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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - September 22, 2015
From Ballotpedia
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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
- Scott Walker suspended his presidential campaign on Monday evening. Walker said, “I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same, so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current front-runner.” (The New York Times)
- Poll: According to a national CNN/ORC poll released on Monday, Hillary Clinton increased her lead over Bernie Sanders with 42 percent to Sanders’ 24 percent. If Joe Biden did not enter the presidential race, Clinton would lead Sanders 57 percent to 28 percent. (CNN)
- Poll: An NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll released on Monday found Hillary Clinton leading Sanders by 13 points, 42 percent to 29 percent. (NBC News)
- Ballotpedia released an analysis of candidate participation at last week’s Republican presidential debate. Although Donald Trump participated in the most discussion segments, Carly Fiorina was the most aggressive candidate, successfully inserting herself into five different discussion segments without prompting from the moderators. (Ballotpedia)
Democrats
Joe Biden
- Politico suggested on Monday that a Joe Biden presidential run could be hampered by Biden’s role in the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and handling of Anita Hill’s accusations Thomas had sexually harassed her. “Dredging up what was seen as Biden's subjecting an African-American woman to public humiliation and abuse could erode his support among women and blacks. And raising the question of whether he can be blamed for the confirmation of Thomas — now one of the most rigidly conservative members of the high court — has the potential to cut at the vice president's support among Democrats more broadly, especially with Clinton now making a regular talking point of her prediction that the next president might have up to three Supreme Court appointments,” Politico noted. (Politico)
- In an interview with American Media, a Catholic media organization, released on Monday, Biden said people who were anti-abortion had a place in the Democratic Party. However, Biden noted, “I’m prepared to accept as a matter of faith, my wife and I, my family, the issue of abortion, but what I'm not prepared to do is impose a rigid view, a precise view — rigid sounds pejorative — a precise view that is born out of my faith on other people who are equally God fearing, equally committed to life, equally committed to the sanctity of life.” (Talking Points Memo)
Hillary Clinton
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation refused to inform the State Department if it had recovered any documents from Hillary Clinton’s private email server or if it was even conducting an investigation related to the server. (NBC News)
- After Clinton tweeted in opposition to “price gouging” in the specialty drug market, major biotech stocks tumbled 4 percent on Monday afternoon. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Clinton is set to unveil her prescription drugs plan on Tuesday in Iowa. “Her proposals would more tightly regulate pharmaceutical companies and aim to significantly reduce drug costs, particularly for seniors,” according to TIME. (TIME)
Lawrence Lessig
- Last week, Lawrence Lessig said the Democratic National Committee’s debate criteria caused “a catch-22.” To qualify, Lessig would need to register 1 percent support in three national polls in the six weeks prior to the October debate. However, all but one national poll has included him. “It’s only fair to apply that standard if it’s actually being tested,” Lessig said. (The Guardian)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders will join striking federal contract workers on Tuesday in an effort to promote an increase the federal minimum wage and gain attention from Pope Francis for their cause. (Politico)
Republicans
- Austin Barbour, a senior adviser to the super PACs that supported Rick Perry’s campaign, said Scott Walker’s big donors are most likely to reach out to Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie and John Kasich. (The Hill)
Jeb Bush
- Jeb Bush published an op-ed in CNN on Monday discussing his conversion to Catholicism and his hopes for Pope Francis’ visit to the United States this week. “I have witnessed the power of God, through his church, to touch lives and transform the world – both on the world stage and in my own heart. The church has grounded me and my beliefs in a deep way of thinking about mercy, penance and the dignity and potential of every life, young and old, rich and poor, born and not yet born,” Bush wrote. (CNN)
- Protesters interrupted Bush’s speech at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Monday night. They chanted, “No hope without a vote.” Bush responded, “I've been consistently for the Dream Act kids to get a path to citizenship. I've been consistently for it, and I'll continue to be consistently for it irrespective of what the political ramifications of that are." (The Huffington Post)
- Javier Palomarez, the president of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said Bush has been a “voice of reason” amidst Donald Trump’s inflammatory comments regarding Mexicans and immigration. (Texas Tribune)
Ben Carson
- Nihad Awad, the president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called on Ben Carson to suspend his campaign “because he is unfit to lead” during a press conference on Monday. Awad’s comments followed an interview on Sunday where Carson suggested Muslims should be barred from serving in the White House. (NPR)
- Clinton’s longtime aide, Huma Abedin, also condemned Carson’s statement. She tweeted on Monday night, “You can be a proud American, a proud Muslim, and proudly serve this great country. Pride versus prejudice.” (Twitter)
Ted Cruz
- According to Salon, Ted Cruz’s campaign will benefit from the fight over defunding Planned Parenthood and a potential government shutdown no matter what the outcome. “If Republican leaders blow off the hard-line conservatives and work with Democrats to keep the government’s lights on, Cruz will argue that the Republican base has been sold out by its leaders in Washington and they should vote for him because he’ll fight. If the hard-line conservatives succeed in cowing the leadership in one or both houses of Congress and the government tips into shutdown, the GOP will sustain political damage until the leadership caves and works with the Democrats to turn the lights back on, and Cruz will argue to the base that its leaders quit too easily and they should vote for him because he’ll never quit,” Salon writer Simon Malor noted. (Salon)
- Ted Cruz is opening a campaign office in Iowa this week. (The Des Moines Register)
Carly Fiorina
- U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who defeated Carly Fiorina in her 2011 Senate race, said Fiorina’s surge would not be long-lived as the public gained more exposure to her “mean-spiritedness.” Boxer said, "Oh, she's bouncing for sure. But, you know, she's bouncing because she really is very articulate. She's very good with words, (but) I think when people see her deeds and see her mean-spiritedness, she won't be on the top anymore." (CNN)
- When asked if she would support a Muslim for president on the “Tonight Show,” Fiorina said, "I actually believe that people of faith make better leaders. Whether they are Christians, as I am — my faith has sustained me through some very bad times. I've battled cancer, I've lost a child, I've been tested. But whether it's a person of Christian faith or Jewish faith or Muslim faith or other faiths, I think faith gives us humility, and empathy and optimism. And I think those are important things." (NBC News)
Lindsey Graham
- On Monday, Lindsey Graham encouraged his colleagues in the Senate to support a 20-week abortion ban. "We're one of seven nations in the entire world that allow abortion on demand at 20 weeks, the fifth month of the pregnancy. I'd like to get us out of that club,” Graham said, referring to Canada, China, the Netherlands, North Korea, Singapore and Vietnam. (The Hill)
- Graham opposed Ben Carson’s comments on whether a Muslim could be president. He said in an interview on Fox News, “I want to let every American Muslim serving in uniform know that I honor your service. I want to be your commander in chief. Dr. Carson is a good man, but he's created a religious test that our Constitution prohibits. And to the American Muslim community, this is your country, too. We're all in it together. To those American Muslims who have joined the American military to fight radical Islam, God bless you." (Talking Points Memo)
Mike Huckabee
- In an interview with Breitbart, Mike Huckabee said he disagreed with how his Republican competitors wanted to handle Social Security during last week’s Republican presidential debate. “When I hear people say, ‘let's just raise the age, make them work longer, or let's cut their benefits’ – and that was a decision that a couple of the candidates had – I was dying to get in there. To my knowledge, I’m the one Republican on the stage who believes that we don’t go changing the rules in the middle of the game for the people who have been paying in all these years,” Huckabee said. (Breitbart)
- Huckabee criticized the Obama administration’s decision to invite transgender activists and the first openly gay Episcopal bishop to Pope Francis’ welcome ceremony this week. “Why is it that Obama goes to extremes to accommodate Muslim terrorists but shows nothing but disdain for Christians? This is a new low for an administration that will go down as the most anti-Christian in American history,” he said. (MSNBC)
John Kasich
- New Day for America, a super PAC supporting John Kasich, has released a new TV commercial this week that alludes to Donald Trump. Featuring a close-up of helicopter blades, the ad’s narrator states, “He’s turned red ink to black. Shattered expectations. Experience. Success. Speaks to every one of us. Blunt. Direct. Not part of the tired system. Best of all, he’s done great things. Not for himself, but for us.” John Kasich’s name appears on the side of the helicopter at the end of the ad. (Bloomberg)
- Over the weekend, Kasich said he would sign an Ohio state bill banning abortions where the fetus is at risk for Down Syndrome. (Huffington Post)
Bobby Jindal
- Although he expressed contempt for the “dumb game” media is playing by asking candidates if they would support a Muslim for president, Bobby Jindal answered the question on Monday in a statement. “If you can find me a Muslim candidate who is a Republican, who will fight hard to protect religious liberty, who will respect the Judeo-Christian heritage of America, who will be committed to destroying ISIS and radical Islam, who will condemn cultures that treat women as second class citizens and who will place their hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution, then yes, I will be happy to consider voting for him or her," Jindal said. (The Huffington Post)
- A super PAC backing Jindal, Believe Again, has released a new ad to gain support from Christians in Iowa. In the ad, Jindal says, “I wasn't born or raised a Christian. It took me seven long years to convert at the age of 16. I am unashamed. I am unembarrassed. I am proud to tell you that I am a Christian.” (NOLA.com)
Rand Paul
- U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) endorsed Rand Paul on Monday. Mulvaney said, "There’s no way for me to avoid that the establishment wing of our party has lost its way. They don’t have any idea the damage they’re doing to the Republican Party. I called up Rand and said, I’ve had enough. We’re either going to figure out how to save this party or the establishment is going to drive it to irrelevance." (The Washington Post)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio picked up Scott Walker’s “first supporter in New Hampshire,” Cliff Hurst, as his new state co-chair before Walker officially announced his campaign suspension on Monday. “I have great admiration and respect for my friend Scott Walker. However, it is clear to me that his campaign is going in a different direction at this time. I believe the New Hampshire primary will be critically important to determining who our next president will be,” Hurst said. (WMUR 9 ABC)
- Over the weekend, Rubio said he was comfortable with medical researchers using fetal tissue from a miscarriage or other non-elective end to a pregnancy. (BuzzFeed)
Rick Santorum
- A survivor of the 1999 Columbine school shooting criticized Rick Santorum for comparing Kim Davis to Cassie Bernall, a young woman murdered at the high school. She contacted him via Facebook and said, “I told him that as a library survivor myself, I was highly, highly offended by his comparison because not only is the story about Cassie untrue. ... Ms. Davis never had to hide under a table while everyone got shot around her, she has never been held at gunpoint at any point in her life.” (CBS DC)
- In an interview with Glenn Beck last week, Santorum said he would “abolish the State Department and start all over.” (BuzzFeed)
Donald Trump
- Donald Trump accused Hillary Clinton of igniting the birther movement in 2008. He referred to an interview where Clinton was asked if she believed that then-Sen. Obama was a Muslim and she responded, “There's nothing to base that off, as far as I know.” (CNN)
- On Monday, Trump released a video on Instagram featuring Jeb Bush speaking about immigration and the war in Iraq before implying he was still an active user of marijuana. (Business Insider)
- Trump said of Scott Walker’s departure from the presidential race, “I look forward to Governor Walker supporting my campaign when I am the Republican nominee.” (Breitbart)
- Trump’s campaign has denied press credentials to reporters from Huffington Post and The Des Moines Register at recent events. “I have written stories that have been critical of nearly every single presidential candidate on both sides of the aisle. I have never been treated this way or not allowed media access ever," said Huffington Post writer Samantha-Jo Roth. (CNN Money)
- In an interview with Hugh Hewitt on Monday, Trump said he would not reveal details of his foreign policy approach because “you want to have a little guesswork for the enemy.” He added, “I just don’t want to be telling people—and this is, by the way,—this has nothing to do with lack of knowledge because I know as much about Pakistan as most other people. But I will tell you, I don’t want to broadcast my intentions.” (The Daily Beast)
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
