Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - March 22, 2019

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March 22, 2019

Some Democratic candidates plan to skip AIPAC   March 22, 2019: The O’Rourke campaign is hiring Jen O'Malley Dillon, who worked on Obama’s re-election campaign. At least five Democratic candidates have said they would not attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual conference next week. Share the latest from the campaign trail.         Notable Quote of the Day “The headlines made by Warren, 69, and O'Rourke, 46, this week highlight a choice that has been particularly vexing for the Democratic Party: whether to go big on policy or personality. But the choice in the 2020 primary has taken on a new dimension, as party voters measure the candidates not so much against one another but against President Donald Trump.” —Caitlin Huey-Burns, political reporter for CBS News Democrats Cory Booker received his first endorsement from a lawmaker in South Carolina,State Rep. John King (D-49). John Delaney criticized the DNC’s decision not to allow Fox News to host a Democratic primary debate. He told radio host Hugh Hewitt, “I think we have to talk to everyone. And in many ways, we have a much bigger obligation to talk to those who we don't agree with on things, right?" Kirsten Gillibrand made two campaign appearances in Las Vegas, attending a roundtable at UNLV’s Immigration Clinic and giving a speech in downtown. She talked about working with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the past and told attendees that she could work to unite a divided country. Kamala Harris hired Shelby Cole as her digital fundraising director. Cole was Beto O’Rourke’s top digital aide during his 2018 Senate campaign. Harris spoke at the Alpha Kappa Alpha 90th Far Western Regional Conference in Los Angeles. Harris joined the sorority while she was a student at Brown University. CNN reported that Beto O’Rourke would hire Jen O'Malley Dillon as campaign manager. O'Malley Dillon worked as deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama in 2012 and according to CNN is "seen as one of the party's sharpest data experts." Bernie Sanders announced that his campaign would offset all of its carbon emissions, similar to a promise the candidate made in 2016. The Democratic Socialists of America officially endorsed Sanders following a vote of the National Political Committee. This came amidst calls from some wings of the party to withhold the endorsement because of Sanders’ stance on reparations. Elizabeth Warren gave a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire, where she discussed healthcare, government lobbying, unions, and her proposed two percent tax on household assets larger than $50 million. Marianne Williamson appeared on WMUR’s “Conversation with the Candidate.” Click here to see a video of her appearance. Andrew Yang spoke with Dan Primack of Axios about his plans for a universal basic income. He specified that his proposal, which he is calling a freedom dividend, would provide every adult American with $1,000 per month. Five Democratic candidates announced they would not attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual conference next week. Gillibrand, Harris, O’Rourke, Sanders, and Warren made the announcement after calls from MoveOn to not attend the conference. Juana Summers and Elana Schor of The Associated Press said the move “can demonstrate their progressive bona fides in an increasingly crowded 2020 field.” Republicans Bill Weld announced a five-day tour of New Hampshire next week, including a meeting with Gov. Chris Sununu and a press conference with New Hampshire Republican National Committeeman Steve Duprey.   On the Cusp: Tracking Potential Candidates The Detroit Regional Chamber announced that John Kasich would be the keynote speaker at this year’s Mackinac Policy Conference. His speech is scheduled for May 30. Howard Schultz began a multi-day tour of Colorado, with stops scheduled for Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder. His event in Denver was titled “town hall on governing from the center.” Eric Swalwell told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson that he “sees all green lights right now” when asked if he was running in 2020, but also reiterated he would make a decision at the end of the month. What We’re Reading FiveThirtyEight: We’re Keeping An Eye On Wayne Messam (The Florida Mayor Running For President) Politico: How Trump is on track for a 2020 landslide The Washington Post:  A simple taxonomy of 2020 Democrats Flashback: March 22, 2015 Politico published an article titled “Jeb’s Talk Radio Problem,” which discussed criticisms levied by conservative talk radio hosts at potential candidate Jeb Bush (R). Michael Kruse said that “[p]eople think he’s too moderate in part because Limbaugh and the Limbaugh-like are saying he is,” and outlined some of Limbaugh’s history with the Bush family dating back to George H.W. Bush’s presidential campaigns.