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The GOP’s Daddy issues

There are not many people who once fought on the same side as Fidel Castro and are now heroes to American social conservatives.

But that is exactly the trajectory taken by Rafael Cruz, father of 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Flat tax makes 2016 comeback

The flat tax is back.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have both floated an across-the-board tax rate as they’ve launched their 2016 presidential bids.

Neither Cruz nor Paul has spelled out the exact details of their plan, but both senators clearly see the flat tax as a way to appeal to both free-market conservatives that advocate for broad-based tax cuts, and the Tea Party sympathizers concerned with government intrusion.

New Hampshire Event Showcases GOP Candidates

The New Hampshire Republican Party held an event this weekend for potential 2016 candidates to address local activists, and it looks like nearly all of them showed up. Here are a few key takeaways according to Politico‘s coverage of the event:

Reports of Chris Christie’s political death are exaggerated.

The New Jersey governor is down, but not out. He’s putting all his chips on winning the Granite State, and the positive reception he received here showed that it’s probably the best bet ... Read More >>

The Young and the Restless of 2016

Once upon a time, presidential candidates were expected to have more than passing experience in government, as well as the maturity and wisdom that sometimes come with age. But that has changed, apparently.

Only a few days removed from his splashy debut as a presidential candidate — complete with a “Defeat the Washington Machine” campaign slogan — Rand Paul is taking fire from all sides.

The Democratic National Committee is holding daily conference calls with reporters calling the Kentucky Republican senator “extreme” and an “American nightmare.” Outside the entrance of Paul’s rally here Wednesday, liberal activists from NextGen, a group backed by billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, held a demonstration targeting Paul over his views on climate change.

Round one in the battle of anti-Establishment Republican presidential candidates goes to Sen. Ted Cruz.

In competition for the Tea Party’s vote in 2016, the Texas Republican has bested Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky with a campaign rollout that GOP strategists say exceeded expectations and was almost flawlessly executed. Announcing for president two weeks later, Paul accomplished nearly the opposite, forcing a swift recalculation about which candidate is best positioned to win over the party’s insurgent wing and vie for the nomination.