“House Speaker John Boehner has shored up his political clout after a shaky month, persuading his Republican caucus to pick its fights with Democrats more strategically,” AP writes. “His impressive rebound, aided by face-the-facts confrontations with colleagues, helped the government avoid a potential default on its financial obligations — for three months, at least. It also reassured establishment Republicans who feared the House majority was becoming so unpredictable that it endangered the party. But the patched-up GOP solidarity and Boehner’s ability to pass bills without Democrats’ help are certain to be tested again.”
Rich Wall Street donors aren’t happy with Republicans they supported. Republicans liaison to sort it all out is Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Politico reports: “Portman’s been busy. He attended 12 meetings in just two days on a swing through New York in January. At one megadonor lunch, he presented a strategic plan for 2014.”
Politico looks at Bob Menendez’s chances at political survival.
Politico also calls Lindsey Graham’s dedication to immigration reform “a reflection of both Graham’s political strength and his party’s rapid evolution on immigration since its November licking among Latinos.”