Political Wire

Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!

If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.

Hackers Tried to Gain Access to Clinton’s Computer

October 1, 2015 at 7:57 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

“Russia-linked hackers tried at least five times to pry into Hillary Clinton’s private email account while she was secretary of state, emails released Wednesday show. It is unclear if she clicked on any attachments and exposed her account,” the AP reports.

“Clinton received the infected emails, disguised as speeding tickets from New York, over four hours early the morning of Aug. 3, 2011. The emails instructed recipients to print the attached tickets. Opening an attachment would have allowed hackers to take over control of a victim’s computer.”

Carson Says a Hitler Could Rise in the United States

October 1, 2015 at 7:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 36 Comments

Ben Carson said that a government like Nazi Germany’s could reign over the United States, CNN reports.

Said Carson: “If you go back and look at the history of the world, tyranny and despotism and how it starts, it has a lot to do with control of thought and control of speech. If people don’t speak up for what they believe, then other people will change things without them having a voice.”

He added: “Hitler changed things there and nobody protested. Nobody provided any opposition to him.”

Quote of the Day

October 1, 2015 at 7:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

“I want to continue to be a Republican because it annoys them.”

— Colin Powell, quoted by the Daily Mail, noting that the “the party has shifted much further right than where the country is.”

Is Kevin McCarthy Ready to be Speaker?

October 1, 2015 at 7:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 29 Comments

New York Times: “In just the past 48 hours, the man who longs to be speaker of the House insulted the man he would replace, Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, and suggested that a taxpayer-funded committee to investigate the terror attack in Benghazi was designed to harm the political fortunes of Hillary Clinton. The remark was a gift-wrapped gaffe for Democrats, who will now spend the week before Mr. McCarthy’s effort to be elected speaker painting him as a partisan hack.”

Clinton Moves to Make Biden Run More Difficult

October 1, 2015 at 7:07 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Hillary Clinton’s campaign, “increasingly worried about the threat of a challenge from Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., is making a sudden and urgent effort to throw roadblocks into his path,” the New York Times reports.

“After months of voicing doubt about a challenge from the vice president, Clinton campaign operatives are viewing Mr. Biden’s entry into the contest as a serious possibility and are trying to rally the party’s apparatus and its donors to her side… A campaign aide said that given the mistakes of Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 campaign, they had always planned to make an early and aggressive push to lock down superdelegate support.”

Trump Gets Invite to Speak to Social Conservatives

October 1, 2015 at 7:05 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 4 Comments

“Donald Trump will address a private gathering of prominent social conservatives later this month outside Washington, sources say, part of an ongoing attempt by the Republican front-runner to demonstrate his kinship with a key constituency in next year’s presidential nominating contest,” National Journal reports.

“Tony Perkins, the group’s president—who serves more visibly as president of the Family Research Council—will moderate a Q&A session on stage with each of the candidates individually following their allotted speaking time of 30 minutes.”

Secret Service Official Sought to Smear Lawmaker

September 30, 2015 at 9:34 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

A top Secret Service official urged that unflattering information the agency had in its files about Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), a congressman critical of the service should be made public, the Washington Post reports.

Clinton’s Email Woes Pile Up

September 30, 2015 at 9:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 31 Comments

“About two months of emails from the start of Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state are missing, and federal officials haven’t been able to recover them,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“An archive of records that Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential front-runner, turned over to the State Department doesn’t begin until March 18, 2009, though she took office as secretary of state in late January of that year. The missing emails raise more questions about her stewardship of official documents during her tenure and whether there is a complete record of the early diplomatic efforts of President Barack Obama’s administration.”

Politico: “The controversy over Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email while she was secretary of state is showing no signs of easing, as the number of messages now deemed classified doubled with the State Department’s latest release and as more details emerged about the potential vulnerability of her account.”

Sanders Raises $24 Million

September 30, 2015 at 9:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

Sen. Bernie Sanders “raised more than $24 million for his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in the last three months, a significant sum that was fueled by a torrid pace of online donations: more than a million so far,” the New York Times reports.

“Sanders advisers, in announcing the fund-raising tally on Wednesday night, also said that the senator had more than $25 million in cash on hand.”

Biden Has 51 Days to File for New Hampshire

September 30, 2015 at 2:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 46 Comments

Vice President Joe Biden “has 51 days to decide on a presidential bid — that is, if he wants to appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“The filing period for candidates who wish to contest the nation’s first presidential primary will begin Nov. 4 and remain open until 5 p.m. on Nov. 20… Qualifying for the ballot is intentionally easy, as state tradition demands — a candidate or a representative simply needs to submit a completed declaration of candidacy form and provide the filing fee of $1,000, in cash or certified check. Any candidate who hasn’t filed by Nov. 20 must appear in person to do so, however.”

Sanders Campaign Hits One Million Donors

September 30, 2015 at 2:22 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 41 Comments

Sen. Bernie Sanders said his campaign reached its goal of one million individual online contributions, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“He is the first candidate of the 2016 campaign to announce it had reached this number – and he reached it faster than President Obama did in 2008 and 2012. The Sanders campaign has touted its goal of hitting one million online donations by tonight’s deadline to spur more individuals to donate.”

Feingold Has Big Lead in Wisconsin

September 30, 2015 at 1:36 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 101 Comments

A new Marquette University Law School poll in Wisconsin finds Russ Feingold (D) leading Sen. Ron Johnson (R) by 14 points, 50% to 36%.

Trump Still on Top

September 30, 2015 at 12:07 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 89 Comments

A new USA Today/Suffolk poll finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential field with 23%, followed by Ben Carson at 13%, Carly Fiorina at 13%, Marco Rubio at 9%, Jeb Bush at 8% and Ted Cruz at 6%.

John Kasich, Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee had 2% each, and Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham and Chris Christie had 1% each.

“The shifting landscape underscores an electorate that is fed up with politics-as-usual and willing to embrace contenders who promise to shake things up.”

Boehner Pressed Gowdy In Secret Meeting

September 30, 2015 at 10:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

Speaker John Boehner secretly met with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) “to encourage him to jump into the race for House majority leader, a dramatic attempt by the chamber’s top Republican to try to influence the intraparty election,” Politico reports.

“The previously undisclosed meeting reveals new behind-the-scenes involvement by Boehner, who has not endorsed any candidates in the leadership race. That the Ohio Republican inserted himself in the contest underscores his concern about who succeeds him in GOP leadership.”

The Latest on Wonk Wire

September 30, 2015 at 10:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Here’s what’s trending on Wonk Wire today:

America’s Political Dynasties

September 30, 2015 at 10:36 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Coming soon: America’s Political Dynasties: From Adams to Clinton by Stephen Hess.

“America was founded in rebellion against nobility and inherited status. Yet from the start, dynastic families have been conspicuous in national politics. The Adamses. The Lodges. The Tafts. The Roosevelts. The Kennedys. And today the Bushes and the Clintons.”

Warren Takes Down Brookings Scholar

September 30, 2015 at 10:23 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) “launched a surprise attack Tuesday against Washington’s most revered Democratic-leaning think tanks — and drew blood,” the Washington Post reports.

“Warren, stepping up her crusade against the power of wealthy interests, accused a Brookings Institution scholar of writing a research paper to benefit his corporate patrons. Warren’s charge prompted a swift response, with Brookings seeking and receiving the resignation of the economist, Robert Litan, whose report criticized a Warren-backed consumer protection rule targeting the financial services industry.”

Is Matt Bevin Trying to Lose the Governor’s Race?

September 30, 2015 at 10:15 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

Sam Youngman: “The Republican candidate’s sometimes bizarre behavior, oscillations on major policy issues and lack of advertising have all combined to make Bevin one of Democrat Jack Conway’s top allies with a month to go until Election Day.”

“That might help explain Bevin’s ill-advised and jaw-dropping decision to show up at Kentucky Democratic Party headquarters on Friday to complain to the receptionist about the sign KDP has outside its building questioning Bevin’s trustworthiness. It was Bevin’s second trip to the headquarters to complain about the sign.”

“Conway has certainly not set the world on fire with his campaign, vague policy proposals or charm. And he has taken much criticism for his campaign strategy of focusing on fundraising instead of traditional campaign rallies. But Bevin seems to be working very hard to make Conway’s campaign strategists look like geniuses.”