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EXCLUSIVE: Cruz defends Huckabee, accuses Obama of 'gutter politics'

President Obama and Jeb Bush have drawn the ire of Sen. Ted Cruz after they attacked Gov. Mike Huckabee for his comments about the Iran
nuclear deal. 
Huckabee said the president’s Iran policy would “take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.”
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The president bristled at what he called a “ridiculous” comment.
“The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are just part of a general pattern we’ve seen that would be considered ridiculous if it weren’t so sad,” he said.
“We’ve had a sitting senator call John Kerry Pontius Pilate. We’ve had a sitting senator, who also happens to be running for president, suggest that I’m the leading state sponsor of terrorism. These are leaders in the Republican Party.”
Cruz rebuffed the president’s slap and said it was “particularly sad today that President Obama chose to engage in gutter politics – attacking Mike Huckabee by name, attacking me – both of us for standing up against this catastrophic deal – rather than defending the merits.”
Cruz told me he “emphatically” stands by Huckabee and his comments.
“Governor Huckabee has been a strong and powerful voice in defense of the Jewish people,” Cruz said. “He is exactly right to highlight the threat that the Obama nuclear deal poses to the nation of Israel. It is a sad day when the president of the United States cannot or will not see this truth.”
Bush, too, lashed out at Huckabee’s assessment of the Obama Administration’s deal with Iran – calling it “just wrong.”
“I think we need to tone down the rhetoric, for sure,” Bush said at a campaign stop in Florida. “The use of that kind of language is just wrong.”
“This is not the way we’re going to win elections and that’s not how we’re going to solve problems,” Bush added. “So it’s an unfortunate remark, I’m not quite sure why he felt compelled to say it.”
Cruz took exception to Bush’s attack on the former Arkansas governor.
“It is not a question of rhetoric,” he said. “It’s a question of speaking the truth.”
He told me that Republican candidates need to stop attacking other Republican candidates.
“Direct your fire to the real threats facing America –
including the threat of an Iran-led by radical theocratic zealots who chant ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’,” he said. 

Clinton, at energy event, won’t take position on Keystone pipeline

Hillary Clinton rebuffed a question Monday about her position on the Keystone XL oil pipeline even as she unveiled new energy proposals, opening the door to jeers from Republicans who accused her of "dodging." 
The Democratic presidential candidate for months has avoided taking a position on the Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline, which remains under review at the State Department she once led. But given her entry into the White House race, and a new package of clean-energy ideas being put out by her campaign, Clinton was asked again Monday if she would at last weigh in.
Rather than stake out her stance, Clinton said only that she's "confident" the pipeline's impact on greenhouse gas emissions will be a "major factor" in the State Department's review.
"I will refrain from commenting because I had a leading role in getting that process started," Clinton said. "And I think that we have to let it run its course."
She noted that decision would be made by her successor, Secretary of State John Kerry, and President Obama.
With many Republican candidates calling for the pipeline's approval -- and Clinton having faced criticism before for hedging on controversial issues that divide her own party, like this one -- her response Monday was fodder for Republicans.
"Clinton avoided specifics and refused to take a position on important job-creating energy projects like the Keystone Pipeline, reminding voters why they think she's untrustworthy," Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short said in a statement.
Jeff Bechdel, spokesman with the conservative America Rising, accused her of "dodging on key issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, just to win an election."
As part of Clinton's energy plan, meanwhile, the Democratic presidential contender on Monday proposed that every home in the United States be powered by renewable sources by 2027.
Her plan calls for the installation of 500 million solar panels over four years.
"We're all going to have to do our part, but that's who we are as Americans. We don't hide from change; we harness it," Clinton said in a video outlining her proposals.
Clinton discussed her clean-energy ideas during a tour of a regional bus station in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday.

GOP lawmakers introduce bill to give union members say in political donations

Republican lawmakers took a first step Monday toward trying to fundamentally change the way unions operate, introducing legislation that would restrict how they spend campaign money -- and could keep cash away from Democratic candidates in 2016. 
Their complaint: Unions are taking advantage of dues-paying members and sending their money to Democratic candidates whether members like it or not.
The Employee Rights Act, introduced Monday by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah., and Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., would allow union members to tell their bosses they don't want their share of dues going to certain candidates or causes, without fear of retaliation.
It also would seek to stop intimidation tactics by requiring secret ballots for employee elections regarding issues like unionizing or striking.
Any bid to restrict union political donations could have a big impact on Democrats, who get the lion's share of union campaign money. According to the Center for Union Facts, unions in 2012 contributed nearly $90 million to Democratic Party and aligned organizations.
"Forty percent of the union members are Republicans, yet virtually 100 percent of money that they've raised, and it's considerable money, goes to elect Democrats," Hatch told Fox News.
But now, some Democratic strategists are accusing Republicans of ignoring the needs of hardworking union members, and instead just trying to re-route sizable campaign contributions.
"Democrats have been supported for years by working people and the unions, and that's why Republicans want to bring this up," strategist Chuck Rocha said. "They want to take that money out -- the only real money left on the left side. There's a few big left donors, but we don't have a Sheldon Adelson."

Planned Parenthood ‘sponsors’ deny funding organization amid hidden camera controversy

Planned Parenthood once boasted a list of sponsors that read like a who's who of the Fortune 100, but now some of the biggest companies say they never gave money to the embattled organization.
Coca-Cola, Ford and Xerox are all among the companies listed in a roster of corporate sponsors claimed by Planned Parenthood, but representatives for the companies said they either never donated to the organization or had not in years. Planned Parenthood, which is now reeling from the release of two undercover videos in which top officials alluded to selling fetus parts, had published the company names on the website of its Washington, DC, chapter. The list was part of an appeal to employees who the site said could double their donations with the help of their employers.
“Double the size of your gift. Does your employer match charitable contributions? If so, please contact your Human Resources Department for more information about how your gift may be matched,” read a line from the web page. “A partial list of companies with Corporate Matching Gift Programs includes: AT&T, Alcoa, American Express, Avon Products, Black & Decker, Circuit City, Citibank, Clorox, Coca-Cola, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Fidelity Investments, Ford Motor Company, Gannett, James River Corporation, Merck & Company, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola, Phillip Morris, T. Rowe Price, Prudential Insurance, Safeco Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Sunoco, Vanguard Group, Verizon, Washington Post Company, White & Case.”

“When a non-profit gets into controversy, global brands have to revisit their relationship no matter how small.”
- John Tantillo, marketing and branding expert

The page was taken down after Coca-Cola, Xerox and Ford Motor Company demanded their names be removed.
Planned Parenthood's financing has come under scrutiny in the wake of the video sting, which was carried out by the Center for Medical Progress. In the videos, Planned Parenthood officials were recorded talking to people posing as medical researchers about providing aborted fetal organs for research. Critics say the videos show Planned Parenthood is illegally harvesting and selling organs, although the organization's president, Cecile Richards, claims the group has done nothing illegal and is being smeared.
News that the organization may have misrepresented sponsorships prompted fresh criticism from the Center for Medical Progress.
"[This is] more evidence that there is big money in Planned Parenthood's abortion business," said Executive Director David Daleiden.
Several companies said they should never have been included among Planned Parenthood donors.
“We have never been a donor to Planned Parenthood,” a spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company told FoxNews.com. “And we haven’t matched employee contributions since 2005.”
Officials for Coca-Cola and Xerox did not immediately return requests for comment, but both issued statements saying they were not donors.
While the list on the Washington chapter's website was taken down, another list of companies that match employee gifts appears on Planned Parenthood’s national website, and includes Allstate, AT&T, Kraft Foods and Nike.
Officials for Planned Parenthood did not return repeated requests for comment.
Branding experts say that many non-profit groups will embellish their corporate backing as a selling point for donations.
“Coca-Cola may have sponsored one event, but that does not mean that they are a corporate sponsor,” John Tantillo, a New York-based marketing and branding expert, told FoxNews.com. “What you often do is embellish to make a strong selling point.”
Corporations, for their part, take into careful account how their relationships with non-profits like Planned Parenthood might look to the consumer.
“Brands have to be careful not alienate their clients,” he said. “When a non-profit gets into controversy, global brands have to revisit their relationship no matter how small.”
Some companies have done the opposite and said that they have and continue to support Planned Parenthood.
According to statements to the Daily Signal, global brands like Clorox, Levi Strauss and Verizon said they proudly match employee contributions to the non-profit.
“As part of our annual giving campaign at Clorox, the company provides employees the opportunity to make contributions to nonprofit organizations of their choice, which are matched through The Clorox Company Foundation,” read a statement from Clorox. “While the foundation does not select these organizations, we recognize that Clorox employees choose to support many different causes they care about. For perspective, year-to-date, approximately $2,000 in foundation matching funds have been directed toward Planned Parenthood. Last year, The Clorox Company Foundation donated more than $4 million in total to many nonprofit organizations.”
Planned Parenthood’s donor list was not the only thing that was scrutinized last week. On Friday, another report surfaced on the Daily Caller that Deborah Nucatola, who appeared on the first video released by the Center for Medical Progress and appeared to be discussing the sale of fetal tissue, was earning a six-figure income as an outside contractor even while drawing a salary from Planned Parenthood.

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Huckabee says Iran nuclear deal 'marching the Israelis to the door of the oven'

WASHINGTON –  GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is sticking with his controversial criticism of the Iran nuclear deal as "marching the Israelis to the door of the oven," a reference to the Holocaust.
The former Arkansas governor made the tweet Sunday, a day after first making the comparison when denouncing President Barack Obama for his role in the agreement reached by the United States and other world powers.
Responding, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Huckabee's statement was "grossly irresponsible" and called on him to apologize.
But a Huckabee spokeswoman said Sunday his comments reflect a longstanding position that "the Iran deal is a bad deal, bad for America and bad for Israel." Huckabee's tweet called on Congress to reject the nuclear deal.
"This president's foreign policy is the most feckless in American history," Huckabee said in an interview with Breitbart News broadcast on Sirius/XM radio Saturday. "He's so naive he would trust the Iranians and he would take the Israelis and basically march them to the door of the oven."
Huckabee said that "this Iran deal should be rejected by both Democrats and Republicans."
"We forget Iranians have never kept a deal in 36 years under the ayatollah. There's no reason to think they will suddenly start doing it."
Huckabee said of the deal: "I read the entire thing. We gave away the whole farm. It's got to be stopped."
Huckabee's comments come as the GOP presidential candidates struggle to break through with 16 presidential candidates already in the GOP field, and one of those, New York businessman Donald Trump, getting more attention than most.

Satanic Temple unveils goat-headed statue in Detroit

A crowd of several hundred gathered Saturday night to see Detroit’s newest resident: A 9-foot, 2,000-pound statue of a goat-headed occult idol named Baphomet.
The Satanic Temple unveiled the bronze figure to an estimated 700 attendees at an undisclosed location. The group’s initial venue canceled after local religious groups protested.

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A statue of occult symbol Baphomet was unveiled at a Satanic Temple event in Detroit on July 25. (Chris Switzer)

The group’s approach to secrecy with the second venue led to little opposition on Saturday, Director of the Detroit Satanic Temple chapter and national spokeswoman Jex Blackmore told Fox News.
“Protesters arrived for a short time at our first ticketing location, but retreated after only about 30 minutes,” Blackmore said. “One woman attempted to block the event entrance and was removed by the police in cooperation with the building's owner. “
Guests were washed in red light shining down from the rafters at the venue as “dark punk” bands played and DJs performed from a stage located beneath a lighted, upside-down crucifix. Satanic Temple officials delivered speeches and a pair of shirtless men held candles on either side of the statue, prior to its unveiling.

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The Satanic Temple wants to place the Baphomet statue next to a monument of the Ten Commandments. (Matt Anderson)

Despite the dark pageantry, however, the Temple says its concept of Lucifer is as a literary figure. “The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people,” the group’s website states.
The statue will now be stored out of public view until the Temple can find it a permanent home. The group hopes to display it at the Arkansas State Capitol, next to a monument of the Ten Commandments.