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Rick Santorum to announce second run for president – live Hillary Clinton delivers remarks in South Carolina – live
(35 minutes later)
1.52pm ET18:52
Fiorina on Clinton: 'Perhaps she's following me'
Speaking with reporters in Columbia, South Carolina, Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina dismissed speculation that she was following Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton, also speaking today in Columbia.
“Perhaps she’s following me,” Fiorina said. “I have never been following Mrs. Clinton. The Hill has more:
“Hillary Clinton is the personification of the professional political class,” Fiorina said. “We need a nominee who can ask her these questions.”
Sarah Isgur Flores, Fiorina’s deputy campaign manager, slammed the Clinton campaign as the “Hillary for America But Against Transparency campaign” in an email to reporters Tuesday.
“Our events tomorrow are all open to the press. And by open press, we mean we’ll actually take questions,” Flores said.
1.45pm ET18:45
Wish there was a way to waste a couple minutes before the Clinton event starts. Like if a Christian rapper would drop a Ted Cruz track.
make DC listen
switch off the dead news
the lamestream media
feeding us the fed stew
collectivism everyone’s a victim
like the Reds do
and for our next president,
we’re all in for Ted Cruz
Circulating in Iowa: Video of a Ted Cruz campaign song by Christian rapper Joe Salant. "Grind for righteousness." https://t.co/7cUduqAIHj
woooooooooorrd
1.38pm ET18:38
Ready to go.
"I'm ready to do this again," Rick Santorum tells me on joining the 2016 race. pic.twitter.com/ay1sQYhgwZ
1.17pm ET18:171.17pm ET18:17
When you look at it this way...When you look at it this way...
Bernie Sanders 2016 has more support than Graham, Jindal, Fiorina, and Kasich combined, @pbump notes http://t.co/2nNdSoCWvfBernie Sanders 2016 has more support than Graham, Jindal, Fiorina, and Kasich combined, @pbump notes http://t.co/2nNdSoCWvf
1.14pm ET18:141.14pm ET18:14
Where’s Hillary Clinton?Where’s Hillary Clinton?
Columbia, South Carolina, where she’s scheduled to deliver remarks beginning in about a half hour to the South Carolina House Democratic Women’s Caucus and the South Carolina Democratic Women’s Council.Columbia, South Carolina, where she’s scheduled to deliver remarks beginning in about a half hour to the South Carolina House Democratic Women’s Caucus and the South Carolina Democratic Women’s Council.
Clinton is also scheduled to speak this afternoon, her campaign says, with minority women small business owners in Columbia.Clinton is also scheduled to speak this afternoon, her campaign says, with minority women small business owners in Columbia.
We’ll have it all right here.We’ll have it all right here.
1.09pm ET18:091.09pm ET18:09
Did Hillary Clinton just edge an inch closer to the Democratic presidential nomination? Jim Webb is the former senator from Virginia and secretary of the Navy who has been seen as positioning himself to be among the Democratic politicians who could swoop in to fight for the nomination should Clinton stumble.Did Hillary Clinton just edge an inch closer to the Democratic presidential nomination? Jim Webb is the former senator from Virginia and secretary of the Navy who has been seen as positioning himself to be among the Democratic politicians who could swoop in to fight for the nomination should Clinton stumble.
It’s harder to swoop without Iowa, though.It’s harder to swoop without Iowa, though.
NEW: Dem presidential hopeful Jim Webb's Iowa director, Rania Batrice, resigned last week, she confirmed to me today. @RaniaBatriceNEW: Dem presidential hopeful Jim Webb's Iowa director, Rania Batrice, resigned last week, she confirmed to me today. @RaniaBatrice
1.02pm ET18:021.02pm ET18:02
Rand Paul is joining the “convo” on the #southside, meaning south of Chicago, where Paul spoke to a crowd on an outdoor stage moments ago. The Paul camp said the candidate visited the area on the invitation of local pastor Cory Brooks.Rand Paul is joining the “convo” on the #southside, meaning south of Chicago, where Paul spoke to a crowd on an outdoor stage moments ago. The Paul camp said the candidate visited the area on the invitation of local pastor Cory Brooks.
We must get beyond party labels to find solutions. I'm proud to be in the #southside today to be part of the convo pic.twitter.com/dFzgT7RnyNWe must get beyond party labels to find solutions. I'm proud to be in the #southside today to be part of the convo pic.twitter.com/dFzgT7RnyN
12.52pm ET17:5212.52pm ET17:52
Potentially illegal ice cream at Sanders eventPotentially illegal ice cream at Sanders event
As painful as the campaign process can be for voters who only experience it in endless negative ads interrupting their favorite TV or in junky fliers junking up their mailboxes, there’s something about the business of retail politics that can create these heartfelt moments of American happiness, little moments like smiling babies and I Voted buttons and ice cream, perhaps donated in bulk to mark the launch yesterday evening of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential run.As painful as the campaign process can be for voters who only experience it in endless negative ads interrupting their favorite TV or in junky fliers junking up their mailboxes, there’s something about the business of retail politics that can create these heartfelt moments of American happiness, little moments like smiling babies and I Voted buttons and ice cream, perhaps donated in bulk to mark the launch yesterday evening of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential run.
It turns out that ice cream is ILLEGAL in this context unless it is reported as a campaign donation to the FEC.It turns out that ice cream is ILLEGAL in this context unless it is reported as a campaign donation to the FEC.
so @BernieSanders rallies against corporations but has no problem taking @benandjerrys free handouts at kickoffso @BernieSanders rallies against corporations but has no problem taking @benandjerrys free handouts at kickoff
Thanks to Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer for flagging this incredibly flagrant abuse of campaign finance law by a candidate who was one lick away from the Democratic nomination. A candidate, no less, who would position himself as a critic of the hundreds of millions of anonymous dollars about to flow from banks and industry and maybe even foreign rich people into the 2016 race.Thanks to Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer for flagging this incredibly flagrant abuse of campaign finance law by a candidate who was one lick away from the Democratic nomination. A candidate, no less, who would position himself as a critic of the hundreds of millions of anonymous dollars about to flow from banks and industry and maybe even foreign rich people into the 2016 race.
.@benandjerrys great. There are still laws. One is you can't donate without reporting it to the Federal Election Commission.@benandjerrys great. There are still laws. One is you can't donate without reporting it to the Federal Election Commission
12.34pm ET17:3412.34pm ET17:34
Jindal slams Paul: 'unsuited' to be presidentJindal slams Paul: 'unsuited' to be president
Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who is exploring a presidential run, has just unleashed some heavy-duty friendly fire on fellow Republican – and potential primary opponent – Rand Paul.Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who is exploring a presidential run, has just unleashed some heavy-duty friendly fire on fellow Republican – and potential primary opponent – Rand Paul.
Paul has expressed reluctance about new foreign military expeditions in general and hesitancy in particular about deploying thousands of additional US troops to the Middle East to confront Isis militants or for any other reason.Paul has expressed reluctance about new foreign military expeditions in general and hesitancy in particular about deploying thousands of additional US troops to the Middle East to confront Isis militants or for any other reason.
Update: and in a television hit this morning, Paul said that “Isis exists and grew stronger because of the hawks in our party who gave arms indiscriminately.”Update: and in a television hit this morning, Paul said that “Isis exists and grew stronger because of the hawks in our party who gave arms indiscriminately.”
In a statement issued Wednesday, Jindal accuses Paul of taking “the weakest, most liberal Dem position”:In a statement issued Wednesday, Jindal accuses Paul of taking “the weakest, most liberal Dem position”:
(1/5) Sen. Paul’s comments on ISIS take the weakest, most liberal Dem position, showing he is unsuited to be Commander-in-Chief.(1/5) Sen. Paul’s comments on ISIS take the weakest, most liberal Dem position, showing he is unsuited to be Commander-in-Chief.
Jindal continued:Jindal continued:
It’s one thing for Senator Paul to take an outlandish position as a Senator at Washington cocktail parties, but being Commander-in-Chief is an entirely different job. We should all be clear that evil and Radical Islam are at fault for the rise of ISIS, and people like President Obama and Hillary Clinton exacerbate it.It’s one thing for Senator Paul to take an outlandish position as a Senator at Washington cocktail parties, but being Commander-in-Chief is an entirely different job. We should all be clear that evil and Radical Islam are at fault for the rise of ISIS, and people like President Obama and Hillary Clinton exacerbate it.
American weakness, not American strength, emboldens our enemies. Senator Paul’s illogical argument clouds a situation that should provide pure moral clarity. Islam has a problem. ISIS is its current manifestation. And the next President’s job is to have the discipline and strength to wipe ISIS off the face of the earth. It has become impossible to imagine a President Paul defeating radical Islam and it’s time for the rest of us to say it.”American weakness, not American strength, emboldens our enemies. Senator Paul’s illogical argument clouds a situation that should provide pure moral clarity. Islam has a problem. ISIS is its current manifestation. And the next President’s job is to have the discipline and strength to wipe ISIS off the face of the earth. It has become impossible to imagine a President Paul defeating radical Islam and it’s time for the rest of us to say it.”
(4/5) The next President must have the discipline and strength to wipe ISIS off the face of the earth.(4/5) The next President must have the discipline and strength to wipe ISIS off the face of the earth.
Jindal has moribund poll ratings and has nothing to lose, the thinking runs, from talking nationally noticeable smack. Which is not to contend that he doesn’t mean exactly what he says.Jindal has moribund poll ratings and has nothing to lose, the thinking runs, from talking nationally noticeable smack. Which is not to contend that he doesn’t mean exactly what he says.
Updated at 1.04pm ETUpdated at 1.04pm ET
12.20pm ET17:2012.20pm ET17:20
Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard executive who lost big in her 2010 Senate run but who has been making them tingle in Iowa, has drawn a target on Hillary Clinton’s back, to the extent that she maintains www.readytobeathillary.com.Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard executive who lost big in her 2010 Senate run but who has been making them tingle in Iowa, has drawn a target on Hillary Clinton’s back, to the extent that she maintains www.readytobeathillary.com.
.@HillaryClinton must not be President. Check out our new site to learn more. http://t.co/3DUlwa16Kt. #Carly2016.@HillaryClinton must not be President. Check out our new site to learn more. http://t.co/3DUlwa16Kt. #Carly2016
Fiorina is rumbling into South Carolina today with events planned before and after Clinton is to speak.Fiorina is rumbling into South Carolina today with events planned before and after Clinton is to speak.
To learn more about Fiorina, consult our handy election résumé. Did you know that her yachts are called Alchemy and Alchemy [sic] and her terriers are called Max and Snickers?To learn more about Fiorina, consult our handy election résumé. Did you know that her yachts are called Alchemy and Alchemy [sic] and her terriers are called Max and Snickers?
While @HillaryClinton continues to hide from tough questions, I look forward to answering more of them in Columbia, SC today. #Carly2016While @HillaryClinton continues to hide from tough questions, I look forward to answering more of them in Columbia, SC today. #Carly2016
Updated at 12.22pm ETUpdated at 12.22pm ET
12.08pm ET17:0812.08pm ET17:08
Paul: 'first amendment is about the right to be despicable'Paul: 'first amendment is about the right to be despicable'
Rand Paul, the Republican presidential candidate, invoked the Ku Klux Klan on Tuesday to explain why he opposed the construction of a Muslim community center – pejoratively known as the “Ground Zero mosque” – near the site of the September 11 attacks in lower Manhattan.Rand Paul, the Republican presidential candidate, invoked the Ku Klux Klan on Tuesday to explain why he opposed the construction of a Muslim community center – pejoratively known as the “Ground Zero mosque” – near the site of the September 11 attacks in lower Manhattan.
During an appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Republican senator from Kentucky said he had been “horrified” at the Muslim community center proposal but that he opposed any law that would prevent it.During an appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Republican senator from Kentucky said he had been “horrified” at the Muslim community center proposal but that he opposed any law that would prevent it.
“When they told me that they were going to build a mosque at 9/11 [sic], I was horrified and thought that was a terrible thing,” Paul said. “But I’m not for a law to prevent them. If you want to march down the street and you’re a part of the KKK, I’m horrified by that, and object to it. But there are certain – the first amendment is about the right to be despicable.”“When they told me that they were going to build a mosque at 9/11 [sic], I was horrified and thought that was a terrible thing,” Paul said. “But I’m not for a law to prevent them. If you want to march down the street and you’re a part of the KKK, I’m horrified by that, and object to it. But there are certain – the first amendment is about the right to be despicable.”
A plan to erect a 13-story Muslim community center, which would have included a space for prayer, at a site north of the World Trade Center that already hosted prayers became mired in political controversy in 2010. Prominent Republicans from Newt Gingrich to John McCain to Sarah Palin condemned the development plan.A plan to erect a 13-story Muslim community center, which would have included a space for prayer, at a site north of the World Trade Center that already hosted prayers became mired in political controversy in 2010. Prominent Republicans from Newt Gingrich to John McCain to Sarah Palin condemned the development plan.
Read our full coverage here.Read our full coverage here.
Updated at 12.10pm ETUpdated at 12.10pm ET
12.06pm ET17:0612.06pm ET17:06
The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs (@bencjacobs), after some robust Bernie Sanders reporting yesterday, turns to the Santorum announcement.The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs (@bencjacobs), after some robust Bernie Sanders reporting yesterday, turns to the Santorum announcement.
The Guardian confirmed with a source familiar with the former Pennsylvania senator’s thinking that Santorum will launch his second bid for the White House today, Ben reports:The Guardian confirmed with a source familiar with the former Pennsylvania senator’s thinking that Santorum will launch his second bid for the White House today, Ben reports:
Santorum will hold a rally at Penn United Technologies, a factory a few miles from the western Pennsylvania town where he grew up, to announce his decision.Santorum will hold a rally at Penn United Technologies, a factory a few miles from the western Pennsylvania town where he grew up, to announce his decision.
The former two-term senator finished second to Mitt Romney in the 2012 GOP primary and won 11 states. An ardent social conservative, Santorum was considered an afterthought for much of the Republican primary before he surged in the run-up to the crucial Iowa caucuses. Although Romney was initially given credit for winning Iowa, a recount showed Santorum had won by a hair.The former two-term senator finished second to Mitt Romney in the 2012 GOP primary and won 11 states. An ardent social conservative, Santorum was considered an afterthought for much of the Republican primary before he surged in the run-up to the crucial Iowa caucuses. Although Romney was initially given credit for winning Iowa, a recount showed Santorum had won by a hair.
Santorum hopes to triumph in the crowded GOP field in 2016 by touting his message of “blue-collar conservatism.” However, he faces new obstacles in his second run for the White House. Unlike 2012, there are a number of strong contenders this year, such as Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, who appeal the Republican Party’s evangelical base.Santorum hopes to triumph in the crowded GOP field in 2016 by touting his message of “blue-collar conservatism.” However, he faces new obstacles in his second run for the White House. Unlike 2012, there are a number of strong contenders this year, such as Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, who appeal the Republican Party’s evangelical base.
Further, Santorum faces the possibility of being excluded from televised debates, as he is just at the national polling threshold necessary to participate.Further, Santorum faces the possibility of being excluded from televised debates, as he is just at the national polling threshold necessary to participate.
Prior to his White House bid, Santorum served two terms in the House and two terms in the United States Senate representing his home state of Pennsylvania. The former senator lost his 2006 bid for re-election to Democrat Bob Casey by a margin of 59%-41%.Prior to his White House bid, Santorum served two terms in the House and two terms in the United States Senate representing his home state of Pennsylvania. The former senator lost his 2006 bid for re-election to Democrat Bob Casey by a margin of 59%-41%.
Updated at 12.11pm ETUpdated at 12.11pm ET
11.35am ET16:3511.35am ET16:35
Rick Santorum: Game on! againRick Santorum: Game on! again
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who has made something of a career of upsetting those who would count him out, is running for president once again, AP and ABC News report.Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who has made something of a career of upsetting those who would count him out, is running for president once again, AP and ABC News report.
We’re scheduled to hear from the candidate at midday.We’re scheduled to hear from the candidate at midday.
11.07am ET16:0711.07am ET16:07
Good morning and welcome to what promises to be a positively hopping day in the national politics. Teed up for today is nothing less than a major presidential announcement, a surprise challenge on the ground to Hillary Clinton and an effort to make sense of comments last night by Senator Rand Paul about the Ku Klux Klan, the so-called “Ground Zero mosque” in lower Manhattan and “the right to be despicable”.Good morning and welcome to what promises to be a positively hopping day in the national politics. Teed up for today is nothing less than a major presidential announcement, a surprise challenge on the ground to Hillary Clinton and an effort to make sense of comments last night by Senator Rand Paul about the Ku Klux Klan, the so-called “Ground Zero mosque” in lower Manhattan and “the right to be despicable”.
We’ll be at the scene for a Paul campaign appearance in Chicago this morning, before skipping toWe’ll be at the scene for a Paul campaign appearance in Chicago this morning, before skipping to
PittsburghPittsburgh
Cabot, Pennsylvania, where Rick Santorum, the runner-up in the 2012 Republican nominating contest, is scheduled to announce that he’s back in the saddle. Last time around he won 11 states! Cabot, Pennsylvania, where Rick Santorum, the runner-up in the 2012 Republican nominating contest, is scheduled to announce that he’s back in the saddle. Last time around he won 11 states!
The day’s liveliest action, however, may play out in South Carolina, where Carly Fiorina, the Republican hopeful who has been lighting up Iowa, has scheduled dueling events with Clinton, the Democratic standard-bearer. Will Clinton pay Fiorina any heed? Will Fiorina manage to steal some of Clinton’s steam?The day’s liveliest action, however, may play out in South Carolina, where Carly Fiorina, the Republican hopeful who has been lighting up Iowa, has scheduled dueling events with Clinton, the Democratic standard-bearer. Will Clinton pay Fiorina any heed? Will Fiorina manage to steal some of Clinton’s steam?
We’re going to hear from Bernie Sanders, too, as he takes his message of taming the banks to the good people of New Hampshire. Read on ...We’re going to hear from Bernie Sanders, too, as he takes his message of taming the banks to the good people of New Hampshire. Read on ...
Updated at 11.36am ETUpdated at 11.36am ET