The Future is Here!

[Maxwell]

Fmr. Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)/Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) - 51.7%, 332 EV's
Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE)/Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) - 46.2%, 206 EV's

In a result that is not shocking, Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will defeat Vice President Joe Biden. Both candidates were exceedingly unpopular, with Romney being viewed as an out of touch wealthy guy, and Biden being viewed as an old coot who constantly stumbled and bumbled in and out. Romney was the only Republican with significant monetary resources, so even with an upset Scott Walker win in Iowa, Romney squashed the rest of the GOP field. Meanwhile, health problems caused Hillary Clinton to leave the race, and after a long slog of a primary, Joe Biden beat Martin O'Malley and Amy Klobuchar for the nomination. Biden's penchant for gaffes and the Obama administrations continued mismanagement of ISIS and healthcare had caused Biden major troubles on the campaign trail, often trailing by double digits. Biden soared to a lead after the debates, but allegations of sexual harassment made Biden's numbers fall once again, and Mitt Romney pulled a major upset when he won Minnesota. Still, Romney's coat tails weren't as strong as even the weak prediction most pundits had for them.

"We have a shocking call to make tonight - Even as Mitt Romney wins Florida handily, One Term Congresswoman Gwen Graham will unseat incumbent Senator Marco Rubio and become Florida's next Senator. This is quite a turn of a events in a race that nobody saw coming. I'm looking at this and saying, man, people are going to be looking to Graham as the future of the Democratic Party."



2016 Florida Senate Election
49.9% Graham
49.4% Rubio

[Bigby]

What a starting double whammy.

[Maxwell]

I will post the full results of the Senate in 2016 tomorrow. Get ready for some shockers.

[Maxwell]

Senate Results
D+3

Senate
51 R's
46 D's
2 I's

AL - 58% Roby, 41% Bell
AK - 52% McGuire, 45% Begich
AZ - 49% Schweikert, 47% Giffords
AR - 61% Boozman, 36% McDaniel
CA - 54% Garcetti, 46% Nunes
CO - 49% Bennet, 45% Tipton
CT - 68% Blumenthal, 29% Some Dude
FL - 50% Graham, 49% Rubio
GA - 54% Isakson, 42% Barrow
HI - 100% Schatz   
ID - 52% Labrador, 43% Balukoff
IL - 51% Bustos, 47% Kirk
IN - 52% Stutzman, 46% Buttigeg
IA - 68% Grassley, 30% Krause
KS - 59% Moran, 37% Orman
KY - 58% Paul, 40% Edelen
LA (JUN)- 37% Peterson, 26% Boustany, 24% Guillory
MD - 55% Van Hollen, 43% Rutherford
MO - 52% Blunt, 45% Zweifel
NV - 50% Hutchinson, 46% Reid
NH - 51% Ayotte, 49% Coakley
NY - 81% Schumer, 14% Trump
NC - 49% Cowell, 47% Burr
ND - 100% Hoeven   
OH - 55% Portman, 42% Pillich
OK - 76% Lankford, 18% Rogers
OR - 69% Wyden, 28% Some Dude
PA - 52% Toomey, 48% Sestak
SC - 66% Scott, 34% Some Dude
SD - 58% Thune, 39% Johnson
UT - 53% Lee, 45% Owens
VT - 65% Leahy, 33% Some Dude
WA - 57% Murray, 43% Didier
WI - 52% Burke, 46% Johnson

Romney held no coat tails, and vulnerable Senators in blue states lost re-election. Margins in Illinois and Wisconsin were smaller than some pundits expected, but Kirk and Johnson lost re-election by sizable margins. The surprise of the night was Florida and North Carolina - two seats expected to be held by the incumbents eventually upset by Gwen Graham and Janet Cowell. New Hampshire was close for the Democrats as well - Martha Coakley out-performed Joe Biden despite polling down by 7 or more.

As well, Democrats picked up some notable Republican seats that were picked up in 2014 - taking back NV-4 (Horsford), NH-1 (Ferrini), NY-1 (Spencer), NY-24 (Joy), TX-23 (Gallego), WV-2 (Casey), IA-1 (Vernon), ME-2 (Jackson), CA-3 (Bera), MI-1 (McCarthy), NJ-3 (Belgard). The Republicans did pick up NE-2 (Maxwell) and FL-2 (Kendall).

[badgate]

Glad to see Gallego is back!

[Bigby]

I see the GOP barely held onto the Senate.

I assume the Republicans also kept the House?

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

NH - 51% Ayotte, 49% Coakley

10/10, sides are gone

[Maxwell]

I see the GOP barely held onto the Senate.

I assume the Republicans also kept the House?

Yes, though they lose a good deal of seats they won in 2014.

Also, glad someone noticed the Coakley line.

[Maxwell]

Louisiana Run-Off - A Surprising Challenge



52% Boustany - 48% Peterson

After a narrow win over Elbert Guillory, things looked similar to the 2014 race where Senator Bill Cassidy was favored. However, Karen Peterson ran hard to the center, and Boustany did not get the same level of endorsement as Cassidy, with Guillory refusing to back Boustany. Peterson's ads also proved to be very potent, with Boustany's favorables hitting lows (43-53) while Peterson was fairly popular (49-39). However, Louisiana's Republican nature and it's racial divide proved to be too much for Peterson, and Boustany won a narrow victory, holding on to the GOP majority.

President Romney already faces problems in his transistion with his running mate Scott Walker being investigated for Campaign Finance violation for his gubernatorial campaigns. Senate Minority Leader-elect Chuck Schumer has held to blocking possible Romney violations until VP Walker's campaign finance violation is cleared up. Some Democrats may cross party lines to violate this order, but even Joe Manchin is trashing the Romney administration for pushing forward.

[Maxwell]

The Proposed Romney Administration



President - Mitt Romney
Vice President - Scott Walker
Chief of Staff - Mike Leavitt

Secretary of State - Robert Kimmitt
Secretary of Treasury - Glenn Hubbard
Secretary of Defense - Robert Zoellick
Attorney General - Michael Chertoff
Commerce Secretary - Carly Fiorina
Energy Secretary - James Connaughton
HHS Secretary - Tim Murphy
HUD Secretary - Rick Lazio
Interior Secretary - Bob Beauprez
Labor Secretary - Jim Talent
Agriculture Secretary - Mike Johanns
Transportation Secretary - Marion Blakely
Education Secretary - Tim Pawlenty
EPA Administrator - Susan Dudley

[Maxwell]

LEAK: Romney's first initiative is Corporate Tax Reform

A leak from staffers of Senator Rob Portman's office has revealed that President Romney's first agenda will be corporate tax reform. This is an effective stab at the unpopular leaving President Barack Obama, who spent his last two years flopping at corporate tax reform. Romney is meeting with prominent Democrats and Republicans who caused the bill to flop (Sen. Cruz, Paul, Leahy, McCaskill, Manchin, Merkley) and the incoming Senators to make sure what adjustments they could make. The bill will be a testament to President-elect Romney's management skills.

Walker investigation ended, Schumer demands more answers.

Walker is already becoming a favorite target of Democrats. Even with the Vice President-elect being cleared of charges against him, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is demanding more answers from the administration. He and several Democrats are attempting to put administrative officials on hold for that purpose. A couple of notable Democrats, however, have spoken out against Schumer's holds, calling it a "witch hunt".

[Maxwell]

Senate rejects Beauprez for Interior Secretary

Shortly after President Romney's inauguration (and a slight boost to his approval ratings), the fight for a cabinet secretary ends brutally when Interior Secertary nominee Bob Beauprez is rejected by the Senate. He gained the votes of all the Republicans and none of the Democrats or Independents, but couldn't make it over Senator Bernie Sanders filibuster. Sanders did the fully monty, and inspite of his age, went on for nearly 24 hours protesting Beauprez's environmental views, his previous birtherism, and his support for the pre-approved Keystone Pipeline, which has since produced rather mixed results in terms of environmental impact and job creation. Romney is hunting for a replacement for Mr. Beauprez, and insiders in the administration say it will be someone more moderate on enviormental issues.

Otherwise, President Romney successfully managed to herd several Democratic moderates and vote on his nominations quickly, mostly over the objections of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, showing surprising strength in his newfound position.

First edition of the Portman-Ryan Tax Reform Bill passes the House easily

The newest tax reform bill, which extends certain recession era provisions, cuts the top corporate tax rate to 30%, and clears out deductions and subsidies, passes the house by 288-142, with several Democrats joining the large Republican majority. This isn't the same as passing the senate, where Democratic leadership says it faces a lot more hurdles. Still, a good deal of Democrats are saying they are willing to compromise with the President on this, so the status of the bill is up for grabs, with a lot of votes still undecided (with Cruz, Lee, and Paul standing ground from a conservative perspective).

Economy hits lowest unemployment rate in decades, Romney dedicates troops to ISIS

At 5.8% Unemployment, the economy is stronger than ever. Even Labor force participation, a rate Republicans have been saying is a more accurate descriptor of a weak economy, is starting to pick up again after years of declining. Romney hasn't been office long enough to enact policy, so President Obama has been thanked for this, and he has seen a minor bump in his abysmal approval ratings.

In one of his first acts as President, Mitt Romney has used executive power to put more troops in Iraq to deal with ISIS once and for all. He has said to reporters "we must fight evil wherever it stands, and America will not back from that fight because it never has". In addition, he has sent Vice President Walker on a trade mission to South America, in hopes to inspire new trade agreements. Democrats are questioning the President's constitutionality of his order, calling it "reckless and lawless".

2017 election watch - Ed Gillespie for Governor!

In early February, Gillespie finally declares his candidacy for Virginia Governor, to the excitement of Politico writers everywhere. He instantly clears the field, pushing the former frontrunner Mark Obenshain to run for Senate in 2018 against Tim Kaine. He's viewed as frontrunner for the state in general, leading Attorney General Mark Herring (49-42) and Congressman Don Beyer (51-39) by significant margins. However, early signs aren't very good for Gillespie - his first rally was interrupted by a heckler, who Gillespie responded to by saying "being a Washington insider makes me very credible in Virginia!", a clip that will no doubt be replayed non-stop.

[Maxwell]

2017 Election Watch - Republicans trail hard in New Jersey, Fulop ahead among Democrats



March 2017 - New Jersey Gubernatorial Primary poll (Democrats)
28% Steven Fulop
22% Frank Pallone
16% Stephen Sweeny
8% Barbara Buono
6% Louis Greenwald
5% Others
15% Undecided

March 2017 - New Jersey Gubernatorial Primary Poll (Republicans)
29% Sean Kean
26% Michael Doherty
16% Steve Lonegan
12% Jeff Chiesea
4% Others
13% Undecided

Due to the indictment of Governor Chris Christie, all Democrats hold double digit leads over each Republican (with the exception of Sean Kean and Jeff Chiesa vs. Stephen Sweeney and Barabra Buono, who lead Kean by 4 and 5 points respectively and Chiesa by 6 and 8 points respectively). Chiesa's candidacy has been plagued by his connection with Christie, but his performance has been surprising, and he's gained momentum among establishment elements who view Kean's campaign as rather weak. The biggest fear of the GOP establishment is Doherty fading and Kean and Chiesa battling it out, causing a narrow Lonegan win, which would almost certainly result in a complete wipeout of Republicans in the legislature.

Momentum on the Democratic side belongs to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who has just pulled ahead of former frontrunner Frank Pallone, who has run a limp campaign filled with gaffes and snooze-worthy moments (he fell asleep during a press appearance). Fulop has some issues as a big city mayor, but he looks very solid to win in a race against any Republican.

Head to Heads
49% Fulop - 38% Kean
52% Fulop - 36% Doherty
55% Fulop - 32% Lonegan
48% Fulop - 35% Chiesa

[NHI]

This is great! Please, keep it up.

[Maxwell]

In a surprising turn, The Portman-Ryan Tax Bill passes 62-37

It turns out the President's charm offensive has worked beyond his wildest dreams - the bill not only passes, but passes beyond the filibuster by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The bill put a lot of Senators on the fence on both sides, including conservative members who felt the bill didn't do enough to lower corporate taxes, and liberals who felt the it was a huge boon to big corporations. This bill was certainly a deciding factor between who was going to be working with the new President and who was going to fight him - two Presidential contenders took surprising opposite votes, with California Senator Eric Garcetti voting for the bill after amending the bill to include tech company deductions, and Florida Senator Gwen Graham voting against the bill on a populist stand.

The only thing left for the bill is to clear up differences in the Senate and House bills, which are surprisingly few in number. This is a testament to President Romney's ability as a leader, and he gets a boost in his approvals for his bipartisan efforts.

Ayes: Grassley (R-IA), Hatch (R-UT), Roby (R-AL), Inhofe (R-OK), Roberts (R-KS), Schweikert (R-AZ), Capito (R-WV), Cochran (R-MS), Ernst (R-IA), Hutchinson (R-NV), Alexander (R-TN), Garcetti (D-CA), McConnell (R-KY), Nelson (D-FL), Risch (R-ID), Stutzman (R-IN), Cardin (D-MD), Perdue (R-GA), Enzi (R-WY), Isakson (R-GA), Sessions (R-AL), Rounds (R-SD), Carper (D-DE), Manchin (D-WV), Lankford (R-OK), Wyden (D-OR), Blunt (R-MO), Sasse (R-NE), Gardner (R-CO), Boozman (R-AR), Fischer (R-NE), Labrador (R-ID), Wicker (R-MS), Cornyn (R-TX), Barasso (R-WY), Corker (R-TN), Collins (R-ME), Tillis (R-NC), Moran (R-KS), Graham (R-SC), Cassidy (R-LA), Portman (R-OH), Hoeven (R-ND), McGuire (R-AK), Heller (R-NV), Daines (R-MT), Thune (R-SD), Boustany (R-LA), Toomey (R-PA), Scott (R-SC), Ayotte (R-NH), Cruz (R-TX), Lee (R-UT), Sullivan (R-AK), Cotton (R-AR), Flake (R-AZ), Paul (R-KY), Booker (D-NJ), Coons (D-DE),  Donnelly (D-IN), Bennet (D-CO), Warner (D-VA) - 62

Nays: Peters (D-MI), Leahy (D-VT), Sanders (I-VT), Durbin (D-IL), Blumenthal (D-CT), Markey (D-MA), Hirono (D-HI), Udall (D-NM), Warren (D-MA), Reed (D-RI), Stabenow (D-MI), Murray (D-WA), Schumer (D-NY), Franken (D-MN), Brown (D-OH), Menendez (D-NJ), Burke (D-WI), Whitehouse (D-RI),  Cowell (D-NC), Tester (D-MT), Merkley (D-OR), Casey Jr. (D-PA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Baldwin (D-WI), Gillibrand (D-NY), Graham (D-FL), Heinrich (D-NM), Schatz (D-HI), Murphy (D-CT), Finestine (D-CA), King (I-ME), Shaheen (D-NH), McCaskill (D-MO), Heitkamp (D-ND), Kaine (D-VA), Van Holen (D-MD), Bustos (D-IL) - 37

Didn’t Vote: Cantwell (D-WA) - 1

[Maxwell]

Romney approvals hit record high after successful domestic agenda passed



May 2017 Presidential Approval
61% Approve
26% Disapprove

After getting off on the wrong foot in January with investigations on the Vice President, President Romney has started his Presidency on the right foot by working with Republicans and Democrats to get things through. He's passed a good deal of his domestic agenda - Obamacare adjustments, corporate tax reform, scaling back federal education, and eliminating waste in the Federal Government - with a good deal of Democratic votes. This has shocked many observers who expected a gridlocked Washington. Instead, Democratic Senators have praised the President's ability to work with Democrats and give where giving needs. Foreign affairs are still cloudly, but they are in the backseat to what has been called the most successful domestic agenda since the Reagan administration.

2017 Election Watch - Fulop dominates, Chiesa surprises, McWaters won't leave



New Jersey Democratic Primary
42% Fulop
23% Pallone
15% Sweeney
14% Buono
6% Greenwald
1% Others

New Jersey Republican Primary
35% Chiesa
29% Doherty
23% Kean
11% Lonegan
1% Others

With the Virginia Gubernatorial Primaries coming up, the New Jersey primaries have just closed, and results were expected and unexpected - Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop rode his momentum to a landslide victory over Congressman Frank Pallone. This was a blow to the political establishment in New Jersey, who had backed Pallone and Sweeney. Fulop represented a reform faction of the Democratic Party and him winning by such a large margin was, in his words, a mandate for his agenda.

However, in a shocking twist, Former U.S. Senator Jeff Chiesa climbs to first place over State Senator Michael Doherty and State Assemblyman Sean T. Kean. Kean led in the polls, but was considered unlikely to win due to his limp and lifeless campaign. Doherty was in the strongest position, but would've made winning the Governorship entirely impossible, due to his Tea Party ideology. Chiesa ceased the oppurtunity of a weak field, and ran on being the best able to win the election.

The most interesting question is what does the Democratic establishment in New Jersey do? Fulop has weak relations with them, while Chiesa is a former Christie Attorney General, and Christie, despite his legal fumblings, still has a non-hostile relationship with establishment Democrats. Many pundits believe Chiesa has a chance if he gains their backing over Fulop. Many observers think this election just got interesting.

In Virginia, things are less interesting. Polls show Attorney General Mark Herring as a shoe-in for the nomination over Congressman Don Beyer, who is considered an also-ran and a weak candidate. Similarly, Former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie is a shoe-in over his remaining Republican opponent, State Senator Jeff McWaters. McWaters, however, is demanding to stay in the race, calling out Gillespie on his recent history of gaffes. In a press statement, McWaters said "If we nominate him, we are going to lose, and I won't stand by that".

[Maxwell]

Ingraham announces for Arizona Senate



Arizona Senate Primary Poll
41% Flake
35% Ingraham

After much talk, Ingraham has finally left her commentating job at ABC and is running for Senate against Jeff Flake. Flake has earned the ire of conservatives over his record on immigration and Cuba, and Ingraham has been a prominent figure demanding for his blood. Ingraham's first press conference was firey, but relatively light on policy. Flake has a bring it on attitude, but his fundraising numbers have been surprisingly weak, compared to what is expected to be a robust grassroots operation from Ms. Ingraham. This race is already shaping to be nasty, negative, and a perfect opportunity for a Democratic pick-up in a year that looks hard for Democrats to make any gains.

2017 Election Watch: It's Gillespie v. Herring



47% Gillespie - 43% Herring

Unsurprisingly, both Ed Gillespie and Mark Herring won their respective primaries to challenge each-other for the Governorship of Virginia. Herring beat back a spirited challenge from Congressman Don Beyer, who had previously ran for Governor of Virginia a long while back. Meanwhile, Gillespie beat back a surprisingly potent challenge from State Senator Jeff McWaters, who called out Gillespie on his recent history of gaffes. Gillespie's "Washington Insider" quote has run his favorables through the mud, and while Herring still trails, Herring is closing the favor-ability gap and closing the margin gap (from 7 to 4 on average).

Revelation - President Romney effectively repeals Obama immigration order



Approve - 51% (-10)
Disapprove - 42% (+16)

Controversy arose when it became news that President Romney had moved the table back on immigration secretly. Documents between government officials reveal the administration telling immigration department heads to "ignore everything the last President did". Democrats immediately went after the administration, attacking Romney's lawlessness. Romney's approvals took a significant dip, but still remains slightly over 50%, but it bodes well for Democrats in Hispanic heavy areas. For the moment, Romney continues to deny, but it gets harder and harder for him to do so as evidence continues to mount.

[Maxwell]

HOT WATER - Investigation over Booker Bribes!

In September, just moments before 20 New Jersey Democrats move to endorse Republican Jeff Chisea for Governor, Senator Cory Booker, a noted opponent of the pro-reform Steven Fulop, has been charged with bribery, campaign finance violations, and a litany of other crimes involving his time as Newark mayor. Booker, seen as someone who had taken on the New Jersey establishment, had close relationships with Republican donors and Wall Street, and seen his bank account fill up with their donations. Booker continues to deny, but speculation reveals that Senator Booker will probably resign his seat soon, instead of facing congressional ethics committee. If that all wasn't damning enough, low quality video surfaces of Booker taking a bribe from a bugged FBI agent, showing Booker as senator continuing the crimes of Booker the mayor.

Report: Romney ISIS strategy failing

A recent report shows that the Romney administration strategy in ISIS, after being well-received early on by the public as "taking action", has failed in its goal of wiping out ISIS. Casualties have been high, but despite insistent Romney officials claiming the strategy has moved quickly to wipe them out, whats happened instead is an apparent emboldening of ISIS. The first Republican to speak out against the President prior to the release of this report is Senator Rand Paul, who demands the US withdraw from the region, claiming - "we can't get anything done over there, so what's the point". Increasing calls come from odd sources to end conflict and save American lives, and the President's downward spiral continues.

Louisiana Governor Dardenne leaves the Republican Party

In a shocking press conference, Louisiana Governor Jay Dardenne has decided he will leave the Republican Party. He has not specified whether he will join the Democrats, but he has stated that he wants to be "a Governor for all Louisianans to be proud of". Dardenne's surprise victory over Former Senator David Vitter has caused him to be stonewalled by his own Republican legislature, with a record number of vetoes and nasty exchanges between Republican leaders and the Governor. Dardenne's numbers were not effected by this switch, with his approvals among voters remaining fairly high (47-32), if weak among Republicans (42-40). He hasn't stated whether or not he plans to run for re-election in two years, saying "that's a decision for next year, friends".

[Maxwell]

2017 Elections - Democrats Sweep!

New Jersey Gubernatorial Election
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop (D) - 52.1%
Former U.S. Senator Jeff Chisea (R) - 46.3%
Others - 1.6%

Virginia Gubernatorial Election
Attorney General Mark Herring (D) - 49.3%
Former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie (R) - 46.5%
Fmr. State Senate Candidate Rob Sarvis (L) - 3.8%
Others - 0.4%

After trailing mildly in early October, Steven Fulop ran hard against the corrupt New Jersey establishment and, in particular, Former U.S. Senator Cory Booker, who recently resigned over his indiscretions with the law.  Combined with a coming home effect of undecided Democrats and rage over corrupt politicians of both sides, Fulop won a decent victory over Former Christie Attorney General Jeff Chisea and picked up a Governorship for the Democrats.

And in spite of the other statewide offices going Republican, Attorney General Mark Herring upset Ed Gillespie and became Virginia's next Governor. Gillespie, after being hyped a shoe-in, ran a gaffe-filled campaign that proved too dumb for Virginia voters. It helped that Herring distanced himself from unpopular Governor Terry McAuliffe, running as a bipartisan reformer. This attack was particularly blunt against Gillespie, whose known career was as a partisan warrior. Still, Pete Snyder narrowly defeated Aneesh Chopra for Lieutenant Governor, and Scott Rigell wiped the floor with some state senator for Attorney General, so the Republican bench is officially replenished in Virginia.

[Maxwell]

President Romney gives 2018 State of the Union



45% Approve
51% Disapprove

After his first year in the Presidency, Mitt Romney has had a rocky road. He's held a successful legislative agenda, pushing forward tax reform, education, and certain rollbacks of the healthcare bill, while at the same time giving in to Democrats on certain pieces of their agenda in the process and making strong allies across the aisle. At the same time, scandals over deportation has rocked his administration, and his foreign policy has caused more harm in the Middle East than there already was. Romney's State of the Union called for bipartisan cooperation on issues such as the energy, immigration, infrastructure, and voting rights. Conservatives criticized the speech as giving into the Democrats on infrastructure, while Democrats lambasted the President's previous behavior on immigration as a lack of trust.

Fulop appoints Dawn Zimmer to U.S. Senate seat, no Special Election

In his first major act since becoming Governor of New Jersey, Governor Steven Fulop has appointed Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer to the U.S. Senate seat. Fulop, elected in spite of objections from the establishment New Jersey Democratic Party, has gone out of his way to push for his reform agenda, and Zimmer was far closer to the reform part of the party than the regular powers that be. Zimmer, no doubt, will face heavy opposition in 2020 over her appointment in the Democratic primary but also from Republicans who see a bloodly Democratic Primary as an opportunity.

V.P. Walker to fly to South America to talk trade

Most reports see Walker, who began the administration under investigation, as being completely iced from the West Wing. Despite that, or maybe because of that perception, Vice President Walker is being sent to South America to discuss the possibility of a new trade agreement with the region. After the announcement, video was leaked of a speech Walker gave to donors, condemning the Democratic Senate for stonewalling the President on trade, saying they "are taking food out of the mouths of children, and price gouging American families", a remark not likely to be taken well in South America.

[Emperor Charles V]

This is awesome!!! Keep this going please!

[Person Man]

I am guessing they just cut specific Obamacare taxes (device tax, income tax surtax) and raised the work week to 35-40 hours and what constitutions a mature, non-start up company to 100 employees? Otherwise, ignoring or abolishing the individual mandate, the subsidies or the welfare expansion would be tantamount to canceling Obamacare.

[Maxwell]

I am guessing they just cut specific Obamacare taxes (device tax, income tax surtax) and raised the work week to 35-40 hours and what constitutions a mature, non-start up company to 100 employees? Otherwise, ignoring or abolishing the individual mandate, the subsidies or the welfare expansion would be tantamount to canceling Obamacare.

Yes, you're correct. Romney, while not explicitly stating it, has made it clear that he would not sign anything that cancels Obamcare overall. He's very sneaky like that.

[Maxwell]

Election 2018 Watch: McCaul faces Gohmert in Run-Off, Castro wins Dem Primary unopposed



Texas Senate Republican Primary
Congressman Louie Gohmert - 32%
Congressman Mike McCaul - 29%
Former State Rep. Dan Branch - 22%
Activist Debra Medina - 13%
Others - 3%

48% McCaul - 40% Castro
46% Castro - 45% Gohmert

McCaul's perceived non-firestarter image among the Texas Republican Party meant he started the primary at a low point, but after Gohmert's confusing campaign and idiotic messaging became more noted, his numbers started to drop, and when it became clear that the moderate in the race, Dan Branch, didn't have what it took to win, McCaul's well-oiled and self-financed campaign came through and scored a second place showing and a spot on the run-off. The Texas and National Republican establishment, including Governor Greg Abbott and President Mitt Romney, are in the tank for McCaul, noting his relative ease of beating San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, while most polling shows Castro ahead of the disastrous Louie Gohmert.

Franken - Very serious about potential Presidential bid



48% Romney - 42% Garcetti
47% Romney - 40% Graham
49% Romney - 37% Franken

2020 season is beginning to heat up, with aging Senator Al Franken the first to address Presidential speculation with anything but a no. He has already said he plans to retire at the end of his second term, but most expect him to keep his options open. Franken would be considered the progressive wing of the parties choice, though many progressives are also considering California Senator Eric Garcetti, who, besides his vote for corporate tax reform, has mostly compiled a progressive record. Garcetti and Florida Senator Gwen Graham, a moderate who voted against tax reform, would be considered Romney's strongest challengers, but both trail the incumbent President at this point in time, with Franken trailing even harder.

President Romney to push for major voting reforms

In a new press conference, Romney announced, along with bill co-sponsors Joni Ernst and Joe Manchin, that he would be using his bully pulpit to push congress in favor of a new package of voting reforms. At this point in time, the bill includes voting reforms Democrats favor, such as national early voting minimums and making voting day a national holiday, in exchange for battling voter fraud, including a controversial provision requiring National ID. Senate Minority Whip Elizabeth Warren made a statement on the bill, saying that if the Voter ID Portion remains in the House version, the bill will be "dead on arrival".

[Emperor Charles V]

Great timeline.

But one thing, either of the Castro brothers would never win a statewide election in Texas, especially during a midterm year. Even with Gohmert as the GOP. There's just too many "yellow-dog" Republicans there (literally people who would vote for a yellow dog before they would vote for a Democrat, the term was coined the other way around in the Solid South)