Hillary Silent on Warren Uprising, Jeb Bush "Actively Exploring" & More Juicy Tidbits--"Market Watch

By Robert Schroeder
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) --

Published: Dec 16, 2014 7:50 a.m. ET
Hillary Clinton quiet as Elizabeth Warren rises
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Hillary Clinton didn’t make a peep as Sen. Elizabeth Warren led a Democratic uprising in the Senate over changes to the Dodd-Frank law included in the $1.1 trillion government-funding bill.

Clinton’s silence, her supporters told the Hill, was due to her likely support of the spending bill — even if she didn’t want to go on record with that support. “She would have some issues with it, of course, and she’d think that it’s not a perfect bill, but I don’t think she would have taken Warren’s stance,” said one Clinton ally. Opposition to the bill raised the profile of Massachusetts Democrat Warren and energized liberals hoping she’ll enter the 2016 presidential race as a rival to Clinton.

Democrats divided: Democrats would like some credit for good economic news, but the better reports are, the more divided the party has become over how to take any. In one camp, the New York Times writes, are Democrats who argue that if they don’t take some credit, they’ll continue to receive little. Others say boasting would backfire, infuriating Americans who don’t see the economy improving for them. Many, including President Barack Obama, fall in the middle, seeking to strike some balance more than five years after the recovery officially began.

Jeb Bush: I've decided to 'actively explore' running for president
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday he will "actively explore" the possibility of running for president. Bush, who polls have shown to be a frontrunner if he does run, said on his Facebook page he hopes to visit with Americans "in the coming months" to discuss restoring the country's promise.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jeb-bush-ive-decided-to-actively-explore-running-for-president-2014-12-16

Uglier budget battle looms: Last week, Congress barely managed to approve the massive spending bill to fund the government. Next year could be even uglier, writes The Wall Street Journal. Complicating Congress’s task will be the return of across-the-board spending cuts known as the “sequester.” A two-year deal brokered by Patty Murray, leader of the Senate Budget Committee, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan eased those cuts for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. In fiscal 2016, the cuts will return in full force. Fiscal 2016 begins Oct. 1, 2015.

Cruz seeks peace: Ted Cruz, the firebrand Republican senator from Texas and possible presidential contender, is seeking peace with big GOP spenders frightened by his reputation as a renegade. National Journal reports Cruz slipped away earlier this month to Los Angeles for a series of meetings with top Republican donors, including a dinner with a group of some 20 Republicans who raised money for Mitt Romney in 2012. Cruz also took a whirlwind tour of Manhattan in late November, taking time to meet GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson.

Insurers ease Obamacare deadline: The insurance industry, trying to head off a new round of consumer headaches with President Obama’s health-care law, says it will give customers more time to pay their premiums for January. The Associated Press reports America’s Health Insurance Plans, the main industry trade group, says the voluntary steps include a commitment to promptly refund any overpayments by consumers who switched plans and who may have been double-billed by mistake.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hillary-clinton-quiet-as-elizabeth-warren-rises-2014-12-16?dist=lcountdown