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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - December 7, 2015
From Ballotpedia
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Monday's Leading Stories
- Bernie Sanders released his plan to combat climate change on Monday. According to the Associated Press, Sanders “would seek to impose a tax on carbon dioxide pollution, long a nonstarter with majority Republicans in Congress, and aim to slash carbon pollution in the U.S. by 80 percent by 2050 compared to levels in 1990” and “repeal billions in tax subsidies to oil, gas and other fossil fuel producers, which President Barack Obama has unsuccessfully sought throughout his presidency.” (U.S. News & World Report)
- On Sunday, Donald Trump said he supported profiling Muslims, saying, “If you have people coming out of mosques with hatred and with death in their eyes and on their minds, we’re going to have to do something.” Trump pointed to his personal friendships with Muslims to defend his policy positions. “I'm not playing on fears. I don't want to play on fears. I understand the whole world. I have Muslim friends who are great people. And by the way, they tell me, 'there's a big problem.' I'm not playing on fears. I'm playing on common sense." The desire to be “politically correct” is “part of the problem,” Trump warned. (Bloomberg, CBS News)
- Mike Fernandez, a billionaire who has donated more than $3 million to support Jeb Bush’s presidential run, said on Friday that he would vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in a general election match-up because she was “the lesser of two evils.” Fernandez also purchased a full-page ad in newspapers in Miami, Las Vegas, and Des Moines, to decry Trump’s frontrunner status. “My frustration is really with that sector of Republican voters that are so blinded by the demagoguery. … This is not about Jeb. This is about us. This is about the voter,” Fernandez said. (Miami Herald, Politico)
- Poll: In a CNN/ORC poll released on Friday, Hillary Clinton maintained her lead nationally with 58 percent to Bernie Sanders’ 30 percent. Martin O’Malley registered 2 percent support. “The poll finds Clinton widely seen as better able to handle matters of foreign policy than Sanders, an advantage that has likely helped the former secretary of state as global affairs and national security have gained prominence in the presidential campaign,” CNN reported. (CNN)
- In an analysis for Ballotpedia, James A. Barnes, a senior writer for Ballotpedia, explored whether or not it is too late for a latecomer candidate to enter the 2016 race. "The calendar just kills you. Filing deadlines for presidential primaries next year have already begun to close. By December 17, the filing deadlines for 14 GOP primaries and one caucus will have passed." (Ballotpedia)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- Hillary Clinton wrote an op-ed on Monday for The New York Times on her plan to reform Wall Street. “As president, I would not only veto any legislation that would weaken financial reform, but I would also fight for tough new rules, stronger enforcement and more accountability that go well beyond Dodd-Frank,” Clinton wrote. Her proposals include establishing a risk fee for banks with more than $50 billion in assets, strengthening the Volcker Rule, increasing the independence of regulators at the SEC and CFTC, and extending the statute of limitations for major financial crimes to 10 years. (The New York Times)
- On Sunday, Clinton criticized Liberty University President Jerry Falwell for saying “that if more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed them.” Falwell later clarified that he meant terrorists, not all Muslims. Clinton said, “This is the kind of deplorable, not only hateful, response to a legitimate security issue but it is giving aid and comfort to ISIS and other radical jihadists.” (The Huffington Post)
- Clinton also condemned Ted Cruz’s recommendation to “carpet bomb” the Islamic State. She said, “He's never had any responsibility for trying to figure out who the bad guys are and who innocent civilians are.” (NBC News)
- Clinton said she would not use the term “radical Islam” because it “sounds like we are declaring war against a religion.” She continued, “It doesn't do justice to the vast number of Muslims in our country and around the world who are peaceful people. … [It] helps to create this clash of civilizations that is actually a recruiting tool for ISIS and other radical jihadists who use this as a way of saying, 'We are in a war against the West -- you must join us.’” (CNN)
Martin O’Malley
- During a town hall in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday, Martin O’Malley opposed a proposal to spend $5.3 million on a museum display for the Confederate battle flag, calling it an “appalling waste of public dollars.” He added, “I’m sure there are museums existing already where a space could be found.” (The Post and Courier)
- O’Malley is set to announce his infrastructure and urban policy agenda this week. His plan will include proposals for “rebuilding our nation’s urban infrastructure; spurring investments in economic development and our clean energy economy; and ensuring safe, healthy and equitable communities for all.” (Next City)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that “Muslim nations” should lead the effort to combat the Islamic State with support from the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Russia and Iran. "It is the Muslim nations that are fighting for the soul of Islam who have got to lead the effort in crushing ISIS,” he said. (CBS News)
- Sanders won the online readers’ poll for “TIME Person of the Year” with 10 percent of the vote, placing him ahead of President Obama, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. (TIME)
- In an op-ed in The Des Moines Register on Sunday, Sanders called on Congress to stop the merger between drug corporations Pfizer and Allergan and support the Corporate Tax Dodging Prevention Act. He wrote that Pfizer “wants to merge with a company based in Ireland so that it can dodge its tax responsibilities and pay a lower rate than many teachers and nurses do in this country. This is a phony move. The new company will still be based in New York. It will still earn huge profits in the United States, which will still be its biggest market. Pfizer shareholders will own more than half of the merged corporation. And yet, when tax time rolls around, this company will want us to believe that it is really Irish and not American.” (The Des Moines Register)
Republicans
- At a gathering of Minnesota Republican Party leaders over the weekend, Ted Cruz won a straw poll with 90 votes. Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina followed with 46 votes and 33 votes, respectively. (Star Tribune)
- According to the Tyndall Report, Donald Trump dominated news coverage of Republican candidates from January through November with 234 minutes dedicated to him on ABC, NBC and CBS evening news programs. Ben Carson followed with 54 minutes. (CNN)
- Many Republican presidential candidates took to social media to critique President Obama’s Sunday night address on national security and terrorism. CNN has compiled their responses. (CNN)
Jeb Bush
- Jeb Bush held a three-hour session with donors on Saturday in Miami to allay concerns with the progress of his campaign. The New York Times reported, “There have been concerns that the Bush team made a strategic mistake when it moved Mike Murphy — a Republican image-maker and close confidant of Mr. Bush — to the super PAC side, to run what was originally billed as a shadow campaign. Now, because of rules restricting coordination between campaigns and super PACs, Mr. Murphy, who is known as the candidate whisperer, is unable to whisper to his own candidate, who could very much use the help right now.” (The New York Times)
- In an interview on ABC News on Sunday, Bush questioned how voters could “trust” Hillary Clinton on foreign policy when she has changed her position on whether or not to support a Sunni coalition in Iraq. He described her as a “focus group person.” In the same interview, Bush said he disagreed with calls to restrict the gun ownership rights of individuals on no-fly lists. Instead, he said, "If you're tracking someone who you believe may be a terrorist, of course they shouldn't get guns. I think the FBI is aware of -– if they're tracking someone, they have the ability to look and see and then notified when someone tries to purchase a gun." (ABC News)
- Right to Rise, a super PAC supporting Bush, released a 15-minute documentary on Saturday. “This is another way for us to tell Jeb’s story and provide more context and background for his plans beyond what voters see in a 30-second TV spot,” a spokesman said. (USA Today)
Ben Carson
- On Friday, Ben Carson said the San Bernardino mass shooting acts should end the debate on whether Syrian refugees can be properly screened. "If that vetting resulted in missing someone who could carry out such a horrendous crime, that should be the end of the argument right there. We shouldn’t even have to talk about this anymore," he said. (Talking Points Memo)
- At a town hall hosted by Concerned Veterans for America on Saturday, Carson opposed transgender individuals openly serving in the military. “I do not appreciate using our military as a laboratory for a social experiment. … When our men and women are out there fighting the enemy, the last thing we need to be doing is saying what would it be like if we introduced several transgender people into this platoon. … Give me a break. Deal with the transgender thing somewhere else.” Carson added that the preferred the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. (Huffington Post)
- Carson questioned Americans’ attitude towards Christianity in the public sphere on Sunday. He said, “If it’s in our founding document, it’s in our pledge, it’s in our courts and it’s on our money, but we’re not supposed to talk about it, what in the world is that? That is what is called schizophrenia.” (The Des Moines Register)
Chris Christie
- In a radio interview on Friday, Chris Christie said the San Bernardino shooting demonstrates why no Syrian refugees, including women and children, should be resettled in the United States. “We now know from San Bernardino, just a couple of days ago, that women are very capable of being involved in terrorist activity. And the widow who comes over here from Syria, if aligned with ISIS or another organization, could create just as much death as any man given the weapons that are available now,” he said. (ABC News)
- While campaigning in Iowa on Saturday, Christie indirectly attacked Donald Trump, saying, “We do not need reality TV in the Oval Office right now,” and, “President of the United States is not a place for an entertainer.” (Politico)
- When asked if he supported Donald Trump’s proposal to profile Muslims in the U.S., Christie said on Sunday, “The fact is, we don't need to be profiling in order to be able to get the job done here. Increased surveillance, creating relationships with mosques in the Muslim American community across the country, we did that after 9/11 and prevented attacks in New Jersey and all across the country. What you need is a president who has had the experience and the know-how to do this, and not someone who is just going to talk off the top of their head.” (CBS News)
Ted Cruz
- On Saturday, Ted Cruz aired a new ad on national security in Iowa during a Big 10 Conference college football championship game. Cruz says in the ad, “We’ll rebuild our military. We’ll kill the terrorists. And every Islamic extremist will know, if you wage jihad against us, you’re signing your death warrant." A second ad on Cruz’s faith featuring U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) also aired during the game. (The Huffington Post)
- Speaking with reporters during a rally in Iowa on Saturday, Cruz reiterated the importance of aggressive military action against the Islamic State. He said, “We won’t weaken them. We won’t degrade them. We will utterly destroy them. We will carpet bomb them into oblivion. We will arm the Kurds. We will do everything necessary so that every militant on the face of the earth will know if you go and join ISIS, if you wage jihad and declare war on America, you are signing your death warrant.” (The Washington Post)
Carly Fiorina
- The CARLY for America super PAC released an ad last week positioning Carly Fiorina as an outsider candidate. In the clip, which is part of an advertising campaign for the Boston and New Hampshire markets, Fiorina is described as “a conservative outsider who has a bold new blueprint to take our country back.” (USA Today, MassLive.com)
Lindsey Graham
- Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Lindsey Graham charged that President Obama was “overwhelmed by radical Islam” and needed to “change his strategy” to prevent an event similar to the September 11 terrorist attacks coming from Raqqa, Syria. (NBC News)
- When asked if limiting refugees from certain countries was a form of profiling, Graham responded, “People who want to come to this country don't have constitutional rights, once they get here they do. But coming here is not a constitutional right." He added that the embrace of isolationism must stop, saying, “You build up others. You reject Rand Paul. This flirtation with isolationism in the Republican party is over." (NBC News)
Mike Huckabee
- Mike Huckabee said on Saturday that “political correctness” was discouraging people from reporting suspicious activity. “If you see something, say something. Now, people are afraid if they say something they’re going to be labeled a xenophobe, a bigot, a hater, a racist. Nobody wants to be labeled that. Nobody wants to be ostracized. So now, because of political correctness, the cops may tell us see something, say something, people understand, say something, get a label on you, and be plastered on the front page of the papers. It’s not going to happen,” he said in an interview on Fox News. (Breitbart)
- In the same interview, Huckabee compared restrictions on the Second Amendment to limitations on the First Amendment. “I’m wondering, would they [gun control advocates] be willing to accept some restrictions to the First Amendment, imposed on them by people like me. I don’t think so. This is absurd. Because it was not so much which weapon was used. It was the intent of the killer. … So, take away their assault weapons, look, a pencil is an assault weapon if you put it in the hand of somebody who wants to kill you.” (Breitbart)
John Kasich
- John Kasich said on Sunday that he was not convinced of the accuracy of polls placing Donald Trump far ahead of the Republican field. "I don't necessarily believe what I see because it's not a poll of likely voters,” he said. (CNN)
- On Sunday, Kasich said he was supportive of individuals on terror watch lists being barred from purchasing guns if it does not “tip somebody off that they’re under review.” He explained, “We want to make sure that we can exploit all the information that we possibly can get. So if all of a sudden you tell everybody who’s on the watch list that you can’t do this or that, then guess what happens. Then we lose our ability to track, we lose our ability to gather information, so I think we have to be careful.” (The Hill)
George Pataki
- George Pataki challenged Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Friday, “We must declare war on radical Islam. @LorettaLynch I'm not edging toward violent speech, I'm declaring we kill them. Go ahead, arrest me.” (Twitter)
Rand Paul
- Rand Paul argued on Sunday that his bill to limit visas to refugees from 34 countries does not qualify as profiling. “Well, people who want to come to this country don’t have constitutional rights. Once they get here, they do. But coming here is not a constitutional right. So we as of a nation have the ability and should have the ability to decide who can come here and when they come here. Right now, we don’t know who is here,” he said. (Daily Caller)
- Appearing at the Rising Tide Summit on Saturday, Paul said that Hillary Clinton spent “not a penny for security” at U.S. embassies. “Do you want to be the party that maybe adds debt just a little bit less slowly, but still doubles the debt?” Paul added, suggesting Democrats and Republicans were equally responsible for the national debt. (KCCI Des Moines)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Americans should not be barred from gun ownership if they appear on a no-fly list. “These are everyday Americans that have nothing to do with terrorism, they wind up on the no-fly list, there’s no due process or any way to get your name removed from it in a timely fashion, and now they’re having their Second Amendment rights being impeded upon. … Sometimes you’re only on that list because the FBI wants to talk to you about someone you know, not because you’re a suspect. And, again, now your Second Amendment right is being impeded with,” Rubio said. (The Hill)
- Rubio criticized President Obama and the Democrats for pushing for gun control reform shortly after the San Bernardino shooting, saying, “I don’t want to hear anything more about the president talking about gun control. We need bomb control. We need terrorist control.” (Boston Herald)
- In recent weeks, Rubio’s campaign has begun to target Ted Cruz. The New York Times reported, “With help from an allied group that is airing television ads in Iowa, Mr. Rubio is seeking to raise doubts on the right about Mr. Cruz’s toughness on national security — a potentially fatal vulnerability, should Mr. Rubio succeed, amid heightened concerns about terrorism. More quietly, he is trying to muddy the perception that Mr. Cruz is a hard-liner on immigration, asserting that Mr. Cruz supports ‘legalizing people that are in this country illegally.’” (The New York Times)
- Rubio released a new ad in Iowa on Monday featuring clips from his presidential announcement speech. He says in the ad, “This election is a generational choice about what kind of country we will be. And before us now is the opportunity to author the greatest chapter yet in the amazing story of America.” (Fox News)
Rick Santorum
- During his speech at the Rising Tide Summit on Saturday, Rick Santorum argued he was the Republican candidate positioned to perform the best in the general election. “I was the only conservative to win a state George Bush lost. Because I kept my eye on the people and their concerns,” he said. (The Des Moines Register)
Donald Trump
- On Sunday, Donald Trump said the desire to be “politically correct” was “part of the problem” in defeating terrorism in the U.S. He added that he supported profiling Muslims, saying, “If you have people coming out of mosques with hatred and with death in their eyes and on their minds, we’re going to have to do something.” Trump also pointed to his personal friendships with Muslims to defend his policy positions. “I'm not playing on fears. I don't want to play on fears. I understand the whole world. I have Muslim friends who are great people. And by the way, they tell me, 'there's a big problem.' I'm not playing on fears. I'm playing on common sense." (Bloomberg, CBS News)
- At a rally in North Carolina on Friday with 8,000 attendees, Trump was continuously interrupted throughout his 45-minute speech by protesters holding signs reading “Stop the Hate, We Make America Great” and “Dump Trump.” There were also demonstrators from the Black Lives Matter movement. (USA Today)
- Politico reported on Monday that the focus of Trump’s campaign has shifted from the primary election to the general election. “Trump added to the picture of a man apart from the field by holding rallies in northwest Iowa and eastern Iowa on Saturday, skipping the Cedar Rapids GOP cattle call where five other Republicans — including Carson and Ted Cruz — took turns speaking on a single stage at an event hosted by the Koch Brothers-backed FreedomWorks,” Politico noted. (Politico)
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
