Political Wire

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

How Cruz Changed His Debate Strategy

January 14, 2016 at 6:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

Sen. Ted Cruz described to Politico how he “overhauled his debate strategy after the early faceoffs to insert himself far more aggressively and strategically in the most recent Republican debates.”

Said Cruz: “We made a conscious decision to assert myself more aggressively into the conversation, because if every question was going to begin with Candidate A will you please insult Candidate B, I didn’t want to be involved in that. But I also didn’t want to stand there silently for two hours, while others were throwing rocks at each other.”

‘Bridgegate’ Co-Conspirators Remain a Secret

January 14, 2016 at 6:28 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

“U.S. prosecutors secretly identified accomplices in the George Washington Bridge scandal to a judge and asked that the names remain permanently confidential,” Bloomberg reports.

“The names of the co-conspirators in the politically motivated lane closings at the bridge in September 2013 have been a mystery since May 1, when prosecutors announced the indictment of two former Christie allies and a third pleaded guilty.”

Clinton Courts Elizabeth Warren

January 14, 2016 at 6:13 am EST By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

Hillary Clinton tells the Boston Globe that she keeps in occasional touch with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

“The most recent phone chat centered on a topic Warren holds dear: pressuring Wall Street bankers. Warren thanked Clinton for writing an op-ed arguing that Democrats needed to fight off Republican efforts to water down regulations on the financial services industry, Clinton recalled. And Clinton wished Warren a Happy 2016 — a subtle reminder that it’s an election year, and Warren’s endorsement would be a boon to Clinton’s 2016 presidential candidacy.”

Don’t Look for a Landslide This Fall

January 14, 2016 at 6:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “It’s too early to start handicapping November with any great degree of confidence, but we’ll say this much: As polarized as our country was prior to this campaign, it has become even more polarized during it, and promises to be fully polarized by the fall. Practically, that means any GOP or Democratic nominee probably has a solid base of 45% or so. Barry Goldwater and George McGovern’s 38% mark is exceedingly unlikely for any major-party candidate today — barring the introduction of significant independents or third-party nominees.”

Clinton Attacks Lead to Sanders Windfall

January 13, 2016 at 10:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 58 Comments

“Hillary Clinton’s new barrage against Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential primary opponent she has all but ignored through most of her campaign, is having an effect — though probably not the one she intended,” the Washington Post reports.

“Sanders’s underdog campaign said it is seeing a surge of contributions as a direct result of the new attention it is getting from the Democratic front-runner, with money coming in at a clip nearly four times the average daily rate reported in the last quarter of 2015.”

Politico: Hillary Clinton’s Iowa Deja Vu

Republicans Whisper About Contested Convention

January 13, 2016 at 9:30 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

“With the Iowa caucuses less than three weeks away, top Republicans are expressing growing anxiety about the state of the party’s raucous presidential primary — and what it could mean for its prospects of winning back the White House in 2016,” Politico reports.

“As they gathered here for the Republican National Committee’s annual winter meeting, party officials voiced concern about everything from the possibility of a contested convention to whether changes they instituted to the debate schedule and primary calendar were having unintended consequences.”

Political Job Hunt

January 13, 2016 at 9:07 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

It’s my pleasure to offer another great bonus for Political Wire members:

Political Job Hunt: An Insider’s Guide to Finding a Job that Makes a Difference

This 236-page eBook contains more than a hundred actionable tips to help you find a job in politics, public policy and government affairs.

You must sign in to have access to the free download.

If you’re not yet a member, sign up today to get this and other exclusive content, new features and no advertising.

[button color=”dark-blue” font_color=”#ffffff” link=”https://politicalwire.memberful.com/checkout?plan=9725″ size=”small”] Monthly – $5 per month [/button] or [button color=”dark-blue” font_color=”#ffffff” link=”https://politicalwire.memberful.com/checkout?plan=9724″ size=”small”] Annual – $50 per year [/button]

Bonus Trump Quote of the Day

January 13, 2016 at 8:47 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

“Well, considering I’m leading in the polls by a lot, I wouldn’t say she’s off to a good start.”

— Donald Trump, quoted by Inside Edition, when asked if Gov. Nikki Haley wants to be considered a potential running mate.

Cruz Did Not Disclose Loan from Goldman Sachs

January 13, 2016 at 7:25 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

New York Times: “As Ted Cruz tells it, the story of how he financed his upstart campaign for the United States Senate four years ago is an endearing example of loyalty and shared sacrifice between a married couple… But the couple’s decision to pump more than $1 million into Mr. Cruz’s successful Tea Party-darling Senate bid in Texas was made easier by a large loan from Goldman Sachs, where Mrs. Cruz works. That loan was not disclosed in campaign finance reports.”

“Other campaigns have been investigated and fined for failing to make such disclosures, which are intended to inform voters and prevent candidates from receiving special treatment from lenders. There is no evidence that the Cruzes got a break on their loans.”

Haley Defends Going After Trump

January 13, 2016 at 6:28 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 41 Comments

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said that Donald Trump’s call for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to the country is what compelled her to speak out in her State of the Union rebuttal last night.

Said Haley: “We’ve never in the history of this country passed any laws or done anything based on race or religion. Let’s not start that now.”

McConnell Says Obama Is ‘Smart’ But ‘a Little Preachy’

January 13, 2016 at 6:08 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told Yahoo News that he disputes President Obama’s diagnosis of American politics as toxic and tribal and sharply disagrees with the president’s proposed cures.

Reflecting on nearly eight years of working with Obama, McConnell also described him as “a very smart guy” but “a little preachy.”

Would You Bet on Trump?

January 13, 2016 at 5:08 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

The U.K. betting market Betfair now puts the odds at Donald Trump winning the Republican presidential nomination at 34%, while Marco Rubio is at 31% and Ted Cruz at 22%.

PredictWise has Trump and Rubio tied at 33%.

This is the first time that either market has given Trump the best chance of winning since he entered the presidential race last summer. Trump has confounded the pundits for months but now seems to have convinced many that he could win. But is Trump really a smart bet?

The HuffPost Pollster averages find Trump and Ted Cruz locked in a dead heat in Iowa. If Trump wins, he’ll have the momentum he needs to win in New Hampshire where every poll shows him ahead.

That said, I’d still bet against Trump winning in Iowa. According to the New York Times, his ground game in Iowa is a disorganized mess. His paid staffers don’t seem to be able to identify Trump supporters and are encouraging all potential voters to turn out, even those who may ultimately be against him.

Of course, Trump doesn’t need to win in Iowa to win the GOP nomination. He leads the polls in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and nationally. But he’s also never been in an election with real voters.

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

January 13, 2016 at 4:22 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

“I love the fact that people are shooting at me. You never shoot at someone behind you. They’re either next to you or ahead of you if you’re shooting at them.”

— Gov. Chris Christie, quoted by the New York Times.

Will Elizabeth Warren Endorse Anyone?

January 13, 2016 at 4:08 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

Bloomberg: “With President Obama unlikely to weigh in, Warren is the most important Democratic elected official who has yet to endorse. Her iconic status among the party’s liberal grass roots, and the national fundraising base she commands, would deliver a substantial boost to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or Martin O’Malley.”

“Sanders would appear to be the most ideologically compatible choice for Warren, because his populist, anti-Wall Street rhetoric mirrors her own. And indeed, many of her supporters, including the founders of her draft movement, have embraced him. But Warren has been noticeably reluctant to lend her name to Sanders’s presidential campaign, because, her advisers say, she’s determined that Democrats should hold on to the White House after Obama leaves office and is not convinced Sanders could win.”

LePage May Skip State of the State Speech

January 13, 2016 at 4:06 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) indicated that he might break with longstanding custom and deliver his State of the State address by letter rather than giving a speech before the full legislature, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Said LePage: “Why am I going to go up and face people and talk to them in an audience that just a week or two before, they’re trying to impeach me? That’s just silliness. So why don’t we just, I’ll go to work, keep working, I’ll send them a letter and call it a day.”

Christie Fine with 2nd in New Hampshire

January 13, 2016 at 3:31 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

Gov. Chris Christie told Morning Joe that he’s come along way since he was running 9th in the polls.

Said Christie: “If I came in second place in New Hampshire, I think that would be a real good result for us.”

Haley Is Running for Veep

January 13, 2016 at 3:09 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

“Since it was announced earlier this month that Nikki Haley would deliver the official Republican response to the State of the Union, excitable pundits have hyped the speech as a dramatic, made-for-TV “audition” — a chance for South Carolina’s young, telegenic governor to prove her talents, and compete for a coveted spot on the GOP’s presidential ticket,” BuzzFeed reports.

“But while Haley’s performance Tuesday night may have indeed solidified her A-list status in the Republican establishment, the primetime moment was actually the culmination of years of careful — and often quiet — backstage maneuvering by the governor’s team as they worked to position her as a top-tier contender for the vice-presidential nomination.”

Betting Markets See Trump as Favorite

January 13, 2016 at 3:03 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

Donald Trump is the new favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, according to Betfair, Bloomberg reports.

“The odds on a Trump victory are 15/8, or 34%, putting the billionaire real-estate mogul as favourite in the market for the first time… Previous favorite Marco Rubio widened to 11/5, or 31%, while Ted Cruz is 7/2, 22%.”