For policy, JEB! shops at Walmart

(Politico) - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has the early lead — in publishing four white papers — with his latest tome out Monday on education reform. Rick Perry’s attempt to look smart continued last week in Washington, where the former Texas governor dined with a pair of Middle East specialists — Elliott Abrams and Eliot Cohen — at an expensive steakhouse a couple blocks from the White House. Then there’s Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who has attracted leading GOP heavyweights like Robert Zoellick and has tasked former Walmart CEO Bill Simon with hiring dozens of specialists who may need to move to … wait for it … Miami.

Next year’s election is shaping up to be the strongest on policy in recent history, thanks to a wide-open, issue-hungry presidential field and the promise that no matter who wins, 2017 may just be the year that the legislative logjam finally breaks and big things get done again in Washington.

And while it’s a year until the Iowa caucuses, all of the candidates need ideas — and fast.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is pulling together a team tasked with the challenging job of charting a new, post-Barack Obama path. It will be packed with party heavyweights (including her husband) with more than two decades of experience battling Republicans on everything from the environment to budget deficits. Read more.