eastern Time) and arrives in
Iowa at 1:45 (Central Time), will attend a fiber optic splicing demonstration
at Cedar Falls Utilities at 2:25 PM local time, before speaking there at 2:40
PM, and arriving back at the White House at 6:45 PM Eastern Time.