Category Archives: campaigns

“Outside super PACs help fuel GOP delegate wars”

April 6, 2016, 7:03 amcampaignsRick Hasen

Fredreka Schouten for USA Today: The GOP presidential candidates aren’t the only ones calling, texting, emailing, schmoozing and all-out lobbying the men and women likely to be delegates to the Republican National Convention. The deep-pocketed outside groups known as super… Continue reading

“Trump campaign accuses ‘Lyin’ Ted’ of crime after Wisconsin loss”

April 6, 2016, 7:00 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Washington Times: onald Trump’s campaign accused Sen. Ted Cruz of breaking federal law by coordinating with an anti-Trump political action committee after Mr. Trump lost the Wisconsin GOP presidential primary to the Texan on Tuesday. Mr. Trump did not… Continue reading

“Charles Koch Is Privately Committed To Getting Paul Ryan Nominated In Cleveland: Source”

April 5, 2016, 7:15 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

HuffPo reports.

“Americans for Prosperity launches $1 million campaign touting U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson”

April 4, 2016, 4:32 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: The conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity is rolling out a three-week, $1.1-million campaign in support of U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), part of an early effort by the Koch-backed group to build a firewall around Senate Republicans…. The… Continue reading

WaPo Fact Checker Gives Sanders 3 Pinocchios on Clinton Fossil Fuel Claim

April 2, 2016, 6:13 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Kessler: The Sanders campaign is exaggerating the contributions that Clinton has received from the oil and gas industry. In the context of her overall campaign, the contributions are hardly significant. It’s especially misleading to count all of the funds… Continue reading

Clinton and Sanders Spar Over How Much Clinton Takes from Fossil Fuel Industry

April 1, 2016, 1:09 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Greg Sargent has the details. Really looks like very small amounts of individual contributions from those in that industry, and so the Sanders campaign now adds in contributions from lobbyists who have lobbied for the industry, as well as contributions… Continue reading

“Trump: I Will Take Office if I Win the Popular Vote, Even If I Lose Electoral College”

April 1, 2016, 4:29 amcampaigns, electoral collegeRick Hasen

AP: A defiant Donald Trump, speaking at a rally Wednesday in Waukesha, Wisconsin, slammed the undemocratic nature of Electoral College, which awards presidential electors by state, and promised to take office if he wins the overall popular… Continue reading

“Outraged by Kansas Justices’ Rulings, G.O.P. Seeks to Reshape Court”

April 1, 2016, 4:16 amcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Must-read Erik Eckholm NYT: Partisan conflict over courts has erupted in many of the 38 states where justices are either directly elected or, as in Kansas, face periodic retention elections, without an opposing candidate. As conservatives in Washington attempt to… Continue reading

“Trump’s Threat on Pledge Could Cost Him South Carolina Delegates”

April 1, 2016, 4:11 amcampaigns, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

TIME: Donald Trump’s announcement that he no longer stands by a pledge to support the GOP has thrown his hold on South Carolina’s 50 delegates in doubt. The Palmetto State was one of several that required candidates to pledge… Continue reading

“Cruz predicts Trump won’t be able to mount a third-party run”

March 31, 2016, 7:24 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Politico: Donald Trump won’t be able to mount a third-party bid for president if he loses the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz said Thursday. “He doesn’t have the option of running as a third-party [candidate],” the Texas senator told Wisconsin radio… Continue reading

“Constitution Check: Is Ted Cruz’s eligibility for the presidency a serious issue?”

March 31, 2016, 7:21 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Lyle Denniston: One of the reasons that the issue continues to linger uncertainly as a constitutional matter is that there have been serious barriers to a ruling that courts have not been able to get past. One is whether… Continue reading

“McCain-Linked Nonprofit Received $1 Million From Saudi Arabia”

March 31, 2016, 7:04 amcampaign finance, campaigns, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Bloomberg: A nonprofit with ties to Senator John McCain received a $1 million donation from the government of Saudi Arabia in 2014, according to documents filed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The Arizona Republican has strictly honorary roles… Continue reading

Nate Silver on Trumpism

March 30, 2016, 6:18 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

538: That’s not the only problem. Trump also challenges the media’s notion of what it means to be “objective.” Among other things, Trump has frequently invoked misogyny and racism; he has frequently lied, and he has repeatedly … Continue reading

“National Popular Vote Totals in Republican and Democratic Contests”

March 30, 2016, 2:44 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Rob Richie: Our updated blog on the more than 600,000 votes cast for withdrawn candidates includes a spreadsheet where we show the total votes earned by all the Republican and Democratic candidates for president. Given that many states held… Continue reading