NationalWatch

Ex-GOP Chairman Explains How MAGA Candidate Kent Lost

(Newsmax/"Prime News")

By John Gizzi Sunday, 13 November 2022 07:58 PM EST Current | Bio | Archive

By running a "lousy" campaign and "talking about issues people didn't care about," Trump Republican Joe Kent lost Washington state's historically Republican 3rd District, former State GOP Chairman Kirby Wilbur told Newsmax.

Barely 24 hours after liberal Democrat and first-time candidate Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was declared the winner in the 8th District, pundits were wondering just how she did it in a district considered "MAGA country."

Wilbur, an activist since his teenage years in the conservative Young Americans For Freedom (YAF) and longtime radio talk show host, told us, "Joe was an heroic soldier and could have been a hero in an action picture about his fellow Green Berets. But he had no political experience, and after winning first place in the 'jungle primary' in August, he proceeded to talk about the same issues [as in the primary]: his promise to impeach Joe Biden and investigate the FBI. And, of course, he kept repeating the 2020 election was stolen from Trump."

The "jungle primary" is one in which candidates of all parties compete on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters meet in a November runoff. Such issues, Wilbur said, were enough for him to overcome fellow Republican and six-term Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, one of 10 House Republicans to vote for Trump's impeachment.

"But they just didn't sell with voters in the general election," he added.

In contrast, Democrat Perez, who co-owns an auto parts store with her husband, ran on "kitchen table" issues such as the cost of gasoline and groceries.

"And while she ran as a 'pro-choice' candidate on abortion, she also said she supported the right to keep and bear arms," said Wilbur. "And that appealed to moderate voters — even though [Perez] had been an active Bernie Sanders for president volunteer."

Wilbur also pointed out, "In Clark County, which has the bulk of the voters in the 3rd, there has always been a fractious Republican Party. One faction backed Jaime in the primary and another, which had been closely associated with Ron Paul's presidential campaign in 2012, backed Joe. They never came together after the primary."

Original Article

By running a "lousy" campaign and "talking about issues people didn't care about," Trump Republican Joe Kent lost Washington state's historically Republican 3rd District, former State GOP Chairman Kirby Wilbur told Newsmax.Original Article

Chris Christie: GOP Picked 'Some Bad Candidates'

(Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Nick Koutsobinas | Sunday, 13 November 2022 05:06 PM EST

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, on Sunday said the Grand Old Party "nominated some bad candidates" for the midterm elections.

Appearing on ABC News' "This Week," Christie told participants of a roundtable discussion that Democrats "got more fired up than people thought and that polls demonstrated."

"Also," he added, "we nominated some bad candidates, especially on the Senate side. That's something we've been talking about since the summer; and people thought that maybe the overall atmosphere of the poor performance of the economy, crime issues and others would overwhelm that.

"That's what I thought would happen; it didn't." Christie noted.

In the run-up to the election, Republican pundits were speaking of a "red wave." Following the historical trends of incumbent presidents losing seats in Congress, they predicted Republicans would overtake Democrats in both chambers.

But despite President Joe Biden's low approval rating and inflation, Democrats won 50 Senate seats so far and Republicans won 49, according to the Newsmax elections tracker. Georgia will hold a runoff election on Dec. 6 between Republican Herschel Walker and Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock.

In the aftermath of the 2022 midterms, members of the GOP began blaming candidates aligned with former President Donald Trump for the poor performance.

On Sunday, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Trump-aligned candidates underperformed.

Speaking with host Chuck Todd of "Meet the Press," Cassidy noted what he learned from the midterms.

"I learned that the American people want a way forward that actually focuses on ideas — ideas that will make their lives better, not just their lives but that for future generations. Those who are most closely aligned with the former president underperformed. Those who are talking about the future or who had managed their states well, they over-performed. The American people want ideas. They want a future."

In Pennsylvania, Democrats flipped a key Senate seat with their candidate John Fetterman prevailing over Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Original Article

Kari Lake Bashes Arizona Election Process as a 'Laughingstock'

(Newsmax/"John Bachman Now")

By Brian Pfail | Sunday, 13 November 2022 04:43 PM EST

Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake fired off on Sunday, calling the state's election process a "laughingstock" as her race against Democrat Katie Hobbs remains up for grabs five days after the election.

"I consider someone's vote their voice. I think of it as a sacred vote. And it's being trampled the way we run our election in Arizona," said Lake to Fox News. "I have been sounding the alarm for two years. Nothing got done. Very little got done last legislative session. And we need to get in there and restore faith in our elections.

"We can't be the laughingstock of elections anymore here in Arizona. And when I'm governor, I will not allow it. I just won't."

Hobbs currently leads by 1.48 percentage points, with an estimated 93% of votes counted, according to the Newsmax elections tracker. Arizona officials have stated that counting ballots will continue into next week.

Lake has accused Arizona election workers of intentionally slowing down the process and as "incompetent."

The head of elections in Maricopa County, Bill Gates, said Lake's comments are "offensive."

"It's really sad to hear that we have the Republican nominee for governor here in Arizona who is talking like that," said Gates on CNN.

"I understand that Kari Lake wants us to move quickly, and a lot of people do. But you know what's more important? That this is done accurately," he added.

Most of the uncounted ballots are from Gates' Maricopa County, the state's most populous blue county.

Lake has been critical of the election process since former President Donald Trump's 2020 run.

"It's embarrassing. It's wrong. And we need people who are competent running our elections. This incompetency or maladministration is outrageous," Lake said. "And I think the good thing is that more people are waking up to the fact that Arizona has real troubles when it comes to elections."

Lake's Republican colleague and America First supporter, Blake Masters, R-Ariz., lost to incumbent Mark Kelly by nearly six percentage points, according to the Newsmax elections tracker. Lake is now alone in a last-ditch effort for Republicans to control Arizona.

Original Article

GOP Sen. Josh Hawley: Grand 'Old Party Is Dead; Time to Bury It'

(Newsmax/"Saturday Report")

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 13 November 2022 04:19 PM EST

Lamenting the reality the Senate will remain in Democrats' control for the next two years, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is calling for an overhaul of the establishment Republican Party in Washington, D.C.

"The old party is dead," Hawley tweeted Saturday night. "Time to bury it. Build something new."

Hawley was reacting to the news Republican Adam Laxalt's votes have been overtaken by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., clinching the Senate majority for Democrats.

"Washington Republicanism lost big Tuesday night," Hawley tweeted earlier this week. "When your 'agenda' is cave to Big Pharma on insulin, cave to Schumer on gun control & Green New Deal ('infrastructure'), and tease changes to Social Security and Medicare, you lose.

"What are Republicans actually going to do for working people?" he had asked in a previous tweet Thursday. "How about, to start: tougher tariffs on China, reshore American jobs, open up American energy full throttle, 100K new cops on the street. Unrig the system."

The remarks, effectively supporting the agenda of former President Donald Trump, were pointed at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who pulled Senate Leadership funding from Arizona to help Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. Both races were lost, giving the Democrats the majority again.

"You can't expect independent voters to vote Republican unless you give them an agenda they care about," Hawley further railed on Twitter this week.

Hawley does not want the Senate to hold a leadership vote until after the Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia between Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Republican Herschel Walker, echoing the remarks of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

"Exactly right," Hawley tweeted. "I don't know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate — are they saying that doesn't matter? Don't disenfranchise @HerschelWalker."

Walker is endorsed by Trump and McConnell has been fairly open in not backing Trump-backed candidates, save for Oz, even if it cost him the Senate.

Original Article

Rep. Jim Banks Won't Say Yet If He'll Endorse Trump in 2024

(Newsmax/"Wake Up America")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 04:01 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump was "very effective" while in office, Rep. Jim Banks said Sunday, but he wouldn't say if he'll endorse him for president in 2024 because it's too soon to make that call and because he's still "unpacking" what happened to GOP candidates in the midterm elections.

"I believe he could be a very effective president for our country again," the Indiana Republican said on Fox News' "Fox News Sunday." "I'll save my endorsement for another time for the 2024 race," he said.

Banks is in the running for the GOP majority whip spot for Republicans in the House, where he's competing with Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., for the key role.

He said Sunday when asked if Trump's expected presidential race announcement on Tuesday will be good or bad for the Republican Party, that GOP candidates do better when he's also on the ballot, as he "remains a very popular figure" among party members.

Banks also said that while many of Trump's endorsed candidates in Senate races across the country lost, resulting in the Senate remaining under a Democrat majority, other candidates he backed won as well.

"The 2024 primary is in front of us, but we're still unpacking what happened last Tuesday," said Banks.

Meanwhile, Banks said he'll support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as the next House Speaker, as "his experience is what we need right now."

McCarthy "has been the whip, has been the majority leader, the minority leader, and now he is going to be the speaker," Banks added. "We need someone like him who can pull the conference together."

Rank-and-file members, he continued, are trying to be heard more; and as the next few years will be"complicated and challenging," members from all over the nations must be heard.

"To get anything done, we need to listen to members from all over the country," Banks said. "The Republican Party conference is more diverse than ever before … Leader McCarthy is working through that process with the rules for changes. We will have our rules conference meeting and revote on the rules in the middle of this upcoming week."

Original Article

Maryland's Hogan: GOP Must Reassess Trump After Midterm Losses (Newsmax)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 02:47 PM EST

Last week's midterm elections should have been a "huge red wave" of Republican wins, but they weren't, and that's former President Donald Trump's fault, which means it's time for the party to reassess his role in it, Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday.

"It’s basically the third election in a row that Donald Trump has cost us the race, and it’s like, three strikes, you’re out," Hogan told CNN's "State of the Union." "It should have been one of the biggest red waves we’ve ever had."

Hogan, who was term-limited this year from seeking a third gubernatorial election, hedged on a question about his presidential ambitions for the 2024 race, telling anchor Dana Bash that "I still have to do my day job until Jan. 18."

But, he told her that his party "still didn't perform" in the midterm elections, except for "commonsense conservatives who won by "talking about issues people cared about, like the economy and crime and education."

Other candidates who "tried to relitigate the 2020 election and focused on conspiracy theories and talked about things voters didn't care about, they were almost all universally rejected," said Hogan.

Hogan refused to endorse Trump-endorsed Republican Dan Cox to succeed him in Maryland. Cox won the GOP primary, but Democrats took back the governor's seat, with Democrat Wes Moore elected as the first Black governor in the state.

Republicans, meanwhile, must figure out a "more hopeful, positive vision," the outgoing governor said. "We have to get back to a party that appeals to more people, that can win in tough places like I have done in Maryland."

As for Trump, "he's still the 800-pound gorilla, and it's still a battle," said Hogan, who also thinks the former president's expected announcement this week that he will run for president in 2024 will affect the Senate runoff race in Georgia between Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker.

Hogan also on Sunday referred to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was re-elected last Tuesday, as "one of the important voices for the party."

Original Article

Midterms Not a 'Complete Disappointment' for GOP, Says Sen. Cotton (Newsmax)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 02:09 PM EST

The midterm elections were not a "complete disappointment" for Republicans, as strong GOP leaders who ran on positive records of accomplishments won "very big victories," and the lessons from those wins can be used in places where votes fell short, Sen. Tom Cotton said Sunday.

"We need to focus on serious substantive accomplishments and issues like crime, like our wide-open border, like addressing runaway inflation," the Arkansas Republican said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

He pointed out that there were still big wins by GOP Govs. Ron DeSantis in Florida, Brian Kemp in Georgia, Mike DeWine in Ohio, Kim Reynolds in Iowa, and Greg Abbott in Texas, and by Sens. Marco Rubio in Florida, Tim Scott in South Carolina, and Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.

"Even in places where we came up a little bit short, like Lee Zeldin's race for governor in New York, he performed very well compared to Republicans in recent elections, and he probably helped save the House of Representatives by bringing four new Republican Congressman-elect across the finish line in New York," said Cotton.

Meanwhile, Cotton rejected the idea of former President Donald Trump being the sole leader of the Republican Party, as when a party is out of power, there is not a single leader.

"The former president is obviously very popular with many of our voters but we also have important other leaders as well, like some of those victors I just mentioned earlier, like Brian Kemp in Georgia, Ron DeSantis in Florida," he said. "Last year, you had Glenn Youngkin have a great victory in a bluish democratic state like Virginia."

Cotton has already said he is not planning to run for president in 2024, and on Sunday said he thinks it's too soon to focus on that race.

"I just want to remind everyone that we're still in the middle of the 2022 midterm because we're in overtime in Georgia," said Cotton. "The most important thing we can do is elect Herschel Walker to make sure that we can keep the pressure on Democrats in the Senate not to veer far to the left, as they have over the last two years. That's where I think everyone should remain focused for these next three weeks."

However, Cotton said he does not agree with senators who want to delay GOP leadership elections, as five or six of the posts are uncontested, and that he supports Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to remain in place.

The senator also commented on President Joe Biden's meeting with President Xi Jinping Monday and said that the United States must avoid conflict with China in the military sense, but he doesn't think it can avoid diplomatic or economic tension.

"I would urge the president to be very firm in drawing those red lines," he said. "We don't want to see a repeat of what happened last summer in Russia when Vladimir Putin walked away from their summit in Europe.

The simplest thing the United States can do for Taiwan, meanwhile, is to do what should have been done for Ukraine, and that is to provide them with the weapons they need to stop an invasion.

"It's urgent that we do so now because, unlike Ukraine, Taiwan is an island, which means China could blockade it, and we might not be able to resupply them once China might start military conflict," said Cotton.

Original Article

Sen. Bill Cassidy's Look to GOP 'Future': Keep McConnell (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 13 November 2022 01:18 PM EST

One of the most anti-Donald Trump Republicans in the Senate effectively suggested Trump lost the Senate majority and said the GOP needs to look to the "future," but is backing Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to remain the Senate minority leader.

"I learned that the American people want a way forward that actually focuses on ideas, ideas that will make their lives better, not just their lives but that for future generations," Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to impeach Trump, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

"Those who are most closely aligned with the former president under-performed. Those who are talking about the future or who had managed their states well, they overperformed. The American people want ideas. They want a future."

But GOP direction in the Senate is up for grabs as new blood presses in. With that in mind, and despite the fact that funding decisions made by McConnell may have handed the Senate to the Democrats, Cassidy's support is clear

"I'm actually going to support Mitch," Cassidy told host Chuck Todd. "I think Mitch kind of pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for candidates who, for whatever reason, were having a difficult time raising the money that, as you pointed out, was required to have a winning campaign.

"And I think going forward, Mitch will be our leader, but that is not to say that we're not going to have a necessary debate about ideas. And I think it's very – again, one more time – important for us to explain to the American voter why Republicans have a better vision for the future of our country."

Notably, McConnell and anti-Trump Republicans like Cassidy refuse to revisit the past on the 2020 election integrity issues, and ballot counting issues in Arizona and Nevada have ultimately led to the Democrats' control of the Senate. Republicans lament the issues with elections that remain.

Cassidy did acknowledge the GOP candidates in these midterms failed to capitalize on the struggles of the Biden administration, but he also supports continued work with Democrats.

"We've got big problems in our country," Cassidy said. "The degree that both parties duck these big problems is the degree that the voter says, 'Pox on both your houses.' So let's have a debate about the domestic issues, about the foreign issues, and then let's implement.

"We've got to get some things done. By the way, Chuck, I think I can say this with some credibility, since I have been involved, or at least frankly, either in the mix or leading on issues to limit surprise medical billing, to lower the cost of prescription drugs, to do the bipartisan infrastructure bill. We can get things done. We need to get them done. And that's, I think, what the American voter's looking for."

Cassidy said "we're not a cult" when talking about who leads the party.

"We're not like, 'OK, there's one person who leads our party,'" Cassidy said after supporting McConnell to continue to be the single leader of the Senate GOP that continues to lose elections.

"If we have a sitting president, she or he will be the leader of our party. But we should be a party of ideas and principles. And that's what should lead us. And I will go back – what we've been lacking perhaps is that fulsome discussion followed up with the policy initiatives that we work to pass that will define who we are. Again, we are not going to have one person anointed, unless she or he happens to be a sitting president. We should have a set of principles and ideas and legislative accomplishments that is our lodestar, if you will. That's where we need to go."

After talking about elections being about "winning," Todd asked Cassidy is he would support Trump if he won another GOP presidential primary. Cassidy demurred.

"You're giving me a theoretical, which actually I don't think will come to transpire because we have to be looking to the future – and so you can give me a theoretical after a theoretical," he concluded.

Original Article

Pelosi: McCarthy Doesn't Stand a Chance as Speaker (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Sunday, 13 November 2022 01:05 PM EST

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on Sunday House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will not have enough votes to be elected as Speaker even if Republicans retake the lower chamber.

Republicans are favored to win by a narrow majority in the House, making McCarthy a front-runner for Speaker. Pelosi suggested to Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Minority Leader might not get that victory from his caucus.

“Why would I make a judgment about something that may or may not ever happen?” Pelosi questioned. “No, I don’t think he has. But that’s up to his own people to make a decision as to how they want to be led or otherwise.”

House Republicans will host the vote for leadership behind closed doors, with a majority vote required to win. Both parties will ultimately have to vote on the House floor, with the winner needing 218 votes.

The Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans who largely embrace President Donald Trump, is hoping to negotiate with GOP leaders about some rule change requests for the new term.

“What we want to make sure of is that every member of Congress is treated fairly and equally,” said Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry, R-Pa., on Thursday. “Increasingly, over decades, it has been the power – that voice – has been concentrated in leadership in both the Senate and the House.”

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., also of the Freedom Caucus, told Fox News there “absolutely” will be a challenge to McCarthy’s bid for the speakership.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and McCarthy have undergone extra scrutiny among America First Republicans conservatives who allege neither of the two candidates represents them or their party’s agenda.

Scott has been critical of the Republican leadership and agenda, making himself a prospective candidate for speaker.

“The leadership in the Republican Senate says, ‘No, you cannot have a plan. We’re just going to run against how bad the Democrats are.’ Actually, they cave in to the Democrats,” said Scott to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “They want to rush through an election because they don’t want to do any assessment of what we’ve done wrong. Insanity is doing the exact same thing and thinking you’re to get a different result. We won’t.”

Other prominent Republicans are pressing for a delay in the leadership election. Those include Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Original Article

N.H. Gov. Sununu: 'Terrible Idea' for Trump to Announce Bid Now (Newsmax)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 12:54 PM EST

It would be a "terrible idea" for former President Donald Trump to announce his reelection bid this week, as it's too soon after the midterm elections and because Georgia's Senate winner has not yet been determined, Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who won his reelection bid, said Sunday.

"People want to move away from politics as you hit Thanksgiving, as you hit Christmas, as we’re spending time with families as we’re trying to figure out how we’re going to fill our oil tanks with all these high fuel prices," Sununu said on ABC News's "This Week." "Now's just a horrible time for big political statements."

Instead, he said he thinks Trump should wait until early 2023, even though the announcement will be "great for the media."

"Saturday Night Live will probably love it, but for the rest of us, we’re going to focus on spending time with our families and kind of taking a breath in the quiet of a nonpolitical world," said Sununu.

He also wouldn't commit to supporting Trump in 2024, as there will be a "wide-open race" on the Republican side. The governor also said he does not believe President Joe Biden will seek reelection.

Sununu acknowledged some people want him to throw his hat in the ring, but he pointed out he has a "state to run."

"Unlike Congress, I don't get a vacation," he said. "It's a 24/7, 365-day job. I have to balance a budget in the next couple of months, unlike Congress. I just have a lot of demands on me and I love that. It’s a hard job but, man, it is so fulfilling when you get stuff done."

Meanwhile, Democrats pulled out wins in last Tuesday's elections because voters were more worried about extremism than other issues such as inflation or energy shortages, said Sununu.

"I don't think anyone likes the policies out of D.C.," he said. "No one likes paying, you know, six bucks for a gallon of heating oil, especially with winter coming. But what I think people said was, 'Look, we can work on these policies later, but as Americans, we've got to fix extremism right now.'"

Sununu, though, said that when he talks about extremism it doesn't necessarily mean he's talking about Trump.

"There's a whole stream of things out there that can be deemed extreme, on one side and the other," he said. "I think there's an extreme left and an extreme right. In this sense, I think a lot of folks were focused and are saying, "Look, it's not about payback; it's about solving problems."

The attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul just before the election also worried voters, said Sununu, and they responded by "putting in folks that are going to come together and work across the aisle."

Republicans must also start moving away from denying the results of elections, such as the 2020 presidential race, as that is "nothing that works," said Sununu.

Some Republicans had called for Sununu to run for the Senate, in the race that GOP candidate Don Balduc eventually lost to incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, but he said Sunday has no regrets about running for reelection.

"I love being governor," he said. "With all due respect, the Senate’s the B-team compared to being a governor. I mean, it’s just not even a question. I get to be the CEO, I get to design systems, I get to implement policy, I get to challenge myself to engage with constituents, find their problems, and fight those barriers."

Original Article

More Judges as Dems Regain Control of Senate (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Sunday, 13 November 2022 12:00 PM EST

The Senate will continue a steady confirmation of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees after Democrats retained the chamber Saturday.

The control of the House remains uncertain, although Republicans are still favored with the legislative agenda for the next Congress in limbo. But as for the Senate, it provides the guarantee that Democrats will unilaterally confirm Biden’s judges and executive branch nominees.

The Republicans were favored to win the House, and judges were a top priority in a victory for the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said there would no longer be a “rubber stamp” for Biden judges. McConnell had blocked former President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, who now serves as U.S. Attorney General.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer assured the Senate would push for Democrat judges.

“Senate Democrats have been committed to restoring balance to the federal judiciary with professionally and personally diverse judges,” he said in a statement. “With two more years of a Senate Democratic majority, we will build on our historic pace of judicial confirmations and ensure the federal bench better reflects the diversity of America.”

Biden’s pace of judicial confirmation has been on par with former President Donald Trump, with 84 confirmed, 57 nominees pending and 117 announced vacancies.

The run-off in Georgia will have no impact, as Democrats have acquired 51 seats in the Senate, although it will require all to show up in attendance. If Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., keeps his seat in Georgia, Democrats can move nominees out of committee with a majority.

“There’s a big difference between a 50-50 Senate and a 51-49 Senate for the functionality of the Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee,” said Sen. Chris Coon, D-Del. “Simply having control of the Senate means we have the ability to continue moving forward the personnel who will represent us and shape our laws.”

The Senate majority will allow Biden to move treaties. The extra seat would also pad Democrats’ majority into 2024 after they face a more challenging map. It also means fewer oversight hearings.

If Republicans take the House, the Senate can unilaterally block party-line bills.

The Democrat majority will play a role in determining how the party handles the upcoming lame-duck session, like the end-of-the-year spending package.

In a New York Times op-ed, Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for raising the debt ceiling to “block Republicans from taking our economy hostage next year.” She added, “Democrats should be aggressive in putting Republicans on the defensive, pressing hard on why they are blocking much-needed initiatives to help Americans.”

Coons predicted much of this, saying, “2024 politics are very quickly going to get in the way of getting big things done.” The Senate needs to address “basic issues like the debt ceiling and appropriating enough to sustain Ukraine in the short term.”

Original Article

Musk Has Donated More to GOP Than Dems Over 2 Decades (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 13 November 2022 10:45 AM EST

Despite his claims he has only recently voted for Republican for the first time, billionaire Elon Musk has donated more to Republicans than Democrats over the past two decades.

The numbers are fairly close, though, as Musk has given $574,500 to Republicans and $542,000 to the Democrats, according to OpenSecrets.

After taking over Twitter, the tech billionaire made a call for voters to vote Republican before the midterms after cancel culture has rained down on him for seeking to make the social media giant a level playing field politically.

"While it's true that I've been under unfair & misleading attack for some time by leading Democrats, my motivation here is for centrist governance, which matches the interests of most Americans," Musk tweeted.

Musk has said he is "socially liberal and fiscally conservative," even "socially very liberal."

"Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who's in charge," Musk tweeted Monday.

While the donations are mostly balanced between the parties, Musk's largest donation was $50,000 to Democrat Rahm Emanuel in 2015, according to OpenSecrets. Emanuel was the Chicago mayor at the time and Musk was a California billionaire.

Musk only donated to Democrats in 2015, before starting to give to Republicans again in 2016, when former President Donald Trump was running to succeed President Barack Obama.

Original Article

Nevada Demo Win May Spell Doom for McConnell (Newsmax)

By John Gizzi Sunday, 13 November 2022 07:46 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

​The reports that Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto had pulled ahead of Republican challenger Adam Laxalt in Nevada Saturday night spells certain Democratic retention of the Senate.

It also may be the beginning of the end of Mitch McConnell’s time as Senate Republican leader, Senate sources told Newsmax.

With near-final results coming in the Silver State’s Senate race, Cortez Masto had pulled ahead of Laxalt, grandson of the late Gov. and Sen. Paul Laxalt. The Republican had been leading in the count since Tuesday night and was up by as many as 22,000 as of Saturday morning. But late-counted votes from Clark County (Las Vegas) finally put Cortez Masto ahead by fewer than 1000 votes by 9:00 PM EST.

Should the Nevada Democrat’s lead hold up, Senate Democrats will have the 50 seats they need to maintain the current tie between the parties. That means that Vice President Kamala Harris will cast the tie-breaking vote to determine who rules, and that even if Republican Herschel Walker wins the run-off in Georgia December 6, it won’t change who’s in charge of the Senate.

It also raises the odds considerably on a possible coup against Senate Republican Leader McConnell. The longest-serving leader of either party in the Senate after sixteen years, the Kentuckian had been expected to be re-elected to his leadership position next week following a triumph that brought the GOP to a majority in the Senate once again.

But it didn’t happen that way and discussion is growing that the leadership elections scheduled next week will be postponed—possibly to have a discussion among GOP senators about why they failed to make a net gain of one Senate seat they need to become a majority.

Among those reportedly supporting a postponement of leadership elections are Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Josh Hawley (Mo.), and Mike Lee (Utah). Scott is mentioned as a potential challenger to McConnell for leader, as is Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.).

For his part, McConnell, 80, has yet to say what his plans are regarding his position as leader.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

Colorado's Rep. Boebert Headed to Photo-Finish Re-Election (Newsmax)

By John Gizzi Sunday, 13 November 2022 07:32 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

​One of the most controversial — if not the most controversial — of House Republicans appeared headed toward eking out re-election Saturday night.

With more than 323,000 votes counted, freshman Rep. Lauren Boebert was leading in Colorado’s 3rd District (Western Colorado) by 1,122 votes (or about 1 percent of the total) over centrist Democrat Adam Frisch. A recount was very possible but all signs pointed to the outspoken Boebert securing re-election.

That the race was so close in what is perhaps the most Republican House district in the Centennial State was a story in itself. Boebert, famous for running a bar in which waitresses openly packed guns, made national news in 2020 by unseating five-term Republican Rep. Scott Tipton and then going on to win in the fall as an all-out Trump Republican.

In the last two years, she joined the former president in charging the 2020 election was fraudulent and at one point defied Speaker Nancy Pelosi by refusing a bag check at the House floor for concealed weapons.

Frisch ran as a moderate and distanced himself from Joe Biden and his administration. But he emphasized his pro-choice position in contrast to those of Boebert, an outspoken pro-lifer who supported the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

In the end, Frisch ran stronger than any 3rd District Democrat in recent history. But it apparently was not enough to stop Boebert in their 26-county district.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:23 PM PT – Saturday, November 12, 2022

The Associated Press has projected that Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto has won Nevada’s Senate race.

Trump endorsed Senate nominee Adam Laxalt’s (R-Nev.) race against incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) has been marked as one of most competitive to watch nationwide, with a pivotal seat up for grabs in Nevada. The two have been locked in a dead heat as the race was likely set to determine whether or not the Republicans flip the Senate red.

Laxalt is a former Naval Officer and Iraq war Veteran. He also served as the state’s 33rd Attorney General and is the grandson of late Nevada Governor and Senator Paul Laxalt.

In addition to garnering support from President Donald J. Trump, the Republican also received endorsements from Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Democrat Representative Tulsi Gabbard.

“He’s a great guy, great talent, he’s going places,” Trump said.

The Republican’s campaign affirmed that he plans to focus on lowering inflation, fight to have secure elections and a secure border, restore law and order and he hoped to support Nevada’s hardworking families.

Cortez Masto is a former two-term state Attorney General and made history by being the first Latina elected to the Senate in 2016. She is a well-known advocate for seniors, women and children. The Democrat has continued in Congress by working to pass legislation to strengthen women’s health care.

Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Cortez Masto in Nevada weeks before the election in the lefts desperate hope to rally up support for what they viewed as the most vulnerable Democrat seat.

Election results came in slowly. Laxalt took an early lead and maintained it until Saturday. The Associated Press called the race on Saturday night. 98% of the votes had been counted. Cortez Masto won with 48.8% or 487,829 votes compared to Laxalt’s 48.1% or 481,273 votes.

Cortez Masto winning the seat means that the Democrats retain control of the Senate.

There is no automatic recount law in Nevada. However, the losing candidate is allowed to demand a recount after all the votes are tallied.

Laxalt has yet to comment on the results.

Original Article Oann

Dems Keep Senate; Cortez Masto Wins Nevada Republican Adam Laxalt, left and Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (AP)

NICHOLAS RICCARDI and KEN RITTER Saturday, 12 November 2022 07:16 PM EST

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won election to a second term representing Nevada on Saturday, defeating Republican Adam Laxalt to clinch the party’s control of the chamber for the next two years of Joe Biden’s presidency.

With Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s victory in Arizona on Friday, Democrats now hold a 50-49 edge in the Senate. The party will retain control of the chamber, no matter how next month’s Georgia runoff plays out, by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

Democrats’ hold on the Senate is a blow to Republicans’ high hopes of wresting away control of Congress in a midterm election that typically favors the party out of power. It was still unclear which party would control the House of Representatives as counting continued in razor-tight races in California and a smattering of other states.

Cortez Masto, the first Latina in the Senate, was considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator in the midterm elections, and the Republican Party had high hopes of flipping the seat. But despite an influx of spending on attack ads from national GOP groups, Cortez Masto managed to secure her reelection bid.

Nevada’s vote count took several days partly because of the mail voting system created by the state Legislature in 2020 that requires counties to accept ballots postmarked by Election Day if they arrive up to four days later. Laxalt had an early lead that dwindled after late-counted ballots came in from the state’s population centers in Las Vegas and Reno.

Cortez Masto, the state’s former two-term attorney general, focused her Senate campaign on the increasing threat to abortion access nationwide and worked to court the state’s Spanish-speaking residents and hourly wage earners, pointing out her support of a permanent pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” and regularly visiting union halls and workers’ groups.

Her fundraising far outpaced Laxalt’s. She spent nearly $47 million and had more than $6 million in cash on hand through mid-October, according to OpenSecrets. Laxalt spent nearly $13 million and had about $3 million remaining during the same time.

Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general himself who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, focused on rising inflation and a struggling economy for much of his campaign, attempting to tie voters’ financial woes to policies advanced by Democrats in Congress and Biden.

Former President Donald Trump, who twice lost Nevada in his White House runs, came to the state twice to rally for Laxalt and other Republican candidates.

Democrats had an uphill battle given the nation’s turbulent economy, and Nevada exemplified the party’s challenges. The state is one of the most diverse in the nation, and its largely working class population often lives paycheck to paycheck and has struggled with both inflation and the aftershocks of the shutdown of Las Vegas’ tourist-based economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roughly three-fourths of Nevada voters said the country is headed in the wrong direction, and about 5 in 10 called the economy the most important issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of 2,100 of the state’s voters.

Voters viewed the economy negatively, with VoteCast finding nearly 8 in 10 saying economic conditions are either not so good or poor. Only about 2 in 10 called the economy excellent or good. And about a third of voters said their families are falling behind financially.

But that didn’t necessarily translate into anger at President Joe Biden or his party. About half considered inflation the most important issue facing the U.S., but they were evenly split over whether they think higher prices are due to Biden’s policies or factors outside his control.

Nevada is also a famously live-and-let-live state, and Cortez Masto’s message on preserving abortion rights resonated. According to VoteCast, 7 in 10 wanted the procedure kept legal in all or most cases.

Original Article

YouGov Poll: DeSantis Rises Up to Virtual Tie With Trump (Newsmax/"Greg Kelly Reports")

By Eric Mack | Saturday, 12 November 2022 06:39 PM EST

There are growing calls against former President Donald Trump running for reelection after the results of the midterm elections, and the latest YouGov poll shows Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis now a slight favorite ahead among Republicans.

DeSantis is drawing 40.9% support compared to Trump's 39.4%, a 1.5-point edge that lies within the margin of error and makes this hypothetical 2024 GOP nominee choice a virtual tie.

But GOP-leaning independents choose DeSantis (42%) by 7 percentage points over Trump (35%), which is outside the margin of error.

The YouGov poll result is the reportedly the first time since 2016 that Trump's support among Republicans has shown fractures, according to the New York Post.

The numbers are more favorable to Trump among "strong Republicans," as that voting bloc wants Trump (45%) over DeSantis (43%). DeSantis is the 7-point favorite among "not very strong Republicans" (38%-31%) and a 24-point favorite among those who "lean toward the Republican Party."

YouGov polling last month had Trump (45%) as a 10-point favorite over DeSantis (35%).

The Economist/YouGov polled 1,500 Americans Nov. 9-11, including 413 self-identified Republicans and GOP leaners. The total sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Original Article

YouGov Poll: DeSantis Rises Up to Virtual Tie With Trump (Newsmax/"Greg Kelly Reports")

By Eric Mack | Saturday, 12 November 2022 06:39 PM EST

There are growing calls against former President Donald Trump running for reelection after the results of the midterm elections, and the latest YouGov poll shows Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis now a slight favorite ahead among Republicans.

DeSantis is drawing 40.9% support compared to Trump's 39.4%, a 1.5-point edge that lies within the margin of error and makes this hypothetical 2024 GOP nominee choice a virtual tie.

But GOP-leaning independents choose DeSantis (42%) by 7 percentage points over Trump (35%), which is outside the margin of error.

The YouGov poll result is the reportedly the first time since 2016 that Trump's support among Republicans has shown fractures, according to the New York Post.

The numbers are more favorable to Trump among "strong Republicans," as that voting bloc wants Trump (45%) over DeSantis (43%). DeSantis is the 7-point favorite among "not very strong Republicans" (38%-31%) and a 24-point favorite among those who "lean toward the Republican Party."

YouGov polling last month had Trump (45%) as a 10-point favorite over DeSantis (35%).

The Economist/YouGov polled 1,500 Americans Nov. 9-11, including 413 self-identified Republicans and GOP leaners. The total sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Trump Will Have 2022 'Success Stories' at Launch Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media during an election night event at Mar-a-Lago on November 08, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump spoke as the nation awaits the results of voting in the midterm elections. (Joe Raedle/Getty)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Saturday, 12 November 2022 02:27 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump won't only officially announce his 2024 presidential race Tuesday, but he'll surround himself with his "success stories" from the 2022 midterm races, Dick Morris, author of the bestselling "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback" said on Newsmax Saturday.

"The Democrats are launching an anti-Trump disinformation campaign saying he lost everything, and he didn't," Morris said on Newsmax's "Saturday Report," adding that there are several GOP candidates who would not have won their senatorial races, including J.D. Vance in Ohio, Ted Budd in North Carolina, Markwayn Mullin in Oklahoma, Eric Schmitt in Missouri, Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.

He also said Kari Lake will likely pull out her win for governor in Arizona, once the ballots are counted, and she'll be part of his announcement celebration Tuesday to kick off a "very good, very strong campaign that, as I predicted in my book, will result in his big 2024 comeback."

There has been some calls for Trump to wait until after Georgia's Senate runoff race on Dec. 6 between Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker, but Morris said he doesn't think that date will make a difference, as he believes Nevada's Senate race, "is in the process of being stolen."

GOP candidate Adam Laxalt, said Morris, has been ahead in every poll for three months, but as votes come in in Nevada that "they didn't know existed," they "always end up being pro-Democrat."

Fewer than 1,000 votes now separate Laxalt and incumbent Democrat Sen Catherine Cortez Masto, and Morris pushed back at suggestions that the elections system in Nevada might simply be "dysfunctional.'

"It's dysfunctional in one direction, which is toward the Democrats," said Morris.

But in Arizona, there remain about 200,00 votes to be counted, which he said will probably be enough to allow Lake to pull out the win.

Trump-backed Republican Blake Masters on Friday lost his race against Arizona Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican Mark Fincham lost to Democrat Adrian Fontes for secretary of state, leaving only Lake's gubernatorial hopes up in the air.

But in any case "Trump has to march to the beat of his own calendar," said Morris. "I think he's just very anxious to launch right now."

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Original Article