Charlie Cook: Independents Volitile But Not Creating New Rules...

According to Charlie Cook, after three straight "wave" elections where there has been a drastic change in legislative makeup, we might be poised for a "normal" election in 2012. "To be sure, independent voters propelled Democrats in 2006 and 2008 and reversed course and pushed Republicans through in 2010. Independent voters are still impatient and volatile, but these elections were exceptions, not new rules." History will tell, but we personally wouldn't bet on anything these days being "normal."

The 2012 election is the primary issue at hand for the No Labels organization, who are focusing on growing so that more politicians will take them seriously. The primary goal being a large turnout at the National Day of Action planned for next year over six states, all open primary states. With enough numbers and enough voices, they will be hard to ignore.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• The New Normal - Although we’ve seen three straight wave elections, 2012 might shape up to be, for lack of a better term, a “normal” election. (Charlie Cook, National Journal/Charlie Cook's Off to the Races) To be sure, independent voters propelled Democrats in 2006 and 2008 and reversed course and pushed Republicans through in 2010. Independent voters are still impatient and volatile, but these elections were exceptions, not new rules.
• WH: Ambassador Huntsman to leave China post (AP) By emphasizing his record as governor and manager, Huntsman could appeal to the large swaths of moderate or independent voters who may fear a nominee from the far right of the party might fail in a bid to unseat Obama.

NO LABELS

• No Labels focuses on growth, Congressional monitoring, eyeing 2012 primaries (Ken Bingenheimer, National Common Ground Examiner) In a weekly leaders' call Monday morning, founding leader Nancy Jacobson discussed the National Day of Action the group is planning for 2012. "We're going to be spending about 60 percent of our time monitoring what's going on in Congress. We're going to be vigilantly watching, and hopefully bringing this community along to let their voices be heard in Washington. The other thing we're going to be working toward is a National Day of Action, which will happen sometime a year from now in six states, three on the Republican side, three on the Democratic side, in open primary states.

HEALTH CARE

• Health care could be high-court nail-biter (By: David Nather, Politico) Because the stakes are so high, “this is a very difficult case for the Supreme Court as an institution,” said Turley. “You have a slight majority of the states opposing it. You have a national law that’s affecting hundreds of billions of dollars of services. This is the type of case that justices do not relish.”

CALIFORNIA

• Peace & Freedom Party Candidate Files Lawsuit Against New California Rules for Petitions in Lieu of Filing Fee (Ballot Access News)
• Barnidge: Fixing California's broken budget will require some changes (By Tom Barnidge, Contra Costa Times) Also needed are elected officials who care more about constituents than political parties -- representatives who support good policy rather than rigid ideology. Thornberg said that new redistricting procedures and open primaries offer hope for reduced partisanship.

NEW YORK

• IDC Sides With Senate Republicans On Rules Reforms (By Laura Nahmias, City Hall News) A change in Senate rules stripping Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy of his power to cast a tie-breaking vote passed 36-24 in a marathon session, with all four members of the Independent Democratic Caucus voting with Republicans against the rest of the Senate Democrats.