With the inauguration now over, it’s time for DC to return to normal. Well, easier said than done. Yes, the nets and fences and road closure that tangled the nation’s capital last weekend have gone away, but this city has a way of never really reaching that condition called “normal” – rather, it tends to flit from event to event and mess to mess.
Three months ago, we were in full Election Mode. Three weeks ago, we were falling off the fiscal cliff. January began with fleets of moving trucks bringing new members to Capitol Hill and carrying away the belongings of those who had retired or lost. Three days ago, we were ushering in the second presidency of Barack Obama; and three hours ago the area was still trying to gain its footing after an inch – yes, an inch – of snow. Normal DC? We don’t even know what that is anymore.
Former Romney campaign adviser Carlos Gutierrez responds to Romney's comments that he lost the election because of "gifts" Obama gave to minorities.
Watch the full interview Sunday on State of the Union.
CA Gov. Jerry Brown on the election results, Obama's winning coalition and the future for Democrats.
Watch the full interview here.
Today, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Congressman Peter King (R-NY) offered sharply different takes on the resignation of David Petraeus. King said he has “questions about the whole matter” and called for a review of the timeline of events. “This was a matter involving a potential compromise of security, and the president should have been told about it at the earliest state,” said King. Menendez dismissed the idea of a conspiracy; adding, “from all the published accounts it seems that the chain of events is pretty clear.”
Dana Bash moderated a panel of prominent republicans who discussed rebranding the GOP. Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said the GOP needs to make new inroads with Hispanics. “The insight that I got was that Latinos were scared. You know, it wasn't the economy and - they were scared of the Republican Party, and I think fear is what did us in.”
And California Governor Jerry Brown made a case for why states should be left alone to decide marijuana laws.
FULL POST
By Candy Crowley, CNN Chief Political Correspondent
We were somewhere down South in the back half of October 1996. I believe we were in a theater. I remember thinking how terrible the lighting was, how small and deflated the crowd.
I remember the look on the candidate's face.
How will the make-up of the House and Senate look after Election Day? Candy Crowley takes a look.
CNN anchors & reporters weigh in on how we'll know the election is really over.
Former White House Chief of Staff (and current mayor of Chicago) Rahm Emanuel discusses President Obama's closing message.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman weighs in on the importance of his state in Tuesday's election, and what Mitt Romney must do to clinch the pivotal battleground.