Will the speaker’s resignation lead to a better, more effective House of Representatives?
Nick Gillespie|Sep. 25, 2015 1:37 pm
So John Boehner is stepping down as Speaker of the House. To paraphrase various Monty Python bits: And there was much rejoicing.
Pretty much from across the spectrum, I’d say. To conservatives, Boehner was a squish on all the things they care about (the Ohioan had the temerity to want to avoid a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding). Earlier today, Donald Trump greeted Boehner’s resignation by saying, “I think it’s wonderful, frankly.” That sentiment is widely shared by many, perhaps most Republicans pols.
To liberals, Boehner was always ready to help defend war, surveillance, No Child Left Behind, the unpaid-for Medicare expansion under Bush, you name it.
And for libertarians, he was terrible in virtually every possible way. He was a go-along, get-along kind of guy always willing to do the bidding of state at the expense of the individual. And despite professions on his part of having a small-government vision, he could never quite get around to naming a program he was, you know, actually willing to cut or even trim in any sort of way that might impact things.
As it happens, in my latest Daily Beast column, which went live just a few hours before Boehner announced his resignation, I wrote this about his lack of vision and clarity when it came to minimizing the size, scope, and spending of government:
Wednesday’s GOP debate appears to be the highest-rated event in CNN’s history, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings.
The prime time debate averaged a 14.7 household rating, indicating that 1 in 7 American homes with TVs tuned in.
These are NFL-level ratings — affirming that the Donald Trump fueled Republican debate slate is one of the most popular television shows of the year.
The overnight ratings estimates are subject to adjustments. But the 14.7 rating is likely to translate to 20-plus million viewers once final viewership figures come out Thursday afternoon.
Fox’s GOP debate last month received a 16.0 preliminary rating the next morning. That number later extrapolated to 24 million live viewers. (Another 1.1 million viewers watched via DVRs.)
Fox’s debate was two hours long while CNN’s was three hours.
From a campaign’s perspective, longer might have been better, because it gave candidates more time to talk and argue. It also gave CNN more time for commercial breaks.
A majority of Republican registered voters want either Donald Trump or Ben Carson to be their party’s 2016 presidential nominee, according to two new national polls from the Washington Post-ABC News and the New York Times-CBS News.
Let that sink in for a minute. Neither Trump, who made his name as a real estate mogul and reality star, nor Carson, a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, have run for any office prior to their presidential candidacies. Both men have staked the entirety of their campaigns on the idea that they are the furthest thing possible from a traditional politician. And it is working for both of them. Big time.
While the rise of Trump tends to dominate the headlines, polls like these from The Post and the Times provide a reminder of the big picture here for the Republican party. And that big picture is simple: The GOP establishment is on the run, and there are few signs that its members have any sort of coherent strategy to deal with the massive uprising within its ranks.
t’s not only that 53 percent of Republican voters (in the Post poll) or 50 percent of GOP voters (in the Times poll) say they are for either Trump or Carson. It’s also how few Republican respondents in those same surveys say they are for the establishment choices. Jeb Bush, the man everyone assumed would be the race’s front-runner, clocks in at 8 percent in the Post poll and 6 percent (!) in the Times poll. Scott Walker, the guy who was supposed to challenge Bush for the top spot, takes 2 percent in both the Times and Post polls. Two.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump had a message to his critics at a massive, sold-out rally in Dallas on Monday: “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m not going anywhere and we’re not going anywhere,” Trump told a packed American Airlines Center, where an estimated 20,000 rallied.
“We are killing it. They mentioned a little while ago about the silent majority — it’s back. And it’s not silent. Maybe we should call it the noisy, aggressive, wanting to win — wanting-to-win majority.”
Trump said that he is preparing for the second Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, and offered frequent criticism to his rival former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
“Who would you rather have negotiating — Jeb or Trump?” Trump asked.
Trump, who continues to lead his Republican rivals by wide margins, said that he will unveil a tax policy plan in about three weeks, reiterating that he wants to lower taxes for middle income Americans, while raising taxes on hedge fund companies. He hasn’t said how he’ll pay for it.
Trump said that he would be able to negotiate a deal with Congress to lower corporate taxes on international companies, who have had to change their corporate headquarters to overseas addresses to take advantage of lower rates.
It’s apparent from my vantage point behind the microphone that if you’re even remotely glossy-eyed by presidential coverage in the media, you’d better buy some eye drops. The panorama of candidate content, communications and messaging is barely on the horizon, and soon to be in full view as the Iowa caucus and primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada come into focus.
Maneuvering through the gauntlet of opinions, I’m finding a consistency remains in deep-rooted support for presidential candidate Donald Trump.
People love Trump. They deem him a saving grace. He’s the proverbial Hercules and America’s problems are the labors to pursue and slay. He is riding a wave of popularity so profound even the sharks are curbing their taste.
In light of the Trump sensation, it may be appropriate, or at least instructive, to delineate what my radio listeners embrace from Trump’s message.
Here are five reasons why Trump appears to be the candidate to beat:
1. He doesn’t need to bluff. Trump has such confidence that he’s the kind of player who doesn’t bluff in a poker game. While this feels counterintuitive to a winning strategy, particularly in an age of baby-kissing politicians who thrive on placation over results, it’s actually refreshing. His candor builds respect. Radio listeners are extolling day after day the fact Trump is transparent to a fault, from his stances on immigration to foreign relations. Even his faults are steadily accepted and adopted. Poll Americans on who they like better: Trump vs. Univision reporter Jorge Ramos, actress Rosie O’Donnell, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), blogger Erick Erickson, pollster Frank Luntz or even columnist George Will, and the New York businessman will be on top every time by double digits.
2. He can’t be intimidated. Forget his multibillion dollar net worth. Push aside his armada of contacts and networking forged over decades. One of the strongest resonating dimensions to Trump is grit and tenacity. Super-PAC coffers of more than $100 million, compliments of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United case, don’t dissuade or cower Trump. He has access to the same level of resources. Political titles and legislative chevrons glimmering with laws passed in Congress don’t make Trump blink, because he’s been the donor sought after by many of these same politicians now running against him. From connections to chits, deep roots in business to opponents with far less resources, competitors simply can’t match Trump’s popularity. As one caller to the show recently bemused, compare Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) student loans or Gov. Scott Walker’s (R-Wis.) personal debt to Trump’s acumen and portfolio, and it’s almost like petulant children are competing against their successful, prominent father.
3. Out with political correctness. Build a wall to block illegal immigration from Mexico and Central America while deporting what he calls “anchor babies” and their families; impugn Russian, Chinese and South American leaders despite inextricably linked economies with the U.S.; hobble castigators who choose insults and fodder over substance in debates and interviews. It’s almost like describing a Roman general or martyr of a revolution, yet it’s a precise portrayal of Trump. His wherewithal is opening the eyes of Americans to the incompetence of our government. Callers remind me nearly every show that they want solutions, not sensationalism. They seek commonsense policies, not sound bites. My callers think Megyn Kelly was rude in her Fox News debate questions. They resoundingly believe Ramos deserved his fast-and-furious escort out of the recent Iowa press conference. They concur that chest-pounders like Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) do, in fact, need to be taken down a notch on the hubris ladder. From race to gender to economic principles, Trump’s stark opinions are catching the attention of the public, and they can’t stop staring — in a good way. This isn’t a painted breast in Manhattan, but the cold, hard truth about America being broken, and a journeyman blessed with the right tools to “get ‘er done” and make repairs.
4. He’s reinvigorating America across the political spectrum. Like a Lee Greenwood or Johnny Cash song, Trump is traveling from the lakes to the fields to the cities of America, and he’s definitely been everywhere — and isn’t stopping. The media follow his path; opponents emulate his narrative; the electorate revels in the freshness of a candidate diagnosing what ails us and offering painful but necessary remedies. As for radio talk show listeners, be it the libertarian free marketer, Tea Party stalwart, open-minded Republican or smidgeon of moderate Democrats, Trump’s ascension in public support isn’t just vertical, but also lateral from right to middle to left in partisan affiliation. As one listener messaged last month, President Obama’s initial campaign maxims of “hope” and “yes we can” were just that: maxims, that never came to fruition. It appears Trump’s legacy may be following through with his promises, and that expectation appears to have awakened the American ethos.
5. Finally, a business-centric leader who is comfortable making decisions. A fan of the show recently commented that Trump can win the race for the presidency by naming his vice president and Cabinet members in the next few months, rather than after a Republican nomination. The logic is that building a team of experts who will manage the operations of the nation, as part of a campaign platform, is superior to generalities and wishful thinking. Trump’s business acumen is proven. Callers are alluding to the fact that he isn’t afraid of the media, nor does he use the crutch of notes and prepared speeches. He’s a negotiator, not a political puppet. He’s a dealmaker who thrives in the hot seat of a boardroom. Logic suggests he’ll be the same in foreign negotiations or hunkered down in a military command center. Trump doesn’t “blink,” in the Malcolm Gladwell context
Wyckoff NJ, Its been asked over and over by every New Jersey editorial board ,will voters remember N.J. Rep. Scott Garrett’s supposed, anonymously sourced Speaker Bohner planted gay comments next fall?
The answer was heard loud and clear today and in meetings like it all over the state. Garrett spoke before a packed house at the WBTP and question after question was about a Nuclear Iran, TPP, TPA, and so on but not one single question about the anonymously attributed “gay ” comments , not one. Apparently Iranians shouting death to America and being handed nuclear weapons by our government , held sway over silly Republican intramural politics .
Last night Garrett spoke before the West Bergen Tea Party meeting in Wyckoff which looked like a who’s who in North Jersey Republican Politics including Bob Yudin of BCRO and Paul DiGaetano .
Garrett took some heat for Republican failures to achieve any meaning for change in the disastrous direction the country is headed ,after which he reminded the crowd that he was just one person and will vote against the Iran Nuke deal , had voted against Obamacare, voted to with hold TPA from the president , and had voted against speaker Bohners leadership .
Garrett took it one step further when explained that he and 8 other house members, now grown to 50 that had started a caucus in the house which looked to push a more constitutional based agenda for the house. Garrett seemed even more frustrated than members of the audience with the current political situation and suggested the House could use the power of the purse to defund the Iran deal .
GOP pollster’s legs ‘shaking’ after Trump focus group
August 25, 2015, 08:23 am
By Jesse Byrnes
Republican pollster Frank Luntz reported wobbly legs after hearing from a group of Donald Trump supporters, according to TIME.
Luntz conducted a focus group of 29 people from Washington, D.C. and its suburbs that either like or adore the GOP front-runner, paying each participant for the more than two-hour session Monday night, the magazine reported.
“I used to sleep on my front porch with the door wide open, and now everyone has deadbolts,” one man said during the session, according to TIME. “I believe the best days of the country are behind us.”
“I’m frustrated beyond belief. I feel like I’ve been lied to,” a woman said. “Nothing’s getting better.”
“We know his goal is to make America great again,” another woman said. “It’s on his hat. And we see it every time it’s on TV. Everything that he’s doing, there’s no doubt why he’s doing it: it’s to make America great again.”
After the group watched recordings of Trump’s political flip flops and remarks on women, the individuals reportedly said they liked Trump even more.
“You guys understand how significant this is?” Luntz asked reporters, according to TIME. “This is real. I’m having trouble processing it. Like, my legs are shaking.”
“I want to put the Republican leadership behind this mirror and let them see. They need to wake up. They don’t realize how the grassroots have abandoned them,” Luntz continued. “Donald Trump is punishment to a Republican elite that wasn’t listening to their grassroots.”
Luntz conducted a focus group aired live on Fox News immediately following the first GOP debate early this month, finding mostly negative views of Trump – then also the front-runner.
Ridgewood NJ, There has been a lot of analysis and banter regarding Thursday’s Republican Primary Debates at 5 and 9 o’clock. If you’re didn’t get the opportunity yourself, and you want a quick run-down, here you go…
The Primetime Debate:
Trump was Trump. Aside from the Mexico question, all the questions were personal attacks. Good for him for staying aggressive. He’ll have to get more tangible and specific on more issues to maintain his front-runner status. He’s definitely not a moron. His ego is nothing new, by the way, folks. Teddy Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, LBJ, hello? And he has to be brilliant to maintain a multi-billion dollar business empire and reach the proverbial summit in multiple fields, including publishing and television. He’s to modern television what JFK was to early television.
Bush did very well, but, as has been pointed out, the dynastic thing isn’t popular, including with me. We’ve made exceptions in the past, but not a three-time one. He was prepared with good answers since they were the same questions he’s always asked about, such as the “If you knew then what you know now about Iraq” question. Nothing new from Jeb.
Scott Walker treaded water. His record is fantastic; but as he pointed out, he’s normal, and modern America wants sensationalism, not vanilla. He’s lost in the crowd.
Mike Huckabee performed very well. He stood out almost as well as Trump. Some great lines too: the Hillary comment toward the end when folks thought he was talking about Trump; also, the military social experiment line was superb. He’ll be a long-haul contender with his demeanor and wit. (Reality is, whether you like it or not, that’s what the voters eat up.)
Ben Carson was smooth, methodical, extremely intelligent, and held his own. His closing remarks may have been the night’s highlights. If he isn’t given the VP nod, if not the Presidential nominee, it would be a terrible mistake. The guy’s a neurosurgeon for crying out loud, so he can learn politics and international relations easily enough: nothing more than history and social skills, people.
Ted Cruz was another who performed very well that night. He had the best overall mixture of responses: his record, his family, his plans. Hell, he was one of only two to lay out tangible specifics, and that’s guts right there in an age when hair-splicing occurs over every word! This guy is a force to be reckoned with. A brilliant contender.
Marco Rubio, I thought, treaded water as well. Nothing stood out with him, and he was ho-hum throughout. If he performs that way, he’ll be forgotten soon enough. I found him to speak ambiguously on most things, save his faith.
Rand Paul was way, way too controversial and fisticuffs. You think Trump is aggressive, holy cow! Paul outdid Trump in that regard during the debate. While he isn’t necessarily wrong on most issues for the base, Paul often comes across as leaning wrong. Being the most libertarian candidate on the stage will naturally produce a perception of political radical. He’s principled and didn’t backstep on anything, though.
Chris Christie did surprisingly well, I thought. He stuck to his guns, he showed his Jersey Attitude, and had some almost-memorable lines. He was the other one to lay out some specifics, good for him. He’ll gain ground if he keeps it up.
Jon Kasich was great overall. He came across as the most genuine, and he wasn’t nervous like Carson was. He mixed up variety into his messaging well. His was a good, solid performance, and this first national spotlight for him has elevated his status too. Kasich will most definitely be picking up ground, but I don’t think he’ll pull off the nomination unless he gets more aggressive and more memorable.
The other major players were the three Fox News moderators: Chris Wallace, Megan Kelly, and Brett Baier. They asked some tough questions depending on the candidate, and there was particular animosity toward Trump. The three, particularly Kelly and Wallace, came across as Rupert Murdoch hacks, following Murdoch’s marching orders to take out the front-runner. Nothing fair or balanced in that. Treat all candidates equally, which the three did not.
By the way, don’t even bother paying attention to the 5 o’clock debate. The only one from that pack who has any chance is Carly Florin, but she’s a long-shot too.
And there you have it. Want more? There’s plenty on YouTube and social media to keep you busy for hours! Good luck with the sorting, voters!
If Donald Trump’s comments about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly are hurting his standing in the Republican primary, it’s not showing in the numbers.
According to the latest NBC News Online Poll conducted by SurveyMonkey, Trump is at the top of the list of GOP candidates that Republican primary voters would cast a ballot for if the primary were being held right now.
The overnight poll was conducted for 24 hours from Friday evening into Saturday. During that period, Donald Trump stayed in the headlines due to his negative comments about Kelly and was dis-invited from a major conservative gathering in Atlanta.
None of that stopped Trump from coming in at the top of the poll with 23 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz was next on the list with 13 percent.
“Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably,” the great Homer Simpson once observed. “The lesson is: never try.”
That’s probably how the so-called “smart set” within the Republican Party feels these days. Ever since Mitt Romney’s 2012 defeat—a loss that caught everyone off guard except for people who followed public opinion polls or read a newspaper—we Republicans were promised a tough, new approach to the presidential primary process.
No longer would the “non-serious candidates”—a term the bigwigs applied to people like Michele Bachmann or Herman Cain—be permitted to dominate the news cycles. This time the GOP would be a well-oiled machine, with a handful of candidates who quickly and quietly made way for the coronation of King Bush the Third.
And yet here we are.
The first GOP debate, televised on August 6 on Fox News, is already a total backfire for the establishment. Based on the latest polls, it will likely include every single one of the candidates the Republican elite despises: Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz—and banish to the losers’ consolation round exactly the types of candidates the establishment presumably wants to showcase: a female business leader, an Indian-American son of immigrants and the consensus-building governor of the crucial electoral state of Ohio.
The controlled, somber and oh-so-civilized process that the GOP promised its donors is now the biggest free-for-all in American political history. The blame for this, of course, is all being thrown in one direction.
The author of legislation in the House to defund Planned Parenthood in the wake of controversial videos lamented the lack of a vote before the chamber departs for a monthlong summer break.
“I stand here profoundly disappointed that the House will leave town today without taking a vote on my legislation to defund Planned Parenthood,” Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) said on the House floor on Wednesday.
“Today, I’m reminded of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: ‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.'”
House GOP leadership has indicated a measure to defund Planned Parenthood won’t come up for a vote anytime soon.
“In order to enact legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, we need more Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate to support our efforts,” a House GOP leadership aide told The Hill this week.
Most Republicans, however, say it will be tough to round up the votes to overthrow the speaker.
By Jake Sherman and Lauren French
7/28/15 6:01 PM EDT
Updated 7/28/15 10:28 PM EDT
North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows had heard from leading conservatives that trying to oust Speaker John Boehner right now was a bad idea.
Reps. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), fierce and frequent critics of leadership, thought the move was ill-advised. Some of Meadows’ friends didn’t even see it coming. But just before 6 p.m. Tuesday — a day before the House was set to leave town for its five-week summer recess — Meadows offered a motion to vacate the chair, an extraordinarily rare procedural move that represents the most serious expression of opposition to Boehner’s speakership. If the motion were to pass — most Republicans say it will be hard to cobble together the votes — Boehner would be stripped of the speaker’s gavel, potentially plunging the House of Representatives into chaos.
GOP leaders were taken completely by surprise. Meadows, a second-term Republican, hadn’t even asked for a meeting with Boehner or other top Republicans to air his gripes.
Until now, the North Carolina Republican had taken small steps to undermine Boehner — he voted against procedural motions and against Boehner for speaker. Now he’s declared all-out war, and he could quickly find out how many people are willing to back him up.
Meadows, however, didn’t go as far as he could have. A motion to vacate the chair — last attempted roughly a century ago — is typically considered a privileged resolution. In that format, the House would hold a vote within two legislative days. Meadows, however, chose not to offer it in that form, which he said was a sign that he wanted a discussion.
On “Hannity” tonight, Donald Trump said he’s disappointed with our country’s leaders, particularly President Obama, who he called the worst president in the history of the U.S.
Trump said that Obama has been a disaster for the country, pointing to the nuclear agreement with Iran as a recent example of the president’s failures.
Trump added that Obama is just like most politicians: All talk and no action.
Trump said that his anti-politician message is resonating with Americans, and that’s why he’s currently leading in the polls.
“People are tired of incompetent politicians running our country,” Trump said. “When they see a deal like the Iran nuclear deal, when they see how badly our veterans are taken care of, they’re just sick and tired of it.”
Trump added that many people are asking him to run as an independent, but he doesn’t see why he would do that when he’s the leading Republican in the polls.
Media Generated Controversy ? How far will GOP press Garrett?
GOP insiders
JULY 26, 2015, 11:16 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2015, 7:39 AM
BY HERB JACKSON
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD
Rep. Scott Garrett’s decision to stop supporting a key Republican campaign fund did more than raise questions about his attitudes toward gay people — it highlighted an often-obscured reality about the political machinery that ties congressional power to cash.
Party leaders — for both Democrats and Republicans — know that certain committee assignments give members of Congress access to lucrative streams of contributions from industries that those committees oversee.
And the pressure applied to Garrett to contribute to his party shows that when someone who needs to pay for an election every two years is put in a position to tap those streams, leaders expect loyalty and a piece of the action.
Garrett, a Republican from Wantage whose district is dominated by Bergen County voters, is resisting pressure to do both. He has a long record of going his own way when voting on the House floor, and in an interview with The Record last week indicated he will continue to do so if he believes a matter of principle is at stake.
He also has reportedly told colleagues he will not pay his “dues” to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s campaign fund because it has supported gay candidates and because of differences with the leadership of House Speaker John Boehner, whose reelection Garrett opposed in January.
It’s an unwritten rule in Congress that dues to the party committee are tied to a member’s position in the chamber. And Garrett is chairman of a subcommittee that handles legislation affecting stock markets and the mortgage industry, a post that could be in jeopardy because of his resistance.
Garrett raised nearly $1 million in both the 2012 and 2014 election cycles from employees and PACs tied to banking, insurance, securities and real estate interests, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. His latest campaign finance report showed Garrett had $2.2 million available on June 30 and nearly a year and a half to raise more for his 2016 reelection.
Mark Levin Calls for Resignation of Boehner and McConnell
In light of the obvious duplicity by Senate Leader Mitch McConnell in the past but especially over the weekend, and the continuing deceit by Speaker Boehner, Mark Levin has called for McConnell and Boehner to resign for the good of the American people.
Via Mark Levin’s Facebook:
It is time for Mitch McConnell and John Boehner to resign
July 27, 2015 at 9:23am
It is time for Mitch McConnell and John Boehner to resign for the good of the nation and the Republican Party. The nation and GOP are both suffering as a result of the unwillingness or inability of McConnell and Boehner to effectively defend either. Instead, these politicians are consumed with consolidating their own power on Capitol Hill and silencing opponents who dare to challenge their ironfisted rule. Sadly, they rarely act in the best interests of America’s future. Indeed, time and again they have delivered victory after victory for Obama and his radical agenda — from spending, borrowing, and Obamacare to illegal immigration, Iran and “trade” power. Never before has a Congress controlled by one party been so thoroughly impotent. This is due to the disastrous leadership of McConnell and Boehner. It is time for younger, wiser, and more courageous Republican leadership — constitutional conservatives who understand the role of a statesman in perilous times — who are willing to truly lead the nation and the Republican Party based on America’s enlightened principles, advance the cause of liberty and republican government, and make the case everyday to the American people.
Mark is right, we should all be calling for the crony leadership, sick with power, to resign immediately.
The deleterious effects of this Republican leadership will ruin any chances of a 2016 Republican president, as they continue to ignore the American people’s priorities and instead, work for their own gain.
