Ailes on Palin

Fox News Channel President , Roger Ailes, in an exchange on ABC's This Week.

BARBARA WALTERS: You hired her [Sarah Palin] to be a commentator, so you must think she has some qualifications. She seems to be very popular with certain groups. Do you think she has the qualifications to be President?

ALIES: Fox News is fair and balanced. We had Geraldine Ferraro on for ten years as the only woman the Democrats ever nominated; now we have the only woman that the Republicans nominated.

I'm not in politics; I'm in ratings. We're winning.

Steele: I won't run in 2012

Michael Steele to ABC's David Chalian in a must-read, wide-ranging interview:

"In all honest-to-good seriousness, that is such silly Washington talk. It's just not even on my mind."

Also:

"There are people out there who look at what I do not through the prism of another RNC chairman," said Steele, "but then it's all colored, if I may use the term, by my style, which is very different."

Barbour: "We don't need purity"

On Face the Nation, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour talks to Bob Schieffer about Scott Brown's significance to the GOP.

"Well, he's very much a moderate Republican, and I think it's a reminder to Republicans that we don't need purity.

We need the best we can elect, and Scott Brown is the best Senator for Massachusetts. But you're right. He's certainly not as conservative as I am. And that's healthy and good."

"Well, sure"

That's Scott Brown after Barbara Walters asked him this week whether Sarah Palin has Presidential material.

WALTERS: Let's talk about another rising star in the Republican party. Do you think Sarah Palin is Presidential material?

BROWN: Well, sure, I mean, she's been a mayor and governor, and has a lot of national following, but I think the more people in a Presidential race the better. But the caveat to that is that I've never met her. She's never contacted us and vice versa. I know she's very popular -- has a new book out. I haven't read it, and I hope to some day.

Greg Sargent:

National ambitions? Scott Brown, who conspicuously didn’t seek Sarah Palin’s endorsement during his Senate campaign, now agrees that Palin is presidential material.

If she tapped Brown as her running-mate, could he help her reel in indies? Unclear. But it would be career suicide for Brown and after getting a most improbable job, he probably wants to keep it.



UPDATE: Scott Brown also denied he had 2012 Prez aspirations.

Obama Girl meets Huck

Obama Girl (aka Amber Lee Ettinger) continues making the rounds on Fox with a visit to Huck's show tonight (she was on Hannity earlier this week), where she expressed her disappointment with the POTUS and said she might be open to making a vid for Huck down the road....



[Hat tip: a reader]

Newt's American Solutions pulls in $6.4 million

Ken Vogel has a must-read on an impressive $6.4 million Newt Gingrich raised through his American Solutions group in the second half of 2009 alone.

It's a number far surpassing other potential 2012 candidates who've released their fundraising numbers (here, here, here, and here).

The caveat is that Newt's group is a 527 and can therefore accept unlimited donations from corporations and individuals, and in fact, it did.

But as Vogel notes, that doesn't mean his take is easily dismissed:

.... both types of groups [PACS and 527s] can be used to pay for staff, consulting, polling, fundraising, office space and travel, all things that can help ambitious politicians lay the groundwork for presidential campaigns.

As an aside, here's a slightly less objective metric for Newt's reach.

Simply Google the word "Newt" and you'll find Newt.Org precedes "Newt--Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". It might not be surprising because "newt populations have fallen across the world", while Newt's solutions seem to be rapidly expanding.

SarahPAC raises $2.1 million in 2009

Today, Sarah Palin's political action committee, SarahPAC, announced it raised $2.1 million in 2009, including $1.4 million in the year's last six months.

Chris Cillizza notes that while the PAC pulled in less than Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America committee, that wing of her political operation lay largely dormant.

Sarah PAC sent no direct mail -- a potential treasure trove of small-dollar donations for the former governor who is beloved by the grassroots of the party -- and raised the majority of her money via the Internet and small events. For the 11 months that Sarah PAC has existed, she has received contributions from more than 14,000 donors.

Palin's case is unique and makes comparison slightly unwieldy. On one hand, she didn't do a lot of active fundraising, so the $2.1 million number looks great. On the other hand, her book tour and name ID provides her with a shot in the arm the other candidates don't have. That makes the total respectable, but not overwhelming.

James Richardson has a good look at each of the front-runner's PAC totals (Mitt's, Huck's, Sarah's, and T-Paw's) and comes to a conclusion that's surprising but tough to argue with.

Handicapped by late entry, Tim Pawlenty’s group, Freedom First PAC, raised only $1.28 million last year. Pawlenty aides note, however, the committee was organized in October and fundraising totals account only for the fourth quarter, whereas Romney’s committee has been operating all year.

In the fourth quarter, Pawlenty transferred $395,000 to Republican candidates — a figure more than double what Romney’s PAC contributed over the entire year.

.... PAC operatives for each committee will argue the metrics for judging each committee differ, but the ultimate arbiter in politics is cold, hard cash; who has it, who knows how to get more of it, and who shares it will win the popularity contest we have come to know as the presidential nominating process. On this count, Pawlenty is, hands down, the front-runner.

CORRECTION: I transposed Sarah's name for Huck's on JR's analysis. Weekend haze.

And a reader notes that T-Paw didn't xfer $395K to candidates. That's the approx. number he spent total -- not the amt. he gave to candidates (you can read more about those candidates here). Still, his fourth quarter fundraising remains impressive.

HuckPAC raised over $800K in 2009

Mike Huckabee's PAC picked up its fundraising in the second half of 2009, but its overall number still sits well-below Mitt Romney's take for Free and Strong America ($2.9 million).

Tim Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC also raised more in far less time ($1.3 million in the 4th quarter of 2009 alone).

Release:

Huck PAC, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s leadership committee, today released its Federal Election Commission (FEC) report for the last half of 2009. In total, over 16,000 donors contributed to Huck PAC in 2009, raising more than $800,000 for the year.

Huck PAC, whichis committed to helping Republicans regain control of the U.S. House, U.S. Senate and a majority of governorships, as well as supporting conservative principles around the country, raised $303,000 in the first six months of 2009, and $520,000 in the last half of the year, surpassing its 2009 budget.

“We are extremely pleased with the widespread support Huck PAC has received,” said Huckabee. “Small dollar donors and conservative activists nationwide have embraced our message of fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, life, traditional marriage and a strong national defense.”

Huckabee pointed to the nearly 6,500 donations made in the last quarter of 2009 alone as evidence that their message is resonating.

“We have also worked hard to give a voice to the families struggling in the current economy who do not have the ability to make a financial contribution,” said Huckabee.

During 2009, Team Huck (Huck PAC’s volunteer organization):


* Made over 60,000 voter contact calls on behalf of newly-elected Virginia Governor, Bob McDonnell, as well as David Harmer, candidate for the 10th Congressional District in Calif., Jim Tedisco, candidate for the 20th Congressional District in New York, and Doug Hoffman, candidate for the 23rd Congressional District in New York.
* Held over 400 events nationwide.
* Launched a 50-state volunteer headquarters online utilizing Twitter, Facebook and Ning.
* Formed over 400 local groups of volunteers.
* Added 9,176 volunteers.
* Launched a nationwide petition campaign “Balance, Cut, Save,” garnered 150,000 signatures in support of fiscal responsibility in Washington.
* Launched “Just Say No” Ben Nelson petition campaign, which collected 60,000 signatures in 72 hours online. This led to Huckabee attending an Omaha, Neb. rally to try and dissuade Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) from voting in favor of the health care bill.


The full list of 2009 Huck PAC-endorsed candidates includes:

Bob McDonnell for Governor (Virginia)
Bill Bolling for Lt. Governor (Virginia)
Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General (Virginia)
Marco Rubio for Senate (Florida)
Mike Haridopolos for State Senate (Florida)
David Rivera for State Representative (Florida)
Duncan Hunter for Congress (California)
David Harmer for Congress (California)
John Hoeven for Senate (North Dakota)
Trent Franks for Congress (Arizona)
Dick Kelsey for Congress (Kansas)
Tim Huelskamp for Congress (Kansas)
Cary McKay for Judge (Texas)
Weston Martinez for San Antonio City Council (Texas)
John Parke for State Representative (Arkansas)
Rick Crawford for Congress (Arkansas)
Matthew Shepard for State Representative (Arkansas)
Sam Graves for Congress (Missouri)
Bob Vander Plaats for Governor (Iowa)
Bill Northey for Agriculture Secretary (Iowa)
Mike Pence for Congress (Indiana)
John Kasich for Governor (Ohio)
Alan Nunnelee for Congress (Mississippi)
Les Phillip for Congress (Alabama)
John Linder for Congress (Georgia)
Andre Bauer for Governor (South Carolina)
Rex Rice for Congress (South Carolina)
Steve Moss for State House (South Carolina)
Jim Tedisco for Congress (New York)

Evening eats

a. The Top 10 Senate races.

b. Gary Johnson hits up the Reason Mag offices.

c. The 20 most notorious mistresses.

d. Someplace Rubio isn't loved.

e. Obama might watch Duke beat Georgetown.

f. C-SPAN will replay Obama's Q & A. Honestly, even though I didn't believe a word he said, he said the words well. And that seems to be the consensus.

g. Ayla Brown's first video, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, Scott Brown, and Massachusetts voters.



h. Sports stuff. If you thought you've seen Miguel Batista run out of the bullpen for nearly every major league team, you're right. He'll be playing for his 10th team this year.

Putting the brakes on Brown

ABC's Teddy Davis looks at 2012's major contenders (btw, the long list he wrote about recently is the one Sean Hannity referred to when quizzing John Thune on his Presidential ambitions. You can read that list here).



I agree -- the idea of Brown in 2012 is far-fetched; nevertheless, I'll keep covering him because he's good for traffic (although if I applied that strictly, GOP12 would essentially become the right sidebar of the Huffington Post, except with red sirens around each NSFW pic and an occasional headline story on finding the missing link that turns out to be a fossilized pig with dental problems).

Thune preps for expensive campaign

John Thune fears a phantom candidate in 2010:

"Having run two bare-knuckled Senate campaigns, especially the 2004 race spending $15 million, you just prepare for that kind of campaign."

Yes. This is exactly like taking on a sitting Minority Leader.

Continuing (keep in mind he's raised $6 million already)...

"When you assume you have to raise $10 million for a campaign, you don't even think about what you would do if you don't have a campaign."

The AP column is titled: "SD Republican Sen. Thune still has no challenger".

Do you know how many of these headlines I've read in the past 6 months? We're closing in on "Joy Behar slams Palin" levels.

DeMint to report $3.2 million in campaign funds

The State:

U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's campaign said this week that the Republican will report $3.2 million on hand when it files its 4th quarter campaign finance report.

According to the campaign, DeMint raised $541,000 during the past three months.

Just yesterday, Public Policy Polling released a survey suggesting DeMint might be vulnerable in his 2010 reelection bid, although that came with the huge caveat that his small 4% lead over a generic Democrat was in a district slightly more Democratic than average (although McCain carried it by 5% in 2008).

Romney hauls in nearly $3 million

Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC announced today that it raised $2.9 million last year, more than double Tim Pawlenty's haul for his Freedom First PAC ($1.3 million).

But remember: Pawlenty's period only covers the 4th quarter, so it's not quite fair to compare the two numbers.

Chris Good:

It's unclear how this will compare to the political action committees of the other Big Three Republican 2012 contenders--Sarah Palin's SarahPAC and Mike Huckabee's HuckPAC--but, at the midway point of 2009, Romney's PAC had led them substantially.

In their last Federal Election Commission disclosure reports, counting donations through June 30, 2009, Romney's PAC led with $1.9 million raised in the first half of the year. Palin's PAC had raised over $730,000, while Huckabee's PAC had raised over $300,000.

The year-end filing deadline is this Sunday, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, so we should know soon how much Palin and Huckabee's organizations raked in.

Pawlenty: PAC numbers won't influence run

Via Minnesota Public Radio, Tim Pawlenty talks about fundraising numbers for his Freedom First PAC.

About 1:10 in.

REPORTER QUESTION: 2700 people [roughly the number of donors] though, $5,000 maximum. Are they donating -- do you think -- so that they can help other candidates, or are they donating because they want you to run for President?

PAWLENTY: Well, the purpose of the PAC isn't and can't be to run for President, it's to help other candidates in the 2010 election cycle and maybe beyond so that requires in today's age a website and the ability to staff that and have content and people who take care of that.

[a bit later]

REPORTER QUESTION: Does this influence you at all in terms of 2012?

PAWLENTY: No.

REPORTER QUESTION: So the amount of money you're raising doesn't have any impact on whether you decide to run for President or not?

PAWLENTY: No, it doesn't.

Pawlenty talks fundraising figures for PAC from tommy scheck on Vimeo.

"Well, at least I wasn't the Edwards girl"

Obama Girl (Amber Lee Ettinger) talked with Sean Hannity last tonight.

HANNITY: Would you vote for him again today?

ETTINGER: Right now I can't say for sure.

HANNITY: Like, if you had to choose today, right now.

ETTINGER: Who's my other options?

HANNITY: Let's say either Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Governor Palin, Mike Huckabee...

ETTINGER: Well, at least I wasn't the Edwards Girl, right? That's one thing I know.

Ultimately, she didn't endorse Huck, but did say "I like Mike Huckabee."

It's a great vid -- she's very charming.



[Hat tip: Washington Examiner]

Newt to stump for Bob Bennett

The Deseret News on a veteran hand flying in to help a veteran Senator in a primary challenge.

Former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich is coming to Salt Lake City next Wednesday to help formally kick off the re-election campaign of Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah.

.... The formal kickoff event is from 11 a.m. to noon on Wednesday at the Grand America Hotel Ballroom, 555 S. Main, in Salt Lake City. Bennett said that besides a speech by Gingrich, the senator will also give a speech outlining why he is running for re-election.

After the kickoff, the Bennett campaign will have a $1,000-a-head campaign fundraiser at the hotel, featuring Gingrich.

In January, Erick Erickson said Bennett was target number one in his effort to knock off Republicans that weren't sufficiently conservative (passing even Charlie Crist as his bete noire).

.... if conservatives really do want to be taken seriously by the GOP and not be seen as just puppets for leadership, defeating Bob Bennett should be the number one agenda item of every conservative in the United States of America, even surpassing the desire to see Marco Rubio beat Charlie Crist.

.... Bennett is the eighth most liberal Republican Senator and he is from the most conservative state in the nation. There is no reason for Bennett to still be in office.

As for 2012 stuff, Mitt Romney held a fundraiser for Bennett in April 2009, as well as one in Boston last year. It'll be interesting to see how Palin and Huck approach the GOP primary, which could be another battle between the establishment and grassroots.

Thune will try TARP amendment again

Even though his first amendment that would have diverted TARP money toward deficit reduction recently failed, John Thune thinks the election in Massachussetts has changed the political dynamic and will try again.

He'll need seven more votes this time, since 60 is the magic number and the amendment only got 53 votes on the first go-around (he got all Republicans and 13 Democrats).

vid via Keloland in SD.

Alaskans split on Palin

For Alaskans and Sarah Palin, it was a brief honeymoon, a short marriage, and a quick but fairly amicable divorce.

According to Public Policy Polling, 47% of Alaskans view Sarah Palin favorably, while 45% dissent.

Among independents, her favs are -19% (36%/55%); among women, her favs are -5 (44%/49%), but she scores +8% (50%/42%) with men.

At one point, Palin's honeymoon approval ratings among Alaskans were northward of 90%. After being selected as McCain's running mate, she entered the marriage portion of her gubernatorial career. Her numbers dropped significantly, but there was still a chance for things to work out.

That all changed on July 3, 2009, when she cited irreconcilable differences with some of her more nagging constituents and served papers.

Meghan McCain endorses Crist

If Jeb endorses Rubio, does this cancel it out?

“I know it seems he’s [Charlie Crist] made a lot of mistakes. But I still think at the end of the day, he’s the better choice.”

[Hat tip: Adam Smith]

10 @ 10 with Scott Brown

It sounds like he was briefed on the Ten at Ten. Then why have a 10 @ 10?

Via USA Today:

Brown, unplugged

Ben Smith notes that Scott Brown needs some work on message control in this long, entertaining interview with the Boston Globe (it shakes things up a bit if you're trying to hunt Ayla Brown down on Match).

Romney gave you early financial and public support. What's your relationship like with him?

"He's changed, he's changed. You know, he's actually -- before he was an outsider coming in and he was, you know, kind of, you know, stiff. But he's actually, like, funny, he's like -- when he was at my events he was cracking jokes, when we were on the bus -- I was like, who is this guy? He's really kind of, I think, settled into his role kind of being the elder statesman of the party and everything he went through as president. It's kind of, and once again it's my opinion but he's really a different guy than I knew when he was here, and I certainly appreciate everything he did for me. And it wasn't a lot, he was just there as the initial -- you know, 'here's a check, go get em!' And that says a lot, you know, when I signed my contract with the team, you know -- I worried about, how am I gonna pay for this? And he was one of the first guys that helped me towards that obligation. And I remember those people who took a chance."

Also, a word to national Republicans who will try to "claim his victory as their own and suck from his neck until he’s a pale and lifeless husk", as Peggy Noonan prophesied.

"I don't owe anybody anything, first of all, I don't know a lot of those people. And the only reason -- I've known Senator McCain for six-seven-six years now, and he was the only one, aside from Governor Romney, who helped me. When I went down there I couldn't even get an audience with anyone else.

The Globe then asks who his role models are, and in an answer that will miff the DeMints of the land, but help Brown's reelection prospects....

Lieberman, McCain, those type of anti-establishment -- there will be times when I'm gonna vote with the Republicans, and there will be times when I'm gonna vote for -- with the Democrats. That's how it's been here, and it's not gonna change."

Romney: TARP was necessary

On Neil Cavuto's show yesterday, Mitt Romney defended the decision to reconfirm Ben Bernanke and also noted that TARP -- though politically-unpopular -- was necessary (video here).

"Well, it [TARP] was the right thing to do. You know, I remember talking to Senator McCain -- and he was in the middle of a presidential campaign -- he said "Look, it is very bad politics to be for TARP. On the other hand, it's the right thing for the country."

And that's why he voted for it. That's why a lot of Republicans voted for it -- they knew it was bad politics. But they also recognized that if we saw a cascade of bank failures -- one after the other, after the other -- that the entire free economy would grind to a halt in this country and probably in various places around the world.

We were on a precipice which, you know, now we can sit back and say "Oh, it wasn't so scary." Well, frankly, it was a very scary time for a lot of people. And that's something which was resolved."

Whitman pivots from Palin question

Meg Whitman uses a convenient friend to artfully step away from a potentially damaging topic after being asked about reports that she was nonplussed by John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as Veep.

"You probably know that my first person I worked for for the Presidential campaign was Mitt Romney, so I actually thought John McCain should pick Mitt Romney, because he knew a lot about the economy, so I thought the combination of foreign policy expertise and domestic economic expertise would have been the right combination".

She then moves on to another topic.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Vid via Morning Joe home page.

Bauer not backing down

At a debate last night, Lieutenant Gov. Andre Bauer refused to back down from his controversial "stray animals" remarks:

“I didn't find myself in a controversy. The media found the controversy. I guarantee you if you polled most of the people in this room, they would concur. A lot of them.”

But....

“Surely, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't do that, but the people in the room, they didn't have a problem. … I had a minority minister come up and say, ‘Would you come over and say that in my church because you did it spot on.'”

UPDATE: First Read comments.

.... a good portion of the debate was devoted to outgoing Gov. Mark Sanford, who was in attendance. Asked whether Sanford was an effective governor, all of them said yes. Bottom line: Sanford was praised more at the debate than Graham, which when you think about is absolutely stunning…

Friday night fight in Texas

Somewhat anti-climactically, tonight is the final debate among Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rick Perry, and Debra Medina in the TX GOP primary.

CQ Politics says the Dallas Morning News will carry the live stream. Can Hutchison change the trajectory of the race?

"You betcha I'm going to be there"

That's Sarah Palin after being asked by Greta Van Susteren whether she'll still speak at the Tea Party Convention even though Congresswomen Michele Bachmann and Marsha Blackburn have now bowed out.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, two parts to the question. One is, do you intend to come here and speak? I know that there has -- at least, Michele Bachmann, I think, of Minnesota, has dropped out, as well as the congresswoman from the state of Tennessee. Do you intend to speak? And there's the controversy about you getting paid. What's your thought?

PALIN: Oh, you betcha I'm going to be there. I'm going to speak there because there are people traveling from many miles away to hear what that tea party movement is all about and what that message is that should be received by our politicians in Washington. I'm honored to get to be there.

I won't personally gain from being there. The speaker's fee will go right back into the cause.

Full transcript here.

Freedom First's first numbers

Tom Scheck is reporting that Tim Pawlenty's PAC, Freedom First, raised over $1.2 million from over 2,750 donors between October 1 and December 31 of 2009.

The committee has roughly $800 thousand in the bank after it spent funds helping Republican candidates including Senator-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Rob Portman of Ohio, Minnesota's Congressional delegation and Doug Hoffman....

UPDATE: In noting how strong T-Paw's numbers are, Politico adds some additional info.

In another indication of his move toward a presidential run, Pawlenty advisers tell POLITICO that they’ve hired a policy director – Brian Hook. A Bush administration veteran who did stints at the State Department, United Nations and in the White House, Hook will offer the governor counsel on issues to complement his political kitchen cabinet. Like some of Pawlenty’s other advisers, Hook got his start in Iowa politics.

Meghan McCain praises Palin's "panache"

ABC News reports on Meghan McCain's Wednesday night address at the University of Florida, where she talked about the future of the Republican party and, yes, Sarah Palin.

“I liked Sarah,” McCain said, “To me she represents a lot of feminist ideals. Our politics differ.”

She added, “I can’t stand here and say I hate her…I think anybody that underestimates her at any point is very foolish.”

.... McCain was also asked if she thought Palin could win the presidential election if she ran for office in 2012.

“Oh sure,” McCain answered, “I honestly haven’t seen another candidate so far that I believe has the panache.”

Though McCain was not completely convinced Palin actually will seek office in 2012, McCain said if she did run, the primaries could “get dirty.”

Her cheery fondness for Palin is a surprise, considering how mum she was after the 2008 election.

In a January interview with the Monday Morning Clacker:

So, no comment on the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as Senator McCain’s running mate?

“Sarah Palin is the only part of the campaign that I won’t comment on publicly.”

Sure, Megs says they still disagree politically, but her tone last night was decidedly more chipper.

The question is whether the apparent change comes from the political or emotional level.

Maybe Palinpalooza finally turned her around, and got her thinking (and talking) about Palin again... but the other possibility is that a harsh indictment of the former AK governor would reflect poorly on the decision her father made.

[Hat tip: @AllahPundit]

Evening eats

a. Jindal slams the ACORN kid.

b. Rick Perry wants a balanced budget in the U.S. Constitution.

c. Maxing out for Whitman and Brown.

d. The Tea Party convention continues to unravel. Is Palin next?

e. How they voted on Bernanke: Corker, YES... DeMint, NO... Hutchison, NO... Kyl, YES... McCain, NO... Thune, NO.

f. Why Jerry Brown should be sweating Whitman's lead in the GOP primary.

g. "I had to wait on the shake".

Rudy missed it six times

Rudy Giuliani told the Fox & Friends gang today that Barack Obama never mentioned the word "war" in his State of the Union speech last night.

Media Matters protests, claiming O used it "at least seven times". I only found six mentions, but regardless, the point is the same: Credit where credit is due, Rudy.



UPDATE: Fox & Friends corrected the next day.

Jenny adds another chat

ABC announces that Jenny Sanford will visit Good Morning America's set for a chat, February 5, the same day her book comes out and the same day she'll appear on 20/20 with Barbara Walters.

Three days later, she's scheduled for a sit-down with the ladies from The View.

Palin to endorse Rand Paul?

Kentucky Senate candidate, Rand Paul, is waiting for a name bigger than his Dad's.

David Adams, Paul's campaign manager, said he would announce the endorsement “as soon as we get it.”

“I would categorize that one as 'worth waiting for',” he said. “I'm waiting as patiently as I can.”

27 seconds

According to Jeff Zeleny, that's about how long Charlie Crist and Barack Obama shook hands as Florida's Governor greeted Obama's touch-down in Tampa today.

You can see a pic of the meeting here.

Jeb: That's not humility

On the Today Show, Jeb Bush tweaks one of Barack Obama's more irritating talking points.

"I don't think it's humble to say you didn't communicate a message, and that's the reason people oppose the health care plan in front of Congress right now by a dramatic margin."

Pataki hearts electric cars

Auto Blog Green (ea):

Former governor of New York George Pataki visited the Washington Auto Show today and set an ambitious target during the morning's opening plenary session. How ambitious? Um, he called for electric vehicles (EVs) to grow to 40 percent of the new vehicle market by 2020. Yes, 40 percent. In ten years. In other words, way, way higher than anyone else is seriously suggesting will happen.

Lithium-ion batteries are the life-blood of electric cars, and last year, The Washington Examiner noted that about half of the world's lithium reserves are in Bolivia, which wouldn't play well into the idea of energy independence.

Hint? Jenny Sanford wants more women in politics

The Jenny for Congress rumors are going to get louder after this one.

The AP:

South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford, in perhaps one of her last official duties as first lady, says not enough women are involved in politics in the state.

Sanford told a state GOP luncheon featuring three former first ladies on Thursday that during her two decades in the state she has seen great strides for women in business and the political world.

But she told an audience of about 200 there is still a long way to go. She said very few women are elected to office in South Carolina and not enough are involved in the system.

Mitt Romney to The View

Mitt Romney will be on The View, March 2.

His book: No Apology: The Case for American Greatness is released the same day.

Jindal might scrap lieutenant governor position

The AP on streamlining.

Gov. Bobby Jindal says he is strongly considering a proposal that would scrap the lieutenant governor's job in Louisiana.

Jindal Chief of Staff Timmy Teepell told The Advocate newspaper that the proposal under consideration would make the secretary of state second in command. The lieutenant governor's responsibilities over culture, recreation and tourism would be split among various agencies.

.... The change would require a constitutional amendment, which needs a two-thirds vote of the Legislature and approval from voters for passage.

[hat tip: reader]

Pawlenty: A gimmick is better than nothing

Tim Pawlenty and Gretchen Carlson discuss the significance of gimmicks on Fox & Friends.

CARLSON: You're not a conservative who's attacking that [the spending freeze], saying "That's just a gimmick".

PAWLENTY: Well, I am saying it is a gimmick, but it's better than the path he was on.

Steve Forbes endorses Rubio

Marco Rubio picked up the backing of Steve Forbes today.

The guy who's never blinked* supplemented his praise for Forbes Rubio with a dig at Crist (ea).

“Throughout his career, Marco Rubio has demonstrated an unshakable faith in free markets and limited government that have earned him the trust and admiration of supply-side conservatives everywhere. Marco Rubio is the only true fiscal conservative in Florida’s U.S. Senate race, which is why I am proud to support him."

*Great running mate for Palin... neither of them have ever blinked about anything.

Pence: "Hardest decision of my career"

On Morning Joe, Mike Pence explained his decision to forgo a run against Evan Bayh.

"It was easily the hardest decision of my career, Joe.

My family spent a long weekend in really prayerful deliberation, and we ultimately came to the decision -- I'll leave it to people like you whether or not we would've been able to succeed in that race -- but for us, in my role as Chairman of the House Republican Conference, I just believe my duty is right where I am right now.... I really believe that Republicans will retake the majority in 2010."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

[Hat tip: Real Clear Politics]

Newsmax/Zogby poll: Palin leads 2012 hopefuls

Newsmax-Zogby releases a new poll, showing Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney at the top of the 2012 heap in a hypothetical 2012 primary.

1. Sarah Palin 22.2%

2. Mitt Romney 19.4%

3. Newt Gingrich 12%

4. Mike Huckabee 11%

5. David Petraeus 5.6%

Others: Scott Brown got 5.2%, Tim Pawlenty 4.9%, and Jeb Bush 3.9%.

Notes: There's not a whole lot of information on the poll beyond the preference numbers, so it's hard to see what dynamic's at work and why Mike Huckabee is polling at just half of Sarah Palin when he's been at or near the top for most of 2009.

Pawlenty responds to Obama's speech

Tim Pawlenty includes a fair amount of his own resume in his response to the SOTU speech.

“While I disagree with his proposed direction, I agree with President Obama that education, health care and the deficit are critical challenges for our country. Our nation’s debt is a growing crisis that puts the country’s security at risk. Freezing some spending won’t solve the crisis – we need to actually cut spending. If we set priorities, make tough choices and reject tax hikes, we can create jobs without continuing to run up irresponsible debt.

“In the long run, our schools simply must do a better job of educating children if America is going to remain competitive. That’s why I’ve pushed to hold teachers accountable with a groundbreaking performance-pay system in Minnesota – reforms that I hope the President will push nationwide.

“Minnesota has also led the way on health care, passing reforms to move the system towards paying for and achieving better health care outcomes. Democrats should listen to voters, stop pushing a government-takeover of health care, and join with Republicans to pass reforms that will cut health care costs.”

Campbell, Whitman with double-digit leads

According to a new Public Policy Institute of California poll, Tom Campbell and Meg Whitman are the GOP front-runners for Senate and governor, respectively.

2010 Senate Primary Matchup:

1. Tom Campbell 27%

2. Carly Fiorina 16%

3. Chuck DeVore 8%

2010 Gubernatorial Primary Matchup:

1. Meg Whitman 41%

2. Steve Poizner 11%

A bit more on Campbell's strength (ea):

Campbell leads among likely voters with household incomes below $80,000 and above $80,000, and among both men and women. Likely voters in the Republican primary include the 12 percent of independent voters who say they will choose to vote on a Republican ballot.

As for hypothetical general election matchups in the gubernatorial race:

1. Jerry Brown 41% Meg Whitman 36%

2. Jerry Brown 44% Steve Poizner 29%

In the Senate general:

1. Barbara Boxer 45% Tom Campbell 41%

2. Barbara Boxer 48% Carly Fiorina 40%

3. Barbara Boxer 47% Chuck DeVore 39%

[Hat tip: Political Wire]

Romney: Show me the (net) jobs

On Good Morning America, Mitt Romney replies to Barack Obama's state of the union speech w/a soundbite Bob McDonnell should have borrowed (video here).

"You know that there's not been a single, new net job created in the private sector over the last year, despite the fact the that the President spent $787 billion."

George Stephanopoulos also asked Romney if Scott Brown had "Presidential timbre".

"He's a great guy. I welcome him into that arena. I tried it once, and he may try it, as well, but you know, it's a difficult road to hoe, and what he's got right now is a big responsibility."

Talking Rudy/Romney in SLC

The Salt Lake Tribune reports on Rudy Giuliani's speech at an event in SLC yesterday.

"Could there be a Romney-Giuliani ticket in 2012?" Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, asked the failed 2008 presidential candidate.

Giuliani waited for the anxious laughter to fade, then framed a toothy grin.

"There could be anything in 2012, who knows?" he told a crowd of nearly 1,000 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. "Things change in American politics almost instantly."

Thune responds to Presidential speculation

SD Sen. John Thune on Sean Hannity's program tonight.

HANNITY: Hey, Senator, I keep reading your name -- as a matter of fact, you recently showed up on a list of twelve of the most prominent Republicans whose names are being bantered about for potentially running for the Presidency in 2012?

You have any trips to Iowa maybe on your way home? Gonna stop in New Hampshire any time soon?

THUNE: [laughing] Well, New Hampshire's definitely not on my way home.

HANNITY: Well, you go a little bit north; then swing on over. It wouldn't be unheard of.

THUNE: Well, I'm going home every weekend now, and of course, I'm running for reelection to the Senate this year, so I'll be spending a lot of time in South Dakota.

I know there's a lot of speculation about next time around, but I'm focused on 2010. We've got some opportunities this year.

HANNITY: That is such a political answer. If you were [Democratic PA Gov] Ed Rendell I'd be all over you, but I'll give you a pass and give you time to decide on your own.

I'm assuming the list Hannity was talking about was Teddy Davis' from earlier this week. You can check it out here.

Palin responds to Obama's speech

Greta Van Susteren and Sarah Palin chatted about Barack Obama's speech tonight.

VAN SUSTEREN: Governor Palin, if there's one single word that sort of describes your view of the State of the Union speech, what is it and why?

PALIN: In a word "lecture". I think there was quite a bit of lecturing; not leading in that as opposed to Governor McDonnell's follow-up comments were quite inspiring, his connection with the people, he absolutely gets it. He understands government's appropriate role.

And it seemed like our President still has that fundamental disconnect between what the people are expecting with their government and what he wants to deliver.

VAN SUSTEREN: And Governor Palin, in terms of this speech, do you think that he managed to reach across the aisle even though you used the word "lecture", did he reach across the aisle? Do you think any Republicans were persuaded [to say] let's try to work together?

PALIN: Not necessarily, Greta, because the remembrance here has got to be that he and the Democrats -- they have been in charge of Washington this last year, so the common sense reforms that he is looking for the Republicans to join him on -- he could have implemented many of those common sense, as he calls them, reforms all along. Nothing has stopped him from doing that.

His mention of off-shore drilling, considering that; new energy plans, and other things that do make a lot of sense, and I do appreciate him mentioning those in the speech.

Those things that are, again, common sense he could have implemented, and I think that was a bit condescending as he spoke that being received by Republicans who were saying "Wait, we wanted to do that all along. Where you been?"

Crist will (kind of) meet with Obama

Fox News reports that Charlie Crist won't attend Barack Obama's townhall in Tampa tomorrow, but will meet with the POTUS when Air Force One lands.

Adam Smith says Crist will come to him with a message.

"To express to him my disappointment that there hasn't been more bipartisanship on his behalf, which is what he talked about a lot last year."

Whitman: McCain campaign frustrating

In her new book, Meg Whitman says John McCain's campaign was... well, exactly as it seemed, post 1,000,000 dissections.

“When you have managed a big organization and thousands of people, you take for granted management basics such as respecting lines of authority and decision making. The lines of authority in the McCain campaign were constantly crossing, and there was much misfiring and battling for his attention.”

Read more here.

Bob McDonnell's entire speech

Marc Ambinder has it here.

Also, watch how he delivers this line -- will it be funny or forced?

It's not easy to follow the President of the United States. And my twin 18-year old boys have added to the pressure, by giving me exactly ten minutes to finish before they leave to go watch SportsCenter.

Here's the part that will probably resonate strongest with most Americans.

What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class.

It was Thomas Jefferson who called for "A wise and frugal Government which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry ....and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned..." He was right.

Today, the federal government is simply trying to do too much.

And as a P.S., a case where rhetoric is trashed while being used.

We want results, not rhetoric.

[Hat tip: @The Daily Caller]

UPDATE: Here's the text of Obama's State of the Union.

DOUBLE UPDATE: Via MoFo Politics, McDonnell's speech.

Evening eats

a. Republicans want answers.

b. Brady Center gives Obama an "F" on gun control.

c. Palin pissed off Paulson.

d. Everyone's doing Money Bombs these days. Is Code Pink next?

e. Yes, the "Let me be clear" stuff is like chalk.

f. A good look at the state of the political landscape heading into tonight's speech.

g. Yes, but will Obama's lips?



h. Sports stuff. The A's sign Sheets to a one-year K (flashbacks to Giambi last year). I say this as a huge Oakland fan, but this is what Billy Beane's genius has descended to: signing aging stars to one-year, incentive laden contracts in hopes they'll be resurrected in Oakland Coliseum (of all places).

The great, unspoken secret is that Beane's made some terrible moves in the past few years. He traded Haren for six prospects and then traded away the best one -- Carlos Gonzalez. Before that, he signed Eric "day-to-day" Chavez to a long-term contract. He spent ridiculous money (considering it's Oak) on Orlando Cabrera, he traded Street just as he was on the road to recovery, he signed Matt Holliday, and hung onto Daric Barton until it was clear to everyone else in the MLB that the only thing he could was walk to first base. Grrrrrrrr.

Oh, and Jack Cust's back.

Will Bachmann skip Tea Party convention?

According to Derek Wallbank, Michele Bachmann is having second thoughts about attending the increasingly-troubled National Tea Party Convention in Nashville.

Bachmann:

"We've been getting conflicting advice from different sources on if we can or cannot participate, and if the advice is conflicting, I think we need to err on the side of caution, but we'll make a final decision.

We're reevaluating right now and we're trying to decide what would be the right thing to do."

Wallbank:

Among the concerns Bachmann listed: That the Tea Party convention is a for-profit venture, and that the event organizer, Tennessee lawyer Judson Phillips, may also be running a 527 group.

Bachmann said her office is working with the House Ethics Committee to see if she will be cleared to attend. Unlike former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who reportedly will receive a $100,000 honorarium for speaking, Bachmann said she would not be paid regardless.

Will Palin back out?

[Hat tip: @dwallbank]

Hutchison skipping SOTU address

The Dallas Morning News' Tom Benning:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will be skipping tonight's State of the Union address to meet with constituents in the Dallas area.

Jennifer Baker, Hutchison's gubernatorial campaign spokeswoman, declined to elaborate on the decision and simply said, "She is in Texas meeting with constituents."

Risk of keeping your seat while running for another?

Crist indicates he won't run as independent

Via Michael Bender:

Asked whether he could win as an independent candidate, Crist said, “We’ll never know.”

Jindal, Nagin celebrate $475 million

WWL in Louisiana reports on a big get for a good cause, one that has both Governor Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, joining hands.

Louisiana will get nearly $475 million from the feds to replace the Katrina ravaged Charity Hospital.

.... Jindal says the impact will continue to grow over time. "This is only the beginning. If you look at what they have done in Houston and Birmingham, they generate hundreds of million dollars per year."

He credits the state's congressional delegation for pushing for the creation of the arbitration panel, which unanimously sided with the state.

Jindal points out that FEMA wasn't offering anywhere near the amount it would take to repair or replace Charity Hospital.

"The offer on their table was $25 million," Jindal said. "We wanted what we were owed."

Today marks one of Bobby Jindal's most important anniversaries. Last year, he responded to Barack Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress, and we all know how everyone responded to that.

Since then, he's kept a low national profile, primarily leaving the state for quiet fundraising events, and with Palin, Romney, and Huck occupying so much attention for a number of tough stories (e.g. here, here, and here), Jindal's unwitting Kenneth the Page ape seems pretty innocuous.

Rubio: I'm not the front-runner

The Palm Beach Post on Politics on a pseudo-front-runner, who's probably more comfortable with the adjective "insurgent" attached to him:

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio brushed off a poll showing he was leading in a primary against Gov. Charlie Crist.

“When you’re out-raised three or four to one, you’re not the front-runner.

Barbara Walters to interview Jenny Sanford (again)

Earlier this week, it was reported that Jenny Sanford would be appearing on "The View", February 8, and now ABC says Barbara Walters will interview Sanford on February 5 (which is the release date of her memoir).

The Walters interview will air on "20/20".

Last year, Walters interviewed Sanford for her "10 most fascinating people of 2009".

Newt: Obama running out of political space

Newt Gingrich, in an interview with Bill O'Reilly last night (full transcript here).

Well, I think he is risking support on the left which started with his decisions on Afghanistan.

I think he is risking the support on the right, which he's alienated.

And I think it's very possible that like, Jimmy Carter, he will presently end up as a president who has virtually no base from which to govern.

The Jimmy Carter-comparison is one Newt's been particularly fond of since the POTUS assumed office.

On the subject of the Iranian elections and protest, June 24, 2009:

Now, that's pretty Jimmy Carter-esque in terms of absolute inability to do anything meaningful about a dictatorship which in the last few days has killed a number of its own citizens.

During the pirate in Somalia saga, April 15, 2009:

This is a lesson that all those who now dismiss the Somali pirates as “distractions” would do well to learn.

It’s a lesson that Ronald Reagan, in addition to Mayor Giuliani and Commissioner Bratton, well understood. As Callista and I tell in our new movie, Rendezvous with Destiny, the time America spent under the presidency of Jimmy Carter was a four-year lesson in the perils of weakness.

After the Massachusetts election, Newt said Obama was a cross between Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson.

And it hasn't just been Newt making the comparison. In September, 2009, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist made the charge.

They [the voters] wanted a change back in 1976. You remember? Richard Nixon had been president. That ended. Gerald Ford took over. The people decided they wanted a change. They got one-Jimmy Carter.

Rick Santorum, on October 22, 2009:

It has been 30 years since President Jimmy Carter's passive assent gave birth to a tyrannical anti-American regime that has spawned radical Islamic terrorism around the globe.

Now, Obama's acquiescence will either give this supermarket to the world's terrorists a high-end line of nuclear weapons to purvey at what I am sure will be bargain prices, or force an Iran/Israel war.

Further, it's not just 2012 candidates who've gotten in on the act. Google Obama Carter and the first results are: "obama carter comparison" and "obama carter similarities".

As far back as February 2009, Democrats were worried about it.

You may get away with calling President Obama “Barry,” but don’t call him “Jimmy”—as in Carter, the Times of London reports. Anxious to characterize Obama as weak at home and inexperienced abroad, Republicans have seized on the comparison first made by Hillary Clinton supporters during the primaries. “Carter had the same belief in naïve symbolism,” says a GOP consultant.

But with 75% of voters “confident” Obama will bring “real change” to Washington—an increase of 9 points since November—a Democratic operative insists, “He is no Jimmy Carter.”

What Pawlenty wants to hear

Tim Pawlenty tells the national morning news program, The Take Away, what he wants to hear in Barack Obama's State of the Union speech tonight.

"Clearly the jobs and the economy are the number one issue. I think he needs to answer the question of what would grow more jobs in this country. We should ask the job providers, and when you ask them, what they say is: don't have the federal government suck all the financial oxygen out of the room, reduce spending, don't increase it, cut taxes, don't increase them, do health care reform, but do it with market principles in mind."

Whitman defends personal contributions to campaign

This morning, Matt Lauer asked Meg Whitman about the jaw-dropping amount of money (around $39 million) that she's lent her campaign in California's GOP gubernatorial primary -- something her opponent, Steve Poizner, has been attacking in recent days.

Comes 2:45 in.

LAUER: Can we talk about money for a second?

WHITMAN: We can.

LAUER: You were here a year ago, just about 11 months ago, when you announced you were running for the Governor of California, and since that time, you've spent -- I believe -- about $39 million of your own money to run for this office.

And, let's face it, a lot of people -- we had an example here in New York City, a lot of successful people do spend a lot of their own money to gain political office -- but are you worried that in these days and times, with this deep recession, people out of work, people really hurting, that in some ways in spending all this money, you're creating a disconnect, and people are going to think you're out of touch with them?

WHITMAN: Well, we haven't spent that much money yet -- that's for sure.

LAUER: You've lent your campaign that much money.

WHITMAN: Right we've let that to the campaign, but you know what? I think voters are really smart. They look at the individuals, the message, and what we are doing in California is getting our message out, allowing voters to interact with me, get to know me, and voters are really smart. They will pick the best person they think to lead the state.... no amount of money can buy the election, what you can do is get your message out, and I hope the voters will like what they hear.

More Paw prints

Tom Scheck has Tim Pawlenty's spring itinerary (always possible he'll add more dates to the tour).

a. Raleigh, NC on Monday, Feb 8.

b. Alabama GOP winter dinner, Feb 11.

c. CPAC, Feb 18-20.

d. NGA meeting, Feb 20-22.

e. Washington D.C., Susan B. Anthony fundraiser, March.

f. Dallas County Republican Party fundraiser, March 6

g. Southern Republican Leadership Conference in April.

Rubio on leg cutting

The Buzz quotes Marco Rubio at an AP event in Florida's capitol today:

"When Charlie Crist lined up behind the stimulus package, he cut the legs out from every other Republican who was trying to find an alternative."

Granted, this is the issue that Rubio has used to catapult himself to that 3% lead, but at what point do Floridians say "Okay -- we get it"?

Is there a chance for a backlash of the backlash -- that in the hyper-partisan atmosphere of politics, it could suddenly seem like a symbolic gesture that could be the beginning of true centrism?

I can imagine Bob McDonnell hugging Barack Obama; I can imagine Scott Brown doing the same.

Maybe they wouldn't have supported the stimulus, but Rubio needs to tread carefully on the optics, because he's going to start sounding cranky and while the people are cranky right now, they don't want their politicians to be.

Obama Girl disillusioned

The New York Post:

Amber Lee Ettinger -- the buxom sensation who lip-synched about her love for then-candidate Barack Obama -- said she wishes he spent his first year in office more fo cused on fixing the abysmal economy.

"I think he's doing an OK job," said Ettinger, whose original "Crush on Obama" video, first shown in 2007, has had more than 16.5 million views on YouTub

.... "I know he's getting a lot of flak for things that he's not doing," she told The Post. "In my opinion, I feel like he should be focusing a lot more on jobs and the economy."

Ettinger, 28, said that even though she doesn't have health care -- "I can't afford it" -- she still thinks Obama should have waited to tackle the thorny legislation that has been blamed for the devastat ing Democratic loss of Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.

Before the 1 year itch.



[Hat tip: The Weekly Standard]