Day: September 9, 2015

‘What Happened to the Republican Party?’

Buck Banks

The Grand Old Party?once moderate and even magnanimous?has fallen into a prison of its own making when it comes to presidential politics. Republicans may be having a heyday in the Congress but their prospects for the 2016 presidential election aren’t great?and won’t improve unless and until they break out of their intellectual and ideological straightjackets and start speaking to where the American public lives: geographically, culturally, and politically.

— From the just published “What Happened to the Republican Party?” by John K. White

Dean Draws Parallels to Sanders

Buck Banks

People like Bernie are always attractive, as I was. They speak truth to power. The problem with candidates like that — and like me — is that as you get closer to election time, you’re more careful about how your vote’s going to be used. You’re going to tend to want to see somebody who you think looks presidential as the nominee of your party. That’s one of the things that sank me.

— Howard Dean, in an interview with the Washington Post.

Landrieu to Give Leftover Campaign Money to Former Senate Colleagues

Buck Banks

$150,000

Amount former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has left in her campaign fund, which she plans to use to help former Senate colleagues run for re-election, the Shreveport Times reports. Landrieu said she also will contribute some leftover campaign money to Republicans: “I’m not opposed to helping one or two of my Republican friends that have helped Louisiana — if they ask. They haven’t asked yet.”