Graham: ‘We’re in a Religious War’

We’re in a religious war. These are not terrorists, these are radical Islamists who are trying to replace our way of life with their way of life. Their way of life is motivated by religious teachings that require me and you to be killed or enslaved or converted. The President of the United States tiptoes around the threats we face and he is trying to diminish the religious aspect of this war. Why? I don’t know.

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), in an interview with Hugh Hewitt.

Bush Campaign Seeks to Limit GOP Field Through Fundraising

$100 million

Fundraising goal of Jeb Bush’s allies for the first three months of this year — including a whopping $25 million haul in Florida — “in an effort to winnow the potential Republican presidential primary field with an audacious display of financial strength,” Bloomberg reports. “The targets were confirmed by multiple Republican sources involved in finance meetings with Bush’s team. They requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. One said the point is to persuade some establishment candidates to stay on the sidelines in the 2016 race.”

The Odds Are Really Long that Hillary Clinton Will Win in 2016

When it comes to making predictions about 2016, there are lots of important numbers to follow. The unemployment rate. Consumer confidence. The president’s approval rating. The horse race polls. But, in my mind, the most important data point to follow is the one which measures Americans’ desire to stay the current course or try a different one in 2016. … History tells us that the odds of a Clinton presidency are long. In the modern era (well, really since Andrew Jackson in 1836), no Democrat has succeeded a 2-term Democratic president.

— Amy Walter, writing for the Cook Political Report.