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Kasich Snags Portman’s Endorsement

January 9, 2016 at 8:17 am EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) soon will endorse Gov. John Kasich for president, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

“Top Ohio Republican backs another top Ohio Republican. That’s how it always works, no? In most cases you would be correct. But Portman’s case is somewhat special. Consider that he served in the White House under President George H.W. Bush and later returned for two high-profile posts under President George W. Bush. Family loyalties might have compelled Portman to get behind Jeb Bush’s candidacy.”

Trump Way Ahead in New Hampshire

January 9, 2016 at 7:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard 41 Comments

A new NH News 1 poll in New Hampshire finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential race with 32%, followed by Jeb Bush at 12%, John Kasich at 12%, Chris Christie at 11%, Ted Cruz at 11%, Marco Rubio at 10% and Carly Fiorina at 5%.

Paul Calls for End of Undercard Debate

January 9, 2016 at 7:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

Sen. Rand Paul “thinks it’s time to do away with the undercard Republican presidential debate,” Politico reports.

Said Paul: “I’m not sure where the purpose is anymore, if there ever was one. I think if you have a national campaign, you’ve raised a significant amount of money, you’re on the ballot, you’ve employed staff and you’re actively campaigning, you’ve got to be in the debate.”

Rubio Confuses Iowa Supporters

January 9, 2016 at 7:29 am EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

New York Times: “Many of Mr. Rubio’s supporters in Iowa see him as something of a political commitment-phobe — standoffishly gracing Republican voters with his presence in abbreviated spurts, then disappearing just as quickly. This was a busy week for Mr. Rubio in Iowa: five events over three days. Mr. Cruz did five a day.”

“But his drive-by campaigning style and unorthodox, underlying strategy — deliberately keeping expectations low about how well he will do here in the Feb. 1 caucuses or in other early contests, while maintaining an active and expensive political operation — are raising questions about what he is running for. Is he hoping to win? To place?”

Politico: Rubio’s Iowa path leaves him squeezed on all sides

ISIS Militant Executes His Own Mother

January 9, 2016 at 7:18 am EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“In a shocking low even by the standards of the so-called Islamic State, a militant has publicly executed his own mother after accusing her of apostasy,” The Independent reports.

“The activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RIBSS) said 20-year-old jihadi Ali Saqr al-Qasem shot his mother Lena, 45, in the head with an assault rifle in front of a large crowd.”

Cruz Just Ahead of Trump in Iowa

January 8, 2016 at 9:32 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

A new Fox News poll in Iowa shows Ted Cruz with an edge over Donald Trump in the GOP nomination race, 27% to 23%. Marco Rubio follows in third place at 15%, Ben Carson is at 9%, Jeb Bush at 7% and Rand Paul at 5%.

Trump Holds Big Lead in New Hampshire

January 8, 2016 at 9:30 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

A new Fox News poll in New Hampshire shows Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential race with 33%, followed by Marco Rubio at 15%, Ted Cruz at 12%, Jeb Bush at 9%, John Kasich at 7%, Chris Christie at 5% and Ran Paul at 5%.

In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders is ahead of Hillary Clinton by double-digits, 50% to 37%.

Trump Maintains Large National Lead

January 8, 2016 at 9:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

A new Fox News poll finds Donald Trump still leading the GOP presidential race nationally with 35%, followed by Ted Cruz at 20%, Marco Rubio at 13% and Ben Carson at 10%.

All other candidates are at 4% or less.

Abbott Wants Power to Nullify U.S. Laws

January 8, 2016 at 3:53 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 179 Comments

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) “wants to dramatically curtail the U.S. Supreme Court’s power and slash federal oversight of states through a national convention to amend the U.S. Constitution,” the Houston Chronicle reports.

“Convening such a national gathering is allowed under the U.S. Constitution, but would be a difficult proposition. It would require approval by 34 states — including Texas through its Legislature. Abbott is not calling for a special legislative session in Texas, leaving the issue to the 2017 legislative session.”

Dallas Morning News: “Along with the speech, Abbott released a nearly 70-page plan – part American civics lesson, part anti-Obama diatribe – detailing nine proposed constitutional amendments that he said would unravel the federal government’s decades-long power grab and restore authority over economic regulation and other matters to the states.”

Clinton Instructed Aide to Send Non-Secure Fax

January 8, 2016 at 12:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 50 Comments

In an email newly released by the State Department, Hillary Clinton directed an aide, if talking points could not be sent via fax through a secure line, to “turn into nonpaper” with “no identifying heading and send nonsecure,” BuzzFeed reports.

O’Malley May Not Make Cut for Next Debate

January 8, 2016 at 12:46 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 45 Comments

Martin O’Malley “is dangerously close to missing the next Democratic presidential debate,” CNN reports.

“NBC News released the criteria for its January 17 debate — the Democrats’ last before the primary voting season kicks off in February — and the former Maryland governor is hanging on a razor’s edge.”

Kasich Bets Everything On New Hampshire

January 8, 2016 at 12:32 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

Gov. John Kasich (R) said the New Hampshire will decide his presidential campaign’s future, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

Said Kasich: “If I don’t do well in New Hampshire, I’m going home. I’m not dragging it out. I’m counting on the people here to help me do well. I feel good. I’m optimistic that we’re going to come out of here like a firecracker.”

Carson Says He Was Asked to be House Speaker

January 8, 2016 at 12:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 43 Comments

House Republicans reached out to Ben Carson in 2014 about replacing John Boehner as Speaker of the House, The Hill reports.

Said Carson: “They were looking for an alternative, they were looking for someone strong and courageous who might really be able to add some spine and some backbone. I was very flattered that there were several members that thought I’d fit the bill very well, but I think it played out correctly the way that it did.”

Huckabee Explains Lack of Evangelical Support

January 8, 2016 at 11:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard 51 Comments

Mike Huckabee said that evangelical groups won’t support his presidential campaign out of fear they would no longer be able to fundraise if Christian policies were actually put in place, BuzzFeed reports.

Said Huckabee: “A lot of these organizations wouldn’t have the ability to do urgent fundraising because if we slay the dragon, what dragon do they continue to fight? And so, for many of them, it could be a real detriment to their organization’s abilities to gin up their supporters and raise the contributions, and I know that sounds cynical but… it’s just, it is what it is.”

Gun Control Is Litmus Test for Obama Support

January 8, 2016 at 10:50 am EST By Taegan Goddard 34 Comments

President Obama pledged in a New York Times op-ed that he would not “campaign for, vote for or support” any candidates, including Democrats, who do not support “common-sense” gun control measures.

For all intents and purposes, as Politico notes, it appears Obama is singling out Bernie Sanders.

Only Ted Cruz Can Stop Donald Trump

January 8, 2016 at 9:42 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

With Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, John Kasich and Jeb Bush expected to spend the entire month attacking each other, the GOP establishment will soon have to make a choice. Can one of these four break out? Or will party leaders have to grudgingly back Ted Cruz in an effort to stop Donald Trump?

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Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

January 8, 2016 at 9:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard 56 Comments

“I find it odd that Sen. Ted Cruz did not renounce his dual Canadian citizenship until 2014 when it became clear he was running for president.”

— Carly Fiorina, in an interview on Fox News.

The End of ‘Call Time’ for One Lawmaker

January 8, 2016 at 9:35 am EST By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), who announced his retirement this week, writes in the New York Times about the unpleasantness of raising money since he was elected in 2000.

“The money race began, and I attended political action committee fund-raisers, which are like panhandling with hors d’oeuvres. There were hours of ‘call time’ — huddled in a cubicle, dialing donors. Sometimes double dialing and triple dialing. Whispering sweet nothings and other small talk into the phone in hopes of receiving large somethings. I’d sit next to an assistant who collated ‘call sheets’ with donor’s names, contribution histories and other useful information. (‘How’s Sheila? Your wife. Oh, Shelly? Sorry.’)”

“Since then, I’ve spent roughly 4,200 hours in call time, attended more than 1,600 fund-raisers just for my own campaign and raised nearly $20 million in increments of $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000 per election cycle. And things have only become worse in the five years since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which ignited an explosion of money in politics by ruling that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in elections.”