Subject: First Draft on Politics: Republicans Make Early Rush to California
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Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 07:20:27 -0400

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Friday, April 29, 2016

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Friday, April 29, 2016

A crowd waited to get into a Donald J. Trump rally in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Thursday evening.

Monica Almeida/The New York Times

Republicans Make Early Rush to California

By ALAN RAPPEPORT

Good Friday morning.

Its primary election is not until June, but the rush to California — a gold mine of delegates — is on.

The courtship of Californians officially begins on Friday, with the kickoff of the state Republican Party convention in Burlingame. The event will be studded with political stars this year, as Donald J. Trump is scheduled to give a lunchtime speech and Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio is due to speak in the evening.

On Saturday, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Carly Fiorina, his running mate, have prime speaking slots, giving the freshly minted ticket a full day to make its case.

For California, primary season politics have rarely mattered this much. The state’s 172 Republican delegates are a big prize, but the high costs of campaigning there and its late placement on the calendar usually make it a political afterthought.

Not so this year. Mr. Kasich will be on a desperate hunt for delegates. Mr. Cruz and Mrs. Fiorina will be making their last stand to prompt a contested convention, and Mr. Trump will be hoping to put away the nominating contest.

Of course, in a traditionally blue state, a caravan of Republican candidates that have lurched sharply to the right will not be universally welcome. The activist group Answer, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, is organizing a big protest on Friday to express opposition to Mr. Trump as he addresses the convention.

A Trump piñata will be smashed to mark the occasion.

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What We’re Watching Today

•

Hillary Clinton holds two fund-raisers in New York City.

•

Mr. Cruz and Mrs. Fiorina will attend a town-hall-style event in Indiana, which votes on Tuesday. Sean Hannity of Fox News will moderate.

Eric Thayer for The New York Times

Donald Trump’s Attacks on Hillary Clinton Have a Calculated Risk

By AMY CHOZICK AND ASHLEY PARKER

Mr. Trump, the Republican favorite, has already proved willing to attack Mrs. Clinton in ways that many women find sexist and that her supporters consider out of bounds.

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

First Draft

Bernie Sanders, Shifting Tone, Takes On Democratic Party

By YAMICHE ALCINDOR

The Vermont senator laid out in more detail than usual his views for shaping the Democratic Party’s agenda and on the need for elected officials to focus on more progressive politics.

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Wary of Trump Effect, Republicans Hope for Split Tickets

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Senators running in swing states need voters who reject Donald J. Trump to nonetheless pull the levers for the party’s other candidates.

Zach Gibson/The New York Times

First Draft

John Boehner Describes Ted Cruz as ‘Lucifer in the Flesh’

By ALAN RAPPEPORT AND MATT FLEGENHEIMER

During a forum at Stanford University in which he discussed the presidential election and his time in office, Mr. Boehner’s harshest assessment was saved for Mr. Cruz, who he has not forgiven for spearheading the 2013 government shutdown.

Out of Office, Ex-Speaker John Boehner Gleefully Releases Mute Button

By CARL HULSE

As a former House speaker, Mr. Boehner can go public with insults he usually leveled behind closed doors, as he did in talking about Senator Ted Cruz.

‘Becoming Irrelevant’: My Recent Adventures With Trump

By SUSANNE CRAIG

Two planes, three helicopters and three phone conversations tell us quite a bit about Donald J. Trump.

Stay tuned throughout the day: Follow us on Twitter @NYTPolitics and on Facebook for First Draft updates.

The Obama Effect

Katy Grannan for The New York Times

The Money Issue

President Obama Weighs His Economic Legacy

By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN

Eight years after the financial crisis, unemployment is at 5 percent, deficits are down, and G.D.P. is growing. Why do so many voters feel left behind? The president has a theory.

Zach Gibson/The New York Times

WASHINGTON MEMO

Obama Lobbies for an Appreciation of His Legacy

By MARK LANDLER

In interviews, the president emphasizes big achievements without big mistakes. But a low-key approach and public perceptions are hampering him.

Theo Stroomer for The New York Times

Colorado Weighs Replacing Obama’s Health Policy With Universal Coverage

By JACK HEALY

A ballot measure has put conservative critics in the unusual position of defending the Affordable Care Act against an assault from the left.

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Obama-Netanyahu Rift Impedes U.S. Offer of Record Aid Deal for Israel

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

President Obama has proposed the largest package of military aid ever provided by the United States, but Israel has insisted on more generous terms.

Our Other Favorites From The Times

First Draft

Ted Cruz’s ‘Alliance’ With John Kasich Hits New Low Point

By MATT FLEGENHEIMER

An agreement between Mr. Cruz and Mr. Kasich to each focus on certain states, in an effort to stop Donald J. Trump, appears to be in tatters.

First Draft

Campaigns and ‘Super PACs’ Spend Millions on Indiana Ads

By NICK CORASANITI

The presidential candidates have already spent millions of dollars on television advertising ahead of Tuesday’s Indiana primary, which campaigns like Senator Ted Cruz’s consider a must-win if they are to stop Donald J. Trump from edging closer to the Republican presidential nomination.

White Powder Is Mailed to Donald Trump’s Campaign Office

By CHRISTOPHER MELE

Six people were being evaluated by medical workers after the substance was found at Trump Tower, and the Fire Department was awaiting tests to determine whether the powder was dangerous.

First Draft

John Kasich Tells Oregon Voters His Wife Agreed: Keep Going

By THOMAS KAPLAN

The Ohio governor took time at an event in Portland, Ore., to explain his decision to stay in the Republican race, saying that his wife, Karen, told him, “The people need a choice. And if you don’t give them a choice, who will?”

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What We’re Reading Elsewhere

•

MSNBC says that Mrs. Clinton has a “five-step plan” to counter any personal attacks Mr. Trump may try to use against her in the general election.

•

The Associated Press writes that some supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont are beginning to take their frustrations out on supporters of Mrs. Clinton, accusing them of being part of a corrupt system that “was engineered against them from the start.”

•

And, writing in MTV News, Ana Marie Cox says that, though he may have a reputation as being unliked, “I can’t hate Ted Cruz — we have too much in common.”

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