What will make them become candidates? Hillary’s emails are just another Clinton moment
Almost exactly 11 months until first votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, there is only one well-known candidate with even a presidential exploratory committee: Dr. Ben Carson. All others have a leadership political action committee of some kind.
With the campaign starting later than in recent years and with a primary calendar designed to end earlier than in recent years — and with super PACs assumed to play an even bigger role than ever before — we are in uncharted territory as to when these potential candidates should become real candidates.
The moment that could change all this is when a major candidate becomes the first to file paperwork for a campaign and launch campaign ads. This might force the hand of others.
Popping this morning:
Hillary Clinton e-mail controversy revives memories of old White House scandals in The Boston Globe: “The controversy is resurrecting memories of the host of two-decade-old controversies that dogged the first couple during their time at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.: Whitewater, the White House travel office, the Lincoln Bedroom, Vince Foster, the Monica Lewinsky affair, and the pardon of Marc Rich to name a few.
“The old political war machinery is gearing up on both sides, and Clinton’s political enemies are eager to exploit any reminder of that exhausting series of Clinton White House scandals great and small.”
Clinton Campaign Still Aimed at April Start, Supporters Say by The New York Times: “A campaign announcement is expected at the beginning of April, as it has been for weeks. What exactly that will look like — a kickoff event, a video sent to supporters, or maybe another late-night message on Twitter — remains to be seen, as does whether her campaign will quickly increase the size of its staff or slowly build to full strength by the summer.”
In Senate Hallway, Tracker Presses Elizabeth Warren About Email in Roll Call: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren didn’t respond to a question in a Dirksen hallway Wednesday related to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s use of personal email during her time as Secretary of State.”
Iran letter blowback startles GOP in POLITICO: “Some Republican senators admitted Wednesday they were caught off guard by the backlash to a letter warning Iranian leaders against a nuclear agreement with President Barack Obama. And Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Republicans — many of whom blessed the missive during a brisk signing session at a Senate lunch a week ago, as senators prepared to flee a Washington snowstorm — should have given it closer consideration.
“ ‘It was kind of a very rapid process. Everybody was looking forward to getting out of town because of the snowstorm,’ McCain said. ‘I think we probably should have had more discussion about it, given the blowback that there is.’ ”
Number of the day: 2
The Washington Post reports that former Florida governor Jeb Bush resigned from two companies where he held ownership interest, a move in preparation to a presidential run.
New Hampshire chatter: Jeb Bush PAC hires 2 key New Hampshire operatives in The Boston Globe: “Former Florida governor Jeb Bush’s leadership PAC has hired two of the most sought-after New Hampshire Republican operatives to aid his efforts ahead of what could be a run for president.
“Rob Varsalone, a close confidant of US Senator Kelly Ayotte, and Nate Lamb,Scott Brown’s field director on his US Senate campaign last year, have been named senior advisers to Bush’s Right to Rise political action committee.”
Iowa chatter: Iowa GOP chairman takes swipe at gun rights group in The Des Moines Register: “Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann saidWednesday he is urging the Iowa Senate to pass a gun rights bill approved this week by the Iowa House. But he also took a swipe at a pro-gun group, accusing its leaders of consistently opposing good legislation.”
South Carolina chatter: Common Core Standards Dead in South Carolina by News 2: “The South Carolina Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to replace the Common Core Standards now being used in math and English, killing Common Core in the state. The board adopted new standards, written by teams of South Carolinians, which teachers will start using this fall.”
Read more here:http://www.thestate.com/2015/03/10/4037232/donald-trump-builds-sc-staff-for.html#storylink=cp
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