Subject: Coverage of Florida Press Call
From: "Jefferson, Deshundra" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 09:59:08 -0700

Here are the hits we have had thus far. I highlighted a comment from the Florida Politics post. They had votes, and I asked the press to email me any follow up questions. Will follow up with the reporter.

Florida Politics: Debbie Wasserman Schultz Say GOP Getting What It Deserves<http://floridapolitics.com/archives/207583-debbie-wasserman-schultz-gop-getting-presidential-candidate-deserves>

Ridiculing the Republican National Committee's meeting in her district, Democrats' leader U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Thursday the GOP is getting what it deserves.

Wasserman Schultz of Weston and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch of Margate held a telephone press conference Thursday to respond to the RNC's spring meeting in Hollywood. On Wednesday it drew the Republican's second- and third-place presidential candidates, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Wasserman Schultz charged that both Cruz and Kasich are there trying to figure out a way to stop Donald Trump outside of the primary process. And both, she suggested, may have plenty of interested partners in a GOP that is uncomfortable with the front-runner. However, RNC chairman Reince Priebus reportedly has has made it clear he is not interested in any rules changes for the nominating process.

"It's been kind of amusing to see Republicans trying to distance themselves from their presumptive nominee," Wasserman Schultz said. "But the Republican party just doesn't get it. Donald Trump is the face of the GOP. His offensive, divisive misogynistic campaign is deeply imbedded and engrained in the party. It is their MO.

"The GOP has made their bed, and now they have Trump in it," she declared.

She also dismissed Cruz as someone desperately trying to find a way to force a brokered convention, and ridiculed Kasich as someone who can't win anything but his own state, saying he is on a "fools mission."

Deutch called it a misconception that Trump is somehow an outsider for the Republican Party.

He' s no such thing. He's exactly the opposite. He's the natural extension of the divisive, obstructionist do nothing that we've been seeing here on Capitol Hill for years," he said.

Neither of them stayed long to take questions from the media about their statements. Wasserman Schultz abruptly shut down the press conference after one question - about Florida congressional races - citing an unexpected, urgent vote call in Congress.

Sun Sentinel: Wasserman Schutlz derides Republicans as they meet in her Broward district<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-republican-president-rules-20160421-story.html>

As the Republican National Committee holds its spring meeting in Hollywood, the head of the Democratic National Committee went on the attack.

"First off, there's more than a little irony that the Republican National Committee meeting is taking place in my congressional district at a union hotel," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said in a conference call with reporters Thursday morning.

The RNC meeting is at the Diplomat Resort and Spa through Friday. The party leaders will discuss changing rules about determining the nominee at their afternoon session, although chairman Reince Priebus has said no changes will be made.

Wasserman Schultz derided the Republican candidates, front runner Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "The Republicans have three choices now -- lose with Trump, lose with Cruz, or lose by handing the nomination to Kasich or another Republican politician," she said. "Their brand is poison."

She also had terse words about Gov. Rick Scott, who is scheduled to speak to the RNC on Thursday afternoon. "Scott laid the groundwork for [Trump]. Birds of a feather certainly flock together," she said.

Rep. Ted Deutch, D-West Boca, told reporters Trump is the "natural extension of the divisive, obstructionist" politics in Congress. "House Republicans are no different than Trump, they're no different than Sen. Cruz or Gov. Kasich -- this Tea Party obsession with broken government," he said on the call. Deutch is running for re-election in a newly drawn district that's mostly in Broward County.

Wasserman Schultz said the Republicans aren't interested in substance. ""The GOP made their bed and now they have Trump in it," she said.

This story will be updated. Check back for more information.

Palm Beach Post: Republicans meet in South Florida amid Trump rules fight<http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/04/21/republicans-meet-in-south-florida-amid-trump-rules-fight/>

National Republicans gathering today in South Florida are wrestling with what rules will apply in August in Cleveland when it votes for its nominee.

Front runner, and part-time Palm Beacher, Donald Trump, is far ahead, but might not reach the 1,237 delegates needed to win on the first ballot.

The two men who hope to step in if a failed first ballot leads to a free-for-all second vote, Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, came Wednesday to the RNC's quarterly meeting. at the Diplomat in Hollywood to woo members in hopes of wrestling the nomination from Trump.

Trump has said the Cruz and Kasich scenarios are evidence of a system "rigged" against him by the GOP establishment. Amid Trump's constant criticism, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and many of the party officials here appeared skittish about taking any action that might smack of favoritism toward a candidate.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is set to address the meeting at midday followed by the rules committee meeting.

This morning, the Democratic National Committee, in advance of a press call by DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, said, "with Republicans all over the map pledging to skip this summer's Republican Convention, it's clear the GOP is in a full-scale freak-out."

[SigDems]<http://www.democrats.org/>Deshundra Jefferson, Southern Regional Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> | (202) 863-8112