By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News on NBC Politics

  • Round Two: More Senate Republicans break bread with Obama

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    For the second time in as many months, President Barack Obama reached across the dinner table and shared a meal with Senate Republicans that both sides called constructive and an important step towards finding common ground.

    Twelve Republican senators ventured to the White House on Wednesday at the invitation of the Commander in Chief. Topics included some of the most contentious battles set to go before Congress in the coming weeks — comprehensive immigration legislation, reforming the nation's gun laws, and reducing the deficit, according to a White House official.

    "I commend the president for reaching out to us as it is critically important that we communicate directly in order to find common ground," Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.,said in a statement released after the dinner. "It's the only way that we can find solutions that are right for America — not just a win for the president or a win for Republicans. I hope we can continue the conversation from tonight."

    The nearly three-hour meal -- which included a green salad, steak and sauteed vegetables -- came about after Obama called Isakson asking to organize the event to build on a previous dinner the president held with Senate Republicans on March 6.

    Isakson said he wanted the Republicans in attendance to represent a cross-section of the party by region and interests.

    "Productive discussion tonight at dinner with the President and GOP colleagues," Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, tweeted.

    Republicans had similar positive reactions after the earlier dinner at the Jefferson Hotel, but the good will has not easily translated to cooperation in Congress.

    NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Stacy Klein contributed to this report. 

  • Sanford, Colbert sister advance in South Carolina special primary

    Bruce Smith / AP

    Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford speaks with reporters on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at a polling place in Charleston, S.C.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    A disgraced ex-governor and the sister of a popular comedian came out victorious on Tuesday in South Carolina's special congressional primary, possibly setting the stage for an uncommonly tight race for what is normally a Republican safe seat.

    Republicans in South Carolina's 1st congressional district showed forgiveness by supporting Mark Sanford after a campaign focused as much on the former governor's personal transgressions as his record. Sanford came out on top of the crowded 16-candidate Republican primary, according to the Associated Press.

    Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford talks about attempting to revive his political career Tuesday at a South Carolina congressional primary vote.

    Sanford, who gained more than 35 percent of the vote, will face a runoff election on April 2 against the second place finisher. The race for the Republican runner-up was much closer and votes were still being tallied late into the night.

    Also victorious on Tuesday was Elizabeth Colbert Busch — the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert — who easily won the Democratic primary and will face off against the winner of the Republican run-off election in May.

    The seat opened in December when then-Rep. Tim Scott was appointed to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jim DeMint.

    Bruce Smith / AP

    Elizabeth Colbert Bush, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, shares a laugh with reporters after voting in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

    Sanford's bizarre disappearance from the governor's mansion in 2009 became fodder for comedians and political onlookers alike after it was revealed he lied about hiking in the Appalachian Trail in order to visit his mistress in Argentina. He served out his term, but faced ethics fines, a divorce from his wife of 21 years, and what many thought was the end of a promising political career.

    He has spent the years since asking for forgiveness and acknowledging his mistakes, but he attempted to keep the focus of his campaign on his record as a conservative spender in as a governor and in Congress. 

    South Carolina congressional candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch casts her vote Tuesday in the state's primary.

    “If we live long enough, we’re going to fail at something and I absolutely failed in my personal life and in my marriage, but one place I didn’t ever fail was with the taxpayers,” he said on the Today show last month.

    Still, Republican rivals competing in the primary criticized Sanford for using his candidacy as much as a PR tour as a bid for Congress.

    “His personal tour of redemption now is a disservice to the people of the Lowcountry who are looking for the next leader to represent them in Congress,” Mike Biundo, an adviser to rival candidate Andy Patrick, said in a statement.

    Throughout the campaign the well-funded Sanford was seen as the GOP front runner to reach the runoff.  According to the non-profit Sunlight foundation, the former governor raised more than $300,000 with contributions from well-known Republican financiers David Koch and Foster Friess, the billionaire who largely bankrolled Rick Santorum's presidential campaign. 

    Sanford also enjoys a name recognition level much higher than his rivals, fueled both by his tumultuous tenure as governor and the fact he served as the representative from South Carolina's 1st district from 1995 to 2001.

    Sanford's front-runner status made the primary largely a race for second place, where Teddy Turner, son of media-mogul Ted Turner,  locked in a television ad war with Chip Limehouse. Turner painted Limehouse, a member of South Carolina's house of representatives, as a career politician. Limehouse accuses Turner of duping business investors out of millions of dollars.

    Rivaling Sanford's funding on the Democratic side is Colbert Busch, whose famous brother has campaigned for her and talked about her on his satirical Comedy Central talk show.

    Colbert Busch supporters argue their candidate can make inroads amongst those still unforgiving of Sanford's actions.

    "I want to say to the voters of the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina, Democrats, Independents and Republicans, I have been listening and I hear you. I understand your frustrations and your aspirations. I will never stop listening to you-and I am ready to be your voice in Washington," Colbert Busch said in a statement released after her win.

     

  • Romney likens campaign to 'roller coaster' in first interview since election

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    In his first major interview since his unsuccessful 2012 bid for White House, Mitt Romney likened being a presidential candidate to the bumpy and unpredictable path of a roller coaster.

    “We were on a roller coaster, exciting and thrilling, ups and downs. But the ride ends," Romney told Fox News. "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."

    The pre-released clip is from an interview with Romney and his wife, Ann, set to air on “Fox News Sunday,” the first media either has done since the November 6 election.

    The Romneys have kept a low-profile since their unsuccessful bid for the White House. Photos of the former Massachusetts governor running errands around his La Jolla, Calif., home have been about the only thing the public has seen of him since the fall.

    One photo even surfaced of Romney riding a roller coaster with family at Disneyland.

    “It is an adjustment, but it’s one I think we did well,” said Ann Romney. She added, “The good news is fortunately we like each other.”

    This is not the only public appearance Romney will be making. He will make his first speech since the campaign ended at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, D.C., in two weeks.

  • Gun control candidate wins easy in Illinois primary to replace Jesse Jackson

    Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

    Robin Kelly celebrates her special primary election win for Illinois' 2nd Congressional District, once held by Jesse Jackson Jr., over Debbie Halvorson, and Anthony Beale Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Matteson, Ill.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    Democratic congressional candidate Robin Kelly, who centered her campaign heavily on calls for tougher gun control laws, emerged from a crowded field on Tuesday to clinch her party’s nomination for the Illinois House seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr.  

    “You sent a message that was heard around our state and around the nation,” Kelly said in her victory speech late Tuesday night. “A message that tells the NRA that their days of holding our country hostage are coming to an end."

    Her speech was focused almost solely on gun control, the issue that came to define the race in the Chicago-area district, an area of the country that has recently been at the epicenter of gun violence. Kelly skated to an easy victory, earning well over 50 percent of the votes with none of her competitors earning anywhere near that amount of support.

    The former Illinois state representative was aided greatly by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s super PAC, Independence USA, which endorsed Kelly and spent more than $2 million in the race.

    The PAC focused on taking down opponents for supporting certain gun-rights policies, including chief rival Debbie Halvorson, a former member of Congress.

    "In the race to replace Jesse Jackson, watch out for Debbie Halvorson. When she was in Congress before, Halvorson got an 'A' from the NRA," argued an Independence USA TV ad, adding: "Debbie Halvorson -- when it comes to preventing gun violence, she gets an 'F.'"

    Bloomberg tweeted his congratulations, writing, "As Congress considers the President's gun package voters in IL have spoken: we need common sense gun legislation now."

    Prominently featured on Kelly’s website is a list of her five-point plan to reduce gun deaths.

    "In Congress, Kelly will keep taking on the NRA, fighting to ban assault weapons and outlaw high-capacity ammunition clips," said one of her TV ads.

    Kelly will go on to face a Republican challenger in April, but is expected to win easily in the heavily Democratic district.

    NBC's Mark Murray contributed to this report

  • John Kerry begins first overseas trip as secretary of state

    Pool / Reuters

    U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) is greeted by U.S. Ambassador Louis Susman, upon his arrival for his first official trip overseas as Secretary, at the Stansted Airport, east of London, February 24, 2013.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    Secretary of State John Kerry landed in London, England on Sunday, using his first overseas trip as America's chief diplomat to introduce himself to some of the United States' top allies.

    Kerry will visit nine countries over the course of his ten-day trip, meant to be an introductory tour but also with a focus on ending the violence in Syria.

    Along with the United Kingdom, Kerry will visit Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

    While speaking in Britain Monday with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry criticizes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's handling of civil unrest inside his country.

    While in Rome, Kerry will participate in the Friends of Syria Conference, an international meeting to address the nearly two years of violence that have ravaged the country since it plunged into civil war.

    Leaders of the Syrian opposition, however, have expressed skepticism about the meeting and have indicated they may not attend, despite urgings from the international community.

    "The Syrian Opposition leadership is under severe pressure now from its membership, from the Syrian people, to get more support from the international community. And in that context, there is quite a bit of internal discussion about the value of going to international conferences," a senior Obama administration official told reporters traveling with Kerry.

    "The point that we're trying to make, and what we are stressing in all of our conversations with them ... is that they have an opportunity in Rome with the meeting that the Italians have offered to host to see the very countries that have been their greatest supporters, and to come and present to all of us how they see the situation on the ground both in security terms, humanitarian terms, and in political terms and economic terms and to make their case for where they are in terms of the support," the official said.

    Catherine Chomiak contributed to this report

  • Obama reaches out to Republican leaders as budget cuts loom

    Larry Downing / REUTERS

    U.S. President Barack Obama discusses the automatic budget cuts scheduled to take effect next week, while in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex in Washington February 19, 2013.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    President Barack Obama reached out to the Republican leaders of the House and Senate on Thursday, the first sign in weeks that the two sides could be willing to work on a bipartisan solution to the potentially devastating spending cuts set to take place March 1.

    White House spokesman Jay Carney announced the president had reached out to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner to address the automatic $85 billion in cuts set to kick in next month. Carney described the calls as “good conversations” but provided no more details.

    McConnell’s office said it was the first time Obama has reached out since New Year’s Eve when Congress struggled to come to an agreement on the across-the-board spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff.”

    And while there was no official readout of the meetings, sniping on Twitter between Carney and Boehner Press Secretary Brenden Buck may be an indication that both sides have a ways to go.

    Carney tweeted at Buck a USA Today/Pew poll showing American support for the president’s deficit reduction plan, ending his post with the hashtag “GOPoutOFTouch?”  

    Buck mockingly tweeted back, “What do you say we show up here every afternoon, say 4:00ish? Talk it out?”

    And both parties are still accusing the other of not wanting to come to the table to negotiate. During an appearance on Al Sharpton’s radio show on Thursday, President Obama remarked, "At this point, we continue to reach out to Republicans and say this is not going to be good for the economy, it's not going to be good for ordinary people."

    "But I don't know if they're going to move and that's what we're going to have to keep pushing over the next seven, eight days," he told Sharpton, who also hosts a show on MSNBC.

    Obama will keep pushing by continuing to take his case to the American people next week. On Tuesday he’ll visit Newport News, Va., an area where the automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration, would hit hard.  

    Carney said the president plans to “highlight the fact that there will be real-world impacts to the implementation of the sequester … if Republicans choose to allow that to happen.”

    Republicans have tried waging a public campaign of their own trying to place the onus on the president, especially when it comes to national defense. And Pentagon officials from Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta down have warned that sequestration could severely inhibit national defense, a responsibility that would rest on the head of the nation’s military.

    “As the commander-in-chief, President Obama is ultimately responsible for our military readiness, so it’s fair to ask: what is he doing to stop his sequester that would ‘hollow out’ our Armed Forces?” Boehner said on Wednesday.

    On Thursday, Carney said the president does feel responsible but rejects what he described as Republicans' “my way or the highway” approach to negotiating.

    "My sense is that their basic view is that nothing is important enough to raise taxes on wealthy individuals or corporations and they would prefer to see these kinds of cuts that could slow down our recovery over closing tax loopholes," Obama told Sharpton. "That's the thing that binds their party together at this point."  

    Related:

    Sequester madness: What it is, why it matters

  • White House says leaked immigration plan a backup if Congress doesn't act

    Scott Olson / Getty Images

    President Barack Obama speaks to students and guests during a visit to Hyde Park Academy High School on Feb. 15, 2013, in Chicago, Ill.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    President Barack Obama’s draft immigration proposal is nothing more than a backup plan in case Congress fails to produce comprehensive legislation of their own, a White House official said Monday.

    “The administration will be ready to move forward in the event the bipartisan process gets bogged down and is not able to produce a bill,” the administration official said. “But our focus remains on supporting the congressional process.”

    The president set off a firestorm Saturday night when USA Today reported it had obtained a draft of the White House immigration plan. Republicans in Congress quickly panned the administration for leaking the proposal with no bipartisan input.

    White House spokesman Jay Carney addresses whether the release of a draft immigration bill was done on purpose.

    But the White House official said the administration was not “floating anything” and was “surprised” to find out the press had obtained the details.  Instead, the official said, the White House was simply preparing for the possibility that the current political climate could cause gridlock that would delay or prevent the president from following through on one of his campaign promises.

    “We’ll be prepared in the event that the bipartisan talks going on on the Hill -- which by the way we’re aggressively supporting --  if those do not work out, then we’ll have an option we’re ready to put out there,” White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

    White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough reiterates key principles in the administration's plan for immigration reform and its potential for passage on Capitol Hill.

    But on msnbc on Monday, a former senior adviser to the president, David Axelrod, conceded that the administration likely made an error by circulating the memo to various government agencies and throughout the West Wing. “The mistake there was to disseminate it so widely in the administration that it got leaked, and I’m sure if they could they’d take that back,” he said.

    The leak solicited immediate reaction from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who issued a statement saying the plan would be “dead on arrival” and calling it “a mistake” for the White House to draft a plan without consulting with Republicans in Congress.

    Rubio is part of a bipartisan group of senators that announced last month that they had agreed on principles that could pave the way for a bill that would overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. Those tenets include creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country and developing a system to ensure employers don’t hire illegal immigrants.

    The White House proposal would allow illegal immigrants to become permanent residents within eight years, as well as create a lawful prospective immigrant visa, require employers to check the immigration status of workers and provide more border security funding.

    Since Obama’s re-election in November, fueled by Hispanic voters, the president has renewed calls for comprehensive immigration reform. News of the White House proposal came just days after the president lauded the Senate’s work during last week’s State of the Union address.

    “As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts,” Obama said. “Now let’s get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away."

    The White House official said the focus “remains on supporting the congressional process” and that after the draft became public late Saturday, members of the administration reached out to senators on both sides of the aisle.

    Still, that did not stop Republicans from panning the proposals on the Sunday morning talk shows.

    Rep. Paul Ryan, R–Wisc., said on ABC’s “This Week” that the leaked plan “tells us that (Obama is) looking for a partisan advantage and not a bipartisan solution.”

    Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., talks about immigration reform and gun control initiatives in the White House and Capitol Hill.

    On NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, a member of the group of senators working to craft a bipartisan immigration bill, called on the president to shelve his proposal and allow Congress to continue working on legislation. 

    “I believe we are making progress on a bipartisan basis,” said McCain. “I believe we can come up with a product.”

    And the White House says it is still optimistic that a solution can come from Congress. “The President is pleased by current state of progress being made by bipartisan efforts on the Hill and the Administration looks forward to continuing to work with them,” said the official.

    NBC's Shawna Thomas contributed to this report

  • President Obama hits the links with Tiger Woods

    Mike Blake / Reuters file; Saul

    Tiger Woods joined President Obama for a round of golf in Florida on Sunday. It was the first time the two have played together.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    President Barack Obama had some noteworthy company when he hit the links in Florida on Sunday: Tiger Woods.

    The White House confirmed that Woods was among the president's foursome for a round of golf at the Floridian Yacht and Golf Club in Palm City, Fla. Rounding out the group were United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk and resort owner Jim Crane.

    The president is in the midst of a three-day retreat in the Sunshine State while First Lady Michelle Obama and the couple's children ski in Colorado. An avid golfer, Obama has played more than 100 rounds since entering the Oval Office, a statistic his political rivals have tried to use against him.

    It was not until after the round that the White House confirmed news that the president shared the course with one of the sport's biggest and most controversial names. Woods' career took a nosedive after it was revealed he had cheated on his wife with multiple women, but he has since been rehabilitating his image and is currently ranked the No. 2 golfer in the world.

    Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte broke the news of the powerful pairing Sunday morning, tweeting that the president had arrived at the course and was awaiting Woods. It was their first round together, but Obama did host the golfer at the White House in April 2009, seven months before Woods' marital transgressions became public.

    Though there has been no official word on how either of the men played, Rosaforte tweeted that Woods sunk a shot from the bunker for birdie on the first hole. Rosaforte also reported on the Golf Channel that Woods was in no way holding back for the commander-in-chief. Instead, the once top golfer in the world was putting on a show, driving the green of a 378-yard par 4.

    Obama's golf game should be as good as it has ever been. On Saturday he spent eight hours with Woods' former swing coach Butch Harmon, playing 27 holes and hitting balls in the instructor's golf studio, Golf Digest reported.

    Sunday's outing was closed to media, but Harmon recounted to Golf Digest the interaction he witnessed between Woods and Obama. "The president said to Tiger, 'The last tournament you played was fun to watch. It's good to see you play well again.' You could tell he meant it. It just wasn't a throw it out compliment," he told the magazine.

    Harmon also said that when it comes to tallying up his scorecard, Obama plays by the rules.

    "He counts every shot. He doesn't like gimmes. He putts everything out. He counts all his penalty shots. He thinks about all his shots before he hits them. Some people might say to the President of the United States, 'Oh, just move it.' But that's not him," said Harmon. "He loves the game and loves the game the way it's supposed to be played."

    This story was originally published on Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:47 PM EST

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