Tag Archives: GOP

Well That Didn’t Take Long – Perry Advisor Jumps to Trump

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Sam Clovis, the former Iowa Chair for Rick Perry’s flagging campaign, has landed with Donald Trump and will serve as his national co-chairman and policy adviser.

“I had an opportunity to get to know Mr. Trump over the past several months. I have some close friends working on the campaign. It’s a great opportunity for me to effect change in Washington, and I think Mr. Trump is exactly the person to do that.”

Perry had attempted to separate himself from some of the other also-rans in the massive GOP field by directly attacking trump. That must make Clovis’ switch to the GOP front runner an even more bitter pill for the former Texas Governor to swallow. Perry’s perilous position was weakened by Clovis’ abrupt departure earlier this week. Clovis has indicated that Perry’s vocal criticism of Trump does not represent his views. Now with the Iowa power-broker firmly in Trump’s corner, the end of Perry’s political life seems inevitable. Despite a recent influx of cash, Perry’s campaign is still having trouble meeting payroll.

Rick’s Reeling Run

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Former Gov. Rick Perry’s quickly fading Presidential campaign took another hit on Monday with the departure of Sam Clovis, his Iowa campaign chairman. Clovis, a right-wing talk radio host, professor and failed U.S. Senate candidate gave warm regards to Perry, but left with the feeling that all is not right in the Perry camp.   “I feel bad for the campaign and I feel bad for Governor Perry because I think he’s a marvelous human being, he’s a great man and it was my honor to be a part of this, but it was just time to move on.”  Clovis indicated that the move to stop paying campaign staffers came as a surprise to him.  Other campaigns will likely be quick to snap up Clovis, who is considered to be one of the premier GOP political operatives in the state.

Clovis said he has been approached by “several” other campaigns since Perry stopped paying his staff earlier this month. He said he expects to be working for another candidate within days. “I’m going to go where there’s the best fit.”  Clovis considered working for  Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina and Donald Trump, before signing up with Perry.  Look for Clovis to settle in with either Cruz or Trump.

Cruz Going After JEB!!!!$$$$$?

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Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas), who has refused to criticize Donald Trump for attacking Mexicans, Gays, Weenies and  oh, my gosh Fox News, has finally found another GOP candidate that he is willing to use as a punching bag.  And it’s the doughy, sad sack, scion of the Bush dynasty – JEB!!!!$$$$$?  Cruz, who has refrained from uttering the dastardly accusation of being a RINO at JEB!!!!$$$$$?, is leaving that epithet for use by his supporters.  Cruz, however, is going after him with bacon-wrapped guns blazing. The Texas Tribune has the details.

Cruz, who wraps up his bus tour through the South today, has become increasingly critical of the former Florida governor “as a prime example of what’s ailing the GOP,” and his crowds are liking that message . . .

During campaign stops Monday and Tuesday in Tennessee and Mississippi, Cruz’s references to the former Florida governor, now a staple of the senator’s stump speech, often elicited loud booing, sometimes accompanied by scattered shouts of “Establishment!” or “RINO!” (Republican In Name Only). …

“We’re tired of losing,” Cruz said Tuesday when asked why he thought Bush’s name was drawing such strong reactions on the campaign trail. …

In an interview aboard his campaign bus Tuesday in Mississippi, Cruz praised Bush’s “candor” in a seemingly backhanded compliment.

“He has been quite candid in embracing amnesty, in embracing Common Core,” Cruz said. “Now those policy positions are dramatically out of step with Republican primary voters, but I have commended his courage of convictions that he sticks with his defense of amnesty and his defense of Common Core.”

Them’s Fighting Words.

A Perilous Situation for Perry Probably Means Less Perry

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Multiple sources are indicating that Rick Perry’s flagging presidential campaign may not make it past the quarter pole.  On the day after missing the first GOP presidential debate, Perry campaign manager Jeff Miller told staff that they would no longer be paid.  Despite the lack of income many workers are staying with the campaign for the time being.  How long Perry can hang on without some improvement in the polls is questionable.

“Money is extremely tight,” admitted Katon Dawson, Perry’s South Carolina campaign chairman. “We all moved to volunteer status. Our team is working as hard as it was last week.”   Perry’s supposedly independent super PAC still has money in the bank, but the campaign itself is essentially broke.  Perry aides vowed that they will continue raising money to compete in the early 2016 contests, but expenditures are down to transportation, hotels and meals for Perry and his travelling staff. Perry is planning to campaign in South Carolina on Thursday and to visit Iowa next week.

IRHO, it couldn’t happen to a less qualified, superbly coifed, more self-aggrandizing, empty suit, pompous bag of wind than Rick Perry – unless of course it were Donald Trump.

 

Hold Your Horses – Literally

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A dispute amongst factions of the Texas GOP will result in a shut-down of Texas horse racing this week.  Although, the Texas racing industry has never taken off as envisaged in the 80’s, this internecine dispute will disrupt legal horse racing in Texas.  The Texas Racing Commission does not have funding to continue in operation and Texas law requires Racing Commission supervision at all tracks in the state.  The Houston Chronicle explains the root cause behind the shut down.

Texas Racing Commission officials have stopped signing off on new races and started warning that the agency will shutter by the end of the month unless the Legislative Budget Board approves a funding request.

“Absent the necessary approvals from the LBB, the agency will no longer be able to pay its employees or its rent and will close by the end of the day on August 31, 2015,” commission executive director Chuck Trout told a lawyer representing the tracks in a letter last Friday, adding that, “if the agency closes, all racing will also stop.”

Commission officials believe the board controlled by lawmakers will ultimately approve the money if they repeal a controversial new racing game, but the warning nevertheless has plunged Harris County’s Sam Houston Race Park and others around the state into unexpected uncertainty. State law requires commission staff to attend each race, so closure could leave the tracks unable to operate.

The tumult marks a dramatic escalation in a year-long battle between the commission and some lawmakers over the new game, known as “historical racing.”

Also known as “instant racing,” the game allows players to bet on previously-run races that have been stripped of identifications. It is seen by the tracks as a necessary innovation to help them to keep up with states where more betting is allowed, but it has drawn opposition from critics who say the terminals resemble slot machines and would expand gambling here while hurting charitable bingo groups.

The commission approved historical racing last summer over the objection of Senate Republicans, who sent a letter saying the agency did not have the authority to make such an authorization unilaterally.

Photo from www.bloodhorse.com

Cruz, JEB!!!!$$$$$?, Paul In – Perry Out

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Three of the four GOP presidential candidates with ties to Texas made the cut for Fox News first national debate on Thursday.  Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas), JEB!!!!$$$$$?, and Sen. Rand Paul (TP – Curly Top) are in but former Governor Rick Perry is on the outside looking in.  Perry who, to his credit, has relentlessly attacked Donald Trump as a sideshow act, tried to make the best of his situation claiming that “One debate won’t make or break a candidate.”  Perry seems to have forgotten that one debate and one moment in one debate (“Oops”) broke his candidacy in 2012.  But in reality, Perry is getting more press out of missing the Fox debate than he likely could have generated from a scintillating performance – and how likely was that?

Scott Walker Not Connecting in Texas

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Scott Walker has yet to tap into the incredible cache of money held by wealthy conservative Texans desperate to elect another Republican President.  Mother Jones reports that Walker has made no inroads in Texas and conservative power brokers are being snatched up by other better-financed candidates.

The union-busting Wisconsin governor may be a conservative darling, but he’s way behind the curve when it comes to courting Texas’ biggest money men. Bill Miller, a top Texas lobbyist who regularly advises megadonors on their contributions, says he’s heard almost no buzz from the donor class about Walker. In the past, Miller has worked with major political benefactors including the late Bob Perry, a Texas home builder who gave more than $70 million to conservative causes over the years and was the major funder behind the 2004 Swiftboat Veterans for Truth group. This year Miller says he’s talked to clients about many of the Republican candidates, but not Walker.

“No one is asking about him,” Miller says. “None of our clients. We have a huge client base. It’s oddly quiet for a guy that’s supposedly top three among the potential nominees.”

According to Miller, almost all of the top-tier candidates—including Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul—have come knocking on the doors of Texas donors. But Walker has not had much of a presence in the state.

“Among all those guys who are acknowledged at the top, he’s the one guy who is nowhere. Even Chris Christie has had more resonance here,” Miller says.

JEB!!!!$$$? Speaks – Red Translates

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JEB!!!!$$$? has been quoted as stating that Americans need to work longer hours.   As usual, Red will translate so that you don’t have to do it yourself.

“My aspiration for the country [another failed Bush presidency] and I believe [at least my cadre of the usual Bush family advisors tell me that I should believe it] we can achieve it, is 4 percent growth [please don’t laugh out loud] as far as the eye can see [of course, I have notoriously bad vision]. Which means we have to be a lot more productive [get off your fat lazy working poor asses], workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours [which is very easy to say for a guy who gets $75,000 for a one hour speech to willing syncophants] and, through their productivity, gain more income for their families [which we will figure out how to tax so that rich guys like me pay less]. That’s the only way we’re going to get out of this rut [a Democrat in the White House] that we’re in [caused largely by my incompetent fool of a big brother].”