As Donald Trump's sludge seeps into every race across the country, House Speaker Paul Ryan is doing everything he can to put a firewall around the House (control of which has at least become a consideration). Ryan has already raised nearly $33 million in contributions during the first six months of 2016, and now he's blanketing the nation to bolster the GOP House majority against the Trump train wreck. Lindsey McPherson writes:
Ryan will visit eight states between now and the end of August to host fundraisers and bring some of his Republican Party star power to incumbents and newcomers running in House races. Counting events the speaker held in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington earlier this month, that will bring his August campaign travel total to 12 states, a Ryan political aide told Roll Call.
Ryan’s favorite subject is his so-called "Better Way" policy agenda on "taxes, health care, poverty, national security, regulations and the Constitution." Right. How about just passing some Zika funding since Republicans own the Congress? Anyway ...
The speaker has said frequently that the agenda allows Republicans to run a campaign of ideas, something he acknowledged his campaign with 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney was lacking.
Obviously, the 2016 campaign spearheaded by Trump has been a big turnaround on the substance scale. Yeesh.
Follow below for more on some of the specific candidates Ryan is promoting.
Most of these candidates are part of the GOP's Young Guns initiative or their Patriot Program.
Nevada
Rep. Joe Heck, running for U.S. Senate
Rep. Cresent Hardy (4th District)
Nebraska
Air Force Brig. Gen. Don Bacon (2nd District)
Minnesota
Stewart Mills (8th District)
Pennsylvania
Brian Fitzpatrick (8th District)
New York
Jack Martins (3rd District)