Romney hedges on residency change

On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asks Mitt Romney about his busy political action committee, 2012, and whether those rumors that he's going to change his official residence to New Hampshire are true.

His PAC, travels, and 2012:

WALLACE: You say it's far too early to think about running for President, but you've got a very active political action committee. You just pointed out you're campaigning all over the country -- New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio this week. Fair to say that you're keeping your options open to running again for president?

ROMNEY: Yeah, I'm not going to close that door. But I'm not gonna walk through it, either, and the action that I'm going through right now is trying to help people who I think would make a difference for the country, and frankly, also help some people who helped me.

You know, when I ran for office, I had a lot of folks who came out to do a lot of work for me, and they call and say "Okay, it's now your turn to help me". And so I'm going out and helping some of those, and I think it's an important thing. You know, we have plenty of time to decide what the future holds. It's very early, five months into the president's term....

As far as his official residence goes, that's another door Romney appears to be quietly keeping open.

WALLACE: ... Are you going to establish legal residence in New Hampshire?

ROMNEY: No, my residence is still in Massachusetts. That is my home. That's where I vote, and I'm going to continue to be a Massachusetts resident. I can't tell you how many years that's the case, but for the indefinite future.

WALLACE: Any possibility that you, by 2012, could be running in New Hampshire as the favored son?

ROMNEY: I don't think so. Massachusetts is my home, and I'm not looking forward to any particular race, but my residence continues to be in Massachusetts and will be.

Transcript and video when available.

UPDATE: Vid.



Transcript here.

Romney: I disagree with Newt and Rush on Sotomayor

On Fox News Sunday, Mitt Romney claims aspects of Sotomayor's record are "troubling", but flatly disagrees with Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh on allegations that Sotomayor is a racist.

WALLACE: What do you think of Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh calling her a racist?

ROMNEY: I disagree with them. I think this is a process where you have an individual who is intelligent, well-educated, with an extensive record. She deserves a full and fair hearing.... I think, in the final analysis, [the Senate] will make a decision based upon her clarification of some very troubling comments and also her discussion of some cases that are troubling.

It's official: Bob McDonnell GOP nominee for governor

Bob McDonnell accepted the Virginia Republican party's gubernatorial nomination today in a speech that was heavy on jobs, the economy, and energy; and light on the social issues Democrats will try to use against him.

The AP:

There was only scant mention of the Roman Catholic McDonnell's career-long opposition to abortion and his support for gun rights, but both drew wild ovations.

Possible (likely) general election foe, Terry McAuliffe, released a statement after McDonnell's speech, warning Virginians that what you hear isn't what you'll get.

"They've all tried to hide his long divisive ideological record, and portray him as someone who now is a moderate."

Meg Whitman: No federal bailout for California

Meg Whitman and her newest backer, John McCain, enter the Situation Room with John King and take up the issue of California's fiscal mess.

Transcript highlight:

JOHN KING: .... if you were governor, Meg Whitman, do you foresee any circumstances where you might have to come to Washington and say, we're the most populist state, we're essentially the world's 12th largest economy, we need help from Washington in the short-term?

MEG WHITMAN: No. And I think it's exactly the wrong thing for California. We have to put our fiscal house in order. And in many ways, the vote of last week is a forcing function for the legislature, the governor and the people of California to put in place a government we can afford.

And while it's tempting to think about asking the federal government to bail out California, it's the wrong thing, because we can't kick the can down the road to another year, another generation. We've got to solve our problems now.

And, by the way, I think it's a pretty bad precedent, because if California has their hand out, there's, you know, 30 or 40 other states that, while they are not as big as California, they face similar challenges. And I think there's only so much the government can do.

Full transcript here.

Mitch Daniels' Weekly Republican Address

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels gives the GOP's weekly address, and as expected, takes on cap and trade, repeating the charge of imperialism he first levied in a WSJ piece two weeks ago.

Regardless of their ideology, there's one thing Barack Obama, Charlie Crist, Tim Pawlenty, and Mitch Daniels all share -- an underrated skill for any politician: when these guys talk, they all sound reasonable.

Inspiring is exhilarating, and sometimes Obama can be that. Funny is unexpected, and sometimes Crist can be that. Down-to-earth is heart-warming, and Pawlenty can often be that.

But when it comes to driving the unsavory ambition from a politician, it's the impression of non-partisan reasoning that makes these politicians so effective.

"One policy being pushed by the President and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is, I regret to say, a poster child for government that cannot work. The scheme to radically change the sources and cost of American energy through a system known as cap and chance may be well intentioned, but it will cost us dearly in jobs and income, and it stands no choice of achieving its objective of a cooler earth.

.... it's becomes clear that the Pelosi bill has little to do with a cooler plant and every to do with raising money for the out of control federal spending now under way in Washington.

Please excuse us Midwesterners for feeling a bit like the targets of an imperialistic policy devised in places like California, New York, and Massachusetts for their benefit at our expense."

[Hat tip: CNN]

Newt ties Sotomayor comments to Uighers

After the fallout from Newt's allegations of racism toward SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor, he tries winning two stories in one tweet:

I had argued for weeks the uighers were terrorists. The left attacked me just as they recently attacked my concerns about judge sotomayor

Newt wins on Uighers

On Friday night, the Obama Administration bucked the Left's pressure and sided with the Bush Administration in arguing to the Supreme Court that the Chinese military detainee Uighurs have no right to be released in the U.S.

Andy McCarthy:

This is entirely correct, but it will enrage the Left — understandably, given that Attorney General Holder raised expectations that the Uighurs would soon be released in the U.S., prompting an outraged response from Congress (including congressional Democrats in Virginia, the likely site of any Uighur settlement in the U.S.).

The man who put the issue on everyone's lips in a recent op-ed, Newt Gingrich, tweets his satisfaction:

President obama deserves credit for telling the court the uighers should not be released into the united states. This had been bush position

As Gates comes to Alaska, Palin lobbies for Fort Greely

Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, is scheduled to make a stop on Monday at Alaska's Fort Greely, which houses a missile defense site.

In preparation of the visit, Governor Sarah Palin is calling the site indispensable to the nation's secruity, and pushing the Obama administration hard to restore full-funding.

"The United Nations sanctions have failed to stop North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, and the Obama Administration cannot afford to be playing catch-up to an irrational dictator like Kim Jong-Il. Missile Defense Agency funding must be fully restored in the federal budget to guarantee our protective measures remain the best in the world. Fort Greely plays a crucial role in the nation’s security."

(ea) Her comments mirror those of another Senator (South Dakota's John Thune) on a project he deems vital for the nation's security -- the next generation bomber.

"The Next Generation Bomber has the potential to secure Ellsworth's future for years to come. Beyond the local impact, our national security could be weakened by this decision."

Are we talking securing our country or securing bases?

If you notice, both Palin and Thune rather transparently insert the names of their sites/bases as indispensable to the nation's security. It would be a bit more believable if Palin were arguing for the next generation bomber, and Thune the missile defense site.

Otherwise, it strikes those living outside of South Dakota and Alaska as local politicians doing their best imitation of Robert Byrd.

Evening eats

a. Top 10 gubernatorial races most likely to switch party control.

b. Art Levine says Mitt Romney's threats on card check are bs.

c. Charlie Crist boosts Citizen Property Insurance rates by 10%.

d. Mitt Romney's portrait drops June 30th.

e. "Terry's focused on.... jobs; not feeding Ralph's ego".

f. The Sarah Palin Blog is refreshingly open-minded.

g. T-Paw, the procrastinator.

h. Life is good if you're an Obama fundraiser.

i. Roy Blunt has a tax problem.

l. Kay might support the NAFTA superhighway, too.

m. Agreed, and agreed.

n. Vid of Newt and Sanford's talk on healthcare.

o. John Ziegler gets John Zieglered.

p. Conditions are perfect. (lyrics NSFW. Probably).



q. From "I said to love" by Thomas Hardy

"Depart then, Love!
Man's race shall perish, threatenest thou,
WIthout thy kindling coupling-vow?
The age to come the man of now
Know nothing of?

E! has vid of Kris Allen's performance on Huck

No embedding available, so you'll have to take the link. Fairly underwhelming.

UPDATE: And now so do we, thanks to Celebuzz:

Huck demurs on SCOTUS racism allegations

Via a reader, on Sean Hannity last night, Mike Huckabee said he'd rather not take up the Sotomayor racism question.

HANNITY: .... the Latina versus white male comment, do you think that was racist?

HUCKABEE: It's hard for me -- unless she.

HANNITY: You don't want to say it.

HUCKABEE: I don't want to say it because I don't have her full explanation, and I do know as one of those people who've been at the podium way too many times that something can be lifted out of the total context and out of the line.

But -- he says if the nominee were a white male, you've got a withdrawn nomination.

HANNITY: Let me ask the question in a different way.

HUCKABEE: OK.

HANNITY: If it were a white male that said that in reverse, would there be any chance they could be confirmed?

HUCKABEE: No, they're toast. Absolute toast.

HANNITY: Well, explain the double standard to our audience. What does that mean?

HUCKABEE: There is a double standard. It's also that life isn't fair. The media doesn't treat conservatives the same way it treats people on the left, and any time any of us think that we're going to walk into that arena and be treated fairly, it's like playing LSU in football in Baton Rouge.

If you think that's going to be a friendly arena, you haven't been to Baton Rouge in an LSU football game.

The Republican leader who can't lead them

A European diplomat lunched with John Gizzi yesterday, and looked back at the past month in the context of future months.

“It’s incredible. The Republicans seem to have found a leader in Cheney, but he cannot lead them.”

True.

But as for the balance of Gizzi's article (Cheney "will be surely in demand as a speaker in the 2010 election cycle"), that's taking a few good speeches a little seriously.

Hutchison refuses to comment on SCOTUS racism allegations

A bit surprising, considering John Cornyn's remarks and the fact that, ideologically, he's more in tune with the Newt wing of the party.

The Dallas Morning News:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, declined today to say whether she believes past comments by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor are racist.

.... Hutchison, speaking Friday at Dallas Baptist University, said she would not respond to the comments made by Limbaugh and Gingrich.

The science and science fiction behind Newt's EMP warning

Michael Crowley writes an even-handed, easy read on the possibility of an electromagnetic-pulse (EMP) attack on the United States.

As you know, Newt Gingrich has been ringing the alarm on EMP annihilation for some time now (if somewhat sporadically, considering how destructive Gingrich claims it would be. Who cares about Sotomayor when we're under the imminent threat of losing all electronic production in the United States?).

Crowley traces both the science and the science fiction behind the concept. It turns out rogue nations have looked into the possibility, including some pretty heavy national security experts, who've urged defensive action, though they're in the minority.

.... few analysts take the threat very seriously. The odds that Iran or North Korea would prefer a technologically untested Rube Goldberg scheme to merely nuking us seem slim. And any terrorist group able to execute such a plan was probably capable enough to get us one way or another anyhow.

In fact, Crowley sees mischief in the EMP float -- there's book sales to mind, and more seriously, a neo-conservative agenda to further.

In the end, he strikes just about the right note:

More broadly, archconservatives like Gingrich and Dick Cheney have gotten used to invoking low-probability worst-case scenarios to justify their views on everything from preemptive military action to torture.

[Hat tip: The Vine]

An unusal way of pressuring T-Paw on Franken

The Minnesota Post on a metaphoric push from Franken supporters that's probably four metaphors too many (ea).

Today at 2 p.m. at the Capitol, a man dressed as an ear of corn will deliver a basket of Iowa corn to the governor's office.

The slightly contorted message: The governor should put the interest of Minnesotans (who want a second U.S. senator ASAP) over his own national ambitions, which some believe will involve running for president in 2012. The first step in the presidential campaign involves the Iowa caucuses -- thus the corn.

Kris Allen will sing "Yesterday" on Huckabee

Details trickle in, as CBS News reports Kris Allen will sing "Yesterday" on Mike Huckabee's show this weekend.

Palin to guest on Colbert Report

You think the Super Bowl gets big ratings?

Sarah Palin tweets the tweet heard 'round the nest 20 minutes ago, confirming that she'll appear on Stephen Colbert's show in a pre-taped segment next month.

Getting ready to tape shout-out for our awesome US troops serving overseas! Will be on ‘Colbert Report’ next month, broadcast from Iraq…

Is there a possibility the segment gets leaked?

And oh, did you notice she's taping it from Iraq. National show + Huge Ratings + Iraq = (fill in the blank). User Celtic Diva notes Colbert's the one in Iraq.

We'll see how it turns out, but this has the chance for self-deprecation that can win folks over.

In Arthur Krystal's recent review of William Hazlitt, he describes the famous critic and essayist thusly:

Hazlitt's breezey, self-confident style gives the impression of a man secure enough to admit his own failings. Even when he regards himself in a quizzical light.... we chalk it up to literary brio. We don't for a moment believe that he's inept, or unattractive, or capable of behaving like a lunatic.

The power of making a joke about seeing Alaska is a thought...

[Hat tip: Michael O'Brien]

Crist pushes for Everglades protection

Yesterday, Charlie Crist took an airboat ride with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar through what WFTV describes "the huge swamp" of the Everglades.

Crist is pushing for more federal funding to protect the huge swamp where Burmese Pythons roam, and President Obama's already pledged more than $200 million in preservation funds.

Moral of the Story: Pandering to the conservative wing isn't on Charlie Crist's mind.

Luntz: "Sanford's the most articulate Republican out there"

On Fox this morning, Frank Luntz uses those knob things to gauge reaction to Mark Sanford's stimulus ad from last month. It seems a little late, but this was, indeed, discussed this morning.

Verdict: Sanford's ad is a hit.

Says Luntz:

"Governor Sanford is the most articulate Republican out there right now, and the other Republicans ought to pay attention, or if they don't, they're numbers will continue to languish."

Afternoon eats

a. How does Michele Bachmann for governor sound?

b. Kyl's thinking September vote for Sotomayor.

c. Pelosi's thinking late June vote on climate bill?

d. John McCormack's headline betrays something.

e. An evolution critic is rejected as chair of the Texas' state board of education.

f. No one likes Newt's racism charge.

g. Without a doubt, one of the best rock songs of the last five years.



h. From "Burnt Ships" by Henrik Ibsen

TO skies that were brighter
Turned he his prows;
To gods that were lighter
Made he his vows.

Huntsman's 2016 chances

Over at Howard Megdal's* eclectic new site, The Perpetual Post, Chris Pummer and I take up the question of Jon Huntsman's 2016 chances (click here).

*Megdal's baseball analysis for The New York Observer is always great, and at Perpetual Post, he's currently debating David Wright vs. Ryan Zimmerman.

No concealed weapons on Louisiana campuses

A Republican-crafted and Bobby Jindal-supported bill that would have let students with concealed weapon permits carry those guns on university campuses has been defeated in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Probably a good thing for Jindal's national ambitions. Even one school shooting could have sunk him.

Free Sarah Palin poster!

No, she's not imprisoned.

Young America's Foundation is offering you the unbeatable price of $0.00 for the Sarah Palin poster pictured.

[Hat tip: Right Wing News]

Cornyn reaches out to Red State on Crist endorsement

In a guest post at Red State, NRSC head John Cornyn uses 880 words to defend his committee's decision to endorse Charlie Crist in Florida's Senate race.

"There is no doubt both of these candidates have a bright future in the Republican Party. But with his record of leadership and astronomical approval ratings, including strong numbers among Republicans, Democrats and Independents, Charlie Crist represents the best chance for Republicans to hold this seat in Florida.... The NRSC’s endorsement is not a reflection on Marco Rubio; it is a realistic assessment of both the 2010 Florida Senate race and the national map."

[Hat tip: Josh Kraushaar]

Romney: I can't imagine Mark Warner supporting Card Check

Yesterday, Mitt Romney added to the growing list of apocalyptic adjectives he's used to describe The Employee Free Choice Act (Card Check), and ventured into the political stakes surrounding it by noting that Virginia's popular Senator, Mark Warner, would be unlikely to support it.

Romney:

"[Card Check would be] catastrophic for the economy. The impact long term is people start less businesses here. It's not great for the people who start businesses today, but it's even worse for the employees of tomorrow.... If you want to start a high tech business, there's no requirement you have to start it in America."

Mitt also said "it's hard for me to conceive of Sen. [Mark] Warner voting for the bill".

Warner's stated position on card check has always been nuanced to the point of non-existence, but in April he indicated he would vote for cloture on EFCA, which opponents of card check strenuously opposed.

Brian Worth of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, on April 9:

"American workers won't be duped by efforts to hide behind arcane Senate procedure and double-speak by politicians. Senator Warner's support for cloture is no different than voting for final passage of card check.It's unfortunate that Senator Warner has chosen to stand with Big Labor instead of the workers,small businesses and job creators in Virginia. We urge him to re-consider his position."

But soon after, Warner appeared to hedge.

The Plum Line:

Warner has been under relentless pressure from the anti-EFCA forces, who want the filibuster to block the bill at all costs. And I checked in with Warner’s spokesperson, Kevin Hall, to ask if the letter meant he would unequivocally vote for cloture. Hall emailed:

No one knows what the bill may look like when it gets to the floor, so the cloture question is premature.

That means that Warner is not committing to a vote to bring the measure to the floor, and wants to see what the bill looks like first.

Since April 14, here's a sampling of Romney comments about card check. (Sourced here, here, here, and here).

a. "it's about as un-American a thing as I can imagine"

b. "a cloud over the creation of business"

c. "targeted and intimidated"

d. "dramatically change the workplace"

e. "help destroy many thousands of jobs throughout the economy"

f. "selling out the American worker"

g. "devastate business formation and employment"

h. "In my view, it would be the single most devastating thing we've done to our economy"

i. "I think you’d find that the economy would be impacted by this more than anything we’ve done negatively in the past 25 years. I consider this as an attack on American entrepreneurialism, on the American workplace and on the American worker."

Conclusion: If Romney flips on card check in 2012, he's doomed.

Rick Perry opposes expanding CHIPS

It's always politically risky to oppose expanding health care or anything having to do with kids.

Add the two together, and it's like playing Russian Roulette while skydiving over a skeet shoot.

But Texas Gov. Rick Perry's telling legislators he'll likely veto a plan that would expand the Children's Health Insurance Program by +80k kids.

Wherever CHIPS goes, the pros and cons are usually the same, and in a second, we'll talk about the Texas Legislature's plan.

But for a more complete conservative vs. liberal perspective, let's go back to January 14 when Eric Cantor and other Republicans penned a letter (pdf) supporting reauthorizing CHIPS, but only under specific guidelines.

a) SCHI should cover low income children, first and foremost.

b) Illegal aliens and other non-citizens should not benefit from SCHI.

c) SCHI should not replace private health insurance.

d) SCHI should remain free from "budget gimmicks" such as extraneous provisions.

Think Progress' Wonk Room, meanwhile, provided a moral and economic argument to support CHIPS, as devised by House Democrats.

But the argument for including tax-paying non-citizens in the SCHIP program is as much economic as it is moral. Forcing immigrant children to go five years without seeing a medical professional only increases SCHIP’s costs once the now sicker children become eligible for insurance.

Of course, we're comparing a Texas state plan to a House of Representatives plan, but it's not really apples and oranges. It's more like oranges and tangerines, as the same theoretical arguments are bandied about on both sides.

The supporters and opponents of the Texas plan:

Supporters of the expansion -- including child advocates, business groups and doctors -- say families who don't qualify and can't get coverage elsewhere are forced to get divorced or quit their jobs to get CHIP coverage for their children.

Opponents say the current level of coverage ensures that only those who truly need coverage get it. They believe families would drop private plans for the government one.

Focus on the Family director says Obama "really listening" on adoption issues

Here's a nice moment for your Friday morning.

Kelly Rosati (Senior Director of Focus on the Family's Sanctity of Human Life Department) was invited by the White House to chat with other adoption leaders about foster kids needs, and emerged from the meeting buoyed.

“The Obama administration is really listening, and wanted to know from those on the front lines what could be better done to serve the kids in America’s foster care system."

[Hat tip: Christianity Today]

Palin urges pragmatism on Cap and Trade

Conservatives4Palin catches radio show host Michael Dukes asking Sarah Palin whether cap-and-trade should be fought.

The Governor says opponents might as well concede that it's going to pass:

"Yeah, and I'm not a defeatist. I'm not saying that Alaska's little voice will not be heard in the debate, but I am saying we have to be pragmatic.

We have to be realistic about it, and if this is what is coming from this new administration especially, we have got to be ready for that and we have to do our part to remedy the problems that I believe Cap and Trade are going to cause."

The exchange comes about 4:38 in.

Pawlenty headlines Arkansas fundraiser

From The Political Animal...

What: Annual Governor's Dinner

Where: Embassy Suites, Little Rock, Arkansas

Who: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty

When: June 26, 2009

Key Fact: Some past speakers -- Mitt Romney and Mark Sanford.

[Hat tip: Kyle Trygstad and Mike Memoli]

Huckabee endorses Grassley

It's not as earth-shattering as Marco Rubio, but Mike Huckabee and his PAC throw their weight behind Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley's reelection bid, while acknowledging the two don't always see eye-to-eye.

I am pleased to endorse my good friend, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley for re-election to the United States Senate. Chuck Grassley has earned our support. He is a common sense conservative who works hard to promote our values of low taxes and limited government in Washington.

.... If you asked Senator Grassley, I am sure he would be the first to say that we don't always agree on every issue, we do however share the same traditional values and we both love Iowa very much. He is an effective advocate for family values-being 100% pro-life and pro-marriage.

The not always agreeing might be referring to Grassley's silence on same-sex marriage issues.

The Iowa Independent:

Conservatives in Iowa would be “incensed” if they were paying more attention to how far to the left U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley has drifted, a leading voice in the state’s social conservative movement told Radio Iowa’s O.Kay Henderson.... [Bill] Salier said Grassley’s tepid response to the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Iowa’s ban on same-sex marriage could be the tipping point for social conservatives.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Grassley declined to comment on whether he believes the Legislature should pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Salier also noted that it wasn't wholly unlikely that Grassley could face a primary battle, although the Senator has a 66% approval rating.

[Hat tip: A reader]

Me, too: Cantor endorses Meg Whitman

Is Meg Whitman the Charlie Crist of California?

The names are lining up early. Mitt, McCain, and now Eric Cantor.



[Hat tip: Glenn Thrush]

T-Paw scores high with pro-lifers

With the legislative session in the books, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) gives Tim Pawlenty kudos for....

a) signing a bill that prohibits funding for human cloning.

and...

b) refusing to cut money from a fund that gives $ to faith-based groups advocating adoption instead of abortion.

For more on the story, click here.

Identity Politics: No one's abstinent

The Chicago Tribune's Steve Chapman keeps both the Left and Right on the hook, by ridiculing the notion that Sotomayor's ethnicity somehow confers value-added insight (he rightly notes that both white male and Latina perspectives add their separate but equal perspectives).

Within that context, he compares the Left's identity politics on Sotomayor with the Right's on (covering head) Sarah Palin.

And he's exactly right. That doesn't mean Sarah Palin's not qualified, it means many of her supporters have qualified her based purely on identity.

Chapman:

The most recent and regrettable example is Sarah Palin, lustily cheered by Republican audiences last year not because she had the credentials and ability to step into the presidency, but because she was the Right Kind of Person.

.... Rep. Robin Hayes (R- N.C.) said Palin was controversial because "liberals hate real Americans that work and accomplish and achieve and believe in God." Palin herself celebrated her brethren from small towns, which she called "all of you hard-working, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation."

I was traveling in Pennsylvania when I heard Glenn Beck spend the better part of an hour talking about Palin's quickie-stop at Walmart to pick up diapers.

This proved she was qualified to be President. The fact she can do what most people do -- buy their toilet paper as cheaply as possible so we can save money for other, non-toilet paper things -- meant her heartbeat was qualified.

So yes, the Left is playing identity politics on Sotomayor to perfection, but some on the Right continue to do so with Palin, which is a terrible disservice to her.

After all, she didn't put out a press release about buying toilet paper. Why did/does Glenn Beck?

CYA: Sanford's lead counsel working pro bono

Smart move by SC Gov. Mark Sanford, as the multiple lawsuits wiggle around.

Deflecting a potentially debilitating public relations assault, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is making it known that his lead counsel in multiple “stimulus” funding lawsuits is working the controversial cases for free.... The governor is represented in each case by John Foster, of the Atlanta-based international law firm of Kilpatrick Stockton.

Foster is personally working the case “pro bono,” although his firm will likely bill the state for incidental costs at a “substantially reduced rate,” Sanford’s office says.

"One fraudulent moderate trying to help another one"

But if someone's a fraudulent moderate, doesn't that technically mean he's conservative?

The words of the title post belong to New Jersey gubernatorial candidate, Steve Lonegan, who's sore that Mitt Romney endorsed his rival, Chris Cristie.

The statement, from Mike Memoli at RCP:

"Mitt Romney was rejected by Republican Primary voters because he was a moderate trying to pass himself off as a conservative just in time to win an election. Chris Christie has done the exact same thing in this race, so it follows that Romney would back him. This is a case of one fraudulent moderate trying to help another one. Republican voters will see through Chris Christie the same way they did Mitt Romney last February."

UPDATE: NJ.Com has an account of Romney and Christie's campaign event today.

Huck:"I'm not sure God can pay this debt off"

Mike Huckabee just finished chatting with Neil Cavuto, and for as quippy as this might sound, this actually could be a 2012 Huck platform in four sentences.

On Obama's metaphoric seven days of creation:

"God did a lot better with what he made. Let's give God credit. He never ran up a debt like this. I'm not sure God can pay this debt off."

Religion + Economy.

Also, Huck continues his effort at repairing a lingering rift with the fiscal wing by lining up with host Cavuto.

"Part of the problem is that Republicans set this whole thing up with the TARP plan that you and I screamed about last fall. Unfortunately, we [Cavuto and Huck] were voices in the wilderness."

A serious challenger to Palin?

Former Minority Party Leader of Alaska House of Representatives, Ethan Berkowitz, is thinking about running for governor against Sarah Palin in 2010, claiming his "sights are now on the governor's race".

CQ Politics notes Ethan Berkowitz isn't necessarily your father's Ethan Berkowitz.

In 2008, Republican [U.S. Rep Don] Young defeated Berkowitz by a 5 percentage-point margin -- a difference of 16,379 votes -- after easily topping his 2006 Democratic opponent by nearly 17 points and nearly 40,000 votes, and winning a landslide victory as recently as 2004 by nearly 50 points and 150,000 votes.

Margin aside, the fact is he still lost, and Alaska's red, and Palin's popular.

[Hat tip: Political Base]

McCain visits Orange County, Fresno for Whitman

After John McCain endorses Meg Whitman in Orange County, CA on Friday, he's scheduled to appear at a town hall for her in Fresno.

From the OC to Fresno.

That's Conan O'Brien to Jimmy Fallon. Ozzy Osbourne to Dio. High School Musical to High School Musical 2.

New hit ad against McDonnell goes up in VA

Left PAC, Common Sense Virginia, is running a response to Bob McDonnell's "Jobs" ad, which debuted on VA television, May 11.

Hotline on Call says the buy is six-figures. Here's a question. Doesn't the lady giving the disclaimer at the end have a northeastern accent? Will that play well in Roanoke (one of the spots the ad's airing)?



And here's the McDonnell ad in question.

Afternoon Eats

a. Huffington Post's Freudian slip: "Abu Jindal".

b. Liberty University Dems might get their club back (terms, conditions, and fine print apply).

c. Another NRO blogger expresses Sympathy for The Rubio.

d. Tucker Carlson's not a parasite.

e. VA Republicans huddle to pick first in dodge-ball.

f. Charlie Crist vetoes a pay cut for state workers.

g. Yes, they do, Otto. They just don't understand it.



h. From "Civilization" by Jennifer Reeser

Speak of anything we possess in common:
ground or law or sense. Only speak it softly.

Hatch disagrees with Newt on Sotomayor

For the Situation Room record, Orrin Hatch doesn't think Sonia Sotomayor's racist.



[Hat tip: The Daily Censored and Think Progress]

The growing smallness of Palin ethics complaints

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the Alaska Personnel Board has had enough, and is trying to get the go-ahead to make public just how much these ethics complaints are costing.

Board member, Al Tamagni:

"We've spent pretty close to about a third of a million dollars, and it's getting to be really expensive."

Of course there are those, such as serial complaint filer Andree McLeod, who say this is keeping the blindfold on lady justice.

"The whole way to mitigate all this is for Palin to behave ethically."

Or maybe the whole way to stop this is to clip the communication lines binding Alaska to the Lower 48.

More details on new Palin porn flick

Now with David Hasselhoff and Samantha Ronson look-alikes!

And have you heard of a reality show called America's Next Top Governor?

Via a reader (of course), ThaIndian News reports on the sequel to Hustler's ever-popular "Who's Nailin' Paylin'?"

In the X-rated movie, Palin look-alike Lisa Ann will attempt to break into Tinseltown after losing her bid to become America’s Vice-President.

Thus, she auditions for a role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and plans a brand new talk show and reality show, called ‘America’s Next Top Governor’.

In the process, she meets the fake Hasselhoff, Ronson and magician Criss Angel (Alan Stafford).

On a (slightly) more serious note, The Fairfield Weekly puts the Palin porn phenomenon in broader context [hat tip: Slate].

T-Paw: I'll let you know about reelection soon

Talking with Minnesota Public Radio today, Tim Pawlenty assures us we won't have to wait too much longer to know whether he'll seek a third term as governor of the former LA Lakers state.

"Anytime you're somewhat conservative in Minnesota and you run for election or re-election, it's always an uphill battle.... I'm going to be making that decision sometime this summer and announcing it sometime this summer. Everybody will know shortly."

Crist eases up on mischievous kids

If you're a kid who likes bringing plastic butter knives to school, and are wondering who to vote for in the upcoming primary, Charlie Crist's your man.

The Florida Gov. signs a bill that makes getting up early a bit more tolerable.

Children will no longer be arrested for insignificant violations such as petty theft, bringing plastic butter knives to school, drawing pictures of guns, throwing erasers or vandalizing property.

The bill's sponsor, Jacksonville Republican Sen. Stephen Wise, has said it will save money and prevent kids from unfairly having criminal records.

Romney's foreign policy proliferation

In conjunction with Mitt Romney's speech to the Heritage Foundation today, Politico's Ben Smith and The Hill's Jeremy Jacobs note Mitt Romney's steady effort to boost his foreign policy cred, so he's not just the economy guy.

Smith:

Romney, in particular, is continuing to do what you do if you're running for president: avoid cable overexposure and build an intellectual and policy infrastructure to lean on later.

Jacobs:

We've been keeping a close eye on Romney because he can pick and choose when he wants to step into the national dialogue. And Romney has spoken up on several issues recently. Last month, he chimed in on North Korea and criticized President Obama on foreign policy. More recently, he slammed Obama for his national security speech and called Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court "troubling."

And last week, I mentioned what could be a new spin: positioning the 2002 Winter Olympics as a national security test (and not just an economic salvage).

Romney on the Hugh Hewitt Show:

HH: Governor Romney, at the time of 9/11, you were preparing to stage the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah. And today, the Vice President made reference to the time in which enhanced interrogation techniques were used, the fear, the immediate fear of additional attacks coming in. What was that level of concern for people who have forgotten it from your perspective?

MR: Well, I certainly recall that we were very, very concerned that our Olympic games would be a potential site of attack, and we wondered whether there would be other attacks prior or subsequent to that event. I was in Washington at the time of the attacks. I spoke the next morning with Senator Hatch as we were thinking about preparations, and we talked together about how likely it was that another attack would be imminent.

Right Wing News power ranks top 2012 contenders

John Hawkins ventures into the role of king-maker (or queen-maker).

To read his strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, click here.

Right Wing News list:

1. Sarah Palin

2. Mitt Romney

3. Mark Sanford

4. Mike Huckabee

5. Tim Pawlenty

6. Newt Gingrich

7. Jeb Bush

8. Ron Paul

Notes: All good analysis, except Hawkins says Sarah Palin "will have the most compelling background of anyone running".

If compelling background means Internet clicks, absolutely.

But by any standard, T-Paw, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich all have equally (if not more) compelling backgrounds.

That being said, he's dead-on right about Palin hitting it out of the new (and way too hitter-friendly) Yankee stadium w/fundraising and volunteers.

Mark Sanford generally fares better in these online lists than he would electorally. Whether that's a bit of projection, who knows, but there just doesn't seem to be a lot of space for him unless Ron Paul throws his wiry weight to him. That could get the volunteer and fundraising thing out of the way.

Divining Ensign (and Hutchison) through Sotomayor

Chris Cillizza says Nevada Sen. John Ensign has a risky balancing act.

Will he put all his chips on the table, or will he call it a night?

Ensign has publicly acknowledged an interest in running for president, which will be formalized by his trip to Iowa next week. That interest would suggest Ensign might be one of the leading voices in opposition to Sotomayor.

But, Ensign also represents a state where one in every five residents is Hispanic, a number sure to increase by the time the Nevada Republican is set to stand for reelection in 2012.

How Ensign positions himself on Sotomayor then will tell us much about how he sees his political future. Does he hold back on criticizing her in order to preserve his chances at another Senate term? Or does he go all-out in opposition to Sotomayor to raise his national profile and prove his conservative chops to Republican activists who have an outsized say in the identity of the next presidential nominee?

Another Senator to watch, says Manu Raju, is Kay Bailey Hutchison, who's got a similarly significant Hispanic population and primary to attend to.

Burnt Orange Report is watching Kay with baited-breath, and shows some fair-mindedness.

Hutchison, you may recall, voted against Sotomayor when she was nominated to the 2nd Circuit in 1998. She was one of 29 Senators, all Republican, to oppose the nomination. So it would not be shocking for her to vote against her now.

Wow. That opens the door to non-demagoguery on interpreting Kay's vote. Must jump to make sure gravity's still working.

Morning Twitter Aggregate Follow

a. Huck's taping show w/Kris Allen today, and yes, there will be music.

b. Marco Rubio's on Sean Hanity's radio show today.

c. Huck's making HuckPAC endorsement today. Who could it be?!

d. Meghan McCain goes over 40k followers.

e. Rick Perry doesn't like Sotomayor on property rights.

Denying Rush like denying Christ?

Red State's Erick Erickson throws down the conservative gauntlet in a post that's both fascinating and -- if you could go there -- almost camp.

After describing the "incidents of late with Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, and Mark Levin", the blogger goes for the metaphorical kill.

Peter denied Christ three times. Our goal should be to not deny Christ and also to not deny the valuable members of our own movement. Embracing them does not mean we embrace every word and every deed. But it should likewise mean we don’t race to the nearest microphone to condemn our own when they do something indiscrete.

Way over the top.

Isn't using Christ as an example for conservative reaction to Cheney et al almost a form of denying Christ himself by elevating the sons of ordinary men to the pedestal reserved for the Son of Man?

His overall point is taken, but it's not clear why he has to resort to impugning opponents of Rush et al with some kind of form of Christ-denying.

Huck plays benefit concert this Sunday

From the Baxter Bulletin:

What: Benefit concert

Where: Bull Shoals Theater of the Arts, Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Who: Mike Huckabee and his band, Capitol Offense

When: This Sunday, 3 PM

Why: former chair of the theatre group, Ken Starkey, recently suffered a heart attack and is undergoing treatment for congestive heart failure. The money raised will help defray his medical expenses.

Also: If you ever wanted to see Huck in a Hawaiian shirt, click here.

Mitch Daniels will give weekly GOP address

This morning, John Boehner announced that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is giving the Republican weekly address, providing another boost to the darkhorse's national profile.

And from the looks of Boehner's statement, it seems Daniels will be following up on his much-discussed WSJ op-ed, in which he condemned the "imperialism" of cap-and-trade.

Boehner's statement:

“Gov. Daniels has emerged as one of our nation’s leading voices for reform and common sense in government. I’m very pleased he’ll be delivering the national GOP address as Congress prepares to vote on misguided legislation that imposes a new national tax on energy.The American people know there’s a better way to get to clean, affordable energy, and in Congress and in state capitals across the nation, reformers like Governor Daniels are advocating these better solutions."

McCain endorses Whitman

It turns out Mitt Romney and John McCain agree on something besides having too many houses.

A spokeswoman for Meg Whitman confirms that John McCain will endorse the former EBay head at an event in Orange County, CA on Friday.

GOP analyst, Allan Hoffenblum, puts Mitt Romney + John McCain + Pete Wilson* together and notes:

".... she's got a lock on those who are most well known in the Republican establishment."

*still not so sure it's such a great move to have the man who turned California prematurely blue (by about 12 years) as your campaign chair.

Lest you say Rick Perry has no heart...

This is something everyone can cheer.

Rick Perry signed a bill today, giving the wrongly convicted a lump sum boost of $30k for every year they languish in prison (from $50k to 80k).

And this is something everyone can mourn (ea).

The law is named the Tim Cole Act. Cole is a Fort Worth man who died while serving prison serving time for a 1985 sex assault in Lubbock that DNA testing later showed he did not commit.

The alleged victim, Michele Mallin, recently apologized to the Cole family for mis-identifying him in a photo lineup.

(Another) Palin ethics complaint bites the dust

When the AP implicitly sympathizes with Palin, you know the ethics complaints have gotten pretty out of hand.

The latest: accusing Palin of using state staff to announce her Vice-Presidential bid.

Even Javert's going WTF?

The AP (ea):

Another ethics complaint filed against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been dismissed.

The State Personnel Board on Wednesday dismissed the argument that Palin violated the Executive Branch Ethics Act in furthering her national political aspirations.

Club for Growth says Crist "flat-out" breaks his word

Club for Growth gets punchy with Charlie Crist after the Florida Gov. signed a state budget that included new taxes and fees.

Times are tough in Florida, but not for Governor Charlie Crist. Rather than clamping down on government spending, he broke his no-new-taxes pledge today by balancing the state's budget with over $2 billion in new taxes and fees ("Crist signs budget," Miami Herald, 5/27/09).

"It’s one thing to change your position, and quite another to flat-out break your word," said Club President Chris Chocola. "Charlie Crist sent a strong message to Floridians today that he's just another politician."

I mentioned this earlier, but the Club for Growth's painting a very gray budget situation in black and white sharper than a Raymond Chandler movie.

The Republican Legislature tied the tax and fee hikes to essential funding, effectively tying Crist's hand. Whether Rubio's takes political advantage of the situation will go a long way toward determining whether he's, indeed, the politics as un-usual candidate.

Arnold jokes about Limbaugh's weight

Also, Schwarzenegger talks about a "large tent", ignoring the conventional "big tent". Is this a lost in translation kind of thing?


[Hat tip: AllahPundit]

Babour mulls run for President

Today, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said he's considered running for President but won't be considering it until 2010 (if you get the distinction).

"I'm not going to think about it anymore until after 2010. Anybody whose even thinking about this before the end of 2010, there's no need to think about it."

Going back to this January WSJ piece, Barbour scoffed at the notion a former DC lobbyist like himself could win.

"Hail no," he retorts in his trademark southern drawl. He self-deprecatingly informs me that "the American people aren't likely to ever elect a former Washington lobbyist as president."

[Hat tip: Chris Good]

Evening eats

a. Rick Perry's out to pilfer from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

b. If you're conservative, watch this show tonight. [Hat tip: Post Politics]

c. Marc Caputo says Charlie Crist's taking poetic license on taxes.

e. Meghan McCain's still pro-sex.

d. Newt, circa 1994, and police states.

e. The fractured, frothing, frowning Republican party.

f. Kathryn Lopez wants Rubio.

g. Rick Perry welcomes 2 new universities to the A&M system.

h. Kit Bond's got some 'splainin' to do.

i. Tom Jensen estimates turnout in Virginia will be about 290K.

j. Boom boom, pow, pow, boom, pow, pow, boom, pow, boom, boom. The Black Eyed Peas' musical legacy.



k. From "The Strange Music" by G.K. Chesterton

Other loves may sink and settle, other loves may loose and slack,
But I wander like a minstrel with a harp upon his back,
Though the harp be on my bosom, though I finger and I fret,
Still, my hope is all before me: for I cannot play it yet.

l. Sports stuff. Though I root for the Lakers, I cannot defend them. And I don't think Gerry Spence could, either.

If only North Korea were more like a Pixar film

Speaking on Arizona radio station KTAR, Senator Jon Kyl says we've run out of ways to properly interpret North Korea's behavior.

The whole thing is a bit like watching one of those movies that moves from dream sequence to flashback to dream sequence to reality to plot going backwards, plot going forward.

You're engaged until you realize the director and five screenwriters are throwing narrative darts. Generally, Pixar stays away from this.

Sen. Kyl:

"The North Koreans only have so many ways of getting your attention. It used to be to kind of stomp and walk out of negotiations. Then, they got nuclear weapons, so they'd light off a nuclear weapon and that would get everybody all excited, then they'd shoot off a rocket.

They've done all those things now, and nobody appears to be giving them the attention they want. So there's not much left they can do that causes concern except to say, `Okay, the armistice is over with' and hint that they're going to engage in some kind of military activity. Who knows how serious they are? There's no provocation, there's no reason for them to be doing this."

Portman urges GOP to look beyond terrorism and foreign policy

Erin McPike reports on Ohio Republican Senate candidate Rob Portman, and his early efforts to establish himself as front-runner in the 2010 Senate race.

As befitting an Ohio race, Portman is turning to the economy, but in something of a counter-intuitive move, he's minimizing foreign policy issues.

That makes sense for someone like Bob McDonnell in Virginia, but McDonnell's running for governor, and Portman's doing the Senate thing, where foreign policy's a factor.

He [Portman] said the GOP has made a mistake by focusing too much on terrorism and foreign policy, which, while important, are "not top in mind to Ohioans."

As for next year, "I think the top issue will be jobs, and I think the next five issues will be jobs, either directly or indirectly," he said.

Portman was an early darkhorse for Vice President in 2008, but his ties to the Bush administration effectively scuttled the prospect.

A career in the Senate could rejuvenate his national prospects.

Did Crist really break his tax pledge?

Charlie Crist signed Florida's new budget into law today, and the Miami Herald is calling it a direct violation of the gov's recent no new tax pledge to Grover Norquist's anti-tax organization.

The Miami Herald:

By keeping the taxes intact, Crist directly violated a no-new-taxes pledge geared toward governors that was written by the conservative Washington group Americans for Tax Reform. Earlier this month, Crist signed a similar no-new-taxes pledge for federal candidates now that the Republican is running for the U.S. Senate.

Neither Americans for Tax Reform nor Club for Growth has responded to Crist's budget ink, but they might be inclined to give the governor the benefit of the doubt, considering...

1. Republicans control the Florida Legislature.

2. Republicans tied the fee and tax increases to funding programs for Medicaid and education that Crist could hardly have cut.

Considering practical constraints, that matters.

But without constituents or difficult legislation to grapple with, Marco Rubio's aimed at turning this into a theoretical campaign. And in a tea party year, plenty are ready for the ride.

McDonnell releases card check video

In what figures to be an enduring theme, Bob McDonnell's new video features clips of Hustler, Moran, and Deeds' elusive answers on card check.

Also, related, the Washington Post reports McDonnell's hired a press secretary (a morning TV anchor), as well as a new press assistant (Taylor Thornley).

T-Paw shares WSJ story on himself

Last week, the Wall Street Journal's Kimberley Strassel did a bang-up job chronicling Tim Pawlenty's Stonewall Jacksony stand against the Democratically-controlled Minnesota Legislature on budget issues.

And now his political director, Trisha Hamm, is sharing through the Pawlenty for Governor Committee.

Dear Friends:

I wanted to share an article in last week's Wall Street Journal about Governor Pawlenty's efforts to hold the line on spending in Minnesota.

Please click here to read the article.

Across Minnesota and the nation, citizens have said what politicians should already know--you don't raise taxes during the worst recession in sixty years. When revenues go down, so should spending.

Governor Pawlenty has taken these basic principles to heart and is currently working to reduce the size of government and move Minnesota down the path of economic recovery and job creation.

I hope you'll take a minute to read the Wall Street Journal article.

Also, please take a minute to visit the new TimPawlenty.com and sign up with your most recent information to receive updates and follow Governor Pawlenty on Twitter and Facebook.

Sincerely,

Trisha Hamm

Political Director

Help me, help you: Romney and Christie

Wally Edge says Mitt's endorsement of Christopher Cristie in New Jersey's gubernatorial primary is a win-win.

Mitt Romney's decision to pick a horse in the New Jersey Republican gubernatorial primary likely accomplishes two things: it boosts former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie's standing among conservatives, and it strengthens Romney's chances of picking up organizational and fundraising support in New Jersey if he seeks the 2012 GOP nomination for President.

Newt breaks silence on Sotomayor

Where was he yesterday? Finishing up with the unrated stuff on his Reagan DVD?

A double-tweet matinee:

White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw.

...Max Steiner intermission...

Second act.

Imagine a judicial nominee said "my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman" new racism is no better than old racism

UPDATE: He's in Poland, filming this.

Just 200 turn out for protest against Jindal

Rewind to May 14 when Equity Blog promised thousands of Louisianians would show up (no, actually "descend"!) at a Concerned Citizens Coalition march to protest Bobby Jindal's decision to reject a portion of unemployment benefits from the stimulus package.

Thousands of Louisianans are expected to descend on the state capitol May 27 to say “enough is enough” to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s decision to reject $100 million in unemployment benefits from the stimulus package.

Yesterday, things didn't quite turn out as promised:

Security officials estimated about 200 people took place in the protest.

Romney endorses Christie

Going out on a limb there.

UPDATE: More info here.

Afternoon eats

a. Does Palin have a ghost tweeter?

a. Indiana basks in the glow of Mitch Daniels.

b. You've heard of Aaron Schock, but have you heard of Tom Perriello?

c. Crist planning to win one for guns.

d. Judge Roy Moore wants you to ignore Jon Huntsman and Meghan McCain.

e. Paul Ryan and Mitch Daniels will put their heads together for conservatism.

f. One for each chocolaty cookie.



g. From "Jealousy" by Rupert Brooke.

When I see you, who were so wise and cool,
Gazing with silly sickness on that fool
You've given your love to, your adoring hands
Touch his so intimately that each understands

In Utah, Romney's the BMOC

The Deseret News on Utah politicians pining for even a hint of a glimmer of a Mitt Romney endorsement.

Take the case of GOP chair candidate, Dave Hansen.

"I don't have a letter of endorsement. But (Romney) was sure willing to have his picture taken with me."

Or the case of another Republican candidate for chair.

Former Salt Lake County Council member Steve Harmsen.... doesn't have a picture of himself with Romney on his Web site. But in listing his qualifications, Harmsen does mention that he was a "campaign coordinator" for Mitt's father, the late George Romney, way back in 1968 when the elder Romney ran for president. So at least Harmsen gets a "Romney" name in his campaign material.

And for as popular as Jon Huntsman was/is, remember that poll last month, showing Romney would beat the current gov in Utah 55-32%?