CNN's GUT CHECK | for November 19, 2013 | 5 p.m.
- n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle
BREAKING … CONGRESSMAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF COCAINE … U.S. Congressman Trey Radel of Florida has been charged with possession of cocaine in Washington D.C. A court document filed today in DC Superior Court say the 37-year-old freshman Republican “ on or about October 29, 2013…did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally possess a quantity of cocaine, a controlled substance.” Radel was elected in November, and represents Florida’s 19th congressional district.
VIRGINIA LAWMAKER STABBED, SON DEAD
Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds was repeatedly stabbed in the head and torso; his 24-year-old son, Gus, fatally wounded by a gunshot Tuesday in an assault that Virginia State Police are investigating as an attempted murder and suicide. Deeds is in critical condition at University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, the hospital said. – Michael Pearson
WHO IS CREIGH DEEDS?
Creigh Deeds has spent more than 20 years in public service and has two statewide campaigns under his belt, most notably in his 2009 loss to the current governor of Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell. – Ashley Killough
Richmond Times-Disptach: Creigh Deeds’ son had mental-health evaluation Monday … Gus Deeds had been released Monday following a mental health evaluation performed under an emergency custody order, an official said. – Jim Nolan, Michael Martz and Bill Mckelway
NUMBER OF THE DAY … 20%: GALLUP: U.S. Satisfaction Back Up to 20%
Twenty percent of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States, a partial recovery from 16% in October during the government shutdown. The current reading is still one of the lowest Gallup has measured in the last two years.
THE BUZZ: The U.S. Postal Service has issued today its first stamps showing identifiable living people, and they aren’t American!
Find out who they are & weigh in on the debate they are generating on CNN’s Crossfire blog.
MARKET WATCH: U.S. stocks close slightly lower. Dow edges down 10 points. NASDAQ drops 0.4%. S&P slips 0.2%
TRAIL TRIVIA
(Answer below)
Who was the first president to use the Lincoln Bible for his inauguration since Lincoln used it in 1861?
the LEDE
Did you miss it?
Leading CNNPolitics: US-Israel rift over Iran nukes now in the open
What had been speculated before is now very public - the United States and Israel differ on how to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions. – Tom Cohen
Gut Check DVR: National Security Adviser Susan Rice will join Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room today at 5pm EST to discuss foreign policy.
Leading Charlotte Observer: John Edwards is starting a new Raleigh law firm
John Edwards, the former U.S. senator and presidential candidate whose political career was derailed by a sex scandal that transfixed the nation, is returning to what initially thrust him into the public spotlight: practicing law. – David Ranii
Leading HuffPo: Chris Christie Rips GOP For 'Bad Decision-Making And A Loss Of Courage'
New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie slammed the national Republican Party Monday night, telling a group of CEOs that the GOP's electoral woes stem from "bad decision-making and a loss of courage." – Christina Wilkie
Leading Politico: Tech chief: 30% of Obamacare IT needs to be built
A key official in the development of the Obamacare website said he never saw documents warning about potential stumbles and admitted Tuesday that a sizable portion of its IT support has yet to be built. – Jessica Meyers
Leading The New York Times: Katherine Harris’s Husband Found Dead
Police say the husband of the former Florida Secretary of State at the center of the 2000 recount was found dead of an apparent suicide at the couple’s home.
HOT SOTS
The political bites of the day
– Filmmaker explains why Obama skipped the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address –
FILMMAKER KEN BURNS IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT BEING PRESENT AT THE CELEBRATION ON CNN’S NEWSROOM: “He’s an extraordinarily modest man and I spoke to him about it and he had invested so much time and energy with Doctor King’s speech, arguably the second greatest speech in all of American history, back in August for its 50th anniversary. I think he didn’t want to feel like he somehow would own both these speeches. He helped us tremendously on this and it’s been an amazing thing. His presence would’ve turned this into a zoo.”
WATCH BURNS’ VIDEO OF THE FIVE LIVING PRESIDENTS RECITING THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.
–Mary Cheney’s Facebook page –
MARY CHENEY RESPONDS TO A COMMENT LEFT ON HER FACEBOOK PAGE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON:
Gina Bluher Morrison (3:22pm): “Sorry, Mary. I'm with Liz on this one. Can't you all just accept Liz's position and remain lovingly tolerant? She has her opinion, you have yours.”
Mary Cheney (3:43pm): “Gina – this isn't like a disagreement over grazing fees or what to do about Iran. There isn't a lot of gray here. Either You think all families should be treated equally or you don't. Liz's position is to treat my family as second class citizens. That's not a position I can be "lovingly tolerant" towards.”
– Marco Rubio: No more bailouts for ObamaCare –
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FLORIDA, IN AN OP-ED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: "As the people's representatives, the U.S. Congress should completely eliminate the possibility of a bailout of insurance companies. On Tuesday I am introducing legislation that would eliminate the risk corridor provision, ensuring that no taxpayer-funded bailout of the health insurance industry will ever occur under ObamaCare. If this disaster of a law cannot survive without a bailout rescue valve, it is yet another reason why it should be repealed."
– Carney: ‘The war in Afghanistan will end next year” –
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY AT THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING: “Let’s be clear: the war in Afghanistan will end next year as the president has promised. The combat mission will be over.”
– Scalia to new citizens: 'It is possible in America' –
U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTHONY SCALIA SPEAKING PRIOR TO ADMINISTERING THE OATH OF CITIZENSHIP IN GETTYSBURG TO THE NEWEST U.S. CITIZENS: “My father, who was the most patriotic man I ever knew, used to say that in the Old Country, if your father was a shoemaker, you would be a shoemaker. And in America you could be whatever you were willing to work hard enough to be and had the talent to be. His son ended up on the Supreme Court. My grandmother expected me to be president. I didn’t quite make that. But it was possible. It is possible in America."
TOP TWEETS
What stopped us in 140 characters or less
Reuters Top News (@Reuters)
Obama to write a letter to Afghan people acknowledging mistakes made in "war on terror" ahead of a key vote by elders: Karzai spokesman…
Chris Bond (@cjbond)
Pfeiffer: Obama Too Busy for Gettysburg Anniversary Because of 'Whole Website Thing' weeklystandard.com/blogs/pfeiffer…
Jonathan Wald (@jonathanwald)
The world will little note... Why the President didn't mention God when he read the Gettysburg Address for @KenBurns cnn.it/18lukKX
Jonathan Rauch (@jon_rauch)
The downside of 23-year-old geniuses: "Coding Geeks Can’t Save Obamacare", http://bloom.bg/I15HJm via @BloombergView
Jim Acosta (@JimAcostaCNN)
After her health care mix-up, Jessica Sanford tells CNN a WH official called her today to offer any assistance in her matter.
Brendan Buck (@BrendanBuck)
The Capitol Christmas Tree will be lit on December 3rd. speaker.gov/general/it-s-b… 88 feet tall this year
Talking Points Memo (@TPM)
McCain to oppose Janet Yellen for Fed chair: http://bit.ly/1h16vg2
New York Post (@nypost)
New York City raises tobacco sales age from 18 to 21 http://nyp.st/1b6co9w
Noah Bierman (@Noahbierman)
Barney Frank on Elizabeth Warren: “If Hillary doesn’t run she’s going to be very much in the mix.” boston.com/politicalintel…
Sam Stein (@samsteinhp)
As racist as @repstevensmith's tweets appear, he is, alas, a fake congressman only in existence in the world of twitter.
itsonlyzach (@itsonlyzach)
When a reprehensible parody account seems like a plausible communication from your party, maybe it's time to look deep within.
Mat Yurow (@myurow)
Snapchat sees more daily photos than Facebook tcrn.ch/1hULjcQ
SMPA at GWU (@SMPAGWU)
.@OxfordWords Names "selfie" as word of the year. Thoughts #SMPA? Do you agree? http://ti.me/18iTObP #WOTYselfie
TRIVIA ANSWER from @sarafischer
President Barack Obama was the first commander-in-chief to use the Lincoln Bible to be sworn-in since President Abraham Lincoln used it in 1861.
Obama has referenced Lincoln at pivotal moments in his career. In his 2008 presidential victory speech in Chicago, Obama told supporters, “As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, ‘We are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.’” The president’s inaugural theme that year, titled “A New Birth of Freedom,” was also inspired by a quote from the Gettysburg Address.
Despite his admiration for Lincoln, Obama did not attend the celebration the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address in Pennsylvania this morning. However, the president did record a unique version of the Gettysburg Address for filmmaker Ken Burns’ video of 57 politicians and celebrities reciting the Gettysburg address. The president taped a ‘Nicolay’ version of the speech which does not include "under God" in the second to last sentence.
Click here to see a line-by-line dissection of which lines of the Gettysburg Address resonate in different states.
GUT CHECK WINNER’S CIRCLE
(why aren’t you in it)
Congrats to Steve Liguori (@SteveL3877), Matthew Gilbertson (@MattRGilbertson) and David Daniel (@CNNLADavid) correctly answering today’s Gut Check Trivia question.
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