Campaign Legal Center
Founding President and general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign watchdog group
PROFILE
Paul S. Ryan
Guest
FROM Paul S. Ryan
To the Point
A Stunner in Mississippi Just under 7000 votes edged six-term Republican Senator Thad Cochran over the line to victory in his closely watched race yesterday in Mississippi against a more conservative challenger, Chris McDaniel. Tea Party groups had targeted the veteran lawmaker as early as last year, hoping to take down a GOP fixture. House Majority leader Eric Cantor's shocking loss in Virginia two weeks ago added to the movement’s momentum. Money and resources poured into McDaniel’s campaign, which is partly why Cochran’s win comes as a shock to most politicos.
Which Way, L.A.?
The Sudden Emergence of Super PAC's So called political Super PAC's have been made possible by recent decisions of the US Supreme Court. They have names like " Restore Our Future ," " Winning Our Future " and " Make Us Great Again ." The latest thing in political finance, these massive war chests supposedly are independent of candidates. But their real purpose is to support particular candidates like Mitt Romney , Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry . Based on this year's campaign so far, how are they changing the political process?
To the Point
The Sudden Emergence of Super PAC's Super PAC's are the latest thing in political finance. These massive financial war chests allowed by recent Supreme Court decisions are spending more than the candidates -- $26 million so far -- without disclosing their sources. With names like " Restore Our Future ," " Winning Our Future " and " Make Us Great Again ," their real purpose is to support particular candidates like Mitt Romney , Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry . Based on this year's campaign records, what's been their impact on election results so far?
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To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.