Political Wire

Vitter Asked About Prostitution Scandal

September 15, 2015 at 10:31 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

Sen. David Vitter’s (R-LA) 2007 prostitution scandal has “been danced around in candidates’ forums for months, but the senator was confronted with a rare, direct question about his ‘serious sin’ during a public endorsement meeting Monday night,” the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Said Vitter: “This question was planted as a gotcha question at me. I’ve spoken about my past and how my family has dealt with that. If that’s not good enough for you, then that’s not good enough. But it’s good enough for Wendy.”

Two Different GOP Debates

September 15, 2015 at 10:10 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

First Read: “There’s a good chance there will be two different debates going on at the main GOP debate in California tomorrow night. The first sub-debate is among the outsiders Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina, who all need momentum to continue feeding off the 2016 beast (given that they don’t have infrastructure and establishment support). Yes, Trump is likely to be the center of attention again, but Carson and Fiorina have extra pressure to deliver. After all, when you’re an outsider and have the momentum, you can’t afford to lose it. And if you lose it, you usually don’t get it back.”

“The second sub-debate is among the insider/establishment Republicans — Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, even John Kasich. Bush and Walker, in particular, are fighting to regain momentum (see the NYT/CBS poll). Don’t be surprised if some of these insiders decide to target Jeb instead of Trump. Why? Going after Jeb (or the last name Bush) might be an easier path to prove your conservative bona fides than standing toe-to-toe with The Donald.”

Who Will Emerge as the Anti-Trump?

September 15, 2015 at 10:05 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

Rick Klein: “If the first debate was all about Donald Trump, the second debate figures to be about the anti-Trump. The Republican race has not so much changed as it has solidified over the past six weeks, erasing any doubt about Trump’s front-running status. But now, Trump will have a different on-stage neighbor – Dr. Ben Carson – and a whole stage full of rivals who need to move to Plan B when it comes to handling the man in the middle. Trump is about to see more incoming fire than even he (maybe) is capable of effectively returning. The Club for Growth is announcing its anti-Trump media campaign on Tuesday, and Wednesday night is primed to become a Trump pile-on. It brings a new set of dynamics to the race – or, at least, the hope of that when it comes to the 15 candidates not named Trump.”

Benishek Won’t Run Again

September 15, 2015 at 10:04 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI) “will not seek a fourth term in the House, he announced Tuesday, choosing to stick to a three-term limit he set for himself when he first ran in 2010,” Roll Call reports.

Quote of the Day

September 15, 2015 at 8:40 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 1 Comment

“I’ve loved your other books but this one is the best.”

— Bill Clinton, quoted by Politico, on David Brock’s new book, Killing the Messenger: The Right Wing Plot to Derail Hillary and Hijack Your Government.

Clinton Uses Old Photos to Soften Image

September 15, 2015 at 8:36 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

Hillary Clinton’s campaign “is flooding the Internet with nostalgic pictures,” Politico reports.

“The goal in highlighting the photos [is] to let voters see who Clinton was before 1992, when she entered the national consciousness as first lady, and to reinforce the message that Clinton is one of the world’s ‘least-known well-known people.'”

Sanders Woos Evangelical Christians

September 15, 2015 at 8:20 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 29 Comments

Sen. Bernie Sanders “took his message of confronting inequality to unfamiliar ground on Monday at Liberty University, a leading evangelical Christian college, where he sought to build what he called ‘common ground’ with students, beginning with the foundations of Christianity itself: the Bible,” the New York Times reports.

Said Sanders: “I am far, far from a perfect human being, but I am motivated by a vision which exists in all of the great religions — in Christianity, in Judaism, in Islam, Buddhism and other religions — and which is so beautifully and clearly stated in Matthew 7:12. And it states: ‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.’ That is the golden rule. Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

He added: “It is not very complicated.”

Can Donald Trump Be Stopped?

September 15, 2015 at 8:04 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 44 Comments

Mark Halperin: “In the modern era, the Republican nomination has been won by the combatant who is best at playing a game of kill-or-be-killed. In the end, becoming the standard bearer has not been about the daily polls, the staff hires, the policy speeches, the fundraising, the cattle calls, the promised agenda. It’s been about having the skill and confidence to stamp out anyone who threatens you…”

“So far, [Trump] has proven to be largely immune from attack, and also a master killer himself, with a unique political arsenal…. He simply uses Instagram, Twitter, and his virtually unlimited access to the news media to unsheathe his sharp tongue…. And Trump can shift to kill mode without strain or hesitation.”

Perry Blames Indictment for Failed Campaign

September 15, 2015 at 7:25 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 46 Comments

Rick Perry “blamed his criminal indictment and exclusion from the Republican debate mainstage for his failed presidential bid in his first interview since suspending his presidential campaign on Friday,” the Texas Tribune reports.

Said Perry: “The indictment by the Travis County district attorney’s office, this drunk DA that had used this office, we think, for political purposes… it had a real corrosive effect on our ability to raise money. The political opponents, they did their damage,” he later added of his legal problems.”

Trump Continues to Lead as Carson Surges

September 15, 2015 at 7:19 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 29 Comments

A new CBS News/New York Times poll finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential field with 27%, followed by Ben Carson at 23%, Jeb Bush at 6%, Mike Huckabee at 6%, Marco Rubio at 6%, Ted Cruz at 5%, Carly Fiorina at 4%, John Kasich at 3%, Rand Paul at 3% and Scott Walker at 2%.

Wall Street Worries Trump Could Actually Win

September 15, 2015 at 7:06 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“Wall Street is growing increasingly terrified that Donald Trump — once viewed as an amusing summertime distraction — could actually win the Republican nomination for president,” Politico reports.

“The real estate billionaire, who took another populist shot on Sunday by ripping into lavish executive pay, continues to rise in the polls. Would-be Wall Street saviors like Jeb Bush are languishing in single digits. The belief that Trump’s candidacy would quickly fade is now evaporating in a wave of fear.”

Abortion Fight Gives Democrats Leverage on Budget

September 15, 2015 at 6:57 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

“Republican congressional leaders, hoping to avert another government shutdown in two weeks, have embarked on a series of maneuvers in hopes of quelling the conservative anger in their party that is threatening to blow up plans to keep the government funded and functioning,” the Washington Post reports.

“But the efforts to channel the conservatives’ fury over Planned Parenthood away from the government funding debate appear unlikely to succeed. One result is that Democrats, the minority party in both chambers, could have significant leverage going into spending negotiations ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline.”

Wonk Wire: Large majority wants to avoid shutdown over Planned Parenthood.

Sanders Proposes $18 Trillion in New Spending

September 15, 2015 at 6:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 36 Comments

“Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose liberal call to action has propelled his long-shot presidential campaign, is proposing an array of new programs that would amount to the largest peacetime expansion of government in modern American history.”

“In all, he backs at least $18 trillion in new spending over a decade, according to a tally by The Wall Street Journal, a sum that alarms conservatives and gives even many Democrats pause. Mr. Sanders sees the money as going to essential government services at a time of increasing strain on the middle class.”

LaHood Paints Over Schock’s Office Walls

September 15, 2015 at 6:07 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

Newly-elected Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) has painted over the fire-engine red Downton Abbey-themed Capitol Hill office that led to former Rep. Aaron Schock’s (R-IL) downfall, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Said LaHood: “They made it very boring and plain. We kind of turned the page with the election on Thursday. People want to move on. And so for me, having a very boring, dull office, just kind of routine, is what I prefer.”

Latino Voters Say Trump Hurting the GOP

September 15, 2015 at 6:01 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

A new MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist poll finds that 70% of Latinos “hold negative views of Donald Trump — including 60% who said they have a ‘very negative’ impression of the front-runner in the GOP’s 2016 presidential race. That’s compared to 55% of U.S. residents and just 28% of Republicans who view Trump negatively.”

“Almost two-thirds of Latinos surveyed — 65% — say Trump is hurting the image of the Republican Party, while just 13% say he is helping the party.”

Trump Attracts Huge Crowd in Texas

September 14, 2015 at 9:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 42 Comments

Donald Trump “regaled a crowd of thousands” in Dallas, “bringing his chest-thumping promise of American renewal and a crackdown on illegal immigration to a state that will be crucial in the Republican presidential contest,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

“But mostly, he offered the chest-thumping and braggadocio that has defined his campaign over any policy position.”

“About 15,000 people appeared to turn out, arena personnel estimated, for the best political theater in Dallas since then-candidate Barack Obama packed the old Reunion Arena. That event, in 2008, attracted more than 17,000 people.”

Odds Increasingly Favor a Government Shutdown

September 14, 2015 at 4:39 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 56 Comments

Washington Post: “When Congress returned to work Sept. 8, it faced a nearly unprecedented number of deadlines and political dramas. The government needs to be funded by Sept. 30, but Congress is way behind in passing the series of spending bills necessary to pass a full budget. Instead, lawmakers will probably try to pass a short-term budget extension that basically keeps spending levels the same as last year and keeps the government open.”

“Even that’s going to be tough. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are using the budget process to push their ideological agendas on everything from abortion to military spending to international nuclear deals. And there’s a presidential campaign going on… Those odds have only increased after Congress’s first week back. Here are four congressional budget analysts’ predictions on how likely it is that the government will shut down at least for a few days. We’ll start with the most conservative estimate — which is still ‘well over 50 percent.'”

Democrats Move to Expand Use of Super PACs

September 14, 2015 at 4:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

“Democrats are laying the groundwork for an ambitious reorganization of their struggling network of “super PACs” that would exploit the loopholes and legal gray areas that Republicans have already used to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the 2016 campaign through such groups,” the New York Times reports.

“The plans, laid out by the party’s top election lawyers in an emergency request filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, would pave the way for the creation of a host of new super PACs tailored to individual House and Senate candidates.”

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