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Trump 2016: Donald Trump Says He is Serious About Presidency

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Photo Credit: Gage SkidmoreBy Robert Costa. This time, Donald J. Trump says, he really means it.

The billionaire real-estate mogul, who has long amounted to a one-man sideshow in GOP presidential politics, said in an interview Wednesday that he is “more serious” than ever about pursuing a run for the White House in 2016.

In recent days, Trump said, he has hired staffers in key primary states, retained an election attorney and delayed signing on for another season as host of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” because of his political projects.

“Everybody feels I’m doing this just to have fun or because it’s good for the brand,” Trump said in an interview with The Washington Post. “Well, it’s not fun. I’m not doing this for enjoyment. I’m doing this because the country is in serious trouble.”

The moves are the most significant steps yet by Trump, 68, toward a bona fide presidential bid, which he considered briefly and flamboyantly in 2011 before deciding against a run. (Read more about how Donald Trump says he is serious about a run HERE)

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Reporter Mocks Scott Walker for Claiming to Communicate with God through Prayer

By Alex Griswold. Political Wire publisher Taegan Goddard caught a lot of flak on Twitter after mocking Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for claiming he could discern God’s will, only to admit that he had no idea Christians believed they could communicate with God through prayer.

It all began with a rather snarky tweet about Walker’s comments that he was still waiting for “God’s calling” before he announced a presidential run.

Gov. Scott Walker’s office was unable to provide any transcripts of his conversations with God https://t.co/R8dcqhNpqR — Taegan Goddard (@politicalwire) February 24, 2015

@lachlan I don’t pretend I can talk with God. But perhaps Scott Walker can. — Taegan Goddard (@politicalwire) February 24, 2015

(Read more from this story HERE)

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This Open Letter By Hollywood Leftists Should Worry Hillary Clinton

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By Norvell Rose. If Hillary Clinton is thinking she’ll collect a lot of Hollywood cash for her 2016 campaign coffers, she may want to think again…and start some serious outreach to left-coast lefties who are already looking beyond the former first lady to another potential female candidate.

As writer Robert Laurie points out on Herman Cain’s website, a whole lot of movie and TV stars and entertainment industry luminaries have signed an open letter to Elizabeth Warren, virtually begging the Massachusetts senator to enter the race for president.

Calling themselves “Artists for Warren,” these 90 celebs put their names to the plea for the ultra-liberal lawmaker to “stand up for working families and take on the Wall Street banks and special interests that broke our economy.”

The open letter with the heading “Run Warren Run” refers time and again to “big corporations,” “corporate interests” and the “big banks” aligned with greedy Wall Street fat cats — pleading for a champion “who stands up for the people.”

Of course, one might find it more than a tad ironic that these Hollywood types — many of whom make many times the average wage of the average American — see fit to slam the system that has made them part of the “wealthiest 1%” they so harshly criticize. It would seem these stars want to bring down the kind of capitalism in which they, themselves, thrive. (Read more about the signatures from the Hollywood leftists HERE)

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Top White House Official to Leave to Join Hillary Clinton’s Possible 2016 Run

By Peter Nicholas and Carol E. Lee. Another top aide to President Barack Obama will be leaving the White House to join Hillary Clinton ’s would-be presidential campaign, people familiar with the matter say, the latest example of the two major camps within the Democratic Party coalescing behind the former Secretary of State’s likely candidacy.

Jennifer Palmieri will leave her job as White House communications director for a comparable role with Mrs. Clinton, these people said.

The move locks in place another top position on Mrs. Clinton’s campaign team, should she choose to run.

Ms. Palmieri has connections to both the Obama and Clinton worlds, having worked in Bill Clinton ’s White House in the 1990s. She is also close to another figure who bridges both the Obama and Clinton worlds: John Podesta.

Mr. Podesta is currently a senior adviser to the president. He is due to leave the White House this month and to later join the Clinton team, perhaps in the role of campaign chairman, people familiar with events have said. (Read more from this story HERE)

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After a Drudge Report Poll, it’s Clear Who People Want for 2016 GOP Presidential Candidate

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By Jason Howerton. After more than 315,000 votes were cast in an online poll on the Drudge Report, the undisputed frontrunner among Republican presidential candidates was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker . . .

The other dozen possible candidates included, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Huckabee, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rick Santorum, Donald Trump, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Carly Fiorina and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Photo Credit: The Blaze

(Read more about the poll winner for the 2016 GOP presidential candidate HERE)
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Scott Walker Working to Harness Worldwide Donor Network for 2016 Run

By Matea Gold. It was not yet 8 a.m. on a recent Sunday morning, but a crowd of heavyweight GOP donors was gathered on the back patio of Carl and Jimmy Westcott’s desert vacation home to hear from Scott Walker.

The eager reception for the Wisconsin governor and likely presidential candidate — who picked up a $100,000 check on the spot from one person at the Indian Wells, Calif., event — was repeated as he hopscotched across the country last week in the first fundraising tour for his new political committee.

In the intense jockeying to win the 2016 money primary, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are moving aggressively to lock down financial backers nationwide. On their heels is Walker, who has a 50-state network of wealthy contributors and small donors far more expansive than might be expected for a Midwestern governor and former Milwaukee county executive.

Walker’s thick donor file is the byproduct of a contentious effort to recall the governor in 2012 after he pushed through a law curtailing collective-bargaining rights for many public employees. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Rand Paul: Audit the Federal Reserve (and Reject the Clinton-Bush Dynasty)

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By Ben Smith. Sen. Rand Paul is reviving his push to audit the Federal Reserve.

The Kentucky Republican and presumptive 2016 presidential candidate said he wants to bring several of the Fed’s monetary activities under congressional oversight.

In a statement released Monday, Paul said it was time to end the secrecy behind the Fed. He believes an audit is the best way to do it.

“[An] audit of the Fed will finally allow the American people to know exactly how their money is being spent by Washington.” Paul said.

He slammed the Fed’s current operating practices, saying it works “under a cloak of secrecy and it has gone on for too long.” (Read more about Rand Paul saying to audit the federal reserve HERE)

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Rand Paul Releases ‘Secret Tape’ of a Fake Phone Call Between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush

By Mike Allen. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the 2016 field’s most prolific adopter of social media, has posted what aides wryly call a “secret tape” of a fake phone call between Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.

RAND PAC, Paul’s political organization, used actors to portray the conversation, which hits both rivals on the dynasty issue.

“Bush” tells her he’s thinking about running for president: “I just wanted to call and give you a heads-up in hopes we could work something out.”

“Clinton” says: “We both agree on so many issues: bigger government, Common Core, and amnesty for illegal immigrants.”

[Listen to the “secret” conversation HERE]

Paul, who this week gave an interview to CNN via Snapchat, plans to distribute the audio via Twitter and other social platforms. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Scott Walker Forms Committee for 2016 Presidential Bid

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Photo Credit: APWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, whose speech to activists in Iowa last weekend drew strong reviews, has taken the first formal step toward a presidential candidacy in 2016, establishing a committee that will help spread his message and underwrite his activities as he seeks to build his political and fundraising networks in the months ahead.

Walker filed papers to set up the committee, called “Our American Revival,” and a new web site for the organization was scheduled to go live later Tuesday. The steps come after a busy weekend of pre-presidential events that included his address at the Iowa Freedom Summit, a later appearance at a gathering in California hosted by the billionaire Koch brothers and a stopover in Denver for additional fundraising.

“Our American Revival encompasses the shared values that make our country great; limiting the powers of the federal government to those defined in the Constitution while creating a leaner, more efficient, more effective and more accountable government to the American people,” Walker said in a statement in the release announcing the committee.

Walker’s steps come at a time when other prospective candidates are making similar moves in what has quickly become the largest prospective field of Republican candidates and the most wide open nomination contest in the modern history of the party.

The governor’s Iowa speech helped establish him more firmly in a presidential field that includes bigger names like former Florida governor Jeb Bush and possibly Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 nominee, as well as bigger personalities like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, veterans of past presidential campaigns and newcomers with specific appeal to parts of the GOP’s conservative base. (Read more about Walker forming the committee for his 2016 presidential bid HERE)

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Sarah Palin on 2016: Time to Ditch the “No Girls Allowed” Sign on the Oval Office Door

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Just before she heads to Iowa for the first major conservative showcase of the 2016 election cycle, Sarah Palin said “of course” she’s interested in the 2016 presidential election.

“Yeah, I mean, of course, when you have a servant’s heart, when you know that there is opportunity to do all you can to put yourself forward in the name of offering service, anybody would be interested,” Palin told ABC News’ Neal Karlinsky while serving wild boar chili to the homeless in Las Vegas Thursday.

When asked again if she could be “possibly” interested in a presidential campaign, she answered, “We definitely had enough of seeing that — America has had enough of seeing that — sign on the Oval Office door saying, ‘No Girls Allowed.’ I know that.”

While serving up bowls to those gathered in line, the former Alaska governor clarified, “It doesn’t necessarily have to be me, though, but no, America is definitely ready for real change.

“It doesn’t have to be myself, but yes … happy to drive that competition, because competition will make everyone better and produce more and be more candid regarding their solutions they will offer this country. I am very interested in that competitive process and, again, not necessarily me.” (Read more about Sarah Palin on 2016 HERE)

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Palin: GOP Establishment has a Case of Deflated Balls

By Samuel Smith. While appearing at a hunting and outdoors trade show in Las Vegas on Thursday, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin declined to comment on current hot-button political issues but sent the clear message to Republican leadership in Congress that they need to go on the “offensive” with the new majority they have in both houses.

After promoting her outdoor-themed reality show “Amazing America” at the SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show), the 50-year-old former vice presidential candidate told The Blaze that Republicans in Congress need to start acting like they actually have the majority and urged GOP Congress members to stop playing “defense.”

“I’m not going to talk politics except to say the GOP had better go on offense,” Palin asserted. “Man, they are not going to win a game on defense. Being in the majority there in D.C. — we’re blowing it if we just bend our back.”

In issuing her comments, Palin used a metaphor comparing the Republican leadership to the scandal-ridden New England Patriots to drive home the point.

“That GOP leadership, that establishment, they’ve got to get their stuff together. I love what they believe in, I believe in it too. But they’ve got to get tough man,” Palin explained. “You know what? It’s not just the New England Patriots who are dealing with deflated balls right now.” (Read more from this story HERE)

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And Then There Were Three: Pro-Amnesty, Establishment Field Grows With Rubio Jumping In

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. . .Friday’s news turns up the dial on his effort and tells us a few things about the race in general, and Rubio’s 2016 perceptions in particular.

First, Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney aren’t clearing the field. Bush has moved aggressively, announcing an exploratory committee and forming super PACs, while Romney’s evinced surprising interest in a race. That hasn’t scared off other candidates who might compete with them for the establishment and business wings of the GOP, however. Rubio’s moving. Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has scheduled trips to the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

Second, Rubio’s looking to President Obama for inspiration. Not in any ideological or policy sense, but in terms of baseline experience. Obama won the White House as a first-term Senate backbencher. If he could do it, why can’t Rubio? Many political strategists think voters might be looking for a governor with executive experience as their presidential choice in 2016, but political strategists say lots of stuff. Some of it is wrong.

Finally, the real divisions in the Republican primary field this time might be generational. Rubio isn’t a party outsider. He’s not a tea party favorite. He doesn’t have a support base among evangelicals, or Wall Street’s nod. But he hasn’t run for president twice before, like Mitt Romney. Or even once before, like Gov. Rick Perry of Texas. None of his relatives have been president, like Jeb Bush’s brother and Dad.

But if it turns out GOP primary voters are tired of the same-old, then Rubio can present himself as a fresh hat in the ring. (Read more about Rubio jumping in HERE)

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Establishment Conspiracy Brewing: Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush to Meet in Utah

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Photo Credit: NY Times
Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney are scheduled to meet privately this week in Utah, raising the possibility that the two former governors will find a way to avoid competing presidential campaigns that would split the Republican establishment next year, two prominent party members said Wednesday night.

The meeting was planned before Mr. Romney’s surprise announcement two weeks ago to donors in New York that he was considering a third run for the White House.

Mr. Bush proposed the meeting, according to one of the party members familiar with the planning, who did not want to be quoted by name in discussing a secret meeting.

The original idea was for Mr. Bush, who announced his presidential ambitions in December, to show his respect for Mr. Romney, the Republican Party’s 2012 nominee. The meeting stayed on both men’s calendars even as Mr. Romney took steps to test the presidential waters, moves that could make the meeting awkward. (Read more about Romney and Bush going to meet in Utah HERE)

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New Poll Has Very Bad News for Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush

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Photo Credit: Yahoo Potential 2016 candidates Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney have earned plenty of headlines after publicly acknowledging that they’re revving up likely presidential campaigns, but, so far, they haven’t gained positive marks from the public, according to the newest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

In fact, both candidates have lost ground since pollsters last measured Americans’ feelings towards them – including a dip in approval from members of their own party.

Just 27 percent of Americans now offer a positive rating for Romney, the Republican party’s nominee in 2012, compared to 40 percent who give him negative marks. And just over half of Republicans – 52 percent – give him a thumbs up, while 15 percent disagree.

In September of last year, when Romney was widely expected NOT to seek the presidency again, his ratings stood at 32 percent positive/ 39 percent negative. With Republicans, that split was 60 percent positive/ 13 percent negative.

While former Florida governor Jeb Bush is not quite as well-known as Romney, with 13 percent of respondents saying they don’t know the name, he’s also seen a drop in approval since announcing that he’s “actively exploring” a 2016 run. (Read more about the poll having bad news for Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush HERE)

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Rand Paul on Mitt Romney’s 2016 Run: ‘It’s Time for Some Fresh Blood’ (+video)

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Photo Credit: Getty Images Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney doesn’t have the support of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul as he explores a presidential bid.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal today, Paul dismissed Romney’s possible third run and said that Romney had previously failed to “attract a big enough constituency to win.”

“I think he’s had his chance,” Paul said, “and I think it’s time for some fresh blood.”

Romney won the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 but lost to President Barack Obama in the general election. (Read more on what Rand Paul says about the 2016 run HERE)

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