Political Wire

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

You Think Running for President Is Hard?

October 27, 2015 at 8:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

First Read: “Finally, when it comes to Bush and Rubio, both men have been voicing their frustrations — the Washington Post reported on Rubio’s dissatisfaction with the Senate, while Bush complained about the state of the GOP race (‘If this election is about how we’re going to fight to get nothing done, then I don’t want any part of it’). But here is a reality check for both Rubio and Bush: If you think working in the Senate or campaigning for president is frustrating, just wait until you’re president. This is as easy as it gets.”

Mike Allen: “Very few soundbites live past a news cycle, but top Republicans were still buzzing last night about comments Jeb Bush made Saturday in South Carolina that were taken as churlish, even defeatist.”

Byron York: “It’s probably an understatement to say voters don’t like such talk.”

Quote of the Day

October 27, 2015 at 8:45 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

“We’re really tired of the top-down, micromanagement where you have just a few people, or in this case just the speaker and his team, determining the outcome. This is a fair reason to vote against the bill.”

— Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), quoted by Politico, speaking for House conservatives about the budget deal reached last night.

A Good Budget Deal for Both Parties

October 27, 2015 at 8:43 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

First Read: “The budget deal that Republican and Democratic leaders reached late last night — to boost military and domestic spending, to keep the government open, and to raise the debt limit — appears to be a potential win for both parties. Especially when it comes to the 2016 presidential election. Think about it: Republicans get to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown and debt default, either of which would have further damaged the party’s brand heading into next year’s general election. Democrats, meanwhile, get to lock in economic certainty and avoid a drop in consumer confidence like what happened after July 2011 (the debt-ceiling debacle) and Oct. 2013 (the two-week government shutdown).”

“The devil is still in the details, of course, but the deal seems to help BOTH parties as it relates to 2016. And guess what: The budget deal and debt-limit hike last until 2017, which means that the party that wins next year will have the upper hand in the next round of budget fights.”

The GOP Benghazi Train Wreck

October 27, 2015 at 8:35 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 26 Comments

Charlie Cook: “Two of the worst sins in politics are to become obsessed with placating your party’s base and to become consumed with hating your opponent. This certainly isn’t the first time a party has engaged in one or both self-destructive activities, and it won’t be the last. The question is whether the Republican Party is squandering the powerful time-for-a-change dynamic, which should be working to its advantage this year, by coming across as a party that is unworthy of being entrusted with all three branches of our federal government.”

Rubio Opens Wide Lead in Prediction Market

October 27, 2015 at 8:34 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 31 Comments

Marco Rubio now has a 2 to 1 lead over both Jeb Bush and Donald Trump in the Predictwise prediction market of who will likely be the Republican presidential nominee.

Can Next Debate Save Carly Fiorina?

October 27, 2015 at 8:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 27 Comments

CNN: “Fiorina rocketed from a little-known, first-time presidential candidate to one of the Republican Party’s top-tier contenders thanks to well-reviewed debate performances in August and September. But she has virtually vanished since. Wednesday’s debate will give Fiorina another chance to make a good impression and generate some positive headlines.”

Koch Not Ready to Pick a Candidate

October 27, 2015 at 7:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 27 Comments

Wall Street Journal: “Charles Koch sounds a lot like an ordinary voter when he bemoans what he said is a lack of substance and civility in the 2016 White House race… Except, of course, Mr. Koch is no ordinary voter: The 79-year-old businessman and his brother preside over a network of conservative donors who plan to spend roughly $750 million influencing 2016 races.”

“But so far in this primary race he said he is frustrated by the dearth of discussion about other issues he cares about, from ending subsidies and tax breaks for corporations to overhauling the criminal-justice system and making it easier for low-income Americans to start businesses. He plans to wait until year-end to determine how much he will spend on 2016 elections, including the White House contest.”

Carson Passes Trump in National Poll

October 27, 2015 at 7:17 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 47 Comments

A new New York Times/CBS News poll finds Ben Carson leading the GOP presidential race nationally with 26%, followed by Donald Trump at 22%, Marco Rubio at 8%, Jeb Bush at 7%, Carly Fiorina at 7%, Rand Paul at 4%, Ted Cruz at 4%, Mike Huckabee at 4% and John Kasich at 4%.

White House and GOP Agree on Budget Deal

October 27, 2015 at 7:10 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

“House Republican leaders introduced legislation just before midnight on Monday, finalizing a two-year budget agreement between Congressional leaders and the White House,” the Washington Post reports.

“The introduction sets up a vote as early as Wednesday on the bipartisan budget deal which would increase military and domestic spending and avert a potentially catastrophic default in exchange for long-term spending cuts.”

Wall Street Journal: “For it to pass the House, the pact will need to quickly win backing from most Democrats and at least a few dozen Republicans who have frequently balked at spending and debt-ceiling bills they say don’t do enough to shrink the budget deficit.”

New York Times: “The agreement, negotiated in secret by top congressional and White House aides, is a recognition by Mr. Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, that they were staring into a fiscal and political abyss.”

How Ted Cruz Plans to Rise to the Top

October 27, 2015 at 7:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

Politico: “From the start, Cruz and his political brain trust have divided the 2016 primary into four clear lanes: a moderate-establishment lane, in which he would not compete; a tea party lane, which he needed to dominate; an evangelical lane, where he had strong potential but little initial traction; and a libertarian lane, which began as the turf of Rand Paul.”

Said Cruz: “The players that were expected to be formidable in those lanes have not got the traction they had hoped. The most encouraging thing I would say is that I think three of the lanes are collapsing into one, which is the evangelical lane, the conservative tea party lane, and the libertarian lane are all collapsing into the conservative lane and we’re seeing those lanes unify behind our campaign.”

TV Debates are the New Hit Series

October 27, 2015 at 7:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 1 Comment

“The surprise breakout hit of this television season isn’t some Kardashian spinoff or another cheesy competition among aspiring songsters,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“It’s the prime-time presidential debates, which have attracted huge national audiences and shaped and reshaped the 2016 race long before the calendar turns, or any real votes have been cast.”

Bush Sees Rubio as His Biggest Threat

October 26, 2015 at 10:22 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 34 Comments

In a closed-door strategy briefing, Jeb Bush campaign officials detailed numerous contrasts they are seeking to draw with Sen. Marco Rubio and branded him disparagingly as a “GOP Obama,” the Washington Post reports.

“An official with a pro-Bush super PAC mentioned Rubio’s name twice in a chat with reporters, despite not being asked about him. And a Bush ally suggested that Rubio should think about resigning from the Senate given his focus on the presidency.”

“While Donald Trump has seriously altered the course of Bush’s campaign, it is clearer than ever that Bush ultimately sees Rubio, who is rising in the polls, as the biggest obstacle in the lane he is trying to take to the GOP nomination.”

DeLay Says Obama Should Be Impeached

October 26, 2015 at 10:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 63 Comments

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) told Newsmax that Congress should impeach President Obama if he uses executive action to expand gun background checks.

Said DeLay: “Well, I think it’s an impeachable offense, but are you going to get enough votes to impeach him?”

He added: “The very fact that you might bring it before the Judiciary Committee and investigate it and determine whether it’s an impeachable offense is a very healthy thing to do. The House needs to use its power of hearings to start letting the American people know that this is a lawless President. We have a lawless Supreme Court. The judiciary needs to step up and show the American people what this President is doing, which will support any other efforts to defund the President.”

Inside Ted Cruz’s Secret Fundraising Strength

October 26, 2015 at 7:19 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 60 Comments

Washington Post: “Cruz’s unorthodox campaign has hit on a fundraising formula that no other candidate has been able to match: raising millions from a robust base of grassroots supporters while also building a substantial network of rich backers.”

“The senator’s quiet fundraising prowess could help give him staying power in what is sure to be a hard-fought battle for the GOP nomination. The structure of his donor base closely resembles that of President Obama, whose vaunted fundraising operation intensely focused on both low-dollar givers and major bundlers, bringing in record $783 million for his 2012 reelection.”

Trump Will Help Raise Money for RNC

October 26, 2015 at 5:26 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

“Donald Trump, who has turned the GOP establishment into a punching bag in his quest for the presidential nomination, is taking a major step to smooth out the relationship with party brass: In December, he will be attending a Republican National Committee fundraiser,” Politico reports.

GOP Candidates Not Viewed Favorably by Hispanics

October 26, 2015 at 5:08 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 39 Comments

A new AP-GfK poll finds Donald Trump is viewed unfavorably by 72% of Hispanics in the United States, with only 11% viewing him favorably.

“Among Trump’s rivals, Bush, who speaks fluent Spanish and married a Mexican-born woman, is viewed most favorably by Hispanics, with 26% giving the former Florida governor a positive rating. Rubio, a Florida senator and Cuban-American, comes in second, with 23% viewing him favorably. Still, both Bush and Rubio are viewed unfavorably by more than one-third of Hispanics polled.”

Trump Maintains National Lead in New Poll

October 26, 2015 at 3:38 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

A new Morning Consult poll finds Donald Trump leading the GOP president field nationally with 35%m, followed by Ben Carson at 20%, Jeb Bush at 8%, Marco Rubio at 6% and Mike Huckabee at 4%.

Trump Defends Requiring Women to Wear Burkas

October 26, 2015 at 2:18 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 103 Comments

Donald Trump said the United States should not challenge countries that require women to wear burkas as he unleashed a full-throttle criticism of America’s current foreign policy, the Boston Globe reports.

Said Trump: “Why are we fighting that?”

“Trump, waving a hand across his face, also said women might prefer wearing burkas because it obviates the need for make-up.”