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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - November 17, 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
Leading Stories
- U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) endorsed Ted Cruz on Monday. In a video statement, King said, “I want you to understand I’m committed. I’m all the way in supporting Ted Cruz for president and every day I work on trying to restore this American soul. And I’m going to ask you to do one thing on one day: February 1. Do your duty for God and country. Come to caucus and support Ted Cruz for president of the United States.” According to The Washington Post, King’s endorsement makes Cruz “very well positioned to win [Iowa] — or come very close — next February.” (The Washington Post)
- Donald Trump said on Monday that mosques in the U.S. should be surveilled for jihadist rhetoric. He added that he would not be opposed to closing mosques, saying, “I would hate to do it but it’s something that you’re going to have to strongly consider. Some of the absolute hatred is coming from these areas. … The hatred is incredible. It's embedded. The hatred is beyond belief. The hatred is greater than anybody understands.” (The New York Times, CNN)
- Poll: In a national survey of likely Republican voters conducted by YouGov and UMass Poll, Donald Trump maintains his lead with 31 percent support. Ben Carson and Ted Cruz follow with 22 percent and 13 percent, respectively. The poll also found that “Jeb Bush attracted the most opposition among Republicans.” Associate Director of UMass Poll Raymond La Raja said, “These are frightening numbers for Bush. More than half of registered primary voters said they would not be willing to vote for him under any scenario. No other top-tier candidate faces this wall of unconvinced voters. Bush may think his campaign treasury will help him outlast other candidates, but that strategy seems implausible if voters do not list him as their second or third choice.” (University of Massachusetts)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- After Hillary Clinton received criticism for making a connection between the September 11 terrorist attacks and her receipt of campaign contributions from Wall Street donors, her press secretary Brian Fallon defended her on a conference call with reporters on Monday. He said, “I think some of the commentary that has arisen … is just mistaken. To suggest that she of all people would politicize 9/11 is an outrageous notion.” (The Wall Street Journal)
- The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Clinton may “break away” from President Obama on national security issues following the Paris terrorist attacks. Dennis Ross, a former senior adviser to Obama and fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said, “Both when she was secretary of state and since, she has had a sense of focusing not just on the cost of action, but the cost of inaction. President Obama has been much more inclined to the cost of action versus the cost of inaction.” (The New York Times)
- Clinton’s campaign announced endorsements from more than 70 Maryland officials and political leaders on Tuesday, including the president of the state Senate, Thomas Mike Miller (D-Md.). (Baltimore Sun)
- Her campaign also launched its “Florida Leadership Council” on Monday. Among the Democratic party leaders are U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. (Miami Herald)
- U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) endorsed Clinton on Monday. “It’s time for progressives to take yes for an answer. Hillary Clinton is a progressive choice for this country. Many point to the symbolism of electing the first female president as an achievement in and of itself. But Secretary Clinton’s progressive credentials extend much deeper than symbolism,” Gallego wrote in a statement. (Phoenix New Times, Medium)
- In the transcript of Clinton’s roundtable with the American Federation of Teachers last week, Clinton stated her opposition to connecting teacher evaluation and pay to test outcomes. She also said that charter schools should be “supplementary, not a substitute” for excellent public schools. (Vox)
- In a court filing on Monday, the Associated Press (AP) criticized the Department of State’s proposed timeline for producing Clinton’s schedules during her time as secretary of state. The Associated Press argued, “Under State’s proposal, AP and the American public would have to wait four years for a full release of just these planning schedules, and much longer for a full release of all responsive records. Assuming 20 working days each month, State’s proposal would result in the review of only 20 pages a day. At that rate, one person working an eight- hour day would review one page every 24 minutes. Surely State can – and should – do better than that.” (Politico)
Martin O’Malley
- Martin O’Malley criticized Hillary Clinton for invoking the September 11 terrorist attacks to defend her Wall Street record at the second Democratic presidential debate. “I thought that moment, frankly, was pretty shameful. I don't believe that the people watching were applauding the notion that Secretary Clinton was pumping up the smoke screen and wrapping herself in the tragedy of 9/11. I don't think they saw that as something appropriate to do — to mask her coziness and her closeness to Wall Street and all of the architects of the crash of 2008,” said O’Malley on Monday. (CNN)
- O’Malley reasserted his belief that the U.S. should accept 65,000 Syrian refugees in an interview with The Des Moines Register on Monday. He said, “There are women, there are children dying. They are fleeing the same sort of carnage that was unleashed on the people of France and the violence that brought down [the Russian] airliner. I don't think it's too much to ask of us that we do our part here." (The Des Moines Register)
- Following the second Democratic presidential debate, O’Malley transferred several staffers from his campaign’s Baltimore headquarters to Iowa and other early voting states. “After the governor’s strong debate performance in Iowa on Saturday night, we’re shifting more resources and staff to Iowa and the other early states. We have always run a lean campaign and will continue to do so. We are pursuing matching funds and will compete vigorously for the nomination,” said O’Malley’s spokeswoman Haley Morris. (Politico)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders criticized Republican rhetoric on Islam and national security during a rally at Cleveland State University on Monday, saying, "I am disturbed by some of what I am hearing from my Republican colleagues. During these difficult times as Americans, we will not succumb to racism. We will not allow ourselves to be divided and succumb to Islamophobia. And while hundreds of thousands have lost everything, have nothing left but the shirts on their backs, we will not turn our backs on the refugees!" (CNN)
- During a speech at Simpson College in Iowa on Sunday, Sanders recommended Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia join the U.S. in fighting the Islamic state. He said, “We have different points of view ... but Russia has got to join us. We are concerned about Iran, but Iran has to join us. We have concerns about Saudi Arabia, but Saudi Arabia has to join us. If all over the world these attacks are taking place, the world has got to come together." (CNN)
- Sanders launched his Snapchat account on Monday. He tweeted, “What is this Snapshot thing and why do I only get ten seconds?” (USA Today)
Republicans
- On Monday, President Obama indirectly criticized Republican presidential candidates like Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz who have called for Syrian refugee assistance to be restricted to Christian Syrians. He said, “When I hear folks say that, ‘Maybe we should just admit the Christians but not the Muslims,’ when I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which person who’s fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted, when some of those folks themselves come from families who benefited from protection when they were fleeing political persecution, that’s shameful.” (The Hill)
- Joining George Pataki, John Kasich and Lindsey Graham have also requested “equal time” from NBC and its affiliates following Donald Trump’s hosting appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” Graham’s request specifically called for 12 minutes and 5 seconds from WHO-TV in Iowa. (Hollywood Reporter)
- RealClearPolitics has developed an interactive tool to explore how different delegate allocations in the Republican primaries could impact who the eventual GOP nominee is. The tool can be accessed here.
Jeb Bush
- Appearing on CBS’ “This Morning” on Monday, Jeb Bush criticized the release of five Yemeni men who had been detained as “enemy combatants” from Guantanamo Bay. He said he believed “that's the wrong approach. We are sending mixed signals rather than being clear and concise about this is a fight for Western civilization." (CBS News)
- In the same interview, Bush said there was a place for Russia in Syria if it stopped backing Syrian President Bashar Assad. "If Russia changes its tune and says we want to be part of a coalition to defeat ISIS and reach a settlement where Assad leaves, certainly we should talk to him, but it ought to be from a position of strength, not weakness. That's [sic] problem with our foreign policy right now; it's incredibly reactive, there is no leadership where people follow us, we are reacting to events,” said Bush. (CBS News)
- Bush argued in support of the National Security Agency (NSA) being granted the authority to collect information about Americans’ phone use, including phone numbers and the duration of calls. “I think we need to restore the metadata program, which was part of the Patriot Act. It expires in the next few months. I think that was a useful tool to keep us safe and also to protect civil liberties,” he said on Monday morning in an interview on MSNBC. (The Hill)
- U.S. Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.) endorsed Bush last week. “Jeb’s record in Florida proves he’s a man of his word, a true conservative reformer who can change Washington and fix the big things that are broken with our federal government. I’m all in for Jeb, and think he would make a terrific Commander-in-Chief,” Messer said. (The Hill)
- At a closed-door fundraiser in Dallas on Monday night, Bush predicted, “Come December 15, [Donald] Trump will be in decline.” His response came after a man in attendance questioned why he had not more aggressively attacked Trump in the debate. Bush also criticized the Republican field for not having electable positions on immigration. He said, “Every other candidate, maybe with the exception of [Ohio Gov.] John Kasich is in the witness protection program, because they sense the anger and they're worried about it. So they pull back rather than persuade. I'm not going to do that. I have to be elected on my own terms. The only way you get elected is to be authentic and genuine. And I think immigration done right is a huge driver for our success ultimately as a nation. It's what makes us different in so many ways." (The Washington Post)
Ben Carson
- In opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States, Ben Carson requested on Monday that Congress “defund all the programs that allow these people to be brought here — immediately, today.” In his official statement, Carson said, “We should do everything in our power to help these men, women, and children who have been forced to flee their country, but until we can sort out the bad guys, we must not be foolish. I call for increased aid to the refugees. We can and should do more to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. We must also protect them from being attacked by implementing immediately no fly zone over these camps.” (NBC News, Facebook)
- When asked how many soldiers he would deploy to the Middle East in a Q&A on Facebook on Monday, Carson wrote, “I don’t want to send any but this is not a want – it is a need. Now brace yourself because I am about to answer a question that most politicians could never bring themselves to say…I don’t know exactly how many. Tom, here is what I will do. I will meet with the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff, conveying to them my mission. I will ask them the best way to accomplish that mission. They would then come back to me with a list of resources they need. So Tom, the correct answer is not one fewer soldier than what the best and brightest military minds think is necessary. For far too long, we have had a leader that second guesses his commanders. I won’t do that. They will have my full support, not my Monday morning quarterbacking.” (Facebook)
Chris Christie
- Chris Christie said on Monday he opposed closing Guantanamo Bay in an interview with The Washington Post. “I was never in favor of closing Gitmo. We don’t need to make it much more complicated to defend the homeland,” he said. (The Washington Post)
- In the same interview, Christie said he did not understand why the Obama administration was waiting to see if France would invoke Article 5 of NATO before acting. He said, “It is stunning that America is waiting for the French to act. After a clear act of aggression, the administration is saying, ‘Let’s wait to see what France will do.’ … Lead from behind. Do nothing. The one time the president was honest was when he said he had no strategy. He doesn’t. He wants to run out the clock with no further entanglements.” (The Washington Post)
- On Monday, Christie stated his opposition to New Jersey issuing driver’s licenses to residents who could not verify that they lived the U.S. legally. “I am disturbed by the Legislature even considering making undocumented individuals eligible for New Jersey driver’s licenses. As a former United States Attorney, I know that the driver’s license is the single most important piece of homeland security information. Yet the Legislature proposes giving that to people with no definitive proof of their identity,” said Christie in a statement. (CBS New York)
- When asked for his position on Syrian refugee settlement on Monday, Christie said, “I do not trust this administration to effectively vet the people who are supposed to be coming in in order to protect the safety and security of the American people, so I would not permit them in.” Christie was then asked if that extended to “orphans under the age of five.” He responded, “The fact is, that we need for appropriate vetting and I don’t think orphans under five should be admitted into the United States at this point. They have no family here. How are we going to care for these folks?” (NJ.com, Breitbart)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz said over the weekend that Christians pose “no meaningful risk of” terrorism. He added, “ If there were a group of radical Christians pledging to murder anyone who had a different religious view than they, we would have a different national security situation. But it is precisely the Obama administration’s unwillingness to recognize that or ask those questions that makes them so unable to fight this enemy. Because they pretend as if there is no religious aspect to this.” (The Washington Post)
- In an interview set to air on CNN on Tuesday, Cruz said he intended to introduce a bill to prevent Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. The details of the bill have not yet been released. (Business Insider)
Lindsey Graham
- Lindsey Graham reiterated his belief on Monday that a “surge” in Syria is necessary to combat the Islamic State. He said in an interview on CNN, “Walking faster in the wrong direction is not redoubling your efforts. It’s just going the wrong way. … In World War II, we went to Tokyo, we went to Berlin. We should go as an international force, led by the region, the Arabs and Turkey, to destroy ISIL. If we don’t change our strategy and come up with a ground component, there will be another 9/11.” (Washington Times, CNN)
- Graham said last week he would “reassess” his presidential campaign if he did not succeed in New Hampshire. He explained, “I am doing it the New Hampshire way. But if I don’t move my numbers, if I can’t get traction in New Hampshire, I’ll have to reassess. But breaking through in New Hampshire makes me, the odds on favorite in South Carolina then I am in the final four, and I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. You know, you’ve been a long shot all your life, and it’s all about staying in there and hoping that you can connect with people, and that’s what I’m going to do.” (BuzzFeed)
Mike Huckabee
- Mike Huckabee released a statement on Monday criticizing the Obama administration for not taking more aggressive action against ISIL following the Paris terrorist attacks. “It's embarrassing when a left-wing socialist French President shows strength and determination to eradicate animals who are slaughtering innocent civilians while our President lectures us on the moral necessity to open our borders to tens of thousands of un-vetted people from the Middle East. France has closed its borders and all President Obama wants to do is close Gitmo,” Huckabee said. (Politico)
- In the same statement, Huckabee called on Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to prevent the U.S. from accepting Syrian refugees without strict screening measures. He said, “If Ryan will not lead and reject the importation of those fleeing the Middle East without assurances that we can separate refugees from terrorists, then Speaker Ryan needs to step down today and let someone else lead.” (Politico)
Bobby Jindal
- On Monday, Bobby Jindal issued an executive order to block Syrian refugees from being relocated to Louisiana. The order stated “the State of Louisiana has been denied critical information by the federal government regarding Syrian refugees already relocated into this state, creating an untenable situation” and that “it is foreseeable that the introduction of Syrian refugees into the United States without proper prior screening and follow-up monitoring could result in a threat to the citizens and property of this State.” (NOLA.com, Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal)
John Kasich
- John Kasich said on Monday morning he opposed the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Ohio. His spokesman Jim Lynch explained, “The governor doesn’t believe the U.S. should accept additional Syrian refugees because security and safety issues cannot be adequately addressed. The governor is writing to the President to ask him to stop, and to ask him to stop resettling them in Ohio. We are also looking at what additional steps Ohio can take to stop resettlement of these refugees.” (Cincinnati.com)
- Although Kasich vetoed an $84 million bill to reimburse Ohio school districts “for a now-defunct tax on inventory and machinery” in June, he signed into law on Monday a law providing $44 million to schools across the state. (Cincinnati.com)
George Pataki
- On Monday, George Pataki accused President Obama of “look[ing] the other way” on the growing threat of ISIS. “He refers to people who disagree with his strategy as ‘playing political games.' That is nonsense. I strongly believe – and it’s not because of a political game – that we cannot allow terrorists to train, recruit, organize and plan more Paris-like attacks. We have got to attack them there,” Pataki said. (The Hill)
Rand Paul
- Rand Paul introduced a bill on Monday to institute a 30-day waiting period on visas for refugees from Syria and 30 other countries until a strict background check had been performed. "It's about time, and Paris should wake us up that we can't just let anyone come to this country. Forty percent of immigration issues in our country are from visa overstays, and for those visiting us from countries that have large jihadist movements, this will be a bone of contention,” Paul said in a press conference. (The Washington Post)
- Speaking at a “Students for Rand” event at the University of Minnesota on Monday, Paul continued his criticism of Bernie Sanders’ democratic socialist ideas. He said, “People say: ‘Oh, you’re saying that Bernie Sanders is Pol Pot.’ No, I’m saying that he’s embracing the same philosophy of socialism that lead ultimately to the extermination of people. … Government was instituted among men to protect your rights, not to create rights. So you don’t have a right to a chair, you don’t have a right to shoes, you don’t have a right to pants, you don’t have a right to health care, you don’t have a right to water — you have a right to be free. And then you have a right to pursue happiness, but nobody guarantees you happiness.” (BuzzFeed)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio criticized Ted Cruz and Rand Paul for their opposition to intelligence-gathering programs on Monday. He said, "I think it's a distinctive issue of debate in the presidential race. At least two of my colleagues in the Senate aspiring to the presidency, Senator Cruz in particular, have voted to weaken the U.S. intelligence programs, just in the last month and a half. And the weakening of our intelligence gathering capabilities leaves America vulnerable." (The Washington Post)
Rick Santorum
- In a radio interview on Monday, Rick Santorum questioned the wisdom of accepting either Christian or Muslim refugees. “Why are we taking them out of the region? When we do that, and relocate them in America, they’ll never go back into the Middle East. What will that accomplish? It will accomplish everything ISIS sets out to accomplish. When we relocate Christians into the United States, we accomplish want [sic] ISIS wants, which is to rid the Middle East of Christians. When we relocate moderate Muslims into the United States, we accomplish exactly what ISIS wants, we take out those who would oppose ISIS out of the region and we relocate them here. So, by bringing them here to this country, instead of relocating them in the region, where they will return and, hopefully, provide a more stable long term future for that area, we are now making the job harder to defeat radical Islam,” Santorum said. (CBS Philly)
Donald Trump
- At a rally in Tennessee, Donald Trump said a “big swatch of land” should be purchased in Syria to create a “big beautiful safe zone” for refugees where they ”can live, and they'll be happier." He also suggested needing to learn a foreign language and adjusting to unfamiliar climates would make the transition for refugees difficult. “I mean they're gonna learn German, they're gonna learn all these different languages. It's ridiculous. The weather — a friend of mine lives in Minnesota. And he calls me, he says 'Can you imagine? It's 130 degrees in Syria and now they want to send some up to Minnesota where its [sic] 30 degrees.' Well, these people are gonna be very, very unhappy. It's cold and beautiful, but it's cold,” Trump said.
- Trump also criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for permitting Syrian refugees to settle in Germany. “As far as Merkel's concerned, she ought to be ashamed of herself, what she's done. … She blew it, when she allowed this to happen, this migration,” Trump said. (CNN)
- Although Trump described Ted Cruz as “nice and supportive” on Monday, he warned, “If he catches on, I guess we’ll have to go to war.” (CNBC)
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
