Evening eats

a. David Bernstein updates his 2012 power rankings. Pence seems unnaturally high (and not in that way).

b. Franken's got committee assignments lined up.

c. John Stossel likes DeMint's health care plan.

d. Mark Sanford betrayed at least two wings of the party.

e. A new celebrity Birther.

f. Mike Huckabee tackles the national debt.

e. The Washington Times reviews Jim DeMint's book.

g. A pro-Palin site clashes with a state legislator, eliciting charges of corruption on one side and anti-Semitism on another.

h. Jindal and Louisiana experiment with a "career diploma".

i. Blindly snap the broken beats.

The latest on Sanford

Peter Hamby says grassroots leaders in SC are agog at Sanford's newest revelations (btw, you know a story's bad when you have to parse "new", "newer", and "newest" revelations).

DeMint promises more big names for Rubio

SC Sen Jim DeMint says Marco Rubio's about to get a shot of political HGH for his insurgent bid against Charlie Crist.

Michael O'Brien:

The conservative South Carolinian said he had lunch today with two "major contributors" to the national Republican party, who were preparing to back Rubio.

DeMint also promised some dominoes.

"You're going to see more and more of my colleagues jump on the Rubio bandwagon."

"We're rolling out the welcome mat to the world"

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman releases a statement celebrating the Bacchanalian festivities everyone in both the US and Utah are finally invited to.

Wednesday marks the official end to Utah's "private club" laws surrounding bars. The private club system forces non-members to fill out an application and pay a fee before buying a drink.

Naturally, the arrangement is bad for both business and personal tourism.

Scott Beck, CEO of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Center:

"This is going to be quite the legacy for him."

Candace considers Mitt vs. Newt

Newt's half-sister, Candace, says her brother hasn't sealed the deal.

ABC 4 News: "Who would you vote for between Romney and Gingrich?"

Candace Gingrich: “I've never voted for a Republican for president in my life."

Runner's World interviews Palin

She's an Asics woman.

Also, she's into AC/DC, Amy Grant, Hoosiers, and Chariots of Fire.

If you're an angel-in-the-details kind of Palin fan, Runners World has a lengthy, new interview with Sarah Palin you won't want to miss.

Few Highlights:

1. While prepping for the Veep debate at McCain's ranch, she had a bad stumble.

I like running alone and having the Secret Service with me added a little bit of pressure. I'm thinking I gotta have good form and can't be hyperventilating and can't be showing too much pain and that adds a little more pressure on you as you're trying to be out there enjoying your run.

Then I fell coming down a hill and was so stinkin' embarrassed that a golf cart full of Secret Service guys had to pull up beside me. My hands just got torn up and I was dripping blood. In the debate you could see a big fat ugly Band-Aid on my right hand. I have a nice war wound now as a reminder of that fall in the palm of my right hand. For much of the campaign, shaking hands was a little bit painful.

2. A hypothetical matchup with Obama coaxes an "I betcha" out of her.

Q: Our President, I'm told, is a runner. Would you ever run with him?

A: I would, absolutely. I would and people have asked if I'd ever challenge him to one-on-one because we both love basketball. But look, he towers over me and I wouldn't be complaining about an unfair advantage there, but maybe I'd do better playing H-O-R-S-E with him than one-on-one.

Q: What about in a race? Could you beat the president?

A: I betcha I'd have more endurance. My one claim to fame in my own little internal running circle is a sub-four marathon.

3. And finally, it's impossible to resist noting the political metaphor in this exchange. Sorry, Palin fans, hanging curveball.

Q: Sounds like your skills were more suited to basketball?

A: Well, I appreciated the fact that in running I needed guts more than anything. I could do fine just being really determined. I was thankful that I didn't need a whole lot of skills to run.

[Hat tip: Conservatives4Palin]

UPDATE: Pics from the photo shoot.

Potential Democratic foe joins Rick Perry

Texas Gov. Rick Perry gets some unexpected support.

AT&T executive, John Montford, had been thinking about running for governor in the Democratic primary, but suddenly decided to support Perry yesterday.

And not just support him, but actually raise money for him. So a former Democrat who's now a Republican (Perry) is being supported by a Democrat who thought about running against a Republican.

Texas, it's us you're messing with.

Which base did Sanford get to (and with whom)?

It keeps getting worse.

The AP has more:

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he "crossed lines" with a handful of women other than his mistress — but never had sex with them.

He says that during the other encounters he "let his guard down" with some physical contact but "didn't cross the sex line." He wouldn't go into detail.

Sanford said the casual encounters happened outside the U.S. while he was married but before he met Chapur.

[Hat tip: Hotline on Call]

UPDATE: Remember what Sanford's spiritual adviser said this weekend?

"Some guys are wired such that violating God's design in this area, of women, is a real challenge to them. That's not in his DNA. That's why it's such a surprise."

Evidently, he is wired that way.

McDonnell: W tax cuts spurred "unprecedented" economic recovery

What's the chance this shows up in a DNC ad?

VA GOP gubernatorial nominee, Bob McDonnell, last week.

Many of you probably remember after 9/11 we did something to stimulate the economy then, too. You know what we did? We cut taxes.

President Bush put in a ten-year tax-cut on everything from the death tax to capital gains tax, and it was followed by an unprecedented period of economic recovery and economic growth.

[Hat tip: Swing State Project]

Thune not giving up fight on Sotomayor

And he continues.

In a conference call with a group of conservatives last night, SD Sen. John Thune warned Republicans against giving up on the fight against Sonia Sotomayor.

The National Journal:

"We need you involved in this process," he [Thune] said in a conference call administered by the Judicial Confirmation Network. "What you are all doing is so important, to help us as we communicate Judge Sotomayor's judicial record."

.... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., "are going to jam through this lifetime appointment rather than provide a full and fair review of her record," he warned.

UPDATE: Thune's persistence on this continues to be odd, considering his colleagues have practically conceded the issue.

T-Paw: the dude abides

Washington Whispers reports that after Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty kept his chill on through late flights, traffic jams, and long hours on his trip to Arkansas last week, a GOP insider thinks T-Paw's well-equipped for the rigors of a national campaign.

"He never once complained or was critical. The only thing I could think of was he got a crash course on going with the flow on the campaign trail if he decides to run.... He was low maintenance and easygoing. He wasn't too worked up over things he has no control over."

The meeting that never was

Is Mark Sanford's bombshell new i/view with the Associated Press an attempt to air it all out and move on?

Maybe.

The only question is whether he'll get to move on figuratively or literally after this. He probably hopes for the former; the interview will probably ensure the latter.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Tuesday that he saw his Argentine mistress more times than previously disclosed, including what was to be a farewell meeting in New York chaperoned by a spiritual adviser soon after his wife found out about the affair.... the governor described five meetings with Maria Belen Chapur over the past year, including two romantic, multi-night stays with her in New York before they met there again intending to break up.

Keep reading...

Key Sanford ally: Mark's "incapable of leading"

SC state Sen. Larry Grooms, a political ally of Mark Sanford's, tells CNN it's time for the governor to step down.

From Peter Hamby:

Republican Larry Grooms, who is also running for governor in 2010, told CNN Tuesday that Sanford "is incapable of leading because of his behavior."

Unlike many of his colleagues in the chamber — most of whom have remained silent on the resignation question — Grooms has been a supporter of Sanford's fiscally conservative agenda in the senate.

The "also running for governor" bit is interesting, b/c you'd think a candidate like Grooms would want to prevent a placeholder from gaining momentum.

Connie Mack writes fundraising letter for Crist

In a letter sent by Crist's communications team, former US Sen. Connie Mack talks up Charlie Crist's conservative, creds, and ends with an appeal for money for his Senate bid.

Highlight (ea):

Charlie Crist is a life long, common sense conservative who shares my belief that less taxing, less spending, and less government, equals more freedom. That's why the CATO Institute ranked him as the most fiscally conservative governor in America.

Crist was one of only 3 governors to get an A from Cato in 2008, and ranked 15 pts higher than his nearest competition among the overachieving, curve-killing govs.

Kobe stiffs Villaraigosa

The Los Angeles Wave reports on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's attempt to, literally, ride the wave of Kobe Bryant's celebrity after LAL won the NBA championship.

To set up: The Laker celebration parade got off to a late start last week, because a certain somebody wouldn't get on the processional bus with a certain somebody else.

The cause of the hold-up was occurring adjacent to the locker room, where Kobe was refusing to ride on the City Council bus because the mayor was to ride on it. At the same time, the mayor, the consummate spotlight thief, was refusing to get on the City Council bus unless he got on with Kobe. Kobe loudly denounced the mayor in phrases that started with “I don’t like the …” and ended with “I’m not going to let him pimp my popularity!”

The impasse ended and the parade started after Kobe got on the team bus and the mayor was sneaked onto the same bus behind Kobe’s back by a couple of his teammates.

ESPN's Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy) is a die-hard Celtic fan, but said in his tweet.

One of the few times I've ever rooted for Kobe

"The public needed protection from him"

That's the editorial board of The State describing not Mark Sanford, but the man who would replace him, Lieutenant Gov. Andre Bauer.

The paper offers a sharp argument for keeping Sanford in office, if only to spare the public from the 18 month headstart Bauer would get on the 2010 governor's race.

As far as the "protection" bit goes, that could be for the state's good, as well as traffic's.

[Bauer] He barreled down Columbia's Assembly Street at speeds up to 60 mph, running two red lights and so startling a police officer that he felt the need to pull a gun on Mr. Bauer. He used a police radio to try to call off troopers when he was driving 101 mph on his way home from a political event in a state car and, when that failed, escaped without even a warning by making the trooper think he was a high-ranking law enforcement officer.

[Hat tip: Jonathan Martin]

Nancy Reagan attends Huck's speech at Reagan Library

The Ventura County-Star reports on Mike Huckabee's visit to the beautiful Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last night in Simi Valley.

The soldout crowd of nearly 1,000 included Nancy Reagan, as well as the popular new zinger against Obama: "There's been a lot of change, but not a lot of hope."

[Hat tip: MikeHuckabee.Com]

Huck promotes hit on "sodomy pride month"

On HuckPAC, Mike Huckabee links to an "excellent column" that -- in Huck's words -- warns of the "stunning push by the Obama administration to advance the same-sex marriage agenda."

That column is by William J. Murray and is titled "Sodomy Pride Month". It excoriates conservatives for not speaking out against the fact that June was declared "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month".

In a stroke of the pen a President of the United States erased all moral boundaries and there is no outrage; indeed, there is virtually no comment.

.... No one seems to mind that there is a proclamation by the President of the United States telling those who commit sodomy to be proud of it, although God destroyed Sodom for such behavior.

Obama claims to have a "Christian tradition," whatever that means, but apparently this "tradition" does not include adherence to the Bible.

Newt talks.... prison reform?

A reader sends in a report from Newt Gingrich's stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last night at a fundraiser for gubernatorial-hopeful, Scott Walker.

Once again, Newt's anything but a one-note musician.

Newt Gingrich is calling on federal officials to overhaul the nation's prison system, an issue he knows isn't a typical Republican hot-button topic.

The former House speaker made his comments during a brief stop in Milwaukee on Monday evening at a fundraiser for gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker.

Gingrich said nonviolent offenders should be given a real chance to rehabilitate, in a prison system that doesn't expose them to gang turf wars and threats of rape.

If you're not in tune with his message, check out a Lockup marathon sometime.

Meghan McCain: Obama not doing enough on gay marriage

The Advocate reports on Meghan McCain's appearance last night at the Trevor Project gala in NYC* .

McCain told the gay mag she's one of the few voices willing to fill a vacuum even Barack Obama's been slow to occupy.

“The reason why I became so vocal about it is because it is so important to me and I didn’t see any politicians, even President Obama, doing anything. At this point, I don’t care what leader, what party, comes out and supports marriage equality, as long as somebody starts doing it. I hope that will be President Obama, I hope that will be my father, I hope it will be lots of people."

*The project offers a suicide hotline for LGBT youth.

Say what? Ron Paul has 245 co-sponsors on audit bill

Fox News has a good recap on the gathering storm of congressional support for Ron Paul's effort to introduce greater transparency at the Federal Reserve.

So far, 245 co-sponsors have lined up, but as any good Merchant/Ivory film would tell you -- it wasn't always this way.

Paul attracted just 18 co-sponsors when he authored a similar bill, which died, in 1983. While the impact Fed policies have on inflation is once again a concern, fears about loose monetary policy and excessive federal spending appear even more widespread in 2009.

Paul's bill is currently languishing in the hands of Barney Frank's committee, but Fox notes that Frank's promised to give the bill a fair shake.

Free and Strong America announces contest winner

Without taking anything away from his effort, a 15 year-old boy from Iowa wins Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America Essay Contest.

Ready or not, here she comes

Todd Purdum chronicles the political history of Sarah Palin in a thorough, if not heavily-tilted, Vanity Fair piece you can read here.

Beyond the anecdotes, the most compelling bits are the social/psychological phenomenon that is Sarah Palin, and the ideological schizophrenia that sometimes lives in her.

Of the first, it's often called sexist by those who love her, but ironically, gets to the core of why many actually love her so passionately.

Another aspect of the Palin phenomenon bears examination, even if the mere act of raising it invites intimations of sexism: she is by far the best-looking woman ever to rise to such heights in national politics, the first indisputably fertile female to dare to dance with the big dogs.

This pheromonal reality has been a blessing and a curse. It has captivated people who would never have given someone with Palin’s record a second glance if Palin had looked like Susan Boyle. And it has made others reluctant to give her a second chance because she looks like a beauty queen.

Would Janet Napolitano have inspired so many?

This isn't to say attractiveness doesn't play a role in politics. It clearly does -- Ronald Reagan was a former actor, and Barack Obama's got a killer smile.

But Reagan also had a clear ideological frame of mind, and that leads to Purdum's second legitimate criticism, and one that many conservatives fear -- Sarah Palin is populism without a point.

Yes, it's great she's a normal person who buys diapers at Walmart, but when her fans use anecdotes like that to elevate her (as Glenn Beck did in last year's campaign), it cheapens her message and ultimately her political self.

That's what's so puzzling about the battles Palin's been picking -- comedians, photoshopped pictures, invites to big dinners. None of them do anything to correct what her detractors feel is her biggest weakness -- substance.

She needs to sit down for an interview with a hostile force to show she can stand or maybe even fall. It's far better to fall now than in a 2011 sit-down, but her incessant demand to only engage those who support her is bad politics.

As for the populism without a point, there's this golden-newbie that's likely to turn into a classic.

To be sure, Palin is “conservative,” whatever that means, but she can be all over the lot in the articulation of her platform.

In a June interview with Sean Hannity, she sounded like a New Dealer when she proudly proclaimed that “a share of our oil-resource revenue goes back to the people who own the resources—imagine that.” In the next breath, sounding like a “starve the beast” conservative, she said she hoped the price of oil, the principal variable of state revenue, would not rise too much. “The fewer dollars that the state of Alaska government has, the fewer dollars we spend, and that’s good for our families and the private sector.”

And that substance is often tied to creative sentence construction like this:

"There are so many good Americans who are just desiring of their government to kind of get out of the way and allow them to grow and progress, and allow our businesses to grow and progress. So, great appreciation for those who share that value.”

No one communicates perfectly, but none of Reagan's liberal detractors ever accused him of tying his tongue.

Yes, Purdum's article has an unequivocally negative tone, and it works to diminish some of his key points.

One story from an aide particularly doesn't pass the smell test.

Sarah Palin was allegedly too preoccupied with Alaskan polls during the Veep campaign, to the point where aides questioned her commitment to the ticket.

But that doesn't square at all with the rest of the piece's portrait -- that of an ambitious, get ahead at any cost Barracuda. Isn't there a knock on her that she's too nationally ambitious? How does that tie into the allegation she was unnaturally-preoccupied with the temperature of local politics?

And it would still be a manning-up thing if the McCain advisers went on record. They'd never want to work for her again, anyway, and there's a market out there for talking tough on Palin.

Ultimately, the question for Palin is whether she'll answer the legitimate concerns and treat them as an opportunity to grow, or continue to dig in further with the choir.

It's not too late for her to get started.

[Hat tip: Political Wire]

UPDATE: Bill Kristol has a relevant response to the piece.

DeMint: "It may be" that Sanford needs to resign

On Sean Hannity tonight, two deeply conservative pundits (SC Sen. Jim DeMint and Sean Hannity) expressed reservations on whether Mark Sanford should continue as governor of South Carolina.

HANNITY: "Do you think that he should go? I'm of the mind that if your life is in shambles in a case like this, maybe it's time for you to step aside. Get your personal act together. Is that good advice?"

DEMINT: "It may be. I'm not sure where he is in his personal life with his wife, and I think that does have a lot to do with whether or not he should continue. South Carolina needs some strong leadership right now, so if he's not.... we need to do what's best for our state, and we are looking at the right now."

Anyone who's watched Sean Hannity for 15 minutes knows that if he's calling for the occupational head of a Republican, something serious is going on.

DeMint further offered his thoughts on the personal and branding aspects of the affair.

"I'm very disappointed on a personal level. I'm disappointed for our state and the whole country, because Mark Sanford was part of a conservative movement that was gaining some traction, so it really hurts us, but he dropped the flag. The rest of us have to pick it up."

UPDATE: Peter Hamby reports on growing calls for Sanford to step down from SC state legislators.

Sanford issues apology letter on site

SC Gov. Mark Sanford issues an official apology on his website. Cynical Alert, unfortunately, on this passage.

Immediately after all this unfolded last week I had thought I would resign - as I believe in the military model of leadership and when trust of any form is broken one lays down the sword. A long list of close friends have suggested otherwise - that for God to really work in my life I shouldn’t be getting off so lightly. While it would be personally easier to exit stage left....

Evening eats

a. Mike Pence is going to Iowa.

b. Crist wants your firecrackers money.

c. Midge Potts will run for the US Senate seat in Missouri.

d. Barbour vs. Obama.

e. Winners and Losers in Sanford Affair.

f. The rack is full and so are we of laughing gas and ennui.



g. From "A thunderstorm is in town" by Thomas Hardy

I should have kissed her if the rain
Had lasted a minute more.

h. Sports stuff. Sorry, Yao. Sorry, NYM. Sorry, Lleyton.

All clear: NRSC endorses Blunt

Even with Sarah Steelman's decision officially pending, The National Republican Senatorial Committee announced today it is endorsing Rep. Roy Blunt for Missouri's open Senate seat.

NRSC Chair John Cornyn:

“Throughout his tenure in Congress and during the early days of this campaign, Congressman Roy Blunt has demonstrated that he understands the difficult issues facing the people of Missouri."

David Brooks likes Mitch Daniels

If convincing people you say what you mean is important for becoming President, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has tough slogging ahead.

Despite repeated claims he's not running (or perhaps because of), his name still pops up frequently on 2012 lists, most recently on Meet the Press yesterday, when David Brooks said Mitch Daniels (or what he stands for) is the short-term answer to the GOP's problems.

(Crooks and Liars also has the vid).

DAVID BROOKS: Right, I take a maximalist view. I follow the British Conservative Party. They had to lose three national elections before they changed. I think this Republican Party is going to have to lose two or three national elections. So I take a long term, most pessimistic view possible. But what is the route back? It’s two things. The first thing , boring, sensible practicality. And that’s why of the potentials, Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana is the most sensible short term prob…answer to the Republican problems.

[Hat tip: A reader]

Four Plausible Republicans

Enter Politico's Arena as pundits pick their four plausible GOP presidential candidates.

Some interesting replies include Diane Ravitch's, who says she can only think of three names.

1. Lamar Alexander

2. Christie Whitman

3. "Jen" Bush.

Interesting picks. Interesting. It's not 1996, but interesting.

UPDATE: Gawker also has a fun list.

Afternoon eats

a. Sarah Palin wins a straw poll.

b. Attrition brings Jeb into the picture.

c. About time someone said it.

d. Good love, bad timing.

e. Sarah Palin, Mitch Daniels (referred to as "Mitchell"), and Bobby Jindal don't tend to the creation.

f. Oliver Stone still hasn't come around.

g. Bloopers are the old faithful of comedy. Don't you love how the donkey's legs only start moving when she starts talking? That's something Jason Bourne would pick up on.

It's official: Palin gets new spokesman

The long-rumored has happened.

Mute the Mitt talking point?

We've noted the strange thing that is Mitt Romney's continued pimp of his health care reform in Massachusetts, considering Cato, The Wall Street Journal, The Next Right, and the Washington Examiner's flurry of hits on the program (here, here, here, and here).

To these voices, add the voice of the people.

A new Rasmussen poll finds a -11% gap on whether Massachusetts residents feel Mitt Romney's health care plan for the state has been a success.

More tellingly, by 55%-18%, conservatives say it's been a failure, and 66% of self-identified Republicans agree.

Despite all this, Romney continues promoting the notion his health model in Massachusetts is a success, most recently on Meet the Press, yesterday.

We have a model that worked. One state in America, my state, was able to put in place a plan that got everybody health insurance, and it did not require a public government insurance company. That's the last thing America needs.

At some point, Romney's going to have to write an op-ed, explicitly addressing what seems to be some dissonance on this.

Meghan McCain loves Carla Bruni

Pro-sex Meghan McCain weighs in on the Mark Sanford affair, and raises the possibility that impossible standards are impossible to possibly live up to.

France—home of my absolute favorite foreign first lady, Carla Bruni—perfected the laissez-faire attitude toward the sex lives of its public leaders.

Not here. We hold our politicians to impossible standards. We elect them, put our hopes and dreams for a brighter future on that one person, and then expect sainthood. Republicans—and Democrats—should forgive these private sins and move on. Life happens.

Since Carla Bruni's the topic, a song for Mark Sanford.

WSJ slams Crist: "The Republican Barney Frank"

The Wall Street Journal has a history with Charlie Crist's property insurance efforts (a brutal op-ed here and Crist's response here).

Now the WSJ is taking on Crist again, with an op-ed titled "Hurricane Charlie: The Republican Barney Frank".

The occasion is Crist's veto of legislation last week that would have deregulated property insurance carriers in Florida; in effect, allowing big insurance companies like State Farm to continue writing policies in Florida.

The WSJ:

The bill would have trimmed the cost of a state-run enterprise that insures homeowners against storm damage. The program has an $18 billion unfunded liability and has taxpayers on the line for tens of billions in property losses from the next major hurricane. The Republican legislature tried to reduce those future losses, but Mr. Crist sounded like Barney Frank rolling the dice on Fannie Mae in declaring there's nothing to worry about.

To be fair to Crist, here's the other side, from a report by the Miami Herald:

Small Florida-based companies had opposed the bill because only the larger, national companies would have been allowed to offer a new insurance policy with deregulated rates, given the surplus requirements the new law would have mandated.

This bill ''would have left a lot of companies unable to compete,'' said Roger Desjadon, president and chief executive officer of Florida Peninsula Insurance.

Regardless of the policy, the politics is crucial.

If a hurricane hits Florida this year or next, and the state's left with a financial disaster, Crist will receive much of the blame, and his primary opponent, Marco Rubio, will be a very happy man (you know... in the same way you're kind of happy when the star of your worst team breaks his ACL. Or Tonya Harding-happy).

Hewitt lays down the Mitt PAC gauntlet

Hugh Hewitt posts a few 2012 thoughts today, including this.

.... anyone seeking to seriously challenge for the nomination will have to mount an equivalent to Romney's Free and Strong America PAC to be in a position to help with the crucial 2010 races that are necessary to restore balance to a Beltway tilted far left.

Club for Growth might run ads against Crist

The Washington Times reports that the anti-tax group, Club for Growth, might run ads in Florida, slamming Charlie Crist for his support of Barack Obama's stimulus bill, as well as signing a budget (crafted by Republicans) that led to tax increases.

For why the tax line pushed by the Club is somewhat disingenuous, click here.

DeMint's new book drops this week

If Jim DeMint is planning on running for Prez, he's got the book thing out of the way.

Title: Saving Freedom: We can stop America's slide into socialism

By: SC Sen. Jim DeMint

Why now: "What I don't think people see is that the lines between what government should do and what the private sector should do have become so blurred."

Endorsements: Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, Sean Hannity, Steve Forbes.

Read more here.

UPDATE: DeMint's doing Hannity on the book tonight.

Rick Perry set for a tea party 4th

The fit is natural.

There's another round of the “taxed enough already” parties planned for Independence Day in the movement that targets the federal government as a big-spending, bloated entity (sounds festive).

[Texas Gov. Rick] Perry — who said when asked about his July 4 plans, “Ummmm, I think I'm going to be at some tea parties” — had multiple invitations to attend them, according to a spokesman.

Sanford's spiritual adviser never wanted him to run for office

During Mark Sanford's press conference, he referred to Warren Culbertson as a "spiritual giant" and an "incredibly dear friend".

Over the weekend, that incredibly dear friend spoke out about the spiritual "boot camp" Sanford and his wife had attended, and how Culbertson's message framed Sanford's in the aftermath of the affair.

As it turns out, Culbertson believes so strongly in the temptations that come with power that he actually refused to contribute to Sanford's 1994 congressional campaign.

Sanford was "very offended," but Culbertson told his friend it's the rare man who can be an effective congressman and fulfill his biblical responsibilities as a husband and father.

Culbertson admits he was "crushed" to learn of his friend's betrayal.

As for the way forward, he says it's clear there isn't any remaining passion between the Sanfords; only their marriage vows.

"Because it's not feelings — it's not emotions. For most Christians, at some point in your marriage, if you're married long enough, you do it because that's what we're called to do — out of obedience instead of out of passion. And I think that's where Mark and Jenny are right now."

Newt fundraises for Wisconsin gub hopeful

Newt Gingrich is in Milwaukee tonight to raise campaign funds for gubernatorial hopeful Scott Walker.

Gazette Xtra:

Walker ran for governor in 2006 but dropped out as his fundraising lagged. He's running again in the 2010 election, where he'll face Appleton businessman Mark Todd.

Here's more info about Scott Walker, including the fact he "believes in Wisconsin again".

T-Paw talks to Arkansas press about Huck

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty talked with the press about Mark Sanford and 2012 issues during his weekend visit to an Arkansas GOP fundraiser.



Considering the back yard he was cavorting in, Jason Tolbert asked him about Mike Huckabee's chances for 2012.

"I love Gov. Huckabee. He is a friend of mine. And he and Janet are wonderful people. He knows that I am here and he welcomes that, and I would certainly welcome him to Minnesota. I consider him one of the best people in politics and in public service. He served this state so well as governor. I am just pleased and proud to call him a friend and Janet as well. My presence here has nothing to do with any sort of concern about Gov. Huckabee.”

While on the subject, here's Mike Huckabee's reaction to T-Paw's visit.

[Hat tip: The Tolbert Report]

"I talked to the governor 100 times while he was on his honeymoon"

Quick -- guess the governor!

The Associated Press spot-checks governors across the U.S., and finds them relatively easy to get a-hold of, including this unintentional piece of irony.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's love life hasn't been an obstacle to keeping in touch. Erin Isaac, Crist's communications director, said: "I talked to the governor 100 times while he was on his honeymoon."

[Hat tip: Adam Smith from The Buzz]

Bauer's 2010 deal

From The State:

.... a source close to [South Carolina] Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said Sunday that Bauer has approached members of the Senate to discuss the possibility that, if Sanford resigns, Bauer would only serve the remainder of the governor’s term, focusing on job creation, and would not run for governor in 2010 as Bauer had originally intended.

That seems more than magnanimous. Something's not right.

"The campaign never really ended"

Those would be the words of Jonathan Martin, writing about the nucleus of Mitt Romney aides and supporters who are permanently ready to wait for their guy's second run for the Presidency.

Read the whole thing, but two comments particularly stand out as encapsulating where things are right now.

From one former Romney campaign official:

“We know everything about the guy. The good, the bad and the ugly. And it ain’t that ugly.”

And from Romney's Free and Strong America spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom:

"We try to shy away from just commenting on headlines of day."

Points if the thought of Newt Gingrich just popped into your head.

John Edwards sex tape?

A former aide to John Edwards claims he came across a sex tape of the Presidential candidate canoodling on camera with his former mistress, Rielle Hunter.

The big find reportedly occurred after Hunter had lived with the aide's family for a time, and unwittingly, let the stray videotape fall into the wrong hands.

While he was unpacking, [aide Andrew] Young discovered a videocassette, according to the book pitch.

Hunter had been hired by the Edwards campaign to videotape the candidate’s movements, but this one is said to have shown him taking positions that weren’t on his official platform.

Keep reading...

[Hat tip: AllahPundit tweet]

Barbour: What happens in SC stays in SC

On Face the Nation, Mississippi Governor and new chair of the Republican Governor's Association, Haley Barbour, claims the Mark Sanford scandal won't spill into electoral politics across the country.

BOB SCHIEFFER: .... Isn't it more than just a sex scandal here? This is dereliction of duty, isn't it?

HALEY BARBOUR: You know, Bob, I don't know all the details but I've been in politics a long time. I've made it my policy -- I just don't talk about people's personal problems.

I don't think it's appropriate, I don't think it's polite, I don't think it achieves any purpose.... and I don't believe what happens in South Carolina will change one vote in the governor's race in New Jersey.

Barbour adds that he doesn't have any "plan" or "intention" to run for President in 2012, and that he'd be "very surprised" if he did run, and that his wife would be even more surprised.

Pawlenty "glad" Jenny didn't stand by her man at presser

On State of the Union, John King asks Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty about the implications of Mark Sanford's affair.

KING: How much further damage to the brand of a party that says it's the party of family values, that counts Christian conservatives among its most reliable base... How much damage has been done nationally by the actions of Governor Sanford and Senator Ensign?

PAWLENTY: It's hard to quantify that, John, but clearly there's been damage. Anytime you have leading figures who are engaged in behavior that is sad, and troubling, and hypocritical, other people are gonna look at that and say "Huh. They don't walk the walk."

.... it's a sad and troubling situation with Jenny and Mark Sanford. I know them. I'm proud of Jenny for her strength, and her commitment to her family and keeping that family together.

Frankly, I was glad to see her not standing at the press conference like many others have, and kind of chart your own path and saying "Look, I'm willing to forgive him, but I'm not gonna stand here and condone this in any way." But it certainly hurts the brand. It's hard to quantify.

T-Paw blasts climate bill, Obama policies

CNN reports here on Tim Pawlenty's aggressive appearance on State of the Union with John King.

Graham says Sarah Palin's a leader of GOP, too

When David Gregory asked SC Sen. Lindsey Graham whether Sarah Palin's a leader of the party, Graham replied "Absolutely", and then rattled off some other names.

Oh. And about Lou Dobbs rhetoric on immigration...

GREGORY: [to Graham] Is Sarah Palin also a leader of this party?

GRAHAM: Absolutely. I think Huckabee, Palin, Mitt Romney, John McCain, because he's the most recognizable public figure as a Republican, 'cause he ran for President with a good approval rating. Congressional leaders.

A guy like me who'll try to find common ground on an issue like immigration.... we lost ground with Hispanic voters because of the way we behaved and things we said on immigration.

Source: Meet the Press. Xcript when available.

Romney thinks Graham's a leader; Graham thinks Romney's a leader

On Meet the Press, Mitt Romney and SC Sen. Lindsey Graham discussed who's leading the Republican party and how (and also shared an intraparty moment).

GREGORY: Who are the leaders of this party [Republicans], and what are the issues that bring it back to power.

GRAHAM: [points at Romney] Well, he's one of the leaders.

ROMNEY: [points at Graham] He's the other one.

GRAHAM: I can be a leader on an issue, quite frankly. The Republican party now has an opportunity to get back in the game, and we appreciate the Democrats for making that possible.

[Later]

GREGORY [to Romney]: Governor, are you a leader of the Republican party. You have certainly taken pains to separate yourself from President Obama. Are you planning a run for the Presidency again in 2012?

ROMNEY: Well, that's way beyond my horizon, at this point to think about what's gonna happen in 2012. What I'm think about...

GREGORY: [interrupting] Well, you're laying the foundation. Is that fair to say?

ROMNEY: What I'm laying the foundation for is picking up seats in 2010. We've got some governor's races in '09 [2009] in Virginia, in New Jersey. We've got a whole series of Senate races and House races, and Governor races in '10.... And I think the party does have to stand up and be able to say "Listen, Mr. Axelord, you're wrong when you say we have no ideas".

Graham: "The stimulus package was Karl Rove politics"

In the midst of a slam on Barack Obama's partisanship, SC Sen. Lindsey Graham compared the administration's political tactics with those of Karl Rove and Tom Delay.

"If President Obama had went [gone] to the middle and did all the things he said he would do in the campaign, we'd [Republicans] probably be toast. But he has not. You know, I know bipartisanship when I see it. You pay a price for it. There has been no bipartisanship.

The stimulus package was Karl Rove politics -- pick a few Republicans off and call it bipartisan. The climate change bill was Tom Delay bangin' heads and twisting arms to get one more vote than you needed."

From Meet the Press. Xcript and vid when available.

Romney: "Not all mistakes are the same"

On Meet the Press, Mitt Romney claimed it wasn't his place to comment on whether Mark Sanford should remain in office, but that the affair illustrates a broader point about how public officials should govern their lives.

GREGORY: There's the personal and then there's the political. Governor Romney, I spoke to a Republican this week who said this wasn't just a personal problem, this was political malfeasance. Should he hang onto his job?

ROMNEY: His holding of that job is really between him and his family and the people of South Carolina. It's not for people outside the state to make pronouncements on. This is a matter which is really a heart-breaking matter. And that's what i think you have to focus on. You've got a family that's in great distress...

GREGORY: [interrupting] You're a former governor, it's more than that. This is someone who disappeared. What if there'd been a crisis in South Carolina? This is somebody who lies to the voters and to his staff about where he is. Doesn't it go beyond a personal failing?

ROMNEY: Well, overwhelmingly, the heart-break is what the public's focused on, and what we should be focused on. And seeing his family become healed is our highest priority. At the same time -- and not commenting on particularly on Governor Sanford -- if you look at this setting, we've seen it time and again on both sides of the aisle.

I think you have to recognize that people who are in public life ought to be held to a higher standard. I heard a former governor say "Well, everybody makes mistakes". Well, that's true. But not all mistakes are the same. And not everybody is a governor, or a Senator, or a President, and we expect people to live by a higher standard, because what they do is going to be magnified, their families are going to be hurt more by what they do. The things they care about will be hurt, and the culture and the nation, and the people who follow it will be hurt.

UPDATE: Vid.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Graham: "Mark Sanford's lucky to have Jenny Sanford"

On Meet the Press, David Gregory asked SC Sen. Lindsey Graham whether Mark Sanford can remain governor of South Carolina, and more personally, what his current state of mind is:

Graham:

"I think if Mark can reconcile with Jenny, and that's not gonna' be easy, he can finish his last 18 months."

Re: his state of mind.

GREGORY: "You've talked to him [Sanford]. What's his state of mind?"

GRAHAM: "What do you think? Devastated. You know, this is hard for me. I'm the godfather of his youngest child. This not just some political observation. I talked with Jenny. The one thing I can tell you: Mark Sanford's lucky to have Jenny Sanford, and I hope he realizes that, and I think he does.... Let's just pray they get back together. Second chances are never deserved or required, but if they're ever given, they can be a blessing. I hope Mark gets one with his family."

Jenny comments from her car

Evening eats

a. Haley Barbour says Sanford shouldn't quit.

b. The winner from Sanford's loss? Mike Huckabee.

c. Jim McGreevy has advice for Sanford.

d. SC gay groups fight Jim DeMint for fighting hate-crimes legislation.

e. Mike Huckabee's site gets a make-over.

f. Arnold releases a statement on Michael Jackson.

g. Kathleen Parker didn't like Sanford's press conference..... at all.

h. That Moonwalk thing.



i. From "Dance me to the end of love" by Leonard Cohen

Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

j. Sports stuff. Sorry, Blake Griffin.

Palin's flight suit pics

Great. Especially this one.

[Hat tip: Sister Toldjah]

Thune gets Next-Gen defense bomber

SD Sen. John Thune -- one of the Senate's leading voices against an Administration plan to kill funding for the so called "next generation" bomber -- can celebrate a victory this week after a defense bill passed unanimously by the Senate Armed Forces Committee left the funding for the bomber in tact.

We've looked at the politics leading up to the issue here and here. And it should be mentioned that South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base could host a fleet of the bombers.

Sexiest Senators

Results from Huffington Post's reader's poll: (click here for Huff' story).

1. Sen. Maria Cantwell

2. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

3. Sen. Evan Bayh

4. Sen. Sherrod Brown

5. Sen. John Thune

6. Sen. Mark Warner

Schweich likely to run for state auditor

Former US Ambassador Thomas Schweich is getting ready to announce a run for state auditor of Missouri.

Relevant, because if you remember, Schweich had been a likely candidate against Rep. Roy Blunt for Missouri's open Senate seat, but recently pulled out and endorsed him, even after having written a sharp op-ed against Blunt that went a little something like this.

Across the state, large numbers of forward-looking Republicans are concerned that a small group of Missouri Republican leaders have — without a serious dialogue or discussion about the future of the party — anointed U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt as the GOP candidate to replace retiring Missouri legend Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond. There has been an active effort to crush, pre-emptively, any possible challenger. Yet most of them acknowledge that Blunt will have very difficult time winning.

Jenny Sanford learned of affair in January

From her interview with the Associated Press:

Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press that she discovered Gov. Mark Sanford's affair in January when she found a letter from him to the other woman. She said she told him to end the affair and he agreed to. She said that when the governor told her recently he needed time alone to write, she specifically warned him not to visit the mistress. She was shocked to learn this week that he'd gone to Argentina to do just that.

Have we learned what he was planning to write? Obvious jokes aside, he must have told her something specific. Memoir as a prelude to a run?

It's only their future

NPR's Ken Rudin lists which Republican governors are likeliest to reach the White House at any given point in their careers.

His top 10 (you can click here for the rest).

1. Tim Pawlenty

2. Jon Huntsman

3. Haley Barbour

4. Bobby Jindal

5. Charlie Crist

6. Mitch Daniels

7. Sarah Palin

8. Rick Perry

9. Mark Sanford

10. Jodi Rell

Comment: This Haley Barbour thing circulating the past couple weeks is getting a little out-of-hand. Having a smart political mind, visiting NH and Iowa, and becoming RGA Chair doesn't make up for southern white guy, tobacco lobbyist background, and the fact it's hard to imagine any sort of grassroots enthusiasm for him.

In a way, the sudden lavish of attention on him might be a thank-you from Republicans for the early 1990's. But the flavor of the month's too stained with nicotine to go much further.

[Hat tip: Political Wire]

Mitt Romney as Michael Olowokandi

Writing for The Plank, Jason Zengerle's take on Mitt Romney is especially timely, considering last night's draft and the ghosts of Clipper-Busts Past.

The reply is to this piece by Marc Ambinder, which reflects the conventional wisdom that Mitt Romney's making all the right moves.

But how's that different from 2008, Zengerle asks?

The funny thing is, I feel like I read the exact same sort of arguments about Romney in the run-up to the 2008 race--about how he was making all the right hires, staking out all the right issues, and raising all the money he'd need to win the GOP nomination.

.... In a way, Romney reminds me a lot of Michael Olowokandi.... The "Kandi Man" was a great basketball player on paper--great enough to be the number one overall pick in the NBA draft--but he was never able to actually put it together on the court once he got to the NBA.

I feel like Romney's having the same problems as he tries to take his political act to the highest level. On paper, he looks great, but there's just something about him that doesn't seem to add up in the minds of voters.

It's an argument frequently made here. Romney appeals to the head; Palin the heart. And heart usually beats head, unless the heart's head is too scattered.

Actually, you could boil it down to the whole Does good pitching beat good hitting thing? You can never answer it before it's answered. Which is why you can't figure out whether Romney or Palin's got the edge.

DeMint: Sanford and Jenny had good day yesterday

SC Sen. Jim DeMint gives Paul Bedard his latest thoughts on the Sanford Situation.

"I'm going to try to call him today. I understood he had a good day with his wife yesterday. We've got to decide what's best for our state first right now. And I'm just very disappointed because Mark was somewhat of a conservative icon."

Mitch Daniels: Tuesday, or else

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is warning his state's Legislature that if it doesn't pass a budget by Tuesday's deadline, he'll shut down state parks, BMV branches, and other parts of the state's government.

But he'd keep prisons running, as well as the police and some social services.

Sanford's cabinet meeting

Very brief comments from Mark Sanford.

a. "What's it all mean and where do we go from here?"

b. Compares his situation to King David's with Bathsheba.

c. Wants to apologize personally to all the cabinet members. "You.... are really the epicenter" of those who serve the state of SC.

d. Work needs to go on.

e. Sanford said he's been making calls to members of Legislature to apologize. On Fox, (R) Jake Knotts says he hasn't received any such call.

Knotts:

"This state don't need Governor Sanford."

Richard Nixon on Mitt's Mom and female candidates

On a newly-released Richard Nixon tape, the President talks with George Bush about how the Republican party can integrate female candidates into the party.

"When I spoke to the South Carolina Legislature, I noticed a couple of very attractive women, both of them Republicans, in the Legislature. ... I don’t want to go through with a Lenore Romney thing, but I want you to be sure to emphasize to our people: God, let’s look for some. Understand, I don’t do it because I’m for women; I do it because I think maybe a woman might win someplace where a man might not."

One year earlier, Lenore Romney (Mitt Romney's Mother) had failed in a bid for a US Senate seat against incumbent Philip Hart.

[Hat tip: Eric Fehrnstrom tweet]

A rated G routine between Palin and Kerry

Now this is comedy Richie Rich style!

Earlier this week, John Kerry lamented that it was Mark Sanford and not Sarah Palin who'd gone missing.

Now Sarah Palin's striking back (video here).

"He looked quite frustrated and he looked so sad — I just wanted to reach out to the TV and say, 'John Kerry, why the long face?'"

Waiting for HorsePAC's statement...

[Hat tip: Ben Smith]

Huckabee: "I don't have a political turf"

Tim Pawlenty's headed to Mike Huckabee's Arkansas tonight to headline a fundraiser for Arkansas Republicans.

Last year, Mark Sanford headlined the dinner, and earlier this year Bobby Jindal visited the state.

Huckabee replied to the notion that the potential 2012 foes are encroaching on his territory.

“Heavens no. They’re my friends and colleagues. In fact, I did a welcome video for Gov. Pawlenty.... I don’t have a political turf. Unless they want to host a show on Fox News on Saturdays, I’m cool with it.”

For his part, T-Paw also scoffed at the idea of a looming rivalry.

“I haven’t decided anything about my future, and I suspect he hasn’t either. That would be getting way ahead of ourselves to be talking [about] me viewing him as a potential rival.”

UPDATE: More details about the event here.

Mark Sanford's a Republican; Eliot Spitzer's an Eliot Spitzer

Media Research Center:

In a 2008 study of evening and morning network newscasts following the Spitzer scandal, NewsBusters’ Rich Noyes found that within the first week of news coverage Spitzer was only identified as a Democrat 20% of the time. However, within the first 24 hours of Sanford’s confession to having an affair, he was identified as a Republican 100% of the time, during coverage on all the networks.

The Center also notes that Katie Couric led with "a rising Republican star", Charles Gibson led with "a rising star in the Republican party", Matt Lauer, "a once-rising star in the Republican party", and Brian Williams "In a Republican party hungry for young stars".

"A conservative mind and a liberal penis"

Even funnier than Jon Stewart's quip are some of the tags associated with the video on Comedy Central's site.

Reza Aslan, Mark Sanford, scandals, Argentina, travel, sex, animals, apologies, adultery, penises, balls.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Governor Mark Sanford's Affair
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

[Hat tip: Political Humor]

Huck weighs in on Sanford

Mike Huckabee talked about Mark Sanford's Affair on his radio show yesterday, and nudged the governor into thinking about resigning without explicitly calling for it.

"What he did to his wife and four sons is between them. But the broken trust with the people of South Carolina will be public and painful, and he might decide to spare his family and himself and the people by stepping down, not because of his personal behavior, but for putting his personal behavior above the responsibility for being available to govern and lead in the event of a crisis.”

McDonnell kicks off general election ad campaign

GOP nominee for Governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, is first to go on air in the general election.

McDonnell will spend about $300,000 for a 10-day run of a 30-second ad in Virginia's downstate broadcast and cable markets. It's not airing in the expensive Washington, D.C., market that serves northern Virginia.

The spot appeals to entrepreneurship and business development in Virginia.

Huck set to release Christmas book

You can now pre-order an autographed copy of Mike Huckabee's A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit.

Releases November 3.

In this deeply personal book, Huckabee recounts twelve Christmas memories — often funny, sometimes deeply moving — that range from his childhood in Arkansas to his years as a young husband and father, to his rise in state and national politics.

The Saints will go marching in until 2025

Bobby Jindal's deal to keep the Saints in New Orleans until at least 2025 just got legislative approval from the House and Senate.

Does something about this sentence strike you wrong (ea)?

The state will spend $85 million to upgrade the Superdome as a way to generate more revenue for the team from ticket, suite and concession sales.

Is this Maria?

Huffington and others are saying this is the real Maria Belen Chapur standing up.

Now it's easier to understand the beautiful brunette stuff.

Palin's chat with the troops in Kosovo

[Hat tip: Conservatives4Palin]

Quigley: Rick Perry is Mark Sanford's heir

Bernie Quigley thinks the seed Mark Sanford planted (stop that) will bear the fruit of Rick Perry.

Most all historical movements from Christianity to the hippies to the Civil War started with one or some vastly imaginative and somewhat eccentric few who are usually quickly forgotten as soon as the tall men and the lawyers take over. Sanford may be such a one.

He was the first to speak out in opposition to the bailouts and he stood alone. Shortly after Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, joined him. What he started has converged now with an entirely new approach to government, an approach more akin to Jefferson than Hamilton which is taking hold in 35 states, including Texas, with Perry at the front of the ship.

This idea of eccentricity behind a revolution reminds you of Kurt Vonnegut's book Bluebeard and the character Slezinger who devises a theory of revolutions.

At the top is the authentic genius, who gives birth to the revolutionary thought. Just below him is the "highly intelligent citizen in good standing in the community" who understands and testifies that the genius is not mad.

And below him is the Explainer. This is the person who can explain the genius's thoughts to the satisfaction of good people.

So to come full circle, Mark Sanford's the genius, and Rick Perry's.... never mind with the analogy.

[Hat tip: RickvKay]