Tuesday's Senate primary in North Carolina offers the latest gauge of whether the Republican Party establishment and its deep-pocketed allies are winning the battle against the GOP's Tea Party factions.
Two groups tied to mainstream Republican interests — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a newly flush American Crossroads super PAC — have spent a combined $2 million in North Carolina to boost Thom Tillis, the speaker of the state House of Representatives. Tillis needs to top 40% of the vote in Tuesday's primary to avoid a costly runoff for the right to face Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in the fall.
The last-minute surge of support for Tillis includes an endorsement from former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who is a potential 2016 presidential candidate.
But the outcome is far from certain. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a possible White House candidate with substantial Tea Party clout, is headed to the Tar Heel state Monday to stump for one candidate, libertarian-leaning Greg Brannon. Another Republican contender, Charlotte pastor Mark Harris, has been endorsed by former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.
In November, Republicans stand their best chance in years of winning the Senate majority and controlling the agenda on Capitol Hill during the final years of President Obama's second term. Republicans need to net six seats to take control of the chamber.
Republicans tied to the party's leaders want to avoid a repeat of the 2010 and 2012 elections in which Tea Party-aligned Senate candidates won key Republican primaries in states such as Delaware, Nevada, Colorado, Indiana and Missouri only to lose to Democrats in the general election.
"Our goal was to make sure that we had the highest quality crop of candidates possible to compete in the fall elections," said Steven Law, the CEO of American Crossroads, a super PAC tied to Republican strategist Karl Rove. The group also been active in Alaska's three-way GOP primary.
After 2012's stinging defeats, the Crossroads pledged to intervene in primary fights to thwart far-right conservatives likely to falter in general-election battles. Aided by prominent Republican donors, the group collected $5.2 million in March to help in primary fights — more than it raised in all of 2013.Read the rest of the story HERE. Below is an interactive 2014 Primary Map. CLICK THE MAP to open the interactive version:
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ReplyDelete_____________________________________
Democratic blues
Dems heading for a crash ?
• The GOP is heading for a big win.
• The chances of a Republican Senate takeover at 82 percent.
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/05/05/democratic-blues-2/
• Jennifer Rubin • Right Turn •
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn
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• Clinton–era • Roots of the • FINANCIAL CRISIS •
Seldom has such a radical proposal been so ignored during a campaign
only to later lead to such devastating consequences.
The Clinton administration lost the battle to
use pensions to fund low-income housing,
but it succeeded in winning the war
by drafting Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the
commercial banking system into the affordable-housing effort.
www.aei.org/article/economics/the-clinton-era-roots-of-the-financial-crisis
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Don't Believe the Spin, Obamacare is Still a Loser
The negatives are still piling up a lot faster than the positives.
www.RealClearPolitics.com/articles/2014/04/21/dont_believe_the_spin_obamacare_is_still_a_loser_122347.html
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Measuring the Success of Obamacare: Don't Be Misled
www.RealClearPolitics.com/articles/2014/04/22/measuring_the_success_of_obamacare_dont_be_misled_122338.html
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Everyone knows how I feel about Branno--he's an accident waiting to happen, so it's good to see him going down. I never understood what the great beef was with Tillis, though. He seems to obviously be the best choice.
ReplyDeleteTo my mind, the tea party has a tendency to back bad candidates prematurely. I get that the system needs a shake up. They seem to be a little more circumspect this time, except for NC. Rand and Lee made a huge error is endorsing Brannon.
In my OR primary, I'm voting for Conger, not Wehby, who is the establishment choice. Romney endorsed her, and she's getting piles of money from outside. But I just don't think she's ready.
-Martha
-Martha
-Martha
Plus, she's pro-choice, and I can't bring myself to support someone who is pro-choice, especially since I think Conger has just as good a shot against Merkley as Wehby does, maybe better.
ReplyDelete-Martha
ReplyDeletewww.RealClearPolitics.com/elections
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Democratic blues
Dems heading for a crash ?
• The GOP is heading for a big win.
• The chances of a Republican Senate takeover at 82 percent.
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/05/05/democratic-blues-2/
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www.RealClearPolitics.com
Dems Running Scared, Trying to Hide Records - Ed Rogers, Wash Post
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/05/05/the-insiders-left-footed-democrats-try-to-dance-to-the-right/
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Obama Is Creating an Era of Bad Feelings - Michael Barone, DC Examiner
www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/05/06/obama_blows_off_deals_with_gop_creating_era_of_bad_feelings_122540.html
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Extremism is a vice, come to think of it
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/05/02/extremism-is-a-vice-come-to-think-of-it//?print=1
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www.RealClearPolitics.com
Real • Clear • Politics • links to many WEB articles:
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Laura Ingraham On Washington Press: "Lap Dogs, Not Attack Dogs"
LAURA INGRAHAM: For the past six years, most in the press
have been in party mode, drunk on its abiding love for the Obamas.
www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/05/06/laura_ingraham_on_washington_press_lap_dogs_not_attack_dogs.html
How Obamacare Pays Off Insurers
www.weeklystandard.com/articles/slush-fund_788988.html
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China's Underwater A2/AD Strategy - Harry Kazianis, The Diplomat
www.realcleardefense.com/2014/05/06/china039s_underwater_a2ad_strategy_261871.html
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Healthcare.gov: How Government IT Screwed Us
www.realcleartechnology.com/2014/05/06/healthcaregov_how_government_it_screwed_us_20734.html
Clinton Should Worry as Story Unravels
http://nypost.com/2014/05/03/benghazi-mess-points-to-hillary-and-possibly-criminal-cover-up/
Apathy in the Executive - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304677904579536170749456890
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Shellacking II: The Sequel - Washington Free Beacon
http://freebeacon.com/columns/shellacking-ii-the-sequel/
Reid Won't Allow Vote on Keystone
www.politico.com/story/2014/05/keystone-xl-pipeline-congress-energy-environment-106373.html
Is U.S.-Canada Border Secure?
www.realclearworld.com/2014/05/06/how_committed_is_canada_to_us_security_158123.html
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Freedom for Religion, Not From It - Jonathan Tobin, Commentary
www.commentarymagazine.com/2014/05/05/freedom-for-religion-not-from-it-greece-v-galloway-church-state-separation/
Republicans not playing politics with Benghazi
www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-not-playing-politics-with-benghazi-sen-lindsey-graham-says
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www.RealClearPolitics.com • RealClearMarkets.com •
www.RealClearWorld.com • RealClearDefense.com •
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