California governor ordered state workers to research oil drilling on family land

SAN FRANCISCO –  Gov. Jerry Brown last year directed state oil and gas regulators to research, map and report back on any mining and oil drilling potential and history at the Brown family's private land in Northern California.
After a phone call from the governor and follow-up requests from his aides, senior staffers in the state's oil and gas regulatory agency over at least two days produced a 51-page historical report and geological assessment, plus a personalized satellite-imaged geological and oil and gas drilling map for the area around Brown's family ranchland near the town of Williams.
Ultimately, the regulators told the governor, prospects were "very low" for any commercial drilling or mining at the 2,700-acre property, which has been in Brown's family for more than a century.
Through the state's open records law, The Associated Press obtained the research that state regulators carried out for Brown, and the emails among senior oil and gas regulators scrambling to fulfill the governor's request.
Brown spokesman Evan Westrup declined to discuss the work for the governor, referring the AP to California's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. That agency said the work was a legal and proper use of public resources -- and no more than the general public would get. But oil industry experts said they could not recall a similar example of anyone getting that kind of state work done for private property.
Brown's request points to the complex way that the governor, an internationally known advocate of renewable energy, approaches oil and gas issues in his own state. While spearheading ambitious programs to curb the use of climate-changing fossil fuels, Brown also has sought to spur oil production in California, the country's No. 3 oil-producing state.
Nine days after Brown appointed Steve Bohlen to lead the state oil and gas regulatory division, the governor called him with his research request.
Brown wanted to find out about the "geology, past oil and gas activity, potential for future oil and gas activity in the vicinity of his long-time family ranch," Bohlen related in an email to senior agency staffers that same day, June 11, 2014. Bohlen set noon the next day as a target for getting the research done for delivery to Brown.
After Brown's initial call, his aides called back within hours to ask regulators to look at what minerals might lie under the Brown ranch and also emailed to make sure the regulators were doing a map for the governor.
In an email to the AP, an attorney for the oil and gas agency, Graham St. Michel, said Brown had been compiling documents that "shed light on the fauna, flora, rock formations and geology of the area where his great-grandparents ... first homesteaded in the 1870s."
California law bars elected officials from using public employees or other public resources for personal purposes, with limited exceptions for things like occasional personal calls from work phones.
Regulators say the personal work they did for Brown was legal and appropriate.
"We field similar requests for public, historical information ... and responding is one of the division's public service responsibilities," said Don Drysdale, a spokesman for the oil and gas agency.
Drysdale said the satellite-imaged geological and drilling map prepared by the state for Brown's land took a "few hours."
Regulators and Brown's office declined to provide examples of any similar geological assessments and maps that oil gas regulators had done for anyone else who was curious about any oil and gas potential of their private land. The AP has filed a public records request for them.
Petroleum-industry professionals contacted by the AP said they never heard of regulators carrying out and compiling that kind of research, analysis and mapping for private individuals. The AP told the oil-industry professionals only that state regulators did the work for a state official.
Assessing a private property's oil and gas and mineral potential is not something that state regulators typically do, one oil industry executive said. "There's no evaluation. That's not a service they provide at all," said Rick Peace, president of a Bakersfield, California, company that helps manage oil exploration and production.
Roland Bain, a petroleum geologist based in Northern California, said he was struck by the report's "beautiful map." It was labeled "Oil and Gas Potential In West Colusa County," and the PDF said "JB--Ranch."
"Anyone calling in for help is not going to get that," Bain said. "The division of oil and gas has never been in a position to give you detailed geological mapping."
Historical oilfield records that made up much of the documents are available to the public, and ordinary people can get them by searching on the agency's website, or by visiting one of the agency's offices, which charge for photocopies, Peace noted.
But, as for regulators preparing and compiling assessments, reports and maps for someone's private purposes, "I've never heard of that," said Jean Pledger, a Bakersfield oil and gas attorney.
Typically, landowners find out their land has unrealized oil and gas potential only if oil industry agents scout out the property and approach the owners, said Sacramento-based oil and gas attorney James Day.
Alternatively, individuals can hire an independent petroleum geologist at $200 to $400 an hour, Day said.
Drysdale of the oil and gas division said state law allows state officials to access public records on the same basis as any member of the public.
Jessica Levinson, a governance expert and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said that if state regulators had done that kind of work before for private landowners, they should be able to provide examples.
Of Brown's request, Levinson said, "if no other private individual is able to avail himself of this opportunity, and it's clearly just for personal gain instead of public benefit, then it's clearly problematic."
Brown told the Sacramento Bee in 2013 that he and his family owned a controlling interest in the acreage near Williams and that he planned to put a house on the property. The state research done on the ranch was first disclosed in a lawsuit by attorney Patricia Oliver on behalf of a group of Kern County farmers who allege the Brown administration worked with the oil industry to circumvent laws meant to protect groundwater from contamination.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has faulted state oil and gas regulators for failing to enforce federal laws meant to prevent oilfield pollution of the state's reserves of water for drinking and irrigation. Last month, Bohlen blamed his "dramatically understaffed" labor force for the state's failures to enforce those federal codes.

Obama faces Dem fury over newly released trade deal

President Obama faced deep skepticism from fellow Democrats over the hard-fought Pacific Rim trade deal after it was released early Thursday morning, with critics calling it a "job-killing" agreement as the administration argued it's an economic win. 
The Trans Pacific Partnership, after spending months under wraps, was posted online Thursday morning. The debate over the deal has cut across party lines, with Obama enjoying some support from Republicans yet facing fierce resistance from congressional Democrats.
Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., said Thursday the deal may be "worse than we thought," predicting the agreement would lead to American job losses and calling on lawmakers to stop the deal.
The text of the agreement between the U.S. and 11 other countries including Japan and Mexico runs to 30 chapters and hundreds of pages. It is dense in its detail, laying out plans for the handling of trade in everything from zinc dust to railway sleepers and live eels.
The documents show the pact reached Oct. 5 in Atlanta after several years of talks is full of lofty goals. Negotiators agreed to promote environmental sustainability, respect the rights and needs of indigenous peoples, and temper protections for drug patents with safeguards for public health and access to medicines.
It also emphasizes the intention of the trading bloc to abide by earlier commitments made under the World Trade Organization and other international treaties.
But critics see abundant potential for the agreement to expose more American workers to low-wage competition, giving multinational corporations excessive power.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., echoed Edwards in saying "it appears that the agreement is even worse than expected, and the auto industry is among the biggest losers."
She specifically complained, in a statement, about the "lack of any meaningful protections against currency manipulation," predicting that would continue to threaten U.S. jobs.
New House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., meanwhile, said he was reserving judgment. "But I remain hopeful that our negotiators reached an agreement that the House can support because a successful TPP would mean more good jobs for American workers and greater U.S. influence in the world," he said.
The early reaction sets the stage for an intense debate likely to drag well into next year.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Thursday urged Congress to act, saying "there's no reason it should take a year to get that done."
Under a trade law passed earlier this year, President Obama must give the public time to review the text before he signs the agreement and turns it over to Congress for approval.
Obama on Thursday  formally notified Congress of his intent to sign the deal. When it comes to them, lawmakers can't add amendments. They must simply vote yes or no. Congress is likely to take up the issue next year in the heat of the presidential election campaign.
Among the political complications for Obama is that Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton already has said she's against it.
If all 12 countries have not ratified the agreement within two years, provisions allow for it to take effect if six countries comprising 85 percent of the GDP of the bloc have signed. That means U.S. ratification as the world's biggest economy is essential.
Apart from the U.S., Japan and Mexico, countries in the trade pact are New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Peru, Canada, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia.
The White House says the deal eliminates more than 18,000 taxes that countries impose on U.S. exports. The agreement also calls for labor protections such as ensuring that workers in member countries have the right to form unions.
Those opposed to the deal contend it will force American workers to compete even more directly than they do now with workers in low-wage countries such as Vietnam.
They also complain that the agreement goes beyond traditional trade issues such as tariffs and import quotas and includes giveaways to powerful business lobbies.

Democratic Mayor Annise Parker Cartoon

Democratic Mayor Annise Parker

Fox News Poll: GOP nomination race coming into focus, Trump holds edge

Is the race for the Republican nomination finally shaking out?  Four candidates get double-digit backing -- and then there’s a steep drop-off to the rest of the field. 
The latest Fox News national poll on the 2016 election finds that Donald Trump has the edge, as GOP primary voters by wide margins identify him as the best candidate on the economy, as well as the one most likely to beat presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.  The poll also finds Ben Carson remains within striking distance of Trump.
CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS
Here are the numbers:  Trump has the backing of 26 percent of Republican primary voters and is closely followed by Carson at 23 percent.  The next tier includes two first-term Cuban-American senators: Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio at 11 percent each.  Those four capture the support of 7 in 10 primary voters (71 percent).
From there, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, and Rand Paul receive 4 percent each.
Carly Fiorina garners 3 percent, down from 5 percent last month and 9 percent in September.

More on this...

• Is the Jeb campaign hitting the 'reset' button?

• Ted Cruz: Momentum following debate has been astonishing

The poll, released Wednesday, is one of two national telephone polls conducted entirely since the October 28 CNBC Republican debate.
Since mid-October, support for Kasich is up 3 percentage points, Trump and Rubio are up 2 points, and Cruz is up 1 point.  Carson has held steady while Bush has dropped by 4 points.
Chris Christie has 2 percent now, up from 1 percent last month.
Men (31 percent) are more likely than women (21 percent) to support Trump.  The top choice among women GOP primary voters is Carson at 25 percent.
The favorites among white evangelical Christians include Carson (33 percent), Trump (23 percent) and Cruz (12 percent).  Those three are also the top picks among the Tea Party movement, although in a different order: Trump (26 percent), Cruz (24 percent) and Carson (19 percent).
When each primary voter’s first and second-choice preferences are added together, Carson (43 percent) has the edge over Trump (41 percent).
Trump supporters go for Carson (36 percent), Rubio (10 percent), Bush (9 percent), and Cruz (9 percent) as their second-choice picks.
Turning to the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton outdistances Bernie Sanders by a 56-31 percent margin.
Previous Fox News polls included several Democratic contenders who are now out of the running, most notably Vice President Joe Biden.  Even so, we can compare the new results to how things stood before the first Democratic debate and Clinton’s Capitol Hill testimony on Benghazi. Clinton’s current 25-point margin over Sanders is mostly unchanged from last month when she had a 26-point lead without Biden in the race.
The next Republican presidential debate will be hosted by Fox Business Network and The Wall Street Journal on November 10 in Milwaukee and will focus on the economy.
Views on the economy remain ugly, yet they have improved compared to four years ago.  While only 21 percent rate the economy positively (1 percent “excellent” and 20 percent “good”), that’s up from a 5 percent positive rating in December 2011.  Most voters -- 79 percent -- still say the economy is in “only fair” (44 percent) or “poor” shape (35 percent).
Thinking only about economic issues, voters prioritize government spending (36 percent) and jobs (28 percent) over income inequality (16 percent) and taxes (6 percent).
More GOP primary voters say economic issues (38 percent) will be most important in deciding their vote for the nomination than say national security (26 percent), immigration (15 percent) or social issues (7 percent).
And that helps Trump.  No other candidate comes close to the real estate mogul’s 42 percent rating when primary voters are asked who is most qualified to handle the economy.  The next closest is Cruz at 10 percent, while 9 percent say Carson, 7 percent Rubio, and 5 percent each for Bush and Kasich.  Fiorina, a former CEO, garners just 3 percent.
There’s much less consensus on which candidate is most qualified to be commander-in-chief,  yet Trump still has the edge: 19 percent pick him, while 17 percent say Carson, 13 percent Cruz, 10 percent Rubio and 9 percent Bush.
But who can WIN?  Twice as many Republican primary voters say Trump (37 percent) is the one most likely to beat Clinton than Carson (18 percent).  Another 11 percent say Rubio has the best odds.  All other candidates are in the single digits on electability.

Pollpourri
By a 55-34 percent margin, voters think Clinton would win a one-on-one debate with Fiorina, the only female Republican candidate.  Women say Clinton would prevail by 60-30 percent.  Democrats (86 percent) are far more likely to say Clinton would win than Republicans are to pick Fiorina (62 percent).
The Fox News poll is based on landline and cell phone interviews with 1,230 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from November 1-3, 2015. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4 points for Democratic primary voters and 4.5 points for Republican primary voters.

Republicans make history in Kentucky election

Republicans made history on two fronts in Kentucky Tuesday night – not only did Matt Bevin become the state’s second GOP governor in four decades, but running mate Jenean Hampton became the first African-American ever elected to Kentucky statewide office. 
Hampton’s historic accomplishment winning the lieutenant governor post was initially overshadowed by Bevin’s hard-fought gubernatorial race win over Democratic state Attorney General Jack Conway, an off-year election battle that drew national interest.  
But Hampton’s story is sure to draw more attention.
A Tea Party-aligned politician who like Bevin has not held office before, Hampton is an Air Force veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia. She was born in Detroit, and after her service in the Air Force spent 19 years in the corrugated packaging business.
She and Bevin both entered politics for the first time in the last couple years. Hampton lost a state legislative race in 2014, while Bevin famously lost to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in last year’s primary.
Now, the two will lead Kentucky, expanding the GOP’s hold on power in a state once dominated by Democrats.
"This is the chance for a fresh start, it truly is, and we really need it," Bevin told a packed crowd at The Galt House in Louisville. "I believe this offers us an opportunity to change the tenor of what has become expected in the world of politics."
The off-year election, one of many state and local contests held Tuesday ‎across the country, was seen by some as a test for outsider candidates at a time when several such candidates are seeking the GOP presidential nomination.
Throughout his campaign, Bevin cast himself as an outsider, in both government and politics. The 48-year-old investment manager has never held public office and was shunned by the state's Republican political establishment when he challenged McConnell in 2014.  
The race is yet another rejection of Democratic candidates at the state level. Asked Wednesday whether President Obama feels at all responsible for the erosion in the ranks of Democratic office-holders at the local level, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest stressed the president has “strong support for an agenda that has shown tremendous results in terms of allowing our country to recover strongly from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.”
At the same time, he said the president obviously would like to see Democrats do better in these races.
Bevin's campaign was mostly self-funded, and he preferred to speak to small gatherings of voters instead of courting influential donors.
Conway conceded the race at the Frankfort Convention Center, telling the quiet crowd it was not the result he had hoped for, "but it is the result we respect." He said he called Bevin and wished him well.
Bevin ran an aggressive campaign, often arguing with reporters and even dropping by the state Democratic Party headquarters, twice, to argue with them about their signs criticizing him as dishonest. But it appeared Bevin was able to tap into voters' growing frustration with their government to overcome any concerns they may have had about his temperament. He has promised some sweeping changes, most notably repealing the state's expanded Medicaid program and the state-run health insurance exchange. Those decisions will affect the health insurance of about a half-million people.
Focus will almost immediately shift to the state House elections in 2016, where McConnell has vowed to flex his powerful fundraising muscle to help Republicans to take over the only Southern state legislative body controlled by Democrats.

DOD slammed for millions spent on ‘paid patriotism’ at sporting events

The Defense Department has spent millions paying professional sports teams to honor American soldiers, according to a new congressional report that revealed the extent of what critics call “paid patriotism.” 
Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, who have criticized the military over the practice for months, announced the findings of their review at a press conference Wednesday.
"When events take place on the field that anyone assumes ... is done out of the goodness of their heart, and find out that it is being paid for by the taxpayer, it kind of cheapens everything," Flake told Fox News. "It's just not right."
According to the investigative report, contracts worth $6.8 million since fiscal 2012 included “displays of paid patriotism.” These involve leagues ranging from the NFL to the MLB to the NHL.
The practice was first criticized this past spring, when it was revealed the DOD was paying money to more than a dozen NFL teams to honor soldiers and put on other segments to recognize the military – and in turn help recruitment.
The new Senate report said this included paying for ceremonial first pitches, puck drops and color guard performances, among other events.
Among the expenses were $20,000 to the New York Jets to honor “Hometown Heroes,” and $49,000 to the Milwaukee Brewers for the Wisconsin National Guard to sponsor Sunday performances of “God Bless America.”
While the DOD has moved to stop the practice, McCain and Flake also are pushing an amendment to next year’s defense authorization bill barring taxpayer funding for these tributes. Asked about the push on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said President Obama had no objection to the amendment.
Now, the senators are calling on various sports organizations to donate the taxpayer funds they have accepted to organizations supporting veterans, families, and the Armed Forces.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the NFL is auditing team marketing contracts and said the money would be returned if it was used for patriotic tributes.
According to the Senate report, the Arizona Diamondbacks also were given $40,000 in taxpayer money to spend on the on-field oath ceremony, color-guard demonstrations and more. All told, throughout the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and MLS, $53 million was spent on marketing and advertising contracts.
“Fans should not be unknowing viewers of a paid-marketing campaign. I am pleased that the Department of Defense has banned paid patriotism and the NFL has called on clubs to stop accepting payment for patriotic salutes,” Flake said in a statement. “Professional sports teams do a lot of good for our military, but paid patriotism on the taxpayers’ dime cheapens true displays of patriotism.”

Iran's Revolutionary Guard reportedly behind cyberattacks against White House personnel

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is behind a recent wave of cyberattacks on email and social media accounts of White House personnel that are believed to be connected to the arrest of an Iranian-American businessman last month, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.
Siamak Namazi, 40, a Dubai-based businessman who has spent most of his life advocating improved ties between the U.S. and Iran, was arrested in October as he was visiting relatives in Tehran. His detention came after an Internet freedom group said a Washington-based Lebanese citizen, Nizar Zakka, disappeared while on a trip to Tehran in September.
Officials told The Journal Obama administration personnel are among a large group of people who have had their computers hacked in recent weeks, including journalists and academics. Some of the officials hacked include those employees of the State Department’s Office of Iranian Affairs and its Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
“U.S. officials were among many who were targeted by recent cyberattacks,” an administration official told the newspaper, adding the U.S. is still investigating possible connections to the Namazi case. “U.S. officials believe some of the more recent attacks may be linked to reports of detained dual citizens and others.”
Though President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry had hoped the recent nuclear deal would further cooperation between the two nations, the cyberattacks from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the arrest of Namazi and Zakka’s disappearance have signaled that Iranian hardliners have not toned down their hostile rhetoric toward Washington.
The IRGC has developed a team of hackers, trained by Russia, to focus on different Wall Street banks and Saudi oil companies, U.S. officials say, adding that Iran’s cyberattacks have regularly been a test of U.S. defenses.
“Iran’s threatening behavior will worsen if the administration does not work with Congress to enact stronger measures to pushing back, including ... targeted pressure against Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., said Friday.
A spokesman at Iran’s United Nationals mission in New York downplayed the attacks, saying Tehran has been falsely accused of committed cybercrimes. However, Namazi supporters fears Iran is working to build an espionage case against him.
Namazi has also been accused of being an apologist for the regime, but apparently had a falling out with hardliners in the Revolutionary Guard who have long been suspicious of him.
The Journal reports the IRGC has repeatedly hacked other Iranian-Americans and people tied to them, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, family members say. During the days surrounding Rezaian, Iran’s security forces gained access to his social media accounts and tried to use them to connect him to their investigation.
Rezaian was convicted of espionage in an Iranian court last month. No sentence has been announced.

Obamacare & Hollywood Cartoon

Lawmakers sound alarm over failing ObamaCare co-ops

Congressional lawmakers are raising alarm over the rapid collapse of several so-called ObamaCare "co-ops" -- government-backed alternative health plans -- that are failing, leaving tens of thousands of customers scrambling for coverage, and billions in taxpayer-funded startup loans at risk. 
To date, nearly half of the 23 co-ops established under the Affordable Care Act have gone or are expected to go under by the end of the year. The latest to be barred from selling insurance on the official marketplace is in Arizona.
In a letter to the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., pressed the Obama administration for answers on what is being done to address the crisis -- and recoup some of the federal taxpayer loan money that has gone to the failing start-ups.
The senators said nearly 870,000 people nationwide have enrolled in the co-ops, and noted they originally were intended to boost competition and provide more affordable options.
"The CO-OPs are not living up to these expectations," they wrote. "To date, eleven ACA CO-Ops -- in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Nevada, Tennessee, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah -- have collapsed.
"As a result, hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose their health insurance plans and will have to scramble to find new plans, most likely with higher premiums and deductibles."
Asked about the letter, an HHS spokeswoman stressed that the start-ups "face a number of challenges, from building a provider network to pricing premiums in a new market, and unfortunately, not all will succeed." She said in a statement that when regulators make the decision to close a co-op, "we work with local officials to do everything possible to make sure consumers stay covered."
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell last week said the administration is looking at ways to help the remaining co-ops.
The co-ops -- or Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans -- were created within ObamaCare as a compromise for liberals unable to secure the creation of a government-run insurance program. Under the plan, taxpayers provided $2.4 billion in loans to set up the nonprofit co-ops as alternatives to major insurers.
The loans were used as start-up money and as reserve funds to meet solvency standards set by state regulators -- but, the alternative insurers have struggled to get off the ground. An inspector general audit released over the summer found that in 2014, only one -- Maine's -- of the 23 made money that year. And it found half of them lagged far behind their enrollment projections.
Over the last several months, many of those co-ops have failed.
In Arizona, the state Department of Insurance last week filed an order against Meritus Health Partners and Meritus Mutual Health Partners, as CMS removed it from the insurance marketplace. The co-op's ability to write and renew policies was in turn suspended, meaning roughly 59,000 Arizonans covered by Meritus now have to find new coverage during open enrollment, which started Sunday.
A similar situation is playing out in New York, where state and federal authorities say the shutdown of Health Republic Insurance of New York should accelerate after they found it is in worse financial shape than they knew when it was ordered to stop writing new policies a month ago.
New York's Department of Financial Services initially said coverage for about 100,000 individuals should continue through Dec. 31. Now it says it's in consumers' best interest to end policies Nov. 30. The department says the same applies to Health Republic's small group plans, which covered 101,500 people.
The issue flared at a hearing Tuesday before the House Ways and Means Committee.
"Only in Washington would a group of bureaucrats think they knew how to micromanage `competition' instead of letting consumers and markets do what they do best," said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who chairs the health subcommittee.
But Mandy Cohen, chief operating officer with CMS, told lawmakers that co-ops have played an important role in fostering competition and choice in the law's health insurance markets, now in their third year.
"There have been successful co-ops which have provided consumers in their states an additional choice of health insurance and have improved competition," Cohen said in written testimony. "And there also have been Co-ops that for a number of reasons have faced compliance, technical, operational, or financial difficulties."
Aside from concerns over the future of other co-ops, Hatch and Alexander questioned what could be done to recoup taxpayer loans. They voiced concerns that federal officials might be allowing "creative accounting" by the co-ops to make them look more profitable than they actually are.
They asked CMS to provide information on possible "remedies for the recovery of funds from terminated co-ops," on "enhanced oversight" for the insurers, and on other details.
Hatch is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; Alexander is chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the 11 co-ops in question represent a total cost to taxpayers of $1.1 billion.

‘Ben can’t do the job’: Trump rips Carson after latest poll

Donald Trump, after holding back at last week's debate, challenged Ben Carson's fitness for office on Tuesday, saying "Ben can't do the job." 
He blasted Carson after a second poll showed the retired neurosurgeon taking the lead over Trump nationally. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed Carson leading Trump, 29-23 percent, among GOP primary voters. Asked about the findings on Fox News, Trump said he doesn't know what it is about Carson that's attracting a following.
"I like Ben, but Ben can't do the job, I mean there's no question about it," Trump said. "He's not going to be able to negotiate with China. It's not his thing ... It's not in his wheelhouse, he's never done it before, and I don't think it's, you know, meant for him."
Trump went on to call Carson "very weak on immigration" and called his position on Medicare the "end of his campaign."
Trump asserted that Carson wants to end Medicare -- though Carson recently told "Fox News Sunday" that's no longer the case. Carson said he changed his mind after talking to a lot of economists.
"That was the old plan," Carson recently "Fox News Sunday," saying he now prefers so-called health savings accounts as an alternative to Medicare.

More on this...

• Donald Trump sounds off about Republican debate reforms

The same WSJ/NBC poll also showed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz surging, with 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Further, it showed 77 percent of Republicans saying they would at least consider supporting Carson -- 17 points higher than for Trump.
Though Trump is back to attacking Carson, both candidates are effectively outsiders in a race still heavily populated by current and former senators and governors. Carson, defending his appeal in a recent interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," said the government was set up for "citizen statesmen, not for career politicians."
Carson has mostly avoided criticizing any other candidates, at debates and off-stage.
Trump, too, avoided sparring with Carson at last week's debate in Colorado. The candidates instead ended up banding together, during and after the debate, to criticize the CNBC moderators -- and, in the last couple days, seek changes in the debate process.
That push, though, remains in flux. More than a dozen campaigns met in suburban Washington on Sunday, a meeting that produced a draft letter to debate host networks seeking assurances on a range of topics -- including assurances that candidates would be allowed to give opening and closing statements.
But Trump has since thrown a wrench into that push by saying the campaign would continue to "negotiate directly" with networks on debate criteria.  Ohio Gov. John Kasich, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina also have not signed onto the new push, though other campaigns are reviewing the letter. The push for changes is not expected to affect the upcoming Nov. 10 GOP debate, hosted by Fox Business Network.
Trump, meanwhile, on Tuesday was promoting a new book titled "Crippled America."
The book speaks directly to voters, making the case that Trump has the experience and business savvy to accomplish things that traditional, all-talk, no-action politicians can't. It comes as Trump is continuing to adjust to a new phase of the campaign in which the once undisputed front-runner is now facing heightened competition from a number of his GOP rivals.
"This book is designed to give the reader a better understanding of me and my ideas for our future," Trump writes. "I'm a really nice guy, but I'm also passionate and determined to make our country great again."
While two recent national polls have shown Carson leading Trump, the billionaire businessman continues to lead -- by double digits -- in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire.
Note: Of course take this with a grain of salt as this report came from fox news!