Tag Archive for: elections 2022

‘So Pissed Off, I Cannot Even See Straight’ — Ted Cruz Blames Mitch McConnell For GOP Midterm Losses

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Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell during a Monday podcast, saying the GOP should have won the majority of the upper chamber and blamed McConnell for not supporting Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters.

Cruz released an episode of his podcast, titled Verdict with Ted Cruz, where he and co-host Ben Ferguson discussed the midterm elections and the GOP’s failure to recapture the Senate. Cruz mentioned his frustration, saying there was no excuse for McConnell to abandon Masters, calling it “indefensible.”

“Well, Ben, let me start off by saying I am so pissed off, I cannot even see straight,” Cruz said.

“We had an extraordinary opportunity. We had a generational opportunity. This should have been a fundamental landslide election. We should have won the House and the Senate. We should have a 30, 40, 50 vote majority in the House. We should have 53, 54, 55 Republicans in the Senate,” Cruz continued.

McConnell’s PAC reportedly yanked $8 million in campaign spending from Arizona after Masters won his primary election, according to Fox News.

Cruz was also asked if McConnell would donate to Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s campaign in a run-off. Cruz replied he likely will, but said he believes the GOP could have won Arizona.

“Oh, look, I’m sure he will raise money and invest in the race … But if you look at this last cycle, Mitch McConnell pulled the money out of Arizona. We could have won — won Arizona. We nearly won Arizona and abandoning Blake Masters was indefensible,” Cruz said.

“Explain to me, Senator, why in a race where the polling showed that we had a legitimate chance of winning there. Why did he pull out that money from Masters who desperately needed it?” Ferguson asked Cruz.

“Because Masters said he would vote against Mitch McConnell, and so Mitch would rather be leader than have a Republican majority. If there’s a Republican who can win, who’s not gonna support Mitch, the truth of the matter is he’d rather the Democrat win. So he pulled all the money out of Arizona,” Cruz responded.

Cruz also said that “the country is screwed for the next four years” due to the GOP’s failure to regain the majority, saying “because of this, we’re gonna see horrible Left-wing judges confirmed for the next two years, because of this. We’re gonna see judges taking away our free speech rights, our religious liberty rights, our Second Amendment rights. It is an enormous missed opportunity. And I gotta say, it is hard to describe my feelings as anything other than rage,” Cruz concluded.

Cruz’s criticisms follow former President Donald Trump’s criticisms of McConnell over the Blake Masters campaign. Trump’s critics have responded that the former president did not use the $100 million his PAC has collected to support GOP candidates in the midterms.

“McConnell allied groups spent $13.1M in Arizona,” a One Nation spokesperson told the Caller.

“During the summer, Steven Law, the head of a McConnell-aligned super PAC, told the financier Peter Thiel, who had spent millions supporting Mr. Masters, that Mr. Masters had scored the worst focus group results of any candidate he had ever seen,” The New York Times reported.

The Daily Caller contacted McConnell’s office about Cruz’s comments.

AUTHOR

HENRY RODGERS

Senior Congressional correspondent. 

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Biden Admin To Continue Draining Oil From Strategic Reserves Through Election Day

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The Biden administration announced Monday that it is auctioning 10 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) which it will deliver throughout November, according to a Department of Energy (DOE) notice of sale.

The DOE announced that it will extend the period in which it aims to sell 180 million barrels of crude oil by auctioning 10 million barrels from Sept. 19 to Sept. 27 and delivering the oil from Nov. 1. to Nov. 30, according to the notice. The deliveries of the reserves, which aim to bring down gas prices, will take place during the same month as the midterm elections that take place on Nov. 8.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Sept. 14 that gas prices had fallen for 90 straight days, touting Biden’s efforts to bring down prices at the pump after gas prices peaked at over $5 per gallon in June 2022. The White House is eager to continue lowering gas prices ahead of the midterm elections as it believes prices at the pump most directly affect voters’ everyday lives and their perception of the economy.

The average national gas price is $3.68 per gallon, which is 49 cents higher than it was in September 2021, according to AAA data. Biden’s Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sept. 8 that the administration may continue to auction off oil barrels from the SPR past October to ward off increasing fuel prices in late 2022.

Biden has released 155 million barrels of oil so far, and the November sale will bring the total to 165 million barrels out of the 180 million barrels that he sought to sell from March to October. The emergency reserve fell to its lowest level since Nov. 1984 on Sept. 6 after consistent monthly releases of crude, according to DOE data.

SPR oil is sold to the highest bidder, and some of the businesses entitled to make bids are foreign companies. Biden announced in late March that he would approve SPR sales to bring down gas prices and increase the global supply of oil that is being disrupted by “Putin’s price hike,” according to a White House press release.

The DOE did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

AUTHOR

JACK MCEVOY

Energy & Environmental Reporter.

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Republican Mayra Flores Wins South Texas District Democrats Carried By 13 Points In 2020

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Republican Mayra Flores, a first-time candidate for elected office, won the special election in Texas’ 34th District to complete the term of former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who resigned in March.

With more than 70% of votes counted, Flores held 51% support, and Democrat Dan Sanchez garnered 43.5%. Despite the presence of two other candidates on the ballot, one Democrat and one Republican, Flores was able to avoid a run-off. Several elections analysts called the race shortly after 10 pm Eastern Time.

The special election was spurred on by Vela’s resignation on March 31. The five-term moderate had announced in March 2021 that he would not seek re-election in 2022, and left the lower chamber on March 31 to take a job at the Washington, DC-based corporate law firm Akin Gump.

Vela won re-election by 13.6% in 2020, and Joe Biden won the district by four points.

Flores, who received endorsements from House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, won the primary on March 1 to run in November’s general election against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Gonzalez will attempt to switch districts from the 15th, which was redistricted into a toss-up seat. That new 34th District will lean 17 points towards the Democrats, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Elected Democrats and party strategists have repeatedly expressed concern that Hispanic and Latino voters are swinging towards the Republican Party. Biden’s approval rating with Hispanic and Latino voters sits in the mid-20s, several recent polls have shown, the worst of any ethnic group. The 34th District is 85% Hispanic, the U.S. Census found in 2020, one of the most Hispanic congressional seats in the country.

The Republican National Committee and GOP members of Congress have expanded outreach in Hispanic and Latino communities. House Republicans announced the Hispanic Leadership Trust in May, and co-chairman and Texas Rep. Tony Gonzalez campaigned for Flores. The RNC opened several Hispanic outreach centers in South Texas in 2021.

AUTHOR

MICHAEL GINSBERG

Congressional reporter.

RELATED ARTICLE: Special Election Could Give GOP A Chance To Prove Gains With Hispanics

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Green Berets Launch PAC To Put ‘Warrior-Diplomats’ In Congress

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Veterans who served in special operations units announced the formation of a new political-action committee (PAC) to elect fellow “warrior-diplomats” to Congress in the wake of last year’s Monday, Fox News reported Monday.

“It is no coincidence that we are launching on Memorial Day, less than a year after we witnessed the Biden administration’s failed leadership contribute to the loss of American lives in Afghanistan,” Jason Bacon, a former Green Beret and previous congressional candidate said, according to Fox News. “It is imperative that we elect real leaders to Congress with the knowledge and experience to prevent this kind of travesty.”

The political action committee was formed in response to the chaotic withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, during which a bomb attack killed 13 U.S. military personnel, which prompted criticism and calls for the resignations of senior Biden administration military and foreign policy officials, Fox News reported.

Bacon described Green Berets as “warrior-diplomats” who bring an understanding of foreign cultures, language skills and years of experience implementing American foreign policy on the ground, according to Fox News.

“They have a breadth of experience that surpasses that of a typical Congressional candidate,” Bacon said. “We are proud to support these outstanding candidates for Congress.”

The PAC endorsed nine candidates, eight of whom are former Green Berets, including Republican Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida, Joe Kent in Washington state’s 3rd Congressional District and Don Bolduc for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire in the 2022 election cycle, according to its website. The PAC also endorsed former Navy SEAL Eli Crane in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.

Green Berets PAC did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation.

AUTHOR

HAROLD HUTCHISON

Reporter. 

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Trump-Backed Candidates Win Big In Ohio Primaries

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Two candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump won open Republican primary races for the House of Representatives in Ohio on Tuesday, capping a triumphant night for the former president and his camp.

Max Miller won the Republican primary in Ohio’s Seventh District, and Madison Gesiotto Gilbert will be the GOP nominee in the state’s Thirteenth District. Miller will likely have an easy path to Congress, as his district leans right by 14 points, according to FiveThirtyEight. Gesiotto Gilbert’s district is a toss-up, leaning Republican by only two points.

A former White House aide, Miller initially declared in the 16th District to oppose Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a Trump critic who voted to impeach the former president. Redistricting moved Miller into the Thirteenth, the same district as Republican Rep. Bob Gibbs. Gibbs announced his retirement in April, citing a redistricting process that was “detrimental to the people of Ohio.”

Miller served in the White House as a special advisor to Trump, and in the Office of Presidential Personnel. He also sits on the United State Holocaust Memorial Council Board of Trustees. He took home over 70% support in a four candidate race.

Gesiotto Gilbert, a former columnist for The Washington Times, co-chaired the Women for Trump advisory board during the 2020 presidential election. She also served as a pledged elector for Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Also endorsed by Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Gesiotto Gilbert received just under 30% support in a field of seven candidates.

Trump has endorsed nine out of the ten Republican members of Ohio’s House delegation who are running for re-election. All Ohio Republican incumbents won on Tuesday. Trump’s endorsed Senate candidate, JD Vance, also won his primary.

On the Democrat side, Rep. Shontel Brown beat back former state Sen. and left-wing challenger Nina Turner with about 70% support. Brown defeated Turner in an August 2021 special election to replace former Rep. Marcia Fudge, who joined the Biden administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. President Joe Biden and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn endorsed Brown, while Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Turner.

Democrats are also targeting Republican Rep. Steve Chabot, whose First District swung eleven points to the left due to redistricting. He will face off against Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman, who ran unopposed.

AUTHOR

MICHAEL GINSBERG

Congressional reporter.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Top Biden Pollster Warns ‘Most Americans Are Pissed’

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Top Biden Pollster Warns ‘Most Americans Are Pissed,’ Says Democrats Are Facing ‘Really Sour Environment’

President Joe Biden’s chief pollster John Anzalone warned Democrats about major electoral problems going into the 2022 midterms in an interview released Friday, although he believes that they can still avoid major losses.

Anzalone, who also worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, has previously warned of Biden’s low approval rating overall and among Hispanic voters in particular. He told Politico’s Ryan Lizza that voters are unhappy with the Democrats’ lack of action on key issues such as inflation and health care.

“Voters are very much in ‘What have you done for me lately?’ They always are. And they don’t feel Democrats can get their shit together and get things done,” Anzalone said.

“So if we’re able to do something — a skinny BBB or whatever — on health insurance costs, prescription drug costs, elderly care, childcare, that’s a big deal because it will give Democrats a competitive advantage on what they’re doing for working families. And it’ll cut through the inflation narrative, the Ukraine narrative, the Afghan narrative, the border narrative, etc.,” he continued.

Anzalone also pushed back on the perception that Hispanic voters primarily care about immigration.

“There’s this narrative in D.C. among Democrats that you only talk to Latinos about immigration. Like, immigration is the twelfth issue that they’re concerned about. It’s always about the economy or inflation or healthcare or schools,” he said.

Republicans are pinpointing a July special election in South Texas as a test of their newfound gains among Hispanic voters. Republican Mayra Flores, who will also seek a full term in November, is hoping that concerns about immigration and inflation will be decisive in flipping a seat formerly held by Democrat Filemon Vela.

Anzalone also argued that Democrats should push tax increases on wealthier Americans, adding that Democrats are too “scared of their own shadow” to do so.

“Biden’s proposal of making those making over $400,000 pay a little bit more taxes and big corporations pay a little bit more taxes so they pay their fair share to make investments in healthcare and education and childcare is really important,” he claimed. “Most Americans are pissed at the fact that they pay their fair share in taxes as middle-class people. They work hard. They want to see the benefits of the economy.”

Election forecasters believe that Republicans could pick up as many as 35 seats in the midterms, which would create the party’s largest majority since the Great Depression. Anzalone believes that such losses could be in the cards for Democrats if they do not act quickly.

“No one’s going to sit there as a Democratic consultant and try to bullshit you that this is anything but a really sour environment for Democrats,” he said.

AUTHOR

MICHAEL GINSBERG

Congressional reporter.

RELATED ARTICLE: Are Latinos Really Abandoning Dems? Poll Analysis Gives New Insight

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.