Politics - Parties, Candidates
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties - covering the U.S. political arena including state and national political parties.
Featured Stories
Tim Pawlenty Headlines Hate Group Dinner To Discuss His Homophobic Record
WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Democratic Governors Association issued the following news:
Tim Pawlenty is set to headline the Minnesota Family Council annual dinner tomorrow night (though, the party outside hosted by Outfront Minnesota sounds a lot more fun).
You may recall the Minnesota Family Council advocated "for laws that criminalize lesbian, gay, and bisexual Minnesotans" and disseminated widely debunked myths, such as the LGBTQ community being more likely to become pedophiles or committing acts of beastiality.
His relationship with the virulently anti-LGBT group goes all the way back to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Democratic Governors Association issued the following news:
Tim Pawlenty is set to headline the Minnesota Family Council annual dinner tomorrow night (though, the party outside hosted by Outfront Minnesota sounds a lot more fun).
You may recall the Minnesota Family Council advocated "for laws that criminalize lesbian, gay, and bisexual Minnesotans" and disseminated widely debunked myths, such as the LGBTQ community being more likely to become pedophiles or committing acts of beastiality.
His relationship with the virulently anti-LGBT group goes all the way back tohis days as a state senator when he voted for an explicit ban on same-sex marriages, but he waited until governor to really turn it up a notch. Here's a few lowlights:
* 2004: Pawlenty called a special session for a ban on gay marriage
* 2009: Pawlenty Opposed Health Benefits To Same Sex Couples
* 2009: Pawlenty abruptly vetoed an anti-bullying bill, "shocking even members of his own party. "
* 2010: Pawlenty vetoed bill giving LGBT couples end-of-life benefits
However, his homophobic views took centerstage when he decided to run for president.
* February 2011: Pawlenty opposed repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and wanted to reinstate the policy if elected president. He would not answer directly if LGBT Americans should be able to serve at all.
* July 2011: Pawlenty said science was "in dispute" about whether being gay was a choice or genetic.
* July 2011: Pawlenty said "it defies common sense" to say same-sex marriage was equal to heterosexual marriage.
* August 2011: Pawlenty supported constitutional and state amendments banning same-sex marriage.
"For years, Tim Pawlenty has courted conservatives by denying equal rights to the LGBTQ community. As we have seen elsewhere, these discriminatory policies would hurt Minnesota's economy, and lose good paying jobs," said DGA Deputy Communications Director David Turner. "Tim Pawlenty is just reaffirming what we already knew about his backwards beliefs by headlining the annual dinner of a hate group. Clearly, Tim Pawlenty will never evolve; he remains committed to job-killing discriminatory policies."
Teacher Walk-Ins Continue as Statewide Strike Against Doug Ducey Looms
PHOENIX, Arizona, April 19 -- The Arizona Democratic Party issued the following news release:
For a third straight week, Arizona Teachers yesterday continued to carry out "walk-in" protests at schools across the state. These walk-ins came just hours before #REDforED officials prepare to announce whether or not the state's teachers will carry out with a statewide strike against Gov. Doug Ducey and his failed record on education, including the lowest teacher pay in the nation.
Even the Arizona PTA and Arizona Save Our Schools PAC, which were open to his proposal, realized Ducey provided only a
... Show Full Article
PHOENIX, Arizona, April 19 -- The Arizona Democratic Party issued the following news release:
For a third straight week, Arizona Teachers yesterday continued to carry out "walk-in" protests at schools across the state. These walk-ins came just hours before #REDforED officials prepare to announce whether or not the state's teachers will carry out with a statewide strike against Gov. Doug Ducey and his failed record on education, including the lowest teacher pay in the nation.
Even the Arizona PTA and Arizona Save Our Schools PAC, which were open to his proposal, realized Ducey provided only acharade as he's still not going to adequately fund Arizona's public schools.
Check out how Gov. Ducey's reelection chances continue to go up in smoke.
Teacher Walk-Ins Continue in Arizona
Arizona Range News: "Willcox teachers walk in for #RedForEd"
AZ Family: "Ppl gathered outside @RSDNo66 District offices asking for higher pay for cafeteria workers. They say they're part of the #RedforEd movement. They're asking @dougducey to listen to them. More at 9pm #azfamily"
Arizona Daily Sun: "Flagstaff teachers pan Ducey plan as walkout vote begins"
Fox 10 Phoenix: "#RedForEd - 100 protesters lined up at 59th Av & Thunderbird today getting honks of support from cars passing by. One of a half dozen locations in Peoria alone. Voting on a statewide walkout of 40,000+ teachers continues until 4pm tomorrow. Full story at 6pm MST on @FOX10Phoenix"
KTAR: "Arizona teachers continue 'walk-ins' as strike vote outcome looms"
"Public school teachers in Arizona marked a third straight Wednesday staging walk-ins to start their day to protest low pay and classroom conditions."
#REDforED Preps for Strike
ABC 15: "Arizona teacher walkout? Red for Ed gets Capitol permits for Friday"
12 News: "NEW #RedForEd strike vote will be announced about 8pm Thursday, per @ArizonaEA. AEA Booked #Arizona Capitol lawn for 3,000-5,000 person rally Friday, then M-W and Friday of following week. Will there be a strike? 'We are preparing for all options,' per @Noah__Karvelis. #12News"
Arizona Capitol Times: "Teachers set for days of rallies at Capitol"
Arizona Republic: "NEW: @ArizonaEA press release says statewide voting results of #RedForEd walkout will be announced late Thursday night. Voting runs Tuesday through Thursday. @AZEdUnited Cc: @azcentral"
AZFamily: "NEW: The @ArizonaEA president confirms #RedForEd reserved the Capitol lawn for five days in preparation for a possible teacher strike."
Save Our Schools PAC and Arizona PTA Rescind Support of Ducey's "Political Theater"
Phoenix New Times: "Education groups are fleeing from @dougducey's teacher pay raise plan over funding concerns - @arizonapta pulls support, hours after @arizona_sos. Both groups showed up to support the governor at his announcement."
Capitol Media Services: "Arizona PTA withdraws support for Gov. Doug Ducey's teacher pay raise plan"
Arizona Capitol Times: ".@arizona_sos stood behind @dougducey last week when he announced a proposal to boost teacher pay. Now that they've seen the funding details, they're not on board."
The Yellow Sheet: "Last week, @arizona_sos stood in support with @dougducey as he announced his teacher pay raise plan. Today, the group says it no longer supports the governor's plan because it is "not sustainable or comprehensive."
Mason Flip-Flops to Kill Bill Protecting Mainers' Internet Privacy
WESTBROOK, Maine, April 19 -- The Maine Democratic Party issued the following news release:
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason today flip-flopped on a bill aimed at protecting the personal information of Maine internet users. Despite testifying in support of LD 1610 last year, Mason today cast a deciding vote that killed the measure in the Senate. Introduced by Democratic Senator Shenna Bellows, LD 1610 would have prohibited any internet provider that receives public funding from sharing or selling users' personal information without consent. The bill also
... Show Full Article
WESTBROOK, Maine, April 19 -- The Maine Democratic Party issued the following news release:
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason today flip-flopped on a bill aimed at protecting the personal information of Maine internet users. Despite testifying in support of LD 1610 last year, Mason today cast a deciding vote that killed the measure in the Senate. Introduced by Democratic Senator Shenna Bellows, LD 1610 would have prohibited any internet provider that receives public funding from sharing or selling users' personal information without consent. The bill alsosought to prevent providers from penalizing customers for withholding consent through service refusal and added fees.
Despite his vote against the bill today, Mason in May 2017 testified in support of the measure, saying he believed "the legislature should do all it can to protect the private information of Mainers."
"When Garrett Mason said last year he thought the Legislature should do all it can to protect the privacy of Maine people, what he apparently meant to say was that they should do nothing at all," said Phil Bartlett, Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. "Because of Senator Mason's flip-flop, Maine peoples' personal information can be collected and sold to the highest bidder, all without their permission - and that's neither right nor fair. While Democrats are trying to protect Mainers' internet privacy in the face of massive intrusions, Mason and Republicans seem content to allow it to remain vulnerable. This is not the type of leadership Maine people are looking for in their next governor."
Senator Bellows introduced her bill last year after Republicans in Congress, including Bruce Poliquin, overturned a Federal Communications Commission rule banning providers from selling their customers' online web browsing data to advertisers and other third parties.
While the Senate failed to pass the bill today as a result of Mason's flip-flop, the House had approved it by a vote of 82-63.
The complete text of Senator Mason's testimony from May 2017 in support of the bill is below:
Senator Woodsome, Representative Barry, and members of the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Teclmology, my name is Senator Garrett Mason, I represent Androscoggin County, and I am the Senate Majority Leader. I am pleased to be here today to speak in favor of LD l6lO, An Act To Protect Privacy of Online Customer Personal Information.
When Congress voted to repeal the FCC rules, many people, including myself, became concerned that their personal information and, in turn, their privacy, would be sold. This bill replicates the rules that were repealed by Congress and seeks to protect every Mainer who accesses the internet and ensures that their personal information is protected.
This bill is about privacy. Right now, internet providers can gather your browsing history, geo-location history and other information. - If this measure were to pass, you would have to provide affirmative consent to providers in order for them to sell this data to others.
In a world where identity theft and data breaches are all too common, l believe that the legislature should do all it can to protect the private information of Mainers. Thank you, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Make DeSantis Wait Again: With Trump in Florida, DeSantis Does Everything He Can to Get the President's Attention
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 19 -- The Florida Democratic Party issued the following news:
Donald Trump is back in Florida for the week and hobnobbing with the likes of everyone from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Marco Rubio to Carlos Curbelo.
Yet the President's biggest supporter is being left out: Ron DeSantis.
On April 2 -- seventeen days ago -- DeSantis told the Polo Republican Club that "I think the president's going to come down for me very soon. Which will be very good." Yet instead of actually campaigning for DeSantis, Trump has made him wait. It's not the first time. As Politico
... Show Full Article
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 19 -- The Florida Democratic Party issued the following news:
Donald Trump is back in Florida for the week and hobnobbing with the likes of everyone from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Marco Rubio to Carlos Curbelo.
Yet the President's biggest supporter is being left out: Ron DeSantis.
On April 2 -- seventeen days ago -- DeSantis told the Polo Republican Club that "I think the president's going to come down for me very soon. Which will be very good." Yet instead of actually campaigning for DeSantis, Trump has made him wait. It's not the first time. As PoliticoFlorida reported, last year Trump also promised to tweet his support for DeSantis -- and then delayed that endorsement for weeks.
"Ron DeSantis' entire campaign strategy is built around Donald Trump's endorsement -- so it must be particularly painful to be ignored by Trump this week," said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Kevin Donohoe. "DeSantis has completely ignored talking about Florida issues or to Florida reporters and instead has focused solely on praising the President and calling for the prosecution of his political opponents. Yet it's Carlos Curbelo and Marco Rubio -- not right-wing Ron -- who get Trump's love."
DeSantis has been doing everything he can to get Trump's attention:
* DESANTIS' AUTHORITARIAN TENDENCIES: Ron DeSantis yesterday joined ten other House Republicans in calling for the Department of Justice to criminally prosecute Hillary Clinton, James Comey and other Obama administration and FBI officials. Vox's Matt Yglesias said the letter was a sign of creeping "authoritarianism" and noted that it was an endorsement of "politically motivated prosecutions of the opposition party."
* BREITBART TO THE RESCUE: As if calling for the prosecution of Hillary Clinton wasn't enough, DeSantis got some help from his allies on the Alt-Right this week. Breitbart published a long defense of Ron DeSantis and another article slammed Adam Putnam's links to the Republican establishment.
* LIGHTS, CAMERA, FOX!: The most reliable way to reach the President? Fox News. This week, DeSantis has continued to appear on Fox News... a lot. He was on Fox twice yesterday to talk about his politically motivated prosecutions of Democrats and law enforcement. And he went on Fox the day before. And the day before that.
Here's All the Ways Bill Schuette's 'Superficial Posturing' Failed the People of Flint
LANSING, Michigan, April 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
In response to Bill Schuette's hypocritical comments to the Detroit News that, "There are many candidates willing to play politics with peoples lives in Flint," the Michigan Democratic Party is calling out Schuette for trying to ignore his own record of failure and "superficial posturing" when it comes to the Flint water crisis.
In contrast to Bill Schuette's latest hypocritical posturing, here's all the ways he failed the people of Flint when it mattered most:
* Bill Schuette's office signed off
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, April 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
In response to Bill Schuette's hypocritical comments to the Detroit News that, "There are many candidates willing to play politics with peoples lives in Flint," the Michigan Democratic Party is calling out Schuette for trying to ignore his own record of failure and "superficial posturing" when it comes to the Flint water crisis.
In contrast to Bill Schuette's latest hypocritical posturing, here's all the ways he failed the people of Flint when it mattered most:
* Bill Schuette's office signed offon a key environmental order that allowed Flint to switch their water supply, helping set the water crisis into motion.
* Schuette didn't lift a finger for Flint when it mattered most. After being asked to investigate the crisis, Schuette declinedto take action and dragged his feet for three more months.
* Once Schuette took action, his reluctant review of the water crisis raised serious conflict-of-interest questions and was "tainted by campaign donations." The MLive Editorial Board wrote: "The state's latest feeble attempt at an investigation into the Flint water crisis has us questioning whether Attorney General Bill Schuette is on duty for the people of Michigan, or for his political allies."
* A U.S. District Judge even "scolded" Bill Schuette for using his office for "superficial posturing" after trying to file an amicus brief that the Judge said would have created an "ethical conflict," according to the Detroit Free Press.
Democratic Party of Oregon Accepting Applications for Senate District 1 Nominee
PORTLAND, Oregon, April 19 -- The Oregon Democratic Party issued the following news release:
The Democratic Party of Oregon is currently accepting applications from eligible Democrats in Senate District 1 to serve as their party's nominee in the November election. The resignation of former Senator Jeff Kruse in March prompted a special election to fill the remaining two years of Kruse's term, until 2020.
Prospective candidates must meet the minimum requirements to hold the office. Those include: being a registered Democrat for at least 180 days before the effective date of the resignation, living
... Show Full Article
PORTLAND, Oregon, April 19 -- The Oregon Democratic Party issued the following news release:
The Democratic Party of Oregon is currently accepting applications from eligible Democrats in Senate District 1 to serve as their party's nominee in the November election. The resignation of former Senator Jeff Kruse in March prompted a special election to fill the remaining two years of Kruse's term, until 2020.
Prospective candidates must meet the minimum requirements to hold the office. Those include: being a registered Democrat for at least 180 days before the effective date of the resignation, livingin the district for at least one year, and not being under the control of the Department of Corrections. Senate District 1 includes portions of Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine counties.
"This is an opportunity for Democrats in Senate District 1 to step up and represent our party's values in the upcoming election," said Jeanne Atkins, Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon. "From what we've seen around the nation, no traditionally "red" district is safe. Voters are looking for an alternative to the Trump agenda and eager for change."
To confirm that you live in Senate District 1, visit the Oregon Legislature's website and enter your residential address.
Candidates must file the Application for Candidacy with the Democratic Party of Oregon by Wednesday, May 2nd, at 5:00 p.m. These forms can be found online at the DPO's Senate District 1 Convention Event Website and submitted by mail (232 NE 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97232), by fax (503-224-5335), or by email to operations@dpo.org.
Applicants for the nomination are required to participate in a convention of precinct committee persons (PCPs) from Senate District 1 on May 5, 2018 at the Bandon High School Cafeteria.
The Convention will be preceded by a candidate forum hosted by the Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine County Democrats. This forum will run from 10am-12pm at the same location as the convention, Bandon High School in Bandon, Oregon.
#TBT: June 2017: Experts Suggest Charity Illegally Gave Donor List to Greitens' Campaign, Hawley Declines Comment
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, April 19 -- The Democratic Party of Missouri issued the following news release:
Last June, after Governor Greitens admitted wrongdoing to the MEC regarding his campaign's use of a charity donor list, the Kansas City Star began investigating how the list could have been transferred from the charity to Greitens' campaign. Experts told the Star that the charity must have either violated its nonprofit status by giving Greitens the list or the list must have been stolen. The Star also noted that the Missouri Attorney General "enforces Missouri laws regarding charities," but
... Show Full Article
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, April 19 -- The Democratic Party of Missouri issued the following news release:
Last June, after Governor Greitens admitted wrongdoing to the MEC regarding his campaign's use of a charity donor list, the Kansas City Star began investigating how the list could have been transferred from the charity to Greitens' campaign. Experts told the Star that the charity must have either violated its nonprofit status by giving Greitens the list or the list must have been stolen. The Star also noted that the Missouri Attorney General "enforces Missouri laws regarding charities," butwhen asked about the issue last June, "a spokeswoman for Attorney General Josh Hawley declined to comment on the issue."
As a reminder, Hawley has claimed that it didn't occur to him that an employee of the charity could have been involved with distributing the list until March.
From the Kansas City Star (June 2017):
* Greitens, a first-term Republican, agreed to pay a $1,000 fine in late April for failing to disclose that his campaign had obtained a list of donors to The Mission Continues, a charity he founded in 2007.
But experts in laws governing tax-exempt organizations like The Mission Continues say the legal issues surrounding the donor list may not be so minor. In interviews with The Star, they said they see two possibilities:
* The Mission Continues gave its donor list to the governor's campaign, violating a federal prohibition on charities engaging in political activity.
* Or the charity may have been the victim of a crime.
"If the charity gave the list to the campaign, then that's a violation of their tax-exempt status," said Lloyd Mayer, a professor at Notre Dame Law School. "If it was taken from the charity without its permission, then it was stolen. That could be a criminal offense."
* Now the matter has drawn the attention of Greitens' critics in the Missouri General Assembly.
On Monday, Sen. Jason Holsman, a Kansas City Democrat, filed a resolution calling for the Senate to set up a special investigatory committee to look into how the campaign acquired the donor list, among other issues.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Scott Sifton of St. Louis County and Republican Sens. Ryan Silvey of Kansas City, Bob Dixon of Springfield, Rob Schaaf of St. Joseph and Doug Libla of Poplar Bluff.
The controversy began last fall when The Associated Press obtained an Excel spreadsheet labeled "All donors $1K total and up -- as of 5-7-14." It showed the names, email addresses and phone numbers of people who gave at least $1,000 to The Mission Continues.
The spreadsheet's properties showed it was created by an employee of The Mission Continues on May 6, 2014, shortly before Greitens stepped down as CEO. It was last saved 10 months later, on March 24, 2015, by a member of Greitens' gubernatorial exploratory committee.
* If The Mission Continues gave the list to the campaign, "the (Internal Revenue Service) would be within its right to revoke the charity's tax exemption," said John Colombo, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law.
* The state attorney general's office enforces Missouri laws regarding charities. A spokeswoman for Attorney General Josh Hawley declined to comment on the issue.
