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February 7, 2013 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise National Pulse  Defense hawks could find spending cuts hard to swallow Pentagon officials say that further delaying the "sequestration" spending cuts, as President Barack Obama has proposed, would do little to avert the cuts' long-term impact on U.S. military readiness. Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Service committees are launching a new push to pay down the spending cuts through other means, in a move that some analysts believe could make it harder for the GOP to maintain its unified opposition to tax increases. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (2/7) , Talking Points Memo (2/7)      Democrats prepare bill to avert $1 trillion in cuts The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/6)      Analysis: 3 ways lawmakers could block automatic spending cuts The Washington Post/Wonkblog  (2/6)      Agenda Items  Karl Rove picks a fight with the tea party    Rove/Reuters Karl Rove has created a new group, the Conservative Victory Project, that will screen potential GOP candidates and coordinate fundraising in a bid to ensure the party doesn't continue to blow winnable elections. The move sparked outrage from tea party groups, who have successfully staged primary challenges to Republican establishment favorites in recent elections. Some predicted that the gambit would inflame the GOP's conservative base, making it easier for right-wing insurgents to win primaries. ABC News (2/7) , The Washington Times (2/7)      Obama backtracks, lets lawmakers see targeted-killings memo The Washington Post (2/6)      Gun control, immigration reforms could hurt Senate Democrats in 2014 Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/6)      Health care reforms will cost grocery stores $1 billion, execs say FoxNews.com (2/6)      Activists cheer Obama's evolution into a gay-rights crusader The Hill (2/7)      Data Points  Study: Oil tax could keep U.S. economy on track    Reuters Taxing the consumption of oil more heavily might let policymakers mitigate the economic impact of spending cuts and higher income taxation, according to a new analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations. "Raising taxes on something that's under-taxed, like oil, rather than something that's already heavily taxed, like income, can yield good results," says CFR analyst Michael Levi. The Washington Post/Wonkblog (2/6)      The Conversation  Sen. Rand Paul: What the debt crisis means for U.S. foreign policy RealClearPolitics (2/7)      Analyst Stuart Rothenberg: The GOP's youth vote problem won't go away Roll Call (free content) (2/6)      Editor Erick Erickson: Will Obama's coalition crumble? RedState.com (2/7)      Daily Chuckle  How a president's dog became an Internet sensation    Bush, Barney/Reuters As Christmas 2002 approached, with the visions of 9/11 still fresh in the public mind, a low-level White House staffer hit on an idea to help the nation beat the doldrums. All it took was a video camera, the Internet and the president's dog. Barney Cam was born. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/6)      SmartQuote  It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive." --Earl Warren, chief justice of the U.S.        SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! Accounting Advertising Automotive Aviation & Aerospace Biotechnology Business Chemicals Construction & Real Estate Consumer Packaged Goods Distribution Education Energy Finance Food Service Health Care Insurance Legal Manufacturing Media & Entertainment Nonprofit Retail Technology Telecommunications Travel & Hospitality   Subscriber Tools SIGNUP   SEND FEEDBACK   E-MAIL THIS BRIEF Today's Brief - Permalink  | Print friendly format  | Web version  | Privacy policy Advertise Sr. National Account Director:   Jim Pataki 212-450-1682   SmartBrief Community: Most Clicked Facebook LinkedIn Get this RSS Feed Search Archive About Download a SmartBrief Mobile app today     Recent SmartBrief on Business & Politics Issues: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 Tuesday, February 05, 2013 Monday, February 04, 2013 Friday, February 01, 2013 Thursday, January 31, 2013     Lead Editor: Jim Berard     Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004     © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information