Before Governor Walker was a short-lived presidential candidate for the GOP nomination, he earned himself a place in the Republican party conversation by being a union busting, budget slashing governor.
However, much like Trump, Walker lied about some of the things his reputation was built on. He claimed that special interests sent 100,000 people to protest his union busting– lie. He claimed a $535 million surplus in Wisconsin’s state budget– lie. He even lied about opening his school records. Trump and those like him can’t keep their stories straight this election and that is dangerous for America.
WALKER: “Well, in the end, I’m used to — as you know — you have been up to Wisconsin. You have seen it firsthand. The big government special interests, the powerful special interests, the union bosses and others, they will stop at nothing and all their supporters out there. They brought 100,000 protesters into our state to try and intimidate us, to back it down.”
Walker said his political opponents ‘brought 100,000 protesters into our state.’ In early 2011, tens of thousands of protesters — and perhaps as many as 100,000 on some days — participated in daily demonstrations near the state Capitol to protest Walker’s collective bargaining reform law. But there is no evidence to indicate that all or nearly all were from outside of Wisconsin. We rate Walker’s statement False.
Scott Walker lied about running a $535 million surplus in his Wisconsin budget.
Walker told debate viewers: ‘The next state budget will begin with a surplus of over half a billion dollars — $535 million to be exact.’ That rosy number flies in the face of the official estimate that uses a long-established method used by members of both parties, and the governor’s budget office. We rate the claim False.
Scott Walker lied about having “unsealed” his Marquette University student records.
Walker said he ‘unsealed’ his student records at Marquette University. In fact, he has taken only the very limited step of authorizing the school to confirm that he was in ‘good standing’ during his time at Marquette and that he voluntarily withdrew. We haven’t seen any records. We rate Walker’s statement False.
Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton will unveil her proposal to rein in out-of-control prescription drugs costs—an issue that countless voters have raised as a priority for Clinton on the campaign trail. But, in contrast with Clinton’s bold tackling of the issue, Republicans—like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and Chris Christie—have enacted policies that increased the out of pocket cost to consumers and made it more difficult for Americans to purchase their prescription medications.
The GOP’s silence on prescription drug costs will not go unnoticed, certainly not while Hillary Clinton takes on an issue so critically important to the American people.
Jeb Bush proposed reducing state’s payments for prescription drugs for Medicaid patients. “The spending reductions he recommended included about $ 225 million less in the state’s contribution to the pension fund, reduced payments for drugs for Medicaid patients and scattered economies throughout the government such as elimination of vacant positions. The most controversial proposed cut may be the $ 107 million reduction in payments for pharmaceuticals for Medicaid patients.” [Times-Union, 2/3/99]
Jeb Bush signed a $22.5 million cut to prescription drug assistance for poor seniors. “Some services for lower-income Floridians face reductions. Drug assistance for poor seniors, for example, faces a $22.5 million cut, halting plans to expand a program now used by 8,100 elderly.” [Orlando Sentinel, 12/3/01]
Jeb Bush vetoed $90,000 for a prescription access for the underserved program at the Suncoast Community Health Center. According to Jeb Bush’s 2002 veto message, “Specific Appropriation 574 Pages 112 and 113 – A portion of proviso language […] Prescription Access For The Underserved – Suncoast CHC – Hillsborough 90,000’” [Jeb Bush 2002 Veto Message, 6/5/02]
Jeb Bush signed a requirement that Medicaid and Medically Needy recipients pay a 2.5 percent co-pay for each prescription drug up to $7.50 per month. “Medicaid and Medically Needy recipients will pay a 2.5 percent co-pay for each prescription drug up to $7.50 per prescription per month.” [St. Petersburg Times, 5/23/03]
Jeb Bush recommended an $8 million cut to Medicaid prescription drug reimbursements for pharmacists. “Also taking a hit would be pharmacists, who would see the state pay them less to fill a Medicaid prescription, saving about $8-million. HMOs would see a 1 percent cut in their reimbursement for taking on Medicaid clients, saving $5-million.” [St. Petersburg Times, 1/21/04]
Jeb Bush pushed to limit the number of medications readily available to poor people. “Even Republicans are wary of the governor’s plan to cut costs by limiting prescription drugs. Gov. Jeb Bush’s plan to cut Medicaid costs by limiting the number of medications readily available to poor people is being met with stiff resistance from lawmakers in the governor’s own party. Senate President Toni Jennings and Speaker of the House John Thrasher both said Friday that they have real concerns about Bush’s plan. A House budget committee did not even consider the proposal when it met earlier this week. A Senate budget committee considered a much scaled-back version of the proposal Friday, but it too was criticized.” [St. Petersburg Times, 3/6/99]
Jeb Bush proposed a $292 million cut to prescription drugs under Medicaid. “Bush also proposed some major cuts in the $ 14.7 billion Medicaid program, including a $ 300 million cut in the Medically Needy initiative that helps 36,000 catastrophically ill Floridians who have exhausted their private insurance. The recipients would lose their hospitalization but could still get prescription drugs. Bush also supports more restrictions on the use of prescription drugs by Medicaid patients, which represents another $ 292 million cut.” [Ledger, 1/19/05]
Scott Walker considered cuts to Milwaukee County’s medical safety net program that would result in increased prescription drug costs for the poor. “Seven years after Milwaukee County committed to serving the uninsured after closing Doyne Hospital, County Executive Scott Walker is contemplating major cuts in – or elimination of – the county’s health care program for the poor, which served 29,000 residents last year. Walker said the county’s ongoing budget squeeze and the fact that no state law mandates the safety-net General Assistance Medical Program explains his consideration of reducing the county’s $13.7 million tax-levy support by $1 million to $5 million, or phasing it out entirely. […] It would also mean a new co-pay of $10 per visit to specialty physicians, boost the GAMP semiannual application fee from $35 to $50, and ask patients to pay more for prescription drugs, according to Henken. It would mean a loss of $1.4 million in matching funds.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/25/05]
Scott Walker’s budget proposal sought to slash $15 million from Wisconsin’s prescription drug program. “Gov. Scott Walker’s executive budget would cut $15 million from the state’s popular SeniorCare program over the next two years. The program provides senior citizens with prescription drug benefits. The governor’s budget would slash $15 million in state tax dollars from the program, resulting in the loss of a matching $15 million in federal funding and $66 million in program revenue. The only explanation Walker has offered is the cuts will ensure coherent alignment with Medicare Part D. The governor’s spokeswoman had no immediate explanation.” [Associated Press, 2/5/15]
Scott Walker’s budget would push Wisconsin seniors off of the state’s popular prescription drug program into the potentially more expensive Medicare Part D benefit. “Pushing eligible recipients of the state’s popular SeniorCare prescription drug plan into the potentially more expensive federal Medicare Part D benefit. It isn’t clear yet how many of the roughly 87,000 SeniorCare members would be affected. A similar proposal made in Walker’s 2011 budget bill was scrapped because of opposition from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. […] Seniors ages 65 and older pay a yearly $30 enrollment fee for SeniorCare as well as co-payments ranging from $5 to $15, but unlike the federal plan the Wisconsin plan is simpler and has no gaps in coverage.” [Journal-Sentinel, 2/23/15]
Marco Rubio supported the 2011 Ryan budget plan despite it increasing “out-of-pocket costs for the typical Medicare patient…by more than $6,000 a year.” “The Ryan budget plan […] would increase out of pocket costs for the typical Medicare patient of the future by more than $6,000 a year. Rubio said he still supports the Ryan plan. He said the message from constituents was that they wanted to ‘save Medicare.’ ‘The political risks are dwarfed by the real risks of allowing Medicare to go bankrupt,’ […] ‘The political risks do not measure up to the real risks of allowing Medicare over the next 5 to 12 years to have to cut benefits because it runs out of money.” [Sun-Sentinel, 5/10/11]
Chris Christie said he was “embarrassed” that prescription drugs for children were too cheap. “In a tirade against Barack Obama’s policies as U.S. President at one of his summer town halls here today, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he’s ‘embarrassed’ that he has to pay $3 dollars for his kids’ prescriptions when he goes to his local pharmacy. ‘I get this health plan now,’ Christie said, referring to ObamaCare, the president’s signature health care legislation. ‘And I have to tell you the truth, it’s embarrassing. I go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for one of my kids and you know what I pay most of the time? Three dollars. Three dollars for anything. And the guy behind the counter is looking at me, knowing he’s paying for me to get that. I’m embarrassed by that. It’s too rich. We can’t afford it.’” [Politicker NJ, 8/14/14]
Chris Christie’s proposed 2011 budget would increase fees for prescription drugs for the aged and disabled. “Beginning in January, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled beneficiaries would be required to cover an annual deductible of $310. Also, the co-payment for brand-name drugs rises from $7 now to $15 and the co-payment for generic drugs would drop from $6 now to $5. Senior Gold enrollees will also have to pay the $310 deductible and additional coinsurance.” [Home News Tribune, 3/16/10]
Newark Star-Ledger Editorial: Chris Christie “slashed important senior programs, like prescription drug assistance.” “Lately, the governor reminds us of a firefighter who torches a house so he can rush in, put out the blaze and be the hero. After two years of sticking it to fixed-income seniors (while protecting millionaires), Chris Christie is now sucking up to them in town hall meetings, even popping up at their kitchen tables to tell them he feels their pain. Of course he does. He inflicted a lot of it. He cut property tax relief, making it tougher for them to stay in the very homes he’s visiting. And he slashed important senior programs, like prescription drug assistance.” [Newark Star-Ledger editorial, 8/9/11]
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]]>While Hillary Clinton leads on women’s issues, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Ohio Governor John Kasich—both loyal foot soldiers in the GOP’s war on women—have long pushed an out of touch agenda that promotes discrimination against women in the workplace and severely limits women’s health choices. Sadly, Walker and Kasich aren’t the only Republican hopefuls pushing an out of date agenda for women—the GOP presidential field is riddled with candidates who support extreme views on women.
Scott Walker repealed a Wisconsin law allowing victims of pay discrimination to seek damages in state courts. “On Thursday, with little fanfare, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker signed a bill repealing the state’s 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which allowed victims of workplace discrimination to seek damages in state courts. […] The Equal Pay law wasn’t just about women—it also offered protection from discrimination based on race, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and other factors. But it was enacted largely in response to a large gap between men and women’s compensation, one that was worse than average in Wisconsin—in 2009 the state ranked 36th in the country in terms of workplace gender parity.” [Daily Beast, 4/7/12]
Scott Walker signed legislation that put limits on attorney’s fees victims could recover in equal pay lawsuits. “The law approved by Walker removes the ability for victims of wage discrimination to go to court for compensatory and punitive damages, although they still have the ability to seek back pay. Hynes noted that Walker previously signed legislation that puts a limit on the amount of attorney’s fees victims can recover in lawsuits, making it even less likely that wronged employees will take their cases to court.” [International Business Times, 4/9/12]
Scott Walker supported a 20-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. “Gov. Scott Walker said Monday he will sign a proposed 20-week abortion ban whether or not it includes an exemption for cases of rape or incest. […] Walker, who had previously expressed support for the bill that’s on a fast track in the Wisconsin Legislature, said it didn’t matter whether there was an exemption. As introduced, there is none in the bill.” [Chicago Tribune, 6/1/15]
Scott Walker declared himself “100 percent pro-life” and pledged to seek a complete abortion ban. “For his part, Walker has said repeatedly he opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. He declares himself ‘100 percent pro-life.’ And to Pro-Life Wisconsin, an organization that opposes abortion without exception, Walker pledged to seek a complete abortion ban. We asked Jill Bader, Walker’s campaign spokeswoman, about Barrett’s ad and she said it accurately states Walker’s position.” [Politifact, 10/26/10]
Scott Walker signed a budget that “eliminated over $1 million in state funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.” “A fifth Planned Parenthood health center closed in Wisconsin on Thursday due to state budget cuts that directed family planning money away from the provider. The Fond du Lac clinic did not provide abortion services. It offered birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, pregnancy tests, annual exams and breast cancer screenings to over 1,000 patients a year. A spokesperson for the clinic blamed the closure directly on Gov. Scott Walker (R), whose 2011-2013 budget eliminated over $1 million in state funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.” [Huffington Post, 9/25/14]
Scott Walker bragged about having “defunded Planned Parenthood” in Wisconsin. “A few weeks before the November election, in an interview with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the governor sidestepped questions about his earlier opposition to abortion, and declined four times to answer directly when asked if abortion should be prohibited after 20 weeks — a position he had previously embraced. He also declined to restate his earlier opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest. But in a breakout speech in Iowa on Jan. 24, he drew loud applause from the crowd of conservative activists when he declared that he had passed ‘pro-life legislation’ in Wisconsin and ‘defunded Planned Parenthood.’” [New York Times, 2/22/15]
Scott Walker supported “personhood” legislation. “Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin spoke directly into the camera in a 30-second spot last fall and called abortion an ‘agonizing’ decision. He described himself as pro-life but, borrowing the language of the abortion rights movement, pointed to legislation he signed that leaves ‘the final decision to a woman and her doctor.’ That language was gone when Mr. Walker met privately with Iowa Republicans in a hotel conference room last month, according to a person who attended the meeting. There, he highlighted his early support for a ‘personhood amendment,’ which defines life as beginning at conception and would effectively prohibit all abortions and some methods of birth control.” [New York Times, 2/22/15]
Scott Walker: Forced mandatory ultrasounds were “just a cool thing out there.” “I’ll give you an example. I’m pro-life, I’ve passed pro-life legislation. We defunded Planned Parenthood, we signed a law that requires an ultrasound. Which, the thing about that, the media tried to make that sound like that was a crazy idea. Most people I talk to, whether they’re pro-life or not, I find people all the time who’ll get out their iPhone and show me a picture of their grandkids’ ultrasound and how excited they are, so that’s a lovely thing. I think about my sons are 19 and 20, you know we still have their first ultrasound picture. It’s just a cool thing out there.” [NPR, 5/27/15]
Scott Walker pushed a budget proposal that would have shuttered rural family planning clinics. “A Wausau-based clinic system that offers reproductive health services won’t have to close any of its rural locations after state lawmakers maintained a grant that funds those facilities. The state Joint Committee on Finance voted Wednesday to cut just 10 percent of the state grant, rather than the entire $1.9 million as proposed in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget. Lon Newman, executive director of Family Planning Health Services, said that his small, rural clinics that lose money annually and rely on the grant funding to survive will no longer face the risk of closing. ‘We’re going to have to tighten up like everybody else in this budget,’ he said. ‘But it means the grants are still going to be there to give that base funding.’ Immediately after Walker’s original budget was released earlier this year, Newman said clinics in Taylor, Juneau, Lincoln and Adams counties could be forced to close.” [Wausau Daily Herald, 5/20/11]
Women working in Gov. John Kasich’s office were paid an average of $9.81 per hour less than men. “A newspaper investigation has found the average pay gap between men and women in the offices of four of Ohio’s five elected statewide officials has grown to as much as almost $10 an hour, as it’s shrunk to under a dollar across the rest of state government. Women working in Republican Gov. John Kasich’s office earn $9.81-an-hour less, on average, than men, the Dayton Daily News analysis published Sunday showed. That’s the highest gender pay gap among statewide officeholders, according to the newspaper’s study of Ohio Department of Administrative Services data. The gender gap compares to $3.99-an-hour under former Gov. Ted Strickland.” [Associated Press, 4/12/14]
John Kasich signed into law a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. “Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed a bill on Wednesday that bans abortions after 20 weeks if the fetus is determined to be viable, making Ohio the latest in a series of states to ban late-term abortions. The Ohio bill contains no exceptions for rape or incest and only a very narrow exception for health of the mother, which means that an Ohio physician must be able to prove in court that he performed a late-term abortion to save the woman’s life. If a doctor violates this rule, he could be arrested and lose his medical license.” [Huffington Post, 7/21/11]
John Kasich signed into law a bill that enacted strict abortion restrictions, including mandatory ultrasounds. “Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed stringent abortion restrictions into law as part of his state’s budget Sunday night, just days after Democratic Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis thrilled abortion rights groups nationwide with her successful filibuster against proposed anti-abortion regulations in her home state. The provisions in Ohio will make it more difficult for family planning groups to receive funding for preventive care; require ultrasounds for anyone seeking an abortion; and limit abortion providers’ ability to get transfer agreements with public hospitals.” [Washington Post, 7/1/13]
John Kasich signed legislation essentially cutting off Planned Parenthood from $1.4 million in federal family-planning dollars. According to the Columbus Dispatch, “In all, Kasich vetoed 22 items, including some earmarks. However, Ohio State University’s STAR House, which helps homeless youth, kept its $665,000 per year in funding. Significant abortion provisions in the budget were not changed. The bill essentially cuts off Planned Parenthood from about $1.4 million in federal family-planning dollars by re-prioritizing who can receive the money. Under the bill, abortion clinics must have a transfer agreement with a hospital, but they are prohibited from signing one with a public hospital. The bill also requires a doctor to perform an external ultrasound prior to an abortion to search for a heartbeat, and if one is found, the doctor must inform the woman. The doctor also must tell the woman the likelihood of the fetus surviving to a full term, and the bill redefines a fetus as ‘developing from the moment of conception,’ rather than when a fertilized egg has been implanted in the uterus.” [Columbus Dispatch, 7/1/13]
]]>In a speech this morning at the Brookings Institution, Hillary Clinton laid out a clear-eyed vision on how best to guarantee that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. Clinton’s plan not only includes support for the nuclear deal currently pending before Congress, but also a series of “distrust and verify” measures to keep up global pressure on Iran. “I don’t see Iran as our partner in implementing the agreement,” Clinton said today. “I believe that Iran is the subject of the agreement.” Confronting Iran is nothing new for Clinton—as Secretary of State she built the coalition that enacted the toughest global sanctions in history, which forced Iran back to the negotiating table.
On the other side of the aisle, the Republican candidates are letting Dick Cheney call the shots, and many are irresponsibly arguing that they will walk away from an agreement embraced by most of America’s leading international allies. As Clinton said in her remarks today, “several Republicans boast that they’ll tear up this agreement […] that’s not leadership, that’s recklessness.”
Scott Walker said he would “terminate” the Iran nuclear deal “on day one.”
Scott Walker said that the United States should treat the inspection of Iran’s nuclear facilities the way parents treat inspections of teenage boys’ bedrooms.
Ted Cruz compared the Iran nuclear deal to the appeasement of Hitler.
Ted Cruz was one of 47 GOP senators that signed an open letter to Iranian leadership attacking a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
Donald Trump said the Iran nuclear deal was a “disastrous deal in so many ways” and that he would renegotiate it.
Jeb Bush opposed the Iran nuclear deal but “stopped well short of promising he’d undo the deal.”
Jeb Bush said he would never have negotiated with Iran in the first place.
Marco Rubio claimed that “nothing” in th Iran nuclear agreement was “binding on the next administration.”
Marco Rubio was one of 47 GOP senators that signed an open letter to Iranian leadership attacking a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
Ben Carson suggested that the Iran nuclear deal was “anti-Semitic.”
Mike Huckabee said the Iran nuclear deal would “take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.”
Chris Christie opposed the Iran nuclear deal.
Chris Christie provided “scant details on what he believes would be a good deal.”
Chris Christie on his ideal Iran deal: “I don’t know what the deal would look like.” [APPS National Security Summit, 7/29/15]
Carly Fiorina opposed the Iran nuclear deal and said she would renegotiate it.
Lindsey Graham said he would break the Iran nuclear deal on his first day in office.
Lindsey Graham claimed negotiating with Iran would put us “on the road to Armageddon.”
Lindsey Graham was one of 47 GOP senators that signed an open letter to Iranian leadership attacking a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
Bobby Jindal opposed the Iran nuclear deal and criticized Congressional Republicans for being outplayed in allowing it to pass.
Bobby Jindal was the first non-Congressional official to sign the GOP’s open letter to Iranian leadership attacking a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
John Kasich opposed the Iran nuclear deal but said he would not invalidate it.
Rand Paul vowed to vote against the Iran nuclear deal.
Rand Paul was one of 47 GOP senators that signed an open letter to Iranian leadership attacking a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
2007: Rand Paul on Iran: “It’s ridiculous to think they’re a threat to our national security….It’s not even that viable to say they’re a national threat to Israel.”
2008: Rand Paul on Iran: “I find it hard to believe that a country that can’t refine their gas is somehow a threat to our national security.”
2015: Rand Paul claimed he “never really indicated that [the Iranians] were of no threat.” [Fox News’ The Kelly File, 5/13/15]
Rick Perry pledged to invalidate the U.S.’ multilateral deal with Iran to limit Iranian nuclear capacity as one of his first acts as president.
Rick Perry was the second governor to back the Senate GOP’s open letter to Iranian leadership attacking a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
Rick Santorum called the Iran nuclear deal “a catastrophic capitulation.”
]]>
TO: Editorial Boards
FROM: Brad Woodhouse, President, Correct The Record
DATE: September 9, 2015
SUBJECT: Hillary Clinton’s Email: Not a Scandal
For many months, the media has covered former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email. The conversation about Clinton’s emails has continued to escalate, buoyed in large part by political operatives who seek to defeat Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that using a personal email as Secretary of State was far from the best choice. She has taken full responsibility for the decision she made and said she was sorry for the mistake.
But what’s also clear from the available facts is that this is not a scandal, and it should not be an issue that defines the 2016 campaign for the presidency.
First, Hillary Clinton committed no crime by using a personal email and is not the subject of a criminal investigation. Anne Tompkins, who oversaw the prosecution of General David Petraeus for the mishandling of classified information, put it clearly:
Clinton is not being investigated for knowingly sending or receiving classified materials improperly. Indeed, the State Department has confirmed that none of the information that has surfaced on Clinton’s server thus far was classified at the time it was sent or received. […] Her decision not to segregate her email accounts was regrettable, but unlike the actions and prosecution of Petraeus, there has been no evidence of criminal conduct.
Second, the security of Clinton’s email was never proven to be compromised, and Clinton never sent or received information marked classified. During the time she was Secretary of State, Clinton’s email was never shown to be hacked. During that same period, the security of official government server systems was repeatedly compromised. As Tompkins notes above, none of the emails Clinton sent or received were marked classified. However, before Clinton’s emails can be released publicly, their content must be reviewed by officials for information newly deemed sensitive. This review would occur for personal and government email alike.
Third, the intense focus on Clinton’s email mistake is disproportionate and hypocritical considering so many of her Republican rivals did precisely the same thing. As the Newark Star-Ledger put it in an editorial over the weekend, the coverage of Clinton’s email has been “overblown,” in part because, “Jeb Bush appears to have done something extraordinarily similar as governor. He just hasn’t gotten the same media scrutiny. Both Bush and Clinton conducted public and private business with their personal emails.” Other Republican candidates are guilty of much greater sins in regards to emails and transparency.
All in all, did Hillary Clinton make a mistake in deciding to use a personal email? She’s the first to admit as much, and she has offered a complete apology for having used this system. However, months of sensational coverage—often driven forward by anonymous, highly partisan and regularly debunked Congressional sources—has resulted in the spread of misinformation and the illusion of a scandal that does not exist. Worst of all, it has distracted from the issues that matter the most to Americans.
Secretary Clinton’s use of a personal email account for business was lawful. “Hillary Clinton’s exclusive use of a personal email account to conduct official business as secretary of State caused seems to have stayed within the law, experts say.” [Hill, 3/3/15]
Gary Bass, Founder of OMB Watch: Because rules regarding personal emails “weren’t in effect when Clinton was in office, ‘she was in compliance with the laws and regulations.’” “In Clinton’s defense, we should note that it was only after Clinton left the State Department, that the National Archives issued a recommendation that government employees should avoid conducting official business on personal emails (though they noted there might be extenuating circumstances such as an emergency that require it). Additionally, in 2014, President Barack Obama signed changes to the Federal Records Act that explicitly said federal officials can only use personal email addresses if they also copy or send the emails to their official account. Because these rules weren’t in effect when Clinton was in office, ‘she was in compliance with the laws and regulations at the time,’ said Gary Bass, founder and former director of OMB Watch, a government accountability organization.” [Politifact, 3/12/15]
Security experts and consultants ensured that “robust protections were put in place and additional upgrades and techniques employed over time” to secure Hillary Clinton’s emails. “What level of encryption was employed? Who was the service provider? The security and integrity of her family’s electronic communications was taken seriously from the onset when it was first set up for President Clinton’s team. While the curiosity about the specifics of this set up is understandable, given what people with ill intentions can do with such information in this day and age, there are concerns about broadcasting specific technical details about past and current practices. Suffice it to say, robust protections were put in place and additional upgrades and techniques employed over time as they became available, including consulting and employing third party experts.” [The Facts About Hillary Clinton’s Emails, The Briefing, accessed 7/14/15]
National Journal: “It is unclear whether the State Department could have actually provided stronger protections, as the agency has not been exempt from cyber vulnerabilities.” “It is unclear whether the State Department could have actually provided stronger protections, as the agency has not been exempt from cyber vulnerabilities. Late last year, the agency was forced to shut down its email system after hackers apparently infiltrated the network.” [National Journal, 3/3/15]
AP: Since the Secret Service was guarding Clinton’s home, an email server there would have been well protected. “And since the Secret Service was guarding Clinton’s home, an email server there would have been well protected from theft or a physical hacking. But homemade email servers are generally not as reliable, secure from hackers or protected from fires or floods as those in commercial data centers. Those professional facilities provide monitoring for viruses or hacking attempts, regulated temperatures, off-site backups, generators in case of power outages, fire-suppression systems and redundant communications lines.” [AP, 3/4/15]
State Dept. Spokesman: “It is routine to upgrade information to classified status during the FOIA process.” “‘Portions of 25 emails were subsequently upgraded’ to classified, State spokesman Alex Gerlach said late Tuesday. ‘It is routine to upgrade information to classified status during the FOIA process. … The information that has been classified today through our FOIA review was sent in 2009. The occurrence of a subsequent upgrade does not in itself mean that anyone did something wrong or violated the law when they sent or received this information.’” [Politico, 6/30/15]
No Secretary of State relied exclusively on official email until John Kerry. “In a statement, State Department deputy spokesman, Marie Harf, told DailyMail.com: ‘The State Department has long had access to a wide array of Secretary Clinton’s records – including emails between her and Department officials with state.gov accounts.’ […] She added Mr Kerry is the first Secretary of State to ‘rely primarily on a state.gov email account.’” [Daily Mail, 3/2/15]
Colin Powell also used a personal email account during his tenure at the State Department. “Like Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State Colin Powell also used a personal email account during his tenure at the State Department, an aide confirmed in a statement. ‘He was not aware of any restrictions nor does he recall being made aware of any over the four years he served at State,’ the statement says. ‘He sent emails to his staff generally via their State Department email addresses. These emails should be on the State Department computers. He might have occasionally used personal email addresses, as he did when emailing to family and friends.’” [Politico, 3/3/15]
Jeb Bush “conducted all his communication on his private Jeb@jeb.org account and “hand-selected” emails he turned over to the state archives. “The former governor conducted all his communication on his private Jeb@jeb.org account and turned over the hand-selected batch to the state archives when he left office. Absent from the stash are emails the governor deemed not relevant to the public record: those relating to politics, fundraising and personal matters while he was governor.” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/3/15]
Complaint: A ‘secret email system’ existed in County Executive’s office and was “routinely used by selected insiders within the Scott Walker administration” for county business as well as unofficial purposes such as campaigning. “The complaint reveals a ‘secret email system’ that was ‘routinely used by selected insiders within the Walker administration’ for county business as well as unofficial purposes such as campaigning.” [Journal Sentinel, 1/26/12]
Marco Rubio used a personal email account to “vent” about Republicans to reporters. “As Marco Rubio’s time as House speaker dwindles, he finds himself double teamed by the Senate and Gov. Charlie Crist. Over the weekend, he decided to vent. After the House devolved into partisan chaos over a decision by Rubio’s team to block Democratic debate on an education bill, Rubio dashed off a series of e mails to St. Petersburg Times reporters on his personal e mail account. He freely offered opinions, laying out each chamber’s top priorities, deriding the governor’s last minute plan to cut gas taxes and criticizing a tax commission’s hesitance to cap government tax revenues.” [St. Petersburg Times, 4/23/08]
Chris Christie staffers used private emails to conduct state business and ignored journalists’ requests to view them. “Emails disclosed this past week show a top Christie aide asking the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to shut down three lanes on the busy George Washington Bridge, resulting in major backups for days last September. Those emails were leaked to reporters last week, even though one newspaper requested them nearly a month ago, only to be told they didn’t exist. The use of private emails adds Christie, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016, to a growing list of administrations that use private email accounts and other digital services to conduct official business. In turn, state and federal officials, regardless of political party, have sidestepped public records laws meant to keep government activities transparent.” [Associated Press, 1/11/14]
]]>Instead of improving their extreme views on women – like the views of certain 2016 GOP candidates who oppose a woman’s right to choose, birth control, the Equal Pay Act, the Violence Against Women Act and more – Republicans feigned shock to Clinton’s comments and demanded an apology.
Naturally and unsurprisingly, the GOP’s concern doesn’t extend to actual offensive and baseless comparisons to terrorism made by its own candidates.
SHOT:
“Clinton compares GOP candidates’ views to those of terrorists, RNC wants apology” – Fox News, 8/27/15
CHASER:
“[Mike] Huckabee equated the terrorist actions of Islamic State to what he described as the immorality of Planned Parenthood and abortion. After talking about ISIS, he said, ‘let us not be too smug in this country. Because we have sins to answer for. ‘Since 1973, 60 million unborn children have died in their mother’s womb. If I’m president I will invoke the Fifth and 14th Amendment of the Constitution and protect unborn life.’” [Des Moines Register, 8/26/15]
“[Ben Carson] favorably compared the terrorist group ISIS to the founding fathers of the United States. Carson praised ISIS for being ‘willing to die’ for their beliefs, just like America’s founders, and not compromising for ‘the sake of political correctness.’ He said that while ISIS had the ‘wrong philosophy,’ Americans could learn from their example.” [Think Progress, 1/15/15]
“[Rick] Santorum claimed if the [Iran] deal went through, Obama would be ‘the greatest funder of terrorism in the world’ and that ‘he has put Israel directly in the sights of an anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic country that wants to wipe it out.’” [Mediaite, 7/27/15]
“‘If this deal goes through, the Obama administration, President Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, will become the leading global financiers of radical Islamic terrorism,’ said [Ted] Cruz. He further criticized the deal for lifting the ballistic missile embargo, claiming it is tantamount to arming a theocratic regime that has pledged to murder Americans.” [Washington Examiner, 7/23/15]
“Scott Walker on Thursday said his experience undermining labor unions in Wisconsin has prepared him to take on the threat of the Islamic State in the Middle East. ‘If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,’ Walker told a packed crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in response to a question about how he would fight the terrorist group, which has killed thousands in Iraq and Syria.” [Huffington Post, 2/26/15]
]]>“‘The common thread we see in many of these cases is a failure in the system to help someone who is suffering from mental illness,’ Walker said.” [Associated Press, 8/27/15]
Chaser:
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: “The county’s Mental Health Complex has been so badly managed under [Scott Walker’s] watch that vulnerable people have been needlessly victimized.” “Still, Walker’s record as county executive is not unblemished. The county’s Mental Health Complex has been so badly managed under his watch that vulnerable people have been needlessly victimized. His budgets have failed to meet the need, even as overtime salaries for some complex employees boggle the imagination.” [Journal-Sentinel’s endorsement of Scott Walker, 10/24/10]
Scott Walker was one of several Milwaukee County officials that “eliminated more than 200 mental health complex jobs, one in five.” “State and county support hasn’t kept pace with growth in health care costs, adding pressure to cut staff and programs. Since 2001, county elected officials including Walker, former County Executive Tom Ament and the County Board have eliminated more than 200 mental health complex jobs, one in five. Some of those were maintenance and food service jobs. The board last year blocked an effort by Walker to trim 50 additional direct care jobs at the complex.” [Journal-Sentinel, 8/22/10]
Scott Walker cut $593,000 for mental health case managers and cut $367,000 and nine jobs for the Mental Health Complex’s day treatment program. “As advertised, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker used his veto Monday to cut $10 million in spending the County Board added to his 2010 budget and to thwart the County Board’s efforts to kill several privatization measures. He also used vetoes to revive $1 an hour lakefront parking meters, add more furlough days for county workers next year, cut funding for day treatment mental health services and eliminate 39 parks worker jobs. […] Social services: Cut $593,000 for mental health case managers and shift to more outsourcing. Cut $367,000 and nine jobs for the Mental Health Complex’s day treatment program. Cut a short-term assistance program for disabled persons, for a savings of $116,000.” [Journal-Sentinel, 11/16/09]
Scott Walker proposed a $500,000 cut to Milwaukee County’s budget for adult mental health services that was overridden by the county board. “A $1 million plan to borrow for construction of housing units for people with mental illness advanced Thursday through the Milwaukee County Board’s Finance Committee. […] Also Thursday, the [Milwaukee County Board’s Finance Committee] restored half of a Walker proposed $500,000 cut in the county’s $15.6 million budget for adult mental health services provided through various contract agencies.” [Journal-Sentinel, 10/27/06]
Scott Walker’s 2004 budget trimmed or privatized “staffing in mental health and disability programs.” “Cutting deeper his second time around, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker on Thursday unveiled a 2004 budget that continues parks layoffs, trims or privatizes staffing in mental health and disability programs, cuts bus routes and raises fares, and dramatically reduces support for cultural and arts institutions. […] The slow move away from county-provided services for the severely mentally ill would accelerate under several privatization initiatives. Several job eliminations chip away at outpatient programs at the county Mental Health Complex.” [Journal-Sentinel, 9/19/03]
Scott Walker opposed a request for $92.25 million in federal stimulus money to construct a new mental health complex in Milwaukee. “Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker opposes the request by three county supervisors for $92.25 million in federal stimulus money to construct a new mental health complex.” [Daily Reporter, 1/19/09]
]]>“The Republican Party is one of tolerance and respect, and we need to ensure that the tone of our message is always reflective of these core principles.”
“We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not, our Party’s appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only.”
“If Hispanics think we do not want them here, they will close their ears to our policies.”
2015: Jeb Bush and Donald Trump use the term “anchor babies.”
Jeb Bush: “You know, ‘anchor babies’, as they’re described, coming into the country.”
Donald Trump: “I’d much rather find out whether or not ‘anchor babies’ are citizens because a lot of people don’t think they are.”
Jeb, Trump, and other 2016 GOP presidential candidates continue to hold extreme, out-of-touch and out-of-date positions on immigration. From Scott Walker’s opposition to birthright citizenship, to Jeb and Trump’s use of the term “anchor babies,” it is clear that the GOP’s brand has remained out-of-touch and out-of-date.
Donald Trump: “I’d much rather find out whether or not anchor babies are citizens because a lot of people don’t think they are.” “The GOP presidential hopeful does not, however, support amending the Constitution to repeal birthright citizenship, saying it would be a ‘long process.’ ‘I think it would take too long,’ he told Fox News. ‘I’d much rather find out whether or not anchor babies are citizens because a lot of people don’t think they are. We’re going to test it out.’” [CBS News, 8/19/15]
Donald Trump: “I’ll use the word anchor baby.” REPORTER: Anchor baby, that’s an offensive term, people find that hurtful TRUMP: You mean it’s not political correct and yet everybody uses it? REPORTER: Look it up in the dictionary, it’s offensive. TRUMP: Give me a different term, give me a different term. What else would you like to say. REPORTER: A child, an American born child of an undocumented immigrant. TRUMP: You want me to say that, okay, I use the word anchor baby. Excuse me, I’ll use the word anchor baby.” [ABC News, 8/19/15]
Donald Trump: “Some four million anchor babies are now officially U.S. citizens. This has to stop.” “Some four million anchor babies are now officially U.S. citizens. This has to stop. The only other major country in the world that issues citizenship based on where one’s mother delivers her child is Canada. The rest of the world bases citizenship on who the kid’s parents are, which is of course the only sane standard.” [Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again, pg. 141, 2011]
Donald Trump: “As for what to do about illegal immigration, we should follow the repeal of the anchor baby provisions with a five-point program.” “Now, as for what to do about illegal immigration, we should follow the repeal of the anchor baby provisions with a five-point program to create a smart and humane plan to get illegal immigration under control.” [Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again, pg. 146, 2011]
Donald Trump: “What happens is they’re in Mexico, they’re going to have a baby, they move over here for a couple of days, they have the baby.” “The real estate magnate, however, claims that those born on U.S. soil to illegal immigrants don’t have full citizens’ rights. ‘What happens is they’re in Mexico, they’re going to have a baby, they move over here for a couple of days, they have the baby,’ he told O’Reilly. Trump asserted, ‘Many lawyers are saying that’s not the way it is in terms of this,’ and went on to say, ‘They are saying it is not going to hold up in court. It will have to be tested but they say it will not hold up in court.’” [CBS News, 8/19/15]
Donald Trump made ending birthright citizenship a pillar of his immigration plan, calling it “the biggest magnet for illegal immigration.” “End birthright citizenship. This remains the biggest magnet for illegal immigration. By a 2:1 margin, voters say it’s the wrong policy, including Harry Reid who said ‘no sane country’ would give automatic citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.” [“Immigration Reform That Will Make America Great Again,” accessed 8/20/15]
Jeb Bush: “[We need] better enforcement so that you don’t have these, you know, ‘anchor babies’, as they’re described, coming into the country.” Jeb Bush doesn’t want birthright citizenship to go away, but he is calling for stronger enforcement for people who abuse it. ‘If there’s abuse, if people are bringing — pregnant women are coming in to have babies simply because they can do it, then there ought to be greater enforcement,’ Bush said on Bill Bennett’s conservative radio show, ‘Morning in America’ Wednesday. ‘That’s [the] legitimate side of this. Better enforcement so that you don’t have these, you know, ‘anchor babies’, as they’re described, coming into the country.’ ‘Anchor babies’ is a derogatory term used to describe children who are born in the United States to undocumented parents.” [Politico, 8/20/15]
Mike Huckabee, according to his top immigration surrogate, proposed amending the Constitution to prevent children of undocumented immigrants from automatically receiving U.S. citizenship. “Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution to prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens, according to his top immigration surrogate — a radical step no other major presidential candidate has embraced. Mr. Huckabee, who won last week’s Republican Iowa caucuses, promised Minuteman Project founder James Gilchrist that he would force a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge birthright citizenship, and would push Congress to pass a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to remove any doubt.” [Washington Times,1/8/08]
Ted Cruz declared his support for amending the Constitution to end birthright citizenship. “Ted Cruz set himself apart from much of the 2016 GOP field—including Donald Trump—by saying on Wednesday that he’d support amending the Constitution as a way to end birthright citizenship. Trump set off a firestorm of debate among 2016 Republicans after unveiling an immigration agenda over the weekend that calls for an end to birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the Constitution by the 14th amendment, which grants citizenship to children of illegal immigrants born in America. Calling for an end to birthright citizenship is not new for the Republican field. Cruz has been on the record since at least 2012 saying that the U.S. should stop the policy of granting automatic citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants at birth. Other 2016 GOP contenders, including Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, and Lindsey Graham, have either criticized or voiced support for ending the policy.” [National Journal, 8/19/15]
Lindsay Graham: “We should change our Constitution and say if you come here illegally and you have a child, that child’s automatically not a citizen.”“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says that the United States should end its policy of guaranteeing citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants as ensured by the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The South Carolina Senator defined his stance on the immigration issue on Wednesday in an interview with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren. ‘Birthright citizenship I think is a mistake,’ explained Graham. ‘We should change our Constitution and say if you come here illegally and you have a child, that child’s automatically not a citizen.’” [Huffington Post, 7/29/10]
Rand Paul introduced a resolution to amend the Constitution to ensure “a person born in the United States to illegal aliens does not automatically gain citizenship.” “Republican Sens. David Vitter (La.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) are seeking to deny birthright citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants by changing the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court has consistently held that the Fourteenth Amendment grants automatic citizenship to those born on U.S. soil, but Vitter and Paul said Thursday that right should not extend to the children of undocumented parents. They introduced a congressional resolution that would amend the Constitution and close what they call a ‘loophole.’ It’s incorrect to assume ‘the 14th Amendment confers birthright citizenship to the children of illegal aliens, either by its language or intent,’ read a statement from the Senators. ‘This resolution makes clear that under the 14th Amendment a person born in the United States to illegal aliens does not automatically gain citizenship.’” [Huffington Post, 1/27/11]
Rick Santorum: “Enticements to illegal immigration, such as birthright citizenship, should be ended.” “The burden of eliminating the problems caused by illegal immigration does not only lie at the feet of border enforcement, it is also the responsibility of businesses not to tempt illegal immigrants into our country. This is why I believe the E-Verify system must be made mandatory, apply to existing employees as well as new hires, inform employers if there is no match between the Social Security Number and other information submitted, and inform employees if there is possible identity fraud from excessive multiple use. Other enticements to illegal immigration, such as birthright citizenship, should be ended. Only children born on American soil where at least one parent is a citizen or resident aliens is automatically a U.S. citizen. Of developed countries other than the United States, only Canada has birthright citizenship.” [Rick Santorum, Op-ed, Breitbart, 5/6/15]
Ben Carson: “anchor babies… doesn’t make any sense to me…” “Ben Carson: ’The 14th Amendment has been brought up recently about anchor babies, and it doesn’t make any sense to me, that people can come in here and have a baby and that baby becomes an American citizen and allows them to come in,’ he said in Phoenix this week. ‘There are many countries in the world where they simply have recognized that and don’t allow that to occur.’” [NBC, 8/18/15]
Ben Carson: “It doesn’t make any sense to me, that people can come in here and have a baby and that baby becomes an American citizen.” “Ben Carson: ’The 14th Amendment has been brought up recently about anchor babies, and it doesn’t make any sense to me, that people can come in here and have a baby and that baby becomes an American citizen and allows them to come in,’ he said in Phoenix this week. ‘There are many countries in the world where they simply have recognized that and don’t allow that to occur.’” [NBC, 8/18/15]
Marco Rubio was open to the idea of ending birthright citizenship. “Marco Rubio, who is running for president thanks to birthright citizenship, says he is open to the idea of ending it for children who were born in the United States to foreign parents. ‘I’m not in favor of repealing the 14th Amendment,’ Rubio said during a Tuesday news conference at the rain-soaked Iowa State Fair. ‘But I am open to exploring ways of not allowing people who are coming here deliberately for that purpose to acquire citizenship.’” [National Journal, 8/18/15]
Marco Rubio said he was open to actions that would prevent people coming to the U.S. to take advantage of birthright citizenship. “Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said Tuesday that he disagrees with the call his party’s front-runner, Donald Trump, made for ending the practice of automatically granting citizenship to children born in this country, even if their parents are not here legally. ‘I don’t agree with that,’ the Florida senator told reporters on at the Iowa State Fair when asked about Trump’s opposition to birthright citizenship. ‘I’m open to doing things that prevent people who deliberately come to the U.S. for purposes of taking advantage of the 14th Amendment, but I’m not in favor of repealing it.’” [Bloomberg, 8/18/15]
Scott Walker asked if he supports ending birthright citizenship said, “Yeah, to me it’s about enforcing the laws in this country.” “Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker said Monday that he believes the children of undocumented immigrants shouldn’t automatically have a right to American citizenship if they’re born in the United States. Asked directly by msnbc if birthright citizenship should be ended, the Wisconsin governor replied: ‘Yeah, to me it’s about enforcing the laws in this country. And I’ve been very clear, I think you enforce the laws, and I think it’s important to send a message that we’re going to enforce the laws, no matter how people come here we’re going to enforce the laws.’” [MSNBC, 8/17/15]
Bobby Jindal said he is “happy to use the term” anchor baby and that “folks today are too ease live offended.” “HEMMER: But, you’ll use anchor baby, right, as a phrase? JINDAL: Yeah look, I think folks today are too ease live offended. They are too politically correct. The real issue here is, yeah I’m happy to use the term, but the reality is, the real issue here is when you secure our border. The bigger frustration from the American people. It doesn’t seem to matter who is in charge in D.C. secure the borders. Stop illegal immigration.” [Fox News, 8/20/15]
Bobby Jindal tweet: “We need to end birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants.” [Bobby Jindal, (@BobbyJindal), 8/17/15 3:52 p.m. EDT]
Chris Christie: “[Birthright citizenship] may have made sense at some point in our history, but right now, we need to re-look at all that.” “Chris Christie: ’I think all this stuff needs to be reexamined in light of the current circumstances,’ he told Laura Ingraham this month. ‘[Birthright citizenship] may have made sense at some point in our history, but right now, we need to re-look at all that.’” [NBC, 8/18/15]
John Kasich was called a “longtime supporter” of ending birthright citizenship. “While Strickland and Kasich agree that Ohio should not enact an immigration law similar to Arizona’s, they clash on related issues. The governor would maintain birthright citizenship for children born here to illegal immigrants. Kasich, a former Fox News commentator, has been a longtime supporter of amending the Constitution to end the automatic right.” [Columbus Dispatch, 11/26/10]
]]>Despite the long list of GOP hopefuls who will be in attendance, the forum is unlikely to result in new ideas on how to improve our education system. Whether it’s Bush, Walker, Christie and Kasich discussing how to defund public schools, or Fiorina and Jindal attacking the merits of community colleges, the Republican presidential candidates will likely continue to propose polices that hurt America’s education system and lessen the opportunity for all Americans to reach their full potential.
Jeb Bush called public schools “‘government-run monopolies run by unions.” “You can say this about Jeb Bush: When it comes to promoting charter schools and vouchers at the expense of traditional public schools, the former Florida governor and possible 2016 presidential candidate has long been consistent. […] As governor from 1999-2007, Bush introduced school reforms that have become common across the country — including high-stakes standardized testing for ‘accountability’ purposes and school ‘choice’ — and since then has been a leading voice in spreading his education gospel nationwide. That includes calling public schools ‘politicized, unionized monopolies’ or ‘government-run monopolies run by unions,’ all the while talking up charter schools and voucher programs that give public money to students to pay for private school tuition. His critics call him not a ‘reformer’ but a ‘privatizer’ of public education.” [Washington Post, 5/19/14]
Salon’s Matthew Pulver: “Jeb Bush was a leader in dismantling public education.” “During his eight years as governor, Jeb Bush was a leader in dismantling public education. Detailed in a January New Yorker article by Alec MacGillis, Bush’s push for for-profit education has been the former governor’s passion, and those looking to profit on children will likely fall in behind him as presidential candidate. By all accounts, Bush appears to truly believe that the sort of reform he advocates is the answer to a flagging American education system. But his genuine passion and conviction doesn’t mean his ‘solution’ isn’t dangerous.” [Salon, 6/17/15]
Jeb Bush’s legislation that sent taxpayer-funded scholarships to private schools was struck down by the Florida Supreme Court. “The Florida Supreme Court struck down the state’s original school-voucher program Thursday, ruling that using taxpayer-funded scholarships to send children to private schools violates the state constitution. The 5-2 ruling overturns a centerpiece of Gov. Jeb Bush’s education-reform plans: a 1999 law that created the nation’s first statewide voucher program and let children at failing public schools use state scholarships, or tuition vouchers, to go to private schools.” [Orlando Sentinel, 1/6/06]
Jeb Bush said he thinks that creationism should be taught alongside evolution in public schools. “But while Bush reached out to the middle this election, he remains a staunch conservative. He is against abortion, having converted from Episcopalian to Catholic. He has said he thinks the biblical story of creation should be taught alongside evolution in public schools.” [Orlando Sentinel, 11/4/98]
Bush referred to debt-free college as “more free stuff.” “Jeb Bush, a Republican contender, told NH1 News that such a [debt-free college] plan was akin to just wiping ‘the 1.2 trillion dollars of debt without reforming our higher education system — more free stuff.’” [NYT, 7/8/15]
As Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush oversaw a tuition increase of almost 60 percent. “We asked the Board of Governors for the systemwide tuition rates for the time frame we’re looking at, to see what the actual rate of tuition increases were. They are reported by credit hour, but the rate of change is still easy to calculate: 1998-99: $46.99 per credit hour… 2006-07: $73.71 per credit hour…Percent change: 56.9 percent… Source: Board of Governors… So Bush oversaw a tuition increase of almost 60 percent.” [PolitiFact, 6/30/15]
….While proposing to fund universities with what the St. Petersburg Times called “pocket change.” “Florida will collect an additional $4-billion in its wallet next year, but Gov. Jeb Bush wants to hand universities what amounts to pocket change. His proposed 2005-06 budget covers only a fourth of what his own Board of Governors says is necessary merely to keep pace with new students… The increase he proposes in overall university spending, $119-million, is less than half the amount of recurring money he proposes to eliminate from the budget through tax cuts. Tuitions can be increased as the governor suggests, but higher education can’t maintain quality without a state willing to invest in it.” [St. Petersburg Times, 1/25/05]
Jeb Bush opposed Pres. Obama’s plan to extend free community college to high school graduates. “He was critical of Obama’s push for a plan for free community college, while saying the president also wanted to increase taxes on Americans saving money to pay for tuition. It was ridiculous to think Obama’s plan wouldn’t have negative implications, Bush told his audience.” [Bloomberg, 1/22/15]
Scott Walker expanded Wisconsin’s “voucher program that uses public funds to pay for tuition at private schools, including religious schools.” “If anybody was holding out any hope that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker would see even a modicum of reason and refuse to savage public education in his state, they can now let it go. A day before jumping into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Walker on Sunday signed a new state budget that, among other things: […] expands the state’s voucher program that uses public funds to pay for tuition at private schools, including religious schools — even though there is no evidence the program has helped improve student achievement in the past — and creates a new “special needs” voucher law that cuts into protections for special needs students.” [Washington Post, 7/13/15]
Wisconsin education expert: Under Scott Walker’s budget, “a majority of public school districts in Wisconsin will receive less funding this year, and no school district’s state funding will keep up to inflation.” “A majority of public school districts in Wisconsin will receive less funding this year, and no school district’s state funding will keep up to inflation. At the same time, the budget expands taxpayer support of private voucher schools, which are overwhelmingly religious schools and which are subject to minimal public oversight. (For instance, voucher schools do not have to follow the state’s law prohibiting discrimination against students on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, marital or pregnancy status. Nor are they subject to the state’s open meetings and records requirements.)” [Washington Post, 7/13/15]
PolitiFact found it “Mostly True” that Scott Walker “cut school funding more per student than any governor in America.” “The Greater Wisconsin Committee said: ‘Scott Walker cut school funding more per student than any governor in America.’ Based on the latest census figures, for 2011-’12, the Wisconsin cuts were the largest based on two measures — state revenue provided to local schools and overall spending by schools of state, federal and local money. But more recent figures indicate that Wisconsin’s school spending cuts are no longer the largest, at least for a more recent period. For a statement that is accurate but needs additional information, our rating is Mostly True.” [PolitiFact, 9/7/14]
Scott Walker’s 2011 union-busting law “exempted the unions of police, firefighters and state troopers from the changes in collective bargaining rights but not educators.” “It was in 2011 that Walker pushed through a law, Act 10, that slashed the power of public employee unions to bargain, and cut pay for most public sector workers. As a special slap to teachers, Walker exempted the unions of police, firefighters and state troopers from the changes in collective bargaining rights but not educators. Teachers protested for a long time, closing schools for days, but the law passed, and the impact on teachers unions in Wisconsin has been dramatic: according to a piece by Washington Past columnist Robert Samuels. The state branch of the National Education Association, once 100,000 strong, has seen its membership drop by a third, and the American Federation of Teachers, which organized in the college system, has seen a 50 percent decline.” [Huffington Post, 3/22/15]
Scott Walker’s 2015-2017 budget eliminated student loan forgiveness programs for health care providers working in underserved communities. “The budget also deletes two loan assistance programs — one specifically for physicians, and another for physicians, dentists and other health care providers. Through that program, practitioners who agree to work in an under-served community for at least three years are eligible to have some of their student loans repaid. About 70 practitioners are currently working under such contracts, said John Eich, director of the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health. ‘Those contracts will become null and void,’ he said.” [Capital Times, 3/18/15]
Scott Walker “chose not to endorse any Wisconsin student loan refinancing bills put forth in 2014.” “Perhaps most tellingly, Walker chose not to endorse any Wisconsin student loan refinancing bills put forth in 2014. His Democratic opponent in that year’s gubernatorial race, Mary Burke, ran on a platform of higher education reform which included the establishment of an authority on student loan refinancing and a move to make student loan taxes deductible. Walker’s allegiances and priorities aligned more closely with cuts to the education system than relief for the state’s 1 million graduates with student loans.” [Huffington Post, 4/16/15]
Scott Walker allowed a bill that would let borrowers refinance their student loans “to die without a vote.” “Governor Scott Walker has responded to this crisis with devastating indifference. A bill introduced by Representative Cory Mason (D-Racine) and Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) would have given some relief to Wisconsin families drowning in student loan debt. The Higher Ed, Lower Debt bill would have allowed borrowers to refinance their student loans just like mortgages or auto loans and allowed borrowers to deduct their student loan payments from their taxes. These common sense reforms fell on deaf ears in the Republican legislature and the Governor’s office. Despite the support of 54 legislators, Scott Walker allowed the bill to die without a vote. He has dodged questions on the campaign trail about student loans, and the new jobs plan his campaign released makes no mention of any plan to address the issue.” [Purple Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 9/15/14]
Scott Walker suggested legislation that would allow borrowers to refinance their student debt was “just politics.” “Burke has said she would focus on reducing the debt college students accumulate. She has called for creating an authority that would allow students to refinance student loans, which was part of a plan that state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, proposed last year. […] Walker said he would be willing to look at measures like Mason’s refinancing bill, but questioned whether the proposal is ‘more than just politics.’ ‘If it was a good idea, I’m sure they would have passed it four years ago when they controlled the Assembly and the Senate and the governorship,’ he said in response to questions from reporters.” [Racine Journal-Times, 9/10/14]
John Kasich vetoed $80 million in funding that was intended to ensure that state school districts wouldn’t face budget shortfalls from lower property taxes. “Of the 44 line-item budget vetoes that Gov. John Kasich issued more than a month ago, one in particular still has state legislators discussing a potential override or new legislation that protects schools from funding cuts. Republican legislators, some of whom didn’t like the idea of cutting school funding while at the same time reducing taxes by nearly $2 billion and putting about $525 million into the state rainy-day fund, were blindsided when Kasich vetoed a pot of money designed to ensure that those cuts didn’t happen. […] Kasich vetoed about $80 million in the budget’s second year that was designed to ensure that districts did not see overall state-funding cuts despite further reductions in reimbursements for lost tangible personal property-tax revenue.” [Columbus Dispatch, 8/9/15]
John Kasich pushed to strip Ohio’s teachers of their collective bargaining rights. “Perhaps the biggest splash Kasich tried to make when he took over as Buckeye State governor was with Senate Bill 5, which he signed into law in 2011, but which was struck down by voters later the same year. That law would have stripped teachers and other public employees of most of their collective bargaining rights. But Issue 2 was defeated at the ballot box after vigorous pushback from the Ohio Education Association and others.” [Education Week, 7/21/15]
John Kasich supported allowing school districts to teach creationism. “But you will see several stances here that Gov. Kasich and Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald don’t talk a lot about on the campaign trail. For example, Kasich said, via a campaign representative, that he would allow public school districts to teach alternatives to evolution — such as intelligent design — if local school officials want to, under the philosophy of ‘local control.’” [Columbus Dispatch, 9/28/14]
John Kasich on what he’d do to address the student debt crisis: “I don’t know yet.” “He does give some specifics in the question-and-answer sessions. He thinks the president needs a line-item veto, for instance. He thinks immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally should be allowed to stay if they register and possibly pay a fine. But when Dan Kelley, of Stratham, asked what he’d do about helping college graduates get out from under mountains of student loans, suggesting some sort of community service in exchange for forgiveness, Kasich said: ‘I don’t know yet. … I cannot make the promise that all of the sudden I’m going to write it off. … ‘Maybe you just said something that made some sense.’” [Cincinnati Enquirer, 7/27/15]
Bobby Jindal signed into law a sweeping school voucher program that was “rife with accountability problems.” “Under Gov. Bobby Jindal’s voucher program, considered the most sweeping in the country, Louisiana is poised to spend tens of millions of dollars to help poor and middle-class students from the state’s notoriously terrible public schools receive a private education. While the governor’s plan sounds great in the glittery parlance of the state’s PR machine, the program is rife with accountability problems that actually haven’t been solved by the new standards the Louisiana Department of Education adopted two weeks ago.” [Mother Jones, 8/7/12]
Bobby Jindal signed “a law that paved the way for creationism to be taught in schools.” “His refusal to endorse evolution hardly distinguishes him from the other Republican presidential hopefuls, but Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal can point to an unmatched achievement as he formally kicks off his campaign: signing a law that paved the way for creationism to be taught in schools. Jindal, who will announce his White House bid at a rally near New Orleans on Wednesday, signed the Louisiana Science Education Act into law in 2008. It was his first year as governor. Ostensibly a bill promoting the discussion of diverse theories in science classrooms, critics argue that it was introduced as a way to smuggle creationist pseudoscience such as ‘intelligent design’ into the state’s public schools. Efforts to repeal it, backed by 78 Nobel laureates, have failed. The fourth such attempt failed last year.” [The Guardian, 6/24/15]
Bobby Jindal was “one of the most vocal supporters of for-profit schools” and opposed “gainful employment” regulations that hold institutions accepting federal student loan money accountable for student success. “Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has been one of the most vocal supporters of for-profit schools, opposing the president’s ‘gainful employment’ rule. He wrote in a column for the Washington Examiner, ‘The first programs to disappear under the ‘gainful employment’ regulations will be the ones that try to give Americans their first rung on the higher education and career ladders … It is tantamount to redlining educational opportunities for low-income and minority youths.’ His brother, Nikesh Jindal, is an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLC, represents the schools’ association, The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.” [Think Progress, 4/30/15]
Bobby Jindal opposed Pres. Obama’s plan to extend free community college to high school graduates. “Gov. Bobby Jindal doesn’t support President Barack Obama’s newly-unveiled plan of free community college for most Americans. ‘President Obama has increased our national debt by $7.5 trillion dollars and created a new entitlement program at a time when our current entitlement programs are going bankrupt,’ Jindal said in a statement to The Advocate today. ‘So of course, now he is planning to offer two years of taxpayer paid college. Why stop there? Why not have the government buy a car and a house for everyone? We believe states are better positioned than the federal government to handle initiatives like these.’” [The Advocate, 1/9/15]
Carly Fiorina called a proposal to provide free community college to high school graduates a “distraction.” “‘President Obama majors in distraction. At the same time, at the same week that we are seeing Islamic extremists slaughter people in France, President Obama is talking about free community college,’ Fiorina said Wednesday on ‘The Steve Malzberg Show’ on Newsmax TV. ‘Free community college doesn’t solve the problem of the failing K-12 public schools that we have today — but it was a complete distraction and that’s what this president does.” [Newsmax, 1/21/15]
Chris Christie cut $1 billion in education funding from New Jersey’s budget. “Funding for public schools has consistently caused tensions between Christie’s office and education advocates. After coming to office in 2010, Christie cut about $1 billion in education spending, according to Politifact, to help close gaps in the state’s budget. […] Thanks to budget cuts, New Jersey ‘has been unable to fund its own formula,’ Lehren told HuffPost, referring to the funding levels established by SFRA. She pointed out that most of the increases in education funding have been for charter schools. Last month, the state Department of Education said it is underfunding many school districts under the SFRA formula due to a lack of revenue.” [Huffington Post, 6/29/15]
Chris Christie funded K-12 education in New Jersey at the lowest levels since 2005-06 when adjusted for inflation. “Gov. Chris Christie has touted a budget proposal that promises a fifth straight year of historic education funding for New Jersey. But an NJ Advance Media analysis of 10 years of state spending data shows that K-12 funding for school districts has actually dropped in the last decade when adjusted for inflation. That aid, which can be used by districts in the classroom, is still recovering from major cuts in Christie’s first budget. With inflation factored in, K-12 funding in Christie’s 2015-16 budget proposal is more than $350 million lower than it was in 2005-06, according to the analysis. ‘There is no question that in real dollars New Jersey school districts are receiving less support for public education,’ said John Donahue, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials.” [NJ Advance Media, 3/12/15]
Chris Christie opposed universal pre-kindergarten and called preschool “babysitting.” “Today, the future of expanded preschool is uncertain. While campaigning for governor, Chris Christie’s comments ranged from calling preschool ‘babysitting’ to proposing continuing preschool funding only in the 31 poorest school districts to saying that a ‘universal’ preschool mandate ‘ignores the realities of classroom availability, cost, staff, not to mention the existence of a broad spectrum of private providers.’” [Asbury Park Press, 3/21/10]
Chris Christie said that school systems should be allowed to teach creationism. “The refusal to explain his position comes one week after a town hall meeting in Manalapan, where Christie was asked what he thought of creationism being taught in schools alongside evolution. Christie said the decision to teach creationism should be made at the local level, and reiterated that position yesterday. ‘Evolution is required teaching,’ Christie said. ‘If there’s a certain school district that also wants to teach creationism, that’s not something we should decide in Trenton.’” [Newark Star-Ledger, 5/13/11]
Chris Christie said that it was “wrong” to push for debt-free college. “As Democratic presidential candidates begin to include a debt-free college system as part of their respective campaigns, New Jersey Gov. and Republican contender Chris Christie thinks the push is a ‘typical liberal approach.’ […] ‘That is a typical liberal approach. It is wrong,’ he said. ‘If college graduates are going to reap the greater economic rewards and opportunities of earning a degree, then it seems fair for them to support the cost of the education they’re receiving.’” [USA Today, 6/12/15]
Chris Christie said he was “anxious to do away with caps on tuition increases at four-year state colleges.” “Gov. Chris Christie says he’s anxious to do away with caps on tuition increases at four-year state colleges, adding that college presidents should be free to seek ‘market prices’ and be given broader autonomy for nearly all management matters. Christie, who will unveil his annual budget next month, last year led the state to cut spending on higher education by $173 million and set a 4 percent limit on tuition increases, but now says the cap may have been a mistake, adding, ‘I wonder whether I did the right thing there or not.’’ [Asbury Park Press, 1/10/11]
Chris Christie vetoed a college affordability bill that would have studied a program to restructure tuition payments at public universities. “Governor Christie issued an unexpected veto today of a college affordability bill sponsored by the Senate President. The measure was a pet project of the Senate President, Stephen Sweeney. […] The bill would have created a panel to investigate a proposed ‘pay it forward’ program, which would allow students at state colleges to avoid paying traditional tuition. Instead, they would pay the state a percentage of their future income for a certain number of years. The panel would have also looked into other college affordability proposals, including possible changes to state loan and educational savings programs. Christie said those issues ‘are already being addressed’ by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.’ [Record, 1/13/14]
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