NEWS AND OPINION:
“Outsider candidates’ messages are resonating with individuals in uniform,” concludes an exclusive and unique new survey of 931 active-duty troops, reservists and National Guard members conducted by the Military Times. Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic hopeful Sen. Bernard Sanders have emerged as the top choices to become the next commander in chief according to those who have the most at stake here.
“Trump was the most popular candidate in a subscriber poll that closed Sunday, with 27 percent saying they would back the business mogul if the election were held tomorrow. Sanders, the independent Vermont senator, was a close second at 22 percent,” write Leo Shane III and George R. Altmen, Capitol Hill bureau chief and senior writer for the publication.
“The data suggest that military personnel have not been dissuaded by political rivals who contend Trump and Sanders have weak foreign policy credentials and don’t have recognized experts as national security advisers. Nearly half of the service members surveyed also said they were unhappy with the discussion of national security issues in the presidential race so far,” the pair note.
Find the survey — which breaks down responses by branch of service — in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
BROADCAST BIAS: BLAME THE REPUBLICAN
Their bias is showing. All three major broadcast networks homed in on the violence during Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s campaign rallies last weekend. A follow-up analysis by the Media Research Center detects agenda: “ABC, CBS and NBC news coverage found that the left-wing protesters who forced the cancellation of a presidential campaign event escaped nearly all blame, as reporters dumped 94 percent of the blame on Trump and his campaign,” the conservative watchdog reports.
SEE ALSO: Obama criticizes Trump for violence at rallies
Analysts Mike Ciandella, Scott Whitlock and Kyle Drennen painstakingly pored over morning and evening coverage from Saturday through Monday — almost 85 minutes of airtime. Here is what they found: Reporters criticized Mr. Trump’s campaign over the incidents 46 times. They blamed the protesters only three times.
“By 15-to-1 margin, the networks blame Trump, not lefties, for campaign violence,” research director Rich Noyes summarizes in his analysis of the findings.
FOR THE LEXICON
“The winter White House”
— Description by New York Times writer Jason Horowitz for Mar-a-Lago, the 110,000 square-foot Florida estate of Republican front-runner Donald Trump — “a 118-room snowbird’s paradise that will become a winter White House if he is elected president.” With 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms and three bomb shelters, this domestic landmark could fit the bill, and then some. The White House is 54,900 square feet. But the historic structure also boasts 132 rooms, including a splendid array of ceremonial spaces, 16 family-guest rooms, three kitchens, 35 bathrooms and a remarkable underground bunker.
NOT ON THEIR WATCH
SEE ALSO: Obama rejects offshore drilling in Atlantic
Conservatives are shoving back at White House plans to nominate a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia.
“President Obama wants to deny the American people that choice. And no wonder. He has already made two extreme liberal appointments to the Court and if given a third he will have succeeded in decisively changing the current balance of the Court,” warns the Conservative Action Project, coalition of over 100 high-profile conservatives who include Herman Cain, Gary Bauer, Brent Bozell, Ed Meese, Tony Perkins and Grover Norquist.
“Let there be no mistake about it: President Obama will nominate a liberal to this vacancy. Press leaks about potential ’moderate’ candidates should be interpreted as simply misdirection from the White House. The president and his liberal allies know what is at stake and so do we,” the group noted in an open letter released Tuesday. “We are facing a national constitutional crisis. Senate Republicans have recognized the stakes and have acted accordingly. We are all too aware of the negative assault that is coming against the Republican senators as the national media throws its collective liberal weight against GOP efforts to allow the American people to play their rightful role in the nomination.”
TAXPAYER HEROES
Yes, there are lawmakers who consistently turn thumbs down on big government agenda and fiscal irresponsibility. Based on roll call votes, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste has revealed who actually defends taxpayer interests. This year, 15 senators and two representatives — all Republicans — earned a 100 percent score. And yes, the two presidential hopefuls are on the list.
“The actions of these members are refreshing in the current fiscal climate,” says Tom Schatz, president of the nonprofit watchdog. “On the other hand, far too many members of Congress in 2015 continued to support a further expansion of the federal bureaucratic behemoth.”
The “Taxpayer Super Heroes,” meanwhile, are Sens. John Barrasso, John Boozman, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Mike Crapo, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, James Inhofe, Mitch McConnell, David Perdue, James Risch, Marco Rubio, Ben Sasse, Thom Tillis, and David Vitte, plus Reps. Barry Loudermilk and Tom McClintock.
POLL DU JOUR
• 27 percent of U.S. military troops back Donald Trump for president; 31 percent of Army respondents, 24 percent of Navy, 31 percent of Marine Corps and 22 percent of Air Force respondents agree.
• 22 percent overall favor Sen. Bernard Sanders; 17 percent Army, 30 percent Navy, 16 percent Marine, 25 percent Air Force also agree.
• 18 percent overall favor Sen. Ted Cruz; 16 percent Army, 13 percent Navy, 16 percent Marine, 21 percent Air Force agree.
• 11 percent overall favor Hillary Clinton; 13 percent Army, 13 percent Navy, 7 percent Marine, 10 percent Air Force agree.
• 9 percent overall favor Sen. Marco Rubio; 10 percent Army, 8 percent Navy, 11 percent Marine, 9 percent Air Force agree.
• 8 percent overall favor Gov. John Kasich; 9 percent Army, 8 percent Navy, 8 percent Marine, 6 percent Air Force agree.
Source: A Military Times survey of 931 active-duty, National Guard and reserve members conducted March 9-14.
• Snappy retorts, chitchat to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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