Home > Trail Blazers Blog

Author Archives: Todd J. Gillman

Cornyn sees “opportunity, not a referendum” for Senate GOP majority

Sen. John Cornyn speaks with Steve Munisteri, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, during a visit to the Republican Party of Texas headquarters on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 in Austin. (AP/Tamir Kalifa)

WASHINGTON — The new deputy majority leader of the Senate, Texan John Cornyn, is taking a humble approach to the whopping victory Republicans scored on Tuesday.

He called it “an opportunity, not a referendum.”

“The message sent last night from the American people is loud and clear: Washington is broken, the big government experiment has failed, and the time has come for fresh leadership and a new direction for the country,” he said.

“Under the leadership of Majority Leader McConnell, we will work with the Republican-led House to focus on pro-growth legislation that strengthens our economy, relieves Americans from the burdens of Obamacare, grows America’s energy industry and secures a better future for the generations ahead.

“It is my sincere hope that the President will heed the message that was sent last night and work with us to put the interests of the American people ahead of partisan politics and put an end to the gridlock that has plagued Washington.”

Cornyn is expected to join other congressional leaders from both parties on Friday at the White House for a meeting with President Obama, who said at a news conference this afternoon that he’s looking forward to finding out what the GOP agenda is in the next Congress.

 

update: GOP wins Senate as Sen. John Cornyn cruises to 3d term

Sen. John Cornyn speaks with Steve Munisteri, Texas GOP chairman, during an Election Day visit to party headquarters in Austin. (AP/Tamir Kalifa)

update 10:30

North Carolina has put Republicans over the top. They will control the Senate, thanks to victory by state House Speaker Thom Tillis. He has ousted Sen. Kay Hagan in the costliest Senate race of the year.

Moments later, AP has called Iowa for tea partier Joni Ernst. The GOP majority stands at 52 and potentially climbing.

update 10:08pm

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican, has survived. With that, Republicans now stand at 50 seats. They need one more to claim the majority in the 114th Congress.

update 9:40pm

Republican David Perdue has won the open Senate seat in Georgia — one of the few potential bright spots and firewalls tonight for Democrats. He beat Michelle Nunn, daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn. That keeps the Georgia seat in GOP hands after the retirement of Sen. Saxby Chambliss, quashing Democrats’ best hope of flipping a seat.

“We couldn’t be happier with what’s been happening around the country,” RNC chairman Reince Priebus told reporters moments ago.

 

update 8:55pm

Louisiana’s Senate race is headed to a Dec. 6 runoff between three-term Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy. Neither topped the 50 percent needed to win.

In Colorado, GOP Rep. Cory Gardner is leading Sen. Mark Udall by a wide margin and Fox News has already called him the winner.

That puts Republicans two seats away from a majority.

update 8pm

Just in from the White House: the president has invited the House and Senate leaders from both parties to the White House for a meeting on Friday. Presumably that would be to clear the air and try to set a tone going forward.

Also, no surprise, Cornyn has been declared the winner in Texas.

And in New Hampshire, Democrats have claimed victory for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen over Scott Brown, a former senator from Massachusetts. That won’t be enough, by itself, to stave off a Republican takeover. But GOP victory there would have signaled near-certainty of that.

update 7:40pm

Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas is the first night’s first Democratic casualty. Rep. Tom Cotton has defeated him. No surprises so far as Republicans close in on their magic 51. McConnell’s victory in Kentucky looked iffy a few months ago but he’d been pulling ahead.

original post

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Cornyn is heavily favored to win a third term tonight. The suspense for him is whether he’ll remain deputy leader of the Senate minority — or whether he’ll get a promotion to deputy leader of the majority.

That depends on whether Republicans can pick up enough seats around the country to tip control of the Senate. Control hinges on the 10 tightest contests, in North Carolina, Iowa, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Alaska and Arkansas.

Kentucky is especially relevant to Cornyn. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — projected to win his race the moment polls closed — would replace Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., as majority leader if Republicans wrest control of the Senate.

Control of the Senate has far-reaching implications — for Cornyn, his fellow Republicans, and for President Obama and his agenda.

Democratic challenger David Alameel on Oct. 21. (LM Otero/AP)

In his own race in Texas, Cornyn never broke a sweat this fall. That left him plenty of time and money to help with the Texas Republicans’ voter targeting efforts, and trying to elect more Senate Republicans around the country.

His own challenger David Alameel, a Dallas investor, had never run statewide before. He collected hardly any donations for the effort to topple Cornyn, and didn’t spend nearly as lavishly as some Democrats had hoped, from a personal fortune estimated at $50 million. At last count Alameel pumped about $5.5 million into the campaign — only $1 million more than he spent on a failed congressional primary bid two years ago, his only previous bid for office.

Cornyn, eager for change in the new Senate, raised more than $14 million — a bargain compared to more hard-fought races elsewhere.

Spending this fall has hit staggering levels, commensurate with the high stakes.

The five most contested Senate races – North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Georgia — each commanded upwards of $65 million in totally outlays by candidates, parties and outside groups.

In North Carolina, where Republican Thom Tillis was trying to oust Sen. Kay Hagan, spending hit $108 million.

Nationwide, outside groups have poured more than $771 million into Senate races, according to the Sunlight Foundation, a watchdog group. Nearly half of that has come in the last three weeks, fueling a deluge of attack ads from Alaska to Georgia.

The spigots may stay open in Louisiana and Georgia, where the winner needs to top 50 percent and runoffs were viewed as likely. Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, would face a runoff Dec. 6. In Georgia, Republican businessman David Perdue would face Democrat Michelle Nunn in a runoff Jan. 6 – three days after the new Congress is sworn in.

Dr. Brantly joins Obama to encourage Ebola volunteers in West Africa, tamp down calls for quarantines and travel bans

Medical professionals in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea "have fought a valiant effort against this menace," Dr. Kent Brantly said, but more are "desperately needed."

Medical professionals in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea "have fought with valiant effort against this menace," Dr. Kent Brantly said, but more are "desperately needed." (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press)

updated with comments from NJ Gov. Chris Christie

WASHINGTON – Dr. Kent Brantly, the Fort Worth doctor who became the first American to contract Ebola in treating patients in West Africa, starred at a White House event meant to put a spotlight on the need for health care workers to volunteer to fight the outbreak.

The medical professionals of the three nations battling Ebola – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – “have fought with valiant effort against this menace,” Brantly said, introducing President Obama. “More medical professional are desperately needed.”

Obama warned that the United States “can’t hermetically seal ourselves off” from the rest of the world. He urged the public and state leaders to set aside fear — a term he invoked four times in 15 minutes, in pointed remarks aimed at displaying displeasure with state-level efforts to quarantine nurses and doctors returning from the Ebola hot zone.

“If we’re discouraging our health care workers who are prepared to make these sacrifices … then we’re not doing our job” in terms of protecting Americans, Obama asserted. “What we need right now is these shock troops who are out there leading globally. We can’t discourage that. We’ve got to encourage it and applaud it.”

Behind the scenes, the White House pressured governors in New Jersey and New York to ease policies regarding returning health care workers.

Several hundred guests filled seats in the ornate East Room of the White House.

Obama warned against reacting to fear, hysteria or misinformation. One reason the world looks to America, he said, is because of its cool- headed response to a crisis.

The president was flanked by doctors and other health workers, many in white lab coats.

Brantly’s wife, Amber, sat in the front row, and Obama joked that her husband had gained some weight since the last time he was at the White House more than a month ago, shortly after recovering from his own bout with Ebola.

“Each of you studied medicine because you wanted to save lives. The world needs you more than ever,” the president said.

The health care workers serving in Africa, Obama said, are a “shining example” to the world. And he vowed that with ongoing efforts, international efforts will “contain and ultimately snuff out this outbreak of Ebola.”

“I know that with all the headlines and all the news, that people are scared. … But the reason I’m so proud of this country is because when there are times for us to step up and do the right thing, we do the right thing,” Obama said,

With indirect language, he needled and mocked critics — including many political conservatives — who speak of “exceptionalism” but then promote policies such as travel bans and quarantines. These, he said, amount, to pretending the problem will go away.

“When I hear people talking about American leadership, and then are promoting policies that would avoid leadership and have us running in the opposite direction and hiding under the covers, it makes me a little frustrated,” he said.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie, head of the Republican Governors Association and a possible 2016 White House contender, blasted Obama for issuing “lectures.”

He called it “common sense” to isolate health workers returning from working with Ebola patients in West Africa for the full 21-day incubation period.

“This is our policy. It will be our policy as long as this crisis is going on,” he told reporters. “I don’t know when the White House is going to get around to admitting that and not giving us seven-minute lectures from the South Lawn.”

And he took issue with the idea that quarantines will discourage volunteers.

“It’s part of the sacrifice. I’m sure none of these folks want to come home and get anybody else sick… Folks should understand. Part of the sacrifice is going over there and the remainder of the sacrifice is when you come home,” remaining quarantined for three weeks, Christie said.

Brantly is medical missions director for Samaritan’s Purse. He contracted Ebola while working in Liberia, and was the first person treated for Ebola in the United States. He has donated blood plasma to other patients since being cured at Emory University Hospital.

The group behind the president included doctors and others who either have worked against Ebola in West Africa or plan to travel there soon. Doctors and nurses who treated Dallas nurse Nina Pham at NIH were also on stage and in the audience, along with healthcare workers from a variety of nonprofit groups and others.

The president’s new “Ebola czar,” Ron Klain, was on hand, along with a Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health and a number of top White House aides, including homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

Ebola: White House sees NJ quarantine as deterrent for doctors and nurses to volunteer in West Africa

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is concerned that quarantining health care workers returning from stints in the Ebola zone of West Africa — as New Jersey did with nurse Kaci Hickox — will deter badly needed volunteers.

“We’re going to need doctors and nurses traveling to West Africa to treat Ebola patients,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.

He referred to state actions “in some cases outright disrespecting” health care workers who’ve put themselves at risk by working with Ebola patients in Africa.

“Stopping this Ebola outbreak in its tracks in West Africa is critically important… The likelihood of a widespread outbreak in this countr of Ebola is exceedingly low,” he said.

He noted that under the United States’ federal system, state and local authorities have the authority to take steps to protect the public health of their citizens. And that could lead to a patchwork of rules facing travelers – including health workers.

If anyone doesn’t like that, Earnest said, “Take that up with James Madison” — a suggestion that prompted one member of the White House press corps to note, “He’s not here.”

The sight of Hickox in an isolation tent in a parking lot next to a hospital in Newark, N.J., clearly bothered some Americans and many at the White House, Earnest said.

“What we hope… is that these kinds of policy decisions should be driven by science,” Earnest said — simultaneously working to avoid a direct condemnation of N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s actions while also making clear the administration’s disdain. He focused on the point of agreement: the state’s decision earlier today, in coordination with CDC, to release Hickox from isolation.

“I’m not steeped in New Jersey quarantine law,” Earnest said, declining to  weigh in on whether Hickox is correct in her assertions that by being detained in a tent for three days, without any symptoms of Ebola, her rights had been violated.

Cornyn and Alameel spar over immigration, marriage, abortion in Senate debate

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, left, and Democratic challenger David Alameel greet each other at the start of their debate at Mountain View College campus in Dallas tonight. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Cornyn portrayed himself Friday night as an agent of change in Washington, as rival David Alameel blasted him for blocking immigration reforms while kowtowing to Wall Street.

This was the first and only debate of the contest, as Cornyn seeks a third term and Alameel claws for traction.

With Univision as the debate host, a hefty chunk of the questioning was aimed at immigration policy – an area of especially clear disagreement.

Cornyn, who has long resisted legalization for the 11 million people in the country illegally, called himself a “strong supporter of immigration reform.”  He agreed that young people brought to the country illegally by their parents – the so-called “Dreamers” – should be eligible for college aid.

But he called it politically impossible to pass a so-called “comprehensive” overhaul, and argued for taking smaller steps with broader support.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath for Republicans to offer you any immigration reform,” Alameel said.

The vast majority of immigrants have been in this country for years, breaking no laws and working hard. They “deserve a path to citizenship,” he said.

Cornyn proposed a flexible cap on immigrant visas, fluctuating with the U.S. economy and needs of employers.

“Of course we need to increase quotas” Alameel shot back, adding that this sidestepped the core issue, citizenship. Without that, he said, “It will take us a hundred years to give the relief that our Latino community deserves.”

The debate, at Mountain View College in Dallas, offered Alameel a rare shot at making headway against an incumbent with a huge edge in name identification and fund-raising. He labeled Cornyn a “do nothing senator. Our country burns while Cornyn fiddles.”

These and other barbs may not be seen widely enough to make much difference. The Dallas Univision station and Texas Tribune streamed the debate live online. Univision viewers can watch the debate in Spanish on Saturday night. C-Span will broadcast it Wednesday night in English.

Cornyn, the No. 2 GOP leader in the Senate, portrayed Alameel as a potential reinforcement for Democrats in the final two years of the Obama administration.

“What we need is new leadership and a new direction. We don’t need people who will go to Washington and support the status quo—the obstruction of the majority leader and the policies of the president,” Cornyn said.

Alameel asserted that Wall Street interests control the Republican Party and “John Cornyn is one of the leaders of that establishment, who only care about themselves….He’s turning our country into a minimum wage nation and we say enough is enough.”

They disagreed on a host of issues.

Cornyn called it “dangerous” to make marijuana legal, even for medical purposes. Alameel argued for full decriminalization. “Having prohibition didn’t work,” he said.

Cornyn reiterated his dim view of the Affordable Care Act. Alameel called Obamacare “a good step in the right direction” and argued that “Republicans have to stop saying no” and should work to improve it.

Both rivals called it a bad idea to make English the nation’s official language, though unlike Cornyn, Alameel said government documents should be offered in a variety of languages to ensure that people who haven’t learned English aren’t “abandoned.”

On the Ebola crisis, Alameel agreed with calls coming mostly from Republicans in Congress – and a few Democrats – for a travel ban on West Africa. “Yes,” he said, “we need to restrict flying. In any epidemic you have to restrict the flow in and out of that affected area.”

Both noted the lack of preparedness by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

“There was no leadership from the White House and from the federal government,” Cornyn said.

Alameel also worries about lack of preparations.  ”If we have an epidemic, the first nine patients will be taken care of, and the other 100,000 will die,” he said.

Alameel was asked about the $15,000 or so he donated to Cornyn a decade ago.

“This is one terrible mistake I have to live with,” he said.

Cornyn wasn’t about to let his rival off the hook so easily. “He was an enthusiastic supporter of mine and Gov. Perry… and Republicans up and down the ticket.” he said.

On the president’s handling of the Islamic State terror group, Cornyn blasted the refusal to put American “boots on the ground.” Alameel lauded the president for bombing ISIS but warned that “we don’t need to create another big war.”

Social issues offered more bright lines.

Cornyn defended Texas’ tough law imposing requirements that forced most of the state’s abortion clinics to close. Alameel said that as a Catholic he doesn’t believe in abortion but wants them to be legal and available.

On same-sex marriage, Cornyn said that “I am pro-traditional marriage” and wants the federal government to respect Texas’ views that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

Said Alameel, “We should move on from these divisive issues.”

Staff writer Michael Marks contribute to this report.

Cornyn’s VIP debate guests included ex-LULAC president

WASHINGTON – The one and only debate between Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic challenger David Alameel starts in about an hour. It will be streamed online here by the Dallas Univision station. Waiting for the Texas Tribune to post a link to its live feed.

Cornyn’s campaign says the senator will have five VIP guests seated with his wife, Sandy Cornyn – all Texas Hispanic leaders who support his reelection: Nina Vaca, chairman emeritus of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Marc Rodriguez, a former chairman of the chamber; Manny Vela, former chairman of the Cameron County Democratic Party in South Texas; Hector Flores, a former national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and Rene Martinez of Dallas, a LULAC regional director representing Northeast Texas.

The debate will air Saturday night on Univision stations, in Spanish, and on C-Span on Wednesday night.

Cornyn widens financial lead, with $14.1 million raised for reelection

Sen. John Cornyn speaks at the fourth annual Texas Tribune Festival at the University of Texas on Sept. 20, 2014, in Austin. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Rodolfo Gonzalez)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Cornyn has widened his already commanding financial lead over challenger David Alameel.

The two-term Republican has raised $14.1 million through the end of September, including just over $1 million raised during the previous three months, according to his latest campaign finance filing.

He has $3.9 million cash on hand ready for a final push, if needed. But he’s already way ahead of Alameel both in polls and in financial resources.

Alameel raised a mere $24,000 in the last three months, though the Dallas investor and dentist had long ago abandoned the idea of running a campaign on other people’s money. He recently loaned another $475,000 in personal loans, bringing the campaign’s outstanding debt to him to $1.2 million. Alameel has now put $5.5 million into the race — nearly everything his campaign has spent.

Cornyn’s quarterly report just became available this afternoon at the Senate. Other federal candidates – those running for U.S. House and for president – file electronically to the Federal Election Commission, where records are searchable online. But the Senate has clung to old-fashioned methods.

 

 

C-Span will air Cornyn-Alameel Senate debate Wednesday night (*in English)

updated 5pm:

C-Span has confirmed the time: The Texas Senate debate will air at 9pm CT on Wednesday, Oct. 29.

updated 1pm:

The debate will be live-streamed online by Univision Dallas and by Texas Tribune, according to Cornyn campaign manager Brendan Steinhauser.

original post:

WASHINGTON — Texas voters who don’t speak Spanish will get to hear Sen. John Cornyn’s only debate with challenger David Alameel after all.

C-Span now plans to broadcast the debate on Tuesday, according to the cable network’s press shop.

Cornyn and Alameel will debate Friday night in Dallas, at Mountain View College Performance Hall. Univision is the sponsor, and its stations in Texas will broadcast the debate Saturday night in Spanish.

Cornyn advisers and Univision officials say Univision is working to live-stream the debate. We’ll keep you posted if that comes together.

Cornyn is seeking a third 6-year term. He is the deputy GOP Senate leader.

Ebola: President Obama speaks with Dallas healthcare workers

Cole Edmonson, chief nursing officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, speaks to President Obama, who called from The White House to offer words of encouragement and support to a team of caregivers today. (photo courtesy Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today spoke with several “frontline healthcare workers” at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, including some who cared for Ebola patients.

“The President thanked the healthcare workers for their unflagging dedication and for their tireless efforts to treat these patients despite the difficult conditions,” according to a White House aide. “More broadly, he also noted that our nation’s doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other healthcare staff work long hours under stressful conditions, and are absolutely indispensable.”

Two nurses from Presbyterian Hospital are being treated for Ebola, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., and at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Both had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who died of Ebola on Oct. 8.

Seen through the window of the Oval Office, President Obama gets an update on Ebola in Dallas from Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Oct. 12. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The president will meet later this afternoon with his new Ebola “czar,” Ron Klain. But meanwhile, he wanted to reach out to Dallas healthcare workers.

“He offered his personal thanks to this group on behalf of a grateful nation,” the aide said.

Obama sends White House aide to Dallas to coordinate Ebola response

White House aide Adrian Saenz

WASHINGTON –The president is dispatching a top aide to Dallas to coordinate Ebola response.

Adrian Saenz, a seasoned political operative from Texas who has worked in Congress and, for the last 13 months, at the White House will serve as the administration’s Dallas-based liaison.

“Saenz will be on the ground in Dallas and in close coordination with senior White House officials involved in the Ebola response, including Ron Klain, the Ebola Response Coordinator,” a White House aide said.

The deployment helps to “fulfill the president’s pledge that state and local authorities are able to call upon any and all necessary federal resources,” he added.

Saenz joined the White House staff in September 2013 as deputy director of Intergovernmental Affairs, leading a team that works with state and local officials. In the 2012 Obama campaign he served as National Latino Vote Director. He was Texas state director for the Obama campaign during the 2008 primary. In 2006 he was national field director for the Democrats’ U.S. House campaign arm. He was a top immigration strategist at Organizing for America, the group that evolved from the Obama campaign apparatus, before joining the administration.

In Congress, he served as chief of staff to then-Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, and in other roles.

In other measures, the White House also is naming a Texas coordinator for Ebola response “to ensure we adequately leverage appropriate state-level assets.” Gov Rick Perry has selected W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Assistant Director, Texas Department of Public Safety, for that post.

The president also has named a FEMA coordinator, Kevin Hannes, to work with Kidd and ensure adequate federal assistance in Dallas. Hannes currently oversees FEMA operations in North Texas.