Our presidential report card graders Jed Babbin and John Zogby found that President Obama’s effort to force the Senate GOP hand on a Supreme Court nomination was the big deal of the week, though they split on the actual result.
John Zogby
“A mixed bag for the president this past week. Higher than average unemployment rates still plague 36 U.S. states and still only 30 percent feel the U.S. is headed in the right direction. But a possible — not probable, but possible — breakthrough in Syria with a multiparty ceasefire scheduled to take place offers a glint of hope for at least some humanitarian aid in that poor country.
“And Mr. Obama played some hardball with the Senate on a possible Supreme Court pick and ended up the public relations winner. Whether Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, a moderate Republican, was ever a serious choice or not is less relevant than the fact that Mr. Obama embarrassed the Senate leadership, helped the GOP further alienate Hispanics, and caused an internal rift with the party itself. The lame duck still plays a decent game of chess. Sandoval bowed out anyway but score one for White House.”
Grade B
Jed Babbin
“The lame duck was quacking loudly this week. Contrary to their usual practice of caving in, Senate Republicans seemed — so far — to be sticking to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s vow to not consider or confirm an Obama’s nominee to succeed the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The trial balloon, bearing the picture of possible SCOTUS nominee Nevada Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval didn’t fly, so Sandoval withdrew his name from consideration very quickly.
“When Obama sent his latest plan to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, congressional Republicans rejected it outright because it provides for moving some of the terrorists to a facility on U.S. soil. Obama indicated he’d do it anyway, but Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Defense Secretary Ash Carter have both publicly admitted that such an action would be illegal.
“Lynch also told a congressional committee of a major policy change against ‘sanctuary cities,’ with the Feds no longer deferring to local authorities to detain criminals and others supposed to be deported. It remains to be seen whether any criminals are imprisoned or illegals deported as a result of this alleged change of policy.”
Grade C
John Zogby is the senior analyst for Zogby Analytics and author (with Joan Snyder Kuhl) of “The First Globals: Understanding, Managing, and Unleashing our Millennial Generation.” Follow him at @TheJohnZogby.
Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him @jedbabbin.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
