News · Press Release

DCCC Weekly House Cleaning

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Weekly House Cleaning

A DCCC News Roundup

This Tuesday, right before House Republicans skipped town without completing their long-sought after budget, Speaker Paul Ryan took a powerful stand against….. taking questions from reporters about the presidential race.

Instead, he gave a speech to the ever-scrappy flock of congressional interns from Greg Walden’s office. In that speech, Ryan said that when it comes to politics “You are either part of the problem or part of the solution.”

That is rich. Just rich.

If you want to start debate over the cause of the problems facing the Republican party today, and who stoked the flames of the Tea Party to allow for Donald Trump’s rise, we’re looking at you Paul! The actions, and inactions, of Paul Ryan and his Tea Party brethren are at the genesis of the hateful, divisive, violent state of the Republican party.

We will ask the same questions today that we asked on Tuesday, because we have not gotten adequate answers. Where was Paul Ryan when…..

Seemingly in an effort to help prove that Paul Ryan’s chickens have come home to roost, Donald Trump will be appearing in Paul Ryan’s backyard of Janesville, WI on Tuesday. More information is here.

THE DIRT FROM THE DISTRICTS

AZ-01: Ethically challenged David Gowan faces more ethical (payday lending) challenges.

AZ-02: Trump is causing problems for McSally in Arizona, and the press is taking notice:

“But McSally—who has a long history of dodging controversial political questions—has declined to say whether she would get behind Trump as the nominee, lending credence to the theory that candidates in competitive districts are terrified by the impact Trump could have on down-ticket races.”

CA-10: Storm warning: “Trump’s presence on the ballot would be an unmitigated disaster for California Republicans,” via KCRW. Rep. Denham’s association with Trump was highlighted as a major problem for him in the fall.

CA-21: As the Bakersfield Californian reports, Rep. Valadao is under fire for voting to tear immigrant families apart.

CA-52: Denise Gitsham took a hard right during the first debate of what promises to be a messy Republican primary in San Diego. Gitsham said she’d cut Medicare and Social Security, defund Planned Parenthood, and would address immigration reform by withholding visas from pregnant immigrant women, which she said would be easy because it’s “not hard to pick out a pregnant woman.”

CO-06: Looks like Mike Coffman is getting a primary challenger. Telemundo Denver covered the backlash to Coffman’s vote on the Trumptastic DACA/ DAPA vote.

FL-07: While reporters continued to dig into John Mica’s dubious campaign spending, the Central Florida Congressman professed his love for Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant proposals.

FL-26: Carlos Curbelo is running so far from dysfunctional House Republicans and Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump that he is actually floating the idea of a supporting a Democrat in November. While Curbelo plays it cute with his words, dancing around the idea of supporting a Democrat, Florida vote won’t forget how Curbelo waited far too long to stand up to the dysfunctional and anti-immigrant movement of his own party.

IA-01: Recession Rod. Recession Rod. Recession Rod. You’re going to be hearing that a lot. In fact, you probably already have. That’s because the embattled Blum said that he wants a recession in DC because there are too many cranes (wait, what?!). The response on Twitter was swift, brutal, and is actually still going on. The response in the press stretched across northeastern Iowa through DC.

Here’s a compilation video of the local TV coverage and a roundup of the clips.

BuzzFeed’s John Stanton responded appropriately:

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https://twitter.com/dcbigjohn/status/712451156740411393

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https://twitter.com/dcbigjohn/status/712433311658975232

ME-02: Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin is offering tired excuses for why he remains non-committal to opposing a trade deal currently under consideration. At a recent event, he told Mainers that he is still “poring through” the text, which has been public since November. Lame!

MI-01: Career politician Tom Casperson was caught schmoozing with Washington insiders in DC this week when he should have been back in Michigan voting on a bipartisan package of bills that provided funding for public schools and keeping infants safe. Casperson spent a decade voting against middle-class families in Lansing; now we can add “education” and “babies” to the list of things he’s willing to neglect in favor of his career.

MN-02: Republicans in Minnesota face an uphill climb keeping MN-02 red: not only did DFLer Angie Craig end 2015 with nearly $1 million cash on hand, but having Donald Trump at the top of the ticket would make this already-competitive seat a sure loss. It’s probably why John Kline remains “concerned by the fundraising” and “disappointed” in the field of Republican candidates. Read the hopes-crushing article here.

More MN-02: GOP candidate Jason Lewis reminded all of us how much he favors huge tax cuts for other millionaires like himself in his latest op-ed. At least he wasn’t talking those “non-thinking” women and their “diaphragms” again. What with remarks like these and the fact that the establishment wing of his party is rallying against him, Lewis is starting to remind us of someone… now, who could that be?

MN-08: Stewart Mills III called Congressman Rick Nolan’s efforts bringing White House officials to Minnesota to help the economically struggling Iron Range “a dog and pony show.” Then a mining company executive referred to that meeting as ‘“the day everything changed.” Hmm, I wonder who knows more about this, the guy who helps create mining jobs, or the multi-millionaire who’s never had to apply for a job in his life?

NE-02: Congressman Ashford continues to focus on improving care for veterans and getting good press coverage.

NJ-05: Vulnerable House Republican Scott Garrett took heat from all sides this week. Here is a brief rundown:

  • After declining numerous times to clarify his anti-LGBT views first reported by POLITICO last summer, Scott Garrett tried to wipe the slate clean nine months later by calling the story a “fabrication.” PS – Garrett’s waffling attracted further embarrassing press.
  • State Farm joined the growing list of corporate donors who are dropping their support for Garrett over his anti-equality, anti-LGBT views.
  • A bipartisan group of elected local officials joined Garrett’s Democratic challenger, Josh Gottheimer, today to protest the ‘Garrett Tax,’ which they described as “the gap between what the district send to Washington and the funding it gets back” due to Garrett’s Tea Party agenda.
  • A Republican councilman announced he was backing Gottheimer, calling Garrett a Tea Partier and arguing that “Garrett’s tax policies hurt first responders.”

NV-03: Ruh roh, Roberson! Establishment politician Michael Roberson, who is knee deep in a competitive primary, is under attack for alleged campaign finance violations over two election cycles.

NY-21: The Steelworkers had harsh words for North Country Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. In their endorsement of the Democratic challenger, Colonel Mike Derrick (ret.), the workers blasted Stefanik for her absenteeism after a local plant shuttered late last year: “We didn’t have to call Mike.  Mike called us and asked what can I do to help? We didn’t hear anything from our current congressperson.” OUCH!

TX-23: As Will Hurd continued his silence on Donald Trump, the front page of the San Antonio News-Express pictured Will Hurd side by side with the leading Republican candidate. Will Hurd’s refusal to denounce the anti-immigrant and racially offensive language of Donald Trump is becoming a problem for him this majority Latino district.

UT-04: Ethically challenged and embattled Mia Love is now facing the potentially devastating impact of Trump on the ballot. As Politico put it this week: “Democrats, meanwhile, are convinced that Trump can’t help but aid Doug Owens, the son of a former congressman who is running against Love for a second time this year.”

VA-10: Barbara Comstock missed the historic vote to tear apart immigrant families; however, she confirmed in a written statement that she would have supported the measure. Based in part on racially offensive rhetoric of Donald Trump, The Cook Political Report changed VA-10 ratings, making it more favorable for Democrats; yet Comstock ignored this warning, standing firmly with anti-immigrant House Republicans’ amicus brief resolution.

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