Shot/Chaser: Chris Christie Puts Politics Before Governing
Chris Christie may be governor of New Jersey, but governing New Jersey doesn't always seem to be his priority. No,…
New Online Ad: Bruce Rauner: Adamantly Against What's Right for Illinois
Today, American Bridge is releasing a new online ad highlighting billionaire Bruce Rauner's attacks on minimum wage workers in Illinois.…
New Web Ad: Ducey Misleads On His Record At Coldstone
Former Cold Stone Creamery CEO Doug Ducey has repeatedly bragged about building his ice cream empire without any help from the…
Thom Tillis tries to mansplain away his contraceptives contradiction
In last week's North Carolina Senate debate, Speaker Thom Tillis declared his support for over the counter access to birth control, a statement that flies in the face of not only his earlier comments on contraceptives in particular, but his broader record on reproductive rights. Tillis' proclamation in last week's debate, no doubt a deliberate attempt to whitewash his position on these issues in the face of a significant gender gap in the race, rightfully earned the scorn of his hometown paper, the Charlotte Observer. The paper's Sunday editorial referred to Tillis' contraceptives comments as having the "pungent odor of politicking," considering his previous support for defunding Planned Parenthood and dangerous personhood amendments that could severely limit access to or even criminalize women's health services. The Observer notes that his support for over the counter birth control is "quite the turnaround," given that earlier this year, during his bid to secure the GOP nomination for Senate, Tillis agreed with his fellow GOP candidates that states should be able to ban contraceptives, according to a report from the Raleigh News & Observer.
Two More Months To Enjoy Scott Brown’s Hilarious Campaign
Republicans have their candidate in the New Hampshire senate race. But he'll be the first to tell you, he's not from New Hampshire.
Beyond that obvious shortcoming, Scott Brown comes with plenty of non-carpet baggage as well. As he enters a new stage in his disastrous attempt to become a New Hampshirite and then become a New Hampshire senator, here are the top 10 lowlights from his haphazard campaign thus far:
- He said, "I'm not going to create one job" as Senator of New Hampshire -- although he seemed more interested in job creation in Massachusetts. [VIDEO]
- In an attempt to close a massive deficit among female voters, Brown awkwardly dished out "hero awards" to female supporters, at least one of whom was confused, embarrassed, and not even sure who she would vote for.
- He woke up to this lovely headline about sitting on the board at Kadant: "Brown’s $270K income from Mass. company exporting jobs overseas belies campaign promises"
- In his attempt to pander to the right during primary season, Brown made a fool of himself by denying that man-made climate change was scientifically proven -- in direct contradiction with his position from 2012.
- He got clobbered for helping to tank Jeanne Shaheen's bipartisan energy bill -- which was supported by Kelly Ayotte -- just to try to strip her of an accomplishment to run on.
- He abruptly resigned from an advisory role at obscure Florida-based company froom which he had received $1.3 million in stock after questions began to swirl over the business's practices and his involvement.
The GOP Has a "New" Front-runner for 2016
After two straight landslide defeats in presidential election, the Republican Party found itself in desperate need of a fresh face with new ideas and broader appeal moving toward 2016. Simply put, they need a top tier candidate. But as political forecaster Larry Sabato summed up last week:
It’s lonely at the top of the Republican field — like, “top of Mt. Everest” lonely. In our latest shuffle of the 2016 Crystal Ball presidential outlook, we’ve decided that the Republican first tier is…empty. Our Republican friends might object, but deep down, we think they would be hard-pressed to argue for any single name to head this long list."
All the theoretical GOP front-runners are tainted. Chris Christie, Scott Walker and Rick Perry are mired in scandal. Rand Paul's political backflips have been dizzying, leading even conservative pundits to raise the question: "Is he jettisoning his worldview to revive a presidential campaign?"Video: Rick Perry and Rick Scott Try To Out-Koch Each Other
The past two weeks have seen Rick Perry skip the formal reading of his felony charges to do an event with the Kochs' AFP in New Hampshire, then explain that he was being indicted for bribery (he's not, shouldn't have skipped that arraignment), then return to Dallas for AFP's "Defending the American Dream Summit."
At the end of this Tour-de-Koch, the gaffe-prone governor sat down with Ed Morrissey of the conservative blog Hot Air, and further revealed the extent to which Republicans revere the Kochs and court their political support -- they even brag about it, apparently.
A Thursday Morning Koch Hangover For GOP Senate Candidates
Yesterday morning, newly released audio recordings from a secretive Koch brothers summit earlier this year offered an even clearer window into just how cozy today's Republican candidates are with the Kochs and their powerful network. Speaking with rare candor, key Republican senate nominees thanked the billionaires for getting them to where they are today, lavished the entire Koch community with praise, and doubled down on their adherence to the Kochs' extreme, anti-working family agenda. Mitch McConnell, Joni Ernst, Cory Gardner, and Tom Cotton all gave speeches at Koch summit in June. Yesterday, they had less to say. But the coverage spoke for itself, and it wasn't pretty -- check out the brutal headlines and key passages below from Wednesday's reporting:
At Koch Retreat, Top GOP Senate Candidates Credited Koch Network For Their Rise Huffington Post // Sam Stein
None of the three candidates returned a request for comment for this article. But their attendance at the retreat offered both reward and risk. A few days after Ernst's appearance, Charles Koch, his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law each gave the Iowa candidate the legal maximum contribution of $2,600. Cotton, meanwhile, took heat for backing out of the local Pink Tomato Festival to attend the Koch affair, with his opponent, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), all but accusing him of lacking home-state sensibilities. A willingness to go against the prevailing winds at home has endeared Cotton to the Koch brothers' crowd, however.
Caught on Tape: What Mitch McConnell Complained About to a Roomful of Billionaires (Exclusive) The Nation // Lauren Windsor
To put that in perspective, Mitch McConnell’s thirty-five-year career in the Senate saw the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans, the 2008 housing meltdown that threatened the entire economy and Barack Obama’s election, to cite a conservative bête noire. But it was McCain-Feingold, the bill that banned soft money and unlimited donations to party committees, that constitutes the worst day of his political life.
Secret audio nails Mitch! Endangered McConnell busted humiliating himself on tape Salon // Joan Walsh
This year Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell chose to spend Father’s Day with two GOP political sugar daddies, Charles and David Koch, at their annual retreat, this time at the lovely St. Regis Monarch Bay resort in Orange County, California. As befit the day, McConnell brought the love: “I want to start by thanking you, Charles and David, for the important work you’re doing. I don’t know where we’d be without you.”
American Bridge Welcomes Scandal-Scarred, Self Interest-Serving Scott to the General Election
With primary season now in the rear view, Floridians have 10 weeks left to examine Rick Scott's record. That's bad news for Rick Scott, who you may recall isn't a big fan of being scrutinized. But then again, you wouldn't be either if you had his record. Scott was elected four years ago amidst a Tea Party wave, promising to carry out a Tea Party agenda, and delivering on that promise. But these days, Scott's trying to sell a different version of himself -- a version that is clearly undermined by his record -- and nobody is buying it.
Nobody Arraigning On Rick Perry's Koch-Parade
Rick Perry was due to appear in court in Texas today for the formal reading of his two felony charges after being…