Daily Email: 2/24/15
By James Pindell
New Hampshire Republican activists made an interesting point as they sized up Florida Senator Marco Rubio Monday while he was in the state for the first time this year. While The New York Times ran another story Tuesday about how “Jeb Bush looms large for Marco Rubio in 2016,” these activists don’t see this as the choice at all.
The point they make is an obvious one: Except on the issue of immigration, Bush and Rubio don’t seem to be that much alike. Former New Hampshire state senator Jim Luther really likes Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker right now. When he sees Rubio, he compares him to Walker. When Mike Rogers and his wife Mar-Mar, who are leaning toward former Texas governor Rick Perry, see Rubio, they remember him as the Tea Party upstart in 2010. The shared background of youth, experience, and being a senator may match up Rubio more with Texas Senator Ted Cruz than Bush.
For many New Hampshire activists who saw Rubio in Hollis this week, the establishment candidate is Bush, Walker has the buzz, Rand Paul has his certain niche — and then there is everyone else.
Popping this morning:
Fading Christie Is Giving Bush Stronger Grip on G.O.P.’s Center by Nate Cohn of The New York Times: “Mr. Bush’s emerging sway among moderates might not seem like a big deal in a Republican Party dominated by conservatives — with most candidates seeming eager to run as far to the right as possible. But moderates play a much bigger role in the G.O.P. primary process than they do in Washington, and it would take a very strong conservative to defeat a candidate with a big advantage among moderates.”
Elizabeth Warren joins calls to tighten investment broker rules by Sylvan Lane of The Boston Globe: “The Department of Labor said Monday it will soon propose rules requiring brokers to put clients’ best interest before their own. Warren pledged support for the rule in remarks before a Monday afternoon speech by President Obama at AARP’s Washington headquarters.”
Numbers of the day: 19 and 6
Ohio Governor John Kasich travels to the small town of Wilmington, Ohio, today to deliver his State of the State address, a speech that is expected to more than hint at his national ambitions. Five years ago Wilmington had a 19 percent unemployment rate; today it is down to 6 percent, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
New Hampshire Rubio coverage
The Boston Globe: Pressed by N.H. voters, Rubio stands firm on immigration by James Pindell: “Many of the 100 Republican activists who attended the town hall-style event had a clear first impression: They liked him, but they didn’t love him. What Rubio thought of them might be a more important question.”
The Concord Monitor: At Manchester book signing, Rubio greeted with questions, praise by Casey McDermott: “Speaking in Spanish, Nashua resident Mario Fernandez — who emigrated from Cuba about 50 years ago — used his moment at the book signing table to urge Rubio to abandon the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule. ‘I think the rule is paralyzing the government,’ Fernandez explained. ‘It’s the only way the Republicans are going to be successful. With the 60-vote rule they can’t advance anything.’
“Rubio, who responded in Spanish, was hesitant about the idea. Even so, Fernandez and his wife, Olga, said they would still ‘definitely’ support the senator if he seeks out the presidency.
“ ‘I think he’s a very intelligent person, he has a lot of knowledge, and he understands the problems with socialism very well,’ Fernandez said on his way out of the bookstore.”
AP: Deporting 12 million unrealistic, Rubio says in New Hampshire stop by Kathleen Ronayne: “Back in New Hampshire for the first time since the midterm elections, it didn’t take long for Sen. Marco Rubio to get a question about immigration. … Not everyone in the crowd appeared to like Rubio’s answer, including the man who asked the question. While he declined to answer questions afterward, several others at the town hall said they appreciated Rubio’s directness and his ability to explain his position.”
NH1: Rubio weighs in on immigration, Giuliani, DHS funding by Paul Steinhauser: “Rubio says he will decide on a run for the White House come springtime, but as he kicked off a two-day swing through the first-in-the-nation primary state, he was sounding more and more like a presidential candidate.”
WMUR-TV: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio makes stops in Hollis, Manchester by Adam Sexton: “The Hollis event was held in a converted barn, parts of which date back to just after the Revolution. Rubio warned that for many, the enduring promise of the American dream feels like it’s slipping away. ‘Now they open up the newspaper every day and it says the economy is doing better, Wall Street is having a record year, companies are making more money than they’ve ever made, but they’re still living paycheck to paycheck. And they’re wondering, ‘What’s it going to take? When is my life going to get better?’ Rubio said.”
Politico: In N.H., Marco Rubio slams Democrats on DHS bill by James Hohmann: “The Florida Republican missed the Senate’s latest vote on Department of Homeland Security funding to promote his recent book, including a town hall meeting here in a red barn that’s been converted into a community center. Rubio touched on everything from the economy to Hillary Clinton’s Wall Street ties, but he was especially animated when discussing the efforts to reverse the executive actions, which some in the GOP are trying to tie to the DHS funding bill.”
New Hampshire (teeth) chatter: Historically cold February in Concord doesn’t trigger spike in heating help by Iain Wilson of The Concord Monitor. “More than 80 years have passed since February in Concord was this cold. If the month has a freezing finish, it could go down as the coldest in the city’s history. February’s average daily temperature through Sunday was 12.2 degrees, the second-coldest ever and more than 11 degrees lower than the historical February averages.”
Iowa chatter: Iowa gas tax may be debated today by Erin Murphy of the Quad City Times. “State lawmakers are weighing a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase as a means of helping to cover its $215 million annual shortfall for road and bridge repairs and construction.” http://qctimes.com/news/local/government-and-politics/iowa-gas-tax-may-be-debated-today/article_88aee784-d52d-5147-8354-3b7cab77ea7d.html
South Carolina chatter: SC State president placed on administrative leave by Andrew Shain of The State: “The move came less than two weeks after trustees gave Elzey a vote of confidence and less than two years after the former Citadel executive vice president was hired to guide the Orangeburg school out of its financial crisis.”
