Neutral in presidential race, Barack Obama digs in for other Dems
In a rural stretch of Kentucky, voters picked up the phone in March to hear President Barack Obama on the line, urging them to vote for a little-known Democrat named Jeff Taylor. That an obscure special election for a Kentucky House seat had caught the president’s attention seemed odd. Yet Taylor won, joining two other victorious Democrats to deny Republicans the chance to take over the last Democratic-run legislative chamber in the South. Though he’s staying neutral in the Democratic presidential race, Obama is wading deep into Democratic primaries for Congress, state legislature and even mayoral races, cherry-picking candidates he sees as stronger while preparing to campaign in person for Democrats in the fall. Democratic officials said Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are in high demand this year —a sharp reversal from just two years ago, when Obama was politically toxic. Most Democratic candidates in 2014 practically begged Obama and his sagging poll numbers to stay away, relegating the president to a few Democrat-friendly states like Michigan. This year, upbeat economic news and rising approval ratings have increased his value to Democrats in the last election cycle before he leaves office. “You’re going to see ever-increasing requests for Obama and Biden to campaign for candidates this year,” said Amy Dacey, the CEO of the Democratic National Committee. So far this year, Obama has endorsed candidates in nine races, in addition to four he endorsed last year. He’s backed former Gov. Ted Strickland for Senate in Ohio over Cincinnati councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, and he came to the aid of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who faces a surprisingly strong primary challenge despite being the chairwoman of the Democratic Party. Obama and Biden also endorsed Katie McGinty in Pennsylvania, who faces an uphill battle to defeat former Rep. Joe Sestak in the Democratic primary for Senate. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which works to elect Senate Democrats, touted the endorsements in a television ad released Tuesday as part of a $1.1 million campaign. In Florida, Obama sided with Rep. Patrick Murphy over Rep. Alan Grayson, a favorite of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party who is under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee. The two Democrats are running for outgoing GOP Sen. Marco Rubio‘s seat. All the Senate candidates Obama has endorsed have also been endorsed by the DSCC, a wing of the Democratic Party. “It’s mirroring what’s going on with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, where the establishment Democrats are backing different candidates than their liberal, progressive base wants,” said Andrea Bozek, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Bozek called it a sign of desperation that Democrats felt they needed to bring in Obama to secure their preferred candidates. Even Democrats denied Obama’s endorsement are reluctant to complain about favoritism, wary of turning off loyal Obama supporters. Tim Canova, the law school professor challenging Wasserman Schultz, said the attention actually helped because it “really put us on the map.” “It seemed like a sign that Wasserman Schultz is worried about our campaign, that she would have gone running to the White House for an endorsement,” Canova said. Two years ago, Democrats fought their toughest Senate races in conservative-leaning states where Obama has always been deeply unpopular. The map shifted this year to states Obama won twice, including New Hampshire, Nevada and Colorado — also critical states for winning the White House. “The president right now is the most popular elected official in the country among Democrats and independents,” said David Simas, the White House political director. “When you start looking at what these battleground states will be at the presidential, Senate and House level, the map is pretty wide open for the president to engage and be helpful.” Though Obama won’t be on November’s ballot, the stakes for his legacy are just as high. A return of the White House to GOP control would augur the likely rollback of many of his policies on health care, immigration and the environment. Yet Democrats say the chaos in the GOP presidential race has created an opening to take back the Senate and maybe even the House, preserving Obama’s policies for years to come. Obama’s involvement in lower-tier races stands in contrast to his lower profile in the presidential race, where Obama is avoiding publicly choosing sides between Clinton and Sanders. White House officials said Obama will campaign full-force for the eventual nominee, but in the meantime his main role has been to attack Donald Trump. Biden, huddling with House Democratic candidates over the weekend in New Mexico, told them having Trump or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on the ballot would benefit Democrats in lower-tier races, said a Democratic aide who requested anonymity to discuss the private meeting. Biden has already campaigned for Senate candidates in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Nevada. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Becky Gerritson scores endorsement of former Alabama GOP minority outreach
Wetumpka Tea Party Chair and U.S. House candidate Becky Gerritson got a boost from a strategic state Republican party staffer Monday in her bid to unseat an incumbent congresswoman in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Former Minority Outreach Director for the Alabama GOP Troy Towns gave Gerritson’s bid his stamp of approval, saying the conservative activist would be a more reliable vote for the Christian right in Washington, D.C. “I’ve often said that I’m a Christian first, conservative second, and Republican third, and Becky Gerritson is very much a kindred spirit in that regard,” said Towns in a statement. “Becky’s faith defines her and her principles guide her in everything she does. We will never have to wonder about Becky’s motivations in Congress. She will serve her Lord and her constituents. She will stand on principle, and she will be a rock for conservatism.” “Far too often career politicians put Party or personal ambition, above these principles,” said Towns, not shying from taking a shot at U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, who currently holds the seat. “This has been the obvious case with Rep. Roby. Her voting record speaks for itself. It is time that we have a representative in Washington who is a bold fighter, a leader, and a champion for all people.” “We need a true conservative, and we have that in Becky Gerritson,” Towns continued. Gerritson replied in kind to Towns’ gushing endorsement, saying his work to help spread her staunchly conservative message was already taking effect. “I am so thankful to Troy for all he has done to spread the message of conservatism to people across Alabama, and I am so glad that he has thrown his support behind my grassroots campaign” said Gerritson. “Too often our Party has lost its way when it comes to standing on principle. Too often, we are associated with being the Party of the rich, the powerful, the connected, and the few. Gerritson was also forthright about whom she blamed for those negative associations. “As I travel the district, voters are wary of this direction that failed politicians like John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Martha Roby have led us down. Troy is a true ambassador for what it means to be a conservative and for carrying a message of shared values to all who will hear,” concluded Gerritson. Both Towns and Gerritson have ties to the 2016 White House campaign of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who strikes similarly conservative and parochial views in Congress. Cruz named Towns to his state leadership team in October, where he joined Gerritson who was tapped in August. Gerritson also formally endorsed Cruz around the same time. Gerritson recently took to social media to note Roby’s relatively low scores for a southern Republican from conservative groups like Heritage Action, American Conservative Union, and Club for Growth, who rated Roby’s voting record lower than any other GOP member of the Alabama delegation. Roby, for her part, recently scored the endorsements of 36 local mayors, as well as the Alabama Patriots Tea Party, one of the oldest tea party groups in the state, and the Alabama Farmers Federation.
Becky Gerritson speaks out on GOP House speaker debacle
The fallout from Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy‘s decision not to pursue the Speaker of the House post soon to be abdicated by John Boehner – just hours after Boehner and other key Republicans expressed their support for his bid – has gotten GOP pols and activists alike in a pensive mood, not least of whom is Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson. Gerritson – who is running for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional district in 2016 – issued the following late Thursday evening. “We are witnessing a collapse in confidence in the Establishment ruling class as the base of the Republican Party demands better, more conservative government from our leadership,” said Gerritson in a statement. “I am pleased that we will not have an unacceptable choice in Kevin McCarthy forced upon us.” “My hope is that, in the days ahead, a true conservative will win out in the Speaker’s race. However, that new Speaker will not have the support he or she needs to lead our Party forward- strong and unified- unless we bolster the ranks of true conservatives in Congress. The debacle of failed leadership in our Party that we have seen played out over the last six years must be laid at the feet of moderate, Establishment politicians. It is time to clean house, restore America’s greatness, and show contrast with Obama’s fundamental transformation. “This underscores why I am running for Congress in AL-2, and I look forward to taking the lead in working with new, conservative leadership to restore the promise of this great nation.” Gerritson is seeking to oust U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, whom Gerritson says has strayed from the conservative principles which got her elected in 2010. The aftermath of the House leadership collapse may favor challengers to congressional incumbents in a 2016 year expected to yield moderate gains from minority-party lawmakers.
