Politics

From Manchester’s NBC affiliate: It’s not an earthquake, yet. But the political ground in New Hampshire is moving. We’re seeing more of Iowa’s impact, and the war of words underway here. Hillary Clinton is coming back; and Marco Rubio is coming up. Donald Trump stays in first, with 36%; Rubio takes over second place, with 15%. Ted Cruz, now in …

From the Washington Examiner: The GOP senator has had his presidential bid challenged in recent months by Iowa GOP runner-up Donald Trump, who claimed Cruz’s Canadian birthplace disqualifies him from being president. Two Illinois objectors, Lawrence Joyce and Williams Graham, also agreed that Cruz’s citizenship did not meet guidelines in the Article II of the Constitution. But the board of …

The New York Daily News reports: “Pharma bro” went to Washington — and for once, he shut up. Reviled ex-executive Martin Shkreli smirked his way through a congressional hearing about his infamous drug price-gouging Thursday morning, but hid behind the Fifth Amendment to avoid every single question — even one about the Wu-Tang Clan. The hearing committee quickly got fed …

Some outlets are saying that it’s now a three-way race for the GOP nomination after Marco Rubio nearly took second place from Donald Trump in the Iowa caucus, winning an equal number of delegates. Weigh in below and let us know who you believe poses the greatest threat to the eventual Democratic nominee.

Last yesterday afternoon Rick Santorum simultaneously ended his presidential bid and endorsed Marco Rubio. This morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Santorom flailed about when asked to name just one of Rubio’s accomplishments. Mediaite recaps the conversation: Santorum was utterly unable to answer a direct question from Morning Joe‘s Joe Scarborough. What followed was a dizzying array of questionable sidesteps and …

At least that’s what he seems to be saying with a new campaign t-shirt. The Verge chortles: Marco Rubio is young and beautiful. Marco Rubio’s campaign would like you to know it. To that point, the campaign has started selling “Marco Ru(bae)o” T-shirts, which are electric blue, made in America, and require “extra time for delivery due to high demand.” …

Who do you think it was? Britain’s Telegraph reports: An anonymous US politician has put forward Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in one of the most unlikely nominations since that of Soviet strongman Josef Stalin in 1947. The nominator, likely to be a Republican senator or congressman — both of whom are eligible — submitted …

Washington state GOP Rep. Graham Hunt has been pushing a bill that would allow businesses to restrict restroom use to people whose “genitalia match the sign on the door” – as one right wing site put it. Last night he resigned under “stolen valor” accusations. The Seattle Times reports: State Rep. Graham Hunt has resigned over accusations he exaggerated his …

And then there were ten. Multiple outlets are reporting that Sen. Rand Paul will suspend his presidential campaign this morning after his low single-digit performance in the Iowa caucus. Paul will now turn his attention to his Senate reelection campaign where his primary Democratic challenger so far is the openly gay mayor of Lexington.

The Hill reports: The chairman of Iowa’s Democratic party is declaring Hillary Clinton the caucus winner, despite the razor-slim margin separating her from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). “Tonight we saw an historically close Iowa Democratic Caucus that featured one of our strongest turnouts ever and passion and energy from Democrats all across our state,” said Chairwoman Andy McGuire in a …

After finishing a distant third in tonight’s Iowa caucus, Martin O’Malley’s campaign announced that he will suspend his campaign this evening in Des Moines at a meeting with supporters. We should hear shortly about tonight’s GOP casualties. 

Turnout is reportedly high in Iowa tonight, which could be good news for the Sanders and Trump campaigns. Embedded below are two live streams of the proceedings and we should begin hearing results within the hour. Watch along with us.

The Iowa caucuses begin at 7pm local time and I’ll be blogging late tonight as things shake out. Make your predictions below. Here’s how the caucuses work: Unlike in primary states, Iowa voters don’t simply step into a private booth, check some boxes and go home. Instead, they go to community centers, schools and firehouses, where they essentially have a …

Yesterday Titan Media announced that it will pay $1M to disgraced former GOP Rep. Aaron Schock if he agrees to perform in one of their “hardcore” films. The stunt was timed as a lead-up to their coming take on the Schock scandal, Cauke For President. As you can see, this here website thingy plays the vehicle in which Sen. Mike …

The daughter of Darth Cheney wants Wyoming’s only US House seat. The Associated Press reports: The elder daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney is running for Congress, following up a failed U.S. Senate campaign two years ago with another attempt to woo voters in a state where she has been a full-time resident only for the past few years. …

Via Bloomberg Politics: Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Bernie Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Monday’s caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Clinton leads Sanders, 45 percent to 42 percent, in a Bloomberg …

From the editorial board of the New York Times: Hillary Clinton would be the first woman nominated by a major party. She served as a senator from a major state (New York) and as secretary of state — not to mention her experience on the national stage as first lady with her brilliant and flawed husband, President Bill Clinton. The …

Last year the DNC created the LGBT Advisory Board to elevate “grassroots LGBT Democratic voices.” Today they announced that former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and longtime New York City HIV/AIDS activist Rev. José M. Román have accepted positions as the board’s co-chairs. Annise Parker:  “The LGBT community has made huge strides the past 7 years under Democratic leadership, but with …

Donald Trump bragged that he’d get more viewers for his anti-Fox News rally than the actual GOP debate. Not by a long shot. Via Politico: Fox News’ Trump-less debate Thursday night drew 12.5 million viewers, the second-highest telecast in the network’s history but the second lowest-rated GOP debate of the cycle thus far. To be sure, the ratings on the …

E Online recaps: How’d you like some shots with your pizza? SNL alum Rachel Dratch plays a busy mother of two in a PSA by the pro-gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The ad, titled “What Could Go wrong?” and released Thursday, mocks typical bright and cheery commercials featuring families. Dratch’s character, her partner and …