Mediaboss Marketing

Today, the Florida Department of Law Enforcementannouncedthe arrest of Miami City Commissioner Alex Daz de la Portilla, a former Republican Majority Leader in the Florida Senate, on charges including money laundering, bribery, and criminal conspiracy. In response, the Florida Democratic Party has issued the following statement:

The corruption that Alex Daz de la Portilla is accused of is truly staggering, and shatters the trust voters have in elected officials, said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. There is no place for that kind of behavior in our democracy. We challenge our Republican counterparts to join us in a forceful condemnation of government corruption, regardless of political party.

Our political leaders have a responsibility to serve the public with integrity something that Commissioner Daz de la Portilla has failed to do. In light of the severity of these charges, the Florida Democratic Party calls for Commissioner Daz de la Portillas immediate resignation.

Read the original:
Florida Democrats Respond to the Arrest of Republican Miami City ... - Florida Democratic Party

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has called out members of his own party for putting their political ambitions ahead of the best interests of the nation.

And theres one GOP lawmaker in particular he seems to have special disdain for.

I dont know that I can disrespect someone more than J.D. Vance, Romney told journalist McKay Coppins during Vances 2022 Senate campaign, according to a book excerpt published Wednesday in The Atlantic.

Romney, who on Wednesday announced he will not seek reelection next year, told Coppins at the time that he was impressed by Vance after reading his book, Hillbilly Elegy.

That changed when Vance went full MAGA and embraced Donald Trump as he ran for Senate.

How can you go over a line so stark as that and for what? Romney said. Its not like youre going to be famous and powerful because you became a United States senator. Its like, really? You sell yourself so cheap?

Romney didnt seem ready to break bread with Vance anytime soon.

How do you sit next to him at lunch? he asked at the time, according to the excerpt.

In response to the excerpt, Vance told reporters Thursday: Its interesting to hear somebody criticizing another for having a change of heart. I think hes had about 35 of those during his time in public life. If hes got a problem with me, he should talk to me, not whine to a reporter.

Vance and Romney teamed up on introducing several bills this year, including legislation to bolster railway safety and hike the minimum wage to $11 per hour.

Romney also called out Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the excerpt for publicly backing Trumps lies about the 2020 election.

They know better! he told Coppins. Josh Hawley is one of the smartest people in the Senate, if not the smartest, and Ted Cruz could give him a run for his money.

He accused the pair of putting politics above the interests of liberal democracy and the Constitution.

Coppins book, Romney: A Reckoning, hits stores Oct. 24.

Read the full excerpt at The Atlantic.

Igor Bobic contributed.

More here:
Mitt Romney Names The Republican Senator He Disrespects Most - Yahoo News

As director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, I sent this survey to roughly 2,600 GOP chairs, one for every county in the country; 108 Republican chairs responded, a bit lower than the number who responded in June, but still enough to do a robust analysis. This is the fourth survey Ive conducted for this project, and the shifts in sentiment are starting to become notable.

The first question I have asked is simply whether the county chairs have committed to supporting a candidate, and if so, whom that might be. When I launched my first survey in February, Trump was looking vulnerable and was roughly tied with DeSantis among those who had committed to a candidate. Then Trump started consolidating more support, largely after the wave of indictments began, and DeSantis began to dip.

The most recent survey, conducted throughout August with responses coming in both before and after the first GOP debate show a slight softening of Trumps support, but still with a substantial lead. As in June, roughly twice as many county party chairs are now committed to Trump (27 percent) than DeSantis (13 percent), and no other candidates had the support of more than 4 percent of chairs.

As Dena Gooch, chair of the Union County, Georgia GOP, told me, Donald Trump demonstrated his ability to govern without influence from the Deep State. He needs to do it again!

Yet roughly half (47 percent) of local Republican leaders, even those who expect Trump to become their nominee, remain uncommitted. Though Trump has been ahead by massive margins in some polls of GOP voters, this survey suggests a key group of grassroots leaders has yet to fully embrace the former president.

The second way Ive gauged candidate support is to ask chairs which candidates they are considering, and they can name as many as they want. DeSantis has been at the top of this measure across all four surveys, but his trendline has been bad dropping steadily from 73 percent in February to 57 percent in August.

Trump has been in second place in all four surveys, and his numbers held steady at 52 percent in August. Scott once again took third place, with 45 percent of chairs saying they were considering him. Haley came in next with 35 percent.

By far the largest improvement was for Ramaswamy, who jumped from being considered by 15 percent of chairs in June to 32 percent in August. The bottom tier was held by Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, notably the only two explicitly anti-Trump candidates throughout this time series.

Finally, I asked the county chairs whom they do not want to see become their partys nominee. Coming in first by this measure in August, as with all previous months, was Christie; upwards of 55 percent of chairs have ruled him out in all four waves. Not surprisingly, Christie was followed closely by Hutchinson.

Interestingly enough, then came Trump and Mike Pence, with 44 percent ruling out Trump in August and 43 percent ruling out his former vice president.

Taking these two measures the percent of chairs considering a candidate and the percent of chairs who dont want a candidate in combination, we can get some sense of how perceptions about them are changing.

Trump has the singular position of high positives and high negatives, which is consistent with his legacy throughout his time in politics. He has many devoted fans and detractors. Then there are candidates like Christie, Pence and Hutchinson who have few supporters and a great many opponents. Their path to the nomination is extremely fraught.

But perhaps whats most significant and a potential warning sign for Trump is the fact that several candidates are being considered by many local party leaders but, at least so far, dont have many detractors. This group includes DeSantis, Scott and, most recently, Haley.

Indeed, by these measures, Haley had the best performance between June and August, jumping from 31 to 35 percent in terms of chairs who are considering her, and dropping from 32 to 21 percent in terms of opposition. (Notably, while this survey did include the Aug. 23rd GOP debate in its time range, her performance in that was not the chief cause of her improvement in this measure; 37 percent of chairs said they were considering her in the August wave prior to the debate.)

DuWayne Wilson, chair of the Republican Party of Daniels County, Montana, captured the sentiments about Haley as being about both her and Trump: She seems to be level-headed. I am so opposed to Trump that ANYONE else is an option.

Trump, by contrast, lost some chairs who were considering him while increasing the percent who are actively opposed to his bid.

Until Haley or DeSantis or another candidate can turn a chairs general openness toward them into a firm commitment of support, its not going to be enough to defeat Trump. Still, it is notable how many chairs remain hesitant to come off the fence for a candidate and how many are still open to a Trump alternative.

Originally posted here:
A New Survey Shows Key Republicans Are Open to a Trump ... - POLITICO

Less than four months before the first rounds of Republican nomination voting begins with the Jan. 15, 2024, Iowa caucuses, former President Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over GOP rivals. Trump is trying to become only the second president to earn a return White House stay, along with Grover Cleveland's 1892 victory after four years as a private citizen.

Various polls show Trump ahead by 20-30 points or more over rivals like Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Also vying for the right to run against President Joe Biden in November 2024 are former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was the Trump administration's U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for nearly two years, and ex-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Plus, former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

PENCE TESTS APPETITE FOR OLD-SCHOOL CONSERVATISM IN TRUMP-ERA POPULIST GOP

Here are upcoming events where one or more candidates will attend and/or speak, along with events to which presidential candidates are invited.

Sept. 20 (Wednesday)

Former President Donald Trump campaign rally

Grand River Center

500 Bell Street

Dubuque, IA 52001

3 p.m. CST

Sept. 21 (Thursday)

Pause the World for Peace

Times Square

New York City, NY 10036

Sept. 25 (Monday)

Former President Donald Trump campaign rally

Sportsman Boats

113 Sportsman Way

Summerville, SC 29483

3 p.m. EST

Per the campaign of Marianne Williamson, an extreme long shot for the Democratic nomination against President Joe Biden, the event is part of the United Nations International Day of Peace. "Both in-person and global virtual audiences will experience the first ever 100% solar-powered concert in Times Square for peace and ecology." The concert "will accompany virtual messages from legacy peacekeepers like Ringo Starr, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, and Shakira."

Oct. 13-14 (Friday-Saturday)

Iowa Federation of Republican Women Biennial Convention

Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel

1800 50th St., West Des Moines, IA 50266

Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.-Saturday, Oct. 14, 4:30 p.m. CDT.

Invited speakers: "All Presidential Candidates," per event organizers.

October 27-29 (Friday-Sunday)

The Republican Jewish Coalition's Annual Leadership Summit

The Venetian Resort

3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89120

Starting on Friday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. PDT

Featured speakers: Christie, DeSantis, Haley, Pence, Ramaswamy, and Scott.

The Las Vegas Strip event gives 2024 Republican hopefuls a chance to meet Nevada voters, in an early caucus state, and schmooze with potential campaign donors. Candidates will likely take to task the Biden administration over its Israel policies, including pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on efforts in his country the Middle East's only democracy to change the balance of power between its judiciary and elected officials.

"It is important that we stand with Israel and send a clear message to the sinister forces of the radical Left who seek to sow strife with our allies," Scott said in announcing his speaking role at the RJC event, on Saturday, Oct. 28.

Republicans seeking their party's 2024 nomination will have plenty of fodder, too, in renewing calls for the Biden administration to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority, specifically after a recent speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at his Fatah party's Revolutionary Council. Abbas, in the 18th year heading the PA of what was supposed to be a four-year term, repeated a number of antisemitic canards he has made over the years.

Those included unfounded claims about the origins of Ashkenazi Jews and that Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler had Jews slaughtered because of their "social role" as moneylenders, not because of enmity toward Judaism. Abbas, 87, also outlined the baseless theory that Ashkenazi Jews are not descended from ancient Israelites but an ancient Turkish people known as the Khazars, who, according to a discredited theory, converted to Judaism en masse.

"The truth that we should clarify to the world is that European Jews are not Semites," Abbas said, according to a translation of his remarks by the Middle East Media Research Institute. "They have nothing to do with Semitism."

U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt criticized the remarks of Abbas.

"I am appalled by President Abbas' hateful, antisemitic remarks at a recent Fatah meeting. The speech maligned the Jewish people, distorted the Holocaust, and misrepresented the tragic exodus of Jews from Arab countries. I condemn these statements and urge an immediate apology," Lipstadt posted on X.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

But the Trump administration's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said in response the Abbas statements should be no surprise.

"Unfortunately, he has said this many times before. No point in demanding an apology he really believes this! Here's what might work: stop giving him hundreds of millions of dollars and stop treating him as a legitimate leader of his people. It may not bring peace but at least it brings dignity," Friedman posted on X.

Original Location: Republican Jewish Coalition event draws swath of 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls

Washington Examiner Videos

Go here to see the original:
Republican Jewish Coalition event draws swath of 2024 GOP ... - Colorado Springs Gazette

A behind-the-scenes disagreement among Republican leadership caused a false start Wednesday for Ohios Redistricting Commission, which met under court order to create a semi-permanent fix to the states unconstitutional state legislative districts ahead of the 2024 elections.

Despite full attendance from the five Republicans and two Democrats on the commission Wednesday morning, the meeting didnt begin for over an hour after its scheduled start time. Eventually, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told the press that the delay was caused behind the scenes.

We just dont have an agreement between the House and Senate Republicans about who their chair should be, DeWine said.

The disagreement ultimately caused DeWine to suspend the meeting and push it back to Friday morning at 8 a.m., assuming Republican leadership notifies DeWine that they are ready to name their co-chair by end of the day Thursday. This shortens an already tight timeframe to create legislative maps, which Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said need to be done by Sept. 22 to give the states local boards of elections ample time to prepare for the March primary.

Despite LaRoses request, Democrats on the board say theyre not willing to rush the process. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, and House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, both said theyre aiming to have maps passed around mid-October, providing ample time for citizens to weigh in on the process.

Last time the Ohio Redistricting Commission tried to draw maps In 2021 and early 2022, the effort dragged on for months as the commission passed state legislative maps five times, each of which were struck down by the Supreme Court of Ohio for being unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

A federal court finally ordered the state to use the last proposed maps despite them being ruled unconstitutional by the state court in 2022 only. Those are the current legislative boundaries the commission has now one week to rectify.

Each time the Ohio Redistricting Commission is formed, Republicans and Democrats each choose one member of the board to be co-chair, who takes point on negotiations on behalf of the party. Last time, Republican leadership agreed on a House having a co-chair. This time around, under different leadership, there was no such agreement between Senate President Matt Huffman and Speaker Jason Stephens heading into the meeting.

As far as the Senate is concerned, wed like to see the Senate have its opportunity to co-chair given that the House was co-chairing the last time but, again, thats just our preference. The Speaker and the President are the ones who have to come up with the conclusion, said Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, who was sworn onto the commission Wednesday morning.

As things stand, McColley, who served on the board last time around, would be vying for co-chair with Rep. Jeff LaRe, R-Violet Twp., who had a brief stint as co-chair in the commissions last iteration.

It is imperative members of the commission operate in good faith with the shared goal of delivering strong representation for the people of Ohio, LaRe said.

Republican infighting has not been unusual since House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, was elected to the speakers chair with support from House Democrats and a minority of House Republicans. Stephens has said he struck no deal with Democrats on issues like redistricting to get their support.

Jen Miller, executive director for the League of Women Voters of Ohio, an organization that has continued litigation against the states congressional and state legislative districts, said the delay and the events that preceded it show that politicians shouldnt be trusted with map-making power.

Miller also said that the delay showed that the Ohio Redistricting Commission wasnt controlled by its board members. Clearly, they were calling others that were in charge, she said.

Link:
Republican spat stalls redistricting process in first meeting - Dayton Daily News