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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - December 2, 2015
From Ballotpedia
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Wednesday's Leading Stories
- According to an NBC News report, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Hillary Clinton have spent the most on television advertising. With a combination of campaign and Super PAC money, Bush has spent $28.9 million, Rubio has spent $10.6 million and Clinton has spent $9.7 million. Trump has spent just $217,000 on TV ads, less than any other candidate in the presidential race. (NBC News)
- On Tuesday, Donald Trump continued to defend his claim that “thousands and thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, by presenting an opinion article written by Fred Siegel in the New York Post days after the attack that read, “it was easy to get angry listening to Egyptians, Palestinians and the Arabs of nearby Paterson, N.J., celebrate as they received word of the murderous attacks.” Trump also produced an MTV news clip that showed “radio host Curtis Sliwa talking about people who claimed to have seen ‘what appeared to be a large group of people celebrating’ the terrorist attacks in South Paterson, N.J.” According to The Hill, Trump’s “efforts appeared unlikely to end the controversy, which entered its 10th day.” (The Hill)
- Poll: According to a Quinnipiac poll released today, Donald Trump is leading the Republican field for the presidential nomination with 27 percent support. Marco Rubio comes in second with 17 percent. Ben Carson and Ted Cruz each have 16 percent, and Jeb Bush has 5 percent. The rest of the GOP candidates come in at 3 percent support or less. (Quinnipiac)
- Poll: Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders 60 percent to 30 percent for the Democratic nomination, and Martin O’Malley follows with 2 percent support, according to a Quinnipiac poll released today. (Quinnipiac)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- One of Hillary Clinton’s recently released emails revealed an exchange between Clinton and Sidney Blumenthal about caucuses contests. She wrote, "If Mittens [Mitt Romney] can't beat Grinch [Gingrich] in Florida, there will be pressure on state Republican parties to reopen or liberalize ballot access especially in the caucuses, which as we know are creatures of the parties' extremes." (NBC News)
- On Tuesday, during a “speech at a celebration of the bus boycott set in motion by Parks, Clinton called for criminal justice reform, an end to restrictive voting laws and new gun control measures,” according to Time. Clinton said, “Even as we celebrate all that our country has achieved in the past 60 years. We must in keeping with the legacy of those who have gone before look to the future and the work that is left to do.” (Time)
Martin O’Malley
- When asked if he thought he would receive any immediate endorsements from House Democrats after a meeting with them on Tuesday, Martin O’Malley replied, "No. ...Well, not today, I should say. I certainly asked all the members if I could not today be their first choice, I would like today to be their second choice, and I look forward to their support in the future. I don’t expect any endorsements today, and I do expect endorsements later in this process." (Baltimore Sun)
- During the same interview, O’Malley was asked about the trial of a Baltimore police officer charged in the Freddie Gray case. He said, "justice will be done" and "the prosecutor has made her decision based on the evidence” before discussing his own record on policing while he was mayor of Baltimore. He said he made the Baltimore Police Department more transparent and helped reduce the number of officer-involved shooting deaths. According to the Baltimore Sun, “His successor and one-time ally, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, issued a report last year that concluded the O'Malley mayorality ‘ignited a rift between the citizens and the police, which still exists today.’” (Baltimore Sun)
- During a satirical interview with ”Off the Record” on Tuesday, O’Malley rapped about the NRA, not liking guns and his bid for president. He rapped, “I’m Martin O’Malley, please vote for me, not Clinton or Sanders or Huckabee.The NRA hates me because I don’t like guns. Guns, guns, guns, I don’t like them guns. If you look at the polls you might get the impression, that president of the United States may not be next profession. Just FYI bro, you’re so dang wrong, soon my polls will be higher than Cheech and Chong” (The Hill)
Bernie Sanders
- On Tuesday, Bernie Sanders criticized legislation that proposes repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Sanders said, "What this legislation does is move us in exactly the wrong direction. The bill we are debating today is a complete waste of time. … We have a health care crisis and this bill makes the crisis much worse. … When you throw 17 million people off health insurance, people will die because they don't go to a doctor when they should, they don't get into the hospital when they should.” (The Hill)
- On Saturday, Sanders' campaign will open a campaign office in Reno, Nevada. “The Sanders campaign is opening five other offices in Nevada this week, including three in Las Vegas, one in North Las Vegas and one in Henderson,” according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. (Reno Gazette-Journal)
Republicans
- According to The Hill, Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz are clear frontrunners in the Iowa primary, but, so far, a clear leader in New Hampshire has not emerged. Former New Hampshire Attorney General Tom Rath said, “The center-right lane, the one that usually produces a winner in New Hampshire, is jumbled and, I expect, will stay jumbled for quite a while.” Former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said, “It’s very fluid right now, more fluid than usual. But it’s almost always a contest. It would be unusual for someone to be running away with it at this point.” (The Hill)
Jeb Bush
- Jeb Bush addressed climate change with a group of voters in Iowa on Tuesday. He said, "I'm not sure I would have gone to the climate summit if I was president today,” referring to the gathering of world leaders in Paris. Acknowledging that he has not “seen the specifics,” he said he is worried that the proposals coming out of Paris “could have an impact on the here and now, on people that are really struggling right now.” Bush also said, "The climate is changing, its been changing forever. The question is how much of it is impacted by man and what impact is that and how long will that impact play out." (NBC News)
- While speaking about his VP pick on Tuesday, Bush discussed choosing a woman. He said, “Should I be elected president, I would have my vice president — I think she will be a great partner. I mean, did I say that out loud? We always talk about this with one gender in mind. I think we’ve reached the point I think in our country where maybe we should be a little less gender-specific about this. He or she should be an integral part of the team. And frankly, the one important element of selecting a vice presidential candidate is whether he or she is qualified to be president. Everything else is secondary.” (Time)
- When asked by a voter about his effort as governor to save Terri Schiavo’s life, Bush said, "I can assure you, this was a very, very difficult time and it breaks my heart I was not successful.” He added that he did everything that he could legally do, noting the importance of respecting the Constitution. He said, "You better be serious about that. Rule of law in this country continues to be something that keeps us extraordinary and exceptional." (NBC News)
- According to NBC News, “Bush's campaign announced today eight additional staffers and four additional offices in the Granite State bringing their total to 20 staff members and 5 offices in the state. Also today, news that the campaign has purchased $600,000-plus of TV and cable advertising over the next three weeks in New Hampshire and Boston.” (NBC News)
Ben Carson
- After describing the bleak conditions of the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan in an op-ed for The Hill, Ben Carson wrote that the solution to the Syrian refugee crisis is to have Arab countries to take in refugees. He wrote, “The media has focused on Europe and the United States’s willingness or unwillingness to welcome these refugees. This focus is all wrong. The solution to the Syrian refugee crisis is with Syria’s neighbors. Syrian refugee resettlement should be concentrated in Arab countries, which are in the best position to help. The rich Persian Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates — have the resources to provide services that refugees require. With no language barrier and no religious or cultural gaps to overcome, refugees can find new and fulfilling lives with only enough support to make the transition. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other refugee aid organizations can best use their resources to train these Gulf states to provide housing and social services effectively.” He also wrote that other nations should provide support for the Arab countries that accept refugees. (The Hill)
- On Tuesday, Carson's campaign announced that Rev. Paul Marc Goulet will serve as the Nevada campaign chairman. According to the Elko Daily Free Press, “Goulet and his wife Denise are the senior pastors at the International Church of Las Vegas, a large, non-denominational Christian congregation where Carson spoke last month.” (Elko Daily Free Press)
Chris Christie
- Tom Moran, a member of The Star-Ledger of Newark’s editorial board, criticized The New Hampshire Union Leader for endorsing Chris Christie on Tuesday. He wrote, “If you are from New Jersey, it was hard to read.” Moran noted what the endorsement left out about Christie’s record: “Bridgegate, or jobs, or the state's sinking credit rating.” (NJ.com, The New York Times)
- On Tuesday, Christie discussed terrorism with a group of voters at a town hall event in New Hampshire. Speaking about the terrorist attacks in Paris, Christie said, “Our world war is happening right now, has been happening. You and I all in this room all know, all understand, that a couple of weeks ago this campaign changed dramatically. … If you're too afraid to go to a Friday night football game or a Saturday afternoon baseball game at Fenway Park or Shea Stadium back then where I used to go, if you're too afraid to do that, then nothing else works.” (NPR)
Ted Cruz
- On Tuesday, Ted Cruz’s campaign is asking for an ad released by America's Renewable Future, “an advocacy group that champions the ethanol-friendly federal mandate,” to be removed from Iowa radio stations. The advertisement says: "Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil, but want to end support for ethanol. Cruz backs policies that threaten rural Iowa and thousands of jobs." According to the Des Moines Register, “Cruz campaign aides say it's incorrect because Cruz is opposed to all energy subsidies, including for oil companies.” (The Des Moines Register)
Carly Fiorina
- During a campaign event at South Carolina's Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Carly Fiorina said, "I am running for the Presidency of the United States because I truly believe that it is time that we remember who we are. We were intended to be a citizen Government, and I think it is time as citizens, we take our country back- and that means we have to start by holding our Government accountable." Fiorina also said she wants to shrink the size of the tax code and the Internal Revenue Service. She said, “Do you know that today we have more IRS personnel than CIA and FBI combined? Does that strike you as a misallocation of resources in a dangerous time?" (WACH Fox 57)
- Fiorina explained how she would handle Russian President Vladimir Putin during a campaign event at the Citadel on Tuesday. She said, “Vladimir Putin is a formidable foe. I've met him and he is a man who lusts for power. … We will establish a no-fly zone. Our jets will fly whenever and wherever they want. And, I would be rebuilding the 6th-fleet right under his nose, begin rebuilding the missile defense program right under his nose, conducting regular military exercises in the Baltic states. And then we can talk, Mr. Putin." (Live 5 News)
- Fiorina criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal (TPP) during an interview on Tuesday’s “Laura Ingraham Show.” Citing the inclusion of previous environmental agreements in the deal, Fiorina said, “these extremely complicated, multi-party agreements are not in our interest, because buried in the 5,000 pages negotiated with 12 other countries, are trap doors. ...trade agreements are far better when negotiated bilaterally, as opposed to multilaterally. Secondly, it makes no sense to lock this country in to a multilateral agreement, negotiated over years in secret, that has trap doors, such as you just described.” (Breitbart)
- During the same interview she discussed Planned Parenthood’s fetal tissue practices. She said, “let’s be accurate and factual about Planned Parenthood, okay, here’s some facts. Planned Parenthood acknowledged, just a couple weeks ago, that they will no longer take compensation for the sale of body parts, or as they call it, fetal tissue. I would call that an admission. Factually speaking, Planned Parenthood funnels millions of dollars in political contributions, as a taxpayer-funded organization, to pro-abortion candidates.” (Breitbart)
Lindsey Graham
- Candidates must exit the presidential race before December 21, if they want to stay off of the ballot in the February 20 primary election in South Carolina. According to NBC News, “It's set a potentially critical deadline for South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who will have to weigh whether it's worth continuing his long shot presidential bid in the face of a potentially embarrassing showing in his home state.” In an email, Graham spokeswoman Brittany Bramall explained that Graham has no plans to drop out of the race. She wrote, "Lindsey Graham has no plans to drop out of the race and has a full schedule of campaign events coming up in New Hampshire as well as an important debate on December 15.” (NBC News)
Mike Huckabee
- In an op-ed on Tuesday, Mike Huckabee criticized President Barack Obama for being more concerned about climate change than preventing terrorist attacks and eliminating ISIS. He wrote, “The federal government cannot control the weather. Period. We can control borders, military assets, critical airspace, and American intelligence. We can also kill Islamic terrorists and radical ISIS murderers. America needs a president focused on what we can control, not fixated on weather patterns which we cannot.” (Fox News)
- On Tuesday, Huckabee “reaffirmed his support for the Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal program that requires transportation fuels to contain a minimum amount of renewable fuels,” according to the Des Moines Register. (Des Moines Register)
- After touring the Poet Biorefining plant in Corning, Iowa on Tuesday, he told a group of employees that “There are people in our country who would love to eliminate what you do. They don’t think it’s necessary. Some even think it’s harmful because they don’t understand the environmental benefits of biofuels.” Tying production of fuel to national security, he added, “I want America to supply energy to Europe, Africa and Asia. I want us to put the Russians, the Iranians, the Saudis out of the energy business completely.” (Des Moines Register)
John Kasich
- New Day for America, a super PAC supporting John Kasich, is mailing a flier to voters in New Hampshire that questions Donald Trump’s immigration comments and his use of undocumented immigrants on his real estate projects. The flier reads: “If Trump kicks out all the immigrants… Who will build his hotels?” (Politico)
- While campaigning in Tennessee on Tuesday, Kasich criticized Donald Trump, saying, "This is all about having a uniter and not a divider. The last thing we need is somebody who's attacking women, attacking Hispanics, attacking Muslims, making fun of a reporter who has a disability. This is not helpful to building a strong country." (Times Free Press)
Rand Paul
- In an op-ed in the Courier-Journal on Tuesday, Rand Paul wrote, “If you haven’t heard already, I’m running for president. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m your senator, and that my number one priority is doing the job I was elected to do and serving you.” Paul then described what he has done to help citizens of Kentucky. He wrote that he has “battled President Obama’s job-killing anti-coal policies;” “returned $1.8 million from my office back to the Treasury;” “proposed the Cut Cap and Balance Act of 2015, which would cut the deficit in half this year;” “introduced the Economic Freedom Zones Act to help areas with crippling unemployment;” “pushed for the legalization of industrial hemp;” “re-introduced the Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act to restore federal voting rights for non-violent ex-offenders;” and re-introduced “the REDEEM Act, which proposes wide-sweeping criminal justice reform.” (Courier-Journal)
Marco Rubio
- When asked about his stance on legalizing marijuana at a campaign event in South Carolina, Marco Rubio said he does not favor legalization and added “When you legalize something, it’s sending a message that it’s not that harmful.” (The Post and Courier)
- During a campaign event in Alabama, Rubio criticized President Barack Obama’s foreign and domestic policies. He said, “I don't believe there's ever been a time in the lifetime of anyone in this hall where our government is more out of touch with what's happening with your life than it is today." He specifically criticized Obama for making cuts to the military budget. He said, “But the one thing our federal government has to do is to keep us safe. … I was recently asked by a radio host, 'If I could ask Hillary Clinton one question, what would it be?' And I said, 'Name me one part of the world where we are safer than we were before Barack Obama took over at president.'" (AL.com)
Rick Santorum
- During an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, Rick Santorum said that the man who murdered and injured individuals at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado last week could have been stopped by the organization’s workers if they had guns. He said, "The problem is, the bad guys — the bad guys have guns. That's the problem. The more people that we have responsibly carrying, the less — the less violence we are going to have in this country.” (Cleveland.com)
Donald Trump
- During a campaign event in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Donald Trump said he feels guilty for not serving in the Vietnam War. He said, “I love the country. I’ve seen what it can do. I didn’t serve. I haven’t served. And frankly I had deferments because of college, like a lot of people did…I always felt a little bit guilty.” (ABC News)
- On Tuesday, Trump said that as president he would defund Planned Parenthood and look at overturning Roe v. Wade. He said, “The other, you’re gonna need a lot of Supreme Court justices, but we’re gonna be looking at that very, very carefully, but you need a lot of Supreme Court judges. But defund yes, we’re going to be doing a lot of that.” (Boston.com)
See also
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Important dates in the 2016 presidential race
- Polls and Straw polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards
