Editor's Note: The Republican Report is a weekly Thursday column on the news of the week in the Republican Party including political/electoral strategy, new initiatives, and party fundraising. Email ayobami@inthecapital.com with any other item(s) you think should be included in the weekly report.
2014 Midterm Elections
'No fools on our ticket' says Chamber of Commerce:The U.S Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders have a new mantra for the 2014 midterm elections: 'No more fools on our ticket.' They have pledged to spend at least $50 million to support business-friendly Republican Senate candidates in an effort to regain a Republican majority in the Senate. 'Our No. 1 focus is to make sure, when it comes to the Senate, that we have no loser candidates,' said political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Scott Reed to The Wall Street Journal. 'That will be our mantra: No fools on our ticket.' While business groups agree with Tea Party Republicans on the need to cut spending and reform entitlements, they have grown frustrated with what they perceive to be damaging political tactics to reach those goals.
Republican Senate Candidates Disagree on Healthcare Tactics:Republican candidates running in 2014 Senate primaries disagree on the best tactics to use in opposing President Obama's healthcare law. For example, Representative Jack Kingston of Georgia, who is running against Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, favors a more aggressive approach to opposing the Affordable Care Act. 'A lot of conservatives say, 'Nah, just step back and let this thing fall to pieces on its own,'' Kingston said. 'Well, I don't think that's always the responsible thing to do.'
In Tennessee, state Representative Joe Carr criticized Senator Lamar Alexander for negotiating a deal that ended the government shutdown in October without defunding Obamacare, a move Carr says 'typifies how out of touch he [Alexander] is.'
Kentucky businessman Matt Bevin, who is running against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Mississippi state Senator Chris McDaniel, who is challenging Senator Thad Cochran, have both pledged to be less like Establishment Republicans and more like Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Ted Cruz of Texas who pushed the 'defund Obamacare' strategy in October.
House Republicans to Appeal to Working Families in 2014: GOP Party leaders in the House of Representatives plan to appeal to working families in 2014 by supporting legislation such as the child tax credit and flextime for workers. 'Working middle-class families are struggling to find a good-paying job, get ahead and keep more money in their pocket,' House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told The Wall Street Journal. 'House Republicans will continue to offer conservative solutions that help create better conditions for them to succeed.'
Republicans May Cave on Debt-Ceiling: In a letter to Congressional leaders last week, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned that the debt limit will need to be increased by late Februaryor early March, which could lead to yet another debt-ceiling fight when Congress returns from holiday recess. But there are signs that Republicans will agree to raise the debt-limit. Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a deficit hawk, told David Gregory on Sunday's NBC's Meet the Press that the reason for the increase in debt and deficits is because members of both parties agreed to those spending increases. 'The reason we're in trouble on deficits and debt is not because we didn't agree but because we did. We agreed to spend $740 billion we didn't have last year,' he said. The National Review writes that Coburn's comment is an indication that'Republicans will give in to Democratic demands in the upcoming negotiations on the debt ceiling.'
GOP Fundraising Numbers
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in November by $5 million to the NRCC's $4 million, a sign that the rocky roll-out of the Affordable Care Act did not affect the Democratic Party's fundraising. In addition, the the NRCC's reports $19 million in cash on hand compared to DCCC's $27.6 million.
[Image via POLITICO]
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, December 26, 2013 - Rating: 4.5
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