The Friday Filibuster: The one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about this week in politics.
90 percent- the chance Carly Fiorina will run in 2016
1.6 million – the number of letters Americans sent to Congress to end ObamaNet
58 percent of Kentuckians support local right to work laws
50 percent of Florida voters see the former Secretary of State as dishonest, as do 49 percent of Pennsylvania voters and 47 percent of Ohio voters.
40 percent - The percentage of the Hispanic vote the GOP needs to win in 2016.
HRC
Hillary is still in hot water over Email-gate. Rep. Trey Gowdy is requesting she appear before the House Select Committee on Benghazi to further understand the decisions she made regarding public records, like wiping her server clean. It also doesn’t help matters that she was caught in a lie about using only one device for email, or that her ex-aide had a secret intelligence network. All of this is making that time she said the Bush administration might have ‘something to hide’ by refusing to turn over documents all the more hypocritical.
Campaigns & Elections
Not to be left out with Sen. Ted Cruz already announcing, and Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio soon to announce, Dr. Ben Carson said this week he’ll “likely” be unveiling his presidential plans the first week of May. Whether NJ Gov. Chris Christie jumps into the race remains to be seen, but he did pledge his support for a 20-week abortion ban just hours after a pro-life group placed his name in red. Is this telling? We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side of things, Sen. Elizabeth Warren will not be running for president in 2016, which leaves an unchallenged Hillary. According to Rubio, the next election is going to be much bigger than just which party will win, it will determine the future of this country. At the congressional level, as we learned last week, Harry Reid will be retiring in 2016; here’s a video of the very worst of the Nevada senator. He won’t be missed.
Indiana & Religious Freedom
The reaction this week to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signing into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been fierce, with critics claiming the RFRA is a draconian attack on LGBT rights under the guise of religious liberty. The reality, however, is far from it. But progressives can’t handle the truth. Nevertheless, Pence addressed the controversy head on and set the record straight, going so far as to agree to have the state legislature improve the bill’s language. On Thursday, GOP lawmakers came up with a fix, but not in time to prevent supporters of the bill from being hacked and the target of threatening attacks.
Global Security
Just before the deadline for a nuclear deal this week Iran made yet another demand that they were no longer willing to ship their enriched uranium out of the country. Predictably, the deadline came and went and Howard Dean said it’s time for the U.S. to walk away. As of Thursday, however, Iran and six world powers “agreed on the outlines of an understanding to limit Iran’s nuclear programs.” This is not a deal, though. Guy fleshes out what it is exactly. Either way, however, it seems Iran got the better of the agreement.
Meanwhile, chaos in Yemen continues; al Shabaab carried out a deadly attack on a university in Kenya, killing roughly 150 individuals; and European leaders are increasingly for sending U.S. arms to Ukraine.
In other news
Lois Lerner escaped criminal contempt charges; Sen. Bob Menendez has been formally charged with corruption; and the IRS offers tax deductions for abortions but not stillborn babies.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member