By — Domenico Montanaro Domenico Montanaro By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins By — Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford By — Simone Pathe Simone Pathe Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/political-complications-clinton-doctrine Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The political complications of a ‘Clinton Doctrine’ Politics Dec 3, 2014 9:34 AM EDT Today in the Morning Line: Clinton talks foreign policy GOP nod is still anyone’s guess House and Senate vote on tax extenders today The Clinton Doctrine: Hillary Clinton leads in all major polls for the Democratic nomination — and not by a little. Despite rumblings that the Left is not thrilled with her, she continues to pull in 60 percent or so in primary polling. That gives Clinton, who is more hawkish than Barack Obama on foreign policy, SOME room to maneuver. So keep an eye on her speech today at Georgetown at 10 am ET, entitled, “Smart Power: Security Through Inclusive Leadership.” (You can watch it live here. Remember, Clinton has already laid out some policies that are more to the right than President Obama — when it comes to arming Syrian rebels earlier, for example, and whether the U.S. should be open to staying longer in Afghanistan. And remember this quote? “Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.” Of course, her vote for the Iraq war — and not having a post-Feb. 5 Super Tuesday strategy — are what did her in the first time. Don’t miss Politico’s Maggie Haberman and James Hohman push back today against the idea that Clinton will announce a second run for president by the end of this year or in January, noting that she has a paid speech Feb. 24. The doctor is in? By the way, NO ONE should be surprised that Ben Carson was in second place in a poll. He is the FIRST person off the lips of most rank-and-file Tea Party conservatives. We wouldn’t be surprised if he LEADS at some point. Remember, Donald Trump led in a poll about the 2012 race. But Carson leading is likely less predictive about whether he will be the nominee than it is about what a wide-open contest the GOP primary is going to be again. … Ready for Bush? Speaking of doctrines, addressing the U.S. Cuba Democracy PAC Tuesday in Coral Gables, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush laid out a foreign policy doctrine that Marc Caputo writes, “closely mirror[s] that of his brother, former President George W. Bush. The last two elections saw the “establishment” Republican candidate win (and George W. Bush really married the two wings). But if Jeb Bush gets passed the trial balloon stage and actually runs, he’s going to face more of these kinds of grumbles and headlines from conservatives and conservative outlets — Breitbart: “JEB BUSH: REPUBLICANS DON’T NEED CONSERVATIVES TO WIN WHITE HOUSE, SHOULD NOT DEFUND EXEC AMNESTY.” Will this kind of push back ward him off from running? Not if he — and donors — see a path. Watch those New Hampshire and Florida polls… Congress getting some things done: The House plans to vote on the “Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014” late afternoon or evening, possibly some time between 4:30 and 5:30 pm EST. That’s the $44 billion-plus package of tax breaks, called tax extenders, that expired last year. A nice committee summary of what’s in it is here. The House also is set to vote on the ABLE Act, a bright spot of bipartisanship in both chambers. It would let disabled Americans set up tax-free spending accounts for their basic needs. It’s expected to pass even though some conservatives believe it promotes dependence on government. Here’s the summary. The pay-fors are getting some attention, including a change to Medicare policy on erectile dysfunction. The Senate, you ask? It will be voting on nominees: six judges and two members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Daily Presidential Trivia: On this day in 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected president of the United States. Jackson was the first Irish-American president; where was he born? Be the first to tweet us the correct answer using #PoliticsTrivia and you’ll get a Morning Line shout-out. No one guessed Monday’s trivia: Which future president, who was also James Monroe’s secretary of state, was one of the Monroe Doctrine’s authors? The answer was: John Quincy Adams. LINE ITEMS President Obama has selected former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to be the nominee for the next secretary of defense, according to senior administration officials. Mr. Obama hosts the Tribal Nations Conference beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The president delivers remarks at 2 p.m. ET. Visiting the National Institutes of Health Tuesday, President Obama called on Congress to approve emergency funding to fight Ebola before Christmas. Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee used Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson’s Tuesday testimony as an opportunity to attack Mr. Obama’s executive action on immigration, suggesting it was unconstitutional overreach. Speaker John Boehner is not about to have another government shutdown on his watch, but he’s also mindful of his more conservative members. That’s why he’s pushing a hybrid approach that would keep the government funded through next September — except the Department of Homeland Security — and also allow the House a vote to ban Mr. Obama from changing immigration laws. But it’s not clear conservatives will bite on Boehner’s deal or that Republicans will have enough votes without Democratic help. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott made African-American and southern history and gave specifics about his future. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is calling for another vote on her military sexual assault legislation that would remove prosecution of sexual assaults from the chain of command. We have a good deal of Louisiana news today. First, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu criticized the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for not supporting her after Election Day, saying they “just walked away from this race.” Landrieu filed a 1295-page fundraising and expense report that cannot be searched electronically. Former Pennsylvania senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum heads to Louisiana Wednesday to campaign for GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy in the Senate race. Santorum will also make stops in Texas and Michigan this week. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is putting his PAC money in early presidential states. The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake explains why Sen. Rand Paul could possibly run for re-election in the Senate and still run for president in 2016. Representatives of the major league sports in the U.S. testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Tuesday about their methods for handling domestic violence among their athletes. Wyoming lawmakers are debating the death penalty and firing squads, in theory. A former Congressional aide pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges in D.C. Tuesday. The man had been a Hill staffer for over a decade. There are 50 incoming members of the House in the next Congress, and Washington Post’s Jaime Fuller has one line about each of them to help you get to know them a little bit better. Keep an eye on the Rundown blog for breaking news throughout the day, our home page for show segments, and follow @NewsHour for the latest. TOP TWEETS GOP’s #LA06 candidate Garrett Graves starts an answer on immigration by telling people to watch the SNL Schoolhouse Rock sketch. — daveweigel (@daveweigel) December 3, 2014 CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Congress to cut flow of MEDICARE money for penis pumps. $444M savings for taxpayers. http://t.co/XbMsNzv4oj @aawayne — Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) December 3, 2014 We’re at “war” and the WH is anonymously dissing the man who may be the only qualified candidate willing to be Sec Def #Winning — Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) December 3, 2014 For more political coverage, visit our politics page. Sign up here to receive the Morning Line in your inbox every morning. Questions or comments? Email Domenico Montanaro at dmontanaro-at-newshour-dot-org or Rachel Wellford at rwellford-at-newshour-dot-org. Follow the politics team on Twitter: Follow @DomenicoPBS Follow @elizsummers Follow @rachelwellford Follow @sfpathe We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Domenico Montanaro Domenico Montanaro By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS News Hour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work. @LisaDNews By — Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford is a general assignment producer for PBS NewsHour. @rachelwellford By — Simone Pathe Simone Pathe @sfpathe
Today in the Morning Line: Clinton talks foreign policy GOP nod is still anyone’s guess House and Senate vote on tax extenders today The Clinton Doctrine: Hillary Clinton leads in all major polls for the Democratic nomination — and not by a little. Despite rumblings that the Left is not thrilled with her, she continues to pull in 60 percent or so in primary polling. That gives Clinton, who is more hawkish than Barack Obama on foreign policy, SOME room to maneuver. So keep an eye on her speech today at Georgetown at 10 am ET, entitled, “Smart Power: Security Through Inclusive Leadership.” (You can watch it live here. Remember, Clinton has already laid out some policies that are more to the right than President Obama — when it comes to arming Syrian rebels earlier, for example, and whether the U.S. should be open to staying longer in Afghanistan. And remember this quote? “Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.” Of course, her vote for the Iraq war — and not having a post-Feb. 5 Super Tuesday strategy — are what did her in the first time. Don’t miss Politico’s Maggie Haberman and James Hohman push back today against the idea that Clinton will announce a second run for president by the end of this year or in January, noting that she has a paid speech Feb. 24. The doctor is in? By the way, NO ONE should be surprised that Ben Carson was in second place in a poll. He is the FIRST person off the lips of most rank-and-file Tea Party conservatives. We wouldn’t be surprised if he LEADS at some point. Remember, Donald Trump led in a poll about the 2012 race. But Carson leading is likely less predictive about whether he will be the nominee than it is about what a wide-open contest the GOP primary is going to be again. … Ready for Bush? Speaking of doctrines, addressing the U.S. Cuba Democracy PAC Tuesday in Coral Gables, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush laid out a foreign policy doctrine that Marc Caputo writes, “closely mirror[s] that of his brother, former President George W. Bush. The last two elections saw the “establishment” Republican candidate win (and George W. Bush really married the two wings). But if Jeb Bush gets passed the trial balloon stage and actually runs, he’s going to face more of these kinds of grumbles and headlines from conservatives and conservative outlets — Breitbart: “JEB BUSH: REPUBLICANS DON’T NEED CONSERVATIVES TO WIN WHITE HOUSE, SHOULD NOT DEFUND EXEC AMNESTY.” Will this kind of push back ward him off from running? Not if he — and donors — see a path. Watch those New Hampshire and Florida polls… Congress getting some things done: The House plans to vote on the “Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014” late afternoon or evening, possibly some time between 4:30 and 5:30 pm EST. That’s the $44 billion-plus package of tax breaks, called tax extenders, that expired last year. A nice committee summary of what’s in it is here. The House also is set to vote on the ABLE Act, a bright spot of bipartisanship in both chambers. It would let disabled Americans set up tax-free spending accounts for their basic needs. It’s expected to pass even though some conservatives believe it promotes dependence on government. Here’s the summary. The pay-fors are getting some attention, including a change to Medicare policy on erectile dysfunction. The Senate, you ask? It will be voting on nominees: six judges and two members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Daily Presidential Trivia: On this day in 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected president of the United States. Jackson was the first Irish-American president; where was he born? Be the first to tweet us the correct answer using #PoliticsTrivia and you’ll get a Morning Line shout-out. No one guessed Monday’s trivia: Which future president, who was also James Monroe’s secretary of state, was one of the Monroe Doctrine’s authors? The answer was: John Quincy Adams. LINE ITEMS President Obama has selected former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to be the nominee for the next secretary of defense, according to senior administration officials. Mr. Obama hosts the Tribal Nations Conference beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The president delivers remarks at 2 p.m. ET. Visiting the National Institutes of Health Tuesday, President Obama called on Congress to approve emergency funding to fight Ebola before Christmas. Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee used Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson’s Tuesday testimony as an opportunity to attack Mr. Obama’s executive action on immigration, suggesting it was unconstitutional overreach. Speaker John Boehner is not about to have another government shutdown on his watch, but he’s also mindful of his more conservative members. That’s why he’s pushing a hybrid approach that would keep the government funded through next September — except the Department of Homeland Security — and also allow the House a vote to ban Mr. Obama from changing immigration laws. But it’s not clear conservatives will bite on Boehner’s deal or that Republicans will have enough votes without Democratic help. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott made African-American and southern history and gave specifics about his future. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is calling for another vote on her military sexual assault legislation that would remove prosecution of sexual assaults from the chain of command. We have a good deal of Louisiana news today. First, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu criticized the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for not supporting her after Election Day, saying they “just walked away from this race.” Landrieu filed a 1295-page fundraising and expense report that cannot be searched electronically. Former Pennsylvania senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum heads to Louisiana Wednesday to campaign for GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy in the Senate race. Santorum will also make stops in Texas and Michigan this week. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is putting his PAC money in early presidential states. The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake explains why Sen. Rand Paul could possibly run for re-election in the Senate and still run for president in 2016. Representatives of the major league sports in the U.S. testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Tuesday about their methods for handling domestic violence among their athletes. Wyoming lawmakers are debating the death penalty and firing squads, in theory. A former Congressional aide pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges in D.C. Tuesday. The man had been a Hill staffer for over a decade. There are 50 incoming members of the House in the next Congress, and Washington Post’s Jaime Fuller has one line about each of them to help you get to know them a little bit better. Keep an eye on the Rundown blog for breaking news throughout the day, our home page for show segments, and follow @NewsHour for the latest. TOP TWEETS GOP’s #LA06 candidate Garrett Graves starts an answer on immigration by telling people to watch the SNL Schoolhouse Rock sketch. — daveweigel (@daveweigel) December 3, 2014 CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Congress to cut flow of MEDICARE money for penis pumps. $444M savings for taxpayers. http://t.co/XbMsNzv4oj @aawayne — Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) December 3, 2014 We’re at “war” and the WH is anonymously dissing the man who may be the only qualified candidate willing to be Sec Def #Winning — Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) December 3, 2014 For more political coverage, visit our politics page. Sign up here to receive the Morning Line in your inbox every morning. Questions or comments? Email Domenico Montanaro at dmontanaro-at-newshour-dot-org or Rachel Wellford at rwellford-at-newshour-dot-org. Follow the politics team on Twitter: Follow @DomenicoPBS Follow @elizsummers Follow @rachelwellford Follow @sfpathe We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now