H4A News Clips 7.18.15

From:aphillips@hillaryclinton.com To: aphillips@hillaryclinton.com BCC: HRCRapid@hillaryclinton.com Date: 2015-07-18 11:03 Subject: H4A News Clips 7.18.15

*H4A News Clips* *July 18, 2015* *TODAY’S KEY STORIES..................................................................................... **8* Clinton Campaign Spending: Big, and Different // NYT // Derek Willis – July 17, 2015.............. 8 In Iowa, the first faceoff between Clinton, Sanders and other rivals // WaPo // Philip Rucker – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................. 9 *SOCIAL MEDIA................................................................................................. **11* Mark Murray (7/17/15, 6:10 AM) - Yes, Hillary camp spent $18.7M in her 1st Q, but Obama camp spent $11M in his 1st Q in '11 - and that was w/o single event by the principal........................................... 11 Jon Ralson (7/17/15, 2:08 PM) - Jeb also, even when I pressed, left no daylight possible on a path to citizenship. No way. No how.................................................................................................. 11 Dave Wasserman‏ (7/17/15, 1:34) - Basic math: if the GOP nominee simply did 3% better than Romney with ALL groups (30% w/ Latinos vs. 27%, for example), he/she would win.................................... 11 Dave Wasserman‏ (7/17/15, 1:39) - In addition, Electoral College is biased against Latinos. They made up 10% of national '12 vote, but averaged just 6.9% in key swing states............................................... 11 Dave Wasserman‏ (7/17/15, 1:40) - In fact, even if ZERO Latinos had voted in 2012, Obama would have won the Electoral College with 283 votes (while losing popular vote)............................................. 12 *HRC NATIONAL COVERAGE............................................................................ **12* Job at Hillary Clinton’s ‘Super PAC’ Didn’t Assure a Campaign Post // NYT // Maggie Haberman – July 17, 2015..................................................................................................................................... 12 David Brock, Key Hillary Clinton Ally, to Work More Closely With Her Campaign // NYT // Maggie Haberman – July 17, 2015...................................................................................................................... 13 Top Hillary Clinton Fundraisers Also Big Donors to Foundation // WaPo // Rebecca Ballhaus – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 14 David Axelrod: Hillary Clinton and Democrats can win the Iran debate // WaPo // Greg Sargent – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 15 Clinton reserves nearly $8 million in TV time for fall advertising blitz // WaPo // Dan Balz – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 17 In Clinton’s shadow, Democrats meet for first 2016 face-off // AP // Lisa Lerer – July 17, 2015.. 18 Clinton Focuses on GOP at First Primary Face-off of 2016 // AP // Lisa Lerer – July 17, 2015..... 19 Clinton campaign touts endorsements ahead of Iowa cattle call // Politico // Nick Gass – July 17, 2015 21 Hillary Clinton bundlers get inside look at campaign workings // Politico // Annie Karni – July 17, 2015 21 Clinton campaign mocks press coverage // Politico // Nick Gass – July 17, 2015....................... 22 Exclusive: Hillary’s first ad buy // Politico // Glenn Thrush – July 17, 2015............................. 23 The Next Phase of Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign Has Begun // Bloomberg // Jennifer Epstein – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................ 23 Hedge Fund Titans Choosing Hillary Clinton Over Top Republicans // Bloomberg // Saijel Kishan and Rebecca Spalding – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................... 25 Hillary Clinton's Biggest Campaign Bundlers Are Fossil Fuel Lobbyists // HuffPo // Paul Blumenthal and Kate Sheppard – July 17, 2015...................................................................................................... 26 Bill Clinton Is Sorry For A Lot Of Things // HuffPo // Marina Fang and Amber Ferguson – July 17, 2015 28 Here Are The Celebrities Contributing To Hillary Clinton's Campaign // HuffPo // Paul Blumenthal – July 17, 2015..................................................................................................................................... 31 Hillary Clinton Has An Office // HuffPo // Jason Linkins – July 17, 2015................................. 33 When Donald Trump Praised Hillary Clinton // TIME // Zeke J. Miller – July 17, 2015............ 37 Would Hillary Clinton’s Profit-Sharing Plan Put More Money in Your Pocket? // TIME // Pat Regnier – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................................................... 38 Elizabeth Warren Sends Hillary Clinton a Message // TIME // Sam Frizell – July 17, 2015....... 39 Hillary Clinton’s Digital Team Likes Barack Obama’s Style // TIME // Sam Frizell – July 17, 2015 41 Hillary Clinton 1, Protesters 0? Climate hecklers may have a point // MSNBC // Tony Dokoupil – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 42 Hillary Clinton's campaign wrote a sarcastic blog post mocking reporters critical of her poll numbers // Business Insider // Colin Campbell – July 17, 2015................................................................ 43 “Act on climate!”: Hillary Clinton gets heckled by protestors who want her to crack down on fossil fuels // Salon // Lindsay Abrams – July 17, 2015......................................................................................... 45 Hillary Clinton Thinks Telemarketers Are 'Really Annoying,' Too // ABC // Liz Kreutz – July 17, 2015 46 Democrats eager to exploit contrast between Trump, Clinton // Boston Globe // Sean Sullivan – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 46 8 things to watch for at Iowa Dems’ Hall of Fame dinner // Des Moines Register // Jennifer Jacobs – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................................................... 48 Tom Miller, Michael Fitzgerald endorse Clinton // Des Moines Register // Tony Leys – July 17, 2015 52 Clinton says U.S. can't afford GOP's economics // Des Moines Register // Tony Leys – July 17, 2015 53 Clinton aims most of her fire at Republicans // Des Moines Register // Tony Leys – July 17, 2015 54 California donors have given more to Clinton than all other presidential hopefuls combined // LA Times // Kurtis Lee and Sahil Chinoy – July 17, 2015........................................................................... 55 Clinton campaign rebuilds from a digital meltdown // LA Times // Michael A. Memoli – July 17, 2015 56 Hillary Clinton visits home in Windham // Eagle-Tribune // Breanna Edelstein – July 17, 2015 58 How Clinton and Bush Agree and Diverge on Workplace Discrimination // National Journal // Ronald Brownstein – July 17, 2015................................................................................................... 60 Can Hillary Clinton Really Get Away With Skipping Netroots? // National Journal // S.V. Dáte – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 61 Iowa Democrats throw support behind Hillary Clinton as she prepares to meet rivals on stage // NY Daily News // Cameron Joseph – July 17, 2015............................................................................... 63 Hillary Clinton Returns To A Very Different Arkansas // NPR // Lauren Leatherby - July 18, 2015 64 Hillary Clinton happy to hear Jeb Bush's Uber driver would vote for her // NY Daily News // Celeste Katz – July 17, 2015........................................................................................................................ 67 Hillary Clinton ignores Democratic primary opponents in first onstage appearance with them, slamming the GOP instead // NY Daily News // Cameron Joseph – July 17, 2015.......................................... 67 Doting Grandpa Bill! Former President Clinton Takes Baby Charlotte to an N.Y.C. Kids Concert // People // Kathy Ehrich Dowd – July 17, 2015........................................................................................ 69 Hillary Clinton’s New York State of Mind // NY Observer // Will Bredderman and Jillian Jorgensen – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................................................... 70 Hillary Clinton’s ‘natural instincts’ lean toward ‘hiding the truth,’ six in 10 voters say // Washington Times // David Sherfinski – July 17, 2015............................................................................................ 71 Hillary Clinton's plan for the minimum wage: low on details, big on going local // The Guardian // Jana Kasperkevic – July 17, 2015................................................................................................... 72 Elizabeth Warren Challenges Hillary Clinton to Stop the Revolving Door // National Journal // David Dayen – July 17, 2015........................................................................................................................ 74 Planned Parenthood Pours Cash to Clinton // Free Beacon // Bill McMorris – July 17, 2015...... 76 Clintons Facilitated Donor’s Haiti Project that Defrauded U.S. Out of Millions // Free Beacon // Alana Goodman – July 17, 2015...................................................................................................... 77 Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Even Maintain an Office at Brooklyn Headquarters // Free Beacon // Morgan Chalfant – July 17, 2015..................................................................................................................... 80 Clinton campaign fails to disclose bundler actively lobbying for Morocco // Free Beacon // Brent Scher – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................ 81 PolitiFact: Hillary Clinton addressed financial regulations early in crisis // Tampa Bay Times // Lauren Carroll – July 17, 2015..................................................................................................................... 83 Clinton's campaign claims to be small donor driven; facts show otherwise // Daily Caller // Derek Hunter – July 17, 2015........................................................................................................................ 84 17 Things Hillary Says She Will Change About the Economy // Newsweek // Ken McIntyre – July 17, 2015........................................................................................................................................... 86 Nah-nah: For Clinton, 'It's easy to get attention in mainstream media' // Washington Examiner // Paul Bedard – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................... 87 How often do Clinton campaign staffers really ride the bus? // Washington Examiner // Ariel Cohen – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................................................... 88 Bill Clinton to attend Starkey gala in St. Paul honoring George W. Bush // MinnPost // Joe Kimball – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................................................... 89 New institute to carry on work of HIV pioneer and MH17 victim Joep Lange // Science Magazine // Martin Enserink – July 17, 2015....................................................................................................... 90 *OTHER DEMOCRATS NATIONAL COVERAGE.................................................. **91* *DECLARED.................................................................................................. **91* *O’MALLEY............................................................................................... **91* O’Malley-aligned super PAC hiring dozens of organizers in Iowa // WaPo // John Wagner - July 17, 2015 91 Martin O'Malley finances: Solid pensions, modest assets // AP // Jeff Horwitz - July 17, 2015.. 92 Super Pac backing Democrat Martin O'Malley could have 150 staffers in Iowa // The Guardian // Ben Jacobs – July 17, 2015........................................................................................................................ 93 Martin O'Malley: US should 'probably' arm Kurdish forces against Isis // The Guardian // Ben Jacobs - July 17, 2015..................................................................................................................................... 94 Fact Checker: Was O'Malley on the money for wind jobs? // The Gazette - July 17, 2015........... 95 O'Malley vows to lead on immigration // Washington Examiner // Ariel Cohen - July 17, 2015. 97 Cronyism in Maryland // CATO Institute // David Boaz - July 17, 2015.................................... 97 Martin O’Malley Trails Rivals in Fundraising with $2 Million Haul // PPP Focus // River Gaines - July 17, 2015........................................................................................................................................... 98 *SANDERS................................................................................................. **99* Bernie Sanders and Third Parties // NYT // Oliver B. Hall - July 17, 2015................................ 99 Bernie Sanders Presses Hillary Clinton on Her Views on Banks // NYT // Jonathan Martin – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................................................ 99 Bernie Sanders isn’t Barack Obama, and 2016 isn’t 2008 // WaPo // Dan Pfeiffer – July 17, 2015 101 Bernie Sanders says July 29 is the most important day of his campaign // WaPo // Aaron C. Davis - July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 104 Warren inspires Netroots Nation — even those wearing Sanders T-shirts // WaPo // John Wagner – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 106 In This Money Race, Bernie Sanders Wins // WSJ // Peter Nicholas – July 17, 2015............... 108 Socialist Sanders on low end of earners among candidates // AP - July 17, 2015..................... 110 Bernie Sanders backs big bank breakups, in contrast with Hillary Clinton // Politico // Burgess Everett - July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 110 14 things Bernie Sanders has said about socialism // Politico // Michael Kruse - July 17, 2015. 111 Bernie Sanders Says Goldman Wants 'Undue Influence' // Bloomberg // Arit John – July 17, 2015 114 Why Rapper Killer Mike's Endorsement of Bernie Sanders Spells Trouble for Hillary Clinton // HuffPo // H. A. Goodman - July, 17 2015..................................................................................................... 115 Here's Some Real Talk From Bernie Sanders // HuffPo // Dhyana Taylor and Jacob Kerr........ 118 Sanders makes play for black vote // The Hill // Niall Stanage - July 17, 2015....................... 120 How Bernie Sanders can hammer Hillary Clinton on the Democrats' top issue // The Week // Ryan Cooper - July 17, 2015....................................................................................................................... 122 Sanders’ “small donor” base: How the fundraising numbers break down // Salon // Zaid Jilani - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 124 Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump: Straight Talk on Steroids // U.S. News & World Report // David Catanese - July 17, 2015....................................................................................................................... 125 Bernie Sanders Is Turning Crowds Into Volunteers in Iowa // National Journal // Emily Schultheis – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 128 Support for Sanders Grows in Unions // Labor Notes // Dan DiMaggio - July 17, 2015............. 132 Bernie Sanders is the future of the Democratic Party // The Detroit News // David Harsanyi - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 136 Liberals Roar As Bernie Sanders Joins Elizabeth Warren On Bill To Reinstate Glass-Steagall // Politicus USA // Jason Easley - July 17, 2015............................................................................................. 137 Republicans Terrified As Texas Demand For Bernie Sanders Forces Rally To A Bigger Venue // Politicus USA // Jason Easley - July 17, 2015............................................................................................. 138 *UNDECLARED........................................................................................... **139* *OTHER................................................................................................... **139* In Iowa, the first face-off between Clinton, Sanders and other rivals // WaPo // Phillip Rucker – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 139 Democratic presidential hopefuls to share a stage in Iowa // Miami Herald // Anita Kumar - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 141 Big stakes for 2016 Democrats as they meet together for first time // MSNBC // Alex Seitz-Wald – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 141 Democrats showcase all 5 candidates in their field // Des Moines Register // Jennifer Jacobs – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 143 Clinton, Democratic rivals share a stage in Iowa for 1st time // McClatchy DC // Anita Kumar – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 144 *GOP............................................................................................................... **146* *DECLARED................................................................................................ **146* *BUSH...................................................................................................... **146* Jeb Bush’s father and brother have a security detail. Now he does too. // WaPo // Ed O’Keefe – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 146 Jeb Bush: I wouldn't roll back Obama's Iran deal on Day One // Politico // Eli Stokols – July 17, 2015 148 Jeb Bush Says Laws on the Books Already Ensure Equal Pay // TIME // Zeke J. Miller – July 17, 2015 150 Bush ‘woefully misinformed’ on overtime policy // MSNBC // Steve Benen – July 17, 2015..... 151 Jeb Bush: Hillary Clinton’s good intentions aren’t enough to fix the economy // Yahoo News // Jon Ward – July 17, 2015....................................................................................................................... 152 Jeb Bush Says LGBT Non-Discrimination Should Be A States’ Rights Issue // Think Progress // Josh Israel – July 17, 2015....................................................................................................................... 156 Jeb Bush 'should be embarrassed' by his overtime pay claims, economists say // The Guardian // Steven Greenhouse – July 17, 2015................................................................................................. 157 Jeb Bush Is Beating Hillary Clinton in the Goldman Sachs Primary // Mother Jones // Russ Choma - July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 159 *RUBIO.................................................................................................... **160* Pro-Rubio PAC Reserves South Carolina Airtime in Primary Lead-Up // Bloomberg // Ben Brody – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 160 Rubio: Iran deal without release of Americans 'unacceptable' // The Hill // Jordain Carney – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 161 Cuba celebrating reopening of D.C. embassy; Marco Rubio shouldn't wait for invite // Fox News Latino – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 162 Marco Rubio to John Kerry: ‘Unacceptable’ that Iran deal reached with Americans still in jail // Washington Times // David Sherfinski - July 17, 2o15.............................................................................. 163 Rubio calls for more intelligence efforts // Des Moines Register // Mackenzie Ryan – July 17, 2015 163 *PAUL...................................................................................................... **165* Signs of Stress Build for Rand Paul Campaign // WSJ // Reid J. Epstein - July 17, 2015.......... 165 Rand Paul may hold up highway bill over Planned Parenthood // Politico // Heather Caygle - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 167 Rand Paul Campaign: Christie’s Chattanooga Shooting Comments “False,” “Shameful” // Buzzfeed // Christopher Massie – July 17, 2015...................................................................................... 167 Paul vows push to defund Planned Parenthood next week // The Hill // Peter Sullivan - July 17, 2015 168 ‘What the hell happened to Rand Paul?’ // MSNBC // Anthony Terrell and Mark Murray - July 17, 2015 169 Rand Paul — Missing in Action? // NBC // Anthony Terrell and Mark Murray – July 17, 2015.. 170 Rand Paul: “We Have Had No Shortage Of Money” // Buzzfeed // Rosie Gray – July 17, 2015.. 172 In wake of video, Paul renews call to cut off Planned Parenthood funding // USA Today // Tom Loftus - July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 173 After sagging in fundraising, Rand Paul 2.0 reboots campaign // Los Angeles Times // Lisa Mascaro - July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 174 Paul to host Houston rally, book signing today // Chron // Rebecca Elliott - July 17, 2015...... 176 Rand Paul Bringing Abortion Politics to Highway Bill Debate // Roll Call // Niels Lesniewski - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 177 Rand Paul to mount fight to defund Planned Parenthood // Washington Times // David Sherfinski* -* July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 178 Rand Paul: Cut funding for Planned Parenthood // The Courier Journal // Tom Loftus - July 17, 2015 178 Rand Paul: Defund Planned Parenthood // Washington Examiner // Paige Winfield Cunningham - July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 179 *CRUZ...................................................................................................... **180* Ted Cruz’s second quarter donors had some loyalty issues // WaPo // Philip Bump - July 17, 2015 180 Super PACs to Cruz: Focus on ‘wedge issues’ // WaPo // Patrick Svitek - July 17, 2015............ 181 Insiders: Ted Cruz hurt most by Trump candidacy // Politico // Katie Glueck - July 17, 2015.. 182 Ted Cruz Is Vowing To Block A Bunch Of Obama's Nominees ... Again // HuffPo // Jennifer Bendery – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 184 Ted Cruz Has Money to Burn the GOP // Bloomberg // Francis Wilkinson - July 17, 2015....... 185 Cruz: Chattanooga shooting 'an act of war’ // The Hill // Mark Hensch - July 17, 2015............ 186 Ted Cruz: Chattanooga Shooting Shows Need for Immigration Overhaul, Arming Military on Bases // National Review // Alexis Levinson - July 17, 2015............................................................................. 187 Cruz-backing super PAC reveals victory plan; the dangers of Donald Trump // The Dallas Morning News // Sylvan Lane - July 17, 2015.................................................................................................. 189 Ted Cruz Sets Hearing on 'Supreme Court Activism’ // National Law Journal // Mike Sacks - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 190 Upset with #IranDeal, Ted Cruz Vows for the Fourth Time to Block Obama Nominees // Politicus USA // Hrafnkell Haraldsson - July 17, 2015.................................................................................... 191 Ted Cruz: Tennessee shootings ‘an act of war’ // Washington Times // David Sherfinski* - *July 17, 2015 192 Ted Cruz’s book cracks New York Times’ bestseller list // PPP Focus // River Gaines - July 17, 2015 193 Ted Cruz emerges as hero as Gawker is blasted for article that outs Condé Nast executive // Chron // John-Henry Perera - July 17, 2015................................................................................................ 194 New York Times Finally Adds Ted Cruz Book to Bestsellers List // iFree Press - July 17, 2015. 195 *CHRISTIE.............................................................................................. **196* Chris Christie stands by path to citizenship for immigrants // CNN // Tom LoBianco – July 17, 2015 196 Chris Christie: Bill Cosby situation ‘is just sickening’ // Washington Times // Jessica Chasmar – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 198 Chris Christie: Donald Trump would be ‘frustrated’ as president // Market Watch // Robert Schroeder – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 199 *PERRY................................................................................................... **199* Why the Rick Perry Super PAC Is Spending $1 Million to Get Their Candidate Into a Debate // ABC // Louise Simpson – July 17, 2015...................................................................................................... 199 Rick Perry is the only GOP candidate brave enough to call out Donald Trump (and that’s terrifying) // Salon // Heather Digby Parton – July 17, 2015.................................................................................. 200 Donald Trump tweeted at Rick Perry again and hilarity ensued // Houston Press // Dianna Wray– July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 203 Rep. Joe Barton endorses Rick Perry for president, spearheads Congressional outreach // The Dallas Morning News // Sylvan Lane – July 17, 2015.................................................................................... 204 *HUCKABEE........................................................................................... **205* Huckabee's $8M pile only goes so far, observers say // Arkansas Online // Sarah D. Wire – July 17, 2015 205 Quote of the Day: Mike Huckabee Wants American Wars to Last Ten Days Max // Mother Jones // Kevin Drum – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................... 208 Road to White House Paved on Path of Smoothies, Mattress Stores, and Outside Spending // NY Mag // Jaime Fuller – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................... 208 *CARSON................................................................................................. **209* *FIORINA................................................................................................ **209* Fiorina: Obama 'pallid' on Chattanooga shooting // The Hill // Mark Hensch - July 17, 2015.. 209 Carly Fiorina records ‘If men were treated like women in the office’ video // Washington Times // David Sherfinski – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................... 210 With Buzzfeed video, Carly Fiorina continues her millennial outreach // Washington Examiner – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 211 *JINDAL.................................................................................................. **214* Bobby Jindal should just shut up: His simple-minded, dishonest Chattanooga comments make things worse // Salon // Sean Illing – July 17, 2015................................................................................... 214 *TRUMP................................................................................................... **215* Trump’s Appeal? G.O.P. Is Puzzled, but His Fans Aren’t // NYT // Jeremy W. Peters – July 17, 2015 215 A lot of Republican voters agree with Donald Trump. What does that mean? // WaPo // Greg Sargent – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 218 Donald Trump says he’s 10 times as popular as anyone else on Google. Nope. // WaPo // Philip Bump – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 219 Donald Trump is now essentially guaranteed a spot on the debate stage // WaPo // Philip Bump – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 220 Trump says building a U.S.-Mexico wall is ‘easy.’ But is it really? // WaPo // Jerry Markon – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 221 Donald Trump seizes on Chattanooga shooting // Politico // Nick Gass – July 17, 2015........... 224 Donald Trump: My supporters aren't 'crazies' // Politico // Nick Gass – July 17, 2015............. 225 The mystery of the Trump coalition // Politico // Ben Schreckinger and Cate Martel – July 17, 2015 225 Trump brings his bluster to Bill Clinton's hometown // Politico // Annie Karni – July 17, 2015 228 Huffington Post Can't Make Trump Go Away by Ignoring Him // Bloomberg // Will Leitch – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 230 A Note About Our Coverage Of Donald Trump's 'Campaign' // HuffPo // Ryan Grim and Danny Shea – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 231 Why Donald Trump is surging in the polls // CNN // Sara Murray – July 17, 2015................... 231 Donald Trump is Dominating Facebook Chatter in Iowa // TIME // Charlotte Adler – July 17, 2015 234 Trump and the myth of a Mexican crime wave // The Hill // Raoul Lowery Contreras – July 17, 2015 234 Trump calls off his bet with MSNBC host // The Hill // Mark Hensch – July 17, 2015.............. 236 Donald Trump making biggest splash on Facebook in Iowa // The Hill // David McCabe – July 17, 2015 237 Fox News Poll: Reshuffling of GOP field, many agree with Trump on immigration // Fox News // Dana Blanton – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................................... 237 Donald Trump has rocketed to the top of another new poll // Business Insider // Brett Logiurato – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 240 The Trump Bump Will Fade // U.S. News & World Report // Jean Card – July 17, 2015.......... 241 Donald Trump says a U.S.-Mexico border wall is 'not even a difficult project' // The Week // Sarah Eberspacher – July 17, 2015................................................................................................ 242 Who, exactly, is voting for Donald Trump? // The Week // Becca Stanek – July 17, 2015........ 243 Donald Trump: ‘John McCain was very disloyal to me,’ ‘made a big mistake’ // Washington Times // David Sherfinski – July 17, 2015.................................................................................................... 243 Inside the Mind of a Trump Donor: ‘I Was Probably Drunk’ // The Daily Beast // Olivia Nuzzi – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 245 Donald Trump Campaign Headquarters Illustrates Complicated Campaign Finance Rules // IB Times // Ginger Gibson – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................. 248 Donald Trump Tops Third GOP Poll This Month // Slate // Josh Voorhees – July 17, 2015...... 249 The Case for Covering Trump // Slate // Josh Voorhees – July 17, 2015................................. 250 *WALKER............................................................................................... **253* Republican Doublethink on Mass Shootings: Scott Walker Edition // NYT // Andrew Rosenthal – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 253 One Subject Scott Walker Won’t Talk About: Donald Trump // WSJ // Reid J. Epstein – July 17, 2015 254 Donald Trump continues rise, Scott Walker gets bump // CNN // Tom LoBianco and Jennifer Agiesta – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 255 Walker Expectations High as He Tours Iowa This Weekend // Bloomberg // John McCormick – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 256 Scott Walker Inquiry Shows the Danger of Secrecy // Bloomberg // Megan McArdle – July 17, 2015 257 Donald Trump continues rise, Scott Walker gets bump // CNN // Tom LoBianco and Jennifer Agiesta – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 259 Scott Walker tries to prove he's a national contender for president // LA Times // Noah Bierman - July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 260 Liberals Lose to Scott Walker in Wisconsin Again // The Daily Beast // Betsy Woodruff – July 17, 2015 262 Scott Walker: All You Need To Know // Newsweek // James M. Lindsay – July 17, 2015......... 264 Scott Walker Push For Milwaukee Bucks Arena Subsidy Could Benefit His Fundraising Chief // IB Times // David Sirota and Andrew Perez – July 17, 2015..................................................................... 272 As Scott Walker takes national stage, some home-state constituents cry foul // Christian Science Monitor // Sarah Caspari – July 17, 2015............................................................................................... 274 Now On The National Stage, Scott Walker Is Still A Guy From Delavan // NPR // Don Goneya – July 17, 2015.......................................................................................................................................... 275 Can Walker Hit South Carolina's Sweet Spot? // NPR // Jessica Taylor – July 17, 2015............ 277 *UNDECLARED.......................................................................................... **280* *OTHER.................................................................................................. **280* The GOP field is set; here’s how they rank // McClatchy DC // David Lightman – July 17, 2015 280 New data suggest GOP 2016 nominee will need to win nearly half of Latino vote // LA Times // Lisa Mascaro – July 17, 2015...................................................................................................................... 283 Republicans' crush on Silicon Valley not returned // Politico // Tony Romm – July 17, 2015... 285 *OTHER 2016 NEWS....................................................................................... **287* Today in Politics: Organizers Build Up Events in Iowa, and the Candidates Come // NYT // Alan Rappeport – July 17, 2015...................................................................................................................... 287 Obama's Donors Flocking To Sanders, Romney's Going To Rubio // U.S. News & World Report – July 17, 2015......................................................................................................................................... 288 *OPINIONS/EDITORIALS/BLOGS................................................................... **289* Capitalism for the Rest of Us // NYT // Joseph R. Blasi, Richard B. Freeman and Douglas I. Kruse – July 17, 2015................................................................................................................................... 289 As Clinton Moves Further Left on Regulations, Jobs Go Away // The Fiscal Times // Diana Furchtgott-Roth – July 17, 2015....................................................................................................................... 291 How Bernie Sanders can hammer Hillary Clinton on the Democrats' top issue // The Week // Ryan Cooper – July 17, 2015....................................................................................................................... 293 *TOP NEWS..................................................................................................... **295* *DOMESTIC................................................................................................ **295* Chattanooga Gunman Spent Time in Jordan, Official Says // NYT // Richard Fausset, Eric Schmitt and Richard Pére – July 17, 2015............................................................................................................ 295 3 states launch investigations of Planned Parenthood, which says senior official reprimanded // AP // David Crary – July 17, 2015........................................................................................................... 299 Dems float compromise linking Confederate flag to voting rights // The Hill // Mike Lillis – July 27, 2015 300 To Avoid Another Crash, Hillary Clinton Should Reinstate Glass-Steagall // Newsweek // Robert Reich – July 17, 2015.............................................................................................................................. 302 Chattanooga shooting renews debate over military gun-free zones // NY Daily News – July 17, 2015 304 *INTERNATIONAL..................................................................................... **306* ISIS Has Fired Chemical Mortar Shells, Evidence Indicates // NYT // C. J. Chivers – July 17, 2015 306 U.S. Sought ‘El Chapo’ Extradition Before Escape // NYT // Azam Ahmed – July 17, 2015...... 309 *TODAY’S KEY STORIES* *Clinton Campaign Spending: Big, and Different <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/18/upshot/clinton-campaign-spending-big-and-different.html> // NYT // Derek Willis – July 17, 2015* Hillary Rodham Clinton’s initial primary campaign spending total, $18.7 million, is a lot of money. And she is using it very differently from her rivals. While others spend their money to raise more money, she has built a campaign organization with an eye toward the general election. Her campaign’s “burn rate,” the amount spent divided by what is raised, was just a little less than 40 percent through June 30. That’s only a bit higher than the campaigns of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney at the same point four years ago, and very close to the 38 percent burn rate of Mr. Obama’s campaign in the first half of 2007. But comparing Mrs. Clinton’s spending with those of her rivals is complicated, because she is running a different campaign so far. Most of the presidential candidates have emphasized spending money to raise more money, whether online or through direct mail, over other kinds of spending. Ted Cruz, a Republican, reported spending $835,798 on postage and an additional $678,730 on fund-raising phone calls. Ben Carson, another Republican hopeful, spent $1.47 million on his digital efforts and $788,114 on printing and postage. Still, Mrs. Clinton isn’t ignoring fund-raising; she spent more than $2.5 million on “direct marketing” and additional amounts on events and catering. She has spent millions of dollars on staff, advertising and polling, establishing a much broader campaign at this point than any other 2016 presidential candidate. Much of the money has gone toward mounting an effective operation in the early primary and caucus states, and for building the foundation for a broad general election campaign should she become the Democratic nominee. Her $3.7 million in staff salary expenses (not including payroll taxes and service fees) is more than 10 times the amount of Mr. Cruz, who has the next-largest campaign in terms of staff payments. The 20 percent Mrs. Clinton spent on staff dwarfs that of all but the campaigns of the Republican Mike Huckabee (21 percent) and the Democrat Martin O’Malley (20 percent). Mrs. Clinton’s campaign employed 343 people, according to Federal Election Commission data. The address of nearly all campaign workers listed in F.E.C. records is the New York campaign headquarters, which is a tactic that Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, used. That makes it harder to tell exactly how much of a footprint the campaign has in say, Iowa, where it has paid $64,369 in rent. As of June 30, the Clinton campaign paid at least 58 field organizers, had spent more than $1 million on online advertising and paid a total of $370,000 to state parties in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina for voter data. Jeb Bush, who spent just more than $3 million, devoted much of it to travel and other expenses related to “testing the waters” for his candidacy. He did spend $372,647 on IT equipment and consulting services. The campaign of Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, put its largest investment into digital advertising and consulting, spending $1.3 million. Its payroll expenses were just $61,045, although Mr. Sanders’s campaign has not been operating as long as Mrs. Clinton’s. Overall, the Sanders campaign spent 20 percent of the money it raised through June 30. *In Iowa, the first faceoff between Clinton, Sanders and other rivals <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-iowa-the-first-face-off-between-clinton-sanders-and-other-rivals/2015/07/17/8fcd7b1e-2c9b-11e5-a5ea-cf74396e59ec_story.html> // WaPo // Philip Rucker – July 17, 2015* CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The full field of candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination assembled for the first time here Friday night, with a trio of them giving fiery speeches sounding populist economic themes. Much of the focus was on Hillary Rodham Clinton, the dominant front-runner for the Democratic nomination, and two underdog candidates challenging her from the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley. One by one, they vowed to fight income inequality, take on the big banks and institute a progressive agenda on a range of issues including the minimum wage, climate change and gay rights. They were joined onstage by two other candidates, with all five getting equal billing to give back-to-back speeches before about 1,200 Democratic activists at a dinner hosted by the state party. In a tough, partisan speech, Clinton looked past her primary opponents to go after the leading Republican candidates and brought Democrats to their feet. “I’m never going to let the Republicans rip away the progress we have made,” she vowed. “Trickle-down economics has to be one of the worst ideas of the 1980s. It is right up there with New Coke, shoulder pads and big hair. I lived through it — there are photographs — and we’re not going back.” Friday night’s Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame celebration dinner, which drew about 1,200 party activists, amounted to the first faceoff between Clinton — who leads in fundraising, polling and establishment backing — and Sanders, the self-described independent socialist who has drawn thousands of people to his rallies by leading the fight against big banks and rich corporations. Polling shows Clinton and Sanders as the two leading candidates, but O’Malley made a case for his own stock to rise here with a commanding and well-received speech that focused on his record of executive achievements in Maryland. He also laid out an ambitious platform of progressive ideas that drew sustained applause across the ballroom. “We didn’t just talk about it,” O’Malley said of same-sex marriage, a state Dream Act for immigrants, a minimum-wage increase and expanded family leave. “We got it done.” Each of the candidates is trying to seize the role of the party’s standard bearer in the post-Obama era, and Friday night’s Iowa Democratic Party dinner was one of the first opportunities for activists to compare the rivals. When all five candidates walked onto the stage, some people in the crowd chanted “Bernie! Bernie!” When Clinton took the lectern to give her speech, her supporters chanted, “Hill-a-ry! Hill-a-ry!” And O’Malley had a loud and enthusiastic cheering squad as well. In her remarks, Clinton ticked through a string of recent Democratic victories, including the Supreme Court’s rulings to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide and to uphold President Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act. She took aim at Republicans, attacking by name three leading GOP candidates: former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and businessman Donald Trump. “We’ve heard a lot recently from the new Republican front-runner, Donald Trump — finally a candidate whose hair gets more attention than mine,” Clinton said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “But there’s nothing funny about the hate he is spewing about immigrants and their families. It really is shameful.” She said some critics ask why she talks about such issues as paid sick days, the minimum wage and child care. “There she goes again with the women’s issues,” Clinton said, mocking her critics. “Well, I’m not going to stop,” Clinton said. “So get ready for a long campaign.” Sanders delivered an impassioned call for a “political revolution” that he said would shake up “the billionaire class.” “Enough is enough,” Sanders thundered. “The greed of the billionaire class has got to end — and we are going to end it for them.” Repeating a theme that has resonated with liberal activists across the country, Sanders said, “The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of the time, the great economic issue of our time, the great political issue of our time.” At that, one man in crowd yelled out, “Preach!” Sanders notably included in his speech more messages aimed at blacks, Latinos and other minority groups that make up the Democratic coalition than he has had in the early months of his campaign. He drew applause, for instance, when he said he envisioned an America in which young black men can walk in the streets without fear of being shot. Former Virginia senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee also spoke at the dinner. Chafee highlighted his executive experience, as a former mayor and governor, as well as legislative experience in the Senate. “I have tried to earn a reputation for courage and honesty,” Chafee said. “I also have shown strong convictions, sometimes under enormous political pressure.” Webb, who spoke last and joked that he was “here to turn the lights out,” highlighted his work on criminal justice, his extensive military experience and his foreign-policy vision. Had he been president at the time, Webb said, he would not have invaded Iraq. But Webb also said he had “grave concern” about the nuclear agreement that the United States and five other nations reached with Iran this week. *SOCIAL MEDIA* *Mark Murray (7/17/15, 6:10 AM)* <https://twitter.com/mmurraypolitics/status/622030707234349057>* - Yes, Hillary camp spent $18.7M in her 1st Q, but Obama camp spent $11M in his 1st Q in '11 - and that was w/o single event by the principal* *Jon Ralson (7/17/15, 2:08 PM)* <https://twitter.com/RalstonReports/status/622103805618880517>* - Jeb also, even when I pressed, left no daylight possible on a path to citizenship. No way. No how.* *Dave Wasserman**‏** (7/17/15, 1:34)* <https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/622142357576785920>* - Basic math: if the GOP nominee simply did 3% better than Romney with ALL groups (30% w/ Latinos vs. 27%, for example), he/she would win.* *Dave Wasserman**‏** (7/17/15, 1:39)* <https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/622143547580485632>* - In addition, Electoral College is biased against Latinos. They made up 10% of national '12 vote, but averaged just 6.9% in key swing states.* *Dave Wasserman**‏** (7/17/15, 1:40)* <https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/622143795627433989>* - In fact, even if ZERO Latinos had voted in 2012, Obama would have won the Electoral College with 283 votes (while losing popular vote).* *HRC** NATIONAL COVERAGE* *Job at Hillary Clinton’s ‘Super PAC’ Didn’t Assure a Campaign Post <http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/07/17/job-at-hillary-clintons-super-pac-didnt-assure-a-campaign-post/?smid=tw-share> // NYT // Maggie Haberman – July 17, 2015* In Hillary Rodham Clinton’s thick campaign finance report for the first three months of her 2016 race, more than 300 people were paid for work on her second national run. Fewer than 15 of them appear to have come from the ranks of Ready for Hillary, the “super PAC” that tried to harness early energy behind Mrs. Clinton and develop a list of supporters in the two years before she became a candidate and which dominated much of the early chatter after she left the State Department. The group has been a source of mixed emotions with Mrs. Clinton’s circle of advisers. Several people close to Mrs. Clinton were chagrined when the group came into existence, believing that, among other concerns, it would only make people view her through a political lens well before she was ready to announce a decision about a 2016 bid. But others, including people like the long-serving Clinton adviser Minyon Moore, saw value in the group’s work, and Mrs. Clinton came to embrace it. The group’s supporter list was acquired by the campaign six weeks after Mrs. Clinton announced her candidacy. In the spring, the campaign brought on Adam Parkhomenko, the Ready for Hillary co-founder and a former aide from Mrs. Clinton’s Senate office, to work on a grass-roots job. Another handful of people were hired at that time as well. At the time, a campaign aide made clear that some people from the political action committee would be interviewed, but not all could expect jobs. Still, several people involved with the super PAC, which wound down its work once her campaign began, had hoped to work on the race in some capacity. At the time, the expectation among Ready for Hillary supporters was that most of them would play a role. The number of Ready for Hillary staff members who tried to get jobs and didn’t is unclear. Among those who interviewed early for a job was Seth Bringman, who handled day-to-day press for Ready for Hillary. After waiting for many weeks to hear back, Mr. Bringman ultimately moved back to Ohio, where he had worked before, and is now a public relations consultant there. Mr. Bringman declined to comment but confirmed he had moved. Mrs. Clinton’s aides declined to comment. Also absent from the filings is Craig Smith, a former political director from Bill Clinton’s White House who joined Ready for Hillary as a senior adviser in the first half of 2013, and who was seen as lending a more senior voice to the group early. Mr. Smith declined comment, but is said to be in discussions with the campaign about a role of some kind. Another senior adviser to Ready for Hillary, Tracy Sefl, has been a surrogate for the campaign and currently lives in Chicago, advising other clients. The group played a role in lining up support from elected officials behind Mrs. Clinton, including in Iowa, where she received two endorsements on Friday. Jerry Crawford, an Iowa operative who worked with Ready for Hillary and has informally helped the current campaign, said the group was “phenomenal.” “If there are people who worked for Ready for Hillary who can help her become president, they’ll be hired,” Mr. Crawford said. *David Brock, Key Hillary Clinton Ally, to Work More Closely With Her Campaign <http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/07/17/david-brock-key-hillary-clinton-ally-to-work-more-closely-with-her-campaign/> // NYT // Maggie Haberman – July 17, 2015* In the world of outside supporters to Hillary Rodham Clinton, no one has a more visible, and singular, role than David Brock, her former critic-turned-guardian. Mr. Brock created the opposition research-focused “super PAC” American Bridge, the liberal watchdog group Media Matters, and the pro-Clinton group Correct the Record, which is now coordinating with Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign. He is also on the board of Priorities USA, the super PAC that hopes to raise large sums of money in support of Mrs. Clinton. The question of how Mr. Brock would carry out roles with groups that have different legal definitions has come into clearer focus this week, as he is moving to the so-called coordinated side, working with Correct the Record alongside Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. Mr. Brock confirmed the move, saying that the legal restrictions on his activities if he had remained on the so-called independent expenditure side of the groups were “impractical.” Such groups are forbidden from coordinating their work with the campaign. He declined to get into specifics as to why, but people who have spoken with him say he was focused on paying attention to the activities of Correct the Record and Media Matters, which will play the biggest role in defending Mrs. Clinton throughout the campaign. Media Matters and another outlet that Mr. Brock is involved with, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, are nonpolitical 501c3 groups, which don’t make independent expenditures. What he will be missing out on is directing the opposition research functions at American Bridge, which will be training its army of staff members on mining the speeches and activities of the Republican candidates. Correct the Record can have access to the research that American Bridge produces, but Mr. Brock can’t lead that group’s efforts. Still, had he remained on the independent expenditure side of the aisle, he would have been prohibited from working with any federal campaign or party committee. As for Priorities USA, which Mr. Brock left and then returned to amid a shakeup in leadership, he will be able to serve on the board but has to be walled off from being involved in programmatic decisions by the group. His role is now basically limited to fund-raising. Mr. Brock, who was a critic of Mrs. Clinton in the 1990s, has become one of her favorite defenders in the last 10 years. She is said to put a premium on loyalty, but his abilities as a fund-raiser have also become a valued asset. *Top Hillary Clinton Fundraisers Also Big Donors to Foundation <http://www.wsj.com/articles/top-hillary-clinton-fundraisers-also-big-donors-to-foundation-1437146386> // WaPo // Rebecca Ballhaus – July 17, 2015* Hillary Clinton has turned to a familiar source to find supporters willing to raise more than $100,000 each for her presidential campaign: major donors to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation. Twenty of the campaign’s so-called Hillblazers, or supporters who promise to raise $100,000 each for her campaign, have also given a total of at least $54 million to her family’s charitable foundation, according to a Wall Street Journal review of disclosures by the campaign and the foundation. Media billionaires Haim Saban and Fred Eychaner, venture-capitalist Jay Robert Pritzkerand Esprit founder Susie Tompkins Buell were among the list of more than 150 “bundlers” Mrs. Clinton identified on Wednesday as having raised more than $100,000 in contributions for her primary election since she launched her campaign in April. They are also among some of the largest donors to her family’s foundation, illustrating the overlap between Mrs. Clinton’s charitable and political interests. Among these 20 bundlers examined by the Journal, Mr. Eychaner has given more than $25 million to the Clinton Foundation, according to its disclosures. Mr. Saban’s family foundation has given between $10 million and $25 million, and foundations linked to Mr. Pritzker and Ms. Buell have each given between $5 million and $10 million. All of these 20 bundlers who were also large donors to the Clinton Foundation donated some portion of their funds in 2014. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise that people who care about making the world a better place and support philanthropic work, including the Clinton Foundation’s programs, also think Hillary Clinton would be a great President,” said Josh Schwerin, a spokesman for her campaign. An official with the foundation also noted that it has more than 300,000 donors. At least two dozen other Hillblazer bundlers also gave to the Clinton Foundation, but the Journal analysis focused on these 20 large donors. Mrs. Clinton has faced criticism in recent months from Republicans and from members of her own party who have suggested that the foundation offered wealthy donors an avenue to curry favor with a former secretary of state and a possible future president. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, created the foundation after leaving the White House, and in 2013, when Mrs. Clinton left the State Department, she added her name to the organization. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called the foundation’s fundraising “shady” in a recent statement and said Americans think Mrs. Clinton is “untrustworthy and dishonest.” Mrs. Clinton has said she is proud of the charitable work the foundation does, and the Clintons have said their political activities are separate from the foundation’s work. “Nobody even suggested it or talked about it or thought about it until the political season began and somebody said, well, what about this?” Mr. Clinton said in a recent CNN interview, referring to suggestions that donors received special favor from Mrs. Clinton at the State Department. Among the parties who are major bundlers and large donors to Clinton Foundation, the Wasserman Foundation, run by Clinton bundler Casey Wasserman, gave between $5 million and $10 million to the Clinton Foundation. Elizabeth Bagley, an attorney and former ambassador, has given between $1 million and $5 million. Nassau County, N.Y., Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, another bundler, gave between $500,000 and $1 million to the foundation, as did Gerald and Elaine Schuster, a longtime Democratic donor and philanthropist. *David Axelrod: Hillary Clinton and Democrats can win the Iran debate <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/07/17/david-axelrod-hillary-clinton-and-democrats-can-win-the-iran-debate/> // WaPo // Greg Sargent – July 17, 2015* Ever since the Iran deal was announced, it has been widely presumed — by Republicans, and some neutral observers — that the battle over it in Congress will inevitably be a political winner for the GOP. The Iran debate just seems risky for Democrats — it involves negotiating with the enemy! — and Beltway punditry often assumes that debates over national security always favor Republicans, because, well, partly because Republicans are very good at saying so. But in an interview with me, David Axelrod — the chief strategist of Barack Obama’s two successful presidential campaigns — made the opposite case. He said the Iran debate actually could favor Hillary Clinton and Democrats, and put the GOP presidential nominee in a politically untenable spot. That is, if Democrats prosecute it correctly. “Broadly, I don’t think it’s at all clear that Americans are opposed to this,” Axelrod said. “Americans recognize that a verifiable agreement is a better option than war.” “The key question here is, If you walk away from this, then what?” Axelrod continued. “It’s the responsibility of every single politician, Republican and Democrat, to answer the what’s-the-alternative question. And ‘let’s go to tougher sanctions’ is not a real answer.” As many Democrats remain undecided about the substance of the deal, some also appear skittish about the politics of backing it. One exception has been Clinton, who spoke positively about the deal after it was announced. In so doing, she may have offered a template for how Dems should talk about it, hailing it as an “important first step” while stressing that “the agreement will have to be enforced vigorously, relentlessly,” an apparent nod to worries that Iran might try to cheat. Nobody knows how the debate over the deal will play throughout the hot month of August, and both sides are gearing up to spend huge sums to pressure lawmakers back at home. It will also come up repeatedly for the presidential candidates. Asked whether it was reasonable for some Dems to be skittish about the politics of the deal, Axelrod said he thought Dem lawmakers were mostly worried about offending donors, not voters. And he suggested — perhaps counterintuitively — that its very riskiness could play Clinton’s favor. “For her it’s very advantageous to stand by this agreement,” Axelrod said. “There is a perception of risk associated with that position. Her standing strong for it will strengthen her with the Democratic base. And I think it will strengthen her generally, because the picture of her taking on an issue that may have some risk, and standing by her principles on it, will help dispel some of the attacks on her.” In the 2012 presidential race, Mitt Romney seemed to appreciate the public’s war-weariness, sometimes downplaying GOP hawkishness. But since then, the international outlook has changed, and Republicans won in 2014 partly by attacking Dems as weak on ISIS and Russia, which suggests perhaps they could win the argument over foreign policy in 2016, too. Axelrod acknowledged the changed environment, but still said Americans would ultimately support diplomacy with Iran. “In 2012 you didn’t have ISIS, Russia was more cooperative, it was a different environment,” Axelrod said. “But I still don’t think this means people are eager for military engagement with Iran. I think that the logic of a tough, verifiable agreement, as opposed to military action, is going to be the majority opinion in this country.” Axelrod added that the Iran debate could end up hurting the eventual GOP nominee, who will be required by the base to promise to undo the deal during the primary — and then struggle to explain that position in the general. “Iran is like the health care debate for Republicans,” Axelrod continued. “They’re filled with rage but not with ideas. There hasn’t been anyone who has articulated a generally viable alternative. They can get away with thundering outrage in the primary, but when you get to the general, you’re going to get scrutinized more closely.” “The Republican nominee is going to be faced with, ‘okay, what are you going to do?'” Axelrod also said. “There is no surgical way to take out the Iran nuclear program. You’re talking about a major military commitment. So I think it becomes a risky proposition for the Republican nominee.” But it’s not inevitable that the American mainstream will see the situation as nothing more than a choice between the Iran deal and war. Couldn’t Republicans muddy those waters and create the impression that there’s a third way? “That is the challenge for Democrats — to expose the fact that there is no third way,” Axelrod said. “If Republicans muddy the waters, that’s a dereliction on the part of Democrats. There is no third way. The emptiness of that argument needs to be exposed repeatedly and aggressively.” *Clinton reserves nearly $8 million in TV time for fall advertising blitz <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/17/clinton-reserves-nearly-8-million-in-tv-time-for-fall-advertising-blitz/> // WaPo // Dan Balz – July 17, 2015* Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a move that suggests she is taking little for granted in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, has reserved nearly $8 million in television time for a fall advertising blitz, a campaign official confirmed Friday. The advertising could begin as early as the first week of November. Once on the air in those states, Clinton is prepared to stay on almost continually through the first votes of the 2016 primary-caucus season. Iowa’s caucuses are scheduled for Feb. 1, 2016, and the New Hampshire primary is likely to be held eight days later, on Feb 9. Politico first reported the news of the ad buy. Despite a hefty lead in national polls, Clinton has seen her margins in Iowa and New Hampshire beginning to shrink somewhat, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) rising. The advertising buy sends a signal that Clinton will be prepared to wage a costly campaign to fend off her rivals. The campaign has reserved about $3.6 million in television time across eight Iowa media markets. The remainder of the $7.7 million expenditure is devoted to a statewide buy in New Hampshire. Most of the money aimed at Granite State voters will be spent in markets that blanket the southern part of the state, where the population is concentrated. The ad buy is the latest major expenditure of the Clinton campaign, which raised more than $45 million in the second quarter of the year. The June 30 financial report filed by the campaign revealed that she also had spent $19 million in that period. Television advertising time, especially in New Hampshire, can be costly, and ad rates rise as the primary nears. With 16 or 17 Republican candidates, five Democratic candidates and an abundance of super PACs, the airwaves will become extremely crowded later this year and in January and early February. Iowa and New Hampshire are potential stumbling blocks even for a candidate who starts with the financial and political advantages of Clinton. Eight years ago, her third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses launched then-senator Barack Obama toward his eventual victory in the Democratic nomination contest. Though Clinton won a comeback victory in New Hampshire, she was not able to prevail despite the advantages with which she started that campaign. This time, she enjoys even more advantages. But campaign officials have said from the beginning that they expect a competitive contest again, and they are prepared to spend more on TV ads in those states, if they are deemed necessary. *In Clinton’s shadow, Democrats meet for first 2016 face-off <http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_IOWA_FACE_OFF?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT> // AP // Lisa Lerer – July 17, 2015* WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidates are descending on Iowa for the first face-off of their 2016 primary, a contest that remains dominated by the outsized political influence of Hillary Rodham Clinton. All five Democratic primary candidates are on the program for a dinnertime fundraiser sponsored by the state party in Cedar Rapids, creating an opportunity for her challengers to confront Clinton before more than 1,200 influential party activists in the crucial caucus state. Three months into what seems like an all-but-inexorable march to the nomination, Clinton has already built a vast campaign infrastructure, establishing a multistory headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and placing hundreds of staffers across the country. But her first joint event with her primary rivals comes amid signs that she has yet to win over her party's most passionate supporters, the activists and small-dollar donors that will form the base of her support in the general election. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Thursday, liberal environmental protestors broke out into chants after Clinton refused to promise an immediate halt to all fossil-fuel development. "I totally respect the passion and the urgency," she said, attempting to calm the crowd. "I understand it." An Associated Press-GfK poll released this week found her standing falling among Democrats, with about 70 percent of Democrats giving Clinton positive marks, an 11-point drop from an April survey. Nearly a quarter of Democrats now say they see Clinton in an unfavorable light. "I don't like seeing that, obviously," Clinton said of the poll, speaking to reporters on Thursday. "But I think people know that I will fight for them. I'll fight for their jobs, I'll fight for their families, I'll fight on behalf of better education and health care." She added: "I'm very pleased with the support I have." Just 17 percent of the $47 million that Clinton raised since announcing her campaign came from contributions of $200 or less. In comparison, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has fueled his insurgent challenge to Clinton with small donations, pulling in three-quarters of his more than $15.2 million haul from smaller amounts. In recent weeks, Sanders has packed arenas with voters eager to hear the message of the self-described socialist, who's become Clinton's chief rival. So far, he's refused to directly criticize Clinton, though he's questioned her positions on issues like trade, Wall Street regulations and the Keystone XL pipeline. "I like her. I respect her," Sanders said on Tuesday, after joining his fellow Senate Democrats at a luncheon with Clinton on Capitol Hill. "It is not necessary for people to dislike each other or attack each other just because they're running for office." Besides Sanders and Clinton, the forum includes former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee. Each candidate will deliver 15 minutes of remarks. *Clinton Focuses on GOP at First Primary Face-off of 2016 <http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/clintons-shadow-democrats-meet-2016-face-off-32510655>** // AP // Lisa Lerer – July 17, 2015* Hillary Rodham Clinton avoided any mention of her primary opponents in the first Democratic face-off of the 2016 presidential campaign, opting instead to focus her fire on an expanding field of would-be Republican contenders. All five Democratic primary candidates were on the program for the Friday fundraiser for the Iowa state party, creating an opportunity for Clinton to confront her challengers before more than 1,300 influential party activists in the crucial caucus state. Instead, she explained her White House bid as a "deeply personal" quest, vowing she would never let Republicans "rip away the progress" made during the Obama administration. In a fiery address, she slammed the economic policy of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, joked that Donald Trump is "finally a candidate whose hair gets more attention than mine," and attacked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for targeting union power. "Trickle-down economics has to be one of the worst ideas of the 1980s," Clinton said, evoking Republican policy from the Reagan era. "It is right up there with New Coke, shoulder pads and big hair. ... We are not going back to that." The dinnertime event came as the Democratic primary fight — long assumed to be little more than a coronation of Clinton — appeared to be heating up into a slightly more serious contest. In recent weeks, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has risen in the polls and packed arenas with voters eager to hear the message of the self-described socialist who's become Clinton's chief rival. So far, he's refused to criticize Clinton directly, though he edged closer to an attack Friday, questioning whether she would back the kind of tough regulation on Wall Street that's becoming a rallying call for liberals. "You'll have to ask Hillary Clinton her views on whether we should break up these large financial institutions," he said, during an afternoon appearance in Cedar Rapids. "I do." The Clinton campaign has signaled that it considers Sanders to be a legitimate challenger who will be running for the long haul, noting the $15.2 million he's raised, largely from small donors, in the first three months of the race. They believe he will find a measure of support in Iowa, where the caucus system typically turns out the most passionate voters, and New Hampshire, given Sanders' many years representing neighboring Vermont in Congress. On Friday, Clinton's campaign said it bought $7.7 million worth of television advertising time in early voting states, its first ad buy for the 2016 contest. In Iowa, the campaign paid $3.6 million for time in all eight media markets that serve the state. An additional $4.1 million of airtime was purchased in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary. But so far the Clinton team has resisted any direct engagement with Sanders, fearing such an exchange might alienate the activists and small-dollar donors who will form the base of support in the general election if Clinton should win the nomination. "You can see that Democrats are united, we are energized, and we are ready to win this election," Clinton said, opening her remarks before a cheering audience. Besides Sanders and Clinton, the forum featured former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee. Clinton wasn't the only candidate who shied away from attacks on fellow members of the Democratic party. Even Chafee, who opened his quixotic self-fueled bid for the White House with attacks on Clinton's support for the war in Iraq, now opted against targeting the frontrunner. "We have a choice in 2016, prosperity through peace or endless war," he said. "We need to reject once and for all the belligerent advocates of conflict." Unlike her rivals, Clinton has already built a vast campaign infrastructure, run from a multistory headquarters in New York City, with hundreds of staffers across the country. Sanders said he has "no illusions" about her political clout. "We are going to be outspent in this campaign, but I think people all over this country are responding to a very simple message and that is that it is not acceptable that the middle class is continuing to disappear," he said. *Clinton campaign touts endorsements ahead of Iowa cattle call <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-iowa-endorsements-tom-miller-michael-fitzgerald-120282.html#ixzz3g9Xb4pvE>** // Politico // Nick Gass – July 17, 2015* Two top Iowa officials announced their support for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of the first major cattle call of the Democratic primary in the state. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and state Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald endorsed Clinton, according to a press release from the campaign, as Clinton goes before heavy establishment crowds in the Hawkeye State on Friday. The endorsements also come amid signs of surprising strength for Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator, in both Iowa and New Hampshire. “Hillary Clinton will build an economy for tomorrow that raises incomes for working Americans, ensures that students don’t graduate with crushing debts and provides affordable childcare options for working families. She’ll strengthen our families by fighting for commonsense policies like comprehensive immigration reform, equal pay for women and criminal justice reform,” said Miller said in a statement. In his endorsement, Fitzgerald praised Clinton for her “commitment to growing our economy so that everyday Iowans can get ahead and stay ahead is what Iowa Democrats believe to our core.” “I’m proud to support Hillary Clinton and look forward to working with her to organize and win in Iowa and next November,” he said. Clinton will meet with Iowa campaign organizers in Cedar Rapids later Friday before attending a kickoff party and the state Democratic Party’s Hall of Fame Dinner. *Hillary Clinton bundlers get inside look at campaign workings <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/clinton-bundlers-get-inside-look-at-campaign-workings-120274.html> // Politico // Annie Karni – July 17, 2015* Hillary Clinton’s bundlers — individuals who raised at least $100,000 in primary dollars since April — were treated to four hours of face time with top campaign officials Thursday in Brooklyn, sources told POLITICO. The meeting, at the Marriott hotel in downtown Brooklyn, marked the first meeting for bundlers, known as “Hillblazers,” and was designed to give them a sense of the state of the race, as well as a peek at the inner workings of the campaign. About 70 people attended, a source said. Speakers at the meeting included vice chairman Huma Abedin, campaign chairman John Podesta, and campaign manager Robby Mook, who all participated in a “wrap-up” panel discussing the state of play. Communications director Jennifer Palmieri also spoke, along with top policy gurus Jake Sullivan and Maya Harris, and national political director Amanda Renteria, among others. The first campaign filings released Wednesday evening showed Clinton struggled to attract small donors. Less than 20 percent of the $47.5 million Clinton raised between April and July was from individuals contributing $200 or less. A source said engaging small donors was part of a bigger conversation at Thursday’s meeting about grassroots engagement, including how to reach out to millennial voters. The Clinton camp released the names Wednesday night of over 100 bundlers who together make up the campaign’s finance committee, which included longtime Clinton donors, Obama allies, and some elected officials Included in the roster are former Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh; Rep. Joaquin Castro; Rep. Grace Meng; Rep. Jim Hime; longtime supporter and Clinton Foundation donor Lynn Forester de Rothschild; Sean Eldridge and New Republic owner Chris Hughes; media mogul Fred Eychaner; billionaire venture capitalist J. B. Pritzker; Morgan Stanley executive Tom Nides, who served as part of Clinton’s brain trust at the State Department; megadonor and Univision owner Haim Saban; Steve Rattner; and Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman, among others. A Clinton campaign spokesman declined to comment about the meeting. *Clinton campaign mocks press coverage <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-campaign-mocks-press-coverage-120280.html> // Politico // Nick Gass – July 17, 2015* Hillary Clinton’s campaign is deploying a new weapon in its running battle with the press: withering sarcasm. “If you believe the mood and headlines from some of the press, it’s been a pretty rough week for Hillary Clinton,” wrote campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri in a Medium post published Friday. “While there was widespread and substantive coverage of the rollout of her economic agenda, politically, it’s a different story,” Clinton has so much trouble, a decidedly tongue-in-cheek Palmieri wrote, that one poll showed that “she only had a higher favorability number than any other candidate it tested.” In fact, she added, Clinton is polling a “disastrous” 68 percent in approval among Hispanic voters (according to a Univision poll out Thursday), and “only leads her closest competition,” Jeb Bush, by a mere 37 points in that survey. The post also touted Clinton’s record fundraising and cash on hand. “It’s true,” Palmieri wrote. “Hillary is left in the terrible position of having the most resources of any candidate and being voters’ top choice to be the next President of the United States.” *Exclusive: Hillary’s first ad buy <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-first-ad-buy-2016-120295.html> // Politico // Glenn Thrush – July 17, 2015* Hillary Clinton is reserving time for her first major ad buys of the 2016 campaign — shelling out $7.7 million of TV spots in Iowa and New Hampshire for the fall, a campaign official told POLITICO. The ad buys would allow Clinton to go on the air as early as the first week in November and stretches through Election Day in each state — Feb. 1 for the Iowa caucuses, Feb. 9 for the New Hampshire primary. It’s possible Clinton could buy additional time in either state sooner, the official emphasized, but she wanted to lock down the dates before the corroded GOP field and related super PACs drove up advertising rates. “It’s smart to do now,” the official said. In Iowa, the campaign is cutting checks worth $3.6 million to reserve space in eight media markets statewide; In New Hampshire, they are buying several slots with a high percentage of the cash going to the expensive Manchester/Boston market in the southern part of the state, and neighboring Burlington, Vt. Clinton raised $45 million for the Democratic primary as of June 30, and the Brooklyn-based campaign burnt through $18.7 million during its first quarter, much of the cash going to polling, salaries and ramping up operations in early primary states. *The Next Phase of Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign Has Begun <http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-17/the-next-phase-of-hillary-clinton-s-presidential-campaign-has-begun> // Bloomberg // Jennifer Epstein – July 17, 2015* The relaunch of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign wasn’t on Roosevelt Island in June, or when she sat down for her first nationally televised interview last week. It happened on Thursday in New Hampshire, in the auditorium of a municipal building and the backyard of an old house, as she threw what others might call caution—and her advisers have insisted was intentional planning—to the wind. After months of limited questioning from screened panelists or a handful of reporters on a pre-written list, she just started calling on people. She called on 36 people in all over the course of the day, including nine members of the media. In a steamy, cavernous room at the Dover Municipal Building, she spent close to 70 minutes answering questions. Though she began with a short version of her stump speech and tacked on a proposal to offer tax credits to companies that share profits with their employees that her campaign announced Thursday, she let the conversation go where the voters in the room wanted it to go, which didn’t include profit sharing. Instead, she fielded questions on the Iran deal, climate change, student debt, the criminal justice system and federally funded space exploration. It might be a typical range for Bernie Sanders or Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio but for Clinton, who spent the beginning of her campaign staying self-consciously on message, it was something new and marked the dawn of a new more open phase of her 2016 White House bid. Asked about banning the extraction of fossil fuels from public lands by a young woman who demanded a yes-or-no answer, Clinton struck her own course."The answer is no until we get alternatives into place," she said, acknowledging that her response might not satisfy the questioner but was the only realistic way for her to respond. Later, Clinton called on another young woman, who posed the same question. "I'm going to be honest, I was disappointed by the answer that you gave before about climate change," the woman said, adding that she wondered if Clinton’s unwillingness to act was influenced by her campaign donors from the fossil fuel industry. “No. No it is not,” Clinton said, offering up a similar response to her first one until the woman, a few dozen yards away from Clinton, shouted “act on climate” and a handful of others, including the first woman, joined in. Two men unfurled a banner reading “ban extraction on public lands.” “You know what, I have said in this campaign I am going to tell you what I believe. Some people may like it and some people may not like it,” Clinton said. “I totally respect the passion and urgency,” she added, and “I would urge you to run for office and have your voices heard.” Others had more personal—and unexpected—concerns. One woman launched into an extended plea for help stopping the flood of telemarketer calls to her without changing her number and Clinton took it in stride. “I have to tell you that’s the first time I’ve been asked that. And I don’t know the answer but I will try to find out if there is an answer,” she said, before promising that a campaign staffer would reach out to the woman and try to help. Aides say this is where they had planned to be at this point in the campaign, past the initial listening-heavy phase of the campaign and onto the next step, sharing her views while still engaged in a back-and-forth with voters. Still, there was a clear shift even from early last week, when Clinton took questions from several audience members at the Iowa City Public Library. In all, she took 16 questions at the Dover event, the first that her campaign’s billed as a town hall. Later, after working her way through the crowd and posing for a long line of photos, Clinton spoke to the press. Traveling press secretary Nick Merrill was the traffic cop, calling on reporters as some tried to shout over others, but unlike at other recent press availabilities, he wasn’t calling on people based on a pre-written list of names. cut off the back-and-forth while some reporters were still clamoring for their own shot at her. But Merrill and Clinton did cut off the back-and-forth while some reporters were still clamoring for their own shot at her. Just before sunset, an organizing house party held in the buggy backyard of an old home in Windham, Clinton spent more than half an hour calling on people in the crowd, touching on many of the same issues as she had earlier in the day. After finishing her response to the tenth questioner and with it clear that she was running out of time, she struggled for a moment before passing along the responsibility of calling on the final questioner to someone else, her Midwestern-polite roots showing through. Earlier in the day, though, she’d shown that she could be more casual. “How do I address you? As ambassador or secretary or just Hillary?" one man asked her in Dover. "Hillary is fine with me,” she said. *Hedge Fund Titans Choosing Hillary Clinton Over Top Republicans <http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-17/clinton-donations-from-hedge-fund-titans-top-republicans> // Bloomberg // Saijel Kishan and Rebecca Spalding – July 17, 2015* Hillary Clinton received donations from some of the biggest names in the hedge fund industry, including Paul Tudor Jones, even as the presidential candidate wants to boost their tax rate. Jones, the billionaire founder of Tudor Investment Corp., Jamie Dinan, who started York Capital, and Neil Chriss, who runs Hutchin Hill Capital, each contributed the maximum $2,700 to Clinton’s bid for the White House, according to Federal Election Commission filings for the second quarter. Clinton, who’s made closing the wealth gap the centerpiece of her campaign, lured more donations from boldface industry names than Republican candidates 16 months before the election. Hedge fund managers, their employees and family members donated at least $54,000 to Clinton, a Democrat, according to the FEC. Republicans Jeb Bush got at least $27,000, Marco Rubio took in at least $10,800 while Carly Fiorina received at least $4,200. “Something is wrong when CEOs earn more than 300 times than what the typical American worker earns and when hedge fund managers pay a lower tax rate than truck drivers or nurses,” Clinton said in May. The candidate’s populist rhetoric didn’t dissuade many managers from supporting her. They include Frank Brosens, co-founder of Taconic Capital Advisors, Mitchell Julis, co-founder Canyon Partners, David Shaw, the billionaire founder of D.E. Shaw & Co., BlueMountain Capital Management Managing Partner James Staley, Jake Gottlieb, who runs Visum Asset Management, and Richard Perry, who heads Perry Capital. Bush, Rubio and Fiorina drew a smaller cohort of top hedge fund managers. Bush drew support from Dan Loeb, the billionaire founder of Third Point, Scott Kapnick, who runs Highbridge Capital Management, and Robert Pohly, founder of Samlyn Capital. Hudson Bay’s Sander Gerber and Bracebridge Young, chief executive officer of Mariner Investment Group, also donated to the candidate. Rubio got contributions from Paul Singer, the billionaire investor who runs Elliott Management, and Greg Jensen, co-CEO of Bridgewater Associates. Fiorina won the backing of billionaire John Paulson of Paulson & Co. Julis of Canyon Capital donated to both Clinton and Fiorina, while Omega Advisors’ Steve Einhorn gave money to Bush, Rubio and Fiorina. Jonathan Soros, the son of billionaire George Soros who runs his own firm, JS Capital, also gave money to Clinton. *Hillary Clinton's Biggest Campaign Bundlers Are Fossil Fuel Lobbyists <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-bundlers-fossil-fuel_55a8335ee4b04740a3df86c5?ts4f5hfr> // HuffPo // Paul Blumenthal and Kate Sheppard – July 17, 2015* WASHINGTON -- Nearly all of the lobbyists bundling contributions for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign have at one time or another worked for the fossil fuel industry. A list of 40 registered lobbyists that the Clinton camp disclosed to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday revealed a number of Democratic Party lobbyists who have worked against regulations to curb climate change, advocated for offshore drilling, or sought government approval for natural gas exports. Clinton, the former secretary of state, has called climate change the most “consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face as a nation and a world” and says it would be a major focus of her administration if she wins the White House. But having so many supporters who have sold their services to fossil fuel companies may complicate her emphasis on pro-environment policies. Scott Parven and Brian Pomper, lobbyists at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, have been registered to lobby for the Southern California-based oil giant Chevron since 2006, with contracts totaling more than $3 million. The two bundled Clinton contributions of $24,700 and $29,700, respectively. They have helped Chevron over the years resist efforts to eliminate oil and gas tax breaks and to impose regulations to reduce carbon emissions. The two Clinton bundlers also were part of a much-criticized campaign by Chevron to manipulate Congress into inserting language into the Andean Trade Preferences Act that would require Ecuador to dismiss a longstanding lawsuit against the company for polluting the Amazon jungle. Democratic lawmakers pushed back against the campaign and the lawsuit is continuing. One prominent lobbying topic embraced by Clinton bundlers is the expansion of liquefied natural gas exports and federal approval of new LNG terminals. Ankit Desai, vice president for government relations at top LNG exporter Cheniere Energy, bundled $82,000 to the Clinton camp, with much of it coming from Cheniere Energy executives. Cheniere executives, including Desai, have donated $38,800 to Clinton’s campaign. The company has lobbied hard in Washington and maintains close ties to the Obama administration. The company won the first approval to export gas to countries outside of U.S. free-trade agreements. The company is seeking approval to open additional terminals to export LNG, and will likely need a friend in the White House come 2017. ML Strategies’ David Leiter lobbied in 2014 on behalf of Sempra Energy when the company received approval for its LNG export facility in Hackberry, Louisiana. Leiter, who bundled $36,550 for Clinton’s campaign, also is a lobbyist for ExxonMobil. Steve Coll noted in a New Yorker article derived from his book on the oil giant, Private Empire, that Leiter, an ex-staffer to former Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), was retained, along with a host of others, to increase the company’s reach into the Democratic Party it had ignored for years. ExxonMobil’s top lobbyist in Washington, Theresa Fariello, may not be a bundler for Clinton’s campaign, but she is a donor. Fariello, who was a Department of Energy official in President Bill Clinton’s administration, gave $2,700 to Clinton’s campaign. Another Washington-based Exxon lawyer, Judith Batty, donated $2,700. Clinton also got contributions from others involved in the fossil fuel business. Her campaign received $2,700 from BP America’s Mary Streett, formerly the top lobbyist for the nuclear power utility Exelon. Anadarko Petroleum lawyers Amanda McMillan and Richard Lapin each gave $2,700. Sarah Venuto and Martin Durbin, both lobbyists for America’s Natural Gas Alliance, the top gas industry lobbying group, gave $2,910 and $1,000, respectively. Celia Fischer, an America’s Natural Gas Alliance representative who is not a lobbyist, gave $2,700. Aside from lobbyists currently working to advance fossil fuel interests, there is one Hillblazer bundler -- the name for Clinton boosters raising more than $100,000 -- who stands out. Bundler Gordon Giffin is a former lobbyist for TransCanada, the company working to build the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Giffin sits on the board of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, an investor in the pipeline. The Canadian bank paid Clinton $990,000 for speeches in the months leading up to her presidential announcement. Another Canadian financial institution with an interest in Keystone XL, TD Bank, paid her $651,000 for speaking engagements. Clinton’s position on Keystone XL -- or lack thereof -- may prove the biggest challenge for her in gaining support from progressive activists. Whether to grant a permit for the leg of the pipeline that crosses the Canadian border into the U.S. is up to the State Department, which has been considering it since Clinton’s time as secretary of state. In October 2010 remarks, Clinton said the department was “inclined” to sign off on the pipeline, a statement that enraged environmental groups working to stop it. On the campaign trail, Clinton has largely evaded questions about the pipeline. But the issue has dogged Clinton. The speaking fees from Canadian banks came to light in May. In June, Clinton's campaign announced the hiring of former TransCanada lobbyist Jeff Berman as a consultant. The issue of campaign donations from fossil fuel interests has become a topic in the Democratic Party primary, as both Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley have pledged they will not accept contributions from oil, gas or coal companies. Clinton has not signed that pledge. Fossil fuel campaign contributions came up at a town hall event Clinton hosted in New Hampshire on Thursday. “I’m disappointed about the answer you gave to climate change,” Giselle Hart, an activist with 350 Action, told Clinton. I’m wondering if your answer ... is due to contributions from the fossil fuel industry to your campaign." Activists unfurled banners and demanded that Clinton support a ban on fossil fuel extraction on public lands. Clinton responded that she would phase out extraction over time, though not immediately. "We still have to run our economy, we still have to turn on the lights," she said. Reached for comment, a representative for the campaign simply pointed HuffPost to Clinton's remarks at the Thursday's town hall. *Bill Clinton Is Sorry For A Lot Of Things <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-clinton-is-sorry_55a83397e4b0896514d0e220> // HuffPo // Marina Fang and Amber Ferguson – July 17, 2015* WASHINGTON -- As president, Bill Clinton was wrong about Wall Street deregulation and various elements of his foreign policy, pushed trade policies that painfully drove up drug prices around the world, sowed chaos in Mexico through his prosecution of the drug war and exacerbated the problem of mass incarceration through an overly punitive approach to sentencing. It may be a harsh judgment, but it's one that carries weight considering the source: former President Bill Clinton. Unlike a lot of politicians, Clinton has shown a willingness to own up to his mistakes. Earlier this week, he offered a mea culpa around sentencing at the NAACP convention. Here's an incomplete list of policies he pursued as president that he has since acknowledged were not the best choices. Criminal justice Clinton’s 1994 omnibus crime bill included mandatory minimum sentences, even for minor offenses such as drug crimes. It also contained a federal "three strikes" provision, which imposed life sentences for anyone convicted of a violent felony after two or more previous convictions. Addressing the NAACP convention on Wednesday, Clinton admitted that his tough crime laws led to swelling prison populations. “I signed a bill that made the problem worse,” he said. “And I want to admit it.” In April, Clinton acknowledged in an introduction to a book of essays about criminal justice that these policies were "overly broad instead of appropriately tailored." "Some are in prison who shouldn't be, others are in for too long, 