- The Washington Times - Monday, February 1, 2016

ROCHESTER, N.H. — Republican presidential contender John Kasich called on his rivals for the party’s nomination to stop the “negative crap” in the run-up to next week’s first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, which is shaping up to be a key front in the battle between the candidates angling for the establishment mantle in the race.

Speaking outside the Rochester American Legion Post 7 after a town hall meeting, Mr. Kasich took direct aim at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, saying they should follow in his footsteps by demanding that their official campaigns and supportive super PACs end the mudslinging.

“I hope Christie and Bush will take all their negative crap off the air and get their super PACs to talk about what they are for,” the Ohio governor told reporters before singling out Mr. Bush. “It is pretty interesting with Bush. He spent about $40 million trying to tell people who he was and it didn’t work, so now he plays whack-a-mole — whoever rises, you know, they go and beat them down. It is a hell of a way to run.”

He added, “It is taking the low road to the highest office in the country, and it is not acceptable.”

Mr. Kasich said he learned earlier in the day that a group backing him switched out a negative ad with a positive one after his campaign made it clear through Twitter that it wanted the dirty politics to stop. The campaigns are prohibited from speaking directly to allied super PACs.

Mr. Kasich, Mr. Christie and Mr. Bush, along with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida are thought be best positioned to consolidate the establishment wing of the party, which is eager to get behind a strong alternative to businessman Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the front-runners in Iowa and in national polls.

Polls in New Hampshire show Mr. Trump leading his closest rivals — Mr. Cruz and Mr. Kasich — by a 33.2 percent to 11.5 percent margin. They are followed by Mr. Bush with 10.3 percent, Mr. Rubio with 9.5 percent and Mr. Christie with 6.5 percent.

Former New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen, who endorsed Mr. Kasich, described the New Hampshire contests as “an existential death struggle between Kasich, and Rubio, and Christie and Bush.”

“They don’t have to beat Trump, they don’t have to win New Hampshire, but they have to beat each other,” he said, arguing that it would help prove their viability. “If you finish third in that bracket, how can you possibly persuade mainstream Republicans and donors around the country that you are showing strength and they ought to consolidate around you?”

Mr. Kasich has three events in New Hampshire on Monday. Mr. Christie and Mr. Bush have events scheduled later in the day, and Mr. Rubio plans to arrive Tuesday.

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.

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