Pro-Bush super PAC spending $10M-plus on first TV campaign
The heavily funded super PAC backing Republican Jeb Bush will spend at least $10 million on television time in the earliest voting presidential primary states, the first salvo in a massive TV ad campaign to support the former Florida governor’s bid for the Republican nomination. Officials with Right to Rise USA say they will buy time in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina TV markets and on cable television in the three states. Ads are scheduled to begin in Iowa and New Hampshire on Sept. 15, in South Carolina a week later and then run continuously through the end of the year. The plan, shared by the group with The Associated Press prior to Monday’s buy, is the first evidence of Right to Rise USA’s major strategic spending of the roughly $100 million it had on hand last month. It’s also the first major move by the group, which was developed by longtime Bush adviser and California ad maker Mike Murphy, to run alongside Bush’s own campaign organization, which is bound by federal fundraising limits. “We believe Jeb Bush has the strongest record of conservative accomplishments in the race, and we plan to tell that story,” Paul Lindsay, communication director for Right to Rise USA, told the AP. The first ads will be positive spots promoting Bush in a field that includes 16 other major GOP candidates. They will resemble videos on the group’s website, promoting Bush and his accomplishments as Florida governor from 1999 to 2007. One piece was taken from clips of Bush from the Aug. 6 Republican debate in Cleveland, Lindsay said. That does not mean the group’s ads won’t turn to criticizing Republican rivals once the first contests draw near. The group has already aired one online ad that points to Bush’s release of decades of tax returns and publication of thousands of emails sent during his time as governor, to draw comparisons with Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recently turned over her private email server to the FBI under pressure. To date, the group, based in southern California, has spent roughly $200,000 on online advertising. The new expenditure, which Lindsay described as an “eight-figure” buy, is significant because it’s the first big expense for the group that Bush helped raise more than $103 million to finance, and which is expected to perform other campaign functions in support of the former governor. Under Federal Election Commission rules, Bush, having declared his candidacy on June 15, is now forbidden as a candidate from directly soliciting money for the group or advising how to spend it. However, before declaring his candidacy, Bush was involved in fundraising for Right to Rise USA, while Murphy planned a long-term strategy where the super PAC would complement the campaign, which is bound by fundraising restrictions that don’t apply to super PACs. The idea of a parallel outside group that can raise unlimited sums from individuals, corporations and groups is not new. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, attempted it later in his campaign. And other GOP candidates for the 2016 GOP nomination have formed super PACs and have begun buying advertising time in early states. However, none has combined the planning strategy with the sums of money Bush’s super PAC has been able to raise, making it a pioneering effort in the super PAC era of presidential campaigning. In June, the group announced it had met its ambitious goal of raising more than $100 million, taking full advantage of the nation’s campaign finance laws to collect $103 million over the first six months of 2015. In June, the group had a balance of $98 million. No candidate for president has benefited from so much money so early in a campaign. Aides to the super PAC noted that similar groups supporting other candidates have purchased advertising time in early states. Some have also aired spots aimed at bumping up a candidate’s national poll numbers to help them gain entry into debates that require top-10 standing. Right to Rise USA aides said their strategy is long-term, aimed at building sustained name identification and support heading into the Iowa caucuses, which begin the 2016 voting on Feb. 1, followed by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
GOP hopeful John Kasich files for 1st-in-the-South primary
Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Monday landed the endorsement of fellow governor Robert Bentley of Alabama, as the presidential hopeful seeks to build support for his White House bid and courts voters in the South. Later in the day, Kasich became the third candidate to officially file for South Carolina’s 2016 Republican primary, the first contest in the South on Feb. 20. At the endorsement, announced Monday at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham, Bentley said Kasich has the executive level experience and background necessary to lead. “I have watched him over the years and I chose him because of his heart,” Bentley said, adding that he believes the two have similar approaches toward governing. Kasich said Bentley has made Alabama’s state government more efficient and isn’t afraid to lead. Alabama faces a $200 million general fund budget shortfall that lawmakers will again face during a second special session. Bentley is the first Deep South governor to endorse Kasich, who is generally viewed as being among the more moderate Republican contenders. Kasich said he didn’t spend time during his term as governor building broader name recognition and that he thinks an endorsement from Bentley – a past supporter of and delegate for Mike Huckabee – will go a long way. “It sends a signal in the South,” Kasich said before pledging to return to Alabama. “It makes a big difference. Think of us as the engine that could.” The two traded autographed footballs after speaking. Kasich entered the race less than a month ago. But he’s building momentum off a strong showing at the first GOP presidential debate in Cleveland and has been upping his profile in early voting South Carolina, with more than half a dozen stops in recent months. As he filed his candidacy papers later Monday in Columbia, Kasich blamed gridlock in Washington – where he served nine terms in the U.S. House – for partisan stalemates on a variety of issues, particularly immigration reform, which he called “one of those issues that we have been unable to fix because of infighting.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Gov. Robert Bentley endorses John Kasich of Ohio for president
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley on Monday endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the Republican presidential nomination, saying he has the executive-level experience and compassion necessary to lead. Kasich joined Bentley at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham, where the two traded autographed footballs after the announcement. Bentley said the venue celebrates grit, hard work and skill — all of which he sees in Kasich. “I have watched him over the years, and I chose him because of his heart,” Bentley said. The governor called to offer Kasich support after seeing him in a recent debate. Bentley is the first Deep South governor to endorse Kasich, who is generally viewed as among the more moderate Republican contenders in a crowded field. Bentley was a convention delegate for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008 and said this is the first time he has publicly endorsed a presidential candidate. Kasich, who was in Congress 18 years before being sworn in as governor in 2011, also is among the lesser-known Republican candidates. A strong performance during the first debate produced signs of momentum. Kasich said that because of Ohio’s financial situation, he didn’t spend much time building broader name recognition and he thinks Bentley’s endorsement will go a long way. “It sends a signal in the South,” Kasich said before pledging to return to Alabama. “It makes a big difference. Think of us as the engine that could.” Kasich said Bentley’s endorsement is meaningful because he has made Alabama’s state government more efficient and isn’t afraid to lead. Alabama faces a $200 million budget shortfall that lawmakers will again work to resolve during a second special session. Bentley was in Birmingham last week to rally support for proposals to use new taxes to fill the gap rather than cut state services — a measure many Republican lawmakers have opposed. Kasich said he has worked with people he doesn’t agree with to balance budgets, find solutions to address debts and more. Bentley said he supports Kasich because he believes the two have similar leadership styles. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Judge tentatively delays Mike Hubbard trial until March
The ethics trial for indicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard was pushed back until March, which will overlap with the 2016 legislative session, a judge said Monday. Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker granted a defense request to delay the trial that had been set for October, saying he was doing so because of the number of documents involved. However, defense lawyers also objected to the new date, saying they could not be ready until early summer. Prosecutors and defense lawyers traded accusations during a hearing on a number of motions in the corruption case against the powerful Republican legislator from Auburn. Defense lawyers said prosecutors were being purposely difficult by doing a “data dump” of 2.5 million unindexed files during the discovery process. They said the files included irrelevant material and played a video that showed the bare backsides of two women dancing to highlight their argument. “The goal seems to be to make it as burdensome for us as possible,” defense lawyer Augusta Dowd told Walker. “We have to look at each file. The time consumed is enormous.” Prosecutors said they turned over everything because that is what defense lawyers sought and accused the defense of trying to delay the trial. “The defense is saying I’m looking at that blue sky, but it’s not blue,” lead prosecutor Matt Hart said. “The grand jury, they indicted Mr. Hubbard for being a corrupt legislator. … They deserve to have that resolved,” Hart said. Walker tentatively scheduled the case for March but asked lawyers to look at their trial calendars before naming a specific date. The 2016 legislative session begins in February. Defense lawyer Mark White would not say if the defense would object to the trial being held at the same time as the session where Hubbard would normally preside as speaker. However, defense lawyers told Walker they could not be ready before early summer, a likely sign that they will seek another delay. Hubbard faces 23 felony ethics counts accusing him of using his public offices as House speaker, and his former one as Alabama Republican Party chairman, to enrich his businesses. Hubbard and his wife, Susan, sat on the front row of the courtroom during the hearing. Hubbard’s defense last week filed a sealed challenge to the ethics law, according to courtroom discussions. The 2010 ethics law was one of the first acts passed by the GOP legislative majority that Hubbard helped sweep into office. Hart told Walker that the challenge should be filed openly even if Hubbard was “embarrassed” by challenging the ethics reform that he once championed. White said the filing was sealed because it included grand jury material. White said the defense challenge accuses prosecutors of misapplying the law in Hubbard’s case. Walker instructed the defense to publically file the challenge by Friday with the grand jury material redacted. The defense team scored a significant victory during the contentious hearing. Walker agreed to hold an evidentiary hearing in October on defense claims of prosecutor misconduct, including that prosecutors tainted the grand jury with their behavior. White said he wanted Walker to listen to audio tapes of the grand jury. “You can hear in the voice of Mr. Hart the venom he has for my client, Mr. Hubbard,” White said. The defense is expected to call multiple witnesses to the stand, including legislators who testified at the grand jury. “For us it’s a great day. It’s an absolute victory,” White said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
In Iowa, Bernie Sanders says he will address racial divisions
After bounding atop a blue trailer in a community park in Long Grove, Iowa, Bernie Sanders quickly reminded people here that Iowa had helped elect the nation’s first black president. The next step, he said, is addressing racial discrimination and the recent shootings of unarmed blacks by law enforcement. “I know that I speak for all of you that we are sick and tired of reading about and seeing videos of unarmed African-Americans being shot,” Sanders said Sunday at a Democratic picnic. “We know that if those individuals were white, the odds are very strong that would not have happened to them.” During three days of campaigning before largely white audiences in Iowa, the Democratic presidential candidate repeatedly vowed to address racism, police brutality and the nation’s criminal justice system. It followed disruptions of the senator’s appearances in Phoenix and Portland, Ore., by Black Lives Matter protesters who say his message to cure economic inequality fails to address institutional racism. Sanders, who represents predominantly white Vermont, has become Hillary Rodham Clinton’s chief rival for the Democratic nomination but lagged behind the former secretary of state in building a coalition resembling the diverse voting bloc that twice elected Obama. His message has focused heavily on middle-class economics, climate change and creating a single-payer health care system. But in a sign that he wants to diversify his support, Sanders has held events with black and Hispanic groups and made clear during appearances in Iowa that overcoming racial divisions would be a staple of his agenda. At the Wing Ding fundraiser, a high-profile gathering of Democrats in northern Iowa, Sanders rattled off the names of shooting victims in Ferguson, Missouri, Baltimore, New York and elsewhere. “On and on that list goes! That has got to end,” Sanders said. At the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, Sanders thanked the state’s electorate “for their courage in voting for Obama in 2008. What you showed is that a state which is mostly white could go beyond the color of a candidate’s skin and vote for somebody based on their character and their ideas.” During Sunday’s picnic, Sanders said the country should be proud that it had become a “less discriminatory society” but said racism remains a major problem “that together we must overcome.” When the Senate returns from its summer recess, Sanders said he plans to introduce legislation that would address the role of private corporations in the nation’s prison system. He frequently criticizes corporations that profit from the rise in the nation’s prison population, especially involving young black men. The website BuzzFeed reported this weekend that Sanders’ campaign reached out to the Black Lives Matter protest group to set up a meeting and apologized that “it took our campaign so long” to connect with leaders of the movement. In an interview Sunday with NBC’s Meet the Press, Sanders said the note was “sent out by a staffer, not by me” and without the senator’s knowledge. He said he didn’t think it was necessary to apologize to the protesters. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
