Conservative Blogger
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Reid to remain as Dem leader in GOP takeover
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will seek to lead the Democrats
in the next Congress as they hand over the majority to Republicans.
Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Reid, said Wednesday that the five-term Nevada Democrat plans to remain leader and other Democrats indicated that he is unlikely to face a challenge.
Democrats suffered a drubbing in Tuesday's elections, losing their majority as Republicans picked up seven seats. The GOP majority could grow with possible wins in Alaska and Louisiana.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is in line to become Majority Leader in the new Congress in January.
Reid is up for re-election in 2016.
Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Reid, said Wednesday that the five-term Nevada Democrat plans to remain leader and other Democrats indicated that he is unlikely to face a challenge.
Democrats suffered a drubbing in Tuesday's elections, losing their majority as Republicans picked up seven seats. The GOP majority could grow with possible wins in Alaska and Louisiana.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is in line to become Majority Leader in the new Congress in January.
Reid is up for re-election in 2016.
Israeli foreign minister berates right-wing politicians for exploiting Jerusalem tensions
JERUSALEM – Israel's foreign minister on Thursday berated right-wing politicians for exploiting tensions in Jerusalem, underscoring concerns that an increasingly violent dispute over a major holy site may be spinning out of control.
The comments by Avigdor Lieberman came a day after a Hamas militant slammed a minivan into a crowd waiting for a train in Jerusalem, killing one person and wounding 13, and a Palestinian motorist drove into a group of soldiers in the West Bank, injuring three.
The wife of the first attacker said he had been angered by a confrontation earlier in the day between police and Palestinians at the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.
Perennial tensions in the area have spiked in recent weeks as hard-line Israeli politicians have stepped up demands for the removal of restrictions preventing Jews from praying at the holy site. The clashes on Wednesday erupted as Palestinians threw stones and firecrackers in response to a demonstration by Israeli activists.
Last month, a Palestinian rammed his vehicle into a crowded train stop in east Jerusalem, killing a 3-month-old Israeli-American girl and a 22-year-old Ecuadorean woman. Days later, police shot and killed the suspected gunman behind a separate drive-by attack on Yehuda Glick, a rabbi and activist who has pushed for greater Jewish access to the sacred hilltop compound. Glick remains hospitalized.
In his comments Thursday, Lieberman said that Israeli politicians pushing for greater Jewish access to the site were behaving irresponsibly.
"I think these are people seeking cheap headlines in this very sensitive atmosphere, trying to cynically exploit a very complex situation," he told Israel Radio. Lieberman himself is a secular ultra-nationalist who in the past has made incendiary remarks about Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, but he has moderated his tone in recent months.
Right-wing Israelis have been pushing for lifting the restrictions on Jewish prayer at the site almost from the day they were first imposed by the government in the immediate wake of the 1967 Middle East war.
That conflict saw Israel seize east Jerusalem -- which includes the holy site -- as well as the West Bank and Gaza, territories where the Palestinians want to establish an independent state.
The durability of the restrictions reflect a longstanding Israeli desire not to inflame Muslim sensitivities and a formal rabbinical ban on praying in an area that tradition holds is the site of Judaism's ancient holy temples.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly come out in favor of maintaining the status quo at the site. Israeli security officials said earlier this week that changing that status quo could inflame an already tense situation.
Reacting to the comments from the security officials, Moshe Feiglin, a lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud Party, said on Thursday that the struggle over the site was directly related to Israeli efforts to achieve overall security throughout the country.
"Any pullback from the Temple Mount will not end just at its gates," he said. "This society has to decide whether it is willing to pay the price to maintain its control, not only at the site, but in Israel as a whole."
Dow, S&P 500 Hit Fresh Highs On GOP Wave Election
U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with both the S&P 500 and Dow advancing to records, after Republicans took control of the Senate, allaying fears of drawn-out runoffs and raising investor hopes for more business- and energy-friendly policies.
A stronger-than-expected report on the labor market also helped lift stocks, but some weak tech sector earnings weighed on the Nasdaq.
The beaten-down energy sector rallied on hopes that a Republican majority could pass legislation that includes approval of oil and gas pipelines and reforms of crude and natural gas export laws. The S&P energy index <.SPNY> was up 1.8 percent.
"For now, the market generally likes the results. If we had uncertainty around the result, that would have been a cause for concern," said John Canally, chief economic strategist at LPL Financial.
"A little bit less business unfriendliness coming out of Washington is a clear plus," he added, noting that 88 percent of the time, stocks rise in the fourth quarter of midterm election years, regardless of the outcome.
U.S. private employers added 230,000 jobs in October, the most since June, according to the ADP National Employment report. The data could raise hopes for Friday's closely-watched payroll report. On the downside, the pace of growth in the U.S. services sector slowed more than expected in October.
Time Warner Inc
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 100.69 points, or 0.58 percent, to 17,484.53, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 11.47 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,023.57 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> dipped 2.92 points, or 0.06 percent, to 4,620.72.
Weighing on the Nasdaq, TripAdvisor Inc
After the market closed, Tesla Motors shares
About 6.4 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, below the 7.3 billion average for the last five sessions.
NYSE advancing issues outnumbered decliners 1,799 to 1,258, for a 1.43-to-1 ratio on the upside; on the Nasdaq, 1,408 issues rose and 1,278 fell for a 1.10-to-1 ratio.
The S&P 500 posted 92 new 52-week highs and 5 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite showed 113 new highs and 55 new lows.
2016 Tryouts? Good, bad midterm nights for possible White House hopefuls
WASHINGTON – So long midterms, hello 2016.
The winners and losers of Tuesday’s midterm elections are already starting to re-frame the conversation about which candidates may be considering a 2016 run for the White House.
Voters sent a strong message to party leaders as the GOP took back control of the Senate and won governorships in states such as Maryland that previously had been deeply blue.
Experts and party watchers are combing through Tuesday night's winners and losers to determine which candidates – or those stumping for them - could translate into a big win when Republicans, Democrats and Independents battle it out to determine who will make their home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January of 2017.
Tuesday’s midterms also gave party leaders a look at polarizing issues and candidates heading into the next presidential race.
“The Republican senatorial committee, who I also think was a very big winner, went out and recruited candidates that could go out and fill that void of appealing to voters across a wide swath from the landscape,” GOP strategist Philip Stutts told FoxNews.com. “Middle of the road voters, conservative voters. They did a really good job. “
FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON:
It was a mixed bag for Hillary Clinton Tuesday night.
Though Clinton has not officially said whether she’ll run in 2016, she has hinted at it multiple times in interviews. But would the midterm election results help or harm Clinton?
“She’s got a situation where Democrats are going to have a knee jerk reaction immediately, which is to consolidate, go to your comfort zone, sort of go lick their wounds and get behind a name you know,” Democratic strategist Joe Lestingi told FoxNews.com. “She’s going to be able to exploit that.”
GOP strategist Philip Stutts sees it differently.
“Bill and Hillary were the number one surrogates for Democrats all across the country,” Stutts told FoxNews.com.
Stutts said the Clintons stumped for candidates in states that saw big GOP gains including governorships in Illinois, Massachusetts and Maryland.
“Hillary lost many, many, many states she went into,” Stutts said. “And how that portends in 2016 is going to be very interesting.”
NEW JERSEY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE:
Even though New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was not on the ballot this year, he lent his popularity and political clout when he helped raise a record $102 million to defend 22 GOP-held governorships. He also he stumped for Republican governors in 37 states.
Christie also is chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association.
“If you look at the gains they made in big Democratic states like Illinois, Massachusetts and Maryland, the Republican Governor’s Association had a great night,” Stutts said.
Other wins Christie helped achieve were those of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Maine Gov. Paul Lepage, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Some political watchers say Christie will most likely use the races he stumped -and helped win - as leverage should he run in 2016. The New Jersey governor told the Wall Street Journal that Tuesday's win has the added benefit of helping his political goals.
"It's a political venture, so I'm hoping it helps me politically," the Republican governor said. "Everything that I'm doing helps to give me more information for when I ultimately decide."
MASSACHUSETTS SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN:
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was among the more successful Democrats stumping for their party ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. Of the 11 candidates Warren campaigned or fundraised for, six won.
While there had been whispers of Warren as a possible 2016 Democratic candidate for the White House, she repeatedly has said she wasn’t interested.
WISCONSIN GOV. SCOTT WALKER:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker secured his spot at the 2016 table on Tuesday by trouncing Democratic challenger Mary Burke. Walker, the golden boy of the GOP’s conservative base, outperformed expectations and easily beat out a push to oust him from the governor’s mansion.
Walker, who was elected in 2010 and fought off a recall two years later in 2012, showed voters he had the political stamina to win a presidential race.
Although he hasn’t said he would run for president, Tuesday’s win was vital if he decides to give it a shot.
FLORIDA GOV. RICK SCOTT:
Although he was largely seen as one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for re-election, Florida Gov. Rick Scott was able to win re-election against former Gov. Charlie Crist.
Scott squeezed out the win against Crist, a one-time Republican-turned Independent-turned-Democrat. Although he’s been consistently rated unfavorably among Floridians, according to The Associated Press, Scott is just one of two GOP governors in the state's history to win re-election, proving he can bring in the vote..
In the days leading up to Tuesday’s election, Scott and his wife put $13 million of their own money into his campaign coffers, turning a pricey campaign into one of the most expensive in the country.
OHIO GOV. JOHN KASICH
While many had predicted a win for Kasich, political analysts they were surprised by his political landslide. Kasich had 64 percent of the vote, compared with 33 percent for his Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald.
Several strategists say Kasich's big win puts him front and center should he decide to run for president in 2016.
Kasich cheered as he took the stage at the Renaissance Downtown Columbus Hotel.
"This is just not another election, another political campaign," Kasich told his supporters Tuesday night. "This is a movement to restore the hope in our state, and maybe it can even become contagious with hope being restored all across the United States of America."
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Report: US turned to Iran for help in Afghanistan
Struggling to jump start Afghanistan’s fledgling economy, the United States reportedly turned to an unlikely country for help.
Even with strict sanctions on American companies doing business in Iran, the Pentagon established a special task force to seek out business relations with Afghanistan’s western neighbor, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The task force received special permission from the United States government to ask Iran to help establish Afghanistan’s first pharmaceutical company and in developing four mines, the journal reported.
Although talks ultimately failed, the olive branch to Iran shows the desperation of the American military to establish some sort of economy in Afghanistan having lost billions of dollars in 13 years of war there.
Even as the U.S. seemingly tries to garner a relationship with Iran, the country still strongly opposes Washington.
Tuesday marked the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Teheran. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets to chant “Down with America.”
Many in the crowd chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to Britain," neither of which has an embassy here. Several protesters burned the American, Israeli and the British flag.
Over the weekend Iranian officials blasted the U.S. as well.
The United States remains “the great Satan” and Iran’s “number one enemy,” Iranian military and defense officials said in statements that also called for “the prosecution, trial, and punishment of the White House,” The Washington Free Beacon reported.
The inflammatory comments, released over the weekend by Iran’s Defense Ministry and the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), come as nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran reach a critical juncture.
“The U.S. is still the great Satan and the number one enemy of the (Islamic) revolution and the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation,” the IRGC said in an organizational statement released Saturday to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, which has close ties to the group.
Fox News Exit Poll: Dissatisfaction with Obama, economy keys GOP wave
Dissatisfaction with President Obama, along with concern about the future of the economy and a sense the country is on the wrong track, contributed to a wave of Republican pickups, including Republican control of the U.S. Senate and additional gains in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A 59 percent majority feels dissatisfied or angry toward President Obama, while 41 percent are enthusiastic or satisfied with his administration’s performance. This is similar to his job rating: 44 percent approval vs. 54 percent disapproval.
Nationally, a third of all voters said opposition to the president was a reason for their in vote in House races, while only 20 percent expressed support for Obama in their choice of candidate.
Reason for U.S. House Vote
Support Obama 19 percent
Oppose Obama 33 percent
Not A Factor 45 percent
Meanwhile, there is a sense among voters that the economy continues to struggle: 70 percent rate the country's current economic condition as not good or poor, while 28 percent say the economy is in good condition and only 1 percent calls it excellent.
Condition of Nation’s Economy
Excellent 1 percent
Good 28 percent
Not good 48 percent
Poor 22 percent
Just over three-quarters of Americans -- 77 percent -- are at least somewhat worried about the direction of the nation’s economy in the next year, while 22 percent said they were not too worried or not at all worried.
Worried About Future of U.S. Economy?
Very 37 percent
Somewhat 40 percent
Not too 18 percent
Not at all 4 percent
More than a quarter say their family’s financial situation has gotten better over the past two years, while a similar number say their situation has gotten worse. Those who say it has gotten better supported the Democratic candidate for Congress by a 60 percent to 38 percent margin. Those who say it has gotten worse went for the Republican candidate, 67 percent to 31 percent.
Financial Situation
Gotten better 29 percent
Gotten worse 25 percent
Same 45 percent
All of that leads to a sense the country is on the wrong track. Only 31 percent say the economy is going in the right direction, down from 46 percent in 2012. Most voters -- 65 percent -- believe the country is on the wrong track. Voters who think things are on the wrong track backed the Republican candidate in their district by a 65 percent to 30 percent margin.
Direction of the Country
Right 31 percent
Wrong 65 percent
This pessimism extends to attitudes toward life for the next generation of Americans. Nearly half think life for their children will be worse than life today, while only 22 percent say it will be better.
Life for Next Generation
Better than today 22 percent
Worse than today 48 percent
About the same 27 percent
Despite the attention to issues such as Ebola and ISIS, the economy remains most prominently on the minds of voters. Nearly half -- 45 percent -- see the economy as the most important issue facing the country. Those economy voters split 49-49 in their House vote. Health care voters went for the Democrat by 60-38 percent, while immigration voters backed the Republican by 73-25 percent.
Most Important Issue Facing Country
Economy 45 percent
Health care 25 percent
Illegal immigration 14 percent
Foreign policy 13 percent
Nearly half of voters nationally feel ObamaCare went too far, nearly doubling the number who say it didn’t go far enough. About one in five (21 percent) say the law is about right. Voters who think the law went too far went for the Republican candidate in their district by nearly 70 points.
Feelings About ObamaCare
Went too far 48 percent
Not far enough 25 percent
About right 21 percent
Only one voter in five says they can trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always or most of the time. Most voters trust Uncle Sam only some of the time or never.
Trust Government?
Almost always 3 percent
Most of the time 17 percent
Only sometimes 60 percent
Never 18 percent
The key voting group of independents made a big difference again Tuesday. While they made up the same amount of the electorate, they were more likely to back the Republican by 10 points. In 2010, independents went for the Republican in their district by 19 points.
National House Vote
Independents
Democrats 42 percent
Republicans 54 percent
Here are the key findings in some of the most contested states.
Colorado
In a Senate election where women’s issues were central to the campaign, Sen. Mark Udall emerged the leader among that group, but it was Rep. Cory Gardner, the Republican challenger, who won the day.
Women
Udall 52 percent
Gardner 43 percent
Gardner’s support came from many groups, including independents and male voters.
Independents
Udall 43 percent
Gardner 50 percent
Men
Udall 40 percent
Gardner 56 percent
Over half of Colorado voters disapproved of President Obama’s job performance, mirroring results in many other states. Gardner won the support of these voters by an 82-13 percent margin.
Obama Job Performance
Approve 43 percent
Disapprove 55 percent
Finally, almost two thirds of Colorado voters said most illegal immigrants working in the United States should be offered a chance to apply for legal status.
Policy Toward Illegal Immigration
Legal Status 65 percent
Deport 28 percent
Georgia
In Georgia, Republican David Perdue held the open Senate seat for the Republicans, defeating Democrat Michelle Nunn and garnered enough of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
A key to his victory was the independent vote. Independents broke strongly for Perdue. Perdue received 59 percent of the independent vote, compared with 36 percent going for Nunn.
Independents
Nunn 36percent
Perdue 59percent
Swafford 5percent
Georgia voters were sending a message -- 36 percent of voters said a reason for their vote was to show opposition to President Obama, while only 19 percent said a reason for their vote was to show support for the president. Other voters said the president was not a factor.
Reason For Senate Vote
Support Obama 19percent
Oppose Obama 36percent
Not A Factor 43percent
Three-quarters of Georgia voters said who controlled the Senate factored into their vote. These voters supported Perdue by a 53 percent to 46 percent margin.
How Important Is Party Control of Senate?
Very important 76 percent
Somewhat important 15 percent
Not too important 5 percent
Not at all important 4 percent
Iowa
Republican Joni Ernst took the open Senate seat in Iowa away from the Democrats, defeating Democrat Bruce Braley. Ernst played up her farming background, which resonated with Iowa voters. More than four-in-ten voters were from rural areas, and they strongly backed her.
Rural voters
Braley 38 percent
Enrst 58 percent
More voters agreed with Ernst on the issues, than Braley.
Ernst On The Issues
Too Conservative 37 percent
Not Enough 10 percent
About Right 47 percent
Braley On The Issues
Too Liberal 44 percent
Not Liberal Enough 10 percent
About Right 37 percent
President Obama is not popular in Iowa, with 60 percent of voters disapproving of the job he is doing, while 39 percent approve.
Obama Job Performance
Approve 39 percent
Disapprove 60 percent
Kansas
Republican incumbent Pat Roberts held onto to his seat in Kansas today as the party faithful put their support behind him.
Challenger Greg Orman, won a majority of support among fellow independents.
Independents
Roberts 37 percent
Orman 54 percent
Batson 9 percent
However, Orman’s advantage among independents and early deciders was outweighed by Roberts’ advantage among Republicans, who make up 48 percent of Kansas voters. Roberts won Republicans by a 85-13 percent margin.
Party Breakdown
Democrat 25 percent
Republican 48 percent
Independent 28 percent
Despite his win, 62 percent of voters said Roberts has spent too much time away from Kansas to represent the state effectively. Those voters broke for Orman 55-38 percent.
Roberts Away From
Kansas Too Much?
Yes 62 percent
No 33 percent
But the Republican leaning in Kansas remained constant among voters Tuesday. A majority of Kansas voters said they wanted the Republicans to win control of the Senate. Only 29 percent say they prefer the Democrats to win control.
Prefer to Win Control of the Senate
Democrats 29 percent
Republicans 56 percent
Does not matter 12 percent
Louisiana
Louisiana will host a runoff between incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and her Republican challenger Bill Cassidy. Cassidy appears to have the advantage, with voters saying they would support Cassidy in a runoff by a 51 percent to 43 percent margin
Runoff Election Vote
Landrieu 43 percent
Cassidy 51 percent
No vote 4 percent
Over half of voters -- 57 percent -- say that Landrieu agrees with the president too often, while only 34 percent say she agrees with the president about the right amount of the time.
Landrieu Agrees With Obama On The Issues
Too often 57 percent
Not enough 6 percent
About Right Amount 34 percent
North Carolina
Incumbent Democratic Senator Kay Hagan was defeated by Republican Thom Tillis in the hotly contested race in North Carolina. One problem for Hagan was President Obama, with more Tar Heel State voters viewing the administration negatively than positively.
Feelings About Obama Administration
Positive 39 percent
Negative 60 percent
Additionally, about half of North Carolina voters said Hagan agrees with Obama too often.
Hagan Agrees With Obama
Too Often 52 percent
Not Often Enough 6 percent
About Right 37 percent
Nearly 40 percent of North Carolina voters were very worried about the direction of the nation’s economy. These voters supported Tillis, 72 percent to 25 percent.
Worried About Future of U.S. Economy?
Very 39 percent
Somewhat 36 percent
Not too 19 percent
Not at all 5 percent
Virginia
In a race that is still too close to call Wednesday morning, Sen. Mark Warner received an unexpectedly strong challenge from Republican candidate, Ed Gillespie. The race was driven in part by dissatisfaction with President Obama’s job performance.
Obama job performance
Approve 40 percent
Disapprove 58 percent
Seniors, who strongly supported Warner in 2008, broke for Gillespie Tuesday, which contributed to the closeness of the race.
Seniors
Warner 46 percent
Gillespie 54 percent
Four out of five Virginia voters are worried about the direction of the nation’s economy next year. Only 40 percent of those voters went for Warner, while 58 percent went for Gillespie.
Worried About Future
Of US Economy?
Worried 82 percent
Not Worried 18 percent
Methodology
Edison Research conducted this exit poll for Fox News and interviewed over 18,000 voters as they left randomly selected polling places around the country.
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