Saturday, February 28, 2009
Keep, keep hoping: Pawlenty cheers GOP on Coleman
The Hill sits down with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
"Norm has a plausible chance, a decent chance of winning this thing. He has raised irregularities that rise to the level of legal issues, legitimate legal issues, that could change the result.
It's moved from a simple thing you can track, like vote counts, to pretty complex legal issues, so for average people to be able to guess how it's going to come out is challenging. There are constitutional issues and obscure election law issues that are being sorted out by teams of lawyers and the courts and the like."
Sunday morning 2012 chat
Some prospective candidates appearing:
a. Eric Cantor stops by This Week
b. Jon Kyl ambles by Fox News Sunday
Fabrizio's low blow: Crist is Obama's favorite Republican
That may be the case, but this wasn't the forum for swinging at one of your own.
"Coming in last place is Barack Obama's favorite Republican, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist."
My DD: Look out for Huntsman
Is this one of those "WE'RE SO FREAKING SCARED OF X only because we want you to nominate him (hehe)", or one of those "WE'RE SO FREAKING SCARED OF X BECAUSE HE FREAKING SCARES US"?
My DD:
The one I'm worrying about isn't one of the retreads from 2008, or one of the potential 2008 Vice Presidential picks like Tim Pawlenty. No, it's the less used car salesman-like version of Mitt Romney, Utah's Governor Jon Huntsman.... I don't agree with all of Huntsman's policy prescriptions -- they're all quite conservative -- but to the extent that he is actually speaking about issues that matter to the American people and offering proposals to address them, he clearly stands out from the majority of the Republican leadership this side of Newt Gingrich.
.... Huntsman may not be looking to run in 2012, so perhaps this is somewhat moot in the short run. But I do think we would be remiss if we weren't keeping an eye on him over the coming years
In the end, Republicans (not just conservatives) need to decide who to nominate. Until then, it's helpful to keep an eye on the Left's eyes, but ultimately, it's too damn difficult to divine whether they're analyzing for altruistic or sinister motives.
Lewis: Why Romney's win means something (more)
Unlike presidential years -- when operatives "work" the vote -- Romney's victory may be more telling because it appears to be purely organic.
Huffington Post incorrectly labels Palin as "4th place" finisher
Huff's headline: "Romney wins CPAC Poll, Palin finishes Fourth".
For the Alaska Governor, the belle of the conservative movement in the '08 election, the results aren't the best of news. Her non-appearance at CPAC, however, may have contributed to the tied-for-fourth-place finish.
(ea) Palin finished tied for 3rd. Pretty bad headline for Huff, considering they list the exact order and % of each candidate at the bottom of the article.
Mitt Romney - 20 percent
Bobby Jindal - 14 percent
Ron Paul -13 percent
Sarah Palin - 13 percent
Newt Gingrich -10 percent
Mike Huckabee - 7 percent
Mark Sanford - 4 percent
Rudy Guiliani - 3 percent
Tim Pawlenty - 2 percent
Charlie Crist - 1 percent
Undecided - 9 percent
Tim Pawlenty at CPAC 2009
Free TV Show from Ustream
The Note reports on the social con creds of Pawlenty's speech:
"It all starts with acknowledging that God is our creator. And it is from God that we receive our values.
A traditional family with two parents in it is unquestionably the best environment for children to be born and raised. We don’t have to make apologies for being a pro-family movement."
Pawlenty, Charlie Crist, and Barack Obama share something in common: none seems particularly comfortable with anger. And in a conference featuring Ann Coulter these many years, perhaps it explains why Crist and Pawlenty brought up the rear in the straw poll results.
Romney wins CPAC!
RESULTS of the 2009 CPAC Straw Poll:
1. Mitt Romney 20%
2. Bobby Jindal 14%
3. Ron Paul 13%
3. Sarah Palin 13%
5. Newt Gingrich 10%
6. Mike Huckabee 7%
7. Mark Sanford 4%
8. Rudy 3%
9. Tim Pawlenty 2%
10. Charlie Crist 1%
Undecided 9%
GOP12's pre-result prophecy (actual ranking to the right)
1. Mitt Romney (1)
2. Sarah Palin (3)
3. Mark Sanford (7)
4. Ron Paul (3)
5. Mike Huckabee (6)
6. Bobby Jindal (2)
7. Newt Gingrich (5)
8. Tim Pawlenty (9)
9. Charlie Crist (10)
10. Rudy (8)
SUMMARY:
First, you have to consider the source on these things. Ron Paul, as we predicted, fared much better than he would in any primary. Calling Paul a front-runner for 2012 is to say the Kansas City Royals are world series favorites after starting a 162 game season 4-0.
Second, Romney is still the grassroots favorite, even if he only fared 3rd in yesterday's CNN Poll. In other words, nothing's changed. He's dominated this thing 3 years in a row, but still can't parlay that enthusiasm to the top.
Third, CPAC'ers clearly didn't watch Bobby Jindal's rebuttal speech. Either that, or they love, love, LOVED it. Logistically, 2012 doesn't make sense for Jindal, and politically, it's a long shot, as well.
But conservative conferences tend to do something very primal -- their participants lionize those who've been thrown to the lions by the press (even the conservative press, who suddenly become effete liberal traitors).
Fourth, in keeping with their feud, Mike Huckabee is everything Mitt Romney isn't. Huckabee fares well nationally, but ate dirt in the straw pall. Is it because CPAC'ers think he's unelectable? Probably not. After all, Ron Paul came in third.
Fifth, CPAC obviously didn't take place in Miami. Charlie Crist had his expected dismal showing, which means a) conservative activists aren't particularly interested in reaching out to expand the party and b) don't give much of a damn about Florida's 27 electoral votes.
Charlie Crist is unpopular with Republicans, but that's because all the Republicans who like him have registered as Democrats or independents. And until we bring them back into the fold -- as Crist has done in Florida -- welcome to the party everyone left, because all the host would do is play Pictionary and drink tea.
Sixth, Tim Pawlenty struggled, not because of any animosity toward him, but because he's Tim Pawlenty. As we've said, Pawlenty needs to go to whatever school drag queens attend, because he needs a shot of HCH -- human charisma hormone.
Seventh, the only result we really missed the ball on was Mark Sanford. It's a little disorienting to diagnose what went wrong for him. We clearly thought he'd done himself favors over the last, few months with activists, but maybe conservatives are.... who knows. Theory not recognized. Must reboot.
Why Newt won't run in 2012
In a revealing portrait of Newt Gingrich, Matt Bai claims there's serious Presidential talk about Newt, but the ethos of the piece suggests otherwise.
Newt is a man who lives on ideas, but atrophies on the day-to-day. And running for President or being Commander-in-Chief is all about the day-to-day. You have to sell a budget before turning Americans onto that super neat idea about revitalizing American obesity in the 21st century.
And Newt's smart enough to recognize his limitations.
First, let's get one thing out of the way. Bai gives you a good idea of why we don't cover John Boehner or Mitch McConnell as 2012 candidates or rising stars.
Re: John Boehner
He’s a solid guy, the kind you could golf with or put on your board of directors, but nothing about him makes you want to charge toward a machine-gun battery to take a hill.
Re: Mitch McConnell:
Over on the Senate side, Mitch McConnell, an expert floor tactician, seems about as socially uncomfortable as a man can be and still reach the pinnacle of politics.
Why Gingrich is like the man who made and then felled him (Bill Clinton):
Gingrich told me he has identified about 100 ideas and positions that command anywhere from 62 percent to 93 percent support among such a cross-section of voters: giving out tax credits for installing alternative heating sources in your home (90 percent); awarding cash prizes to anyone who invents a car that gets 100 miles to the gallon (77 percent); keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance (88 percent). Gingrich’s vision — much more Clintonian than Reaganite — is to use targeted initiatives to create a kind of mechanized compatibility with the masses.
Why Eric Cantor and his House are listening to Gingrich (triangulation alert):
But Cantor was suggesting that Republicans might not need to contrast themselves with Obama at all — that, in fact, by appearing to share Obama’s basically moderate impulse toward policy, they could instead contrast themselves with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, with an eye toward picking up some seats in 2010.
In the weeks after my meeting with Cantor, Congressional Democrats began to discern the outlines of this strategy as well, complaining that Republicans were trying to drive a wedge between them and Obama by appearing to embrace the president while criticizing the ideological rigidity of his party.
And why other Republican mouthpieces -- from Rush Limbaugh to Sean Hannity -- should shut up with their rating-gambit rants (ea):
He [Gingrich] was telling them [Republicans] that if Obama was going to move far enough in their direction, their best play — and maybe their only play — was actually to team up with him on legislation if they could.
“I already told the House and Senate Republicans, if Obama decides to govern from the center, you have to work with him. He’s the president of the United States. If the president of the United States walks in with a rational, moderate proposal which has his left wing up in arms and you don’t help him, you look like you’re a nihilistic party of reactionary opposition.
I don’t actually build oppositions. I build the next governing majority. I have no interest in being an opposition party.”
But why that's not likely to happen:
"Most Republicans are not entrepreneurial. They’re corporatists. They like the security and the comfort of a well-thought-out, highly boring boardroom meeting in which they do a PowerPoint once. And it worries them to have ideas."
Grover Norquist on 2012 talk:
“If you were going to make a list of 10 potential Republican nominees, Newt would be on any list. He’s probably in most people’s Top 5.”
Twice during the course of reporting this article, I sat down in Washington restaurants only to hear the people next to me speculating about Gingrich’s prospective 2012 campaign.
Gingrich told me he would have to make a decision about the next election by the early weeks of 2011.
And finally, why Newt won't run in 2012:
Gingrich is a historian and a futurist; he’s comfortable looking backward or ahead, but he doesn’t actually do all that well with the present.
For Gingrich, it’s about the theories and the strategy and the ideas, and for a decade, nobody wanted to hear them. Now Bush is gone, Tom DeLay is staving off jail time, John McCain is playing out the string in the Senate and the leaders of a doleful party look to their last great thinker for some inspiration. For Gingrich, that might well be enough.
2009 CPAC Straw Poll Results
Coming.... Record number of votes. 1757 votes.
52% students
36% individuals
RESULTS:
1. Mitt Romney 20%
2. Bobby Jindal 14%
3. Ron Paul 13%
3. Sarah Palin 13%
5. Newt Gingrich 10%
6. Mike Huckabee 7%
7. Mark Sanford 4%
8. Rudy 3%
9. Tim Pawlenty 2%
10. Charlie Crist 1%
Undecided 9%
Click here for full analysis.
Sarah Palin does retail with Alaskan native
For background on the issues underlying this story, click here.
For video of Palin going retail in response to the story, click here (hang tight: it will seem the video's finished, since the slide runs out before Palin has the exchange, but just stick it out)
For video of Mitt Romney going retail check out the vid below.
It's an illustrative comparison, because each confronts a poignant rebuttal to the candidates' articulated positions. Who conveys appropriate empathy without abandoning their position?
For all her rhetorical deficiencies, Sarah Palin excels in up-close and personal exchanges. And for all his rhetorical eloquence, Mitt Romney struggles in up-close and personal exchanges.
Considering the preceding, you'd guess Palin would have the advantage in the intimate primaries; Romney in the televised debates defining a general.
Romney: Universal Everything has never worked universally
Mitt Romney previews a resounding message:
“[Obama's plan] all sounds very appealing, until you realize that these plans mean universal government. That model has never worked anywhere in the world."
The GOP should run, drive, and jet to the supermarket with lines like that.
"Universal" remains a frightening concept to many Americans. It isn't just a synonym for big government, it's a proxy for even more troubling implications -- global flags replacing our own, nations united for one common purpose: to think one thought, pray to one god, and generally live 1984 in 2012.
As for 2012, Romney disses GOP12, but we won't hold it against him:
“If there are people thinking about 2012, It’s like, go get a life."
But this is life!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Getting it done: Palin's big Friday
It's not NYT. It's mainly just Alaska. And that's the point.
a. Alaska Journal: "Legislators fast-track budget, stimulus project approvals."
b. Juneau Empire: "Transportation project gets Palin's endorsement."
c. Alaska Journal: "Legislators OK $100M energy program, Palin aims to cut phase 2."
d. Alaska Dispatch: "Palin supports parental consent legislation."
e. Anchorage Daily News: "Hear Gov. Palin's news conference."
f. Huffington Post: "Palin backs parental consent abortion bill."
CPAC 2009
No reflection on any of the 2012 candidates, but read this and this. Just get to the straw poll results.
And in case your head is feeding off too many bad country songs, and political props masquerading as patriotism, listen to music done right; watch America done true.
New CNN Poll: Palin and Huckabee front runners
CNN issues a new poll (Feb 27) showing a tight race among 2012 candidates:
1. Sarah Palin 27% 29%
2. Mike Huckabee 26%
3. Mitt Romney 21%
4. Bobby Jindal 9%
Overall:
The poll is good news for Huckabee; bad news for Romney; solid news for Palin; 2016 news for Jindal.
Mike Huckabee: Yesterday, we wrote that Mike Huckabee was in danger of becoming a popular; not political figure.
While Governors and Senators have been grappling with the practical and political consequences of votes and budgets, Huck's been literally sitting in his Fox studio, playing bass guitar, and piping up every now and then with a quip or three about mice and MSBS.
It's fun, but it's not a record. It's Will Rogers; not William Wilbeforce.
Well, flush that down the toilet. If you can be the front-runner without sweating, why run the marathon?
Mitt Romney: He's clearly still not connecting.
Since the economy caught the plague, GOP talking-heads have been talking their heads off about the Second Coming of Mitt.
So smart. So eloquent. So handsome. So 3rd place.
Right now, the party seems to be using Mitt like a star pitcher with an expiring contract. You work him to death, because you know you don't have to sign him long-term.
Republican voters still aren't falling for him, and here's why that's so dangerous for Romney: Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee should be splitting the populist vote; thereby creating a perfect opening up technocrat lane for Romney.
But that's not happening. What is happening is 2008 all over again. Romney the President sells better than Romney the Candidate.
Sarah Palin: Ironically, expect Palin to remain the paragon of polling stability. If she has more weekends like this (e.g. staying home to work, while the others take turns pandering to kids who like putting on suits and ties but don't have jobs) expect her numbers to remain even.
She won't lose her die-hards, and she won't get many die-hard sequels.
And that's not a bad thing -- For now.
Eventually, she'll have to get those sequels made, but she has plenty of time to make sure the script's right, the lines are clear, and the direction certain.
Newt at CPAC
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The New York Times reviews:
Mr. Gingrich gave voice to the lingering ire many conservatives still harbor over the fiscal policies of the President George W. Bush, tracing the lineage of Mr. Obama’s stimulus package and budget back to what he stated flatly were a string of “failed” spending and bailout plans hatched during the final months of the Bush administration.
.... The former Congressional leader, who flirted with the idea of running for president last year but ultimately stayed out of the race, counseled his fellow Republicans that they would not be able to retake power in Washington by “being an opposition movement.”
Keep reading...
Mother Jones smothers him, but concedes...
He is the snarkiest kid in the classroom. His taunts of Democrats and the media sound intelligent and are often genuinely funny. His flair, his sarcasm, his ability to make his listeners feel like they are smarter than not just those idiot libs but every dolt in Congress – they simply cannot be matched by any other public face in the GOP today.
Newt and Mitt unaware that Steele opposes civil unions
Tommy Christopher, is roaming the halls for The Political Machine:
I also spoke to Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, amd (sic) like every other Republican I've spoken with, they had no idea that Michael Steele had come out against civil unions.
DeMint says Snowe, Specter and Collins were "played for fools"
Jim DeMint's message is Genghis Khan; his demeanor your Mom.
Read his quotes; then listen to them, and find yourself more confused than Ryan Seacrest at a rodeo.
Nailed coffin: Dramatic Tancredo pins Jindal down
Tom Tancredo seems like he'd make a great Doctor -- one who'd explain your Rx comprehensively but quickly.
But earlier today, Think Progress caught him waking up as Dr. RuPaul.
TP: [Jindal] has gotten some flack for his performance on the response to Obama. I’m curious what your thoughts on it was.
TANCREDO: Great content. Lousy delivery. And I’m sorry to say this because I like him a lot. I served with him. Good guy. Solid guy. But I think that performance would very well have put the last nail in the coffin for him, for running for president.
[Hat tip: The Colorado Independent]
Boy, Obama had a good idea: Cantor praises President on Iraq
Minority Whip Eric Cantor issued the following statement on Barack Obama's plan for American forces in Iraq:
.... The President’s decision appears to be informed by the advice of our commanders and the fluid nature of the events on the ground, which was reinforced during my trip to Baghdad earlier this month. President Obama deserves credit for not listening to the chorus of voices calling for a rapid drawdown of forces regardless of the consequences for Iraq, our military and the American people.”
Fresh faces: Whitman speaks @ campaign breakfast for Cantor
And they say she sounded like Mitt Romney. This will likely be a recurring theme.
Who will be the Huntsman or Crist of the Senate?
Matt Yglesias senses a real civil war brewing within the Republican party:
Predictions of a “conservative crack-up” tend to be a dime a dozen in American politics, and it rarely happens. But this month, I really do get the sense that we’re witnessing the opening rounds in a significant battle inside the conservative movement.
But he says a real war can't begin until the sides are clearly drawn (ea):
For the infighting to really become significant in a policy sense, you’d need some members of the House and Senate to try to put what Crist and Huntsman are talking about into practice.
Problem is: it's difficult to hypothetically place governors into Senate seats.
For example, does anyone think Florida Sen. Mel Martinez would have opposed the stimulus on principle as governor of Florida?
Martinez ranks as the 36th most conservative Senator in the nation, which is to say: he's not much of one. But the political conditions to become one on the stimulus were favorable.
Ideology has a funny way of shifting once you've moved from a governor's mansion to DC.
The Rushification of Eric Cantor
Two points:
a. The AFSCME lumps all Republican leadership with Rush Limbaugh, but it's no mistake spokesman Brad Woodhouse singles out Eric Cantor for criticism -- it's time to take the new kid down before he turns into The Man.
“Rush Limbaugh is the leader of the Republican Party. He says jump and Eric Cantor and other Republican leaders say how high."
b. The ad proves that, despite his claims to the contrary, Rush Limbaugh doesn't do the GOP any favors with independents.
Labor groups wouldn't be running an ad where the central message relies on the perception of Rush Limbaugh as Villain, if they hadn't done some polling indicating he was.
[Hat tip: The NY Times Caucus Blog]
MSNBC: Jindal needs to get on SNL now!
The advice is so good it's like Dick Morris and Lee Atwater's love-child.
Paging Bobby Jindal: Report to Saturday Night Live immediately.
"Bobby Jindal is Kenneth the Page" is a line that could dog the Louisiana Governor, and potential Republican presidential candidate, for years. His widely panned performance delivering the GOP response to President Obama's speech Tuesday night was just that devastating -- and that unintentionally hysterical.
And you know the Bobby is Kenneth Facebook page that had about 2,000 members 48 hours ago.
Up to nearly 16k.
The Facebook group reports that there is already a behind-the-scenes push to have Kenneth appear on SNL as Jindal, ala Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.
So Jindal should follow in the footsteps of Palin, a fellow 2012 GOP presidential hopeful, and go on SNL and get in on the joke so folks will be laughing with him -- not at him.
Why Newt gets it
He knows who Americans are mad at.
"If, in fact, it's terrific for Citibank and GM, but bad for small business, then it's an elite bill - it's not a populist bill."
UPDATE!: Think about this headline from new Rasmussen: "73% trust judgment of people more than politicians".
Who elected the politicians, and on what basis?
Jim DeMint at CPAC
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Vid of DeMint chatting with blogger's row after his talk. Sanford's speech comes later today.
Cantor: Obama's new intelligence pick "deeply alarming"
Minority Whip Eric Cantor expresses concerns about President Obama's selection of Chas Freeman to head the National Intelligence Council:
"Chas Freeman's past associations and positions on foreign policy are deeply alarming. His statements about the U.S.-Israel relationship raise serious concerns about his ability to support the administration's attempts to bring security, stability and peace to the Middle East."
So what of those associations?
During his tenure as president of the the Middle East Policy Council, Freeman accepted a $1 million donation from a Saudi Arabian prince that was meant to be a down payment on "future projects".
The Washington Times:
.... members of pro-Israeli community have privately criticized the choice of Mr. Freeman since rumors of the appointment leaked earlier this week.
.... In 2006, MEPC [Freeman's think tank] republished a paper by scholars Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer that argued that the U.S.-Israel lobby had conspired to launch the Iraq war on behalf of the interest of Israel, but not America.
Keep reading...
Eternal Sunshine of the Charlie Crist mind
In his Feb 20th Q & A with James Barnes, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist certainly gets into specifics, but above all, displays the warmth, good nature, and sincere intentions he's become famous for.
We live in a world where politicians take continual offense, where they unify only to oppose, and where they talk only so they can scream.
Does this sound like such a person?
NJ: I got a chuckle reading St. Petersburg Times political editor Adam C. Smith's story quoting one GOP consultant saying that if Florida Republican members of Congress got you in a dark alley, "all you'd have left is a tuft of white hair."
Crist: [Laughs] It's a funny line, isn't it?
NJ: Seriously, you called up Florida Republican members of Congress and asked them to back the stimulus. What arguments did you make to them and why don't you think any took your advice?
Crist: To the latter, I'm not sure, but I respect it. That's OK.
NJ: Do you think opposing the stimulus is a good way for Republicans to define themselves as a party?
Crist: Well, obviously I didn't think so. But for others, that's fine. I mean, I don't think there's any requirement that all Republicans sort of be in lockstep. Ronald Reagan used to have a great line, that if you agree with me 80 percent of the time, you're probably my friend. And I subscribe to that. I think that we're not going to agree on everything, nor should we. And, I mean, my word, not many spouses agree on 100 percent of things.
NJ: Do you think the split among the governors over the stimulus bill will lead to any fallout at the upcoming National Governors Association meeting?
Crist: Oh, no, none whatsoever. I think the governors are a pretty mature group of folks and I don't envision that, no sir.
NJ: On this point, I understand that down in Miami at the Republican Governors Association meeting in November, governors including Perry and South Carolina's Mark Sanford wanted the Republican governors to take a united or a principled stand against stimulus legislation that President Obama was likely to propose, but other Republican governors opposed that -- did that discussion take place formally or informally among the governors?
Crist: There was discussion of that, and I think it turned out for the best. [Laughs]
NJ: Were you one of those who argued against taking that position, governor?
Crist: Evidently. Yes sir.
NJ: Are you at all worried that your support for the stimulus could hurt you in your re-election bid or if you decide to run for the Senate?
Crist: No. My concern is not about politics, it's about people, and the people of my state are hurting. And I want to do everything I think that is necessary to help them out in a difficult circumstance and, you know, continue to give them hope and encouragement that we'll get through this, because I know we will.
Anchorage Daily News praises Palin on billing
Gov. Sarah Palin made a good call when she agreed to repay the state for more than $9,000 worth of travel for her children.
She could have tried to fight this ethics complaint to the end, as a typical politician might have.
And she might have prevailed, since independent investigator Tim Petunmenos admitted state rules on paying for her family travel are hopelessly vague.
Keep reading...
DIRT Diggler: Perry already panicking?
A political operative working for Gov. Rick Perry has asked Dallas City Hall for numerous documents concerning Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a signal that the campaign for governor could include personal attacks.
A Perry aide confirmed that the campaign was fishing for information about Hutchison's husband, prominent bond attorney Ray Hutchison.
Rick Perry's campaign spokesman is surprisingly brazen:
"We're interested, as most Texans would be, in how Senator Bailout's husband's bond business has benefited from her job in D.C."
Referring to KBH as "Senator Bailout" and indicting her character 13 months before an election? That's 3 days until the election stuff.
The Morning News is surprised, too.
Such research, which politicos call "oppo," short for opposition research, is common in politics. But it's rare to get a glimpse of operatives in action or for campaigns to acknowledge they are hunting for information to attack their opponents with.
Keep reading...
Romney: Obama's budget "dangerous"
Romney on spending: Down the road, there could be a run on the dollar. Transcript here.
[Hat tip: The ConservativeXpress]
2012 Prez prospects from Senate get new Conservative Scores
The National Journal releases its annual ranking of U.S. Senators on economic, social, and combined criteria.
2012 Prospective Candidates as Conservatives:
a. Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl #1
b. SC Sen. Jim DeMint #5
c. SD Sen. John Thune #11
d. Tex Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison #20
e. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker #27
Notes: Lindsey Graham was #15; Orrin Hatch #29, Olympia Snowe #51, Jim Webb #58. It's a fascinating list, and safe to say Frank Lautenberg would not do well in a Republican primary.
[Hat tip: Mike Allen]
Newt: "A job-killing budget"
One reason Gingrich is such a persuasive communicator lies in his willingness to concede relatively trivial points to his opponent, while remaining firm on the primary point.
It builds instant credibility, because so few are secure enough to acknowledge good in the opposition. Centrists take note, put their hands on their chins, and become The Thinker.
Maybe he is different.
Obama's got it down. So does Newt.
Watch CBS Videos Online
Gingrich laughs off 2012 talk:
Smith: "Is he settling the table for you to run in 2012?"
Newt: "I don't think that President Obama's doing anything with regard to what I might do one day."
The Fix updates top 10 GOP voices
Chris Cillizza gets to it. Previous ranking in parentheses. Key blurbs on 2012 prospects in block quote.
1o. Rush Limbaugh (8)
9. Newt Gingrich (NA)
8. Eric Cantor (9)
The Virginia Republican proved during the stimulus debate that he was ready to fulfill the potential that many party strategists have long believed he possesses. While Cantor (and his office) were slightly unsteady, his strong defense of conservative principles and likable demeanor distinguished him in the debate.
7. Bobby Jindal (4)
Was it [reponse to Obama] an unmitigated disaster that either badly diminishes or disqualifies him in 2012? Definitely not.
6. Tim Pawlenty (6)
T-Paw is the tortoise of the 2012 race -- carefully picking his spots to speak out on the national stage, always wary of overexposure or a misstep.
5. Mark Sanford (6)
he is.... a VERY gifted communicator on television. His advisers know that fact very well so expect to see him on the national Sunday shows frequently in the coming months.
4. Haley Barbour (2)
The Mississippi governor is staying under the radar at the moment but, privately, he is working any number of angles to ensure the party heads in his preferred direction.
3. Michael Steele (3)
2. Mitt Romney (3)
Another major advantage for Romney: much -- though not all -- of his political team has stayed in touch and intact , meaning that if and when he flicks the switch they will be ready to go from, well, day one.
1. Sarah Palin (1)
The conservative base of the party isn't going to forget her.
Why Rhonda McBride left Sarah Palin
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's rural affairs adviser, Rhonda McBride, left the administration last October, claiming an Alaskan Native would better represent the state's indigenous communities:
"You begin to realize there's a certain moral authority a Native voice has. I think the Palin administration is very well-intended. I just don't think I can bring the message on these issues as well as an Alaska Native can."
But -- courtesies aside -- last week, The Homer News interviewed Rob Rosenfeld, who's both a consultant to 66 indigenous communities and a candidate for Governor.
Rosenfeld claimed that McBride left her position because of Palin's neglect for Native concerns.
Now the Alaska Dispatch has received an email from McBride, confirming her frustrations with the Governor:
"I think what Rob picked up on was my disappointment, my wish that I could have time to talk with the governor about the overwhelming issues facing rural Alaska. I had hoped she would invite me into her office on a regular basis to discuss rural issues. But that never happened in a formal way.
In talking with people who have held positions similar to mine, they experienced the same problem. One of those who worked for (former Governor) Tony Knowles, told me that when he traveled with Tony, he always hoped to get weathered in somewhere, so he could buttonhole the governor. One-on-one time is precious with a governor.
I did ask Governor Palin for a one-on-one meeting. But it never happened."
Thursday, February 26, 2009
U.K. noticing Huntsman?
When the Governor of Utah gets favorable press from a Brit, one of two things has happened.
1. Said-governor Huntsman has moved significantly to the center/left.
or
2. The Arctic Monkeys have become Mormon; and Radiohead, Jehovah's Witnesses.
[Hat tip: Glen Warchol]
Weekly Standard: Good speech, Huck, but too many metaphors
Mary Katherine Ham reports on Huckabee's CPAC speech.
The good:
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor cum candidate cum Fox News host, spoke on the first day of CPAC, using his considerable communication skills to bring the audience through a 30-minute vision of the revitalization of the Republican Party, on everything from nuclear energy to health care.
The good/bad metaphors:
a. "Vertical politicians"
b. "Vertical patriots"
c. The GOP can't be the "party of the ruined city in the sea". (get it? Reagan and stuff)
d. The GOP should be Goldilockes on regulation -- "just right".
e. The GOP should be a "ladder"; not a "stepstool".
(there's more)
All of which kind of convinces Ham:
You know what I say? Yes, we can, as soon as we sort out all these metaphors.
Who knew Huck had a little Mario Ruoppolo in him? And stop, that's not a metaphor.
Foreign national accused of steering illegal funds to Crist
A foreign national with ties to a top Florida Republican fundraiser has been indicted in California for steering illegal campaign contributions to Gov. Charlie Crist and three presidential candidates.
Here's what you need to know*:
a. The foreign national works for a shipping company owned by Harry Sargeant, a top Crist fundraiser and until last month, head fundraiser for the Florida Republican party.
b. Sargeant was not named in the indictment, although the foreign national delivered checks to someone initialed "H.S".
c. The charge: delivering over 36 questionable donations to Crist on June 19, 2006. The amount: $5,000.
d. Crist and his former campaign manager say they don't know the foreign national and have nothing to hide.
e. The Presidential candidates who allegedly received funds indirectly would be John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton. The amount: > $50,000.
Summary:
It's a big headline, but these are small donations. $5k to Crist? If every "i" wasn't dotted and "t" crossed, $5k is understandable.
The story may be some trouble for Sargeant, although it's far too early to presume, and it's deeply unfair to link this to Gov. Crist.
*In case you think we're immigrant-baiting by continually referring to the foreign national as "the foreign national", it's only done to minimize names and make the story easier to follow. The man's name is Ala'a al-Ali.
I'll back you: Palin lends her weight to anti-abortion bill
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced her support today for a bill requiring minors to receive parental consent before having an abortion.
In 1997, the legislature passed a similar act that was overturned by Alaska's Supreme Court.
So why the renewed push?
Since the Supreme's decision, Palin has replaced a liberal member of the court with an anti-abortion foe. And that's just enough to tip the balance in favor of a ban.
CPAC 2009: She's working, while they're playing. Smart wholegrain cookie.
UPDATE!: A more thorough report on the Palin/abortion story.
If only Jindal were black....
Althouse makes a brave point:
Both Obama and Jindal are at the geeky end of the spectrum among American politicians. But Obama's race cuts against this persona, and makes him "cool" in a way (however studiously achieved) it's hard to envision a comparably wonky white politician being perceived....
So while Jindal may not face the same radical-black-guy stereotypes as Obama, neither will he benefit from the same cool-black-guy stereotypes.
So Alan Keyes?
Althouse makes a good point... up to a point. Because there was a point at which Bobby Jindal was perceived as pretty cool. And not just by CPAC folk.
After all, why the buzz if there's no bee?
UPDATE: Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Democrats will not let Republicans be inclusive.
[Hat tip: Instapundit]
Crist hopes stimulus can overcome 3rd year blues
Lobbyist Ron Book:
"It's going to be a tough year for everybody. It's the year that people push back on any given governor. The honeymoon is over."
But Brendan Farrington says the Gov is still eager to cut taxes:
.... while times are tight, Crist also wants lawmakers to put property tax proposals on the ballot, including a measure that would give first-time homebuyers a temporary, but big, break on their property taxes. Crist also wants to further limit the amount property taxes can be increased on businesses and second homes.
Will national conservatives note his tax-cutting efforts? Probably not.
Crist is sort of like Satan to grassroots conservatives. You don't thank the devil for giving you rock music, but you beat the hell out of him when there's an earthquake.
"Bobby Jindal is Kenneth Page" facebook picking up steam
When pop culture and politics intersect, the results are either effective (Obama 2008) or not so effective (Jindal, Kenneth Page and 2009).
Facebook page here.
Steelman: I'm not a jerk!
Yesterday, Red State's Erick Erickson wondered whether a primary fight for Missouri's open Senate seat in 2010 was really worth it.
Sure, Rep. Roy Blunt was a "porker", but EE had heard little birds squawk that potential challenger Sarah Steelman was a "jerk".
Today, Ms. Steelman called Erickson:
She wanted me to know she’s not a jerk. She certainly did not sound like a jerk.... frankly, the jerks either never call or call to yell. She did not call to yell, but to introduce herself. That’s classy.
So I’m impressed. This may be one of those races I sit out of because, again, I think I’m closer to Steelman ideologically, but I know Roy and like him personally.
And here's your State of the GOP in a capsule:
I’m hearing more and more that conservative groups are going to rally to her if she does, while the Republican Party of Missouri will probably back Roy Blunt.
Few thoughts:
1. If the chorus of "Steelman's a jerk" was loud enough, why would one phone call disabuse you of the notion?
2. If one phone call disabused you, why was it salient enough to post the "jerk" comments yesterday?
[Hat tip: Political Fix]
Bigger gun: Hutchison stronger in general than Perry
A reader sends in a new PPP poll.
Hutchison leads [Democrat Tom] Schieffer 54-30 while Perry has a 45-35 advantage over him, below the magic 50% number considered safe for incumbents
Hutchison appears to be close to unbeatable in a general election. She pulls 20% of the Democratic vote, has a 23 point lead among independents, and has 86% of Republicans committed to voting for her.
Full pdf here.
Red State: Huckabee for Senate
Picture. Thought. Not a bad idea.
Huckabee's having difficulty maintaining his relevance as a political figure right now. Sure, he comments on politics, but he doesn't practice it. And he's in danger of slipping from the debate. He's a popular figure more than a political figure.
Running for Senate would inject him back into the fray and subject him to the difficult votes others are grappling with.
Will Rogers never became President.
UPDATE: An additional thought. Think of the last two times Huckabee registered in a significant way on main-line news.
1. His mice comments.
2. Now this.
Each of the leading candidates has work to do in the next four years. And that's meant quite literally. Senate 2010, Huck.
DOUBLE UPDATE: Another example -- what's he getting the headline for? Balancing a budget? Cutting taxes? It's not terribly difficult to attend a conservative conference and warn against a descent into Euro-like socialism.
Again, Senate 2010, Huck.
Hutchison on Obama's budget: "Sticker shock!"
Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison just looked at the Bugatti Veyron. Only Obama's budget doesn't have hp of over 1,020.
...."we're in sticker shock here … What is happening to our free-enterprise system? What’s happening to our whole economic system? This is a tsunami that we’re looking at. And it’s a change that is being more and more permanent, and I think that’s a great concern.”
All by himself? Who's going to watch Fitna with Kyl?
What: Fitna, 17 minute long documentary which links Islam and the Koran with violence. You can watch the video here.
Where: L.B.J. Room in the Capitol.
Who: Sen. Jon Kyl.
Why? The show's producer:
“I don’t hate Muslims — I hate Islam.”
Irony: As we write, John Kerry is hosting a hearing called "Engaging with Muslim Communities Around the World".
The New York Times on Kyl's shindig:
Other than Senator Kyl, it was unclear who else would be attending the screening.
What that says about our Senate?
Fill in the James Joyce blanks from Finnegan's Wake:
Major bed, minor bickhive. Halosobuth, sov us! Who sleeps in now number one, for example? A ___, purr esimple. Cunina, Statulina, and Edulia, but how sweet of her! Has your ___ a pessname?
DOWN SHE GOES: DeMint triumphs on Fairness Doctrine (kind of)
The DeMint Amendment preventing the FCC from restoring the Fairness Doctrine has passed. And it wasn't even close.
a. Roll Call, 87-11.
b. All prospective 2012 candidates voted YES.
c. Both North Dakota Democratic Senators voted NO. They often vote with Republicans. What gives?
More on this soon...
d. Big Caveat. Dick Durbin pushed another amendment through, 57-41, that could open the door for Fairness.
In fact, Sen. Jim DeMint sent perhaps the most significant tweet of his life:
“We have closed the front door on Fairness Doctrine, but Durbin amend opens back door to censorship. The fight goes on."
Every Democrat voted for the Durbin's amendment; every Republican against. Roll Call.
Statement of purpose on the amendment: To encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership, and to ensure that the public airwaves are used in the public interest.
Limbaugh: Sanford forced to call me an idiot
Earlier today, Rush Limbaugh took the time to defend himself from the fabricated rift between himself and SC Gov. Mark Sanford (ea):
I am told South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford called me an idiot, not by name. But he said, “Anyone who wants Obama to fail is an idiot.” I don’t anybody else who said it. So, I guess he’s talking about– … Politicians have different audiences than I do and they’ve got to say things in different ways.
True. If nothing else, Mark Sanford is particularly scrupulous about tailoring his message toward his audience.
He's like Ron Paul in that way.
Huckabee calls "bullshit" on MSNBC
Mike Huckabee at CPAC:
"It's not MSNBC, but the MSBS channel."
Not the most likely messenger, but a likely message. Ideological conferences tend to bring out the best and worst in people, and this time it absolutely brought out the best in Mike Huckabee.
If Fox News is biased, MSNBC is Leni Riefenstahl and a satellite dish.
How many extra votes does this get Huckabee in the straw poll?
HERE: Ballot for CPAC straw poll
Courtesy of David Weigel:
Gov. Charles Crist (Fla.)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Former N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.)
Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.)
Gov. Sarah Palin (Alaska)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.)
Former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
Gov. Mark Sanford (S.C.)
GOP 12 prophecies:
1. Mitt Romney
2. Sarah Palin
3. Mark Sanford
4. Ron Paul
5. Mike Huckabee
6. Bobby Jindal
7. Newt Gingrich
8. Tim Pawlenty
9. Charlie Crist
10. Rudy
In the Old Testament, prophets who erred were stoned. In the event of such an occasion, please use pebbles. They hurt less (although it could take 48 hours of pebbling to be pebbled to death).
And note: the prophesied outcome doesn't speak for all GOP 12 prophets, some of whom have conflicting special revelation.
Something we agree on: Mitt Romney won't stand in line for Huckabee to sign his copy of Do the right thing.
New York Times Mag reports widespread Newt 2012 talk
In what Greg Mitchell is describing as a "wild" New York Times Magazine cover piece set to appear this Sunday, Newt Gingrich is suddenly more relevant to the party and 2012 interest than ever.
Fox's resident Nabokov-twisting linguist, Frank Luntz, claims Newt's the one voice that can rise from the four corners of the globe and breathe new life into the Republican party.
Perenial, annual, and biannual conservative spokesman, Grover Norquist, places Newt among the Top-5 Republican contenders. In fact, Bai says, Washington talk of a Newt 2012 bid is serious.... this time.
Two problems:
First, every four years we go through "Newt in 19--, or 20--". It's in his best interest, and when something is in Newt's best interest, expect him to show up for work.
Second, Gingrich seems to have ruled out becoming George Washington, settling instead for the more modest Benjamin Franklin:
"I think I'm closer to Benjamin Franklin than to George Washington. I'm a contributor to my country and to my times."
So in the spirit of his spiritual father, how do we incorporate electricity into politics? Maybe we fly a kite with "Newt 2012", and that will get insiders all buzzed up.
What each 2012 candidate must do at CPAC
Domenico Montanaro breaks down the CPAC agendas for prospective 2012 candidates, and pays particular attention to the plum speaking spot awarded SC Gov. Mark Sanford.
Ron Paul trying to crash Mitt Romney's party at CPAC
The Washington Independent:.
I’m told more than 100 Paul volunteers are in town for CPAC, with more coming, united in the goal of filling the room for Paul’s Friday, 4 p.m. speech and leaving to make sure that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has a smaller audience.
And in a remarkable testament to the Toyota Car durability of Mr. Paul...
I ran into an old friend from Paul’s network who told me that the ex-candidate has raised $300,000 in February, so far, for the Campaign for Liberty. The economic crisis has been fantastic for Paul’s causes.
While Republicans have jumped from message to message and attack to attack, Paul has relentlessly pounded the Federal Reserve and both parties for causing the crisis and triggering inflation by debasing the currency. Whenever Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appears before the House Financial Services Committee, Paul grills him on Austrian economics, creating YouTube clips at least as popular as the GOP’s official videos.
[As an aside, check out Libertarian Republican's report on whether Paul supporters are moving to SC Gov. Mark Sanford]
New Romney talking point?
A reader informs us that all-everything couple Jack and Suzy Welch has delivered the press release Mitt Romney always wanted to send:
It is the essence of leadership to have the self-confidence to admit that a strategy has gone off course or a position has become outdated. And it is the responsibility of all leaders in such a "predicament" to revise their direction swiftly, widely communicate it, and move on without undue pandering or emotionality.
Change happens. And so a leader's mind set must change, too.
In 2012, Romney might just want to spend all his $ on buying caucus-goers subscriptions to Business Week.
But to get back to the point -- it wasn't necessarily Romney's evolving views that caught so much attention as it was unipolar direction of the shift, which conformed suspiciously to the GOP's base.
To compensate for C.J. Mackey sin....
What you can learn from Bobby Jindal's speech
One of the world's top 30 leadership gurus, John Baldoni, teaches business leaders what they can learn from Bobby Jindal's rebuttal.
And -- gulp -- possibly gives us a new cultural logline in the process with "Don't Bobby Jindal your next big speech".
1. Understand your audience. Jindal was speaking to the nation, but he spoke as if he were addressing a group of Republican faithful. Much of his speech focused on attacking the other political party. This is akin to a senior corporate leader giving a speech attacking an industry rival when his employees are worried about holding on to their own jobs.
2. Provide a concrete plan. Jindal spent much of the speech praising the idea of a smaller, less active government. Yet he offered few specifics on improving the economy, education and health care. Executives make a similar mistake when they issue goals without the means to achieve them. Increasing sales by 10% or improving quality by reducing defects is fine, but when those goals are not supported by strategies, tactics and resources they ring hollow.
3. Give honest reassurance. Jindal spoke confidently of the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses — without mentioning the fact that such businesses can no longer get the credit they need to operate. Corporate leaders fall into the same trap when they buoyantly lecture their audiences about doing more with less, without recognizing the real challenges their employees face.
Completely Not-Safe-For-Work vid, but a paragon of public speaking.
C.J. Mackey clearly understands his audience, provides a very firm plan, and the honest reassurance we all need on occasion.
Huffington Post, Think Progress get it wrong on "Sanford v Rush"
Paging Columbo and Sherlock's love child (unfortunately, Paris Hilton):
Yesterday, a few, prominent Leftward blogs tried pitting Mark Sanford against Rush Limbaugh. Well, let's ask Detective Paris if they've got a case.
1. Here's SC Gov. Mark Sanford's actual interview in question with Real Clear Politics. Reference when finished with "2" and "3".
2. Here's Think Progress' take on the interview, "Sanford: Rush Limbaugh is an 'idiot'." (ea):
In an interview with the website Real Clear Politics, Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) was asked about the “view that perhaps Republicans are rooting for President Obama to fail.” This question was a clear reference to Rush Limbaugh, who infamously said, “I hope Obama fails.” Sanford responded in unequivocal terms:
SANFORD: I don’t want him to fail. Anybody who wants him to fail is an idiot, because it means we’re all in trouble.
3. Here's Huff Post picking up and titling it "Sanford implies Rush Limbaugh is an idiot". Score one for journalism. A direct quote has been softened to an implication.
4. Now here's the Sanford quote in full context (Blago would be so proud of us).
RCP: There's this view that perhaps Republicans are rooting for President Obama to fail. What's your reaction to that sentiment?
Gov. Sanford: You know, the first meeting we had there in Philadelphia, when the nation's governors came and met with Obama, I stood in that room, and I said, "Look. I don't want to disagree with you." I sat there in the living room of our house, tears coming down my eyes, my four boys gathered with me, watching that speech he gave in Grant Park. His kids running out, his wife was there. And you thought about one of the ultimate sort of Horatio Alger stories in the history of politics. To think that he could pull off a win against the biggest Democratic fundraising machine that I think has ever existed. What he did was marvelous, in terms of just a human story.
And I said, "Man to man, I dont want to disagree with you on anything. And as an American, I absolutely want you to succeed. And therefore, as an American who wants you to succeed because we're all in this boat together it's incumbent upon me, if I think an idea is a bad idea, even though I don't want to disagree, to lay it out." And he said his say and I said my say and he said his say and I said my say, and we called it quits.
I don't want him to fail. Anybody who wants him to fail is an idiot, because it means we're all in trouble. But I do think, in that same vein, if you've looked at the pages of history, if you've looked at the pages of economic data that I've looked at over a long period of time -- I've got a masters in business from the University of Virginia, I've worked up in New York in finance -- if you've looked at that kind of stuff and you legitimately think that something ain't going to work, you'd be cheating him and cheating yourself if you didn't lay it out and call an ace an ace in terms of where you're coming from.
Obviously, Rush Limbaugh made his large imprint in this conversation every step of the way.
[Hat tip: Charleston City Paper, courtesy of a reader]
CPAC straw poll comes out Saturday evening
Can Romney make it a three-peat? The poll's results are released @ 4:30 PM, Saturday.
Here's what we know:
a. If Mitt Romney wins, it will be 95% of a full story. If Mitt Romney loses, it will be 120% of a story.
b. If Sarah Palin wins, it will be 623% of a story. If Sarah Palin loses, it will be 623% of a story.
c. If Barack Obama wins as a write-in, the GOP is truly fucked.
Ziegler: Palin haters are insecure women
From John Ziegler's interview with Greta last night:
Secure women love Sarah Palin. But a lot of women who aren't necessarily so secure feel very threatened by her and loved to see her brought to size. And that's why the ratings were so good for negative Sarah Palin stories.
Why Hutchison is beating Perry
Let us count the ways, or rather, let Mark Davis:
Only two things have pegged the indignation meter among Perry critics I've heard from – the Gardasil initiative and the Trans-Texas Corridor.
An easy opt-out has defused the anger of early 2007, when his executive order required schoolgirls to receive the vaccine that fights the cervical cancer virus. And the apparent death of the TTC – at least as Perry envisioned it – negates a property-rights minefield he would have had to walk every day.
Which leaves Davis stumped -- why would Hutchison sport this 25% lead?
A reader directs our attention to Front Burner's reply:
Mark Davis is a little off the mark in today’s DMN column about the Rick Perry-Kay Bailey Hutchison gubernatorial race. Davis says casino gambling, the Trans-Texas Corridor and the Gardasil initiative are the key ways Hutchison could make hay hitting the incumbent.
According to top Hutchison insiders, however, the campaign has much bigger guns in its arsenal, and they can all be boiled down to one big theme: government mismanagement.
(ea) Keep reading about them guns...
Tom Delay claims Crist flushed Florida into the toilet
But first, the former House Majority Leader jumps right into an attack on the President's character, calling Obama hypocritical and highlighting his spending.
Please turn to Isaiah 29:15-16, congregation.
(Delay does the toilet thing @ the 6:30 mark.)
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
[Hat tip: Miami Riptide 2.0]
Jindal's risk
Jindal risks becoming a punchline.
Unfortunately for Jindal, Letterman will welcome U2 for an unprecedented, five consecutive nights next week. Huge ratings + new monologues = big laughs @ Jindal's expense.
CPAC ready to go
Here's today's agenda. Re: 2012 things, Huckabee speaks @ 1:30 PM; then signs books @ 2 PM.
And by the way, Fort Lauderdale? Who needs it?
Some are calling CPAC the "conservative Spring Break" because more than half of the 8,000 conference attendees are under the age of 22.
Okay, maybe just $25: Barbour will take some unemployment funds
Gov. Haley Barbour clarified his position on stimulus funds Wednesday, saying that he would accept the federal money that provides an extra $25 per week to people who lose their job.... Barbour said he did not plan to accept a portion of the funds that would require the state to change its law to expand unemployment compensation insurance to part-time employees.
So what prompted the change?
Here's a guess -- if the boss is wearing sandals on Friday, you can, too. From WJBF in South Carolina, February 23:
Sanford has agreed to increase unemployment benefits in the state by $25 a week.... those benefits are temporary but the part-time benefits would have been permanent and the state [Sanford claims] can’t afford that with a bankrupted unemployment fund.
The troubling lobbyist behind Romney's South Carolina campaign
Remember J. Warren Tompkins?
If you answered "Sure, he was the senior adviser to Mitt Romney's campaign in the southeast", you'd be right.
If you answered "Yeah, he was the guy who's notorious for being linked to dirty push polls, and covert websites trashing Romney's 2008 opponents", you'd be right.
If you answered "I think so, he's the Republican who's often worked to undermine Mark Sanford's efforts at reform in South Carolina", you'd be right.
And finally... if you answered "Yeah, he's the subject of Deroy Murdock's new National Review piece claiming it's insider Republicans like him who are wreaking havoc on the party", you'd also be right.
Still trying: Cantor and Obama remain tight
In a new profile of Eric Cantor, ABC finds room for bipartisan hope.
The Minority Whip and new President don't disagree to score political points -- instead, they war on philosophical grounds in a battle neither wishes to become Verdun.
.... unlike Gingrich -- whom Cantor says he consults regularly to gather advice on how to structure the opposition in Congress -- he's developed an easy rapport with the president he's opposing.
While he and Obama have vast ideological differences, the open lines of communication offer Obama at least the possibility of the kinds of bipartisan successes he craves.... Despite the Republican opposition emanating from Capitol Hill, Cantor and Obama are developing a working relationship based on mutual respect, according to both Democrats and Republicans.
Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy:
"They're close to the same age. They both have the same work ethic. Most importantly, he doesn't just tell the president 'no.' When he meets with the president he comes up with ideas. They might not agree all the time, but he's willing to be at the table to find a solution."
And there's one friendship that may be more important than the rest:
.... in the House, Cantor always maintained a good working relationship with Rahm Emanuel, a former top Pelosi deputy who is now Obama's chief of staff.
That has helped open the lines of communications to Obama, with whom Cantor said he had no meaningful relationship when they served together in Congress.
(all ea) Keep reading...
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