September 23, 2011
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) will head the RNC's presidential trust, "a position from which he could launch a national campaign of his own -- eventually,"
The Hotline reports.
"The trust is the fund from which the RNC will be able to make expenditures in coordination with its eventual presidential nominee... In the long run, the post is a big deal for Ryan... Running the trust will put Ryan's name in front of big donors who could eventually provide that base. A single donor can give up to $30,800 to the trust. And Ryan has promised Republicans he will be more than an honorary chairman; sources say he will dedicate both travel and call time to raising money for the trust."
Paul Gigot continues his crusade to get New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to jump into the Republican presidential race.
"My guess is Mr. Christie would immediately join the front-runners in the polls, he'd be able to raise plenty of money, and his chances would then depend on whether his message meets the moment. Mr. Christie may decide for personal and political reasons not to run. But one of those reasons should not be his electoral prospects. The GOP nomination is eminently winnable, and on current economic trends so is the presidency."
Meanwhile, the
AP notes that in a joint appearance Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) said he wasn't ready to accept Christie's position that he won't run, saying he believes Christie's "no" means "not yet."
Jacob Weisberg reviews
Confidence Men and concludes, "There's no journalist who sets off my bullshit alarm like Ron Suskind."
"Issues of accuracy, fairness, and integrity come up nearly every time Suskind publishes something. Key sources claim they've been misrepresented and misquoted, that basic facts are wrong, and that the Pulitzer-winning reporter has misconstrued the larger story as well. One discounts such complaints to some extent, of course. Good journalism often makes its subjects unhappy, and the kind of Bob Woodward-style White House reconstructions Suskind has come to specialize in inevitably favor those who pay the implicit blackmail of cooperation in exchange for sympathetic treatment. But Woodward is meticulous within the limitations of his method, and you seldom hear his subjects complain that he's gotten the details wrong or misrepresented their views by manipulating quotes."
The latest
National Journal Political Insiders poll finds insiders in both parties are increasingly predicting that Republicans will control all of Congress after the 2012 elections.
My
quick reaction was that Mitt Romney was the clear winner of last night's debate. Here are some other thoughts:
Walter Shapiro: "After three rocky debates, it is easy to imagine that Perry is beginning to regret that Kennedy and Nixon ever started this tradition in the first place. Judging from debates alone, the idea of Rick Perry comes across as much more compelling than the reality. But just because Perry is not closing the sale with sympathetic conservatives does not mean that Romney automatically benefits."
Andrew Sullivan: "My take: a horrible night for Perry. Therefore another great night for Romney. Now I want to go somewhere dark and slit my wrists."
Charles Franklin: "At the moment the focus on Perry's claims in his book and on the campaign trail have helped divert a critique of Romney's past weaknesses that haunted him in 2007-08. Ironically, Perry may be running interference for the criticism Romney might otherwise be suffering. And so far, there is no other credible GOP alternative."
Erick Erickson: "Romney did so much better than Perry. So much better. But I still cannot believe these candidates have pulled their punches on Romneycare. He's getting a free pass on it. But his answers on so many questions, while smoothly delivered, were Democrat like."
Josh Marshall: "That was a really weird encounter between Perry and Romney on who's the biggest flip-flopper. I mean, this should be a hanging fast ball for anyone running against Romney. And Perry was clearly prepped with a series of attack lines. But he stumbled over them like you'd woken him up in the middle of the night. Or maybe he was a punch drunk heavyweight at the end of the 14th round. Then Romney comes in -- an amazing flip-flopper if there ever was one -- and manages to just run circles around Perry. It was almost sad."
Paul Begala: "As happened in previous debates, the audience in the Fox News/Google debate stole the show -- and shocked the conscience. When a gay soldier asked a
question, the audience booed. They booed a man who is risking his life
for their freedom. Rarely have I seen a more unpatriotic public display... I may start a betting pool on what the Republicans will boo in the next debate: puppies? Ronald Reagan? Ronald Reagan's puppies?"
Jonathan Chait: "In general, Romney took his weak hand and played it far better than
Perry, who at times appeared to be drugged, and perhaps is still
suffering from a recovery from back surgery. But though Romney won most
exchanges on a question-by-question basis, Perry probably emerged with
the stronger meta-theme. His overarching condemnation of Romney is as a
slippery, quasi-Democratic figure. Romney has nothing anywhere near so
strong to deploy against Perry."
If you missed the debate, the
Daily Beast has video highlights of the best moments.
September 22, 2011
Once again, the Republican debate proved Mitt Romney has been running for president for five years now. He is prepared and able to go the distance with his rivals. Romney easily deflected Rick Perry's attempt at calling him a flip-flopper by stating he stood by everything in his book,
No Apology, while Perry has already backed away from proposals in his book,
Fed Up! Romney was the clear winner of this debate.
In contrast, Perry looked tired and was barely able to finish a two hour debate. He stumbled badly over his attack lines on Romney -- almost as if he never practiced them. Not looking at Romney while attacking him was a big mistake. If this was Perry's chance to convince the GOP establishment he could win the nomination and defeat President Obama, he didn't come close to sealing the deal.
Jon Huntsman did much better in this debate, Herman Cain was very good and Ron Paul was as consistent as ever, though he had an ideological soul mate in Gary Johnson on stage.
The rest of the candidates -- Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich -- simply served to show the Republican party has moved very far to the extreme right. This is no longer Ronald Reagan's party -- or even George W. Bush's for that matter.
Bill Clinton's latest book,
Back to Work, "will be released this November, and will offer solutions to some of America's most pressing problems,"
CNN reports.
Clinton will provide "specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, restore our manufacturing base, and create new businesses."
Clinton has published two previous books since he left office: an autobiography
My Life, and a book on public service,
Giving.
A
letter from Sarah Palin's political action committee says she is "on the verge of making her decision of whether or not to run for office" -- "and her backers should write a check right away," the
Des Moines Register reports.
The letter also notes "the donations could be used to support other conservative candidates."
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) told the
Detroit News that he will drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Instead, he will endorse Mitt Romney and will likely run again for the 11th District congressional seat he's held since 2003.
Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt "is putting GOP Presidential candidate Rick Perry in his crosshairs ... he'll be offering up to $1 million for anyone who can prove Perry has had an illicit sexual liaison,"
TMZ reports.
Leonard Steinhorn notes that "there are plenty of rank-and-file Republicans who accept the scientific
facts behind evolution and climate change, but increasingly the party's
base seems to view anything less than a rejection of this science as a
betrayal of conservatism."
He concludes that four factors -- anti-liberalism, anti-intellectualism, religious
conservatism, and corporate self-interest -- "create a such a climate
within the Republican Party that even those inclined to accept
scientific evidence feel cowed or remain silent. Or like Jon Huntsman,
they can run for president and garner a mere one percent in the public
opinion polls."
The
New York Times notes Mitt Romney has made a point to share details of recent meals he's had with his Twitter followers.
Some examples: "Mr. Romney has tried the new $4.39 Carl's Jr. jalapeño chicken sandwich ('delicious'), celebrated the Reagan Library debate with fast-food burgers and fries (again, Carl's Jr.), and dug into a Subway flatbread sandwich while sitting in an airport terminal ('better than the usual campaign diet of morning donuts')."
"He has also taken a lot of flights on Southwest, an airline known for its low fares and primary-color planes, and made sure to tweet about it and name-check Southwest at every opportunity."
"If one of our fellow citizens can be executed with so much doubt
surrounding his guilt, then the death penalty system in our country is
unjust and outdated. We hope this tragedy will spur us as a nation
toward the total rejection of capital punishment."
-- Jimmy Carter, quoted by
USA Today, on the the execution of Troy Davis by the state of Georgia last night.
Nate Silver notices Rick Perry's negative ratings are on the uptick in recent polls.
"It seems possible that if Mr. Perry is the nominee and if economic performance continues to be sluggish, we could wind up with an incumbent president whose disapproval rating is at or above 50 percent matched up against a Republican opponent whose unfavorable rating is also in the 50s. There's not a lot of historical guidance on what might happen between this proverbial rock and hard place."
Alex Castellanos tells
Politico that tonight's debate might be one to watch:
"One thing we've learned about Rick Perry is that if you say 'hello' to him he'll knock your block off... He's got one gear and that is 'attack.' So I think we're going to see the gunfight at the Austin Corral here. This is going to be a pretty spirited debate this time."
Several readers have forwarded a must-see
video from Elizabeth Warren's campaign tour in Massachusetts which, as
Jonathan Cohn notes, puts to rest the concern that the Harvard Law School professor wouldn't be able to connect with average voters.
Warren's style is part of the reason a new
Public Policy Polling survey shows her way ahead -- by 46 points -- of the other Democrats seeking their party's nomination to challenge Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) next year.
See more...
A new
American Research Group poll in New Hampshire finds Mitt Romney continues to lead the Republican presidential field with 30% of likely primary voters, followed by Rick Perry at 13%, Ron Paul at 12%, and John Huntsman at 10%.
Nine Republican presidential candidates will gather in Orlando, FL tonight for a debate co-sponsored by Fox News and Google. The kick off is at 9 p.m. ET.
First Read: "So all the pressure for tonight's debate -- the sixth of the GOP race and third one in 15 days -- is on Perry. And it's about more than convincing Republican viewers and voters; it's about convincing donors that he has what it takes, with the Sept. 30 fundraising deadline just around the corner (and with the chatter in the donor world that Perry's struggling a bit)."
Adam Smith: "Presidential debates are about the national TV audience, of course. But just as last week's lively tea party debate audience helped set the tone in Tampa, tonight's audience in Orlando is significant. Watching at the Orange County Convention Center will be nearly 3,500 registered Florida GOP delegates who on Saturday will hold their mock primary election, the Presidency 5 straw poll. This debate audience is the grass-roots backbone of the Florida GOP, so debate performances will directly affect Saturday's vote. Perry is favored, but don't underestimate Romney's and Paul's support in the crowd."
Ed Kilgore: "After a number of feints in the direction of total primary
calendar-screwing anarchy, Florida Republicans seem happy to maintain
their state's fifth-place position in the nominating process, just after
South Carolina.... With Romney currently
favored in Nevada and New Hampshire and Perry in Iowa and South
Carolina, this means Florida could again become -- as it was in 2008, when
McCain's victory over Mitt Romney in the state all but sealed the
deal -- the truly decisive contest."
"I've had road kill that tasted better than that."
-- Rick Perry, quoted in the
Raleigh News and Observer, commenting on Eastern North Carolina barbeque in a 1992 book,
Holy Smoke.
A new
Summit Consulting Group (R) survey in Arizona shows Mitt Romney leading Rick Perry by six points in the Republican presidential primary, 31% to 25%. All other candidates are in the low single digits.
The Arizona primary is now scheduled for February 28.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is writing an autobiography "that will touch upon his recent breakup with Maria Shriver while also covering his childhood in Austria and his careers as a bodybuilder, action star and politician,"
People reports.
The book is tentatively titled
Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story.
The House of Representatives rejected a temporary
measure to fund the government -- a continuing resolution -- by a vote
of 195 to 230,
The Hill
reports.
With
Congress once again unable to produce a budget on time, Democrats and
Republicans must come to an agreement by September 30 to avoid a
government shutdown.
David Weigel
explains the vote: "This CR, which included $1 billion of FEMA funding,
also included $1.5 billion of cuts to an efficient vehicle program that
Democrats supported... When Majority Leader Eric Cantor was asked if
FEMA funds would be tied to cuts, he implied that they would be, then
rejected the notion that he would hold anything 'hostage' when relief
was on the line... The immediate request turned out to be $500 million.
Instead of setting up a vote on this, the GOP put a package together.
There would be $1 billion of FEMA funds, twice what was requested. There
would be $2.6 billion for a disaster fund that had been set up by the
debt deal. And, oh, there would be 'pay-fors' in the form of cuts to
that efficiency program, which Democrats wanted."
Members of the House have been advised by Cantor that a weekend session is possible to resolve the impasse.
A new
Suffolk University/7NEWS poll in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney with a huge lead over his Republican rivals in the presidential race.
Romney leads with 41%, followed by Ron Paul at 14%, Jon Huntsman at 10% and Rick Perry at 8%.
Said pollster David Paleologos: "Mitt Romney is saying 'get out of my back yard' and making New Hampshire his strong firewall despite showing some weakness in the other states' early primaries. The anti-Romney candidate at this point could be either Ron Paul, who has polled consistently over the past year, or Jon Huntsman, whose numbers are really growing in the Granite State."
A new
Quinnipiac poll in Florida finds Rick Perry leading Mitt Romney in the GOP presidential race, 31% to 22%. All other candidates are in the single digits.
However, in general election match ups, Romney is clearly the stronger candidate. He leads President Obama, 47% to 40%, while Obama edges Perry, 44% to 42%.
Said pollster Peter Brown: "Gov. Rick Perry has the lead -- and the momentum -- among Florida Republicans, while former Gov. Mitt Romney can point to a better general election showing. Adding to Perry's strength is support among Sarah Palin backers, who shift more to the Texas governor if the former Alaska governor stays out of the race."
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