Archives for December 18, 2015 at 11:55 pm EST
Trump Leads in South Carolina
A new Opinion Savvy poll in South Carolina finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential race with 28%, followed by Ted Cruz at 21%, Marco Rubio at 12%, Jeb Bush at 10% and Ben Carson at 10%.
Police Called to New Mexico Governor’s Hotel Room
Police were dispatched to New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez’s (R) hotel room at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa about 1:30 a.m. Sunday after a caller complained of loud noises emanating from the room and someone throwing bottles off the balcony, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
“Santa Fe County dispatchers on Friday released recordings of Martinez talking to dispatchers after the complaint was made. She insisted on knowing who made the complaint and telling dispatchers that police officers were not needed. The governor said she and her disabled sister were in the room, along with six other people eating pizza.”
NM Political Report obtained audio of three calls to police.
Sanders Says DNC Is Undermining His Campaign
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign threatened to sue the DNC “for suspending its access to the national voter database, saying the move threatens to undermine the Vermont senator’s presidential run,” Politico reports.
“Even as the campaign admitted its staffers had inappropriately reviewed and saved Hillary Clinton campaign data made available as a result of a software error, it emphatically accused the DNC of sabotage and of blatantly favoring Clinton.”
Hagel Says White House Tried to ‘Destroy’ Him
Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Foreign Policy that the White House officials were “really vilifying me in a gutless, off-the-record kind of way” after he agreed to leave his post.
He added: “They already had my resignation, so what was the point of just continuing to try to destroy me?”
Third of GOP Voters Want to Bomb Fictional Country
A new Public Policy Polling survey finds that 30% of GOP voters favor bombing Agrabah, the fictional country from the animated film Aladdin.
Rubio Misses Spending Bill Vote
Sen. Marco Rubio “missed Friday’s Senate vote approving a massive $1.8 trillion end-of-the-year spending bill and tax package — a day after he suggested that he would try to slow the legislation down,” The Hill reports.
“The Florida Republican, who is running for president, was the only 2016 contender to miss the vote, which is the Senate’s final vote of the year.”
Hillary Clinton and the Obama Factor
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Sanders Already Writing Inauguration Speech
He hasn’t even won the Democratic nomination yet, but Sen. Bernie Sanders told the Huffington Post that he is already writing his inauguration speech.
Said Sanders: “Have I started writing my inauguration speech, as opposed to the speech I have to give tomorrow? Look, the answer is yes. It is a very sobering thing to be thinking about oneself as president of the United States and the enormous responsibilities that go with that.”
White House Hints at ‘Non-Traditional’ State of the Union
The White House is promising President Obama will deliver a “non-traditional” State of the Union address next month, “eschewing the standard litany of policy proposals for a broader discussion on the challenges facing the country,” the AP reports.
“Rather than fade into the lame duck phase of his presidency, the White House said Obama is eager to use 2016 to take steps that drive the debate in the 2016 race. He also expects to be active on the campaign trail, stumping for the Democratic presidential nominee and other party candidates.”
First Read: “This won’t be a typical SOTU, so we’re told. It will likely be aspirational that some political opponents will likely view as an attempt to throw down the gauntlet on a progressive agenda. And it will come just three weeks before Iowa.”
Why No Ground Troops in Syria?
New York Times: “In a private session at the White House, Mr. Obama explained that his refusal to redeploy large numbers of troops to the region was rooted in the grim assumption that the casualties and costs would rival the worst of the Iraq war. In such a scenario, he said, a renewed commitment could take up to $10 billion a month and leave as many as 500 troops wounded every month in addition to those killed, a toll he deemed not commensurate to the threat.”
Exchange of the Day
Business Insider captured this exchange between Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough and Donald Trump:
Scarborough: “Well, I mean, it’s also a person who kills journalists, political opponents, and invades countries. Obviously that would be a concern, would it not?”
Trump: “He’s running his country, and at least he’s a leader. Unlike what we have in this country.”
Scarborough: “But again: He kills journalists that don’t agree with him.”
Trump: “I think our country does plenty of killing, also, Joe, so, you know. There’s a lot of stupidity going on in the world right now, Joe. A lot of killing going on. A lot of stupidity. And that’s the way it is.”
Quote of the Day
“I think that he will change that newspaper, and I hope so — I say that without any question. That is a dog of a newspaper.”
— Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), in an interview with the Washington Post, on GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson’s acquisition of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Molly Ball: Why did Sheldon Adelson buy Nevada’s largest newspaper?
Ruben Hinojosa Seeking Ruben Hinojosa’s Seat
Texas Tribune: “Here’s a primary ballot quirk that could leave some Texas voters scratching their heads: One Democratic candidate to replace retiring Rep. Ruben Hinojosa in Congressional District 15 is Ruben Ramirez Hinojosa, a 33-year-old University of Houston law student and U.S. Army combat veteran from McAllen.”
“Different guy, nearly identical name. Democrats say the coincidence could confuse voters, leading some to vote for the relative youngster— who unsuccessfully ran under a different name for Hinojosa’s seat in 2012 — thinking they’re casting a ballot for the man who represented their South Texas district for two decades.”
Trump Maintains Lead in New Hampshire
A Boston Herald/Franklin Pierce poll in New Hampshire finds Donald Trump leads the GOP presidential race with 26%, followed by Marco Rubio at 12%, Ted Cruz at 12%, Chris Christie at 11%, Jeb Bush at 10% and John Kasich at 8%.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders barely leads Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race, 48% to 46%.
Bush Doubles Down on Attacking Trump
“Buoyed by an aggressive performance in Tuesday’s Republican debate, Jeb Bush is intensifying his strategy of attacking Donald Trump’s fitness for the presidency, which his aides believe is setting him apart from the sprawling field just as voters begin to make up their minds in early voting states,” the New York Times reports.
“This plan has significant risks… But after much discussion, the Bush team has decided, at least for now, that the most effective way to convince voters of Mr. Bush’s seriousness is to highlight his barrage against Mr. Trump, a billionaire real estate magnate, whom he repeatedly assailed during the debate in Las Vegas.”
Sanders Disciplined by DNC for Data Breach
The DNC has told the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders “that it was suspending its access to its voter database after a software error enabled at least one of his staff members to review Hillary Clinton’s private campaign data,” the New York Times reports.
“The decision by the party committee is a major blow to Mr. Sanders’s campaign. The database includes information from voters across the nation and is used by campaigns to set strategy, especially in the early voting states.”
Washington Post: “Having his campaign cut off from the national party’s voter data is a strategic setback for Sanders — and could be a devastating blow if it lasts. The episode also raises questions about the DNC’s ability to provide strategic resources to campaigns and state parties.”
First Read: “But the DNC has to walk a careful line here: If the Sanders campaign takes appropriate action and disposes of the data it obtained, the DNC can’t look like it is slow-walking giving Sanders access again or they’ll get accused of tipping the scales.”
Huckabee Slashes Staff Pay
“Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign, struggling with its low standing in the polls and underwhelming fundraising, slashed the salaries of senior staffers amid the departure of its top communications aide,” Politico reports.