Recent News

A secretive group that serves as the umbrella operation for leaders and activists within the conservative movement will host two meetings in the coming months, National Journal has learned, the first to vet Republican presidential candidates and the second to discuss coalescing behind one of them.

The Council for National Policy, a shadowy organization of several hundred dues-paying members, typically meets three times a year in various locations around the country. But with the 2016 cycle accelerating, and many conservative leaders intent on rallying behind a single candidate, CNP’s leadership is taking extraordinary measures—scheduling two top-priority meetings outside of Washington—and inviting a large number of nonmembers to both.

It never really dawned on Leslie Combs that Hillary Clinton might lose. Combs, a new state legislator from Pike County, Kentucky—Democratic turf since the Union fought the Confederacy—had endorsed Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid. And yet the frontrunner stumbled, and kept losing primaries to a freshman senator named Barack Obama.

“Our region had no thought or concept that he would win,” said Combs. “There were people who were just in awe about what was happening. Our folks were just so dead set for her and had no intention being for him. As soon as she was out of the picture, the rest of us Democrats would be out.”

It’s safe to say that most, if not all, of the 2016 Republican presidential field will oppose raising the federal minimum wage. It’s also safe to say that the entire Democratic field — such as it is — will support raising the minimum wage. That’s why Rick Santorum’s position on the issue could be an important part of the 2016 GOP debate.

Yes, it’s possible Chris Christie missed his moment

Chris Christie sat down with “Today” host Matt Lauer to talk about his political future on Wednesday. And, Lauer, to his credit, got right to it — asking the New Jersey governor: “[Has] your moment passed?”

Christie gave the answer he was supposed to give. “I don’t know and neither do you,” he told Lauer. “We’ll see.”

The world according to Jeb Bush

If Jeb Bush is elected president, the United States won’t be on speaking terms with Cuba and will partner more closely with Israel. He’ll tighten sanctions on Iran and urge NATO to deploy more troops in Eastern Europe to counter Vladimir Putin. And he’ll order the U.S. military to root out “barbarians” and “evil doers” around the globe.

Far from running from or downplaying the views once expressed by his brother, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush is embracing them — and emphasizing them.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has been on the rise this year in Republican presidential primary polls. But his standing at home dropped over the first few months of 2015, according to the latest poll from Marquette University Law School.

The poll shows 56 percent of registered voters in the state disapproved of Walker’s job performance as governor, while 41 percent approved. The last time Marquette tested Walker’s numbers, just before his reelection in October, 49 percent of registered Wisconsin voters approved of him and 47 percent disapproved, a significant difference.

Perry in NH asks for second look