So the first trip abroad from newly inaugurated Secretary of State John Kerry goes to the UK.. And maybe the Atlantic moves up a little notch on the agenda from now on…
….
The Prime Minister’s Office posted a photo:
New US Secretary of State, John Kerry, meets with David Cameron during his first trip overseas since taking office on 1 Feb 2013
The debate last night was way better than the first one.. with a very good format by moderator David Gregory…. and more substantive back and forths… without the stop-watch dynamics of more structured debates..
And with strong moderation… cutting through…
But who won.. hard to say.. if Scott Brown’s “nice guy” image is a decisive point for his re-election… he’s not helping himself… with the tone and body language.. being aggressive and assertive.. to the point of bossy..
And Brown’s voting record and support for Scalia… might tip the balance against him in very blue Massachusetts… where Obama is polling at +30 at the moment… and could secure a Democratic Senate majority after November..
6 takeaways from the second Brown-Warren debate:
6 takeaways from the second Brown-Warren debate
Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Democrat Elizabeth Warren squared off in their second debate Monday night at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The 60-minute debate hosted by NBC’s David Gregory wasn’t short on heated exchanges on many of the issues the candidates have been sparring over for months. Here are six takeaways from debate number 2:
* “I am not a student in your classroom”: This quip from Brown will likely be the most talked about one-liner from the Monday debate. After Warren listed the instances in which Brown voted against Democratic-backed bills, a back-and-forth ensued, as the senator tried to respond with a defense of his record. His line brought him some boos. For Brown, who is pitching himself as the likable candidate in this race, lines like this one could cut against the image he has carefully crafted.
* Native American story kicks off debate (again): Just like in the first debate, Brown and Warren began with a back and forth over the Democrat’s claim to Native American heritage. Since the last debate, Brown has aired two ads on the matter, and Warren has responded with one of her own.
Polls show the issue isn’t hurting Warren on its own. Brown, perhaps recognizing the danger of overplaying his hand, made sure to mention the importance of jobs and the economy in the campaign before calling on Warren to release her personnel records to substantiate her claim that she has never benefited professionally from her heritage.
* Brown mentions Scalia: When asked who his model Supreme Court justice is, Brown paused before naming Antonin Scalia, who hails from the conservative wing of the high court. As the audience reacted with gasps and some boos, he quickly named others, including Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Sonia Sotomayor (whom President Obama nominated). But the first name that came to Brown’s mind will likely be fodder for charges by Warren’s camp that Brown is too far to the right, especially given the state’s Democratic tilt.
Read more...
Warren had a great convention speech a few weeks back, while Brown went very agressive in his opening statements in the debates.. which might backfire..
And this is still a pivotal seat for the majority in the Senate..
Warren Leads in Massachusetts:
A new Boston Globe poll in Massachusetts finds Elizabeth Warren (D) leading Sen. Scott Brown (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 43% to 38%, with another 18% still undecided.
This survey is the sixth of eight public polls taken this month that show Warren ahead.
Said pollster Andrew Smith: “It’s trending away from Brown. Brown right now is not doing well enough among Democrats to offset the advantage that Warren has. That’s just such a big obstacle to overcome for any Republican candidate in Massachusetts.”
(Via Pwire.)
After the clip of Scott Brown supporters doing War Whoops in reference to his opponent’s Elizabeth Warren’s earlier claims of a Cherokee heritage – the Cherokee Nation is now calling for an apology. Continue reading
This is one of the best sells of Obama’s accomplisments so far.. Highlights starts at 5:05..
More DNC speeches here.
After Bain and taxes, the definitions game, there’s also Romneycare:
“He seems to have a great family. And I really think he had a great health care plan when he was in Massachusetts. Seems to be working really well — One of the reasons why we set up the same kind of plan nationally and we’re implementing it right now.”
Running for the Senate.
She’s on a roll!
WASHINGTON (AP) — First-time candidate Elizabeth Warren has eclipsed her five Democratic rivals and emerged as the leading challenger to Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown just three weeks after launching her campaign.
Warren, a consumer advocate and Harvard law professor, is largely untested on the campaign trail. So her fast start has relieved and energized many Democrats who had been clamoring for a major challenger for months in their hopes to reclaim the seat once held by Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Warren is far outpacing the other Democratic candidates — they poll in single digits while she polled at 38 percent, about even with Brown in a recent poll.
