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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - November 9, 2015
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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
- Tuesday’s Fox Business GOP debate moderators, Neil Cavuto, Maria Bartiromo and Gerard Baker said that the questions will focus on economic issues. Fox Business’ Cavuto added, "We are a business network. We really don't focus on the red or the blue. We are just green. Money in and money out." According to Reuters, “The contenders will have more time for responses at the two-hour debate in Milwaukee - 90 seconds to answer questions and 60 seconds to respond if their name comes up, longer than the traditional 60-second answers and 30-second responses.” (Reuters)
- During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Ben Carson said that the media scrutiny he has faced recently is much more intense than the scrutiny President Obama faced over his birth certificate. He said that media is trying to take him down because he is a threat to Hillary Clinton. He said, “I’m a very big threat because you know they can look at the polling data, they can tell that I’m the candidate who’s most likely to beat Hillary Clinton. They see that and they worry.” (The Hill)
- According to The Hill, “Journalists have been unable to substantiate several of Carson’s claims, such as that he attempted to stab someone when he was 14 and that he was offered a full scholarship to West Point.” Carson added that the allegations helped him raise $3.5 million last week. He said, “The people are seeing through exactly what’s going on, and they’re getting fired up. It’s almost an us versus them thing.” (The Hill)
Democrats
- According to NPR, “Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley jabbed at Clinton during their interviews with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow at Winthrop Unversity, [sic] criticizing her environmental positions, her coziness with Wall Street and more.” (NPR)
Hillary Clinton
- During a town hall meeting on Saturday, Hillary Clinton expressed her support for public schools and discussed the role of charter schools. She said, “I have for many years now, about 30 years, supported the idea of charter schools, but not as a substitute for the public schools, but as a supplement for the public schools. And what I have worked on through my work with the Children’s Defense Fund and my work on education in Arkansas and through my time as first lady and senator is to continue to say charter schools can have a purpose, but you know there are good charter schools and there are bad charter schools, just like there are good public schools and bad public schools. But the original idea, Roland, behind charter schools was to learn what worked and then apply them in the public schools. And here’s a couple of problems. Most charter schools — I don’t want to say every one — but most charter schools, they don’t take the hardest-to-teach kids, or, if they do, they don’t keep them. And so the public schools are often in a no-win situation, because they do, thankfully, take everybody, and then they don’t get the resources or the help and support that they need to be able to take care of every child’s education. So I want parents to be able to exercise choice within the public school system — not outside of it — but within it because I am still a firm believer that the public school system is one of the real pillars of our democracy and it is a path for opportunity.” (Washington Post)
- On Saturday, Clinton said she would like to wait and see how Colorado and Washington handle the legalization of marijuana before developing a national marijuana policy. She also said, “What I do want is for us to support research into medical marijuana because a lot more states have passed medical marijuana than have legalized marijuana so we have got two different experiences or even experiments going on right now.” (The Guardian)
- On Friday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow asked Clinton if she is “too close to Wall Street interests to be trusted to reel them in when they need to be reeled in?” Clinton replied, “[A]nybody who thinks that they can influence what I will do doesn't know me very well. And they can actually look and see what I have said and done throughout my career. Take Wall Street, for example -- I went to Wall Street. I went to the NASDAQ in December of 2007 and basically said, you guys have got to stop it, what you are doing is not only a disaster for homeowners because of the mortgage foreclosures and the way that they had manipulated the mortgage market, but it's going to have dire consequences for our country. I also was one of the very first to stand up and say, we need to end the special tax benefits that go to hedge funds, something called the carried interest loophole.” (Real Clear Politics)
Martin O’Malley
- During Friday night's South Carolina Democratic forum, Martin O’Malley questioned Bernie Sanders’ and Hillary Clinton’s loyalty to the Democratic Party. He said, "I think that when President Obama was running for re-election, I was glad to step up and work very hard for him, while Sen. Sanders was trying to find someone to primary him. I am a Democrat. I'm a lifelong Democrat. I'm not a former independent. I'm not a former Republican. I believe in the party of Franklin Roosevelt, the party of John F. Kennedy. I believe that we're all in this together and we can make a better future. And that's why I'm running for our party's nomination. And I've never once rejected the nomination of the Democratic Party. Nor will I this time." (NPR)
- On Sunday, Sanders responded to O’Malley’s claim, stating that it is “categorically false.” He said, "I worked very hard to see Barack Obama elected. I think under incredible Republican obstructionism, Obama and Joe Biden have moved this country forward in a way that leaves us a hell of a lot better than we were when [former President George W.] Bush left office." (ABC News)
- On Friday night, after the Democratic candidate forum, O’Malley criticized Clinton’s stance on the death penalty. He said, "Tonight one of the more revealing questions was the triangulation and the process-driven answer that Secretary Clinton gave on the death penalty. I repealed the death penalty… for two reasons: It's not a deterrent and it has been unfairly administered throughout its history in the U.S." O’Malley also criticized Sanders and Clinton for their economic policies, saying, “I believe that our country's come along way since the crash of 2008, but I understand there's still urgent work that needs to be done. I don't think the answer to this problem is socialism. And I don't think the answer to this problem is to declare all republicans our enemies. I believe American capitalism can actually work.” (Washington Examiner)
Bernie Sanders
- When asked what he of thought of Ben Carson allegedly embellishing his background, Bernie Sanders said, “You know what’s more important to me about Ben Carson, and I think what’s more important to the American people? Ben Carson, as I understand it, wants to abolish Medicare. How’s that? … So you’ve got millions of old people whose entire health-care existence rests on Medicare. He wants to get rid of it. That’s of some significance to me. Ben Carson, as I understand it, does not believe in climate change, an issue of some significance because the future of the planet depends on it. Ben Carson wants to give huge tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country. So if I have the opportunity to run against Dr. Carson, those are some of the issues that I will be raising, and I think we will win that election hands down. Now I know the media is very concerned about what happened in people’s lives 30, 40, 50 years ago. But frankly for the American people, what is more important is to understand what his absurd views are on the major issues facing our country.” (Washington Post)
- On Friday night during the Democratic forum, Sanders criticized Hillary Clinton for not opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline immediately, as he did. He said, "Now to me, as opposed to maybe some other unnamed candidates, the issue of Keystone was kind of a no-brainer. So I said no to the Keystone on day one." Sanders also criticized Clinton’s stance on campaign finance reform. He said, "Now, I have many disagreements with Hillary Clinton. And one of them is that I don't think it's good enough just to talk the talk on campaign finance reform. You've got to walk the walk.” (NPR)
- Sanders also discussed his opposition to President Obama's decision “to deploy special operation forces to Syria to help battle ISIS. Pointing out he had opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, unlike Clinton, the Vermont senator said he did ‘not want to see us get in — sucked into a quagmire of which there may be no end,’” according to NPR. (NPR)
- After Sanders said, "I disagree with Hillary Clinton on virtually everything” earlier in the week, he clarified his statement on Sunday. He said, "Yes, we do agree on a number of issues, and by the way, on her worst day, Hillary Clinton will be an infinitely better candidate and president than the Republican candidate on his best day. But having said that, we have very significant differences, and the key difference is I see a nation in which we have a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality. So do I agree with Hillary Clinton on this or that issue? Of course I do. But I think on issues, for example, like Wall Street -- you know, I believe that these guys who drove our economy into the ground, destroyed so many lives. I think that at the end of the day, what we have to do is re-establish Glass-Steagall, we have to break up these huge financial institutions. That is not Hillary Clinton’s position at all. You know, I was there on the [Trans-Pacific Partnership] from way back, that was -- Hillary Clinton took a little while to get there." (Huffington Post)
Republicans
Jeb Bush
- On Saturday, Jeb Bush said he is confident that he will win the GOP nomination. He said, "At the end of the day, places like New Hampshire make up their mind based on who they want to see as the party's nominee to president of the United States. Not to prey on their fears. Not to fulfill their angst. And when we get to that decision point, I feel pretty good about my chances, to be honest with you." (CNN)
Ben Carson
- During an interview on Sunday, Ben Carson said that “‘there’s no question’ that he is being targeted by ‘biased media,’” according to The Hill. He continued, “People are seeing through exactly what's going on, and they're getting fired up. It's almost an us versus them thing. Every place I go, you know, I go to a book signing, there's a thousand people in line [who say] ‘please don't let them get to you.’ ‘Don't give up.’ ‘We got your back.’ ‘We know what's going on.’ ‘We believe you.’” Carson also noted that his campaign raised $3.5 million last week, which he believes is because of the media coverage questioning his background. On Saturday he tweeted: “We the People have made 10,000 donations each day this week, raising $3.5M this week alone. Thank you biased media.” (The Hill, The Hill)
- On Sunday, Carson discussed the roots of drug addiction. He said, "Usually addictions occur in people who are vulnerable, who are lacking something in their lives. We have to really start asking ourselves, what have we taken out of our lives in America? What are some of those values and principles that allowed us to ascend the ladder of success so rapidly to the very pinnacle of the world and the highest pinnacle anyone else had ever reached, and why are we in the process of throwing away all of our values and principles for the sake of political correctness?" (Bloomberg)
Chris Christie
- On Saturday, Chris Christie said that the way society approaches drug addiction needs to change. He said, “It’s easy, in my opinion, to be pro-life when they’re in the womb. We gotta be pro-life beyond that first nine months. If we’re pro-life, we got to be pro-life for the whole life. I’m pro-life for the 16-year-old teenage girl who’s lying on the floor of the county lock-up addicted to heroin. Her life is just as precious and just as much a gift from God as the life in the womb. ...I’d say that the last 30 years, the last 35 years, of the ‘war on drugs’ has been a failure. It was well-intentioned, well-intentioned. Nancy Reagan saying, ‘just say no,’ — well-intentioned. Us incarcerating people over and over again — well-intentioned. We didn’t understand what we understand now — this is a disease. It’s an addiction, it’s a disease and it needs to be treated.” (The Blaze)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz “proposed a bill to force the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as what it actually is: a terrorist organization,” according to National Review. Cruz said, the legislation “is part of a larger effort to expose the various radical elements that are trying, both at home and abroad, to undermine our very way of life.” (National Review)
- While speaking at the National Religious Liberties Conference on Friday, Cruz said, “Any president that doesn't start the day on his knees isn't fit to be commander in chief." (CBS News)
Carly Fiorina
- When discussing “her lack of a concrete policy proposals” during an interview on Sunday, Carly Fiorina said, “How often do politicians put out detailed plans? How often do they get enacted? Never. Anybody can write a plan, anybody can put a plan on a website. It’s another thing to say, ‘You know what I think we need to do?’ and say it over and over again in public.” (The Hill)
- On Sunday, Fiorina defended Ben Carson’s character after Politico and CNN questioned the truth of stories about his background. She said, "I know Ben Carson. He's a good man. ...I'm out here on the trail all day long, and I just don't get asked questions about, you know, hammers and stabbings and West Point and Westmoreland. I get asked questions about what do we do now that we think [the Islamic State] shot a plane out of the sky, or exploded a plane, and what do we do to put people back to work. So I think voters are focused on the issues that matter to them." (Washington Examiner)
- On Friday, a man called President Obama a “black Muslim.” Fiorina did not correct the man, and when asked why she did not correct him, she said it was not her job to defend Obama. She added, “I’ve said on many occasions: President Obama tells me he’s a Christian; I take him at his word. But the truth is, President Obama isn’t on the ballot.” (The Hill)
Jim Gilmore
- In an interview on Saturday, Jim Gilmore, an Army veteran, said that he is the best candidate for veterans because of his experience serving the country. He said, "The fact that I have actually been in uniform, stationed overseas. I'm one of the two veterans in the race ... I have empathy and understanding of veterans that I think other candidates — there's no reason for them to have it. I have actual experience. And from a managerial standpoint, we have to get things done. We have to understand that we have to make it a priority." Gilmore also said that as president he would reform the Veterans Affairs Department and address post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide by putting qualified people in the many psychology positions in the VA that are currently vacant. (Washington Examiner)
Lindsey Graham
- Lindsey Graham defended Ben Carson after CNN and Politico questioned the truth of stories from Carson’s past. On Saturday, Graham said, “It's one hell of a story by any standard -- where he came from, what he's achieved in his life. I think the purpose of the story is to say that 'I was going down the wrong path and it was my faith, my belief in God, that turned me around.’” (CNN)
- In the same interview, Graham criticized the GOP candidates who have complained about the questions asked by debate moderators. He said, "If you're gonna take on Putin, you're gonna take on ISIL, you need to be ready to answer hard questions. At the end of the day, you can't complain about being challenged for the office of president of the United States when people are challenging what you said. Now, you can push back when people are lying about what you did, or (are) putting in a bad light that's unfair.” (CNN)
Mike Huckabee
- On Friday, while speaking at the National Religious Liberties Conference, Mike Huckabee discussed the importance of protecting religious liberty. He said, "We should protect the rights of an atheist, to believe that there is no God, as much as we should protect the rights that I have to believe that Jesus Christ is God.” (CBS News)
Bobby Jindal
- On Sunday, Bobby Jindal challenged Ted Cruz to a debate on healthcare. He said, "I just think anybody running for president should have the courage, should have the smarts to tell us what they're actually going to do. He said he's willing to debate anybody, anywhere...well let's debate on healthcare, let's debate about Obamacare. We'll both be in Milwaukee on Tuesday. It'd be a great chance for him to finally tell the American people how is he actually going to get rid of Obamacare.” (KTIV News 4)
- On Friday, at the National Religious Liberties Conference, Jindal discussed same-sex marriage, saying, “No Earthly court can change the definition of marriage, no federal government, no ACLU should be able to take away our religious liberty rights. We were given those by God almighty.” (Radio Iowa)
John Kasich
- John Kasich discussed drug policy on Friday with Stephen Colbert. He said, “We have a huge drug crisis in this country. ...We don't even want serious drug addicts to be locked in prison for the rest of their life. We treat them, and we pass them off to the community. The problem with marijuana is this: We don't want to tell our kids, 'Don't do drugs, but by the way, this drug's OK.'" Kasich also commented on medical marijuana. He said, "Now, when it comes to medical marijuana, if the experts come back and say we need this for people who have seizures, I'm for that." (CBS News)
George Pataki
- On Sunday, George Pataki released a statement expressing his disappointment about not being invited to the Fox Business GOP debate because of his low poll numbers. Pataki said he was “very disappointed tonight that early national polls are shaping the election choices for the American people. This new trend is a danger to our primary system, a disservice to voters everywhere, especially those in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and a clear boost for the worship of celebrity over accomplishment and ideas.” (Fox 17)
Rand Paul
- On Sunday, Rand Paul called Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio "neoconservatives.” He said, "They both wanted a no-fly zone. They both have supported activity in Libya -- the war in Libya that toppled Gadhafi, an intervention that made us less safe. They both have supported pouring arms into the Syrian civil war, a mistake that I think allowed ISIS to grow stronger. And they both have supported the Iraq War. So I mean, what's the difference?” He also criticized Clinton and Rubio for supporting intervention in Libya. He said, “I fault Hillary Clinton. I fault President Obama. But I also fault the neoconservatives within my party like Rubio who have been eager for war in Libya, in Syria, in Iraq, and they want a no-fly zone in an airspace where Russia is already flying. It's a foolhardy notion, and people really -- this is the kind of stepping it up to a debate over who would best be commander in chief that we really need in our country." (CNN, The Hill)
Marco Rubio
- On Saturday, Marco Rubio released his American Express credit card statements from January 2005 to October 2006. Rubio has recently been criticized for using a credit card issued by the Republican Party of Florida for personal spending while serving in the Florida legislature. The statements “show Rubio spent almost $65,000 with the card, which was supposed to be used for party-related business. It included what his campaign acknowledged was more than $7,200 for eight personal expenditures. Rubio paid American Express directly for those personal charges, the campaign said in a statement,” according to CBS News. (CBS News, The Wall Street Journal)
- Rubio commented on the credit card controversy, saying, “I just wouldn't have done any personal things on it because I would have avoided all of that confusion that it's created in the minds of some. It was just an issue that was contorted by my political opponents in 2010. It didn't work then and it won't work now." (CBS News)
- On Sunday, Rubio dismissed a comparison between himself and President Obama as “inexperienced junior senator[s].” He said, “I would remind people that Barack Obama didn’t fail because he was a senator. He now has seven years of presidential experience, and his policies are more disastrous today than when he started. He’s failed because his ideas don’t work. Big government, taking on and undermining free enterprise, expanding the reach of government into our economy — it’s been a disaster. Record numbers of people on public assistance, record numbers of people have left the labor force, an economy that’s growing at an anemic pace, wages are barely grows and certainly not in comparison with the new cost that Americans have to absorb. Global confidence in America’s long-term economic outlook continues to decline, our industries are less competitive globally than they once were. These are disasters, and they’re a direct result of a failed ideology on behalf of Barack Obama, not the fact that he was a U.S. senator.” (Washington Times)
- On Sunday, Rubio argued that cutting defense spending is “unsustainable, dangerous and reckless.” He said, “We need to get back to funding our defenses because it is the most important thing the federal government does. ...Defense spending is not the reason why we have a debt. It’s not the driver of our national debt. Our national debt, especially long-term, is driven by mandatory spending programs that need to be reformed.” Rubio also commented on Vladimir Putin saying, “He’s a gangster, but he’s a rational, cost-benefit analysis guy. He makes decisions based on geopolitical realities, and in the case of Europe, the benefits of what he’s doing in Europe outweigh the costs that Russia now is bearing militarily as a result.” (The Hill)
Rick Santorum
- On Monday, Rick Santorum “is scheduled to offer the keynote address for the Ottawa County Reagan Day Dinner,” according to Fox 17 News. (Fox 17 News)
Donald Trump
- During an interview on Sunday, Donald Trump said he would fight ISIS by cutting off the revenue they bring in from oil. He said, “I’m looking to take the oil. I want to take the oil. I want the oil. We have to stop the source of money, and the source of money is oil.” (The Hill)
- Trump commented on the allegations that Ben Carson exaggerated parts of his life story during an interview on Sunday. Trump said, "I feel badly for Ben, I've gotten to like Ben, it's a tough thing.” He said that Carson will “have to explain a lot of things away: the scholarship situation, the dinner with (General William) Westmoreland when Westmoreland wasn't there." (NBC News)
- On Saturday night, Donald Trump hosted “Saturday Night Live.” The show received its highest ratings since 2012. (Entertainment Weekly)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- A letter to the editor that appeared in Sunday’s Des Moines Register discussed Jill Stein’s stance on giving military assistance to Israel. In 2012, Stein stated she "would not be funding weapons used in the massacre of Gaza. We need to start raising the bar for Israel and holding them to an equal standard for supporting human rights and international law and ending the occupations, illegal settlements and apartheid." (The Des Moines Register)
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
