Paul's Purple Pac Suspends Fundraising

"Just a few weeks after the leader of a Super PAC supporting Rand Paul was indicted, another political action committee supporting Paul has gone quiet.
Purple PAC has not been actively fundraising for Paul since June." ABC

Trump in Prayer?

"GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump met and prayed with about 40 religious leaders and

pastors in his Trump Tower office Monday afternoon.
Among the attendees were televangelists Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, conservative evangelical Christian Pastor David Jeremiah, TBN religious broadcaster Jan Crouch, Pastor Paula White, Jews For Jesus Rabbi Kirt Schneider and Pastor Darrell Scott.
The meeting lasted roughly two and a half hours and ended with pastors gathering around Trump and laying their hands on him in prayer. Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, and Rabbi Schneider prayed during that time, asking the Lord to give the GOP presidential frontrunner wisdom, stability and knowledge necessary to pursue this endeavor. They also prayed for America and for God's will to be done.
During the meeting, he talked about his Christian faith. At one point he admitted that he may not have read the Bible as much as the pastors in the room. As the conversation continued, a few of the ministers implored Trump to tone done some of his harsh rhetoric.
Pastor Scott, who was present in the meeting and is neutral in this presidential race, said Trump humbly received the message by nodding his head, listening attentively and not being combative at all." CBN

Bush Campaign on the Ropes?

"Top donors have reportedly told Bush that he will start hemorrhaging fundraisers if he does not rev up momentum." yahoo

Carson on Confederate Flag

"Ben Carson says those who want to fly the Confederate flag should be able to do so on their private property.
The GOP presidential contender on Monday weighed in on the controversy over NASCAR urging fans not to display the flag at their races.
He told the Associated Press that fans can continue flying the flag "if it's private property and that's what they want to do." TheHill

What the Fed did

"...the Fed decided to keep the Fed funds rate at

zero for largest customers, so Wall St can borrow taxpayers money at zero and lend it out for money." JohnBatchelor

Trump Tax Plan

"Trump Plan Cuts Taxes for Millions

Middle class, businesses get break, but overseas profits would face a one-time 10% levy" WSJ

Rubio on Trump's media circus

"Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said in an interview broadcast early Monday that he wants no part of

fellow GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s media circus.“I’m not interested in the back-and-forth — to be a member or part of his freak show,” Rubio told host Steve Inskeep on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
“I would just say this: He is a very sensitive person,” he added of Trump. “He doesn’t like to be criticized. He responds to criticism very poorly.” TheHill

Huckabee refuses to attack Carson

"GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee refused to criticize his rival and former Johns Hopkins

neurosurgeon Ben Carson for saying that he believed a Muslim would not make a good president. Instead Huckabee turned the conversation around to focus on President Barack Obama.
“I’m less concerned about what faith a person has,” Huckabee told Ed Berliner. “I’m more concerned about the authenticity of their faith and how that plays out in their policies." CT

Des Moines Register pumps up Everson

"Everson, 61, once ran the Internal Revenue Service. He’s never held major elective office. But he’s

had big jobs in the public and private sector, and has solid experience in three huge issues facing the country: immigration, taxation and national security.
Shooting for the White House seems quite a leap, but you could say the same for some of the leading contenders for the nomination.
In the year of the unconventional candidate, Everson promotes a platform that’s notably different from his rivals. He’s in support of reinstating a limited military draft and requiring national service.
“We’d have more responsible conversations about the use of force if we had more involvement” in the military, ....
He emphasizes assimilation and supports granting qualified undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. He blames both Donald Trump and President Barack Obama for hurting chances for immigration reform.
He supports securing the border and strengthening employer verification. But unlike some candidates, he warns that mass deportations will “crush our (judicial) system, disrupt our culture and really disrupt our economy.” DesMoinesRegister

Stein on PBS

"Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein appeared on PBS’s Tavis Smiley Thursday evening for an interview that ran about 25 minutes." IPR

Carson catches Trump in new Poll

"In addition, fellow GOP candidates Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio are tied for third place.

Trump leads with 21 percent, but Carson is at 20 percent among GOP primary voters, poll results found, while Rubio and Fiorina both garnered 11 percent support.
Jeb Bush is at 7 percent, John Kasich is at 6 percent and Ted Cruz is at 5 percent, the poll said, adding that no other Republican received more than 3 percent support." TheBlaze

Pope turns down Clinton's

"The Clinton Foundation invited everyone from Pope Francis and Leonardo DiCaprio to Bill de

Blasio and Janet Yellen to its showcase gathering starting Saturday in New York City, according to multiple sources familiar with the planning.
But those invitations were among the dozens turned down by all manner of celebrities, dignitaries and donors, according to the sources, who said the controversies swirling around the foundation and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign have made some bold-faced names and donors wary of the foundation." NYT

Trump attack on Rubio Backfires

"After training his fire for much of the summer on former Gov. Bush, Trump has found a new

favorite Republican rival to taunt: Senator Rubio of Florida.

But Mr. Rubio is proving capable of giving it back. And Mr. Trump also discovered on Friday that some conservatives do not respond as kindly when the insults are directed toward Mr. Rubio, who is not viewed with the sort of suspicion that Mr. Bush engenders among hard-line activists.

“You have this clown, Marco Rubio,” Mr. Trump began, in a speech to the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit here. “And I’ve been so nice to him.”

Before he could go further, though, the audience of social conservatives let out a cascade of boos.

Mr. Trump had brought a Bible with him on stage, but he is not a natural fit for movement conservatives, particularly the born-again Christians who are involved in politics chiefly because of their faith and attend conferences such as this." NYT

Papal whirlwind tour

"Pope Francis enjoyed a whirlwind tour of the city Friday, speaking at the United Nations, attending

prayer service at Ground Zero, delighting Catholic-school children in East Harlem and rolling in the pope­mobile past 80,000 adoring fans in Central Park.
 The pontiff capped it off by cele­brating Mass before nearly 20,000 faithful at Madison Square Garden, a ceremony both solemn and rich in the colorful pageantry of the Roman Catholic Church.
 Before the service, Francis made a lap of the arena in a golf cart, to cheers boisterous enough for a Rangers or Knicks game.
Francis grinned, waved and ­accepted flowers and other gifts.
A bevy of stars gave a rousing, religious-themed performance.
 “What an honor to be here with you all on this journey of faith as we come together to welcome Pope Francis to one of the greater cities on Earth,” Estefan said.
Openly gay TV personality Mo Rocca’s implausible appearance as the first reader of the Mass — in Spanish — sparked a Twitter Hallelujah.
Gov. Cuomo said the pope left him astonished and inspired.
“I’m a lifelong New Yorker and I’ve seen a lot of things, but this is one of the really great moments. The reality was even better than the expectation,” said Cuomo, who followed the pope from event to event." NYP

More Clinton emails

"The State Department has discovered more Hillary Clinton emails related to Libya and Benghazi –

and is now turning them over to the House Select Committee on Benghazi, sources say.
One source close to the investigation said they include a chain of 900 Libya-related emails that Clinton failed to turn over when she provided what she said was the full record of work-related correspondence when she was secretary of state. Not all of them are related to the 2012 Benghazi attacks.
The revelation adds to the growing questions related to the Democratic presidential front-runner's unusual usage of a private email account and server while in government.
The messages, according to reports, were exchanged with former top Gen. David Petraeus, beginning before Clinton entered office and continuing into her first days on the job." FOX

Rubio on Boehner's resignation

"Conservative voters roared in a standing ovation Friday at the Values Voter Summit in Washington

after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) announced Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) plans to retire.

Rubio, who is running for president, shared the news that broke just before his speech, working it into prepared remarks where he questioned why a Republican Congress isn't "able to stop our country from sliding in the wrong direction."
"Just a few minutes ago, Speaker Boehner announced that he will be resigning," Rubio said to thunderous applause.
He told the crowd it is time for Republicans to "turn the page." TheHill

Speaker Boehner to Resign

"US Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the speaker of the House, woke up Friday morning. He went to

Starbucks for his morning coffee. He got breakfast at Pete's Diner, a Washington institution where he's a regular.

And he decided that "today's the day" he was going to resign as speaker.

"I decided today's the day I'm going to do this. It's as simple as that," Boehner said Friday, during an emotional press conference.

Tears formed in his eyes, and his handkerchief made several appearances during the press conference, which he held hours after he stunned Washington by announcing he would resign from congress at the end of October.

Boehner was prodded by the visit of Pope Francis, who on Thursday became the first pontiff to address congress.  Negotiations to get Francis to Washington were spearheaded by Boehner, a Catholic, and it was perhaps the seminal moment of his speakership. 

Boehner, whose emotions were on full display during the pope's visit, talked about a moment during which he and Francis were alone after the day's events. Francis, he said, grabbed his left arm and said "kind words" to Boehner about his commitment to kids and education. Francis put his arm around Boehner, pulled Boehner closer to him, and asked Boehner to pray for him." BI

Pope speaks to Congress

"WASHINGTON — Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics, challenged Congress

and by extension the mightiest nation in the world on Thursday to break out of its cycle of paralysis and use its power to heal the “open wounds” of a planet torn by hatred, greed, poverty and pollution.Taking a rostrum never before occupied by the bishop of Rome, Francis issued a vigorous call to action to lawmakers who have spent years stalemated over major issues and even now are days away from a potential government shutdown in a dispute over the moral boundaries of federal spending." NYT

Florida 2016 General Election Poll

Politics1.com ‏@Politics1com

P2016 FL (FAU): 

Trump 46%, Clinton 45%... 

Rubio 50%, Clinton 42%... 

Bush 49%, Clinton 41%... 

Carson 52%, Clinton 40%.

Trump to boycott FOX

"Donald Trump says he's done appearing on Fox News shows for the "foreseeable future" because

he doesn't like the network's coverage of his presidential campaign.
The billionaire businessman and leading Republican candidate tweets that Fox News has been treating him "very unfairly" and that he's stop appearing on its shows.
Trump has been feuding with the network since first GOP primary debate, when he objected to the moderators' questions." msn

Clinton in another LIE

"Another apparent discrepancy has arisen in what Hillary Clinton has said about her emails.

When The Des Moines Register asked her about the latest twist in the private server saga on Tuesday, she said she had no new answers.
Just before Clinton sat down for an interview with the Des Moines Register editorial board, the Washington Post reported the State Department's request for her emails was "prompted entirely by the discovery that Clinton had exclusively used a private e-mail system."

That contradicts what Clinton has been saying, which is that agency officials asked her for her emails as part of a benign, general record-keeping effort to sweep up "everything from other secretaries of state, not just me," as she said Sunday." DesMoinesRegister

Rubio snags from walker's exit

"Rubio's campaign signed up seven names who had previously been supporting Walker:

• Melody Slater, the former Lee County chairman in Iowa
• Barbara Gaura, the former co-chair of Iowa students for Walker
• Matt Giese, the former chair of the Dubuque County Republicans
• Alan Ostergren, a former Muscatine leader in Iowa
• Caleb Hedeen, the Sac County chairman for Walker in Iowa
• Cliff Hurst, the former New Hampshire Walker campaign co-chairman
• Drew Johnson of the Chester County Republican committee in South Carolina" Politico

Utah pushing for Romney?

"James Evans, chair of the Utah Republican Party, says Mitt Romney could be the 2016 Republican presidential nominee even if he doesn’t run in any presidential primaries. According to Evans, a national party rule says that a new candidate can be brought into the convention voting if a majority of delegates from eight states propose him or her." BallotAccess

Pope & Obama

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Mustering all the pageantry the White House has to offer, President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis to Washington on Wednesday and credited the pontiff for setting a moral example that is "shaking us out of our complacency" with his reminders to care for the poor and the planet." msn

Rubio moves back up in Florida

"Marco Rubio has overtaken Jeb Bush among Florida Republicans, as he benefits from positive

reviews of his performance in the most recent presidential debate.
A Florida Atlantic University poll to be released Wednesday shows Rubio, the state's junior senator, is in second place in the Republican primary field in Florida. His political mentor, former Gov. Jeb Bush, is in third place.
Donald Trump, the real estate investor, former reality TV show host and part-time Palm Beach resident, is in first place among Florida Republicans, as he is nationally" LauraIngraham

Trump does Colbert

"Donald Trump was in no fighting mood on Tuesday night.
Rather than come out swinging, as he did at the outset of last week’s Republican debate, a subdued front-runner came out nodding in his “Late Show” interview with Stephen Colbert." Politico

Trump threatens to sue

"Donald Trump has threatened a "multimillion dollar lawsuit" against the conservative Club for Growth for its ads attacking the Republican front-runner for his liberal economic policy positions" TheHill

Biden now edging Sanders

"Clinton, once the prohibitive front runner, is now the top choice of 33 percent of registered Democrats and those who lean Democrat, the poll shows. Biden places second with 25 percent and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is at 24 percent. The other three Democratic candidates combined are the top choice for less than 4 percent of that base." msn

Iowa Dem poll by PPP

"Politics1.com ‏@Politics1com

P2016 IA DEM (PPP): Clinton 43%, Sanders 22%, Biden 17%, O'Malley 3%, Webb 3%, Chafee 2%."

Cruz does Colbert

"While the two engaged in a frank discussion about the legalization of gay marriage in the United

States, Cruz drew some jeers from the Late Show audience for suggesting marriage laws should be left to individual states to legislate.
“The 10th Amendment says if it doesn’t mention it, it’s a question for the states,” Cruz explained of his position on gay marriage. “That’s in the Bill of Rights.”
After some in the audience began booing in response, Colbert immediately quieted them: “Guys, however you feel, he is my guest, so please don’t boo him.” Breitbart

Hillary against pipeline

"Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she opposes construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, breaking her longstanding silence over a project criticized by environmentalists as a threat to the planet's climate." yahoo

Post Debate Iowa Poll

"Real estate tycoon Donald Trump, with 24 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, with 17

percent, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, with 13 percent, take the top spots in Public Policy Polling's newest poll of GOP primary voters in the Hawkeye State.
 The rest of the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination register in single digits, including Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Marco Rubio (Fla.), at 8 percent each, and former Govs. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Mike Huckabee (Ark.), at 6 percent apiece. 

 Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who dropped out of the GOP race Monday after falling dramatically in polls, takes 5 percent. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are at 4 percent." TheHill

Trump defends Carson

"Donald Trump said late Monday that many Americans share fellow Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson’s skepticism toward the idea of a Muslim president.
Trump added on Fox News’s “On the Record” that Islam struggles with extremist ideology more than other religions." TheHill

Carson in Sharonville

"SHARONVILLE, Ohio — GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson dismissed the idea that he is

prejudiced against Muslims, insisting Tuesday during a news conference here that his statement Sunday that he would not support a Muslim for president was taken out of context.
“I don’t care what a person’s religious beliefs are or what their religious heritage is. If they embrace American culture, if they embrace our constitution and are willing to place that above their religious beliefs, I have no problem with it,” Carson said before a rally in Sharonville.
 When asked about Carson's comments about not supporting a muslim for president, many attendees said that they shared Carson's concerns that a Muslim-American president would not be able to separate his or her faith from their mandate to protect the constitution. Many voters brought up the fear that a Muslim president would lie about his or her positions on issues in order to reach higher office. And those voters are not in the minority  — a Gallup poll earlier this summer found that more than half the Republicans surveyed would not vote for a well-qualified nominee who shared their political affiliation if that person were Muslim." Yahoo

Walker's exit benefits who?

"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) stunning decision to drop out of the race for president will aid one rival in particular, according to political analysts and observers: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida)" yahoo

Paul wins Michigan straw poll

"Mackinac Island — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won the presidential straw poll at this weekend’s

Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, capturing 22 percent of the vote among a field of 16 candidates.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina came in second with 15 percent, followed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich in third place with 13.8 percent and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in fourth with 13 percent in The Detroit News/MIRS presidential straw poll among the party activists.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush finished fifth in the straw poll with 9.7 percent of the 785 registered conference attendees who voted." DetroitNews

Fiorina does Fallon

"Carly Fiorina talks Trump, religion and her dogs with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show.”

Carly Fiorina was all business on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Monday.

Still riding the wave of her highly praised performance at last week’s GOP debate, the former Hewlett Packard CEO was welcomed to 30 Rockefeller Center with a kudos from the generally genial Fallon.

“It was interesting to see you win that debate when you weren’t part of the first debate really,” the host said during the interview..." yahoo

Walker Out!!!

"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, once a leading candidate in the Republican presidential race, suspended his struggling 2016 campaign on Monday -- while issuing an appeal to his party to counter the rise of front-runner Donald Trump. 
At a hastily called press conference in Madison, Walker confirmed the news that by that point had leaked out: "I will suspend my campaign immediately." FOX

Hillary still below 50% among Dems

"Clinton is backed by 42% of Democratic primary voters nationally, compared to 24% for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 22% for Biden and 1% for former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley." CNN

Carson - Muslim flap

"Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says Islam is antithetical to the Constitution, and he

doesn't believe that a Muslim should be elected president.
Carson, a devout Christian, says a president's faith should matter to voters if it runs counter to the values and principles of America.
Responding to a question during an interview broadcast Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," he described the Islamic faith as inconsistent with the Constitution.
"I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation," Carson said. "I absolutely would not agree with that." AP

Fiorina & Rubio appear to be debate winners this time

"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after speaking at the Iowa Faith Donald Trump remains the front-runner for the Republican nomination for president — but two candidates have surged after last weeks CNN debate.

Trump is slumping in a new CNN poll. He leads the crowded field with 24% of the Republican vote, down eight points from a similar survey earlier in the month. 

Meanwhile, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) — whom many pundits identified as the two winners of the debate — have jumped a few spots. Fiorina has vaulted into second behind Trump, grabbing 15% of the vote. She had just 3% support in the CNN poll earlier this month.

Rubio is in fourth place with 11% of the Republican vote, also up from 3%. He's also behind retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who fell to third place amid Fiorina's rise. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) stands in fifth place, with 9% of the vote. He also had 9% in the last CNN poll." yahoo

Cruz scoring in Tennessee

"Republicans in the region are leaning toward Ted Cruz for president — at least, that’s according to

an early straw poll tallied during a Williamson County watch party for the second debate among GOP candidates.

About 125 guests, including GOP volunteers, as well as state and local officials, gathered at the Embassy Suites hotel in Cool Springs on Wednesday night to watch the debate, Williamson County Republican Party Chairwoman Julie Hannah Taleghani wrote in a statement.

The event was co-hosted by Latinos for Tennessee and the Tennessee Republican Minority Coalition.

The poll garnered 103 responses — so, not exactly scientific. But it showed the Texas senator leading by a substantial margin with 36 votes, or about 35 percent.

Next was Dr. Ben Carson, who got 24 votes.

 Taleghani said Carson also had gathered steam over months in Williamson.

"They have more organization going on in important Southern states like Tennessee," she said, adding that Cruz's and Carson's willingness to talk about their faith appeals to Williamson County voters.

Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, came in third, with 15 votes. Taleghani said she and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have been ramping up local campaigns only recently. Rubio and Donald Trump each got 11 votes, tying for fourth place.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul got a vote apiece.

Meanwhile, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and all four "undercard" candidates got no votes. They were former New York Gov. George Pataki, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal." TheTennessee

FIORINA-MANIA

"GREENVILLE, South Carolina – Carly Fiorina didn’t need to say a word to get her first standing ovation.
The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard arrived to an arena full of conservative activists and thunderous applause in her first public appearance since a breakout debate performance this week. As she did at Wednesday’s Republican debate, Fiorina cast herself as a political outsider with the chops to actually change Washington.For the first time in her campaign, Fiorina was the headliner. Even more so after Donald Trump abruptly cancelled his appearance at the event. Everyone rushed to their seats to hear her. The corridors outside the arena were nearly empty as she spoke, and when she finished many got up to leave."Politico

Establishment trial balloon for a 3rd party???

"Ballot Access News reports former George W. Bush chief media strategist Mark McKinnon proposed in an interview on Thursday that if the Republican Party nominates billionaire real estate magnate Donald Trump for president, establishment Republicans may seek to qualify for an independent presidential ticket with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney as their nominee." IPR

Trump's Response: Not my job...

"Treating this stupid media controversy like it deserves to be treated, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump took to Twitter to wrist-flick away the latest bubbled, leftwing mainstream media frenzy. Early Saturday morning The Donald tweeted, “Am I morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him? I don’t think so!” Breitbart

Is Fiorina really in first place in NH?

"All the talking heads were talking about Carly Fiorina’s debate performance, but were the voters of New Hampshire impressed as well?
Yes, they were.
In Voter Gravity’s latest presidential flash poll through touchtone phone responses, we surveyed 2,839 New Hampshire Republican Primary Voters the day after the CNN Debate, and they put Carly Fiorina in the top spot at 22%.
Consistent with our usual targets for polling, everyone in the poll had voted in the last 3 Republican Primary and General Elections in addition to the 2008 and 2012 Presidential Primary." TheHill

First Post - Debate Poll Shows...

"A poll, surveyed 504 registered voters who watched Wednesday’s Republican primary debate and has only good news for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina. While the poll’s sample size is small (with a 4.4% margin of error), the poll’s trend is worth noting.
In this same poll, prior to Wednesday night’s debate, Trump sat at 33% support. Dr. Ben Carson sat in second place with 17% support. Today Trump enjoys 36% support. Carson is still in second place but with just 12% support.
Trump’s lead increased from +16 points to  +24%. That’s an +8% jump.
With their shared status as outsiders, it appears as though Carson’s support went to Fiorina. Prior to the debate the former-Hewlett Packard CEO had just 3% support. She now sits in third place with 10%, only -2 points behind second place Carson.
Overall, the Republican Establishment is the Big Loser here. Non-politicians Trump, Carson and Fiorina command 58% of the vote, and that piece of the pie is only growing larger." Breitbart

Rubio from the Debate

Dumping on Trump over Questioner

"Donald Trump is taking heat from both sides of the aisle after he declined Thursday to correct a questioner at a town hall event who incorrectly stated President Obama is Muslim, and "not even an American." Politico

Carson on graduated tax system

"RUSH: I have now availed myself of the transcript of the portion of the debate I was asked about.  And the nub of it is Ben Carson claims that the graduated tax system is socialist.  I'll tell you where that comes from, a lot of people do. You can find references to it in the famous Communist Manifesto." RUSH