Louisiana: Vitter knocks climate change agreement. US Sen. David Vitter (R), the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said last week that President Obama’s carbon dioxide agreement with China had nothing “breakthrough” about it. “What he’s really saying is he wants to push through his failed cap-and-trade policy that will make energy prices skyrocket here at home,” Vitter told the Times-Picayune.
Texas: Castro to head DCCC? US Rep. Joaquin Castro is getting his name bruited about as the next chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the group responsible for winning US House seats for the Democrats. The DCCC chair raises money, recruits candidates and generally stays in his or her party’s spotlight. The position will be filled by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In Castro’s favor, his Hispanic heritage could help Democrats with the Latino vote, which, though mostly Democratic, is also being courted by the GOP, at times successfully. Castro, 40, and his twin-brother, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, were telegenic, up-and-coming political celebrities at the 2012 Democratic Convention.
Florida: Democrats look for US Senate candidate. Charlie Crist just got beat in the governor’s race and has lost two Senate bids in the past. Gwen Graham hasn’t even taken her seat in Congress. US Rep. Patrick Murphy is just 31. Debbie Wasserman Schultz presided at the DNC during the November 4 shellacking, and besides, she’s too liberal for Florida. US Rep. Alan Grayson is “a bomb thrower. US Rep. Ted Deutsch is a possibility; he’s too liberal too, but he’s moderate on foreign policy. Thus Sunshine State News’ Jeff Henderson sums up the potential 2016 Democratic US Senate candidates in Florida, whether or not US Sen. Marco Rubio (R) seeks reelection.