Charlie Crist: "It's your decision"

A couple key passages from Charlie Crist's speech announcing his run as an indie.

a. The Explanation:

"They [the people] want someone more concerned about standing up for them than standing up for special interests or party. They look at Washington, and they don't like what they see. They don't like what they see from politicians.

.... Now I could have chosen to stay in the primary, but frankly for me, it's your decision.... it is a decision too important, it is a decision for all the people of Florida to be able to make, and so that's why we go straight to November. We give you the chance to make that decision. It's your decision to make."

b. The Challenge:

"I know this is uncharted territory. I am aware of that. And I am aware that after this speech ends, I don't have any party helping me, but I need you the people more than ever."

c. The Ideology:

"Whether it's off-shore drilling -- and stopping it -- whether it's fighting for our teachers and our children and education. Whatever the issue might be. You know, expanding our hours for people to be able to vote back in 2008. Some didn't like that, but I believe in democracy, and the people have the right to choose.

He said "my friends" once, too.

Pawlenty: Crist's decision "regrettable"

At a meeting with the Post-Bulletin's editorial board, Tim Pawlenty hit his fellow governor on two issues -- bolting the party to run as an indie and vetoing Florida's education bill.

"I think it would have been the most significant pieces of education reform in the modern history of the country and he vetoed it to the applause of the teachers unions but to the disappointment of the education reform movement across the country.

Well, Pawlenty obviously won't be getting Crist's endorsement when Florida rolls around in '12. That is -- unless Crist's already promised him one.

Another Florida conservative...

... strongly opposes Arizona's new immigration law.

This time, it's former Florida Sen. Connie Mack:

"This law of 'frontier justice' – where law enforcement officials are required to stop anyone based on “reasonable suspicion” that they may be in the country illegally – is reminiscent of a time during World War II when the Gestapo in Germany stopped people on the street and asked for their papers without probable cause. It shouldn’t be against the law to not have proof of citizenship on you."

(ea) Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio also oppose the law.

[Hat tip: Sunshine State News]

Palin picks a candidate in MN

Sarah Palin facebooks her choice in the Minnesota gubernatorial primary, the"straight-talking, hockey-Dad", state Rep. Tom Emmer.

A family man who wants to leave his kids a better future, a “hockey dad” who once played for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, a patriotic commonsense conservative who wishes to serve for the right reasons – that’s Tom Emmer, and I ask you to join me in supporting him for governor of Minnesota.

More about him here...

Santorum reintroduces himself to New Hampshire

Rick Santorum writes an op-ed for The New Hampshire Union Leader before his talk in the state tonight.

The first paragraphs recount his political career, saying he"needed" his loss in Pennsylvania's Senate race to become a better parent and husband.

From there, he talks about what he's done since, leading to the big question.

So why, then, will I be in New Hampshire tomorrow?

If that isn't a set-up.

What follows is a long list of grievances with the Obama Administration, garnished with meaty rhetoric.

The President has waged an ideological assault on democratic capitalism in favor of European socialism, using every dirty trick in the book to get his programs passed while unemployment rates soared and the public pleaded with him to stop. And he shows no sign of slowing down the onslaught.

Like the health care bill, his financial services "reform" reflects a belief in government control over refereed market competition that ignores the role government regulation had in creating the problem.

And next up is a partisan immigration bill aimed not at passage, but at cynically trying to further turn Hispanic voters against Republicans.

He'll be keynoting the Cheshire County Lincoln Day dinner in Keene, NH.

Campbell cites Warren in defending AZ law

CA Senatorial candidate, Tom Campbell, chats with Joe Garofoli about Arizona's new immigration law.

"It's constitutional," Campbell told The [San Francisco] Chronicle.

Plus, Campbell said. "It puts an end to sanctuary cities in the state of Arizona."

Naturally, The Professor took us to the law school library. Cited Terry v. Ohio, 1968, an 8-1 opinion written by chief Justice Earl Warren -- "so I'm not citing somebody from the far right" Campbell noted -- which he said justified the right of law enforcement, upon reasonable suspicion, to stop and make an inquiry, short of probable cause.

But doesn't he have any concerns about the law encouraging racial profiling:

"If there is racial profiling, that would be an unconstitutional application of a constitutional law," he said.

Yesterday, The Sac Bee reported that Campbell's opponent, Chuck DeVore, also supports the law, while his other foe, Carly Fiorina, is tbd.

Romney leads in Arizona

Public Policy Polling releases a new poll (pdf) showing Mitt Romney leading in a hypothetical 2012 primary in Arizona.

1. Mitt Romney 27%

2. Newt Gingrich 19%

3. Sarah Palin 13%

4. Mike Huckabee 12%

5. Ron Paul 9%

Breaking it down:

a. Interestingly, Newt leads among Hispanics, which might have something to do with his outreach to that constituency, best exemplified in the good (but relatively unsung) Americano publication he rolled out last year.

b. Romney wins with every age group.

c. Once again, Palin performs better among men than women, while Romney wins both genders.

d. Among moderate Republicans, Romney holds a 14% lead over his next closest challengers (Huckabee and Palin), but among conservative Republicans, Romney leads Newt by only 3%.

Newt's surprisingly strong showing (and particularly among cons) leads to pollster Tom Jensen's moral of the story.

Palin and Gingrich both have a unique appeal to the most partisan of Republican voters, but it may be that they see Gingrich as a more substantive and 'Presidential' candidate. They could end up competing for the same pool of GOP partisans, and if they both run it may prove to be a good thing for Romney.

Pataki in the News

On the homepage of George Pataki's RevereAmerica.org... Bernie Quigley's "Why Pataki is Important", which includes him in the context of a Presidential race.

Click on pic for better view.

Please donate

As I said yesterday, please use the donate button on the right side-bar to help keep gop12 going.

(Sorry to beat you over the head on this, but it can't be any more repetitive or worse than TV ads for Avatar available now on blu-ray and dvd).

"It's not my place to agree or disagree"

That's Mike Huckabee's response to Arizona's new immigration law in an interview with the Dallas Morning News.

Q: Do you agree with the recently passed law in Arizona that empowers law enforcement officials to check whether a person being stopped or detained is a U.S. citizen?

A: It's not my place to agree or disagree.

I understand why it was passed and why 70 percent of the people of Arizona support it. They're angry, they're frustrated, and they're scared. There are a half-million illegals who have poured into their state. ... They feel under siege, and I understand that.

What does concerns me is that if it's not carried out and applied carefully, you could end up in the situation where people are indiscriminately stopped who are absolute citizens. ... America is a lot like Disney World in that once you get a ticket, you're in. You don't have to keep showing your ticket to keep riding the rides. That's the whole point of liberty.

Also, there's this very bookmarkable exchange.

Q: What do you think about Rick Perry?

A: He's explicitly said he's not going to run. ... In fact, he was so clear, that if he were to run, it would be a dramatic flip-flop that he would have more trouble explaining than he would if he just came out and said, "Well, I haven't made a decision." He didn't leave himself much wiggle room.

[Hat tip: Huck's Army]

Cornyn reflects on Crist

At a Christian Science Monitor breakfast today, John Cornyn talked about what the Charlie Crist indie bid meant for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and its future m.o.

The Weekly Standard:

"In this political environment," Cornyn said, "it's not necessarily helpful for candidates running in the states to have the national party chairman" endorse them.

.... Cornyn said that voters don't want to "have their choices made" for them by the political elite. They want those in Washington to hear their voices.

David Catanese reports from the breakfast and finds similar reflection from Cornyn but an anxiousness to move on.

"Once we get by this drama today, it'll be a general election campaign," Cornyn said, predicting: "People will begin focusing on Kendrick Meek," the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Yesterday, CQ Politics took a look at the things Crist did during his tenure to antagonize his party, which includes this more obscure poke.

Not long after taking office in 2007 Crist declared that “lawyers are back.”

St. Petersburg Times columnist Steve Bousquet reported that Crist made that statement at an event in West Palm Beach when the former attorney general spotted a fellow lawyer in a crowd.

“Crist wanted it known that the legal profession would not be shunned [in his administration] as it had been during the Jeb Bush years,” Bousquet wrote in 2008.

Crist’s cozy relationship with and heavy financial support from trial lawyers during his campaign didn’t sit well in conservative circles after he moved into the governor’s mansion.

In fact, Florida radio talk show host Burnie Thompson mentioned Crist’s comment on trial lawyers in a column he penned for the Washington Times in 2008 as part of his argument for why Crist would not make a good vice-presidential pick for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Update: Via a lot of tweeters, here's vid that's bound to make it into quite a few commercials.

Romney endorses seven more

Mitt Romney is endorsing a slew of Illinoisians (aka candidates from Illinois) today. His Free and Strong America PAC reveals the group.

Congressman Mark Kirk: Congressman Mark Kirk currently represents the 10th Congressional District of Illinois and is now running for U.S. Senate. For more information about him and his campaign, visit http://www.kirkforsenate.com.

Congressman Peter Roskam: Congressman Peter Roskam currently represents the 6th Congressional District of Illinois and is running for reelection. For more information about him and his campaign, visit www.roskamforcongress.com.

Congressman Aaron Schock: Congressman Aaron Schock currently represents the 18th Congressional District of Illinois and is running for reelection. For more information about him and his campaign, visit www.aaronschock.com.

Robert Dold: Robert Dold is a small business owner who is running to represent the 10th Congressional District of Illinois. For more information about him and his campaign, please visit www.doldforcongress.com.

Randy Hultgren: Randy Hultgren currently represents the people of Illinois in the State Senate and is now running to represent the 14th Congressional District of Illinois. For more information about him and his campaign, please visit www.hultgrenforcongress.com.

Adam Kinzinger: Adam Kinzinger has served in local government and as a member of the U.S. Air Force. He is now is running to represent the 11th Congressional District of Illinois. For more information about him and his campaign, visit www.electadam.com.

Dan Rutherford: Dan Rutherford currently represents the people of Illinois in the State Senate and is now running to become State Treasurer. For more information about him and his campaign, visit www.danrutherford.org.

Nugent on Palin; Palin on Beck

In Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, Ted Nugent writes up a blurb praising Sarah Palin, saying she'd be welcome in his band and praising her "herculean work ethic", which might ring true depending on how you view leaving your job to go on a book tour.

If Sarah Palin played a loud, grinding instrument, she would be in my band. The independent patriotic spirit, attitude and soul of our forefathers are alive and well in Sarah.

.... The tsunami of support proves that Sarah, 46, represents what many Americans know to be common and sensible. Her rugged individualism, self-reliance and a herculean work ethic resonate now more than ever in a country spinning away from these basics that made the U.S.A. the last best place.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin writes up a blurb on Glenn Beck, where -- maybe intentionally -- she characterizes him in words that could easily describe herself.

Best of all, Glenn delights in driving the self-proclaimed powers-that-be crazy. (The whole country awaits the red phone ringing!)

Even his critics (whom he annihilates in ratings) have to admire his amazing ability to galvanize everyday Americans to better themselves and peacefully engage their government.

Though he sometimes dismisses himself as an aw-shucks guy or just a "rodeo clown," he's really an inspiring patriot who was once at the bottom but now makes a much needed difference from the very, very top.

[Hat tip: Mediaite]

Romney: "All the streets in America are connected"

Mitt Romney was in Michigan Wednesday night, campaigning for gubernatorial candidate, Pete Hoekstra, when he responded to the DNC's recent attack over his ties to Wall Street.

"Frankly, I don't believe in discriminating against anybody, regardless of the street they're from.

You see, all the streets in America are connected, and scape-goating and demonizing individuals based on where they live or where they work is a big mistake."

It's a good line, substantively, and politically. Romney gets a lot of grief for taking the easy way out in some cases, but he's repeatedly urged restraint in a time when professional speechwriters have become professional scape-goaters.

Back in March, he hit the populism driving both parties right now, and in a judgment begins in the house of God kind of moment, the angry populism fueling some conservatives' anger toward absolutely crucial suburban voters.

“The populism I’m referring to is, if you will, demonizing certain members of society: going after businesspeople, going after Wall Street, going after people who are highly educated, people who are CEOs.

That kind of ‘All of our problems are due to that group’ is something that is unproductive."

Contrast that (and his support for TARP) with Rick Santorum at SRLC, who produced this earlier in April.

Santorum:

"Whether TARP was the right thing to do for the economy at the time, it was the wrong thing to do for America, because it set a precedent of crony capitalism and government involvement in the private sector that will ultimately destroy this country."

You can kind of see where he's going, theoretically, but practically (and that was a time when practicality was absolutely vital) it doubles over on itself a bit.

Huck: Crist's self-centered move to center

Mike Huckabee -- who backed Marco Rubio before it was cool -- hits Charlie Crist for running as an independent in a statement to Ben Smith.

I have been reading news accounts of Governor Crist's imminent switch to "No Party Affiliation."

As a new Florida voter, if these reports turn out to be true, it sure seems like Governor Crist is making this move because he's only thinking about himself and not the people of Florida. I think most Florida voters will remember that come November when they join me in proudly casting a vote for conservative Marco Rubio - who still knows what he believes and why he believes it.

Earlier today, Huckabee announced he was endorsing Marlin Stuzman in Indiana's Senate race, as well as Chuck DeVore in California's Senate race -- moves that might get him points among grassroots conservatives.

Competing tax returns in California

Here's what you need to know in the tax bickering between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman (outline is a cliff-notes of the San Jose Mercury News' story).

a. Jerry Brown wants Meg Whitman to release her last 10 years of tax returns online.

b. Whitman says okay, but ups the ante: I'll only release tax returns online if we both release our last 25 years of returns.

c. So what's with the 10 year vs 25 year thing?

d. Whitman hopes to show the "whole progression" of her career -- one that didn't begin with a silver spoon in her mouth, and not just her most successful years.

e. Meanwhile, she wants voters to see Brown's returns from 1983 to 1999, which serve as a gap between his stints in public service and would allegedly provoke "a lot of questions".

f. Apparently, Brown doesn't like this arrangement and calls questions over said-time period "insulting allegations".

g. Impasse.

Here's what we do know -- very few of Whitman and Brown's tax returns are likely to have been filed using the 1040EZ.

Competing evenings in Austin

Sarah Palin is in Austin, TX tomorrow for an "Evening with Sarah Palin" that will benefit Heroic Media, a faith-based, non-profit that teaches women about alternatives to abortion.

Meanwhile, the county's Democratic party is holding a fundraiser in town the same night called "An Evening without Sarah Palin" that will be dedicated to raising $ for Democratic candidates who are explicitly pro-choice.

Evening eats

a. As I said earlier, please donate using the button on the right. Thx!

b. Barbour gets an abortion bill.

c. Crist asked for it.

d. Thune accuses Dems of "political theater" on financial reform.

e. Staffing issues threaten a Palin bid.

f. Dean isn't supporting Crist.

g. Laura Bush warned.

h. Cornyn wants $3 more million.

i. Scott Brown slams Ken Salazar's decision.

j. Jonathan Chait called it in December.

k. A classic from the Onion vault.




l. Sports stuff. Ha! Why would someone who just got rid of his #23 jersey do this?

California Senate hopefuls weigh in on AZ

Chuck DeVore says he thinks California would be better off with a law like Arizona's, and Tom Campbell also supports the law, claiming reaction is much ado about nothing.

"I support it. I don't think it deserves the negative attention that it's received, if you take a look at it and actually read it."

But he didn't go as far as DeVore in saying he's support a similar law for California, claiming the AZ case's success would have to be taken into consideration.

Meanwhile, Carly Fiorina's campaign says she hasn't had time to review it.

Palin slams Obama for encouraging "profiling myth"

Some splintering continues. Those associated with Bushes -- Jeb, Marco Rubio, and Karl Rove -- are all worried both substantively (and probably politically) by Arizona's law.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin supports it unabashedly. Here's who I want to hear something from -- Rick Perry.

At first blush, you'd think he'd stand with the Palin wing, for whom the immigration law is a short-term win.

But Perry's involved in a very tough fight in Latino-rich Texas, and as the Houston Chronicle notes, there's more downside in the argument for him than his opponent, Bill White.

Illegal immigration is a sensitive issue for Perry and White because they want to attract Hispanic votes. But Perry has the additional need to fire up a conservative Republican base that blames illegal immigration for many of the nation's ills.

“In the best of all worlds, for White to win, there has to be a large Latino voter turnout,” said Jerry Polinard, a political scientist at the University of Texas Pan-American.

Also -- what would Kay Bailey Hutchison say? The Bush wing mostly sided with her in the primary. Would she follow suit, and would she have made the stronger general election candidate?

Sarah Palin, meanwhile, came out swinging away on Sean Hannity last night (vid starts immediately).

"There is no ability or opportunity in there for the racial profiling, and shame on the lamestream media again for turning this into something that it is not. Governor Jan Brewer did what she had to do as the CEO of that state

.... I think it's shameful, too, that the Obama administration has allowed, too, this to become more of a racial issue by perpetuating this myth that racial profiling is part of this law."

[Hat tip: Andy Barr]

Rubio: The Obamas vs Me

Marco Rubio on Florida radio station, Fox 92.5 FM today, responding to news that Charlie Crist is expected to announce a run as an indie tomorrow.

"It's still going to be a race between me and two other people who support the Obama agenda."

He also expressed sympathy with residents of Arizona who deal with border problems, but didn't change his essential position, articulated yesterday.

"This is inevitable that this was going to happen somewhere, particularly in Arizona.

I was there about two months ago, and the people there -- this is not even an immigration issue to them, this is a law enforcement issue. You've got kidnappings and murders and gang violence pouring over the border in an uncontrolled fashion. The bottom line is that the federal government has completely failed to enforce federal immigration laws.

.... I'm not going to sit here and criticize a state that's taken action in the sense of what they've done. I will tell you that I don't think this is the best way to have handled it.... here's my fear: my fear is that the Obama administration is going to use this as an excuse to go forward with some sort of amnesty bill. I've never supported amnesty. I think amnesty would be terrible for America's future."

[Hat tip: Freedom's Lighthouse]

Crist turns course on offshore drilling

Cynics might find new material in Charlie Crist's latest move -- first, Crist opposed drilling off Florida's coast, then after two years of lobbying (and an upcoming GOP primary), he reversed himself.

And now he's reversed himself again after a 90-minute tour from high above an oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.

.... he [Crist] revealed Tuesday there is no question now for him and lawmakers need to give up the idea. He feels the technology for oil drilling hasn't met his standards.

Cantor: "You can't get any better than Jeb"

Eric Cantor tells Politico that Jeb Bush's last name shouldn't be treated as a four-letter word.

.... can another Bush really be elected to the presidency?

“It really comes down to the individual, and you can’t get any better than Jeb Bush,” he said.

Even if Bush, who, in keeping with the family tradition of avoiding self-analysis, doesn’t want to discuss the topic, some of his enthusiasts are glad to.

Alex Castellanos, a longtime GOP consultant who worked on Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns and is still in touch with his old client, argued that the family brand could be rehabilitated for Jeb just as it was for Hillary Clinton after her husband’s presidency.

(ea) Only problem is that there was one Pres. Clinton and Hillary ran to be another.

But two Bushes actually succeeded, so the real corollary is if Hillary runs again, wins, is President for two terms; and then Chelsea runs a few terms later.

Huck endores DeVore

Mike Huckabee has endorsed Chuck DeVore in California's Senate primary.

“Chuck DeVore has a clear pro-life record, with a 100% pro-life, pro-family rating from the Capitol Resource Institute in Sacramento and a 100% rating from the pro-life, conservative California Republican Assembly.

We need people like Chuck DeVore in the U.S. Senate because he’ll work to bring some common sense back to Washington.”

DeVore's languished in the polls (e.g. here and here; although this showed some upward movement), even though he's been a cause celebre for a number of national conservatives.

So Huck likely scores some points with those activists today.

[Hat tip: @MattLewis]

Huck: I'm not getting paid for campaign visit

Last summer, The Hill's (and now The WaPo's Aaron Blake) reported on a fundraiser Mike Huckabee headlined for U.S. House candidate, Les Phillip, of Alabama.

Ironically, the cost of Huck's speaking fee, as well as other expenses associated with the event, ended up losing Phillip more money ($43,611) than it raised ($17,000).

Well, today, Huck's in Tennessee, where he's raising $ for congressional candidate, Chuck Fleischmann.

In advance of Huck's visit, Fleischmann's opponent invoked the ill-fated* Phillip fundraiser and asked if Fleischmann was paying for Huck's visit.

Huckabee responded on touch-down today by calling the claims "dishonest" and assuring that he's not getting paid to stump for Fleischmann.

*Phillip told the Huntsville Times the fundraiser was, ultimately, worth it.

"My main focus was bringing someone in for an event to get my name out there. People know me now - people who wouldn't have known me at all. I'm not talking just locally, but nationally.... It got me the front page of my newspaper. It opened doors for me that are paying dividends that you wouldn't believe."

Crist to run as indie

Fox News hears it from a source -- Charlie Crist will run as an independent in Florida's Senatorial contest.

Beth Reinhard:

.... a three-way race would make it easier for Rubio and Meek to cater to their own parties because they don't need as many crossover and independent votes as they would in a two-man contest.

Races in Florida are typically decided by the political middle ground, which helped Obama capture the state in 2008 and Crist win election in 2006.

We have two recent polls on a three-way race. Quinnipiac had it Crist 32% Rubio 30% and Meek 24% earlier this month, while Rasmussen had Rubio 37%, Crist 30%, and Meek 27% last week.

John Mercurio points out that Bill McCollum might have the most to gain in a 3-way race.

A Crist independent bid would likely generate a higher turnout this fall for the campaigns of both Rubio and Crist, and most of those voters would likely be inclined to back state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) for governor.

UPDATE: Adam Smith on the logistics of Thursday's big announcement.

The announcement is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Straub Park in downtown St Petersburg. They're expecting a small army of media, and it looks like Crist may have no Republican press staffers with him, and will rely on folks like local supporter Greg Truax and finance director Dane Eagle to deal with press inquiries.

His kick-off fundraiser is tentatively scheduled Fisher Island off Miami Beach, where his wife owns a a home.

The car ads

California's GOP gubernatorial primary is now airing two ads state-wide that show cars careening off cliffs but no Dukes of Hazard music.

First, there was Steve Poizner's.



Now, there's Meg Whitman's, which began airing on CA TV today.

The Way Forward: Please donate

Hey guys,

We've now arrived at the 1.5 year anniversary of GOP12, and over the past few months, I've been thinking a lot about the future viability of the site.

By a lot of measures, the site's doing very well. People seem to like it and think it's an important resource that fills a niche. But as you know, I don't have support from any organization, committee, candidate, person etc., This is a solo joint.

And by a very important measure -- money -- it's sputtering (the only ad is on the left side-bar).

I'd love to be bohemian about it and say that money's not important, but the more time you spend on a passion project, the less time you have to do other $-generating things, and yeah, money becomes an issue. If I had the resources to keep doing this indefinitely, you wouldn't be getting this pitch.

So I'm stuck in a tough position -- I've already written roughly 9,103 posts here, so that's a lot of sunk cost, and the blog has definitely made an imprint in the political conversation, so that's a nice carrot.

On the other hand, I don't want to spend another 9,000 posts on something that, ultimately, won't work. And after 1.5 years, it's still hard to know whether continuing is admirable perseverance or tone-deaf bullheadedness.

They say money talks, so I'm going to let money do the talking and make the decision. This is a two-way deal -- if the blog's worth it to you; then it's worth it to me.

I'm starting a 2-week pledge drive today. If I can raise $1,000 during that time, I'll keep going (but not without a periodic pledge pitch). But If I can't get the $ during the next two weeks, I'll have to chop the site's head off.

It's the only thing I can think of that gives a more accurate measure of viability (The $1K is fairly arbitrary. Not too ambitious, but a decent enough gauge considering how much free info abounds on the net).

So think of GOP12 as a seal at Sea World. Are you interested enough to reward the seal's behavior? (You can actually learn a lot about life in one afternoon at Sea World).

Think about it over the next couple weeks, and expect me to bang your head over it with an occasional post pointing to the donation button on the right side-bar.

I'll keep you updated on how much has come in every few days, so you know if we're close.

As always, thanks for reading; I really appreciate it.
Christian

P.S. Sarah Palin. Barack Obama. There. Evidently, you're not supposed to ask for money without mentioning those two. And since I have conservative and liberal readers..... "Sarah Palin would wreck the country and Barack Obama already has".

Romney on AZ

In a statement to Politico, Mitt Romney stresses the fed's role in the AZ debate without committing to an up-or-down on the state's controversial immigration law.

“Arizona's new immigration enforcement law is the direct result of Washington’s failure to secure the border and to protect the lives and liberties of our citizens,” Romney said.

“It is my hope that the law will be implemented with care and caution not to single out individuals based upon their ethnicity,” he added. “It is increasingly clear that the time has come for Washington to fulfill its responsibility for border security.”

So... the latest scorecard.

a. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio have come out against the bill.

b. Rick Santorum supports it.

c. Mitt Romney is careful on it.

Schmidt: "somewhat scripted" debate answers

I had to triple-check this to make sure this interview was brand new, because it sounds like we've been through this before (and we have, but it seems Steve Schmidt is up for another round).

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Steve Schmidt, nicknamed The Bullet, says her [Sarah Palin's] preparations were going so badly in the days leading up to the debate with the vastly more experienced Joe Biden, the campaign was facing an "emergency" and a "crisis".

He told her: "These are the questions. Here's what he's going to say. Here's what your most effective response is. That we want to be able to come out of this debate saying you were on offence."

"If you hear 'A', you go ahead and say 'B', and so to that degree it was somewhat scripted," he admitted.

"The questions that we mocked and drilled in the practice debates were within a degree or two of the questions that (moderator) Gwen Ifell asked during the debate.

We had predicted all but one of them and that was a question on nuclear non-proliferation, if I recall. That came out of left-field."

Having said all that, Schmidt said he the campaign was "a long time ago" and that he was in no mood to "add to it on a personal level".

If you're Kenny Williams and believe that, I've got Jason Giambi's power bat to sell you for a can't-miss $7 million/yr.

Sending a coyote to glory

Rick Perry tells the AP he felled a coyote with a single shot from his .380 Ruger when the glorified dog was menacing his domesticated dog.

Perry said, he was jogging without his security detail shortly after sunrise.

"I'm enjoying the run when something catches my eye and it's this coyote. I know he knows I'm there. He never looks at me, he is laser-locked on that dog," Perry said.

"I holler and the coyote stopped. I holler again. By this time I had taken my weapon out and charged it. It is now staring dead at me. Either me or the dog are in imminent danger. I did the appropriate thing and sent it to where coyotes go," he said.

The story's funny enough as it is, but even funnier: Perry carries the guns on the trail because he's afraid of snakes.

Larry Sabato tweets:

Laugh all you want, but Gov. Rick Perry's shooting of Wile E. Coyote on a morning jog just helps his reelection image in the Lone Star State

True. But at this point, Perry's done everything short of racing a monster truck through a warzone with Cowboy cheerleaders inside to prove his manhood.

[Hat tip: The New Ledger]

Santorum defends AZ law: "They are what they are"

Rick Santorum weighs in on Arizona's immigration law on Steve Malzberg's show.

"If the people committing crimes look a certain way, you're foolish not to include that as part of your police work, and you know, that's not profiling, that is doing your job and understanding what's happening.

The fact of the matter is the vast majority of people crossing the border are Mexicans. That's just the reality. And if they were something else, we'd be profiling something else. But they are what they are."

He also claims that Obama's recent overtures on immigration reform are a "cynical attempt to try to further turn Hispanics away from Republicans. They have no intention, because they know they can't pass an immigration bill of any real consequence".



[Hat tip: Freedom's Lighthouse]

Evening eats

a. Joshua Green: If Palin runs, "she'll have to give up an awful lot that she clearly enjoys and begin doing the things she doesn't enjoy".

b. It's not just April 30.

c. Another hate crime.

d. Bachmann says the GOP will "hit the jackpot come November".

e. The DNC hits Romney.

f. Jeb wants immigration reform.

g. Shep Smith's bound to get for another Huffington Post front-page.

h. Outstanding series for this guy. As much as it pains me to see LAL struggling, it couldn't come against a better group of guys.

]

i. Survivor stuff. A friend and I do a freakish amount of analysis this season, and I just sent her my revised, very compelling predictions.

In upcoming order of exit.

1) Colby: The villains don't know how much he sucks this season; will assume he's a threat and vote him out TH.

2) Sandra: they'll feel ok about getting rid of a villain at this point b/c of numbers cushion and her sneakiness.

3) Rupert: They're all scared of going against Rupert on a jury.

4) Natalie: Russell makes a move here. I'm guessing he'll find out about her alliance with Parv at some point, and move to break it up. He'll prefer knocking out Danielle first, b/c she's more dangerous in a top-3 thing. I think Russell wants (no, needs) Parv in the final with him, and she the same. So I can see her stabbing Danielle in the back.

5) Amanda: They realize they've let her come too far.

6) Russell: Parvarti realizes she's let Russell come too far. She'll get the others to join her, b/c the others will think Russell's a bigger threat in the jury (no one's seen him play before, and everyone will want to face Parv in jury)

That leaves a final three of Jerri, Candice, and Parvarti -- Candice will have gotten there by winning the final immunity challenge (endurance or balance, likely), and she'll pick Parv and Jerri since both have worse reputations. Candice will clean up on the Hero vote, and Jerri will take the villain vote, but Russell will throw his vote to Parvati, thus clinching it for Candice.

Romney to stump for Hoekstra tomorrow

The Holland-Sentinel:

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney will appear alongside gubernatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra at Wednesday event in Grand Rapids.

Romney recently endorsed U.S. Representative Hoekstra, R-Holland, as a candidate for governor. The two will discuss Hoekstra’s plans to fix Michigan’s economy at the event...

One of the reasons to follow the MI gubernatorial primary -- Huck and Mitt have endorsed different candidates.

Huck endorsed Mike Cox in March.

As a timely aside, a new Rasumssen poll released today shows Hoekstra in first and leading Cox by 15%.

Rasmussen also says the state leans Republican in the gubernatorial race, which means Romney could have a helpful ally come '12 (Hoekstra endorsed Mitt in 2008).

Huck praises T-Paw in MN

Mike Huckabee was in Minnesota last night for a Minnesota Family Council fundraising dinner, and naturally, talk turned to one of his hosts for the evening, Tim Pawlenty.

The AP:

Huckabee, too, had warm words for Pawlenty, saying he is "very respected" in national GOP circles and brings a needed middle-class perspective to the party.

"He's not a person who came to public office with all the trappings of aristocracy," Huckabee said. "If anything he came with a long-standing background of just hard work."

Yesterday, the AP looked at the recent phenomenon that has Tim Pawlenty playing gracious host to potential rivals and bigger GOP names.

Mr. Pawlenty says he's not worried about being overshadowed.

"These are my friends. I know them well. We've served together as governors. We know each other from previous occasions, events and circumstances," he said...

Hey, have I ever mentioned how much T-Paw looks like Vinny Del Negro? Well, then, I just did again.

Debra Medina weighs electoral options

The Houston Chronicle on the runner-up to the runner-up in the Texas Republican gubernatorial primary (ea)

Publicly resurfacing after her loss to Gov. Rick Perry, she's turned to the Legislature to press her limited-government agenda.

She spoke against government intervention in health care at a Senate committee hearing and has reached out to GOP House candidates on “true private property ownership and re-establishing state sovereignty in Texas,” saying she'll rally supporters on those issues.

.... As she told my colleague R.G. Ratcliffe, she's creating a grass-roots group to push causes she believes in.

She's also seeking legal advice about how she can use the $160,000 or so she says she has left in her campaign war chest.

“I'm not particularly interested in funding other candidates' races. I am particularly interested in fighting for policy,” Medina said, adding, “If you're thinking you might run for office at some point in the future, why do you want to give it all away?”

Jeb opposes new Arizona law

Marco Rubio's unofficial mentor, Jeb Bush, tells Politico he doesn't like Arizona's new immigration law, either.

"It's difficult for me to imagine how you're going to enforce this law. It places a significant burden on local law enforcement and you have civil liberties issues that are significant as well."

As I mentioned, earlier today, Meg Whitman also came out against the law.

Huck, Palin in Dallas this week

The Dallas Morning News says Mike Huckabee is the featured speaker at a charitable fundraiser sponsored by the Vitae Foundation in Dallas tonight.

And Sarah Palin will speak at a benefit for the Downtown Pregnancy Center Friday night.

More on ticket stuff here.

Whitman, Rubio oppose new AZ law

Earlier today, Marco Rubio said that the despite the "serious federal problem", he's concerned Arizona's new law on immigration might "unreasonably single out people who are here legally".

And now Meg Whitman is weighing in (her opponent, Steve Poizner, hasn't taken a position yet, but it could prove tricky, considering how hard he's moved to the right on illegal immigration).

The former eBay chief executive said there are more effective approaches than requiring law enforcement officers to question people about their status if they suspect they are in the country illegally.

"I think there's just better ways to solve this problem," Whitman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I'm a big believer in, 'What are the two or three things that will make the biggest difference here'?"

The connecting theme between CA and Fl is obvious.

Kirk will skip Palin fundraiser

The Chicago Tribune:

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk won’t attend a planned state GOP fundraiser featuring Sarah Palin next month, campaign aides said today.

Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman, sought but did not get supportive words from Palin during the Senate primary campaign.

Instead of attending the May 12 fundraiser in Rosemont, Kirk will be in Washington for scheduled House votes, his campaign said.

Let's do some rewind: if you remember, Palin and Kirk have some bad blood between them. During the 2008 election, Kirk said McCain should've picked a different VP, and questioned Palin's qualifications to be President.

"Quite frankly, I don't know."

But.... in the midst of his Senate primary fight last year, Kirk sent a memo requesting Palin's endorsement.

The Fix, circa November '09.

Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk penned a memo to Republican poobah Fred Malek hoping to secure an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his Senate candidacy, according to a copy of the memo obtained by the Fix.

After noting that Palin will be in Chicago later this month to appear on "Oprah", Kirk writes that "the Chicago media will focus on one key issue: Does Gov[ernor] Palin oppose Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?"

Kirk goes on to write that he is hoping for something "quick and decisive" from Palin about the race, perhaps to the effect of: "Voters in Illinois have a key opportunity to take Barack Obama's Senate seat. Congressman Kirk is the lead candidate to do that."

Palin never endorsed him, and actually, Kirk's memo earned him some trouble when both Democrats and Republican, Patrick Hughes, used it to paint him as a flip-flopper.

[Hat tip: Buzz Tracker]

Pro-life group endorses Fiorina

The Hill's Sean Miller on a big get for Carly Fiorina.

California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina (R) won the backing of the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund.

The endorsement of Fiorina by the conservative anti-abortion group is a blow to state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R) who has tried to portray himself as the most conservative candidate in the GOP Senate primary.

As for Fiorina's other rival -- the pro-choice Tom Campbell -- he happened to be on the Dennis Miller show today, where Miller said "Tommy" had an "unbelievable" resume.

"He looks like a fish that swam too close to a nuclear reactor"

The Monterey-Herald on Jeb Bush and James Carville's joint appearance at a lecture series in CA last night.

Bush said the inability of Democrats and Republicans to reach consensus on many issues is producing a serious logjam for the country.

As if to demonstrate how members of both parties could reduce the chill, Bush said he has a lot of respect for Carville and a "good relationship" with the hard-core Democrat.

Their relationship is so good that when Republican consultant Mary Matalin told Bush a few years ago that she was marrying Carville and showed him a picture, Bush told her "He looks like a fish that swam too close to a nuclear reactor."

To which Carville added a bipartisan dash of self-deprecation. He said he could be the country's "only snake-oil salesman who looks like a snake."

Huck quizzes Newt on 2012

Over the weekend, Mike Huckabee looked comfortable asking Newt Gingrich if he'll run for President, and sincere when saying he would be a "phenomenal candidate".

Is Huck's obvious comfort with the topic a sign of his skill as a talk show host, or is it a reflection of an inclination not to run?

Huckabee to Callista and Newt Gingrich:

There's no way I expect you (Callista) to give me the answer or Newt as to: Is Newt going to run for President in 2012?

....But I am asking this: As you work through the process, there are many people who are encouraging Newt, because of his background.

He's one of the few people who understands the historical context of this country. He has led in a remarkable moment of America history in terms of a transition, so I can give a lot of reasons why he would be a phenomenal candidate.

But that's a personal decision. What for you (Callista) has to happen for you to say to Newt 'This is a great idea, let's do it'."

Her answer in the vid below, from Media Matters.

"You need to go seek knowledge"

That's Jeb Bush taking another soft dig at Sarah Palin, while talking in California for the Panetta Institute Lecture series today.

Santa Cruz Sentinel:

Bush, downplaying chances that he would seek the office held by his brother and father, was less certain that Palin had the Republican nomination locked up - or even was ready for the job.

"You need to go seek knowledge. You can't just be set in your ways The world is really complex," he said. "If (Palin) does that along the way she'll be a formidable candidate."

It sounds like Jeb's settled on his talking points on Palin.

During a December 2009 appearance on CNBC, he sounded very similar, right down the "formidable candidate" line.

"She's incredibly charismatic, and look, these are challenging times. I think candidates need to re-tool every step along the way. They need to have intellectual curiosity to deal with the fast moving nature of life. Understanding how China operates today for the next President of the United States is going to be a dominant aspect of the job

.... I think you want to have a candidate who is curious enough to go try and seek out the best people in the world to try to help them craft policies that are relevant to 2012, and if Sarah Palin does that, she's going to be a formidable candidate."

Then in a February interview with Newsmax:

"My personal belief is that for Governor Palin to be a successful candidate for higher office, she needs to take this charisma she has, and also add to it some depth of understanding of the complexity of life that we're living in today.

If she had the combination of that, she would be an incredible candidate -- both a recognition that the world's moving at warp speed [and that] we're living in this globalized economy where winners and losers happen faster.

With her innate ability to communicate and connect with folks, that would be a formidable -- just a formula for incredible success.

That's up to her, I mean, I don't know what her deal is. My belief is [that] in 2010, 2012, public leaders need to have intellectual curiosity."

Stars to descend on KC

This isn't a newsflash, but a reminder that Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson, Jeri Thompson, and Liz Cheney will be speaking at the "Winning America Back" event in Kansas City this Saturday.

If the Royals are any indication, KC is not the place where winning anything back begins.

Santorum heads to New Hampshire

Rick Santorum will be keynoting the Cheshire County Lincoln Day dinner in Keene, New Hampshire this Friday.

In a statement issued by his political action committee, Santorum says he's looking forward to "an exciting opportunity to share my views on the challenges our country is facing today -- particularly health care, national security and the economy."

It will be Santorum's first trip to the state that hosts the nation's first presidential primary, says Santorum spokeswoman Virginia Davis.

Re: Chris Christie

Dipping favorable ratings aside, Marc Thiessen weighs in on the prospect of a Chris Christie bid, largely on the basis of Christie's plan to take a big bite out of New Jersey's huge $38 billion deficit, and his fight with the teacher's union.

The newly minted Republican governor of New Jersey is mentioned everywhere these days. Wall Street Journal columnist Bill McGurn has praised Christie for reviving "Reagan Republicanism -- Jersey style." The Weekly Standard calls Christie "the unlikely conservative rock star." National Review declares "Viva Christie!" And in The Post, George Will has called Christie "the Trenton Thunder."

.... Christie's fate is largely in his own hands. New Jersey has one of the most powerful chief executives in the country -- with authority to rewrite legislation and cut spending with the stroke of his pen. Christie is using this power -- for example, freezing $2.2 billion in spending by executive action. His showdown with teachers unions has been compared to Reagan's confrontation with the air traffic controllers union. If he wins this and other battles, he could emerge as the conservative favorite in 2012 or beyond.

It's highly unlikely he'll run, but Christie would add another name to the growing list of corpulent '12 prospects.

Haley Barbour has called himself a "fat redneck", while observers will also watch Huck's post-election battle with weight as one way of determining his interest.

Huck, July 2009.

“It’s been hard the last several months because of the crazy schedule and I have had some issues with (feet). It’s a constant struggle to find decent things to eat on the road and not get terribly messed up with the same old habits.”

One more quick note: During the heat of the NJ Gov election, Huck went on Fox to slam Jon Corzine for an ad that implicitly highlighted Christie's weight.

"It's foolish, to me, on Corzine's part, and if Christie's smart what he's going to come out and say is 'Look, I'm overweight; Corzine is incompetent. I can go on a diet. What's he gonna do'?

Game over.

He really has an opportunity to check-mate this thing, and I hope he'll come out and do it, because you've gotta remember that if 60% of the American people are overweight or obese -- if Corzine is attacking him for his weight, they're gonna say 'This guy doesn't understand how tough it is to fight the weight issue'.

UPDATE: Newt Gingrich tweets out the Thiessen column on Christie, calling it "good".

Jindal picks interim lieutenant governor

Bobby Jindal picked Louisiana natural resources secretary, Scott Angelle, today to replace outgoing lieutenant governor, Mitch Landrieu, on an interim basis.

The slight twist in this is that Jindal has proposed abolishing the position to cut costs, but that's not likely to succeed. It would require all the usual conditions for changing a state constitution (e.g. 2/3 of lawmakers approve, majority of voters etc).

If the efforts fails as expected, the special election for the seat is set for later this year.

Pataki's choice in New Hampshire

Hotline on Call says George Pataki will be holding a few fundraisers for Republican New Hampshire Senate candidate, Bill Binnie, in the next two months.

The first is tonight, and is expected to pull in 6-figures for Binnie, a businessman. In May, Pataki will hold another fundraiser for Binnie.

The '12 implications:

Pataki has been working to appeal to conservatives as he pushes for a health care repeal.

But in supporting Binnie, who has cast himself in a more moderate light while 2 of his opponents try to out-conservative each other, it appears that Pataki is still very much interested in generating a broad network of GOP support -- another sign that a '12 run may be in the offing.

Update

I'll be back a bit later today....

Santorum not excited by 2012 field

Erin McPike looks at Rick Santorum's position in the '12 field, and gets an acknowledgment from the ex-Senator that he wouldn't even be running if his prospective rivals were stronger.

"If I felt truly excited about any one of them, I wouldn't be sitting here with you."

As for his path to the nomination, Iowa's an obvious step, but South Carolina offers similarly friendly environs.

McPike notes that the foreign policy cred he accrued in the Senate might play well in military-friendly South Carolina and contrast favorably with his rivals (Iowa Rep. Steve King said he's concerned '12 prospects don't have enough cred on foreign policy issues).

As a side note, Santorum's the second possible candidate to cast the current crop of prospects as underwhelming.

In February, former NM Gov. Gary Johnson told ABC News:

“All the other candidates-- all the other suspects … if you put a piece of cardboard over their caricature and did some voiceover on what it is they were saying, they would all sound alike."

"In an exploratory stage"

That's former South Carolina GOP chair, Katon Dawson, characterizing the gestation of the Tim Pawlenty for President outreach after a meeting with one of T-Paw's senior advisers.

CNN's Peter Hamby:

Pawlenty is going a step further than others in the 2012 field: His advisers recently began reaching out to several of South Carolina’s top political consultants - the same strategists that presidential candidates usually hire to steer their primary campaigns in the state.

According to multiple South Carolina GOP sources, Pawlenty senior adviser Terry Nelson met recently with four of the state’s most influential consultants: Warren Tompkins, Richard Quinn, Walter Whetsell and former state GOP chairman Katon Dawson.

“I think Terry Nelson is an impressive guy,” Dawson said of his meeting with the Pawlenty adviser. “In my opinion, the Pawlenty people are in an exploratory stage.”

T-Paw's set to visit the state May 7.

Evening eats

a. Jeb Bush and James Carville share the stage next Monday.

b. Mike Pence vs. Claire McCaskill.

c. Don't count out Palin, a Dem pollster says.

d. T-Paw doesn't think Norm Coleman wants a place on the Court.

e. Larry King gets a tongue-lashing.

f. Jindal bucked.

g. Meg Whitman's infomercial coming soon to a TV near you (and Fresno).

h. This thing's gone from 256K views to 1.1 million this afternoon.

Newt: Where the tea party's going

The York Dispatch reports on Newt Gingrich's keynote to a manufacturing group's annual event in Pennsylvania last night.

[Newt] Gingrich said the [tea party] movement is a "natural expression of frustration with Republicans and anger at Democrats," which is "more likely to end up as the militant wing of the Republican Party" than as an independent or third party.

Not sure what "militant" means in Newt's dictionary, but that word's not likely to please too many.

[Hat tip: Huffington Post]

Perry, Beck to appear together

Star-Telegram:

Gov. Rick Perry will be in Tyler this Saturday to appear on stage with conservative commentator Glenn Beck, Perry's office confirmed.

Beck is holding a town hall-style event in Tyler's Oil Palace this Saturday. Ticket prices range from $25 to $85.

The event will be preceded by a "call to action meeting" by the Tyler group, Grassroots America - We The People. Attendees at the meeting will learn how to become citizen plaintiffs against the federal health reform plan, according to the group's website.

A spokeswoman for Perry's opponent's campaign claimed Perry is "auditioning on the national stage".

This isn't the first time Dem Bill White's campaign has accused Perry of harboring national ambitions at the expense of Texas.

Expect that to be a prevailing theme in White's attack -- one Perry's already responding to.

Last month, Perry's spokesman told the Wash Times.

"Folks can boost him all they want, but he is not a candidate and does not want to be a candidate for national office."

And in a range of interviews dating from last year through last week, Perry himself has repeatedly denied Presidential ambitions, and gone so far as to ask that his name be removed from 2012 straw polls.

Pawlenty to South Carolina for congressional candidate

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger has the details and invitation for the May 8th, $100/plate fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate, Mick Mulvaney.

Biden says Palin is "charming"

Washington Wire on Joe Biden's appearance on The View today.

Biden was also pressed for his thoughts on his 2008 vice presidential rival, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “If you meet her, she is a charming person,” he said. “I say this and people look at me like I’m kidding, I like her.”

The show’s conservative, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, asked Biden if he thought Palin posed a threat in 2012, Biden replied: “The governor says she’s not running. I don’t know what she’s going to do. I’m sure whoever the Republican nominee is, it will be a very contested race.”

When did Palin say she's not running?

Biden chatted more extensively about Palin during a February 2010 appearance on Larry King, where he offered similar props for her personality, but got a dig in, as well (the dig's interesting, considering the source).

"She's an engaging person, she has a great personality.... [but] you know, it's sort of like, some of the comments made are just so far sort of out there. I just don't know where they come from."

"Just another Washington politician"

That's Charlie Crist reacting to Dick Cheney's endorsement of Marco Rubio.

Incidentally, it's the same reaction Rick Perry's campaign had when Cheney endorsed Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Crist:

"Just another Washington politician telling Florida what to do. I don't think Floridians appreciate it."

Last October, Perry's spokesman, Mark Miner, reacted to Dick's endorsement of Kay.

"It’s not surprising considering they both worked together in Washington for so long.

The Washington establishment usually sticks together."

[Hat tip: @JordanRaynor]

Cheney endorses Rubio

Dick Cheney:

"Charlie Crist has shown time and again that he cannot be trusted in Washington to take on the Obama agenda because on issue after issue he actually supports that agenda."

CNN has more bad news for Crist.

The Republican Party of Florida has told its members that they will be forbidden from supporting Gov. Charlie Crist if he decides to run as an independent.

In an internal memorandum issued Thursday and provided to CNN, RPOF General Counsel Jason Gonzales concluded that the "Party Loyalty Oath," Rule 9 of the party's bylaws, would forbid executive committee members from providing "active, public or financial support" to any candidate other than the one with "Republican" next to his or her name on the ballot.

That would rule out Crist, who, if he abandons the GOP primary, would run with no party affiliation - an "NPA" candidate.

A source tells me that high level strategists at the NRSC have Crist at 50/50 on running as an indie or not at all, with his greatest concern being fundraising if he goes the indie route.

Rancher fined for anti-Perry ads

Republican rancher and former delegate to the Texas state convention, Billy Mitchell, has to fork over $1,300 for newspaper ads he bought claiming Rick Perry is "full of crap".

If that sounds like mild enough language, you're right. The issue isn't obscenity... Mitchell failed to file campaign paperwork.

If you spend more than $100 on any particular state or local election — even to publish or broadcast your own opinion — you fall under the rules of the Texas Ethics Commission.

He's promising to fight the decision.

Here's a copy of the ad: "I believe Rick Perry's Only Asset is His Beautiful Hair; Otherwise, He is Just Completely Full of Crap", where he unveils a long list of grievances.

On the topic: one of twitter's losses this year was the handle @GovPerrysHair, which doesn't seem to be active anymore.

E.G.

"Snug on the Governor's pillow. Convenient the Governor leaves his Blackberry on for me while sleeping. Back to leading Texas tomorrow... "

Perry himself was a follower of the acct and tweeted that it was flattering.

DeMint: "There are a lot of changes I'd like to make in this country"

Based on this interview with David Brody, it sure sounds like Jim DeMint's interested in a '12 bid (emphasis added).

David Brody: “There are folks in the Tea Party movement that seriously want you to run for President. Would you consider something like that?”

Senator Jim DeMint: “You know, I’ve always thought of myself as an average guy and when I think of the President of the United States I’m hoping that there is some knight on a white horse that’s going to ride that I can look at and say -- you know -- this is Ronald Reagan character or the level that we could have.

Frankly, the people that I’ve seen here in politics I realize that I can hold my ground with any of them. There are a lot of changes I’d like to make in this country, and I think Americans are going to be ready for someone to tell them the truth next election. Not someone who will give them a good speech but someone who reminds them that the federal government has to do less not more. I’m hoping we can find that candidate out who has shown himself to be a great Governor or somewhere. It’s not something I desire.

[Later]

David Brody: “All right, so not ruling it out necessarily?”

Senator Jim DeMint: “Well I guess I’ve learned not to rule out anything in life but right now it’s the last thing I want to do.”

Certainly a far cry from this Jim DeMint, circa August 2009.

“I wouldn’t get out of my driveway without my wife shooting me in the back.

You’ve got to find somebody who’s smart enough to be a great president but dumb enough to want to be president.

Right now, I think I’m still too smart to be president.”

Rudy's 85K

A quick check of what Rudy Giuliani's getting these days -- this, for an upcoming speech on leadership at Auburn University.

“Giuliani actually cost us below average of what we usually pay speakers,” [Organizer Drew] Robinson said.

“We are paying him $85,000 to come, which includes speaking, hotel accommodations and transportation.”

Sarah Palin or Scott Brown?

Jonathan Capehart asks Eric Cantor and Steve Schmidt whether the future of the party belongs to Sarah Palin or Scott Brown (i.e. the figure who appeals only to the base, or the one who appeals to indies, as well).

Cantor said it's a "false choice", while Schmidt -- without explicitly answering -- channeled a former GOP chair.

"There's the type of church where the members go out hunting for heretics to kick them out.

There's the type of church where people go out looking for converts to bring them in.

If we're a political party that goes out hunting for heretics that's not a strategically sound premise."