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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - July 28, 2015
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Tuesday's Leading Stories
- This weekend, the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce is hosting a gathering of wealthy conservatives to meet with a select group of Republican presidential candidates. Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker will join hundreds of potential donors, including the Koch brothers, expected to spend nearly $1 billion on the 2016 election. Rand Paul was reportedly asked to join but declined the invitation. (Politico, CNN, Salon)
- In advance of the February 2016 South Carolina primary, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is hosting town halls across the state with Republican presidential candidates. Only Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, George Pataki and Donald Trump are absent from the line-up. (The State)
- According to NBC News, Republican presidential campaigns and super PACs have spent between $3,000 and $2.6 million in the weeks leading up to the first Republican debate in August. Super PACs supporting Marco Rubio and John Kasich spent more than $2 million each. Only one Democratic organization, the super PAC supporting Martin O’Malley, spent money. (NBC News)
Democrats
Joe Biden
- Joe Biden joined New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday to announce LaGuardia Airport will undergo major renovations totaling $4 billion. During the event, Biden took the opportunity to criticize Chris Christie for canceling a construction project to renovate the tunnels between New Jersey and Manhattan. “There’s a river around here somewhere” with tunnels “that were built in the late 1800s, and they haven’t been modernized since 1927. Maybe get started on that. I’d ask Gov. Christie to come back and talk, but that’s another issue for another day,” Biden said. (Forbes, New York Daily News)
- Conservative political analyst Bill Kristol asserted that “odds are better than 50/50” another Democrat will enter the race to challenge Hillary Clinton and named Biden, Elizabeth Warren and John Kerry as the likeliest contenders. (MRCTV)
Lincoln Chafee
- Lincoln Chafee is scheduled to speak at The Des Moines Register’s State Fair Soapbox on August 15, 2015. (The Des Moines Register)
- Although Hillary Clinton’s super PAC, Correct the Record, has employed “trackers” to follow and record the public events of her Democratic rivals, it did not assign any to Chafee. (MSNBC)
Hillary Clinton
- Hillary Clinton declined to take a position on the Keystone XL on Monday, citing her involvement as secretary of state in evaluating the project as the reason for her silence. “No other presidential candidate was secretary of state when this process started, and I put together a very thorough deliberative evidence-based process to evaluate the environmental impact and other considerations of Keystone. As such, I know there is a very careful evaluation continuing and that the final decision is pending to be made by Secretary Kerry and President Obama. Very simply, the evaluation determines whether this pipeline is in our nation’s interest and I’m confident that the pipeline impacts on global greenhouse gas emissions will be a major factor in that decisions, as the president has said. So I will refrain from commenting because I had a leading role in getting that process started and I think we have to let it run its course,” Clinton said. (Politico)
- Clinton’s campaign began its outreach to leaders of the “Black Lives Matter” movement over the weekend by sending LaDivia Drane, Clinton’s black outreach director, to the Movement for Black Lives conference in Cleveland. (The Washington Times)
- Clinton denounced Mike Huckabee’s controversial comment that the Iran nuclear deal “will take Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.” She said, “It should be repudiated by every person of good faith and concern of the necessity to keep our political dialogue on the facts and within suitable boundaries.” (The Huffington Post)
- Although government watchdogs have warned Clinton’s emails may contain “potentially classified” information, a third batch will be released this week. (The Wall Street Journal)
Martin O’Malley
- Martin O’Malley is scheduled to attend a “listening session” on Tuesday hosted by Steve Benjamin, the first black mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. The event, part of a series offered by the bipartisan black leadership group 20/20 Leaders of America, comes after O’Malley failed to connect with “Black Lives Matter” activists earlier in the month. (International Business Times)
- Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) endorsed O’Malley over the weekend, becoming the first member of the House Democratic Caucus to publicly support a 2016 presidential candidate other than Hillary Clinton. (Roll Call)
- While speaking about his plans to significantly overhaul Wall Street regulations, O’Malley suggested Clinton is too close to big banks to effect real change. “My proposals go a lot further than Secretary Clinton's. Her closeness with big banks on Wall Street is sincere, it's heart-felt, long-established and well known. I don't have those ties. I am independent of those big banks on Wall Street. And my proposals reflect that, because I would restore robust prosecution and deterrents, I would reinstate Glass-Steagall to separate the speculative banking from the commercial and depository banking. And I think most American believe that's common sense,” O’Malley said. (CNN)
Bernie Sanders
- Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) said Bernie Sanders “doesn’t have a great chance of winning the nomination and if he did I think it would probably be an uphill battle to win the presidency.” (The Huffington Post)
- Speaking at a rally in Louisiana over the weekend, Bernie Sanders cited the arrest of Sandra Bland as an example of why criminal justice reform is necessary. “When an African-American woman gets yanked out of her car, when we all know that would not have happened to a middle-class white woman, we know we need some serious change in criminal justice in this country,” Sanders said. (The Christian Science Monitor)
- In an interview with Vox, Sanders called an “open border” policy a “Koch brothers proposal.” Explaining his belief that such a policy would lead to lower wages and increase poverty, Sanders said, “It would make everybody in America poorer —you're doing away with the concept of a nation state, and I don't think there's any country in the world that believes in that. If you believe in a nation state or in a country called the United States or UK or Denmark or any other country, you have an obligation in my view to do everything we can to help poor people. What right-wing people in this country would love is an open-border policy. Bring in all kinds of people, work for $2 or $3 an hour, that would be great for them. I don't believe in that. I think we have to raise wages in this country, I think we have to do everything we can to create millions of jobs.” (Vox)
Jim Webb
- Jim Webb will join Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders and Jim Webb at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Minneapolis on August 28, 2015. (The Olympian)
Republicans
Jeb Bush
- Campaigning in Florida on Monday, Jeb Bush argued democracy was being stifled by political polarization. “We need men and women of goodwill forging consensus, starting to solve problems, kind of building back the muscles of consensus, compromise and solution-finding to fix these things. Apparently that is dangerous in a Republican primary, but it’s what I believe,” Bush said. (The New York Times)
- Bush gave his first Spanish-language interview on Monday, speaking with Telemundo’s José Díaz-Balart. Recounting his own experience raising children in a bilingual and bicultural home, Bush said, “We don't talk about it, but the Hispanic influence is an important part of my life.” (Telemundo, The Washington Post)
- Bush condemned Mike Huckabee’s statement that the Iran nuclear deal would “take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.” Speaking to reporters at a town hall in Florida, Bush said, “The use of that kind of language is just wrong. This is not the way we’re going to win elections and that’s not how we’re going to solve problems. So, unfortunate remark — not quite sure why he felt compelled to say it.” (The New York Times)
- Speaking to a largely Puerto Rican audience of religious leaders in Florida on Monday, Bush advocated for debt relief for Puerto Rico. "I think we ought to have structured recasting of their debt and structured recasting of their social obligations," Bush said. He also noted he supports statehood for the island but only after its financial crisis has been resolved. (The Orlando Sentinel)
Ben Carson
- Ben Carson will speak at a “Women Betrayed” rally on Tuesday to protest Planned Parenthood’s alleged sale of fetal tissue from abortions to medical research facilities. (The Washington Times)
- Carson wrote an op-ed for CNN denouncing Planned Parenthood and its founder, Margaret Sanger. “This woman was a proponent of eugenics, which promotes the notion that there are superior individuals and inferior individuals, and that society is helped when the superior ones proliferate while inferior ones are reduced,” Carson said. “Congress should defund Planned Parenthood and consider having the IRS revoke its status as a 501(c)(3) organization. I believe deeply, as it is written in the Declaration of Independence, that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. First and foremost among these unalienable rights is life, and we created a government in order to protect it – not fund its destruction,” he concluded. (CNN)
- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) will host Carson on Wednesday for a meeting with Republican members of Congress to discuss defunding Planned Parenthood. (Washington Examiner)
Chris Christie
- Although Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has endorsed Hillary Clinton, he spoke highly of Chris Christie at a media event on Monday. “I think he’s the most underestimated person in the field. I think he’s one of the most talented political people out there,” Booker said. (Politico)
- In an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader on Monday, Christie shrugged off suggestions he was a moderate. “If you look at the way I’ve governed in terms of cutting spending, cutting taxes, vetoing income tax increases, reforming teacher tenure, taking on the teachers union — all these things I did first before any of the other guys in this race took this stuff on. I took it on, and many of them followed my example of what I did,” Christie said. (New Hampshire Union Leader)
Ted Cruz
- On Monday, Ted Cruz challenged President Obama to a debate on the Iran nuclear deal during an appearance on FOX News’ “Hannity.”. “Since [Obama's] not willing to discuss the substance, I'll make an invitation right here tonight, which is I will invite President Obama at any time and place of his choosing to debate the substance of the Iran deal. Let's do it in front of the American people,” Cruz said. (The Hill)
- In a radio interview on “The Howie Carr Show” on Monday, Cruz defended his actions last week when he denounced the way Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “rammed” through the Senate a vote on the Export-Import Bank. Although he accused McConnell of “lying,” Cruz maintained, “What I said about McConnell wasn’t attacking him personally.” (Politico)
Carly Fiorina
- In a major foreign policy speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Monday night, Carly Fiorina suggested Hillary Clinton’s private email server controversy demonstrates Clinton has little understanding of technology or cybersecurity, two subjects the “next president must understand.” She also criticized Clinton for failing to push back against Chinese human rights violations while secretary of state. Fiorina positioned herself, in comparison, as a decisive leader. “As president, I will not wait until things have reached the crisis level. And I will not shy away from the most important challenges facing our world today. Because without American leadership, we face two choices: regional hegemonies who challenge America or global chaos,” Fiorina said. (Washington Times)
- Fiorina participated in a reader question series by Breitbart on Monday where she answered ten questions on issues ranging from immigration to education. When asked how she would limit the role of government, Fiorina advocated for undoing President Obama’s “lawless executive orders,” a return to zero-base budgeting and greater accountability for federal employees. (Breitbart)
Lindsey Graham
- During a campaign stop in Derry, New Hampshire, Lindsey Graham called for putting more boots on the ground in Iraq, increasing the number from 3,500 to 11,000 troops. He added that he would consider “shaking the Pentagon up” but has no intention of “tearing it apart.” (The Eagle-Tribune)
Mike Huckabee
- Although he has received harsh criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for saying the Iran nuclear deal will lead Israelis to “the door of the oven,” Mike Huckabee has not distanced himself from the comment. Responding to President Obama’s comments that what Huckabee said was “ridiculous and sad,” Huckabee charged, “‘Never again' will be the policy of my administration and I will stand with our ally Israel to prevent the terrorists in Tehran from achieving their own stated goal of another Holocaust." On Tuesday, Huckabee said, “The response from Jewish people has been overwhelmingly positive.” However, statements from Jewish leaders and organizations like Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, the National Jewish Democratic Council and the Anti-Defamation League suggest otherwise. (Gawker)
John Kasich
- John Kasich hired Simon Thomson to manage his campaign in Hew Hampshire. Thompson, the grandson of former Governor of New Hampshire Meldrim Thomson, has previously worked for former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-S.C.). (Cleveland.com, Washington Examiner)
Bobby Jindal
- Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) has reached out to Bobby Jindal to discuss gun control legislation following the movie theater shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana. Giffords, who was seriously injured in 2011 from a gunshot wound, formed Americans for Responsible Solutions with her husband to reduce gun violence. Jindal’s office has not yet commented on if he will meet with Giffords. (The Times-Picayune)
Rand Paul
- Rand Paul announced on Tuesday a vote will be held in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood before the August recess. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) confirmed “a group of his members” was planning to take the issue to a vote before Congress adjourns. (Associated Press)
- Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wy.) published an op-ed in Breitbart endorsing Rand Paul as “the Republican candidate best positioned to defeat Hillary Clinton.” (Breitbart)
- Speaking at a veterans event in South Carolina on Monday, Paul spoke against “Choice Cards,” which allow veterans, under certain conditions, to seek private medical care outside of the VA network. Paul asserted this was not sufficient, saying, “I’m not saying eliminate what we have. I’d say keep some specialty hospitals. But I’d also have the transition, see if we can save some money and help with the convenience of veterans and let them have a choice to go into private care.” (South Carolina Radio Network)
- According to the Associated Press, three super PACs supporting Rand Paul raised a total of $6 million from wealthy libertarian donors through June 30, 2015. (U.S. News & World Report)
Marco Rubio
- Along with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Marco Rubio introduced the Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2015 to combat identity theft, fraud and abuse in the Medicare system. “Every time a senior citizen turns to our office for help because their identity has been stolen or they’ve been victimized through the Medicare program, I am sickened by the criminals who prey on them. Seniors in Florida and across the country deserve state-of-the-art measures like this ‘Common Access Card’ to help prevent fraud,” Rubio said in a statement on Tuesday. (U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio)
- While discussing the “painful” history of racial discrimination in the United States at a campaign stop in South Carolina, Rubio said better economic conditions and educational opportunities can improve the situation and anti-discrimination laws must be enforced. (Associated Press)
- Rubio is the first Republican candidate to file paperwork to appear on the South Carolina primary ballot in February. (The Post and Courier)
Rick Santorum
- Speaking in Columbia, South Carolina, on Tuesday, Rick Santorum said one way to increase employment opportunities for Americans without college degrees is to support manufacturing in the country. Criticizing President Obama’s energy policy for driving jobs to foreign countries, Santorum said, “There’s an appropriate amount of regulation that can lower overall emissions, create a healthier standard of living and encourage jobs to come back. And then there’s excessive amounts of regulation, which make it too costly to do business here and with zero environmental health benefits. If we bring manufacturing jobs back from China to America, we will lower emissions in the world.” (The Post and Courier)
- Santorum defended Mike Huckabee’s controversial comments on the Iran nuclear deal on Monday. “Iran is very clear that they want to destroy the state of Israel. . . . I don't know why, I'm a little shocked this is getting the kind of pushback that it is. It is clear that this is Iran's intent,” Santorum said. (Real Clear Politics)
Donald Trump
- Michael Cohen, special counsel to Donald Trump, apologized on Tuesday for stating in an interview with The Daily Beast, “You cannot rape your spouse,” while defending Trump against allegations he had sexually assaulted his ex-wife, Ivanka Trump. Cohen also allegedly threatened to sue The Daily Beast reporter and anyone affiliated with him if a story were published on the subject. A campaign staffer has tried to distance Trump from the story by saying, “Mr. Trump speaks for Mr. Trump and nobody but Mr. Trump speaks for him.” (CNN, The Daily Beast)
- According to Bloomberg, Trump’s personal wealth is closer to $2.9 billion than the $10 billion he claimed in financial disclosure statements submitted to the FEC. (Bloomberg)
- Trump has extended his criticism of politicians outside of the presidential race, slamming Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for withdrawing Boston from a bid to host the Olympics in 2024. Trump tweeted on Monday, “Boston's Mayor Walsh wasted a lot of time and money on going for the Olympics, and then he gave up. I don't want him negotiating for me!” (Boston.com)
Scott Walker
- Scott Walker accused Donald Trump of using Democratic talking points in his recent attack on Walker’s performance in Wisconsin. “I don't know where he's getting his facts from, other than the talking points of the state Democrats, but we've proven them time and time again to be wrong in elections," Walker said on Monday. (Bloomberg)
- Campaigning in Iowa on Tuesday, Walker criticized Hillary Clinton for devoting a significant amount of her time in the state meeting with union leaders. “Much of Clinton’s time was spent in meetings with union bosses. The fact that Clinton is shunning everyday Iowans in favor of big-labor special interests sends a clear message about where her true loyalties lie. For Iowans, my campaign offers a very different vision,” Walker said during his 99-county tour of the state. (Breitbart, The Des Moines Register)
- Walker responded to questions on Monday regarding an article his foreign policy advisor, Kevin Hermening, had written calling for the immediate deportation of all undocumented immigrants from the Middle East and a “massive military response” in the capitals of several Muslim countries after the September 11 terrorist attacks. “My policy is very clear, and it's not aligned with what he said in that particular column,” Walker said. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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
