DeSantis, Not Yet Running for President, Courts Republicans in D.C.

Plus: Do Republican voters care about the debt ceiling?

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference in Lake Buena Vista. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

Happy Wednesday! A friendly reminder that politicians are subject to federal robocalling laws too. Take it from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose campaign paid a $7,500 settlement to an Illinois man after he “sued over ‘invasive and harassing’ fundraising texts,” Insider’s Bryan Metzger reports.

Up to Speed

  • Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday evening to appoint a temporary replacement for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee, prolonging Senate Democrats’ backlog in approving judicial nominees as the senior senator from California recovers from shingles away from the U.S. Capitol. Feinstein has previously stated she would not seek reelection in 2024 but that she will serve out the rest of her term. Though no Senate Democrats have called for her resignation as of Wednesday morning, a handful of House Democrats—including Reps. Ro Khanna, Jamaal Bowman, and Dean Phillips—are calling for her to step down. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also said “unfortunately something that I think it is appropriate to consider.”
  • The ​​Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition will host its 23rd annual spring kickoff on Saturday. One of the first high-profile GOP presidential events in the earliest caucus state, the event will feature remarks from a host of declared GOP presidential candidates—former President Donald Trump (who is speaking virtually), former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy—and prospective ones, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. 
  • Scandal-embroiled GOP Rep. George Santos of New York announced Monday that he will seek reelection in 2024. But he shouldn’t expect House GOP leaders to help him fundraise. FEC reports show that Speaker Kevin McCarthy created a joint fundraising committee, Protect the House New York 2024, to boost fundraising efforts for several House Republicans from New York—but Santos’ fundraising committee is notably absent from the list.

DeSantis 2024 Launch Comes Into View

Republican insiders in Florida now expect Ron DeSantis to launch his presidential bid in mid-May, approximately one month earlier than anticipated. By moving up his timeline, DeSantis will have the ability to respond more quickly and directly to attacks from former President Donald Trump and stanch his recent bleeding in the polls. 

Multiple sources also tell The Dispatch that Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC, will likely be responsible for fielding the campaign’s ground game. Both Never Back Down and the governor’s political team declined to comment Wednesday morning. The PAC’s chief strategist, Jeff Roe, has experience running field operations in a high stakes presidential primary. He did so for the 2016 GOP runner-up, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. 

DeSantis signaled the accelerated kick-off Tuesday during a meet-and-greet with congressional Republicans and GOP lobbyists and operatives in Washington, telling attendees he would turn his attention to what’s next soon after Florida’s legislative session concludes on May 5 and the state budget is wrapped up.

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Comments (63)
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  1. Edward Moffett

    *sigh* Misplaced comment. The link The Dispatch sent to me did not connect to the original thread.

    * Update - the link problem was caused by my Android Chrome browser. When I checked by Gmail on an old Vista laptop, the link sent from the Dispatch worked properly. However, not surprisingly, other aspects of the message board malfunction on a 2006 vintage Lenovo Z61t. I fixed the mess on a newer T-480 running Windows 10. *

    * LAST Update! - The link problem in Chrome was actually created by a slow network connection. The Chrome browser will accept a text input and a "Save" button hit before the path in the original link is fully resolved over a slow mobile connection. That sequence of events places the response at the top level of comments tree rather than placing it on the proper subtree. *

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  4. Bradgreenwald

    As a Republican voter I don't care about the debt limit, but I do care about the debt. If discussions about the debt limit cause us to reconsider our overall finances, well that seems appropriate. Just like maxing out your credit card is a good time to reconsider your household spending.

    (hat tip to CWCC)

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    Earl King

    Per usual the Republicans set themselves up for failure as a group. A failure of leadership. They seem to do fine when they have a GOP President but in the minority they flounder. The debt ceiling is so reminiscent of “repeal and replace. In a majority of 5 with idiots like Gaetz and Greene. Everyone is Speaker. The concept of unity is lost on the GOP. I expect them to lose face and lose the majority in the House do this tendency. I hate to say it but the House hasn’t been united under GOP since Gingrich.

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    JohnM.

    The video from 'The Robots Are Coming' is almost chilling in its resemblances to their real voices. Thanks for posting it here.

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    Pat Riot

    Looks like even the GOP "smoke-filled room" vote would go for Trump now...

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  8. John

    I received a response to someone else’s comment. We both go by
    “John”. Maybe we should number ourselves

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      Pat Riot

      You were the one calling for the elimination of weekends, right?

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      1. John

        No not me.

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    Scarlette Tarte

    Feinstein does need to resign. I am all for giving elderly legislators a longer period of time to recuperate, but if the Senate rules say you have to be there in person, and you can't be, after a generous amount of time, it's time to hang it up.

    Everyone ages differently. I don't think she can hack it anymore. But so far, Mitch McConnell can. So I can't see accepting some age limitation.

    But there should be a mechanism for the party to be able get rid of people who can't do their job anymore...a fair way, involving a hearing, and a way that also represents voters interests.

    For example...in W Virginia, an obstensibly red state keep electing a Democratic senator. So if Manchin had to be replaced, the governor should appoint a Democrat as Senator until such time as the next election could take place. The same if the opposite is true, say a blue state with a Republican senator. It's just maintaining the status quo till the next election.

    But till we have some kind of procedure for doing this, we have to depend on the senators themselves being reasonable, and they may not be so any longer.

    Feinstein should step down. Doubtless she can't believe this part of her life is now behind her, but it is (she has exhibited many other issues as well) and it's time.

    The parties ought to be able to protect themselves as should the institution of the Senate itself.

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    Sonofasailor35

    Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans are about to get played. A whole lot of economists believe a recession is coming later this year (e.g., see “On The Brink Of Recession” on the NR site). Dems need to blame the coming recession on Republicans, and defaulting on the debt is the perfect cover. The actual financial hit of a default would be temporary, but the markets would surely get spooked, and the average low-information voter would be likely to believe Dems’ claims of Republican responsibility.

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      Pat Riot

      "The actual financial hit of a default would be temporary"

      HUH? If you are talking about actual default on our sovereign debt, then... that's a financial catastrophe of the likes we've never seen. We're talking Last of Us territory. Defaulting is unthinkable...

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      John N.

      "The actual financial hit of a default would be temporary..."

      That's some serious wish-casting right there.

      10s of millions immediately unemployed. Businesses closing. Very likely bank runs, leading to multiple bank failures. Stock markets tanking mercilessly, wrecking the retirements of 10s of millions of Americans, and deferring the retirements of 10s of millions more Americans.

      America has always, always, paid the bills that Congress has authorized. Always. Until now.

      But this unserious assembly of losers, grifters and shills is poised to wreck that.

      All that, just to deny President Biden a "win."

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      1. Edward Moffett

        Biden is the one refusing to negotiate.

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        1. Hikingguy

          There is nothing to negotiate. We already borrowed the money. The Constitution demands that the public debt be paid. Screw the House Republican nihilists. Watch those asshats crash this economy and you will see a blue tsunami FDR himself would envy.

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          1. Edward Moffett

            According to Morning Consult, Biden is unpopular in 40 out of 50 states.

            https://morningconsult.com/2023/04/17/joe-biden-approval-rating/

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          Marty

          Funny thing about that. Republicans raised the debt ceiling for Trump twice, and he never had to negotiate anything, Republicans only worry about federal spending when a Democrat is in the White House.

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          1. Edward Moffett

            Huh? The Democrats controlled the House of Representatives for most of Trump's term.

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          Scarlette Tarte

          First of all, he should not have to negotiate to raise the debt limit. This is a maneuver basically to cover congress's own butt. They voted to spend this money, in the past.

          Raising the debt limit is to cover those PAST spending approvals, not future ones.

          Biden didn't do that spending...Congress did. Congress has the power of the purse.

          CONGRESS needs to get it's butt in order. Start doing things the right way...starting with a budget. Have the budget fights there that you need to have. That is where any negotiating would be done with Democrats.

          But instead, they just want to pass continuing resolutions, so they don't have to appear to their constituents that they are actually opposed to SS or Medicare or any other popular program.

          Biden (or any president) has really nothing to do with this. He is right not to negotiate on that.

          Congress needs to pay it's bills. It spent the money, now pay the bills.

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          1. Edward Moffett

            Biden has been the one proposing new spending in recent years.

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          Murrayprof

          How do you reach across the aisle when your hand is constantly slapped away?

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          1. Edward Moffett

            You start by extending your hand.

            Biden opened the discussion of the debt ceiling legislation by calling for a "clean" debt ceiling increase with no negotiations on spending cuts.

            Biden preceded the discussion by publishing a ridiculous budget proposal, proving that he is not serious at curbing the rate of growth of the federal debt. For example, his budget forecast called for ten years of increased taxes, but funded only three years of the expanded child tax credit. He claims his tax proposals will only affect persons earning $400K per year. However, that income threshold is not indexed for inflation over a ten period.

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          John N.

          There's nothing to negotiate. The debt limit increase is to allow the federal government to pay bills for things Congress has already authorized.

          Even Marjorie Traitor Qreene says that the debt limit is not the place to "negotiate" government spending. Budget negotiations are where that takes place.

          In my lieftime - and I'm pretty old! - Congress has raised the debt limit 49 times under republican presidents. And 29 times under democratic presidents.

          In the previous administration, Congress raised the debt limit three times without any republican "demands" for spending reductions. Not one. Congress also suspended the debt limit for two years in the previous administration. Why? Because at that time, Congress had more legitimate statesmen, leaders who worked for the benefit of the American people.

          Now, with this band from the Island of Misfit Toys, we're all screwed. Qevin McQarthy can't lead this group, and too many are afraid of republican voters, fearing a primary challenge from the "right" if they give Biden a win.

          Remember, the primary animating feature of modern "conservatism" isn't leading, it isn't advancing policies or implementing new laws. The animating feature of modern republicans is "owning the libs" even if it means wrecking the country.

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            JohnM.

            "Marjorie Traitor Qreene". Can't you do better than this here?

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          2. Edward Moffett

            Your comment is silly.

            The negotiation is not about previous spending. It is about FUTURE spending and what happens between now and the NEXT debt ceiling negotiation.

            A debt default would not "wreck the country". Allowing the federal debt to grow faster than the US economy - which is already happening - will eventually wreck the country.

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