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Who’s Behind the Ghost Companies Funding Jeb Bush?

December 2, 2015 at 8:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

Mother Jones looks at two shadowy companies that seem to be set up solely to fund a super PAC supportive of Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign.

“TH Holdings is a special case—one that represents the worst-case scenario in the post-Citizens United campaign finance landscape: untraceable corporations shoveling untraceable cash into the political system. Beyond this six-figure contribution, the company appears to have no history of doing business anywhere. And its incorporation records reveal no owners, managers, or officers.”

“A few days after the TH Holdings contribution, Right to Rise received another curious donation. This time, an Alabama-based company called Heather Oaks LLC dumped $100,000 into the group. And Heather Oaks is even more ghostly than TH Holdings.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign, Campaign Finance Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

December 1, 2015 at 6:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 76 Comments

“I think she will be a great partner.”

— Jeb Bush, quoted by The Hill, on his vice presidential pick.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Herman Cain Slams Jeb Bush

December 1, 2015 at 4:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 36 Comments

Former 2012 GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain took offense at being cited by Jeb Bush as an example of an outsider presidential candidate who lost the race.

Said Cain: “At least I was once winning. Jeb Bush has been doing nothing but losing throughout this entire campaign.”

Filed Under: 2012 Campaign, 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Herman Cain, Jeb Bush


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Bush Forms Large Finance Team

December 1, 2015 at 10:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

Jeb Bush “formed an expansive financial support team led by about 350 major donors from across the country in a much-needed show of strength for his presidential campaign,” Reuters reports.

“The list of donors on his campaign’s National Finance Committee, provided to Reuters, is a who’s who of his long-time supporters from Florida, members of his famous family’s far-flung political network, and recruits from other candidates in the race. The announcement of the team appeared aimed at reassuring jittery Bush supporters that he maintains a steady stream of funds and has the ability to fight his way out of a rough period in which his poll numbers have sagged.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Strategist Thinks It’s Unlikely Jeb Can Win

December 1, 2015 at 6:54 am EST By Taegan Goddard 32 Comments

Matthew Dowd, chief political strategist for George W. Bush, told the Washington Post he thinks it’s highly unlikely Jeb Bush will win the Republican presidential nomination.

Said Dowd: “I had always doubted Jeb’s ability to run an effective campaign in this environment for a few reasons: He is not as good of a retail politician as his brother, he has been away from elective office for too long, and times have changed.”

He added: “While there is an outside shot he can surface sometime next year, the odds are incredibly low and it will take the five candidates ahead of him falling apart.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

How Bush Tried to Stop Rubio Early

November 30, 2015 at 7:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

“Jeb and his team recognized the threat posed by Rubio nearly a year ago, and took aggressive action to knock him out of 2016 contention — with some in Bush’s circle trying to smear the senator by allegedly circulating lurid, unsubstantiated rumors of infidelity,” BuzzFeed reports.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio

How Trump Turned Bush’s Asset Into a Liability

November 30, 2015 at 7:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Daily Beast: “Bush was supposed to be the peacemaker who mended fences with Hispanics, and reassured them that Romney’s cold shoulder notwithstanding, they were indeed welcome in the Republican Party. Mi casa es su casa.”

“But with a series of deft maneuvers, and a little political jujutsu, Trump managed to turn Bush’s asset into a liability that essentially took him out of the race.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush

Bush Says Trump Isn’t a ‘Serious Candidate’

November 29, 2015 at 11:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard 49 Comments

Jeb Bush said that Donald Trump is “uninformed” and “scary,” again questioning the billionaire real estate mogul’s fitness to be commander in chief, according to Politico.

Said Bush: “Look, I just think he’s uninformed. The simple fact is that he’s been wrong on Syria and on the refugees pretty consistently. And no one’s holding him to account. He first said we had no interest in being involved in Syria. And then he said let the Russians take out ISIS. And then he said let ISIS take out Assad. Back and forth it goes. And the net effect of this is in these really serious times he’s not a serious leader.”

Bush said he will still support Trump if he wins the GOP nomination, but admitted the idea of a Trump presidency is “kind of scary.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush

Bush Tries the Serious Approach

November 19, 2015 at 8:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

Rick Klein: “Jeb Bush probably didn’t have national security policy in mind when he talked about his now-famous willingness to ‘lose the primary to win the general.’ But if this is a grown-up moment in politics post-Paris, Bush is vying to be in the right place at the right time. His call for ground troops in Syria avoids both the ‘bomb the s—‘ out of them rhetoric and the no-new-ground-war talking point that the brother of George W. Bush may be tempted to embrace. He has broken with his fellow candidates and most current GOP governors in not calling for an end to refugee migration with Syria. (Though his methods for identifying Christians first and foremost remain murky.)”

“The moment has not brought out the best of our political discourse, with calls for religious tests for refugees and one schoolyard taunting going on between President Obama and a few Republican candidates. But getting serious can still matter in this race — just maybe.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign, National Security Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Blows $20 Million on Ads

November 18, 2015 at 3:34 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

Jeb Bush and his allies “have now spent approximately $20 million in TV ads in the 2016 presidential race – more than twice as much as any other candidate or outside group,” NBC News reports.

“And they have little to show for it, will poll numbers for Bush currently stuck in the single digits both nationally and in the early states.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Calls for Large Military Build Up

November 18, 2015 at 6:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard 50 Comments

Jeb Bush “is calling for a broad military buildup and says the U.S. armed forces have been left ill-prepared to defeat the Islamic state militants whose attack on Paris killed at least 129 and wounded hundreds more,” the AP reports.

“The former Florida governor is projecting himself as a potential commander in chief able to handle such challenges, as his presidential bid tries to gain traction in a primary campaign likely to be shaken up after the Paris attacks.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Predicts Trump Will Fall in Polls Soon

November 17, 2015 at 8:38 am EST By Taegan Goddard 46 Comments

Jeb Bush said that Donald Trump “will be in decline” the next time they meet for a debate in mid-December, the Washington Post reports.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush

Bonus Quote of the Day

November 15, 2015 at 9:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“We should declare war and harness all of the power the U.S. can bring to bear, both diplomatic and military, of course, to be able to take out ISIS… We have the capabilities of doing this, we just haven’t shown the will.”

— Jeb Bush, quoted by The Hill.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Speaks Up, But Was It Enough?

November 11, 2015 at 7:17 am EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

New York Times: “On Tuesday night, Mr. Bush, whose chronic struggles on the debate stage have unnerved his supporters and dragged down his standing in the polls, was a feistier and more assertive combatant, demanding more time from moderators, offering flashes of improvised humor and delivering crisper answers than he has in the past.”

“Whether it will be enough to turn around his flagging campaign is uncertain: Mr. Bush has a well-documented gift for gaffes and his creaky candidacy feels out of sync with the furious mood of the electorate. But on Tuesday, unlike in earlier debates, he no longer seemed as desperate to be somewhere else.”

Politico: “The politically and financially embattled former Florida Governor wasn’t great, but he finally showed a little life… Unfortunately for Bush, he is at his most passionate on issues where he is most politically vulnerable – immigration … and in defending his brother.”

The Economist: “Mr Bush’s performance was solid, though probably not enough to give his ailing campaign much of a jolt. He appeared competent and serious, but he had no youthful charisma, like Mr Rubio, or devilish flair, like Mr Cruz.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Schedules Post-Debate Call with Donors

November 10, 2015 at 4:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“Top Jeb Bush donors will convene on a conference call after Tuesday’s debate, a critical moment in the former Florida governor’s campaign,” Politico reports.

“Donors from across the country have been invited to participate in the call, according to two sources familiar with the campaign’s plans. It will be hosted by senior Bush advisers Sally Bradshaw and Tim Miller.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Is an Insider Trying to Sabotage Bush’s Campaign?

November 10, 2015 at 10:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard 26 Comments

First Read: “Is the Bush Super PAC telegraphing its attack on Rubio? Or is it internal sabotage? Why would the Right to Rise folks leak this story out, especially before tonight’s debate? It was our understanding that — after the last debate — Jeb World acknowledged that they couldn’t take Rubio on again until Bush had improved his poll position. Given that this New York Times story feels more damaging to Jeb than to Rubio, we wonder if there’s some internal sabotage going on. Did someone with knowledge of Right to Rise’s abortion video on Rubio give the story to the Times? Or did it come from pro-Rubio folks who knew about the video? Regardless of the source, that Times article only puts more pressure on Bush tonight.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush

Bush Unable to Secure Delegates for Alabama Ballot

November 10, 2015 at 8:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

Bloomberg: “In Alabama, one of the Bush campaign’s top targets in March, Bush has endorsements from a member of Congress, a handful of state legislators and statewide officials. Yet, in contrast with Donald Trump or Marco Rubio, Bush wasn’t able to find a full slate of delegates to run on the ballot by Friday’s deadline.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Alabama, Jeb Bush

Bush Allies Threaten Wave of Attacks on Rubio

November 10, 2015 at 7:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

“The cash-rich group aiding Jeb Bush’s White House run has filmed a provocative video casting his rival Marco Rubio as ultimately unelectable because of his hard-line stand against abortion,” the New York Times reports.

“That group, which has raised more than $100 million, has asked voters in New Hampshire how they feel about Mr. Rubio’s skipping important votes in the Senate. And the group’s chief strategist has boasted of his willingness to spend as much as $20 million to damage Mr. Rubio’s reputation and halt his sudden ascent in the polls, according to three people told of the claim.”

Rubio is ready with this web ad:

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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