Your Morning Brief for June 11, 2015.

Alex Wong, Getty Images
Alex Wong, Getty Images
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Problems for Jeb Bush

Remember when everyone in the mainstream media thought Jeb Bush was going to be the Republican nominee and no one else had a shot? Well it doesn't look like that is the case anymore. Don't get me wrong, Bush is still a top tier candidate, but as the Washington Post describes, the early days of the Bush campaign aren't going as expected.

Bush’s first six months as an all-but-declared candidate have been defined by a series of miscalculations, leaving his standing considerably diminished ahead of his formal entry into the race on Monday.

In interviews this week, dozens of Bush backers and informed Republicans — most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to comment candidly — described an overly optimistic, even haughty exploratory operation. Strategic errors were exacerbated by unexpected stumbles by the would-be candidate and internal strife within his team, culminating in a staff shake-up this week.

The original premise of Bush’s candidacy — that a bold, fast start would scare off potential rivals and help him overcome the burden of his last name — has proved to be misguided.

His operation’s ability to rake in large checks also fueled inflated expectations. Supporters acknowledged this week that an allied super PAC was likely to fall short — perhaps substantially — of predictions that it would bring in $100 million in the first half of the year.

On the stump, Bush has stuck to his pledge not to shift to the right to win the primary, but his middle-of-the-road positions on immigration and education have come off more as out of step with the base of his party than shrewdly pragmatic. His wonky question-and-answer exchanges with voters sometimes resemble college lectures rather than a friendly appeal for votes.

The troubles have eroded the image Bush has sought to present as the one Republican uniquely ready for the presidential stage. He has slipped in polls from presumed front-runner to one of several candidates jumbled toward the top of an increasingly crowded field.

Republicans aren't fired up for Jeb Bush, hell even Jeb Bush doesn't seem fired up for Jeb Bush. Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry, you can tell that these guys want to be President. It's almost as if Bush is being forced to run.

Obviously things haven't gone as planned at Bush headquarters but it is still early. Bush is a top tier candidate but if he doesn't start making a big splash soon, I don't see his campaign ending well for him.

Airlines and Climate Change

Get ready for airline prices to skyrocket. The Obama administration is ready to regulate emissions from airliners according to the Washington Times.

The Obama administration declared Wednesday that airplanes are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, allowing the Environmental Protection Agencyto expand its reach to yet another sector of the economy as the president seeks to cement his legacy on climate change.

In the historic announcement, the EPA said it will limit emissions from all commercial aircraft and could release specific standards as soon as next year. The move — which drew immediate criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who say the restrictions will drive up airline tickets — comes as the EPA also cracks down on carbon emissions from power plants and institutes other controversial climate-change measures that will be felt across the economy.

In addressing climate change by targeting airplanes, PresidentObama is imposing new regulations on an industry that has clearly demonstrated it can cut emissions on its own, without new government mandates.

Despite that, the administration said action is required. The EPA said it will work with the International Civil Aviation Organization, a branch of the United Nations, in the hopes of crafting an international set of standards. It’s not yet clear whether the U.S. system will be identical to international rules. The American rules are expected to apply only to new planes.

Whatever the final standard looks like, the EPA made clear that aircraft emissions, which account for about 11 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas pollution, must be addressed.

Wonderful. All of this in the name of climate change. The administration says that the airlines are contributing to pollution that endangers the public. Be sure to thank the administration when the price of your airline ticket increases about $100 or so.

Other Must Read Links:

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.

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