Will '94 or '98 Jeb Bush show up in 2016?

(USA Today) - A crowded Republican primary with candidates calling for dramatic policy changes driven by conservative values — and Jeb Bush leading the field in polling and fundraising. That's the current outlook for 2016 — but it also describes the Florida governor's race in 1994, when Bush made his first run for elective office. Then, Bush won the primary and lost in November. What he learned from that defeat influenced how he ran and won in 1998 — and how he may run for president now. "I earned it by working hard to connect with people on a level that truly mattered,'' Bush said last month at the Detroit Economic Club of his 1998 win. If he officially enters the presidential race this year, "that experience on a national scale has to be part of the strategy." What's not clear is how well his model will hold up in a combative 2016 primary. "His problem is, the party's not '98,'' says Matthew Corrigan, a University of North Florida political scientist and author of Conservative Hurricane: How Jeb Bush Remade Florida. "It's moved further to the right.'' Read more.

JEB! Bush, the "Fresh" Face of 2016

As fresh as a steaming new pile in the pasture can be.

(Bloomberg View) - It's going to take a lot of money to convince Republican voters that they don't know Jeb Bush. The notion that Bush is a tired old warhorse, familiar to all and distasteful to many, is the flip side of his singular political advantage in the Republican field -- the family connections, the vast and hyper-wealthy donor network, the ready access to political and policy expertise. 

In reality, voters can't possibly know that much about Bush. He was a successful -- and conservative -- governor of Florida, but he hasn't been in office since 2007. His (yet to be announced) presidential campaign, along with an outline of his views on immigration and Common Core, have generated news in recent months. But he has never run for president or served in a cabinet. He has never been a national political figure; even during his brother's presidency, he didn't have an especially high profile.

The disastrous effects of that presidency, however, seem to have such resonance that voters intuitively recoil at Jeb's surname. In January, pollster Peter Hart gave a dozen Colorado residents a list of politicians and asked them whom they would least like to have as a next-door neighbor. Among the 12 people -- Democrats, Republicans and independents -- eight named Jeb Bush. Unless random Coloradans spend an inordinate amount a time studying Florida politics, that's a testament to how powerfully "Bush" is overwhelming "Jeb" right now. (For more on Bush's dilemma, see Bloomberg's Michael C. Bender.)

Dynastic drag is prevalent in both political parties. But it afflicts Bush more than Hillary Clinton -- even though it's Clinton, not Bush, who has been a high-profile fixture of national politics for almost a quarter century. Clinton is much more popular with Democrats than Bush is with Republicans, and she consistently leads Bush -- sometimes by double-digits -- in general election match-ups. Read more.

JEB! and GOD!

We can fool enough people, when we need too!
The rest we just buy off!

(National Journal) - On a sunny Saturday morning in early March, Bob Vander Plaats walked into the West Des Moines Marriott with a chip on his shoulder. Iowa's evangelical shot-caller had come to meet with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who was in town for the Iowa Ag Summit, a cattle call that drew the majority of Republican presidential hopefuls. Over the course of the weekend, Vander Plaats had sit-downs scheduled with just about all of them. But not Jeb Bush.

A twice-failed gubernatorial candidate who helped boost Mike Huckabee to victory in the 2008 caucuses, Vander Plaats has grown accustomed to presidential aspirants lining up to kiss his ring, and his group, the Family Leader, has yet to choose a candidate for 2016. But when Bush's team planned the former Florida governor's first trip to Iowa in 15 years, no time was set aside for Vander Plaats—or for any of Iowa's other prominent Christian conservatives. The snub had left Vander Plaats stewing.

So who did he see when he walked into the Marriott lobby on Saturday morning? Bush himself—accompanied by David Kochel, the longtime Iowa Republican strategist who's been tapped to run Bush's national campaign. Kochel leaned over to the candidate, and after a nod and a whisper, the two sprung up and made a beeline for Vander Plaats.

God may be dead, but there are
still plenty of false ones running around, 
asking for your vote!

"I would not say it was awkward," Vander Plaats recalls, a trace of mischievousness in his voice. "I would say it was 'Iowa hospitable.'  " He and Bush chatted casually for about 10 minutes, he recalls, steering clear of thorny subjects and engaging in some farming banter. Bush, whom Vander Plaats says was "very, very gracious," promised to keep in touch. That struck Vander Plaats as a throwaway line, nothing more than a pleasant way of ending the conversation. But over the following week, Bush's team, at the candidate's behest, did follow up, multiple times. Bush asked Vander Plaats to arrange a private meeting with his evangelical allies in Iowa; Vander Plaats consented, on the condition that Bush also speak publicly at a Family Leader function. While Bush's team has not yet committed to that, Vander Plaats is confident that Bush will be back in Iowa sometime this year for both public and private vetting sessions with the state's leading social conservatives. (Bush declined to comment for this story.) Read more.

CBS News confirms that the Crown Prince is well on his way to buying the GOP nomination

Poppy hit a triple for me, and I'm getting ready to steal home!

The latest CBS News-New York Times poll indicates just how desperate and bankrupt the Republican Party has become, if you believe it.  Fully 51 percent, a majority of potential Republican primary voters, are willing to vote for JEB! as their presidential nominee.  More than any other candidate. Only 27 percent indicate they would not.  But just how hard a "NO" is that 27 percent?  You can bet that includes most of the "tea party," and the big question is whether or not these people would stay home if JEB! buys the nomination, or even vote for a third option in the general election.

The closest alternative to JEB! in the CBS poll was Mike Huckabee, who stands almost no chance of getting adequate donor money, or being competitive beyond Iowa.

JEB! missed red flags in Florida business scandal

Another slice into the sand.  But I'm still "Ready to Rule!"

(CNN) - There were plenty of red flags surrounding the company Jeb Bush was planning to join: lawsuits, bad headlines, even previously convicted drug dealers in top positions.

But somehow Bush seemed to miss them all in 2007 as he prepared to join InnoVida as a $15,000-a month-consultant -- a position that would lead to board membership and stock options.

Just months out of the Florida governor's mansion, the consulting gig with InnoVida would help Bush replenish his bank account after eight years in public service. It was also a chance for him to lend the credibility that comes with being the son of a former president and the brother of a sitting one to a home state start-up making what promised to be a revolutionary new building material.

But in reality, Bush was getting caught up with a smooth-talking CEO who would ultimately be sent to prison for more than a decade for running a $40 million investment fraud. Bush's ties to InnoVida and chief executive Claudio Osorio are resurfacing as the former governor considers a White House run.

READ: Jeb Bush fundraising is a family affair

A CNN investigation uncovered a paper trail revealing a pattern of financial malfeasance allegations against Osorio and troubling accusations against his top lieutenants, raising questions about why Bush would associate with businessmen who have such disconcerting histories. Bush's work at the troubled company is all the more notable considering he's built a political career touting his business acumen, boasting to voters in Iowa recently that he's actually "signed the front side of a paycheck."

"It's hard to imagine any due diligence investigation that would have missed lawsuit after lawsuit against Osorio alleging fraud, misrepresentation and ethics violations," said Ken Boehm, the chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center, an ethics watchdog group that reviewed public records with CNN. "Even if they were doing due-diligence lite, they would have found the lawsuits. These lawsuits weren't hidden. They were in his home county."

Read more.

Martin O'Malley Is Absolutely Correct: America Doesn't Need a Bush (or Clinton) Dynasty

It's MY turn!

NO! It's MINE!

(Huffington Post) - Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley echoed the sentiment of millions of Americans, especially Democrats, when he made the following statement about "crowns" and political dynasties:

"Let's be honest here, the presidency is not some crown to be passed between two families. It is an awesome and sacred trust to be earned and exercised on behalf of the American people," O'Malley said in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

With these words, O'Malley is the first Democrat to openly challenge a deep-seated paradigm ...within American politics...if you're a conservative, why does Jeb Bush deserve to be commander in chief?...

As Governor of Florida from 1999-2007, Bush's impact on his state isn't necessarily what most Americans would want for their country. In a 2007 Washington Postarticle titled The Jeb Bush Era Ends In Florida, the former governor's tenure is summarized in less than admirable terms:

In the ensuing eight years, Bush sent shivers through Florida's status quo as he gathered more power than any previous governor and reshaped state government to fit his vision.

Nicknamed "King Jeb," the Republican transformed what he saw as a tangle of red tape and squanderer of public money into a smaller, business-friendly administration needing fewer tax dollars to run.

... Yet, while his tenure coincided with a sizzling economy and an overflowing treasury, Bush's back-to-back terms were marred by frequent ethics scandals, official bungling and the inability of the government he downsized to meet growing demands for state services, including education and aid for the infirm and the elderly.

In 2007, a Washington Post article referred to Bush as "King Jeb" (a reference to Bush amassing more power than any previous Florida governor) and cited "frequent ethics scandals" during his tenure. Therefore, how does this bode well for the rest of America? Bush's conservative "business friendly" policies had the usual economic consequences; education, the elderly, and others paid the price.

Regarding Jeb's ethical scandals, a Newsweek article by Lou Dubose titled Tricky Ethical Questions Jeb Bush Must Answer highlights one of several scandals during Bush's tenure:

Bush was both a director on the corporate board and a marketing consultant for InnoVida Holdings LLC while it was the subject of a criminal investigation that sent its two top executives to jail.

..."A Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit filed against InnoVida alleges that Bush was brought on 'to add an air of legitimacy to InnoVida.'"

...Why didn't Bush or someone on his staff look deeper?

...And Jeb Bush either had a front-row seat to a corporate scam or he ignored his duty to the shareholders he represented on a corporate board.

If Jeb Bush had a different last name, would conservatives inquire as to why he was both a director and consultant for a corporation that was "the subject of a criminal investigation" and lost investors millions? The fact is that Jeb isn't that far removed from his brother George in regards to his economic philosophy. Unfortunately, this also means that another 2008 financial collapse (that resulted in $19.2 trillion in lost American wealth) could be on the horizon with a future Bush administration in 2016. Read more.

Ready for 45?

(New York Times) - JAMES BAKER can take credit for two presidencies and one vice presidency in the Bush family.

So it’s a tad ungracious for a Bush to take Baker to task.

At first Jeb Bush tried to distance himself from Baker distantly. He had his spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell, send an email to reporters the day after Baker — one of his foreign policy advisers and his dad’s best friend, campaign manager and secretary of state — gave President Obama some bipartisan backup on Israel. Speaking to the liberal Israel advocacy group, J Street, Baker faulted the “diplomatic missteps and political gamesmanship” surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu. Baker’s criticism of the abrasive Israeli leader he once banned from the State Department sparked a furor among Republicans who want a loyalty oath on support for the Jewish state.

Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard and one of the neocon enforcers who agitated for W.’s blighted invasion of Iraq, threw down the tweet gauntlet the next morning: “James Baker & J Street. The anti-Israel pre-Reaganite GOP meets the anti-Israel post-Clinton left.” He also tweeted: “Whether Jeb disavows James Baker, & how quickly and strongly, could be an oddly important early moment in GOP race.” Read more.

James Baker’s Zombie Foreign Policy

Don't worry about those pesky Israelis, we know who has the oil!

(National Review) - Jeb Bush is cleaning up a mess he helped create. It’s a distraction from what he’d rather be doing, which is building an “aura of inevitability” around his soon-to-be presidential campaign. He’s spent the past week distancing himself from the speech that one of his foreign policy advisers, former secretary of State James Baker, delivered to the annual meeting of J Street, the liberal fringe group that pushes tough policies against Israel. Baker’s speech couldn’t have come at a worse time. 
Read more.

Is Mike Pence getting ready to take on the Crown Prince?

Why else would Indiana governor Mike Pence piss off corporate America and champion the recently enacted "religious freedom" law in his state that gay-baits the GOP hard right base?  Is he thinking about running to the right of the rightfully entitled 2016 party nominee?
Ted Cruz is certain to have something to say about that. Stay tuned!

South Carolina Won’t [Yet] Give JEB! the Family Advantage in 2016

How DARE you hick morons not vote for me!

Wilbur J. Cash must be turning over and over in his grave at the lack of deference today's "post-modern" South Carolinians are showing to their rightful Crown Prince.

(IJReview) - South Carolina helped deliver both President’s George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush to the White House during their respective primary elections.

In 2016, however, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush may need to work much harder to win votes in the early primary state.

In South Carolina, George H.W. Bush won back his lead after he landed a disappointing third place in the Iowa primary. In 2000, George W. Bush face a similar challenge after reaching only second place in New Hampshire. South Carolina restored the Bush victory again. Today, suggests Politico, the third primary state might not offer the same safe haven to Jeb Bush.

Some GOP voters have balked at the idea of yet another Bush in the White House:

 “There’s going to be some resistance to a Bush III here,” Fred Payne told Politico. Payne had once backed George W. Bush 15 years ago, but is now uncommitted.

Most voters in South Carolina believe that the field for the Republican nomination is wide open. While Bush and Walker lead official polls, there is still a lot of interest at the grass roots level for candidates like Dr. Ben Carson, former Texas Governor Rick Perry and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Read more.

Meet the 2016 Republican Nominee for President.......... JEB! Bush

The Democrats are pulling the old b'rer rabbit in the briar patch trick when they say they are scared of the Crown Prince.  According to this author, Democrats will cross over in New Hampshire and deliver the primary vote (and the nomination) to a supremely beatable general election candidate much loved by a GOP monied elite out of touch with both its base, and reality.

And history will judge me another Harry Truman too.

(Town Hall) - It doesn’t matter what the Republican base wants or whom the well-known pundits like. The fact is, the so-called “independent” voters of New Hampshire are likely to pick the next Republican nominee for US President.

Since 1968 there have been only two times—1996 and 2000—when the New Hampshire Republican primary winner did not eventually become the party’s nominee for President. By contrast, the Iowa Caucuses’ winner has gone on to the nomination only six times in the last ten election cycles and Iowa did not choose the winning nominee the last two elections. Somehow, winning the New Hampshire primary thrusts a candidate into an almost unstoppable lead for the nomination...

If it is so that New Hampshire “independents” are capable of swinging a primary to a certain candidate and, therefore, choosing the party’s nominee, that begs the question: Who are New Hampshire’s “independents?” Adam Nagourney in the New York Times (October 2, 2007) cites a survey which said that 45% of them were leaning Democrat while only 30% were leaning Republican. And perhaps much of the remaining 25% lean left too, but are reluctant to say so. Read more.

JEB! Bush: What’s In A Name?

Big Media's love affair with the Crown Prince continues unabated.

(ABC News blog) -

• MITT ROMNEY ON THE EMERGING 2016 FIELD: The former Republican nominee assessed the fresh crop of potential 2016 Republican nominees yesterday, starting with newly-minted presidential candidate Ted Cruz: “He is a person of very sound capability and I think you’re going to hear a lot from him.” Romney said that he remembers Cruz speaking at the RNC in 2012 without notes and said he “spellbound the audience there” On his own 2016 endorsement, Romney said “I’m going to be very, very aggressively neutral in this process.” “I like Jeb Bush a lot. I think he’d be a terrific president. I like Marco Rubio. Scott Walker I like a lot…Chris Christie, boy a guy tells the truth in your face if he disagrees with you.” Asked if Christie can overcome low poll numbers, Romney said, “America loves a comeback, and Chris is poised to do that,” according to ABC’s ARLETTE SAENZ.

• TODAY ON THE TRAIL: Jeb Bush is in Dallas where his brother, former President George W. Bush, will be holding a fundraiser for him. Laura Bush will attend, as will Dallas billionaire T. Boone Pickens,ABC’s SHUSHANNAH WALSHE notes. Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is fundraising in Manhattan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is raising money in Philadelphia.

• ANALYSIS — ABC’s RICK KLEIN: He’s his “own man,” sure, but look who’s helping to pay the way. The relationship with Jeb Bush and the odd-numbered presidents he calls his dad and brother will surely be an evolving one over the next year-plus, with questions of legacy, rivalry, and dynasty never far from the frame. But with fundraisers featuring his family members Wednesday and Thursday – including a Dallas fundraiser featuring George W. Bush Wednesday night – Jeb Bush and his campaign are making clear to GOP donors that he isn’t straying too far from his name, at least for the purposes of raking in cash. There will be phases in this campaign where being a Bush hurts his campaign prospects. For those moments, the candidate has his lines down pat. The fundraising phase – notice how little news Jeb has committed in the last few weeks? – is the opposite kind of time, where the name is a boon. It should, though, serve as a reminder for down the road that distancing oneself from a family legacy is only credible up to a point.

• JEB BUSH CALLS US APPROACH TO IRAN ‘FOOLISH’ in an Op-Ed posted today in the National Review: “Consider American policy towards Iran, a nation that has waged a relentless campaign of terror and war-by-proxy against U.S. troops and American allies for more than three decades. The administration believes Iran will become a responsible partner for peace once it signs up to a deal that largely leaves in place its nuclear infrastructure. In a region that is in a near-constant state of conflict — with Iran as a primary instigator — this approach is foolish. It is clear that nothing — not public opinion, not opposition from his own party in Congress, and not even the facts — will deter President Obama from a potentially risky agreement that may well allow Iran to intimidate the entire Middle East, menace Israel, and, most of all, threaten America.” READ MORE

JEB! and the Neocon Trap

Can JEB! assuage the concerns of the GOP’s hawks without looking like the second coming of his brother?

(Daily Beast) - Are the neoconservatives turning on Jeb Bush? It would be ironic, consideringthe men his brother turned to for foreign policy advice. It would also be highlyproblematic—since foreign policy establishment hawks should represent one of Bush’s few natural constituencies on the right. But it’s hard to observe recent developments and not suspect something is afoot.

I’ve often observed that Sen. Rand Paul has to walk a fine line in order to keep all the disparate elements of his coalition together, but it’s increasingly looking like Jeb Bush is having to do the same thing. He has the legacies of his father and brother to contend with. And while these legacies aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, they aren’t necessarily complementary, either. And therein lies the trap for Jeb: Does he alienate the GOP’s main cadre of foreign policy activists and thinkers, or does he saddle up with them and risk being seen as the second coming of his brother? 

The foreign policy “realist” community hopes Jeb will be the “smart” son and follow the “prudent” footsteps of his father. Bush 41 oversaw the collapse of the Soviet Union and liberated Kuwait without toppling Saddam, a move that—depending on where you stand—was either an example of prudence or cowardice. But neoconservatives prefer George W. Bush’s more aggressive foreign policy, and want the GOP to nominate a hawk in 2016. Now Jeb Bush’s campaign needs to figure out what kind of President Bush he would be, and he likely won’t be able to assuage the concerns of both camps.

The conundrum, presumably, began when Jeb announced his foreign policy team. Much was made of the fact that many of his advisers had served in previous Bush administrations. This was much ado about nothing. Any Republican who gained senior foreign policy experience in the last quarter of a century would likely have worked for a Bush administration. Read more

In 2016 campaign, the lament of the not quite rich enough

(Washington Post) - At this point in the 2012 presidential race, Terry Neese was in hot demand. “Gosh, I was hearing from everyone and meeting with everyone,” said Neese, an Oklahoma City entrepreneur and former “Ranger” for President George W. Bush who raised more than $1 million for his reelection. This year, no potential White House contender has called — not even Bush’s brother, Jeb. As of early Wednesday, the only contacts she had received were e-mails from staffers for two other likely candidates; both went to her spam folder. “They are only going to people who are multi-multimillionaires and billionaires and raising big money first,” said Neese, who founded a successful employment agency. “Most of the people I talk to are kind of rolling their eyes and saying, ‘You know, we just don’t count anymore.’ ”

It’s the lament of the rich who are not quite rich enough for 2016. Read more.

How to beat JEB!

NO ONE will deny me what is rightfully mine!

The answer, for the Hildabeast, is probably just to show up.

(PMSNBC) - First, the good news for Jeb Bush: Even his rivals concede he’s about to post the monster first quarter of fundraising that has been his goal. Also, the candidate who emerged as Bush’s chief threat, Scott Walker, is now struggling under the glare of sudden national scrutiny, stalling his early momentum and raising doubts about his long-term durability. 

Now, the bad news: The opening for another Republican to knock Bush off is still as big as ever. The question is whether someone in this crowded field is capable of rising up and taking advantage of it – or if Bush will catch the same break of a lifetime that Mitt Romney did four years ago when one comically inept rival after another tried and failed to seize on a similar opening.

All of the latest data confirm that Bush’s aggressive behind-the-scenes maneuvering – coupled with press coverage that tends to treat him as the obvious front-runner – has so far failed to erode the significant resistance to him that exists among his party’s rank-and-file. He leads the latest, national GOP poll with a meager 16% of the vote, runs far back in Iowa, and struggles in other early-voting states. Nor can he make much of a pragmatic argument about electability to Republicans – not when he’s less popular among all voters than even his brother, George W., and not when he’s running 15 points behind Hillary Clinton in trial heats, worse than Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and even Mike Huckabee. 

The lack of excitement among Republican voters, as I’ve written, can be traced to the right’s reading of the last Bush presidency, the idea that in embracing “compassionate conservatism,” Republican elected officials sacrificed principle and enabled the rise of Barack Obama. Thus is today’s conservative grassroots supremely suspicious of leaders with establishment connections and insider connections – like, say, Jeb Bush. 

[By letting the Crown Prince buy the presidential nomination] will the GOP fumble 2016?

(Charlotte Observer) - If you don’t count George W. Bush’s presidency, and I don’t, by 2016 it will have been 28 years since the American electorate was willing to trust the Republicans with the presidency. That’s a very long drought, and the GOP has been incapable of figuring out how to end it.

“W’s” presidency doesn’t count because of how he was elected, and, much more importantly, because of how he governed after taking office. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 by more than a half million votes. The electoral vote came down to Florida, and Bush prevailed when the Supreme Court in 7-2 and 5-4 decisions gave him Florida. Regardless of whom you think won that election, President Bush doomed the GOP when he preemptively attacked Iraq. Not only did he attack the wrong country, he and his Republican allies on the Hill put the costs of Iraq and Afghanistan on the national credit card. The national debt skyrocketed, Wall Street got away with murder, and by 2008 the economy was in free fall. The Republicans had become their own worst enemy.

In 2008 any Democrat would have trounced any Republican. By 2012 even a weakened and ineffective President Obama had little trouble dispatching Mitt Romney who raced far to the right in the GOP primaries to appease the party’s extremists and thereafter was never able to establish his footing in the general election.

Left to their own suicidal devices the Republicans are now gearing up to lose in 2016, an election that history tells us should be theirs for the taking. Looking back over more than a half century makes plain that after two terms the American people usually turn the White House over to the opposition party. Given the fact that President Obama has been one of the most polarizing presidents ever, that most Americans believe the nation is on the wrong track, and that Hillary Clinton is loaded with partisan baggage, there should be little doubt about a forthcoming Republican victory next year.

But Hillary Clinton is a savvy and cunning politician. She smells victory. There’s a good chance she’s right because the Democrats have a decided edge in the Electoral College and because of the GOP’s suicidal instincts. Read more.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article16310489.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article16310489.html#storylink=cpy

JEB's Wall Street Advantage

FOX BNN (for immediate release from palace sources) - [His most neoconservative ersatz Family Values of the Plastic Jesus, the Crown Prince] Jeb Bush, the former governor, brother of president 43 and son of president 41, has quietly but ruthlessly assembled a 2016 presidential fundraising juggernaut--one that Republican money men say will be impossible for any of the other 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls to emulate and could easily go stride for stride with the legendary Clinton fundraising machine when, as expected, the former first lady announces her 2016 intentions.

What's so interesting about Bush's money grab is how relatively quietly he's been able to raise what FOX Business has been told is countless millions of dollars--plus the promises of millions more if he announces his candidacy. Does that mean we are all but certain to be heading for Bush vs Clinton (again)? I would say probably,but here are some caveats: My sources are largely Wall Street types who naturally gravitate to establishment front runners, so Bush is their natural choice. Moreover some of these fundraisers are still waiting for the possibility that a Midwestern governor like Mike Pence of Indiana, John Kasich of Ohio, and Scott Walker of Wisconsin might have some breakthrough moment, and with it, any of the above could start siphoning off some cash from the Bush machine.

But the odds of that happening--at least in the early innings of the race--look increasingly remote, the money men say. Texas senator Ted Cruz recently announced his candidacy to great Conservative fan fare, but more broadly in the GOP, is coming across as a novelty candidate of the far right, at least according to most big fundraisers who point out correctly that such candidates have rarely gone the distance. Read more.

Conservatives Aim to Unite Behind an Alternative to JEB!

Just shut UP, you dumb wingnuts, and fall in line.

As W. once said, "uh....cain''t git fooled agin." 

(New York Times) - Fearing that Republicans will ultimately nominate an establishment presidential candidate like Jeb Bush, leaders of the nation’s Christian right have mounted an ambitious effort to coalesce their support behind a single social-conservative contender months before the first primary votes are cast.

In secret straw polls and exclusive meetings from Iowa to California, the leaders are weighing the relative appeal and liabilities of potential standard-bearers like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.

“There’s a shared desire to come behind a candidate,” said Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, a national lobbying group that opposes abortion and equal rights for gays.

“It would be early for a group of leaders to come out for a candidate, but not too early for the conversations to begin,” he said.Fearing that Republicans will ultimately nominate an establishment presidential candidate like Jeb Bush, leaders of the nation’s Christian right have mounted an ambitious effort to coalesce their support behind a single social-conservative contender months before the first primary votes are cast.

In secret straw polls and exclusive meetings from Iowa to California, the leaders are weighing the relative appeal and liabilities of potential standard-bearers like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.

“There’s a shared desire to come behind a candidate,” said Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, a national lobbying group that opposes abortion and equal rights for gays.

“It would be early for a group of leaders to come out for a candidate, but not too early for the conversations to begin,” he said.  Read more.

The Hildabeast, the Crown Prince, and email

Give me your best shot, boys

When you consider that Hillary Clinton sat up a private email server offsite at the very beginning of her tenure as Secretary of State, and never used an official government email address, you do have to wonder if some sort of deliberate strategy was at work.

Over at FOX BNN (Bush News Network), they will tell you it had everything to do with hiding Benghazi, etc.  Of course Benghazi hadn't happened in 2009.

There was a deliberate strategy at work, and it did take into account FOXworld and their predicable reactions.  Hillary without doubt, had a plan in mind in 2009, and it did not necessarily, or primarily involve hiding emails.  What it did probably involve was setting up the Republican Party, their propaganda mouthpiece, and their nominee, Jeb Bush.  Hillary has had a long history with that "vast rightwing conspiracy" and knows how to feed, manage and provoke it to her advantage.

This recent email flap, and its implications, provide both the GOP stalwarts in Congress a golden opportunity to overplay their hand and come up empty in their various investigations, and a golden opportunity to focus media attention on Jeb Bush and his own email problems, which are likely just beginning.

The Clintons always gamed their opponent in 2016 would be Jeb Bush.  Everything they have done is predicated on that.  If the GOP, in a moment of rare originality and political courage, offered up another, actually electable opponent, then the team over at Clinton headquarters might start to worry.

JEB! Returns to the Washington Fund-Raising Well

If you can't win an election, then maybe you can buy one?

(New York Times) - “I’m not an expert on the ways of Washington,” Jeb Bush told conservatives last month when he was asked about a funding dispute in Congress. [How hard did they laugh at those comments?] Mr. Bush, the former Florida governor, has sounded that theme regularly in his fledgling presidential campaign. But even as he positions himself as a Washington outsider, he seems to have mastered a skill that is crucial in this city: tapping into the money-raising clout of the K Street lobbyists, political operatives, superlawyers and business leaders in Washington’s permanent class. Although not yet an official presidential candidate, Mr. Bush has had at least seven private fund-raisers and meet-and-greets in the Washington area, raising more than $1.3 million for his political action committee in a single day last month, and he has scheduled another one in April. His success is hardly surprising: For more than two decades, Washington has provided Mr. Bush, the son and brother of former presidents, with financial and political support.“Washington is a deep well for Jeb. There’s a lot of support for him here,” said Tony Fratto, a Washington consultant who worked at the White House under George W. Bush, Mr. Bush’s brother, and pitched in $5,000 for a Bush fund-raiser last month.In his two successful runs for the Florida Statehouse, in 1998 and 2002, Mr. Bush received at least $237,000 from hundreds of lobbyists, lawyers, political consultants and others in the capital, records show. Many donors had ties to his father and his brother or to special interests like tobacco, oil, Hollywood and Wall Street. Now he is far outpacing potential Republican rivals who have largely been absent from the capital’s chicken-and-chardonnay fund-raising scene. Read more.