Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of October 15, 2014.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
loading...

Cruz on the Sideline?

Ted Cruz might be one the biggest names on the political stage right now but The Hill points out that many Republicans are staying away from the Texas Senator in this election cycle.

Republican candidates are not trotting out Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the midterm election campaign, despite his status as one of the party’s rising stars.

While Cruz is a hero to many conservatives, some candidates are leery of appearing with him because he is a polarizing figure who could turn off independents and centrist Republicans.

Two of Cruz’s potential rivals for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), are in higher demand, traveling widely to the battleground states that could determine control of the Senate in November.
Political strategists say the disparity illustrates how Paul and Rubio can appeal to a broader swath of the electorate, which is crucial in a general election.

“It’s almost exactly a year ago to the day when [Cruz] led to the government shutdown. That appealed to a narrow and narrowing wing of the Republican Party,” said Rich Galen, a Republican strategist. “For a lot of people, that was over the top, and they’re not comfortable with him.”

Cruz did appear last week at a rally for embattled Sen. Pat Roberts (R) in Kansas, where he urged Tea Party voters to put a divisive primary behind them and unify behind the three-term incumbent. He received a rousing reception in Wichita, helping win over conservatives who supported Milton Wolf, the Tea Party candidate, against Roberts.

But outside of Kansas, Cruz has made few appearances on the stump this year.

He appeared at events in North Carolina in mid-September, for example, but notably did not appear in public with Republican candidate Thom Tillis, who’s locked in a neck-and-neck race with Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan (N.C.). Paul campaigned with Tillis earlier this month.

The media has made Cruz into a much more polarizing person than he really is. I don't blame some candidates for wanting to keep their distance, but they should know that not many are better at rallying the grassroots and base than Cruz.

You can read the full story by clicking on the link above.

The Cost of Obamacare

How much will Obamacare cost you? Well soon you will be able to find out but as the Washington Times reports, you won't be able to find out until after the November 4th Election.

Those planning to purchase health insurance on the Obamacare exchange will soon find out how much rates have increased — after the Nov. 4 election.

Enrollment on the Healthcare.gov website begins Nov. 15, or 11 days after the midterm vote, and critics who worry about rising premium hikes in 2015 say that’s no coincidence. Last year’s inaugural enrollment period on the health-care exchange began Oct. 1.

“This is more than just a glitch,” said Tim Phillips, president of free-market Americans for Prosperity, in a Friday statement. “The administration’s decision to withhold the costs of this law until after Election Day is just more proof that Obamacare is a bad deal for Americans.”

Robert Laszewski, president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, said in a Monday column in USA Today that “when it comes to a lack of openness and transparency about Obamacare, this administration has no peer.”

Even so, details about cost increases are trickling out in states with pivotal Senate contests: Alaska, Iowa and Louisiana. All three states are wrestling with double-digit premium hikes from some state insurance companies on the exchange, which has fueled another round of Republican attacks on the Affordable Care Act.

More tricks to get people to forget about the high cost of Obamacare? Shocking!

You can read the full story by clicking on the link above.

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 online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO