Interviews and Commentary from
Around the Beltway
Weekly updates with Ron Faucheux on the events leading up to the 2012 election
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Bill Plante, veteran White House correspondent, has been at CBS News since 1964. In a wide-ranging interview, he discussed the ever-changing media landscape and the challenges of gathering information from the White House in 2011. Plante also weighs in on the Obama Administration’s handling of the Osama bin Laden killing and which White House has been most forthcoming with the media.
Chuck Conconi: Hello, I am Chuck Conconi with Focus Washington. Joining me today is Randy Teague. He’s a partner at the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.
Randy, thank you for joining us at Focus Washington today.
Randy Teague: Thank you for asking me to be here.
Chuck Conconi: There are a lot of things happening on the Hill, and I’d like to talk to you a little bit about the 2010 elections from the perspective of Ohio, which is where I am from. The Republicans defeated five Democratic incumbents in the House, helping make John Boehner of Ohio Speaker of the House. Other Ohio members are on key committees. Tell me a little bit about the influence Ohio is going to have—or does have.
Randy Teague: I think Ohio does have and will have even more influence here in Washington. Boehner as Speaker is critically important. But Pat Tiberi is on the Ways and Means Committee that handles taxes, trade, Medicare and social security. We have three members on the appropriations committee. I think this is a very good time for Ohio.
Chuck Conconi: It is going to be very influential. That new political clout—what does that mean for companies and industries in Ohio?
Randy Teague: I think it means their voice will be heard louder. Ohio has been a critical state in this country for a long time. But I think now they are going to be able to address the economy, taxes, trade through their members of Congress in ways they have not been able to do in many years.
Chuck Conconi: What are some of the biggest issues you think are going to be facing Congress this year?
Randy Teague: Well it is clearly the economy and jobs, it’s also budget and taxes. But for Ohio it is also exports. Much of Ohio’s economy is tied to exports, not only to Canada, which is obvious, but to Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
As the lame duck congress gets ready to leave Washington, all the newly elected representatives are scurrying around Capitol Hill looking for places to live. Many of them, however, aren’t looking for a house or an apartment, they are arranging for cots so they can sleep in their offices.
In an interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Christina Wilkie, The Hill Newspaper’s In the Know columnist explained that since many of the freshmen congressmen will not move their families to Washington, they see no need to spend the additional money on an apartment that some of them can’t afford.
Most of them spend the weekends at home campaigning and raising money for the next election campaign. This, according to Wilkie, can partially explain the lack of civility on Capitol Hill. Unlike in the past, Congressional families got to know each other and the senators or congressmen developed friendships on the golf course or in other social activities. Wilkie, who also once worked for a royal family, said she is watching with fascination the plans for the upcoming British royal wedding.
Except for what was considered the surprising reelection of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, political pollster Dr. Ron Faucheux, said that watching the election returns coming in Nov. 2 was “almost boring” because the outcome was expected.
In a video interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Faucheux, who is president of Clarus Research Group, said he had been convinced that Nevada Democrat Reid would be defeated for several reasons including “about the worst economy in the country” and was a symbol of what the voters were protesting. If the Republicans had nominated a better candidate, he added, the outcome would have been different. He defeated Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle.
As to why the political polls were so accurate for this election, Faucheux explained that the Republican sweep across the country was expected because of the sheer volume of polling. In the important states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, Faucheux said there were some days when as many and three or four polls were released.
In a polling of 12 Congressional races facing freshman Democrats, Sean Miller, the Hill Newspaper campaign reporter, told Chuck Conconi in an interview on Focus Washington that the races are tight, but that there still are a number of undecided voters.
Exhibition Features Rare Artifacts on Display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Guests to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will be among the first to view several Cypriot artifacts never before seen. Presented on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus, “Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations” highlights 11,000 years of the Mediterranean island’s history.
In an interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas, the former director of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and guest curator of the exhibition, said that the exhibition gives visitors the chance to explore the rich cultural heritage and history of Cyprus
The exhibition in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will be on display from September 29, 2010 through May 1, 2011, and will include:
There has been a dramatic difference in how the President and Mrs. Obama use the power and prestige of the White House in supporting the arts, school children, and the local community, Christina Wilkie, The Hill Newspaper’s In the Know columnist says.
In an interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Wilkie said the Obama’s keep the White House open after 5 p.m. and have been strong supporters of the In Performance at the White House series. She said the Obamas are different from the previous George W. Bush years. President Bush was known to be in bed by 8 p.m.
Wilkie, who has covered some of Washington’s best know figures and was the managing editor of Washington Life Magazine before moving to the Hill newspaper, said the Bushes were much more insular. “He (Bush) had a close group of friends and never felt comfortable around strangers,” she explained.
She said there is power in using the White House in the correct way socially – the Obamas had pledged to have wide open arms and pledged to make the White House a big tent. With the troubled economy, however, Wilkie said the President was criticized for his recent attendance at the black tie Hispanic Caucus and Black Caucus dinners.
Voters all across the country are not only voting against the status quo, but are not supporting moderates in either the Republican or Democratic parties, pollster Dr. Ron Faucheux, president of the Clarus Rearch Group, said yesterday.
In a video interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Faucheux analyzed the September 14th primary elections and said that he had recently joked to a Republican friend, “Welcome to the two party system: Democrats and Tea Partiers.”
The Tea Party movement, he explained, has created tensions in the Republican Party, especially with a weak candidate like Christine O’Donnell winning the Republican Party’s nomination to run for the seat vacated by Joe Biden in Delaware. This Republican victory could actually cost the Republicans the chance of winning control of the Senate. “The irony is that if they lose the Senate it would be because of the Tea Party,” he added.
There is little or no room for moderates in either party, said Faucheux, he added it has been obvious in the outcome of previous primary election surprises in Alaska, Arkansas and Florida.
Faucheux said his polling also correctly predicted the District of Columbia mayoral race, in which it projected the youthful, charismatic, first term Mayor Adrian Fenty would fall before the challenge of City Council chairman Vincent Gray, an older, less dynamic candidate. He said some 10 months earlier, Clarus polling showed Fenty was in trouble and that increased to his being behind by 7 points the week before the election, the number close to his losing number.
“In one of the most fascinating elections we’ve seen in a long time,” Faucheux said, Fenty lost because he was perceived to be arrogant and had turned his back on the black neighborhoods. His attitude and personality beat him.”
Democrats are going to have to face some difficult decisions if they are going to be able to hold back the Republican landside that many pundits and pollsters are predicting for the Congressional elections in November. According to Shane D’Aprile, the political campaign reporter for the Hill newspaper, those decisions will include which Democrats the party will support for reelection, and which ones it won’t.
In a video interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, D’Aprile said, “Democrats can’t support every Democratic candidate. They have a financial advantage and have to be selective as to where they are going to put their resources.”
D’Aprile says that Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the House Democrats campaign committee, argues that isn’t going to happen and that all Democrats will be supported. But, D’Aprile argues, if democrats don’t make those hard choices they will lose their edge.
He says, however, it is also evident that a number of the congressional Democrats running for reelection are running away from President Obama and his legislative agenda, especially if they can show they voted against health care and stimulus legislation. They feel they have to do this if they are to attract independents, centrists, and Republicans.
D’Aprile says some Republicans contend they haven’t yet peaked in the belief they will win the House of Representatives and severely cut the Democrats majority in the Senate, if not actually win the Senate.
He says he believes, however, that because of the money advantage the Democrats have, that Democrats could defy the odds-makers and retain the House by a thin margin.
While many of Washington’s political pundits are making dire predictions about the November elections with the Democrats losing their majority in the House of Representatives, and maybe even losing the Senate majority, Bob Cusack, the managing editor of the Hill Newspaper takes a more measured view. He believes the House is in play, but the Democrats will barely hold the majority. He doesn’t believe it is possible for Republicans to take the Senate.
In an interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Cusack, who has covered the Washington policy and political scene for 15 years, argues that the present Congress has not been a “do nothing” Congress even though the polarization has increased the partisanship to new levels. He points to health care and the stimulus as significant legislation achievements that have not impressed the independent voters.
With the November elections looming, Cusack doesn’t believe much will be accomplished on Capitol Hill between now and November. “All they will be thinking about is getting back home to their campaigns,” he explained. This legislative period leading up to the off-year elections will, nevertheless, Cusack said, be fascinating to see.
As for the tea party movement that energizes the Republican’s base, Cusack contends it could be a positive for Democrats in getting them “off their couches” with the threat that if they don’t become energized, there will be a tea party Congress.
