Only One GOP Presidential Hopeful Showed for Hispanic Forum

1

Number of the GOP’s 16 declared or likely presidential candidates who attended the 32nd annual convention of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. More than 1,200 Hispanic leaders gathered in Las Vegas “for, among other things, a presidential candidates forum. Yet … only one — retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson — bothered to show up,” the Washington Post reports.

Issa: Our Poor Are Richer Than Their Poor

If you go to India or you go to any number of other Third World countries, you have two problems: You have greater inequality of income and wealth. You also have less opportunity for people to rise from the have not to the have.

— Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the richest man in Congress, telling CNN that America has made “our poor somewhat the envy of the world.”

Lots of Republicans Don’t Support Jeb Bush

42%

Of Republican primary voters say they couldn’t see themselves supporting Jeb Bush for the GOP presidential nomination, compared with 49% who said they could, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. “The results underscore an early theme of the Republican nominating contest: Mr. Bush might be the favorite of many top donors and operatives, but he faces hurdles in appealing to the party’s voters, giving him little room to maneuver in what promises to be a crowded field.”

Gingrich Lambasts GOP for Lack of Positive Messages

The fact that we do not have positive themes and positive issues is going to cost us seats this fall because moderates and independents aren’t going to turn out. It’s an enormous mistake. … You have to sound like you’re more than anti-Obama, and you’re more than some … politician whose primary role in life is to raise money for your consultant to buy attack ads. It’s pathetic … and it’s turning people off.

— Newt Gingrich, who is not thrilled by the current state of the Republican party, Roll Call reports.