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    Rick Scott Challenger Calls It Quits

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Senate primary field is already shrinking…

    On Wednesday, Phil Ehr announced his decision to drop out of the Senate primary and instead challenge incumbent Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) for Florida’s 28th congressional district.

    The move is a stark turnaround after Ehr initially entered the senate race to unseat Republican Senator Rick Scott.

    Politico has more:

    But Ehr, who once ran against GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in northwest Florida, said his decision to compete for Gimenez’s House seat was motivated by what he called the “chaos in the nation’s Capitol” due to the Republican infighting over House speaker that has kept that chamber without a leader for more than two weeks.

    “We have in the House of Representatives chaos that is damaging America, chaos that is preventing us from being able to respond overseas,” Ehr told Playbook.

    Ehr’s decision to mount a congressional campaign in South Florida was, in part, because he believes Gimenez is vulnerable and for the GOP lawmaker’s support of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans like Gaetz. Gimenez is currently one of the holdouts opposed to the speakership bid of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

    Ehr also added that he’s been a Florida resident since 1984, and while in the military he did missions in the area, including rescuing Cuban exiles during the Mariel boatlift. “This place is very familiar to me,” Ehr said.

    Trump Scores Endorsement From Iowa Attorney General

    By
    admin
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    1
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Donald Trump scored a significant endorsement on Monday as he seeks to shore up support in the Hawkeye State.

    Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R) endorsed former President Trump during a campaign rally in Adel, Iowa.

    “We need a new president in the White House. I am so glad to get to be here today to introduce Donald Trump, ’cause he will secure our border, who supports that?” she said to a crowd of Trump supporters.

    “He will fight the terrorists. He will fix the economy. He will stand up for agriculture, and he will uphold our Constitution and our way of life,” she added.

    Trump continues to lead in national and local polling, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis placing second in the RealClearPolitics polling index of Iowa surveys.

    However, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) has yet to make a public endorsement in the GOP presidential primaries but has frequently campaigned alongside DeSantis.

    The former president criticized her approach to the primary in July, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform, “I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won. Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!”

    Kari Lake Secures Major Endorsement

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Kari Lake speaking with supporters at a "Stand for Freedom" rally at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

    Kari Lake snagged a key endorsement from a top Republican senator nearly a week after announcing her campaign for Senate.

    On Monday, Wyoming Senator John Barrasso’s endorsement comes after Lake formally launched her bid for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat.

    “Kari Lake will shine brightly for Arizona. She is a generational communicator who is giving voice to Arizona citizens,” Barrasso said in a statement. 

    “Joe Biden’s policies have crushed Arizona. Arizonans are dealing with record inflation – up 20 percent under the Biden administration. Arizona is also on the front lines of the worst illegal immigration crisis in American history. Nearly 8 million illegal immigrants under Biden, equal to the population of Arizona,” he continued. “The U.S. Senate needs a Senator from Arizona that understands these issues, and will fight hard to solve them.”

    Lake thanked Barrasso in a statement, saying, “I am honored by the friendship and endorsement of Senator Barrasso.”

    “He is a tested and proven conservative leader who I greatly admire. I look forward to working with Senator Barrasso to get America back on track and fire Chuck Schumer,” she added.

    Sen. Barrasso’s endorsement is significant considering some Senator’s hesitation over Lake’s Senate campaign over past comments on election fraud and her links to former President Trump.

    According to The Hill, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chairman of the Senate GOP campaign arm, has said that he’s had “productive conversations with Kari Lake and her team.”

    Report: Oprah Pitched a White House Run with Mitt Romney

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    This union would have certainly shaken up the 2020 election…

    The latest revelation in “Romney: A Reckoning” by McKay Coppins, out a week from Tuesday, reveals that Oprah Winfrey floated a presidential run and suggested Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney join her for a”unity ticket.”

    Axios has more:

    Coppins writes that Romney told him Winfrey, a Democrat, made a pitch to run together “to save the country,” according to a source familiar with the manuscript.

    Romney tells Coppins he dismissed the idea, believing that such a campaign would inadvertently help Trump.

    Last month, Romney announced he would not run for re-election.

    Pro-Trump Impeachment Republican Eyes New Public Office

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    Former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, the Republican who was ousted last year from her Southwest Washington congressional seat after voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump, plans to reignite her failed political career by running for state commissioner of public lands.

    The Seattle Times reports:

    Herrera Beutler announced her intentions at a meeting Monday morning with supporters of Future 42, a conservative political group, a meeting participant told The Seattle Times.

    “1,000% — she’s in,” the source said.

    Herrera Beutler was one of 10 House Republicans to cross party lines and vote to impeach Trump for allegedly inciting the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

    In an address on the House floor, Herrera Beutler called on her colleagues to embrace the moral clarity that comes with accepting the truth.

    “I rise today to stand against our enemy. And to clarify, our enemy isn’t the president, or the president-elect. Fear is our enemy. It tells us what we want to hear, it incites anger and violence and fire, but it also haunts us into silence and inaction. What are you afraid of?” she asked.

    “My vote to impeach our sitting president is not a fear-based decision. I am not choosing a side, I’m choosing truth. It’s the only way to defeat fear,” Herrera Beutler concluded, to a smattering of applause on the House floor.

    RFK Jr. Switches Affiliation to Independent Party

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he is switching from Democrat to Independent in a desperate move to breathe new life into a dying campaign.

    “I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate,” Kennedy told a crowd of supporters in Philadelphia.

    “I must declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party,” he said to loud cheers. “And from all other political parties.”

    Kennedy has formally rivaled President Biden from within the party since the spring, but he has not made a dent against the White House incumbent. His switch theoretically puts him closer to voters who are unhappy with both political parties, hyper-partisan politics, and want an alternative to the expected Biden-Trump options next November. 

    “People suspect that the divisions are deliberately orchestrated,” he said. “They’re fed up with being fooled and they’re ready to take back power.”

    Kennedy has been a frequent critic of the Democratic National Committee and has regularly lamented its decision not to hold debates with Biden as the presumptive nominee, throwing around claims that the party is “rigging” things in the president’s favor. 

    Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel slammed RFK Jr. over his switch.

    “Make no mistake – a Democrat in Independent’s clothing is still a Democrat,” McDaniel said in a statement. 

    “RFK Jr. cannot hide from his record of endorsing Hillary, supporting the Green New Deal, fighting against the Keystone Pipeline, and praising AOC’s tax hikes – he is your typical elitist liberal and voters won’t be fooled,” McDaniel said.

    Centrist Republicans Float Re-electing McCarthy as House Speaker In Wake of Israel Attacks

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    13
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The old saying goes “the more things change the more they stay the same…”

    Some Republicans are mulling a move to reinstate Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House Speaker in the wake of the deadly attacks in Israel.

    On Saturday morning, Palestine militant group Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the organization and order retaliatory action.

    “Israel attacks have moderates holding out for the one person who can truly unite us: Kevin McCarthy,” a House GOP lawmaker said.

    Last week, McCarthy was ousted by the votes of eight Republicans and all House Democrats thanks to a rule change McCarthy agreed to when he was elected speaker.

    However, handing McCarthy back the Speaker’s gavel is an uphill battle due to the support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) have already garnered. Last week, former President Donald Trump threw his support behind Jordan for Speaker.

    McCarthy, for his part, is “aware and grateful” for the efforts to reinstate him, but he’s not engaging at this point, the House GOP lawmaker said.

    However, some Republicans are optimistic that it could be done, given the severity of the attack in Israel. They believe the urgency surrounding the attacks could pressure the eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy to switch their stance. Many Republicans are still upset with those who voted against McCarthy, who is a vocal supporter of Israel, and are “using this moment to show how wrong they were,” per the House GOP lawmaker.

    “A short window is all we need in the House to reinstate Kevin McCarthy and change the rule,” Rep. John Duarte (R-CA) said.

    House Republicans plan on meeting behind closed doors on Monday to hash out details and differences of opinion. On Tuesday, there will be a candidate forum to hear the pros and cons of each speaker candidate.

    The conference plans to hold a secret vote on Wednesday to see who it wants to nominate for speaker on the floor. The nomination will go to whichever candidate secures a majority of the GOP conference. That figure could be as low as 113, including the three nonvoting GOP delegates to the House. If all 435 House members participate, a successful candidate will need 217 votes to become speaker.

    Trump Makes Endorsement in House Speaker Race

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Jim Jordan via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Donald Trump is throwing his support behind Jim Jordan to become the next Speaker of the House.

    “He is a STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment. Jim, his wife, Polly, & family are outstanding – He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

    “Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C., representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District. Respected by all, he is now Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee,” Trump wrote.

    The former president backed Jordan over Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who announced his own bid to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday.

    Trump had initially declined to back any particular candidate for Speaker following McCarthy’s removal, telling reporters Wednesday that “we have some great people in the Republican Party that could do a great job as Speaker.”

    Some House Republicans floated the former president himself as a possible Speaker nominee, with the conference scrambling to coalesce around a new leader following McCarthy’s exit from a position he had held since January.

    Trump appeared to dismiss those calls, saying Wednesday he was “totally” focused on his White House bid. On Thursday, he said he would do so on a temporary basis only “if necessary,” adding to Fox News Digital: “I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress.” 

    Trump Responds To Potential VP Candidate Questions

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    15
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Donald Trump is not impressed by the current pool of Republican candidates…

    Following the second Republican presidential debate Trump, the current frontrunner, responded to speculation he could choose his next running mate from the group of current candidates. His answer? No way.

    “We’re competing with the job candidates, they’re all running for a job. No, they’re all job candidates,” Trump said of his competition. “They want to be in the – they want to, they’ll do anything, secretary of something, they even say VP.”

    “Does anybody see the VP in the group? I don’t think so,” the former president added.

    Seven GOP candidates were on the stage Wednesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

    The seven candidates were North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech entrepreneur and political commentator Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

    Who should Trump pick to be his next running mate? Tell us your favorite candidate below.

    Report: Giuliani’s Former Legal Team Sues Him for $1.36M

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s legal team is adding to his laundry list of legal troubles.

    The former Trump attorney’s previous legal team is suing the Republican for failing to pay legal fees amounting to $1.36 million they charged while representing him in numerous controversies.

    According to reports from Politicom Robert J. Costello, a longtime friend of Giuliani, and his law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP filed the complaint on Monday in a state court in Manhattan.

    Politico has more:

    And now his old counsel is turning against him, accusing him of not paying up all the money he owes them for representing him throughout these his legal battles. Giuliani has already paid the firm — which he employed on a retainer agreement that it alleges he broke — $214,000, with his last payment made on Sept. 14 in the amount of $10,000, according to the filing. In total, the firm has charged him $1.57 million from 2019 to 2023.

    “I can’t express how personally hurt I am by what Bob Costello has done,” Giuliani told POLITICO in a statement. “It’s a real shame when lawyers do things like this, and all I will say is that their bill is way in excess to anything approaching legitimate fees.”

    Giuliani is staring down the barrel at a host of legal issues stemming from the 2020 presidential election. Last month Giuliani surrendered to Fulton County jail over charges that he helped conspire with Trump to overthrow the election by lying to state legislators and spreading election fraud misinformation. A week later, a federal judge ruled that he was liable for defaming two Georgia election workers.

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