Elections GOP Road to 2016 Primary Thread

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A crash course in foreign policy for Gov. Walker

On a recent Monday at Washington

 

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Wisconsin Closer to Becoming a Right-to-Work State

The State Assembly on Friday approved legislation barring unions from requiring workers to pay the equivalent of dues, leaving Wisconsin poised to become the 25th state with what advocates describe as a right-to-work law.

Gov. Scott Walker, who said before he was re-elected to a second term in November that he did not expect right-to-work legislation to be taken up this session, has since said that he will sign the measure within days. The move was expected to burnish Mr. Walker

 

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Did Jeb Bush Go Far Enough to Try to Save Terri Schiavo to Save His Iowa Chances?

Standing at the pulpit of his Sioux City, Iowa, mega-church a decade ago, Reverend Cary Gordon wept over the death of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman who had her feeding tubes removed more than 1,500 miles away in Florida. Now, the politician mostly closely associated with trying to keep her alive is coming to the state searching for support for his prospective presidential bid.

To much of the world, it appeared as if Jeb Bush, then the governor of Florida, stood his ground against those who wanted to take Schiavo off life support. But that's not the picture that emerged for some in a crucial constituency in the state with the first presidential nominating contest.

 

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Corruption Charges Against Menendez Could Be Good News For Christie

The Department of Justice is preparing to charge New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez with corruption. Menendez, a Democrat, may not leave office quietly

 

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Scott Walker

 

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Jeb Bush Focuses on Florida Record in Iowa Visit

Jeb Bush kicked off a highly anticipated campaign swing through Iowa on Friday by raising money for a local Republican, trumpeting his record as a former governor, and suggesting to radio listeners that he

 

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At Iowa Ag Summit, Corn Will Be King

Plenty of candidates have learned it the hard way: When it comes to Iowa politics, you don

 

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Christie Rips Obama Over Netanyahu Disagreement

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said Friday it was a "disgrace'' for President Barack Obama to allow a disagreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran's nuclear program to overshadow ties between the two nations, and said the episode has eroded America's world standing.

"What does this moment say to our allies and to our enemies around the world?'' Christie asked about 600 members of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, Fla., during a keynote address at its annual Lincoln Day Dinner. "There is a severe price to pay when our president demonstrates openly on the world stage that our relationship with our allies is fractured and that we do not have the ability to influence thinking privately."

 

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Marco Rubio has a 'big money' problem

As the race heats up for the White House, new attention is being paid to questions raised about the way Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) used campaign cash during his time in the Sunshine State's Legislature.

When Rubio entered the Florida House of Representatives in 2000, the then 28-year-old was laden with debt. The Tampa Bay Times described him as "barely solvent" as he plotted his ascent to Speaker of the House in 2006 and the lead up to his 2009 run for the U.S. Senate. During this time, Rubio apparently used the resources of his two political committees and an American Express credit card from the state Republican Party for some of his personal expenses.

 

[Makani]

Christie is such a blowhard, I look forward to him saying whatever it takes to stay relevant before he throws in the towel and starts making excuses. Though I really hope we don't have to talk about Terry Schiavo again. That was depressing enough to begin with, and I don't think the GOP profits from dredging it up.

 

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Christie is such a blowhard, I look forward to him saying whatever it takes to stay relevant before he throws in the towel and starts making excuses. Though I really hope we don't have to talk about Terry Schiavo again. That was depressing enough to begin with, and I don't think the GOP profits from dredging it up.

If that really is going to be the issue Bush brings up, I don't think it will help his poll numbers. It was an awful event altogether. Both sides likely feel that it went the wrong way.

 

[ShoelessRye]

Christie is trying to fix the mess he got into with Adelson when he referred to the "occupied territories" by attacking Pres. Obama on NuttyYahoo. Hey fatass, what does it say about the Republican Party and your fatass self when you side with a foreign leader over the elected (twice) President of the United States? What does it say to your intelligence men and women who are telling the President a wholly different story than Bibi is selling? That you believe Bibi over them?

 

[Makani]

I really don't like Adelson, you can basically see the switch go off where he stopped being a respectable, ambitious businessman, a true job creator, and became just another rich asshole trying to game the system. "My son died of a drug overdose, so I'm going to fight marijuana legislation. Did I mention Palestinians are a made up people?" Anyone willing to back Newt for President needs some self-examination. He is basically half the reason anyone with Presidential ambitions has to kiss Israel's ass.

 

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I really don't like Adelson, you can basically see the switch go off where he stopped being a respectable, ambitious businessman, a true job creator, and became just another rich asshole trying to game the system. "My son died of a drug overdose, so I'm going to fight marijuana legislation. Did I mention Palestinians are a made up people?" Anyone willing to back Newt for President needs some self-examination. He is basically half the reason anyone with Presidential ambitions has to kiss Israel's ass.

Rand Paul actually had a fundraiser dinner a few months ago where he talked about drug legalization to a major donor who's son died of an overdose. I wonder if it was Adelson. Regardless, the article was trying to point out that Rand was still trying to build a competent staff at that time and this was a slip up that occurred. At this point, he does have a very good group and network. He may not bring in the most money but he is very organized for his campaign at this point.

 

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The Iowa AG Summit is streaming live on bloombergs page right now

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/

 

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Kelly Ayotte Hosting Graham, Bush for Private N.H. Events

As the top-tier Republican White House contenders jostle for early position in New Hampshire, GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte is also moving early to exert her influence over the process.

Ayotte—who is up for re-election next year—will play host to two likely GOP presidential candidates in private Granite State gatherings over the coming days, RealClearPolitics has learned from multiple GOP sources.

On Sunday night, Ayotte is helming a private dinner for a small group of about two dozen local Republican powerbrokers, in which the guest of honor will be South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Graham is heading to New Hampshire for the first of two trips this month, as he appears increasingly likely to throw his hat into the presidential ring, and the dinner will serve as a meet-and-greet opportunity.

 

[Makani]

Rand Paul actually had a fundraiser dinner a few months ago where he talked about drug legalization to a major donor who's son died of an overdose. I wonder if it was Adelson. Regardless, the article was trying to point out that Rand was still trying to build a competent staff at that time and this was a slip up that occurred. At this point, he does have a very good group and network. He may not bring in the most money but he is very organized for his campaign at this point.

I imagine it must have been, losing Adelson to an opponents campaign would be a pretty harsh blow, he has money to burn. I think Paul does have a very good campaign going, I've just interested in how he stays on message once the debates start. He has a couple strong points that might resonate well, but people are going to be pulling him every which way in exchange for campaign cash.

 

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I imagine it must have been, losing Adelson to an opponents campaign would be a pretty harsh blow, he has money to burn. I think Paul does have a very good campaign going, I've just interested in how he stays on message once the debates start. He has a couple strong points that might resonate well, but people are going to be pulling him every which way in exchange for campaign cash.

The debates should be really good with some of the guys that are running. Thus far, I've been really impressed with how Rubio, Paul and Kasich handle the media. Add in Christie's self destruction if he does a campaign and there will be a little bit of everything in the first first few debates. I really want Kasich to run at this point.

 

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich plans trip to New Hampshire

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has scheduled a visit this month to the early voting state of New Hampshire.

Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, says Kasich will headline the institute's political lecture series "Politics & Eggs" on March 24. Unlike many of his fellow Republicans considering presidential bids, Kasich hasn't traveled to New Hampshire in years.

Kasich's Netanyahu field trip not so far afield: editorial

Gov. John Kasich is kind of, sort of, exploring a run for 2016's Republican presidential nomination. Whether Kasich, a U.S. House member from 1983 through 2000, runs or not, he's never lacked for bravado. So Kasich, a suburban Columbus Republican, bridled the other day at a suggestion he was aiming to gain foreign-policy cred, as a potential presidential candidate, by attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's congressional speech last Tuesday.

"l don't need to bolster any foreign-policy credentials," Kasich said. "I've been working in foreign policy for many, many years. I served on the [U.S. House] Armed Services Committee, which is one of the critical committees in terms of U.S. foreign policy and how we prepare ourselves. I don't need to bolster anything." Reporters observed, meanwhile, that Kasich appeared to be the only governor among America's 50 attending Netanyahu's speech.

Jeb Bush flop with GOP rank and file could open way for Kasich

The window is closing on Gov. John Kasich's presidential prospects.

There's still time for Kasich to become a top-tier candidate, someone who can win the Republican nomination. But in a couple of months, that window of opportunity may slam shut.

Kasich knows that. That's why he's getting ready to run, but wisely taking just a few steps out on the tightrope without actually joining the circus.

Gov. Kasich adds New York, Detroit, South Carolina to travel plans

Gov. John Kasich is going where GOP presidential hopefuls already have been bloodied this year.

Kasich said he plans to attend the Detroit Economic Club — a forum that hosted former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush a month ago — and the 21 Club in midtown Manhattan — which heard from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker a couple of weeks ago and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry in January.

Kasich to trumpet Ohio job recovery in New Hampshire

Gov. John Kasich said Friday that Ohio has recovered the jobs it lost during the national recession and he plans to share the state's success story as he travels the country, including to New Hampshire, while mulling a run for president.

Surrounded by his Cabinet at a Statehouse news conference, the Republican governor spotlighted a January unemployment report that showed Ohio has regained both the 350,000 private-sector jobs lost during the recession-era governorship of his predecessor and more than the 406,000 private-sector jobs lost during the entire recession.

 

[Makani]

The debates should be really good with some of the guys that are running. Thus far, I've been really impressed with how Rubio, Paul and Kasich handle the media. Add in Christie's self destruction if he does a campaign and there will be a little bit of everything in the first first few debates. I really want Kasich to run at this point.

Yep, it all seems kind of futile to me until they are all on a stage together. When you're speaking to donors or hitting media softballs you can say whatever your position is. Once they are all up there going back and forth, that's when the storms will start brewing. I don't think Walker was made for a debate stage, I think Rand will do well off the cuff and Jeb will put out some good soundbytes for moderates. All to be seen though, Kasich joining the party would be fun, I would love to see everyone ripping on Christie for a good 10 minutes.