Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - December 17, 2015
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Thursday's Leading Stories
- On Wednesday night, Bernie Sanders “officially hit two million individual campaign contributions - a feat that no other US presidential candidate has achieved at this point in an election,” according to the Huffington Post. The average donation to his campaign was less than $30. (Huffington Post, Washington Post)
- On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump, saying, "He's a very colorful person. Talented, without any doubt. But it's not our affair to determine his worthiness. That's up to the United States voters. … He wants to move to a different level of relations, to more solid, deeper relations with Russia. And how can Russia not welcome that? We welcome that. … As for his internal political issues and his turns of speech which he uses to raise his popularity, I repeat, it’s not our job to judge them.” (ABC News)
- Poll: According to a Monmouth University poll released on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic nomination 59 percent to 26 percent. Martin O’Malley came in at 4 percent. (Monmouth University)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton said wants to “tax the wealthy at even higher rates than those proposed by the Obama administration,” according to the Washington Times. She said she “would tax the wealthy at a rate greater than 30 percent, though she did not give specific numbers.” (Washington Times)
- Two emails on Clinton’s private server were “top secret,” according to reports from intelligence officials. On Wednesday, The Hill reported that “The two emails currently under review by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence are believed to contain details about movement of North Korean missiles as well as U.S. drones. Information in the emails is believed to have come from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the CIA.” (The Hill)
- During a campaign event in Omaha, Nebraska on Wednesday, Clinton discussed raising the minimum wage, equal pay for equal work and Social Security. She said, "If you're working full time in America and making $7.25 an hour, you're never going to get ahead.” She also said that she "will fight the Republican efforts to privatize” Social Security. (WOWT-NBC Omaha)
Martin O’Malley
- During Martin O’Malley’s off the record visit to the New York Times editorial board, he discussed how he would improve the economy and create better quality and better-paying jobs. He said, “The main problem facing our country currently is that our economy doesn’t work very well for the vast majority of us. The good news is, thanks to President Obama, our nation’s creating jobs again. The tough news that we need to own is that 70 percent of us are now earning the same or less than we were 12 years ago. We need to take the actions that’ll actually fix free market American capitalism — not replace it with socialism, but restore the common-sense wage and labor policies. Raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour, however we can, wherever we can. Overtime pay for overtime work. Equal pay for men and women. Make it easier, not harder for people to join labor unions and bargain collectively. Expand paid family leave. Get 11 million of our neighbors out of the shadow economy by passing comprehensive immigration reform. These are the things, along with investments in our country’s infrastructure and affordable college, and squaring our shoulders to a clean energy future, that’ll make our economy work again for all of us and make wages go up.” (The New York Times)
Bernie Sanders
- On Wednesday, Bernie Sanders discussed racial and religious tensions with an interfaith group at the Masjid Muhammad mosque in Washington. Speaking about the recent terrorist attack in San Bernardino and Donald Trump’s call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country, Sanders said, “Do we come together? Or do we allow demagogues to divide us up? That is the issue of the moment.” He added, “They want us to believe that the average Muslim is a terrorist. Unbelievably, in defiance of the basic tenants of our Constitution, there are some who are talking about shutting down mosques like the ones we are in. … We must never forget what happened under the racist ideology of the Nazis, which led to the deaths of millions and millions of people, including family members of mine.” (The New York Times)
- Sanders criticized the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates on Wednesday. He said, “When millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages, the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates is bad news for working families. At a time when real unemployment is nearly 10 percent and youth unemployment is off the charts, we need to do everything possible to create millions of good-paying jobs and raise the wages of the American people. The Fed should act with the same sense of urgency to rebuild the disappearing middle class as it did to bail out Wall Street banks seven years ago.” (Business Insider)
Republicans
- On Tuesday, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin announced the order in which the presidential candidates will appear on their parties' ballots in Massachusetts' March 1 presidential primary. Jim Gilmore will top the Republican ballot followed by: Lindsey Graham, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, George Pataki, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and John Kasich. (Mass Live)
Jeb Bush
- During an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Jeb Bush responded to Lindsey Graham’s comments that he wishes George W. Bush was still president. Bush said, “I think Lindsey’s a brilliant man in that particular statement. Look, the simple fact is that he — when my brother finished his time, Iraq was fragile, but secure, and this president, and his secretary of state, abandoned Iraq, and the net result was a caliphate the size of Indiana with 30,000 battle tested terrorists now, that gain its strength by the fact that they exist each and every day. You can’t contain them. You have to destroy them.” (Breitbart)
Ben Carson
- On Wednesday, Ben Carson commented on what his presidency would be like if he wins the general election. He said, "If I'm successful in this endeavor to become president of the United States, it’s very likely I would be a one-term president. There are some tough things that need to be done." (Washington Post)
- On Tuesday, Carson called on the State Department to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations for possibly supporting terrorists. He wrote, “The Department of State should designate the Muslim Brotherhood and other organizations that propagate or support Islamic terrorism as terrorist organizations, and fully investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and a supporter of terrorism.” (Washington Times)
Chris Christie
- During an interview on "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday, Chris Christie criticized Rand Paul’s understanding of the threat “radical Islamic jihadists” pose. He said, "You see the problem for folks like Sen. Paul is that they don't realize we're already in World War III. The fact is this is a new world war and one that won't look like the last two. And this is one where it's radical Islamic jihadists everyday are trying to kill Americans and disrupt and destroy our way of life. If he doesn't understand that we're already in that war, then it's just another example of why he's so unfit to be president of the United States." (CBS News)
- During the same interview, Christie discussed his proposal to create a no-fly zone in Syria. He said, "If [Russians] go into our no-fly zone after we've warned them to stay out, then they would be shot down. It will be made very clear to them what those rules were. If they decided to violate them, that's what the no-fly zone means - don't fly, and if they fly there, their pilot will get shot down." He also questioned Russia’s motives in the fight against ISIS. He said, "The fact is Russia's been stealing our lunch money the entire time from the Obama administration -- from Hillary Clinton's reset button to going into Crimea and Ukraine and the activities they're doing in Syria to prop up their puppet, Assad. So ISIS is simply not being attacked by Russia. Russia is in Syria along with Iran to prop up Assad. If that offends folks in the U.N. crowd, I' m sorry but America needs to assert itself again." (CBS News)
- On Wednesday, Christie told radio host Laura Ingraham that Donald Trump “looks like a serious candidate to me." He added, "And I've always said all along, having known Donald Trump for 13 years on a personal level, that Donald will be as serious candidate for president as he wants to be. And he sounded serious to me last night. And so, maybe Jeb and I were listening to different things." (Huffington Post)
Ted Cruz
- During Tuesday night’s GOP debate, Ted Cruz said he opposes granting legal status to undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. He said, “I have never supported legalization, and I do not intend to support legalization.” According to the Washington Post, “Cruz's campaign chairman, Chad Sweet, told reporters after the debate that the candidate ‘unequivocally’ rejects granting undocumented people legal status” and that Cruz supports "attrition through enforcement." (Washington Post)
- Senate Intelligence committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) initially said that the committee would investigate whether Cruz released classified information during the GOP debate on Tuesday when he said that the USA Freedom Act allows intelligence officials to check "nearly 100 percent" of phone numbers for ties to terrorists. On Wednesday, Burr and committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement: "The committee is not investigating anything said during last night's Republican presidential debate." Burr noted that he did not actually watch the debate because he was watching the final episode of “The Voice.” (Huffington Post)
- Cruz told reporters on Wednesday, "What I said last night has been widely reported. It's been saturated in the public sphere. And what has been said over and over again, what the intelligence community told Congress, was that the USA Freedom Act expanded their ability to target terrorists. And listen, this is another example of the Rubio campaign trying to spread misinformation." (Huffington Post)
Carly Fiorina
- During an interview on CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday, Carly Fiorina discussed how she will use technology to solve problems, if she is elected president. She said, "The technology for a citizen government exists. There's an app for this actually. We need to use technology to reengage citizens in the process of their government. The political class has ruled this country along with an inept corrupt government bureaucracy for far too long. People know it and they're tired of it. … I'm going to go into the Oval Office every single week. I'm going to ask the American people to take out their smart phones and I will say, 'Do you think we finally ought to force government to justify every dollar so we can cut any dollar and move any dollar? Press 1 for yes. Press 2 for no.'" (CNN)
- During Tuesday night’s debate, Fiorina said “that Gen. Jack Keane retired early because he ‘told President Obama things that he didn’t want to hear,’” according to ABC News. Keane, “who served during the Bush administration” and “retired before Obama became president,” said on Wednesday during an interview with Fox News, “No, I have never spoken to the president. That's not accurate, and I never served this administration. I served the previous administration.” When asked if she misspoke, Fiorina said, “He [Keane] has been someone of great experience who has been highly critical of the way this administration has not taken threats seriously and unfortunately he hasn't been listened to and I would listen to him.” (ABC News)
Jim Gilmore
- After finding out that he will appear first on the primary election ballot in Massachusetts, Jim Gilmore said, “I believe everybody in Massachusetts ought to vote for the guy at the top of the list,” He also commented on his campaign strategy, saying, “That strategy includes being on the ballot in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Virginia. And we’re on all of those ballots, we’re also on Tennessee and now we’re happy to be included in Massachusetts." (USA Today)
Lindsey Graham
- Lindsey Graham discussed foreign policy during an interview with radio host Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday. He said, “Isolationism is in full retreat within the Republican Party. Events have proved me right, them wrong. I’m very pleased with the way the party is moving: Marco, Jeb, Christie, Carly – all of these folks articulated a foreign policy that I’m comfortable with.” He also criticized Ted Cruz and Donald Trump for comments that they have made about defeating ISIS. He said, “Ted Cruz’s carpet-bombing comments made no sense, and I’ve been in the Air Force for 33 years. I think that Ted Cruz is a man who is lost. He is trying to be an isolationist when that’s hot; he’s trying to be a Lindsey Graham-type when that’s hot.” He also said, Trump “really doesn’t understand this war. … There’s three lanes, here. There’s leading from behind by Obama, which is not working. Isolationism, which is a step behind leading from behind. Then there’s Donald Trump, which is a drunk driver going from one lane to the other. What he is selling is a false sense of security. What he is selling is helping the enemy. If you’re a soldier or a diplomat in the Mid-East, Donald Trump is putting you at risk. He appears to be strong, but in my view he is very weak, when it comes to understanding how to win this war.” (Buzzfeed)
- During an interview on CNN's "New Day” on Wednesday, Graham discussed the unhealthy dislike for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. He said, "To those people who think Obama's a Muslim who was born in Kenya, I lost you a long time ago. There's a dislike of Obama in my party that's unhealthy, there was a dislike for President (George W.) Bush in the Democratic party that was unhealthy. He is my President." (CNN)
Mike Huckabee
- On Wednesday, Mike Huckabee criticized the budget deal reached by members of Congress. He said, “I’m disgusted. There’s no other word for it. Amidst the chaos of yesterday’s GOP debate in Las Vegas, it was Congress that was quietly gambling away our future. Washington Republicans announced a massive bipartisan budget deal that preserves ObamaCare, funds Planned Parenthood, solidifies Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, and allows the White House to accept thousands of unvetted Syrian refugees. … Americans are sick and tired of the political theatre that passes for productivity in Washington. With billions in handouts to Hollywood and America’s enemies, this $1.1 trillion deal adds billions of dollars to our $18.5 trillion national debt and continues our country on a path to ruin. What will it take for Washington politicians to wake-up, stand-up to Obama and put Americans first?” (Breitbart)
- On Wednesday, when asked about his low poll numbers, Huckabee said, “This is a weird and strange election in which people almost are punishing folks for being qualified. It’s like they say if you’ve ever been in politics then we don’t trust you and we don’t want you. … Voters haven’t even gone to cast one single vote. And when people say that, then I would ask them ‘okay well which four?’ Do you want the four that have the least experience, the least preparation to be president. Is that what you’re gonna do, based on some opinion polls that don’t mean diddly squat when it really comes to how people are gonna actually vote. Because, if that’s what we were gonna base it on, we would have the least experienced people that would end up being who to choose from.” (Buzzfeed)
John Kasich
- John Kasich’s super PAC, New Day for America, released the “Hippo-Crit,” which suggests that Donald Trump does not belong in the White House and criticizes his stances on illegal immigration and the outsourcing of American jobs. According to The New York Times, it is airing on “New Hampshire television stations as part of a $2.5 million ad campaign against Mr. Trump.” (The New York Times)
- New Day For America also released the ad “Rascal,” which criticizes Chris Christie. The ad compares Kasich’s and Christie’s records as governors. (Columbus Dispatch)
Rand Paul
- During a speech in Las Vegas, Rand Paul discussed the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates. He said, “Is it a good thing or a bad thing to raise the interest rate? Well, I’m kind of agnostic on it. It’s kind of like if you ask me: All right, should the Politburo raise the price of bread or lower the price of bread? I like both prices, but the real question should be: Should the government be involved with setting prices? What amazes me about the Federal Reserve setting interest rates is that almost to a person, conservative economists in our country will say, wage and price controls are a mistake. Most economists will say, yes, we have to have free prices. Yet we very carelessly, I think, allow this power to go [to the Fed]. What happens is the price of money is set, basically, by a Politburo. But just like the price of bread, they have no idea what they're doing. The reason the Soviet Union failed is that it couldn’t come up with something as simple as the price of bread. You could say there are moral reasons for prices, and you wouldn't be an economist. You'd be a politician.” (Washington Post)
- According to Yik Yak, “an anonymous-posting social media app popular with millennial age Americans between 18 and 29,” Paul “was mentioned positively in 67 percent of the posts about him” during Tuesday night’s GOP debate, the most of any candidate. (Reuters)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio criticized Ted Cruz’s strategy for defeating ISIS on Wednesday. He said, "On the national defense of this country, he talks very tough about how we're going to make sand glow in the desert. The problem is you can only do that if you have an Air Force and we're gonna be left with the oldest, smallest Air Force we've ever had. And that would only be accelerated by a budget he supports.” Rubio also criticized Chris Christie who compared first-term Senators Rubio and Cruz to President Obama. Rubio said, "That's a cute line by Chris Christie. Barack Obama hasn't failed because he's a one-term senator, he now has seven years of presidential experience and he's still making mistakes. He's worse today than he was when he first got there." (CNN)
- Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) announced on Wednesday that she is endorsing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in the 2016 presidential race. In a statement she said, “Marco Rubio represents a strong, new generation of leadership. He “understands firsthand the struggles facing middle-class families” and “the complex national security challenges we face.” (Washington Post)
Donald Trump
- During a campaign rally in Mesa, Arizona on Wednesday, Donald Trump discussed his influence on CNN’s GOP debate ratings. He said, “I’ll bet you they get big ratings. I think next time I won’t do it just to see it tank.” He also criticized the debate moderators, saying, "I think it is very sad that CNN leads Jeb Bush, Governor Bush, down a road by starting off virtually all the questions by ‘Mr. Trump this, Mr. Trump that.'" (The Hill)
- During the same rally, Trump discussed Jeb Bush, saying, "You know, I don't care if a guy like Jeb Bush never endorses me. It wouldn't bother me at all. I think it's a negative." (CBS News)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- On Wednesday, Jill Stein posted the following comments on Facebook about her experience at the Belong Forum on sustainability in Paris: “I had the honor of speaking at the Belong Forum on sustainability in Paris alongside Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy on climate change. China, a developing country, has made huge commitments to renewable energy. As the world's richest country, we could be the world leader in clean renewable energy if we ended the political power of the fossil fuel industry.” (Facebook)
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