46%
— President Obama's approval rating, according to Gallup. Last week, before sequestration took place, Obama was at 53%.
Morning Must Reads: March 5
In the news: North Korea threatens to cancel the Korean War cease-fire, Sen. Menendez was framed, Syrian refugees approach 1 million, and John Boehner, “Master Negotiator.”
White House Poaches State Staffers
Secretary of State John Kerry has lost several heavy hitters to his opposing centers of power- the Vice President’s office and the National Security Council.
Could Dennis Rodman’s North Korea Trip Affect U.S. Policy?
Surely a little more insight into the thinking of North Korea’s reclusive leader would help the Obama team plan its next steps
Obama Nominates a Fighter and an Engineer at the EPA and the Energy Department
Energy Secretary nominee Ernest Moniz and EPA nominee Gina McCarthy represent President Obama’s temperamental tendency towards compromise.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell: Obama’s Pick to Head OMB
Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about Burwell.
Will Reform of Fannie and Freddie Kill the 30-Year Mortgage?
Amid the budget battles, a conversation on the future of housing policy in America
Decision Making, Lite
Why is President Obama making military decisions with so little military input?
State Dept: Build the Keystone Pipeline or Not, the Oil Sands Crude Will Flow
While the environmental movement has made the Keystone XL pipeline a line in the sand for U.S. climate policy, the project itself will have little impact on carbon emissions and on climate change.
Morning Must Reads: March 4
In the news: Romney on loss, the Senate gym, the possibility of Senator Ashley Judd, and Secretary of State John Kerry announces $250 million in aid to Egypt
Republican Consultants Plot New Tech-Savvy Infrastructure
Republicans develop a four-step plan to train and nurture the next generation of campaign operatives
The Sequester Is a Republican-Inflicted Wound
The origin of this mess is absolutely clear. It was created by the Budget Control Act of 2011, the ransom Republican leaders received for agreeing to let the U.S. government pay its bills.
“We were on a roller coaster, exciting and thrilling, ups and downs. But the ride ends. And then you get off. And it's not like, oh, can't we be on a roller coaster the rest of our life? It's like, no, the ride's over.”
— Mitt Romney on his 2012 presidential campaign on Fox News Sunday.