| February 23, 2015 | |
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Few issues fire up a good chunk of conservatives more than personal attacks against President Obama. At the same time, these attacks also turn off swing voters and minorities that the Republican Party is trying to court. And this is the situation that Scott Walker now finds himself in, after refusing 1) to comment on Rudy Giuliani's assertion that Barack Obama doesn't love his country, and 2) declining to weigh in on whether Obama is a Christian. Notable conservatives have cheered Walker's rhetoric (see Erick Erickson here) and blasted the media for asking these types of questions. (What was the point of asking Walker about Obama and Christianity? That's what many conservatives and Walker defenders are asking. It only feeds their skepticism of the MSM press.) Yet other conservative writers, like Matt Lewis, argue that this rhetoric is only going to alienate other voters. "In their minds, Walker is some sort of folk hero for providing that inept answer. But I can assure you, that's not how the majority of Americans (who aren't conservative activists on Twitter) will see it," Lewis contends. (After all, just look at the career trajectories of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann). What's more, as Democrat Robert Gibbs said on "Meet the Press" yesterday, if you're stirring up controversies on the EASY questions, think what happens when they become HARDER as a presidential candidate. Here's the thing about playing with fire: Sometimes you frighten your opposition by doing something they couldn't do -- or ever dream to do. Other times, you get burned.
How the other GOP 2016ers responded to Giuliani's comments
By the way, here is how the different Republican 2016ers responded to Giuliani's comments:
Bush: "Governor Bush doesn't question President Obama's motives. He does question President Obama's disastrous policies." - per Bush's spokeswoman
Graham: "I have no doubt that he loves his country. I have no doubt that he's a patriot. But his primary job as president of the United States is to defend this country and he's failing miserably." - to ABC
Jindal: "The gist of what Mayor Giuliani said - that the President has shown himself to be completely unable to speak the truth about the nature of the threats from these terrorists - is true," Jindal said in a statement. "If you are looking for someone to condemn the mayor, look elsewhere."
Paul: "I think it's a mistake to question people's motives. It's one thing to disagree on policy."
Rubio: "Democrats aren't asked to answer every time Joe Biden says something embarrassing. So I don't know why I should answer every time a Republican does. I will suffice it to say that I believe the president loves America. I just think his ideas are bad
Walker: "Yeah, I mean, the mayor can speak for himself. I'm not going to comment on whether -- what the president thinks or not. He can speak for himself as well. I'll tell you, I love America." - to CNBC.
Giuliani walks it back
Meanwhile, Giuliani wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed that walks back his personal criticism of the president -- to a point. "My blunt language suggesting that the president doesn't love America notwithstanding, I didn't intend to question President Obama's motives or the content of his heart. My intended focus really was the effect his words and his actions have on the morale of the country, and how that effect may damage his performance." More Giuliani: "Obviously, I cannot read President Obama's mind or heart, and to the extent that my words suggested otherwise, it was not my intention. When asked last week whether I thought the president was a patriot, I said I did, and would repeat that. I bear him no ill will, and in fact think that his personal journey is inspiring and a testament to much of what makes this country great."
The real problem with foreign governments giving money to the Clinton Foundation
On the Democratic side of the 2016 equation, observers are continuing to ask questions why the Clinton Foundation is accepting donations from foreign governments. As we asked last week, if these donations stopped when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state (due to an apparent conflict of interest), shouldn't they stop as she looks likely to pursue another White House run? The problem isn't how the Clinton Foundation is using this money -- no doubt it benefitting poor nations and furthering humanitarian efforts. The apparent problem here is WHY foreign governments might want to give this money to the Clinton Foundation.
It's going to be a busy week in the 2016 race
Finally on the 2016 front, it's worth noting that this week will be a BUSY week in the still-developing presidential contest. On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton is giving a speech at a Silicon Valley conference for women. Also on Tuesday, Marco Rubio is heading to New Hampshire to speak at the Politics and Eggs breakfast. And on Thursday through Saturday, there's the annual CPAC conference in the DC area. Speakers will include Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, and Scott Walker. So the speed of the 2016 contest will pick up this week in a big way.
More Senate Republicans urge GOP not to pick fight over DHS funding
The other big political story we're watching this week is the fight over spending for the Department of Homeland Security, which expires on Friday. On "Meet the Press" yesterday, Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Corker was the latest Republican to suggest that the GOP not pick a fight over this spending (by including riders rolling back the president's immigration actions). "I was gratified by the judge's ruling [on immigration]," Corker said. "The president 22 times had said he couldn't do this, he didn't have the authority. So, I was very gratified by what the judge ruled. At the same time, I do believe in this time where we have the kind of threats that we have from all over the world, we certainly need to make sure that Homeland Security is fully funded. And my guess is we'll figure out a way to make sure that happens this week." On ABC, Sen. Lindsey Graham was blunter: "I hope my House colleagues will understand that our best bet is to challenge this in court, that if we don't fund the Department of Homeland Security, we'll get blamed as a party." As we've said before, the party that is divided rarely wins these kinds of shutdown showdowns.
Does the Al Shabaab threat make a showdown over DHS funding even riskier?
You also have to wonder if the terror threat by Al Shabaab on the Mall of America makes a showdown over the Department of Homeland Security even riskier. Here was the dispatch from NBC's Kristen Welker on "Today": "Heightened security this morning as the iconic Mall of America in the wake of a video released by the Somali terrorist group Al Shabaab, calling for attacks against western shopping malls - specifically naming this one." More Welker: "The group has claimed responsibility for the 2013 terrorist attack against the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya, where more than 60 people were killed.
The impacts of a DHS shutdown
Meanwhile, Democrats have begun to list what could happen if the Department of Homeland Security isn't funded after Feb. 27. Here was DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson on "Meet the Press": "If we go into government shutdown, some 30,000 employees at my department will be furloughed, including a lot of headquarters personnel who I count on daily to stay one step ahead of groups like ISIL. A large part of the workforce will be required to come to work. But they'll come to work without pay." The office of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe -- who represents a sizable number of DHS employees -- tells First Read that a DHS shutdown could hinder communication when it comes to port operations, and it would stop the state from receiving some grant funds. "Should we have a great debate on immigration? Sure we should, but you should not use it as a partisan ploy to shut down an agency that is vital to the security of our nation and not only vital to the security of the nation, it's a huge employment driver for all 50 states, but really for this region. It's a big deal," McAuliffe told NBC's Perry Bacon.
Three points on the DNC's post-election "autopsy" report
Finally, on Saturday, the Democratic National Committee issued it's "autopsy" after the party's 2014 midterm losses. Three points here. One, the chief shortcoming the DNC highlighted was message. "In order to consistently win on every level, we have to reconnect with the reason we want to win-and that reason is the people." Two, this nine-page "preliminary" report PALES IN COMPARISON to the big report the RNC did after its losses in 2012. And three, the DNC omitted what is perhaps the organization's biggest shortcoming in the Obama Era: Obama's OFA (in many ways) has become a separate party organization that has diverted resources and attention away from the DNC. That's a real problem as the party moves away from the Obama years.
Click here to sign up for First Read emails. Check us out on Facebook and also onTwitter. Follow us @chucktodd, @mmurraypolitics, @carrienbcnews
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OBAMA AGENDA: Meeting with the governors
From the New York Times: "A newly disclosed National Security Agency document illustrates the striking acceleration of the use of cyberweapons by the United States and Iran against each other, both for spying and sabotage, even as Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart met in Geneva to try to break a stalemate in the talks over Iran's disputed nuclear program."
Obama will meet with governors at the White House today, where DHS funding is sure to loom large.
On Meet the Press Sunday, DHS chief Jeh Johnson said the public "needs to be particularly vigilant," particularly after terror threats directed at shopping malls.
POLITICO notes how Obama's request for war authorization against ISIS is causing a rift on the left.
CONGRESS: DHS funding deadline is approaching
The Wall Street Journal on the DHS funding deadline: "In one of the first signs of movement, Senate Republicans, still mulling their options, are most likely to end up supporting a short-term extension of the agency's current funding, potentially for one or two months, according to GOP aides. But that would meet some conservative opposition in the chamber, and a short term deal also could face hurdles passing the House, where many Republicans are demanding legislative steps to block the president's immigration policy."
OFF TO THE RACES: Rudy walks it back
Rudy Giuliani in the Wall Street Journal: "My blunt language suggesting that the president doesn't love America notwithstanding, I didn't intend to question President Obama's motives or the content of his heart. My intended focus really was the effect his words and his actions have on the morale of the country, and how that effect may damage his performance."
Democrats have become a confused political party with a muddled message and an inability to turn out enough of its loyal voters, a party task force charged with how to revive the embattled party said Saturday," McClatchy writes.
BUSH: The Washington Post's dive into Mrs. Bush's expensive tastes, including big purchases at a South Florida jewelry store: "Documentation available online, which does not include the details of two transactions made less than six weeks apart in 1995, shows that she spent a total of more than $90,000 at the store."
CLINTON: Making waves over the weekend, from the Washington Post: "As she readies her second presidential campaign, Clinton has recruited consumer marketing specialists onto her team of trusted political advisers. Their job is to help imagine Hillary 5.0 - the rebranding of a first lady turned senator turned failed presidential candidate turned secretary of state turned likely 2016 Democratic presidential nominee."
CHRISTIE: Chris Christie's RGA successes aren't turning into commitments of support from Republican governors, notes the Wall Street Journal.
MSNBC's Steve Kornacki's piece: The past catches up with Christie.
HUCKABEE: The Washington Post previews Mike Huckabee's "tour guide" trips to Israel.
PERRY: Flexing his muscles on foreign policy? Rick Perry released a new videodescribing his policy proposal for managing aggression by Vladimir Putin.
RUBIO: McClatchy: "Marco Rubio is hot again. The junior senator from Florida is in the midst of a comeback, fueled by a self-assured stand against easing relations with Cuba, some savvy campaigning in Iowa and a meeting that impressed well-heeled donors. He still faces a daunting path to the White House. Voters in his own state would rather he seek a second Senate term in 2016. He's no longer the only bright young Republican star in the field. And he continues to come under fire for a shift on immigration, particularly from the Latino community that Republicans want to woo."
WALKER: Our own Perry Bacon notes how conservatives are split about Walker's handling of the media gauntlet.
The New York Times writes that Walker has made a conservative turn on social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, including an embrace of a "personhood" amendment.
The Journal Sentinel: "As Walker travels throughout the country pursuing the presidency, he and GOP lawmakers have bumped into one another on the biggest issues before them, from the state budget to private-sector unions."
The Washington Post on Walker's anti-union push: "Unions representing teachers, professors, trash collectors and other government employees are struggling to stem plummeting membership rolls and retain relevance in the state where they got their start."
PROGRAMMING NOTES.
*** Monday's "News Nation with Tamron Hall" line-up: Tamron Hall speaks with legal analyst Lisa Green about the American Sniper trial, Journalist and Author Allison Samuels about the health of Bobbi Kristina Brown, and Senior Editor at Variety Ramin Setoodeh regarding the Oscars.
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Influential conservatives are divided over Wisconsin governor and GOP presidential candidate Scott Walker's handling of questions this week about President Obama's faith and patriotism. Some say Walker is right to lambast such queries as "gotcha" questions from a media they believe is biased against conservatives, while other Republicans say the governor is showing flaws that cut against his image as a crafty politician who could defeat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head matchup next year.
Over the last few days, since former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani pointedly questioned if Obama loves America in a closed-door session with conservative activists that included Walker, the governor has been repeatedly asked questions about Obama's personal beliefs. And Walker has refused to say if he believes the president loves America or is a Christian.
"Good politicians can answer them effectively," wrote conservative columnist Matt Lewis in the Daily Beast on Saturday, referring to such controversial questions. "Conservatives should be worried that Walker hasn't proven capable of navigating these land mines."
Ross Douthat, a conservative columnist from the New York Times, wrote in a Twitter message, "I think you are required to concede someone's public profession of faith. There's room for finesse in how you do it." Former Florida GOP congressman and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough expressed similar concerns.
"Republicans who question President Obama's patriotism and his Christian faith, or who leave question marks around it, are in my judgment acting in ways that are wrong and unwise," said Pete Wehner, who a top policy adviser in George W. Bush's administration and a senior adviser to Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign. "Wrong because it's inappropriate and pulls our politics down and unwise because it's easy to underestimate how much this kind of stuff and all the debate surrounding it, hurts the Republican Party."
But a slew of Republicans, particularly online, blasted the press for asking Walker and other candidates these questions. And Asa Hutchinson, the governor of Arkansas, said in a brief interview with NBC News that he felt it was difficult for Walker or any other politician to answer questions about another person's beliefs.
"I wouldn't be critical of anybody on that," said Hutchinson, who was attending a meeting of the National Governors Association in Washington that included Walker.
The controversy over Walker's comments comes as the Wisconsin governor is at the start of a likely presidential campaign that could have promise. Unlike many of the other candidates in the field, Walker has appeal to conservative Republicans because of his record of confronting labor unions in Wisconsin, but also moderates in the party who view Walker positively because he has won three statewide races in a traditionally blue state.
In the early stages of the race, Walker is trying to run as an electable but still conservative alternative to ex-Florida governor Jeb Bush, who is the favorite of many GOP moderates but viewed skeptically by those on the right.
Walker has spent the last month courting major GOP donors and elites in the party, attending a event in New York City on Wednesday that was packed with major conservative figures such as Rich Lowry, editor of National Review. It was at that dinner where Giuliani said of Obama, "I do not believe that the president loves America."
Those remarks by the former mayor quickly turned into a media frenzy, with the GOP candidates being asked to comment on them. Bush, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, ex-Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have all suggested it is better to focus on the president's policies than such personal questions.
"I believe the president loves America. His ideas are bad," Rubio said.
Walker did not take that approach. Asked by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Friday if Obama loves America, Walker said,"I've never asked the President , so I don't really know what his opinions are on that one way or another. "
The next day, in an interview with the Washington Post, Walker sidestepped a question about whether Obama is a Christian, saying "I've actually never talked about it or I haven't read about that."
Obama has repeatedly said that he is a Christian and that he loves America.
Walker's spokeswoman later told the Post, "Of course the governor thinks the president is a Christian, adding, "He thinks these kinds of gotcha questions distract from what he's doing as governor of Wisconsin."
It's unclear if Walker's comments are part of a broader strategy to signal to conservatives who dislike Obama personally that he is one of them or simply a distaste of being asked questions that seem targeted at making him commit some kind of gaffe. |
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| CPAC Convention kicks off, Homeland Security Department funding deadline, voters choose a mayor in Chicago, and who loves America? |
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In today's rapid-fire political news cycle, it's easy to get overwhelmed and difficult to sort it all out. So here's a look back at the past week in the 2016 presidential contest, making sense of the developments and events that we think mattered -- and those that didn't.
What Mattered
1. The GOP's early two-man contest: Our recent batch of NBC/Marist polls of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina showed that Jeb Bush and Scott Walker are your early 2016 GOP frontrunners. And the growing perception that Chris Christie isn't going to take off only seems to solidify that thinking.
2. Growing conservative backlash to Jeb Bush: In the span of 24 hours this week, influential conservative writer Philip Klein wrote that Republicans aren't likely to win a debate litigating the Clinton years vs. the Bush years, and then a conservative groupreleased a web ad whacking Jeb and calling him "unelectable."
3. Clinton Inc.'s conflict of interest: The news that Clinton Foundation is accepting donations from foreign governments is the latest in a long line of stories underscoring the Clintons' problematic fundraising practices. If these donations stopped when Hillary was secretary of state (because of an apparent conflict of interest), shouldn't they stop as she looks likely to pursue another presidential run?
4. Foreign-policy hawks spread their wings: There was Jeb Bush's hawkish foreign-speech, plus the Great Naming Debate of 2015 (whether or not to call ISIS "Islamic extremism" or just "extremism"). But one thing looks for certain as Daniel Drezner pointed out: Outside of Rand Paul, the 2016 rhetoric on foreign policy -- from both the GOP and Hillary -- will more hawkish than President Obama's.
What Didn't Matter
1. Hillary's early general-election poll position: Our NBC/Marist polls also showed Hillary Clinton leading the GOP competition in the swing states of Iowa and New Hampshire. But a little reality check: Eight years ago, Rudy Giuliani was ahead of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, according to a national March 2007 NBC/WSJ poll. How did that work out?
2. Giuliani-gate: Speaking of Giuliani, his controversial comments doubting that President Obama loves his country really don't matter for 2016. Why? Because Giuliani isn't running (and he's been out of office for more than a decade). Now how the 2016ers reacted to his comments (Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal) is a separate matter.
3. The debate over Scott Walker's lack of a college degree: Put this in the same category as Seamus the dog (for Mitt Romney) or Jeremiah Wright (for Obama): Something that will fire up detractors but probably not influence voters, especially during the primary season.
4. Rand Paul's April 7 presidential announcement date: It's been pretty clear over the last two years that Paul will be making a White House bid. What we learned this week was simply the date of the announcement. |
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