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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - September 1, 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
- According to a new Public Policy Polling national survey to be released on Tuesday, Donald Trump leads the Republican field with 29 percent. Ben Carson, Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina follow with 15 percent, 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively. (MSNBC)
- Donald Trump released a video criticizing Jeb Bush for his stance on immigration on Monday. In the clip posted on Trump's Instagram account, Bush says of undocumented immigrants, “Yes, they broke the law, but it's not a felony. It’s an act of love." Images of three undocumented immigrants charged with murder this year play before the words – “Forget love. It’s time to get tough!” – flash across the screen. (The Huffington Post)
- According to the Associated Press on Monday, experts in government secrecy law believe there is little chance criminal charges will be filed against Clinton for her use of a private email server. “Clinton's critics have focused on the unusual, home-brew email server Clinton used while in office and suggested that she should have known that secrets were improperly coursing through an unsecure system, leaving them easily hackable for foreign intelligence agencies. But to prove a crime, the government would have to demonstrate that Clinton or aides knew they were mishandling the information — not that she should have known. A case would be possible if material emerges that is so sensitive Clinton must have known it was highly classified, whether marked or not. … But no such email has surfaced,” the AP noted. (The Associated Press)
Democrats
- Thousands have signed a Change.org petition created by supporters of Bernie Sanders calling on the Democratic National Committee to increase the number of sanctioned Democratic primary debates. “If the candidates are not allowed to debate more than 6 times, we do not believe that voters will have ample opportunity to see a clear picture of where each of the candidates stands on the issues facing this nation. There are too many important issues to cover in only 6 debates. Further, many Sanders supporters believe that Hillary Clinton has already been chosen as the Democratic party nominee before the debates have even begun. They feel that she is being given an unfair advantage,” the petition reads. (Change.org)
- With seven days left to fundraise $1 million before he potentially declares his presidential bid, Larry Lessig has raised more than $700,000. (Larry Lessig for President)
Joe Biden
- A spokesman for Joe Biden, Stephen Spector, responded to research by International Business Times finding U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Biden’s commitment to protecting the middle class and women in the early 2000s. Spector said, “Throughout his career, the vice president has been a champion for middle-class families and has fought against powerful interests. As a senator, he succeeded in making the bipartisan bankruptcy bill fairer by demanding protections to help low-income workers, veterans, members of the military, women and children – despite opposition from the largest employer in his state." (International Business Times)
Lincoln Chafee
- At the Unite Iowa Immigration Forum over the weekend, Lincoln Chafee called marijuana legalization in Uruguay and some U.S. states “interesting, positive experiments.” He also noted that corruption and violence arising from the illegal drug trade should be addressed through international cooperation. (Marijuana.com, YouTube)
Hillary Clinton
- Anne Tompkins, the former U.S. attorney who prosecuted Gen. David Petraeus, wrote an op-ed in USA Today stating Hillary Clinton did not commit a crime by using a private email server while secretary of state and differentiating Clinton’s case from Petraeus’. “The key element that distinguishes Secretary Clinton’s email retention practices from Petraeus’ sharing of classified information is that Petraeus knowingly engaged in unlawful conduct, and that was the basis of his criminal liability,” Tompkins stated. (USA Today)
- Clinton is scheduled to give a speech on September 9 promoting the Iran nuclear deal. On the same day, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump will hold a rally in opposition to the agreement. (CBS News)
Martin O’Malley
- Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan commented on Martin O’Malley’s potential ethics inquiry involving his purchase of heavily discounted furniture from the governor’s mansion. "If they call that expensive, beautiful, barely used furniture 'junk', I'd hate to hear what they call the 20 year old stuff I brought with me from my house to replace it all. And if it was so bad and ready to be 'thrown out,' why would you try so hard to take it all with you to your new house?" Hogan asked in a Facebook post on Monday. (The Baltimore Sun)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders rejected a comparison to Donald Trump on Monday, saying, “No, I don't accept that for one moment. We are not engaged here in demagoguery. We're not engaged here in racist attacks, outrageous attacks against Mexicans. What we are trying to do is talk about the reality facing the American people." (Politico)
- Sanders’ campaign confirmed to ABC News on Monday that Sanders filed for conscious objector status during the Vietnam War. The confirmation followed a column in The Des Moines Register where the author, Steve Wikert, asked, “My question as a Vietnam veteran is: How on earth could a person claiming to be a conscientious objector become the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the world?" (ABC News)
Republicans
Jeb Bush
- In response to an ad opposing Jeb Bush by Donald Trump on Monday suggesting Bush was weak on immigration reform, Bush posted a photo of a newspaper signed by Trump for Nancy Pelosi. He tweeted, “Who's the real @realDonaldTrump? He donated to sanctuary city supporting @NancyPelosi and called her ‘The Greatest.’” (Business Insider)
- Former Vice President Dick Cheney declined to endorse Bush on Monday, saying of his bid for the Republican nomination, “He's got to go out and earn it, the same as anybody else does." (The Hill)
- Bloomberg published a profile of Columba Bush, Jeb Bush’s wife, on Monday, highlighting her influence on Bush’s development as a man and politician. The article concluded, “Donald Trump, right now, might be the biggest challenge to Jeb’s campaign. And what an asset a proud, conservative, Latina woman who happens to be his wife might be in Jeb’s struggle against Trump. But Jeb seems to struggle, too, by making a sort of symbol of his wife, when she's thus far been reluctant to embrace her own symbolic identity.” (Bloomberg)
Ben Carson
- Barry Bennett, Ben Carson’s campaign manager, said Carly Fiorina should be on the main stage for CNN’s first Republican presidential debate later this month. “We don’t like how far back they’re going in the polls. We think it’s ridiculous that Carly Fiorina isn’t on the debate. She’s what, fifth? She should be on the main debate stage. Why does anyone care where someone was in presidential preference polls [three months ago]?” Bennett said. (Politico)
Chris Christie
- Chris Christie countered suggestions his use of a private email account during 2013’s BridgeGate scandal was similar to Hillary Clinton’s alleged misconduct in using a private email server as secretary of state. "My government business was conducted on a government email account. The one email you're referring to and the only one that they've released—it's only one that they've released—involved a press release. So let's all remain calm,” Christie said. (Talking Points Memo, NJ.com)
- According to FiveThirtyEight, Christie is second to Jeb Bush for the number of endorsements received. (FiveThirtyEight, NJ.com)
Ted Cruz
- Over the weekend, Ted Cruz spoke at the “We Stand with God” rally in South Carolina where he said “faith is under assault.” Cruz added, “This is the world we’re living in. If you think your faith is safe, next may be you. Next may be me. Next may be your pastor who preaches the Word from the pulpit. Next may be your sister or brother or mom who volunteers at the pregnancy crisis center.” (Real Clear Politics)
- Cruz responded to the recent murder of a Houston deputy sheriff on Monday, saying, “Cops across this country are feeling the assault. They’re feeling the assault from the president, from the top on down as we see, whether it’s in Ferguson or Baltimore, the response of senior officials of the president, of the attorney general, is to vilify law enforcement. That is fundamentally wrong, and it is endangering the safety and security of us all.” Cruz continued to say that solutions should focus on stopping “bad guys, criminals, felons” rather than “trying to undermine the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens.” (MSNBC)
- In a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt on Monday, Cruz responded to House Speaker John Boehner calling him a “jackass” during a fundraiser in Colorado. Cruz said, “The speaker is entitled to express whatever views he likes, but I’m not going to respond in kind. And I think the American people are not remotely interested in a bunch of politicians in Washington bickering like schoolyard children. I think what they’re looking for is serious leaders who will address and provide real solutions to the very real problems we’re facing right now.” (Politico)
Carly Fiorina
- CARLY for America accused the Republican National Committee (RNC) and CNN of purposefully keeping Carly Fiorina off the main debate stage this month. “The mainstream media is doing everything they can to keep Carly out of the debate because they know Carly is Hillary’s fiercest and most effective critic. And the RNC’s support of CNN makes it clear the political establishment in DC wants to keep Carly out of the prime time debate because she isn’t afraid to challenge the failures of the professional political class. Rather than standing with the conservative grassroots that are supporting Carly the RNC is standing with the Clinton News Network,” the super PAC said in an email to supporters on Monday. (The Los Angeles Times, Breitbart)
- In an interview over the weekend, Fiorina said she does not support “amending the Constitution or challenging the 14th Amendment.” She also noted she would be interested in supporting legislation similar to the DREAM Act to offer foreign-born children who grew up in the United States without documentation the opportunity to become citizens. “I don’t think we should punish children for the sins of their fathers and mothers,” Fiorina said. (NBC News)
Lindsey Graham
- TIME reported on Monday that Lindsey Graham has qualified for the undercard CNN debate on September 16 after registering an average of 1 percent support in three recent national polls. (TIME)
Mike Huckabee
- Mike Huckabee described himself as a Washington outsider during an interview on Newsmax TV on Monday. “I've never had a D.C. zip code. Never lived there more than probably three or four nights when I was in a hotel attending a meeting. Never held a job there. … I've governed so I've had the experience that a person needs to be president, but I also would make sure that people understand that if you think I'm a part of that system, then clearly you haven't read some of the editorials that have attacked me because I'm not part of that system,” Huckabee said. (Newsmax)
John Kasich
- John Kasich protested President Barack Obama’s move to rename Mount McKinley in Alaska to Denali, a name it’s known by locally that comes from the Athabascan language of native Alaskans. Kasich tweeted on Monday, “As POTUS once again oversteps his bounds, Ohio knows every carnation is a monument to our own William McKinley.” (CNN, Talking Points Memo)
- Politico reported on Monday that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attended a meet-and-greet for Kasich and may endorse him in the future. (John Kasich)
- At a campaign stop in Michigan on Monday, Kasich said he does not believe in nation-building. “I don't think it ought to be a priority of the United States to get everybody on the globe to operate exactly the way we do. I mean there are people that we look at and they may do things that we don't like, but we have similar goals. We don't need to spend our resources trying to get them to become like us,” Kasich said. (MLive.com)
Bobby Jindal
- The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief on Monday alleging Bobby Jindal’s cancellation of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast’s contract was a violation of the federal Medicaid Act. According to the brief, terminating the contract “without providing any justification ... would violate Louisiana's obligations under the Medicaid statute by denying Medicaid beneficiaries of their right to obtain medical care from the qualified providers of their choice." (NOLA.com)
Rand Paul
- At a campaign stop in Vermont, Rand Paul said he did not support increasing the minimum wage to $15 because “[a]ll the statistics show that it leads to unemployment and the people who are least skilled lose the jobs.” (WCAX)
- In a radio interview on Monday, Paul said the Republican Party must perform better with “different ethnic groups” if it wants to succeed in the 2016 general election. Paul said that Republicans could court the Hispanic vote “if the nominee is someone like me who says that immigrants are an asset to our country, that they have come here seeking the American dream. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to secure the border. My attitude and belief towards those who are Hispanic is that most of them came here searching for the same thing as many ancestors from Germany and England and various places.” (Boston Herald)
Rick Perry
- Rick Perry’s Iowa campaign now has only one paid staffer and some volunteers. Karen Fesler has departed Perry’s campaign to work for Rick Santorum. (U.S. News & World Report)
- The state of Texas filed an appeal in the case accusing Perry of coercion of a public servant. The charge, declared unconstitutional last month, stems from Perry's vetoing funding for a program run by a district attorney Perry allegedly wanted to oust. (San Antonio Express-News)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio has secured support from half of the Republicans in the Massachusetts State Senate. Richard Ross, Viriato deMacedo and Ryan Fattman, three of six Republican state senators in Massachusetts, will join his state leadership team. (The Boston Globe)
- Rubio has received more contributions from the tech industry than any other presidential candidate. Of his $3.03 million total, $3 million came from Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison. (International Business Times)
Rick Santorum
- Speaking before the Greater Des Moines Jewish Federation and Iowans Supporting Israel on Monday, Rick Santorum opposed containment and said he would use military force against Iran if it continued to develop its nuclear program. “They would have no doubt that if Rick Santorum is president their nuclear facilities are toast unless they complied,” he said. (The Des Moines Register)
Donald Trump
- The New York Times published a profile of Donald Trump on Monday featuring commentary from Club for Growth and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) leaders on how conservative Trump’s policies are. Michael Strain of AEI said Trump’s position on hedge funds, support for entitlement spending and the imposing of trade tariffs “aren’t the types of things a typical Republican candidate would say.” (The New York Times)
- On Monday, CNN profiled Trump’s campaign machine in Iowa which has 10 paid staffers and at least 70 volunteers. (CNN)
- According to Politico, many farmers are concerned with the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Donald Trump’s campaign. “Farmers say the candidate’s pronouncements have exacerbated already difficult labor shortages and brought counterproductive political attention to issues they had hoped to resolve quietly in Congress through legislation overhauling the nation’s broken guest-worker program,” Politico reported. (Politico)
Scott Walker
- In an interview with Breitbart on Monday, Scott Walker said he would succeed in the general election against Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden. “To me, if Joe Biden gets in, he doesn’t face some of the same scandals that she faces, but ultimately one of the strengths I bring to the table against either Clinton or Biden is that Americans want a new fresh face not a name from the past. … Clinton and Biden both embody everything that’s wrong with Washington. I think Americans, more than anything, want someone who’s actually gotten something done. Neither of them can point to much of anything other than years of being in public life. I think that’s where we offer contrast to either one of them. We’re ready, whether it’s Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, we can take them,” Walker said. (Breitbart)
- Walker released an ad on Monday positioning himself as a strong opponent of the Iran nuclear deal as compared to Jeb Bush. “I refuse to live with a deal that threatens our safety and that of our closest allies. See, unlike others, I don't need months or years to mull this over. If Congress fails to stop the nuclear deal, I will terminate it on day one,” Walker says in the video. (YouTube, The Washington Post)
- Jerry Kilgore, a former state attorney general, will join Walker’s campaign as its finance chairman for Virginia. “His message of fighting and winning for the hard-working taxpayers is one I believe Virginians — and all Americans — are yearning to hear, and his record of accomplishment following through on that message is second to none. Gov. Scott Walker is the leader our country needs, and I am honored to support his efforts in this campaign,” Kilgore said. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
- Walker’s security detail of state troopers is owed overtime backpay from 2013. State Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D) criticized the use of round-the-clock protection as Walker runs for president. He said, “I am deeply concerned that at a time when Republicans have slashed our schools, universities and roads, taxpayers are footing the bill for Gov. Walker to pander to Republican primary voters. That’s why I support our efforts to promote transparency and swift repayment of all travel and security costs associated with the Governor’s presidential campaign." (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
