B8 Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Politics
Walker critical of Romney in 2012, Bush in 2000
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Likely Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker made no secret about what he saw as the failures of Mitt Romney’s last run for the White House, devoting an entire chapter of his book to the topic. But it turns out the Wisconsin governor, way back in 2000, also aired sharp criticism about George W. Bush’s efforts in his first presidential bid. Walker, who was then a 32-year-old state Assembly member, wrote an open memo to Bush he titled “Campaign Strategy” in which he offered detailed advice on how he thought the then-Texas governor should be crafting his message to win the presidency, including what type of television ads he should run. Walker, now in his second term as governor, is expected to launch his own presidential campaign within the next couple months. Bush’s brother, Jeb Bush, will likely be among those duking it out with Walker for the Republican nomination. The open letter to George W. Bush and the Romney critique provide a window into Walker’s thinking on how a presidential campaign should craft its message. And while Walker has spent nearly his entire adult life in elected office after he dropped out of college with about a year to go, the 15-year-old memo shows that how to win the White House has been on Walker’s mind for many years. The advice outlined in the 800-word open letter to Bush is typical of Walker, said Mark Graul, a Republican strategist who ran Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign in Wisconsin. Graul said Walker offered advice at his request that year and in 2006, when Graul was running the campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green. “In all of my conversa-
AP Photo
In this July 4, 1999 photo, presidential hopeful George W. Bush greets supporters at the start of a parade in Merrimack, N.H. tions with him about political strategy, it’s never been about tearing the other guy down,” Graul said. “It’s been about what were my guy’s ideas and what was the best way to communicate it to the people we were trying to persuade to vote for us.” In his memo to Bush, Walker recommended specific television ads Bush should run to help him win. He said one spot should feature “real life families” of people such as fire fighters, nurses, construction workers and teachers talking about how much they had saved because of Bush’s tax cuts. Those professions — particularly teachers — came out in force against Walker in 2011 when he effectively ended their collective bargaining rights, with his union-busting measure that put him on the national radar and set the stage for his likely presidential run. Walker said in his memo to Bush, which was first published on his Assembly campaign website, that his thoughts “reflect the views of the vast majority of undecided voters who want a positive reason to vote for the next President of the United States.”
Walker told Bush that his campaign theme should be: “They had their chance for the past eight years and they have not led. We will.” Bush lost Wisconsin in 2000 by just 5,708 votes, or less than a quarter of a percentage point, on his way to defeating Democrat Al Gore for the White House. Democrats said Walker was looking out for himself by writing the memo to Bush in 2000. “For 20 years, Scott Walker has been running negative campaigns for higher office and doing anything and everything to advance his personal political ambitions,” said Wisconsin Democratic Party spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff. “The hubris and micromanagement we see from him today were on full display when he told George W. Bush how to run his presidential campaign. Some things never change.” Walker told Bush that he should focus on his work with Democrats and Republicans to pass a middle class tax cut in Texas, and his efforts to control health care costs and improve public schools. As he prepares for what would be his first run for national office, Walker talks about
many of the same things that he’s done as Wisconsin governor: cutting taxes by nearly $2 billion, expanding school choice programs and kicking people off Medicaid who make more than the federal poverty level, while also qualifying others who had been on a waiting list for coverage. The net effect, as of August, was that about 40,000 more people had coverage than before. Walker, 47, also casts himself as a “fresh faced” alternative to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jeb Bush, who served as Florida’s governor for two terms. Walker’s criticisms of Bush are reminiscent of complaints Walker lodged against the Romney presidential campaign in 2012. Walker spent an entire chapter in his 2013 book “Unintimdated” explaining why he thought Romney lost to President Barack Obama. Walker sent an email to Romney voicing his frustrations about his campaign’s tone and urging Romney to show more passion, get out from behind the podium and connect directly with voters. Walker said he got no response.
State: No evidence of conflict in Clinton Foundation gifts WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department said Monday it has no evidence that any actions taken by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was secretary of state were influenced by donations to the Clinton Foundation or former President Bill Clinton’s speaking fees. Spokesman Jeff Rathke said the department received requests to review potential conflicts primarily for proposed speech hosts or consulting deals for Bill Clinton and found no conflicts. Rathke said, however, that the department welcomes new commitments from the Clinton Foundation to disclose its donors and to support additional efforts that ensure all of those donations are public. The State Department’s comment comes as Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign grapples with criticism that foreign entities traded donations to the family charity for favors at the State Department. Hundreds of paid speeches given by Bill Clinton, which can command as much as $500,000 or more per appearance, have also come under attack from Republican opponents. Speaking during a nineday tour of Clinton Foundation projects in Africa
with his daughter, Chelsea, Clinton defended his foundation, saying there’s nothing “sinister” about getting wealthy people to help poor people in developing countries. “There’s been a very deliberate attempt to take the foundation down,” Clinton said. “And there’s almost no new fact that’s known now that wasn’t known when she ran for president the first time.” Bill Clinton said 90 percent of donors give $100 or less. But over half of the donors giving $5 million or more are foreign, including foreign governments. Under pressure, the foundation recently announced it will only take money from six Western countries. “It’s an acknowledgment that we’re going to come as close as we can during her presidential campaign to following the rules we followed when she became secretary of state,” he said. He added: “I don’t think that I did anything that was against the interest of the United States.” Bill Clinton has largely stayed on the sidelines during the early weeks of his wife’s presidential bid, opting to focus on his foundation work instead of visiting early primary states with his wife. His decision to re-enter the political fray, with an appearance
AP Photo
Former US President Bill Clinton, second right, and and Chelsea Clinton, left, help a Kenyan to fit hearing aids, Saturday when they visited a hearing aid fitting in Nairobi, for individuals in need of hearing assistance. on NBC’s “Today” show, have not been particularreflects concerns that the ly transparent on a whole intense scrutiny — and host of things,” said RepubRepublican attacks — on lican Carly Fiorina, a forthe family charity is having mer technology CEO who a negative impact on Hil- announced her presidential lary Clinton’s presidential candidacy on Monday. The Republican organizaaspirations. An Associated Press-GfK poll released tion America Rising released last week found that more a web video on Monday that than six in 10 indepen- uses footage of Clinton’s dents agreed that “honest” confirmation hearings for was not the best word to secretary of State to raise describe the second-time questions about her integrity. The video uses 2009 presidential candidate. “Bill Clinton is saying footage of Clinton saying what Hillary Clinton has “there is not an inherent said on many occasions: conflict of interest in any of just trust us, just trust us. my husband’s work at all,” And unfortunately trust juxtaposed with a list of is earned through trans- foreign countries that have parency, and I think they donated to the foundation.
Roswell Daily Record
Ex-Christie allies plead not guilty in bridge case NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Two former political allies of Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie entered not guilty pleas Monday after they were charged for their alleged involvement in politically motivated lane closures of the George Washington Bridge in 2013. Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, and his former top appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Bill Baroni, entered the pleas through their attorneys in the nine-count indictment unsealed Friday after a yearlong investigation. Kelly said Friday she is innocent; a defense lawyer also said Baroni is innocent. Baroni will make his first public comments on the case after the hearing. Bail for both was set at $150,000 and U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton set a tentative trial date of July 7. David Wildstein, who went to high school with Christie and later became a top official in the Port Authority, pleaded guilty Friday to two criminal counts. He admitted that he helped plot lane closures in Fort Lee on an approach to the world’s busiest bridge as political payback against that community’s Democratic mayor for failing to support Christie’s re-election campaign. “If David Wildstein was willing to repeatedly lie to settle a petty political grudge, nobody should be surprised at his eagerness to concoct any story that he thinks will help him stay out of federal prison,” said Baroni’s lawyer Michael Baldassarre. “We’re confident that everyone will see this desperate ploy for exactly what this is.” Christie has not been implicated in the criminal case. Here are some related aspects.
Christie and 2016
The charges provide mixed news for Christie as he tries to regain momentum in support of an expected presidential bid. Christie appears to have been cleared of any allegations that he personally participated in the scheme, but the charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey still hit close to home. Christie’s aides and backers hope the devel-
opments will allow the governor to put this chapter behind him less than a year before the first presidential primaries, even as legal proceedings have just begun. In many ways, the outcome was the best he could have hoped for — little new information and no names mentioned beyond those Christie had already cut ties to.
Port Authority reform:
The indictments and the still-looming investigation involving the former chairman of the Port Authority have underlined the need for reform at the agency. David Samson wasn’t mentioned, meaning the separate investigation stemming from his time as chairman could yield further embarrassment for the bistate authority. But despite the scandals, its leadership is optimistic. Port Authority Chairman John Degnan said there’s an opportunity to learn from the indictments, “if there’s anything we missed that we should do.” Degnan stressed that the agency’s new whistleblower policy is “one of the most aggressive in the country.”
Public money:
New Jersey residents have paid about $10 million in legal costs related to the closure, according to an AP review of documents from the Legislature and the Department of Law and Public Safety. The largest share — about $7.3 million — went for the governor’s outside counsel, the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, which produced a report that cleared the governor of any connection to a politically motivated lane closing. But the Democrat-led Legislature has also racked up some $1 million in legal fees. The state accrued costs for outside legal counsel used to represent state employees involved in the probe, and Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich says the borough’s legal fees have topped $200,000. It’s unclear exactly how much federal cash has gone into the probe. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said his office does not track how much the investigation costs, but added that every investigation is different and requires differing amounts of resources.
Democratic committee endorses Murphy WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic Senate campaign committee endorsed Rep. Patrick Murphy on Monday as its candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Marco Rubio of Florida, who is running for president. The endorsement comes even as another Democratic congressman, Alan Grayson, is eyeing the same seat. It’s the latest move by establishment Democrats to unite behind Murphy, a moderate in his second House term who represents portions of Florida’s east coast. There are concerns that a run by the liberal and unpredictable Grayson could hurt the party’s chances in a major swing state. In a statement, Senate Democratic campaign chairman Jon Tester called Murphy, 32, a promising rising star. “His track record of fighting for Florida’s working families, seniors and the environment make him the strongest candidate to win the
Florida Senate race and flip this seat,” said Tester, D-Mont. Grayson has said he’s very interested in running but hasn’t declared yet. In a statement he dismissed the move by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Florida Democratic voters choose our party nominee, not out-of-touch party bosses sipping cognac in a smoke-filled room in Washington, D.C.,” Grayson said. On the GOP side, a number of House members and others are eyeing the race although several promising potential candidates have taken a pass. In a statement, National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Matt Connelly said that the Democratic campaign committee’s endorsement of Murphy “will backfire with Florida’s families who want an independent leader.”