Bridge Brief — Week of June 29th, 2015
The Supreme Court last week did what the Republican Party refuses to: It respected the Affordable Care Act as the law of the land and deemed it unconstitutional to ban people the right to marry based on their sexual orientation. The momentous decisions will continue to ripple into the campaigns of those running for the White House this week, putting in stark relief the GOP's inability to offer positions and policies that reflect the direction America is moving, not the way they hoped it was. None of the GOP's leading presidential candidates celebrated the decision to legalize gay marriage. Their responses ranged from woefully tepid (see Jeb Bush's contradictory statement on preserving the freedom to discriminate based on sexual orientation) to the laughably extreme (see Bobby Jindal's suggestion to eliminate the court). In the week ahead we can expect more of the same, as the GOP further reinforces their image as hopelessly out of touch. It's not just about Scott Walker proposing a constitutional amendment -- all it's going to take is one question for Chris Christie about Social Security and we'll see his announcement transform into an anchor for the whole party.
Shock and Aww…Shucks
As a scion of a political dynasty, Jeb Bush has some built-in advantages over his competitors. Family connections to donors and advisors have filled Bush's campaign coffers, bringing him media attention and immediate relevance. But in the post-Citizens United world that simply won't be enough. Under the bright lights of the presidential campaign, Jeb has proven to be lackluster on the trail, with a record to regret. There's no denying that his path to victory requires him to get the base on his side -- the same base that doesn't like his stances on Common Core or immigration, or for that matter his last name. And no amount of money is going to change that.
Senator Walsh?
Former Congressman Joe Walsh just refuses to fade into obscurity, telling WROK Radio that he is considering a Senate primary against Senator Mark Kirk. His challenge will likely have Kirk running to the right to shore up his conservative bona fides as Walsh touts his Tea Party platform.
American Bridge will be here to hold both candidates accountable to their promises.
Check out Walsh's highlight reel below:
FLAT TAX - https://youtu.be/
The Trump Administration Suspending FHA Mortgage Insurance Rates
The Trump administration announced that they were suspending a rate cut to FHA mortgage insurance. FHA insurance insured over one…
American Bridge Launches Web Ad On Christie's Already-Dead Campaign
A Leadership PAC Can't Buy Political Relevance
This morning, Chris Christie announced that he is forming a leadership PAC, the closest he's come to officially declaring what we have all known for years -- he really wants to be president. But it seems the closer Chris Christie comes to announcing that he's running, the further he gets from relevance. Between his fiery temper, his awful economic record, his damaging scandals, and his penchant for putting his own interests ahead of his constituents' well-being, Chris Christie's candidacy doesn't appear overly formidable. And some folks are putting it more bluntly: Delving into the polling data, FiveThirtyEight ran a piece this morning with the headline, "Everybody Hates Chris Christie," while others are saying he's already "politically dead." Watch our new web ad:Another Chris Christie Fumble
Chris Christie hasn't had much to smile about over the last couple years -- eight credit downgrades, a massive ongoing traffic scandal, falling approval ratings, and a slew of negative headlines about his volatile temper. But the controversial governor finally had a moment of bliss yesterday, as he left New Jersey for Dallas to watch his beloved Cowboys eke out a victory in the NFL playoffs. Unfortunately for Christie, his jump for joy last evening quickly turned into a morning of bad press. It seems a Jerry Jones bro-hug is about the only love Chris Christie is seeing these days. Check out the twitter storm that Christie's antics invited, as well the bevvy of stories below: Asbury Park Press: Chris Christie hug of Cowboys owner costs taxpayers "So, how much did the trip to Dallas this past weekend cost for the Christie party and his security detail? The Cowboys play next week in Green Bay, Wisconsin – if Christie makes the trip, how much will taxpayers pay?" New York Daily News: Chris Christie denied high five by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after win over Lions "The lifelong Cowboys fan, who has been a regular in Jones’ box this year, wasn’t done partying as Fox cameras caught him practically floating into the Cowboys locker room."
Mitt Romney And Doug Ducey: Ice (Cream) Cold Businessmen
Mitt Romney is continuing his consolation tour of the nation, touting the ideas that handed him a decisive loss two years ago and "boosting" candidates around the country. Today, he's taking his talents to Mesa, where he'll campaign with Doug Ducey, a man with whom he has all too much in common. The two slick-looking businessmen have made a lot of money in their careers, but neither of them seem to have workers in their best interests. As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney belied a campaign promise by vetoing a minimum wage increase, which was promptly overridden by unanimous votes in both chambers of the state legislation. That kind of audacity must impress a man like Doug Ducey. Ducey has consistently spoken out against raising the minimum wage, and even went so far as to institute his famed singing-for-tips policy at Cold Stone Creamery, in part to avoid paying higher wages to his workers. Ducey and Romney share other things as well, like a history of presiding over corporate layoffs. All in all, the duo promises to be a real treat for the guys at the top, but their agenda isn't so sweet for working families.
Rand Paul Can Run Away From His Burger, But Not From His Record On Immigration
On issue after issue, Rand Paul tries to have it both ways. He has lauded himself as a champion for "minority rights" while opposing parts of the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and Fair Housing Act. He has proclaimed on national television his desire to end all foreign aid, including for Israel, only to then claim he has never proposed such a thing. And when it comes to immigration, for months, Paul has been trying to have his cake and eat it too. He has repeatedly claimed to be supportive of immigration reform, trying to appear as though his 2016 candidacy could broaden the GOP base, but his record tells a different story. Paul voted against the Senate's bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill -- a bill that allocated significant resources to border security -- in addition to attacking DACA, effectively supporting a return to deporting DREAMers. Since the Senate passed its bill, the GOP has only moved backwards on the issue, cowering to the extreme anti-immigrant wing of the party driven by Steve King and all of his men. Rand Paul hasn't done a single thing to distance himself from this position, and now he's fundraising with King himself. And still, Paul wants to dissociate himself with the anti-immigrant crowd and avoid any tough questions about immigration policy. So much so that when a DREAMer introduced herself to Steve King at lunch, Rand literally dropped his burger and ran away from the table.
Welcome Back to Iowa, Rand!
Last week, Iowa Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst's spokesperson admitted that in a "perfect world," Ernst would "support doing away with the" renewable fuel standard (RFS), a critical component of Iowa's economy that supports thousands of jobs. Well, Joni must just be thrilled that Rand Paul is starting a three day swing through Iowa today, because Rand is already living in her "perfect world" - at a 2012 event in Des Moines, Paul expressed his opposition to the RFS. Who else opposes the RFS? Why none other than the Koch brothers, of course. Koch Industries lobbied for the "Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act," and the Kochs' main political entity Americans for Prosperity wants to "permanently eliminate" the RFS. Conveniently enough, AFP has already spent $2 MILLION on ads attacking Ernst's opponent this year to prop up her Tea Party candidacy, while members of the Koch family and Koch Industries have directly contributed $15,000 to Ernst's campaign. One thing is clear: Joni Ernst, Rand Paul, and the Kochs are all too extreme for Iowa.
VIDEO: Too Extreme: Cuccinelli & the so-called "Fathers' Rights" movement
Watch American Bridge's new web ad on Cuccinelli's ties to the so-called "fathers' rights" movement and the extreme views they…