​Correct The Record Monday February 2, 2015 Afternoon Roundup

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*​**Correct The Record Monday February 2, 2015 Afternoon Roundup:* *Tweets:* *Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton <https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> was the first Secretary of State to travel to Dili, Timor-Leste#HRC365 <https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC365?src=hash> http://www.state.gov/secretary/20092013clinton/trvl/2012/196973.htm … <http://t.co/7t8XXOKttm> [2/2/15, 10:47 a.m. EST <https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/562276183073894400>] *Headlines:* *Wall Street Journal blog: Washington Wire: “Ready for Hillary PAC Raised Nearly $9 Million in 2014” <http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/02/01/ready-for-hillary-pac-raised-nearly-9-million-in-2014/?KEYWORDS=hillary+clinton>* “Ready for Hillary, a super PAC formed in 2013 to raise money for a presidential campaign by Hillary Clinton, raised nearly $9 million in 2014, more than twice as much as the previous year and more than the groups affiliated with most Republicans known to be considering a 2016 presidential bid.” *BuzzFeed: “Rand Hit Bush-Clinton On Dynasty, But Once Said His Famous Dad Made His Run For Office Possible” <http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/rand-paul-hit-bush-clinton-on-dynasty-but-he-once-said-his-f#.iryggpZ7X>* “Paul said ‘celebrity status’ does help in running for president, but it wasn’t a criticism to have a famous family, adding that people create their own way.” *The Hill blog: Briefing Room: “Former Md. governor slams White House on new drilling rules” <http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/231412-omalley-slams-white-house-on-new-drilling-rules>* “In the last year, as speculation has mounted that he might serve as a more progressive challenger to a likely Hillary Clinton campaign, O'Malley has served as a foil to more centrist Democrats.” *The Daily Caller: “Hillary Clinton Wanted To Investigate Link Between Autism And Vaccinations” <http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/02/hillary-clinton-wanted-to-investigate-link-between-autism-and-vaccinations/>* “As a U.S. senator and presidential candidate in 2008, Hillary Clinton expressed support for the theory that childhood vaccinations contribute to autism, writing in a campaign questionnaire that she was ‘committed’ to finding the causes of autism, including “possible environmental causes like vaccines.’” *Articles:* *Wall Street Journal blog: Washington Wire: “Ready for Hillary PAC Raised Nearly $9 Million in 2014” <http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/02/01/ready-for-hillary-pac-raised-nearly-9-million-in-2014/?KEYWORDS=hillary+clinton>* By Rebecca Ballhaus February 1, 2015, 4:04 p.m. EST Ready for Hillary, a super PAC formed in 2013 to raise money for a presidential campaign by Hillary Clinton, raised nearly $9 million in 2014, more than twice as much as the previous year and more than the groups affiliated with most Republicans known to be considering a 2016 presidential bid. The Ready for Hillary group is not directly affiliated with Mrs. Clinton, but is collecting names and email addresses of her supporters that it will make available to her campaign should she decide to run. It has ramped up its fundraising operation in the last year, hosting events featuring top officials from the administration of former President Bill Clinton. Its national finance council–which requires members to give or raise $25,000 each–now has more than 894 members, according to a spokesman for the group. And though the group would be barred from coordinating with Mrs. Clinton’s campaign should she decide to run, its fundraising success indicates the pull Mrs. Clinton’s name would have among donors. Ready for Hillary’s fundraising numbers were disclosed in a Federal Election Commission report Saturday evening, the deadline to file year-end reports for all political-action committees and campaign committees. Also required to file were the leadership PACs affiliated with several potential 2016 candidates, including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, both Republicans. Though money raised through leadership PACs can be used only for non-campaign-related expenses, such as travel, or to give to other candidates, the groups can often provide a good test of potential candidates’ fundraising prowess. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, for instance, launched a PAC last month along with a fundraising initiative his team dubbed a “shock and awe” campaign–an effort to raise enough money to give other Republicans second thoughts about entering the race. Of the PACs affiliated with a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, the only one that raised more than Ready for Hillary was a super PAC backing Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, which raised a formidable $12 million in 2014 and spent nearly that amount. But Mr. Carson, who has a campaign-in-waiting, has distanced himself from the group amid questions about how it has spent its money. USA First PAC, a committee that is affiliated with Mr. Carson, raised around $430,000 in 2014. Mr. Paul and Mr. Huckabee saw their leadership PACs raise the most in 2014 of other groups affiliated with potential 2016 GOP presidential candidates. Mr. Paul’s leadership PAC, Reinventing a New Direction, brought in more than $2.1 million, while Mr. Huckabee’s raised just shy of $1.9 million. Both groups also spent much of what they raised. In 2013 and 2014, Mr. Paul’s PAC spent at least $1.7 million on fundraising expenses, including consulting fees, events, and mailings, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. It also spent around $500,000 on staffers’ salaries, as Mr. Paul builds up his operation for a potential 2016 bid. On Thursday, Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri announced he would join Mr. Paul’s team of advisers in March. Mr. Huckabee’s group, called Huck PAC, gave nearly $1 million to House and Senate candidates’ campaigns in the 2014 election cycle. It also spent around $1 million on fundraising. Other Republicans whose leadership PACs raised substantial sums last year include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Mr. Cruz’s group raised $1.7 million in 2014, and had about $130,000 in the bank as of Dec. 31, 2014. Mr. Rubio’s group raised $1.6 million, and had $30,000 on hand at yearend. Mr. Santorum’s PAC raised nearly $1.6 million. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s leadership PAC, which just started raising money in July 2014, has raised around $300,000 since then. Mr. Perry, a Republican, is currently facing an indictment on two felony charges for allegedly improperly threatening to veto funding for a prosecutorial unit if the prosecutor didn’t resign following a drunken-driving arrest, which could complicate his prospects for another presidential bid. The leadership PAC for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican who is also considering a presidential campaign, raised around $275,000. Supporters of the governor last week filed paperwork for a super PAC called Believe Again, and Mr. Jindal last week changed the name of his PAC to match that of the super PAC, according to a spokesman. On the Democratic side, Mrs. Clinton far outraised her potential rivals for the party’s nomination, a sign of her strong support. Some Democrats fear her early dominance will deprive the party of a competitive primary in which candidates could refine their stances and skills for the general election. The leadership PAC for former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who has said he is considering a 2016 bid, raised around $750,000 in 2014. It does have considerably more in the bank than most of the other leadership PACs–nearly $600,000. As a former state official, Mr. O’Malley also operates a non-federal PAC, which raised $1.6 million in 2014 and has nearly $330,000 in the bank. Progressive Voters of America, the leadership PAC for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, raised around $200,000. Mr. Sanders, who has won some support from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, has said he is considering a campaign and wants to test whether he can raise enough money. *BuzzFeed: “Rand Hit Bush-Clinton On Dynasty, But Once Said His Famous Dad Made His Run For Office Possible” <http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/rand-paul-hit-bush-clinton-on-dynasty-but-he-once-said-his-f#.iryggpZ7X>* By Andrew Kaczynski February 2, 2015, 10:07 a.m. EST [Subtitle:] “So it has opened doors, it hopefully will open doors in fundraising. But to be embarrassed by that no, I’m absolutely ecstatic that I’m able to participate in this process and that I can help be a leader in the freedom movement.” Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a potential contender for the presidency in 2016, released a parody tape of a phone call between former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, hitting his presidential rivals on the issue of political dynasty. The parody, released by Paul’s political action committee RAND PAC, used actors to envision the two talking about the dynasties in their political families. In a 2009 interview with AntiWar.com radio, however, the son of two-time Republican presidential candidate and longtime Congressman Ron Paul cited his father as making his 2010 run for Senate possible. The question to Paul focused on the topic of political families. “I couldn’t have done this in 2006 because, ya know, my father’s campaign hadn’t grown to a national level,” Paul said. “I hadn’t gone out and helped him in many different states and become well known to some people in the movement. No, I couldn’t have done this in 2006 in a statewide race, but it does allow me now to run a statewide race and be treated as a credible candidate.” Paul said his father’s 2008 presidential campaign “opened doors” for him, and hopefully would lead to more fundraising. “So it has opened doors, it hopefully will open doors in fundraising. But to be embarrassed by that no, I’m absolutely ecstatic that I’m able to participate in this process and that I can help be a leader in the freedom movement.” “That’s for better or worse the way it is,” Paul would add. “But at the same time we should hopefully glorify in the fact that we’ve gotten a lot of political families that have been pretty crummy, maybe we can get a political family that will be a little bit better for individual freedom.” Earlier in his response, Paul said the problem centered around incumbency, and the difficulty in challenging incumbent politicians. “Well I think the problem is the electoral process makes it very difficult for anybody to run for office to beat incumbents. Once you have incumbents, incumbents almost never lose. If you look at the rate of incumbency in the United States vs. the Soviet Politburo, actually the Politburo had a higher rate of turnover. So there’s a problem with that and people try to look at this and say, ‘how do we fix the system?’ But nobody’s been able to come up with a way to fix the system where very wealthy people don’t have an advantage by spending their own money.” Paul said “celebrity status” does help in running for president, but it wasn’t a criticism to have a famous family, adding that people create their own way. “And does celebrity status or being well-known help, yeah, Jesse Ventura won because of his celebrity, Arnold Schwarzenegger won. And then some people win on the celebrity name’s of their families. And is there a way to make the world perfect, I’m not sure there is. And I don’t also think it’s a criticism that says ‘hmm you’re family’s famous, therefore that disqualifies you from participating in the process.’ I think you create you’re own way and it may open some doors in the beginning.” Via Politico, here’s the transcript of Paul’s fake call. It can be listened to here. Bush: “Hey, Hill. It’s Jeb.” Clinton: “Hey, Jeb. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Bush: “Well, it’s true — I’m thinking about running for president.” Clinton: “Well, Jeb, so am I.” Bush: “I just wanted to call and give you a heads up in hopes we could work something out.” Clinton: “What do you mean, Jeb? It’s clearly my turn: Bush, Clinton, Bush. Now, Clinton.” Bush: “Well, Hillary, there hasn’t been a Republican White House without a Bush since 1977, and we’re ready to be back.” Clinton: “Let me shoot straight with you, Jeb, OK? Bill and I are dead broke and need a place to stay. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is calling me home — I’ve still got the back door key. Being president offers a lot more job security than writing another memoir.” Bush: “Well, the Bushes have weathered attacks before. And, READ MY LIPS, Hillary: We’re not backing down this time.” Clinton: “Well, you’re right — maybe we can work something out. We both agree on so many issues: bigger government, Common Core and amnesty for illegal immigrants.” Bush: “Well, we’ve both got problems. You’ve got problems with the grass roots, and I’ve got all those damn conservatives. What say, we make a deal?” [Call beeps in.] Bush: “Sorry, Hillary, but I have to go. Mitt keeps calling.” Clinton: “Oh, for crying out loud.” *The Hill blog: Briefing Room: “Former Md. governor slams White House on new drilling rules” <http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/231412-omalley-slams-white-house-on-new-drilling-rules>* By David McCabe February 2, 2015, 8:19 a.m. EST Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), a possible candidate for president in 2016, on Monday called the White House's decision to allow drilling along parts of the East Coast "a big mistake." "The BP Deepwater Horizon disaster should remind us that the benefits of drilling do not outweigh the threat to local economies, public health and the environment when an inevitable spill occurs," he wrote in an op-ed published in The New York Times. O'Malley argued that placing oil rigs off the East Coast would result in accidents with broad consequences — noting recent, strong storms like Hurricane Sandy in 2012. "If a single hurricane has the power to damage or destroy more than 650,000 homes in its path, we should consider what might become of an oil rig," he wrote. "Expanding offshore drilling is irreconcilable with the realities of climate science and irrelevant, at best, to taking advantage of the vast economic opportunities clean energy presents," he added later in the piece. The Obama administration said last week that it would allow drilling off one part of the Atlantic Seaboard and open up more portions of the Gulf of Mexico to drilling. The plan would also ban drilling in parts of Alaska. In addition to the obvious proximity of O'Malley's home state to the coastal area in question, the former governor might be trying to stake out territory to the left of Obama as he mulls a presidential campaign. In the last year, as speculation has mounted that he might serve as a more progressive challenger to a likely Hillary Clinton campaign, O'Malley has served as a foil to more centrist Democrats. Last summer, he said the Obama administration's position to send unaccompanied child migrants back to Central America would be akin to sending them to "certain death." The White House fired back, and O'Malley accused the administration of misrepresenting his comments. In September, O'Malley said that he was "seriously considering" a run. He has also said that Clinton's thinking about a run will not change his own. *The Daily Caller: “Hillary Clinton Wanted To Investigate Link Between Autism And Vaccinations” <http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/02/hillary-clinton-wanted-to-investigate-link-between-autism-and-vaccinations/>* By Chuck Ross February 2, 2015, 12:40 p.m. EST As a U.S. senator and presidential candidate in 2008, Hillary Clinton expressed support for the theory that childhood vaccinations contribute to autism, writing in a campaign questionnaire that she was “committed” to finding the causes of autism, including “possible environmental causes like vaccines.” Childhood vaccinations became a political issue on Monday after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was roundly criticized for telling reporters, “It’s more important what you think as a parent than what you think as a public official.” “So that’s the balance that the government has to decide,” Christie continued, adding that, “Not every vaccine is created equal, and not every disease type is as great a public-health threat as others.” The subject of childhood vaccinations and the activist groups who oppose the safeguard — so-called anti-vaxxers — has come to the fore amid an outbreak of measles in the U.S. Christie’s stance on the issue took another twist after The Daily Beast reported on a letter Christie wrote to campaign supporters in 2009 in which he expressed sympathy for parents concerned by New Jersey’s “highest-in-the-nation vaccination rate.” “I stand with them now, and will stand with them as their governor in their fight for greater parental involvement in vaccination decisions that affect their children,” Christie wrote. Those comments were cited by many as problematic: This @olivianuzzi article on Chris Christie’s suck-up to anti-vaxx parents hits like a punch to the face http://t.co/eQ3JstBVst — Tim Mak (@timkmak) February 2, 2015 Chris Christie, call your office. http://t.co/U6AWU3whaG — Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) February 2, 2015 But as a 2008 presidential contender, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton indicated that she was a vaccination skeptic as well. As The Huffington Post and The American Prospect reported in April of that year, Clinton called for more research into the autism-vaccination link in response to a questionnaire from A-CHAMP, an autism awareness group. Clinton wrote that she was “committed to make investments to find the causes of autism, including possible environmental causes like vaccines.” And in response to the question of whether she would support more research into a link between vaccinations and autism rates, Clinton wrote: “Yes. We don’t know what, if any, kind of link there is between vaccines and autism – but we should find out.” As was reported at the time, Clinton was joined in her skeptical views by then-Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president in 2008. “We’ve seen just a skyrocketing autism rate. Some people are suspicious that it’s connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it,” Obama said at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in April 2008. Later on Monday, Christie’s office clarified the comments he made in London: “To be clear: The governor believes vaccines are an important public health protection and with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated. At the same time different states require different degrees of vaccination, which is why he was calling for balance in which ones government should mandate.”