DNC Chair on Whether Democrats Will Win Back House
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz says her party will gain seats in the House of Representatives in this year's midterm elections.
But the congresswoman from Florida wouldn't go as far as others in her party have in predicting that the Democrats will win back control of the House come November.
Asked Monday by CNN anchor Kate Bolduan on "New Day" about the Democrats' chances to retake the chamber, the DNC chairwoman said, "I think we have tremendous opportunities across the country. I think we're going to pick up seats."
Biden Meeting China's President Over Air Defense Zone
Vice President Joe Biden faces a very delicate task this week as he makes a diplomatic visit to East Asia in hopes of turning down the volume on an increasingly noisy territorial tug of war.
The long-planned trip, which was originally to focus on economic issues, comes as tensions in East Asia are on the rise.
Biden's first stop was Tokyo, where longtime ally Japan and the United States are pushing back against China's recent declaration of a restricted flight zone over parts of the East China Sea that include some islands claimed by both China and Japan.
In Beijing meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping today, "Biden will have to walk a tight rope in pressuring the Chinese to dial back some of the rhetoric but also can't push too far," reports CNN's David McKenzie. "It's unlikely they'll go away from this zone..."
In a meeting on Tuesday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Biden said the United States was "deeply concerned by the attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea."
Biden reaffirmed that "the United States looks to our alliance with Japan as the cornerstone of stability and security in East Asia, and we are fully committed to our announced strategy of rebalancing as well in the Pacific," according to a White House transcript of the meeting.
And in an interview with the Ashai daily newspaper, Biden rejected concerns that the United States may not have staying power in the region, saying "economically, diplomatically, militarily, we have been, we are, and we will remain a resident Pacific power."
Where Does Christie Go Next?
What do you do for an encore after a landslide re-election victory? How about taking your show on the road.
And that's just what New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will do later this month, as he takes over as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, giving an already very visible governor with national aspirations even more visibility.
The high-profile position should also enhance Christie's status as a leader of the GOP, CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports.
With three-dozen states electing governors in 2014, Christie will be crisscrossing the country, supporting some of the party's brightest stars. But he'll also be introducing himself to those who know only the larger-than-life figure on TV.
"I'm going to be traveling all over the country trying to elect Republican governors and that's a pretty good thing to do for the Republican Party," Christie said Tuesday in an interview with CNN anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper.
The states that kick off the presidential primary and caucus calendar - Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada - are among those holding elections next year. That itinerary works out well for someone who's got an eye on the White House.
"The chairmanship of the RGA allows a governor to run for president before he actually runs for president, building relationships with organizers in key states and expanding his network of national contributors," said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist and veteran of numerous GOP campaigns. "It can also warehouse staff that can later move over to a presidential campaign. He can also use the RGA to collect chits by helping fellow GOP governors whom he hopes will eventually help him. It is a great platform for a Republican governor who is being urged to consider a presidential bid."
But Christie could face intraparty sniping that he's using the position to further his chances of winning the party's presidential nomination. Then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who chaired the committee in 2006, ahead of his first run for the White House in 2008, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who chaired the RGA ahead of his 2012 bid for president, also got such quiet criticism.
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