2016 Republican Primary | Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion - Part 33
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2016 Republican Primary Tag

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on June 14, 2015 17 Comments
As conservatives, we have a wide selection of candidates to consider in the 2016 Republican primary, and sometimes, these candidates say things that either they (and we) wish they hadn't said or that leave us scratching our head in wonder.  I thought I'd post a few of the things that I've read about over the past week or so that made me go "hmmm." Lindsey Graham, noted bachelor, promises a "rotating First Lady."  From the Daily Mail interview with Graham:

There's an important question nagging Lindsey Graham as [he] tries to become the first bachelor in White House since Woodrow Wilson.

Who would be his first lady?

Thinking it over, the Republican senator told Daily Mail Online: 'Well, I've got a sister, she could play that role if necessary.'

Chuckling, he added: 'I've got a lot of friends. We'll have a rotating first lady.'

According to Politico, Graham further claims that he is "not defective" before (rightly) noting that marriage is not a Constitutional prerequisite to the presidency.

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 13, 2015 22 Comments
Carly Fiorina sat in the "Center Seat" Thursday night on Special Report with Bret Baier. They ought to call the segment the "Hot Seat" as it offers viewers and the pundits on the panel a chance to ask the candidate tough questions in a close setting. Fiorina took questions about herself, her career, the campaign and a host of other issues every candidate is facing for 2016. Topics include jobs, healthcare, government surveillance, foreign policy, and reclaiming feminism. It's worth pointing out that Fiorina took more questions in this 17 minute segment than Hillary Clinton has taken in the last two months.
If you watched the video to the end, you heard Fiorina talk about the left's monopoly on the term "feminism" and its meaning. She gave a speech Thursday night where she expanded on this point.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 11, 2015 7 Comments
The NYT published an article last week pretending Sen. Rubio's traffic tickets from the 90s were scandalicious. Mockery of the "troubling" allegations ensued and the NYT was rightly mocked. This week, the NYT again dropped a ridiculous "scoop." This time, they portrayed the Rubios as spendthrifts who had luxury speed boats and a house with extra-large windows... As these things go, the NYT report found its way into national and local news coverage, providing perfect mashup fodder. Yesterday, the NYT received the Jon Stewart treatment:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 09, 2015 25 Comments
I must've missed the "everyone make stuff up" memo circulating through media channels this week. Thankfully, I'm just a blogger. Tuesday, the Huffington Post published a post with the headline, Jeb Bush In 1995: Unwed Mothers Should Be Publicly Shamed. There's just one problem though -- that's not what Jeb Bush said. Not in 1995 or otherwise. The post focuses on a book Bush wrote called Profiles in Character. The book was published in 1995. Gawker, Wonkette, Raw Story and others then reblogged using the same, incorrect headline. No, Jeb Bush did not say unwed mothers should be publicly shamed

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 09, 2015 45 Comments
Last week, the New York Times dropped the lamest "hit" piece in the history of hit pieces. Pretending a few traffic tickets from the 90s made Sen. Rubio and his wife unfit for public service, the NYT ended up the butt of the joke. On social media, #rubiocrimespree trending nationally for hours with submissions like, "drank milk after it expired," and "Didn't read Apple End User Licence [sic] Agreement but still clicked "I Agree"." Rubio's campaign got in on the fun, and celebrities publicly declared the NYT story dumb. Apparently that wasn't enough embarrassment for the NYT. Tuesday, the NYT released yet another 'scoop' on the good Senator from Florida. This time, the NYT suggested that Rubio had financial problems which have tainted his career. Those "financial problems"? "Student debt, mortgages and an extra loan against the value of his home totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 05, 2015 42 Comments
Friday morning, the New York Times deemed Senator Rubio's driving record news that fit to print. Though it reads like something from the annals of The Onion, the New York Times was completely serious about Sen. Rubio's troubling speeding tickets from the 90s.
Senator Marco Rubio has been in a hurry to get to the top, rising from state legislator to United States senator in the span of a decade and now running for president at age 44. But politics is not the only area where Mr. Rubio, a Republican from Florida, has an affinity for the fast track. He and his wife, Jeanette, have also shown a tendency to be in a rush on the road. ...A review of records dating back to 1997 shows that the couple had a combined 17 citations: Mr. Rubio with four and his wife with 13. On four separate occasions they agreed to attend remedial driving school after a violation.
Sen. Rubio took defensive driving?! IMPEACH.
Mr. Rubio’s troubles behind the wheel predate his days in politics... A dozen years later, in 2009, he was ticketed for speeding on a highway in Duval County and found himself back in driver improvement school. Things got more complicated in 2011 when Mr. Rubio was alerted to the fact that his license was facing suspension after a traffic camera caught him failing to stop at a red light in his beige Buick. His lawyer, Alex Hanna, paid a $16 fee to delay the suspension and eventually it was dismissed.
What kind of elitist is Rubio that he paid a whopping $16 fee to avoid suspension of his driver's license?

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 05, 2015 8 Comments
Speaking from a plane hanger in a Dallas suburb Thursday afternoon, Governor Perry officially launched his second bid for the White House. Flanked by Navy SEALs, Perry was introduced by his wife, Anita. Meet the former first lady of Texas, Anita Perry. Over the years, I've often heard Governor Perry refer to Anita as, "his rock" and it's easy to see why. Perry's Coaxer in Chief as CNN called her, addressed one of the most crucial issues of Perry's 2016 campaign -- his glasses. "He's got these new glasses that have gotten a lot of attention," observes CNN, "What do you think? Did he need a new image?" "No, he needed the glasses to see! I mean, this really just tickles me, it makes me laugh. He needed those glasses from a childhood injury when he was 16 or 17-years-old and the vision in one eye deteriorated such that he had to have the glasses. So I picked them out. Really, I like him without the glasses, but he had to have them to see."

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 04, 2015 30 Comments
Jeb Bush may be a decent man, but when it comes to fundraising, conservative donors are putting their eggs in another candidate's basket. Matea Gold and Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post:
With some donors doubting Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio seizes an opening Marco Rubio is benefiting from pockets of discontent in Jeb Bush’s sprawling money network, winning over donors who believe the 44-year-old freshman senator from Florida offers a more compelling persona and sharper generational contrast against Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. Rubio is working to seize the moment by making an all-out push to lock down financial backers in the coming month, hopscotching the country in a nonstop series of fundraisers that are limiting his presence on the campaign trail. While he faces stiff competition in the money race from Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in particular, Rubio’s in-person courting sessions are starting to pay off. Longtime Bush loyalists and other big-money players on the right have emerged from the meetings raving about his abilities, according to people familiar with private gatherings he has had across the country.

Posted by Amy Miller on June 01, 2015 24 Comments
We're going to need a bigger stage, people. Today, Lindsey Graham stood up before an enthusiastic crowd in Central, South Carolina, and announced his bid for President of the United States, making him the ninth Republican to jump in the race. He focused mainly on highlighting his foreign policy and national security chops, taking swipes at Obama's disastrous foreign policy and Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. Via Fox News:
"I'm running for president of the United States," Graham said. "I want to be president to defeat the enemies that are trying to kill us -- not just penalize them or criticize them or contain them, but defeat them." Graham slammed President Obama's policies for fighting terror, and said "radical Islam is running wild." He said the biggest threat remains Iran's nuclear ambitions. Graham said he has more experience on national security than any candidate in the race. He quipped, "That includes you, Hillary."
You can watch the announcement here, via C-SPAN.

Posted by Amy Miller on June 01, 2015 28 Comments
Yesterday, I posed the conundrum of Rand Paul as an investment for major donors. From my perspective, the ratio of risk to reward tilts too heavily toward the former, and is a major cause of Paul's fundraising troubles. I floated the idea that, contrary to some commentary from the pro-Paul camp, these troubles aren't necessarily due to policy differences, but are a direct result of just how different Paul is from other candidates on a personal level. One of my commenters decided to keep it 150% more real when he said, Let me make this simple–he’s a jerk. I gave that a well-reasoned high five, because I don't feel like we give simple, decisive judgment calls like the one my friend in the comments made enough credit. It's easy to get carried away with a hyperanalysis of why a candidate succeeds, or fails, or loses relevancy in the middle of the pool---why not just say it? It's not us---it's you. Yesterday, Paul proved just how true that platitude rings when he accused his colleagues and peers on the Hill of "secretly wanting there to be an attack on the United States" out of spite over policy differences. The Daily Caller had it first. Watch:

Posted by Amy Miller on May 31, 2015 25 Comments
Rand Paul is in trouble. At least, it looks like Rand Paul is in trouble. When answering questions about fundraising posed by Politico last week, spokesmen from both the official campaign and America's Liberty PAC couched on their actual numbers. PAC spokesman Jesse Benton may have revealed much more than he intended when he said, “Results to date have been solid and give us lots of room for optimism as we continue. We also know this is a marathon, not a sprint.” Oof. Marathon-not-sprint is never where you want to be when other candidates are charming the multimillionaires who make national presidential campaigns tick. Part of me believes it shouldn't be this way. Paul has been making headlines as an anti-establishment pot-stirrer with his opposition to the impending PATRIOT Act extension. Back in 2013, an overwhelming majority of Americans stood in solidarity with Paul after he held a 13-hour filibuster protesting the use of drone strikes against American citizens. Senator Paul has been much more adept than fellow presidential contender Senator Cruz at influencing his colleagues on issues of policy without crossing the line into willful alienation---so what's the problem? The other side of my brain knows, though---and so do donors and strategists. More from Politico:

Posted by Jay Caruso on May 31, 2015 13 Comments
"Don't you someday want to see a woman president of the United States of America?" That was a line from a speech Hillary Clinton recently delivered for a gathering of the pro-abortion PAC, EMILY's List. It was delivered with all of the warmth and charm we've come to expect from the former Secretary of State, which is to say none at all. "First woman president" is basically what Hillary Clinton's campaign will be, and the media will do all they can to help her across the finish line in order to accomplish that. Take the latest cover of the New Yorker for example: new-yorker-gop-hillary There's "First Woman President" candidate Hillary standing on the outside looking in. The lone woman staring into a locker room loaded up with white guys, right? The New Yorker had this to say about the group of potential GOP candidates in the photo:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on May 28, 2015 17 Comments
If it seems like we're writing at least one "so and so formally announces they're running for president in 2016" post each day, that's probably not far from accurate. Waiting with baited breath for the Republican presidential candidate who can serve up the pro-abortion, anti-gun vote? Wait no more! Your endurance has proved fruitful. New York's former Governor George Pataki announced his presidential candidacy today. "My vision wasn't a partisan vision, it was about people, about what we can accomplish together," Pataki says in his first campaign video which was also released this morning. "If we are to flourish as a people, we have to fall in love with America again," he concludes. The video is 4 minutes long and has underlined words. That's pretty much all I'll say about it. But it's here to sate your curiosity:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on May 28, 2015 18 Comments
Now that former Senator Rick Santorum has dived into the presidential pool, I thought I would check the status of a candidate who is already in -- Carly Fiorina. Early in her candidacy, Professor Jacobson noted she was "rocking it" by taking the fight to Hillary Clinton. She continues to show the rest of the field how to target the elusive Democratic candidate. For example, Clinton has been less than responsive when it comes to addressing the American press. In contrast, Fiorina held a press conference...directly outside a Clinton event.
First the former Hewlett Packard chief executive popped up outside the Marriott hotel where Clinton was just about to kick off a campaign event, offering to take questions from the press since Clinton so often won't. Forty-five minutes later and six blocks down the road, there Fiorina was again, bragging to the South Carolina House Republican caucus about what she'd just done as they chewed on grilled chicken at a Hilton hotel luncheon. "I've answered probably 420-plus questions on the record about everything, from, 'Is a hot dog a sandwich?' -- I flubbed that one, I will tell you -- to what I would do about ISIS and everything in between," Fiorina said. "And Hillary Clinton has answered maybe 15 questions."

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on May 27, 2015 35 Comments
Former Senator Rick Santorum formally launched his presidential bid in Pennsylvania this afternoon. Making his announcement to a sizable crowd of enthusiastic supporters, Santorum made a tall order. "I'll offer a bold vision for America, the one that's clear and conservative, that has plans for reform and that has a proven track record."
His multi-faceted platform included "scrapping the corrupt federal tax code and the IRS that goes with it." In exchange for the current tax code, Santorum proposed implementing a flat tax. Reviving industry, shrinking government, reducing spending, and revoking every executive order and regulation that "cost American jobs" were also priorities outlined by Pennsylvania's former Senator.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on May 27, 2015 30 Comments
I like a lot of what Rand Paul has to say; I'm on board with limited Constitutional government, auditing the Fed, thoughtful deregulation, and major tax reform.  When it comes to foreign policy and America's place in the world, however, I can't think of another Republican with whom I disagree more.  (Except maybe his father.) And I'm not alone.  Rand has been trying to affirm his strength on national security precisely because there are a lot GOP primary voters who do not share his isolationist leanings.  As Kemberlee noted in September of last year, Rand's "I'm neither an isolationist nor an interventionist" may not have appeal . . .  to either side. His rhetoric has changed rather dramatically from last fall, however.  Now he's going so far as to argue that Republican hawks "created" ISIS.  This statement is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason: it's an amazing and strange thing to say.  Watch:

Posted by Jay Caruso on May 27, 2015 18 Comments
Florida will be (as it has been) a pivotal state in the 2016 general election. Its 29 electoral votes will loom large in the race to reach 270---but how much will it matter in the GOP primary? With Florida favorites Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio expected to compete for most of the votes, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (who has yet to officially declare his candidacy) has left the door open to skipping the Florida primary:
Speaking to conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, Walker said if he does jump in the 2016 race, "I don't think there's a state out there we wouldn't play in." "Other than, maybe, Florida, where Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are ... in some of the polls, essentially tied," he said, naming the former governor and current senator who are headed down a collision course in their home state's primary this cycle.
You can listen to the audio here: