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Kaine Seen As Favorite for Clinton Veep

June 23, 2016 at 8:38 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 260 Comments

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) “is emerging as the leading candidate atop Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential short list, according to Democratic allies and operatives close to the campaign,” Politico reports.

“Sen. Elizabeth Warren and HUD Secretary Julian Castro are also top prospects for the Democratic ticket — both representing nods to important Democratic constituencies.But they have serious drawbacks that make them less appealing for Clinton than the Spanish-speaking, Terry McAuliffe-endorsed, former missionary and swing state governor, who was a finalist in Barack Obama’s vice presidential vetting process eight years ago.”

16 Days and Counting

June 23, 2016 at 8:23 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 181 Comments

First Read: “A reminder: It’s been 16 days since Hillary Clinton became her party’s presumptive presidential nominee, but Bernie Sanders still hasn’t conceded the race (nor has he endorsed Clinton). By contrast, Clinton officially conceded four days after Barack Obama became the presumptive nominee in 2008. We’re pointing this out, because Sanders yesterday — for the first time — acknowledged he won’t be the Dem nominee.”

Trump Heads to Scotland for Business

June 23, 2016 at 8:18 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 42 Comments

New York Times: “Normally when presidential contenders travel abroad, they do so to burnish their foreign policy credentials, cramming their schedules with high-level meetings with foreign dignitaries and opining on the pressing international issues of the day.”

“But, to a large extent, Mr. Trump’s business interests still drive his behavior, and his schedule. He has planned two days in Scotland, with no meetings with government or political leaders scheduled.”

“And despite the fact that Mr. Trump touches down in Britain the day after its ‘Brexit’ vote on whether to leave the European Union, his itinerary — a helicopter landing at his luxury resort, a ceremonial ribbon cutting and family photo, and a news conference — reads like a public relations junket crossed with a golf vacation.”

Murphy Embellished His Business Background

June 23, 2016 at 7:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 97 Comments

CBS Miami digs into Rep. Patrick Murphy’s (D-FL) background as the likely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Florida:

A CBS4 News investigation into Murphy’s history as both a CPA and a self-described small business owner, however, shows Murphy has in some cases exaggerated his experience and in other instances made claims that were misleading or outright false.

For instance, he has never worked a day in his life as a Certified Public Accountant.

And he was never a small business owner.

Rubio Decides Senate Is Better Path to White House

June 23, 2016 at 7:19 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

Harry Enten: “Marco Rubio’s decision to run for re-election to his U.S. Senate seat, which he announced Wednesday morning, gives Republicans a boost in their bid to retain control of the Senate. But it also sheds light on how Rubio views his political future and how Republican Senate candidates in swing states might act toward Donald Trump.”

Washington Post: Inside the Republican courtship of Marco Rubio

Interestingly, Smart Politics notes that since 1972, “all seven sitting U.S. Senators who ran for reelection in the cycle of their failed presidential bid won another term – each by double digits.”

Is Clinton Talking Pennsylvania for Granted?

June 23, 2016 at 7:14 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 59 Comments

David Wasserman: “Hillary Clinton has a substantial lead in the polls over Donald Trump, and has vastly more cash on hand. But when it comes to spending that cash, her campaign may be making a strategic miscalculation. The campaign and an allied super PAC have reserved $137 million of ads across eight states — yet they’ve conspicuously left out the state that might be likeliest to tip the 2016 election: Pennsylvania.”

“Michigan and Wisconsin were absent from the list, as well, but the Keystone State is the most curious Rust Belt omission. In May, we laid out the case for why the Keystone State could be on pace to decide a close national race. Evidently, Democratic ad strategists don’t share that view.”

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “We are shifting one state a bit toward Trump, although Democrats retain an advantage there. Pennsylvania, potentially the most important state in 2016, moves from Likely Democratic to Leans Democratic. Trump is targeting the state, and a number of his more plausible paths to 270 include turning the Keystone State red for the first time since 1988.”

U.K. Heads to the Polls in Referendum on EU

June 23, 2016 at 7:09 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 63 Comments

“Britons headed to polling booths Thursday for a historic vote on whether to leave the European Union, a choice pitting a vision of an untethered Britain against bleak predictions of economic turbulence and global insecurity,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“After months of campaigning, most polls show a virtual dead heat between the pro-EU ‘remain’ campaign and the ‘Brexit’ camp, shorthand for those advocating Britain’s exit from the 28-nation bloc. Turnout will be crucial to determining the outcome, with stormy weather across southern England causing flooding and snarling public transport.”

Quartz: Would a Brexit be followed by a break up of the United Kingdom?

House Republicans Start Recess Early

June 23, 2016 at 7:05 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 26 Comments

“House GOP leaders opted to send lawmakers home a day early for a holiday recess as Democrats threatened to stretch a widely publicized sit-in over gun control into a days-long demonstration,” The Hill reports.

“The House adjourned for the Independence Day recess shortly after Republicans voted to pass an emergency funding package to combat the Zika virus after 3 a.m. Thursday. The House will have a pro forma session at 9 a.m. Friday but won’t return for legislative votes until Tuesday, July 5 and will then adjourn again 10 days later until after Labor Day.”

Chaos Erupts in the House of Representatives

June 22, 2016 at 10:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 122 Comments

“Rank-and-file Democrats on Wednesday laid siege to the House chamber for a daylong sit-in demanding votes to tighten the nation’s gun control laws, but House Republicans forced a late-night confrontation as Speaker Paul D. Ryan banged his gavel in an effort to resume regular legislative business,” the New York Times reports.

“It was a remarkable scene of pandemonium on the House floor. Democrats sought to shout down Mr. Ryan, chanting, ‘No bill! No break!’ as they reiterated their demand for a vote on the gun measures before a weeklong recess for the July 4th holiday.”

Washington Post: “Tensions began to rise late in the evening with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) yelling at Democrats to talk about radical Islam, a reference to the Orlando shooter’s pledge of solidarity with ISIS, while Democrats shouted back that Republicans should hold a vote on gun-control proposals.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

June 22, 2016 at 6:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 77 Comments

“Let’s be honest, the Republicans have nominated the looniest of the right-wing lunatics to become our country’s next Commander-in-Chief.”

— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), quoted by the Washington Examiner.

State Department Disabled Security for Clinton Emails

June 22, 2016 at 6:39 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 89 Comments

“State Department staffers wrestled for weeks in December 2010 over a serious technical problem that affected emails from then-Secretary Hillary Clinton’s home email server, causing them to temporarily disable security features on the government’s own systems,” the AP reports.

“The emails… show that State Department technical staff disabled software on their systems intended to block phishing emails that could deliver dangerous viruses. They were trying urgently to resolve delivery problems with emails sent from Clinton’s private server.”

Rubio Won’t Campaign With Trump

June 22, 2016 at 6:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 25 Comments

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) will not campaign with Donald Trump in the battleground state of Florida, Politico reports.

Said Rubio: “It’s not that I’m looking to undermine him, but I think the differences between us on key issues are so significant that I just don’t plan to campaign — I’ve got to run my own race.”

How Trump Will Stop the ‘Dump Trump’ Effort

June 22, 2016 at 6:17 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 125 Comments

Donald Trump’s campaign “is preparing a sophisticated operation to fight back against resurgent plans by recalcitrant conservatives to deny him the nomination at next month’s Republican National Convention,” Politico reports.

“The effort will rely on a team of 150 volunteers and paid staff to keep the convention’s 2,472 delegates in line, and it will utilize a database with information on many of the delegates.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

June 22, 2016 at 5:58 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 105 Comments

“It doesn’t appear that I’m going to be the nominee, so I’m not going to determine the scope of the convention. I’ve given a few speeches in my life. It would be nice to speak at the Democratic National Convention. If for whatever reason they don’t want me to speak, then whatever.”

— Sen. Bernie Sanders, quoted by the Washington Post.

Rumsfeld Backs Trump for President

June 22, 2016 at 5:54 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 78 Comments

Donald Rumsfeld told the Daily Mail that he will support Donald Trump with his vote in November.

It’s ‘not a close call,’ he said in a 25-minute phone interview.

He added: “I’m a Republican, and there’s not any doubt in my mind how I’ll vote… I don’t believe Hillary Clinton is qualified to be President of the United States.”

Scowcroft Endorsed Hillary Clinton

June 22, 2016 at 5:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 55 Comments

Brent Scowcroft, national security adviser under Republican presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, Politico reports.

Said Scowcroft: “Secretary Clinton shares my belief that America must remain the world’s indispensable leader. She understands that our leadership and engagement beyond our borders makes the world, and therefore the United States, more secure and prosperous. She appreciates that it is essential to maintain our strong military advantage, but that force must only be used as a last resort.”

Why Trump Should Be a Fundraising Success

June 22, 2016 at 3:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 59 Comments

Patrick Ruffini: “I don’t like Trump, but speaking objectively and from experience, Trump’s low-rent demagoguery is tailor-made for fundraising success on the Internet. Trump appeals viscerally to a grassroots concerned about immigration, security, and the loss of American identity. He’s been able to fill stadiums for rallies (provided they are close enough to the election). He’s generated massive revenues for media companies and built an unprecedented social media following for a Republican candidate. He’s been able to do things at a grassroots level that no other Republican candidate before has done, and had he tried earlier, this would have translated to tens of millions in online contributions in the primary and hundreds of millions in the general.”

“About the only place Trump’s political success so far isn’t reflected is in own campaign bank account — which has burned through all but $1.3 million in cash with five months to go.”

Half Say They’re ‘Afraid’ of the Other Party

June 22, 2016 at 2:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 69 Comments

Pew Research: “For the first time in surveys dating to 1992, majorities in both parties express not just unfavorable but very unfavorable views of the other party. And today, sizable shares of both Democrats and Republicans say the other party stirs feelings of not just frustration, but fear and anger.”

“More than half of Democrats (55%) say the Republican Party makes them ‘afraid,’ while 49% of Republicans say the same about the Democratic Party. Among those highly engaged in politics – those who say they vote regularly and either volunteer for or donate to campaigns – fully 70% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans say they are afraid of the other party.”