Rumor has it Newt Gingrich is on the cusp of announcing an exploratory bid for the presidency. His long time political adviser, Joe Gaylord, told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday that the former Republican Speaker will make the big announcement during a trip to his native Georgia on Thursday. But late Tuesday, Gingrich’s spokesman Rick …
2012
Sarah Palin Wins On National Security, Mitt Romney Hurts On Social Issues
Gallup keeps bringing the hits. Today it has a breakdown of early Republican primary polls by the top issues among potential voters. First the qualification: Primary polls this early are poor indicators of results. At this point in 2007, Rudy Giuliani led the GOP field and Hillary Clinton had a virtual lock on the Democratic nomination. …
A Harder 2012 Swing State Map For Obama–For Now
In recent days, Gallup has been putting out great state-by-state numbers on Obama’s declining approval ratings and declining Democratic Party identification. The information is not clearly predictive of election day 2012. Much is sure to change, and much will be dependent on who Republicans nominate to challenge Obama. But a look at the …
Thune Won’t Run for President
South Dakota Senator John Thune said Tuesday in a statement he will not seek the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Thune’s name had been floated as the sole sitting senator who might make a run. After beating Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2003, Thune has quickly climbed the Senate ranks. He currently serves as chairman …
Obama Meets With His High-Tech Money, But It’s “Not A Fundraiser”
Air Force One took off at 3:20 p.m. Thursday, headed for the San Francisco Bay Area, where President Obama will dine with a high-powered group of high-tech executives to officially talk about innovation. “It’s not a fundraiser,” says White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.
But many of the invitees are among the biggest donors to …
Haley Barbour Denies Supporting “Amnesty,” But Not His Lobbying Work For Mexico On Immigration
Image from a Nov. 30, 2002 Justice Department filing by Barbour Griffith & Rogers
In statements Tuesday morning, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour denied supporting “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants, and his former lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, declared that it had “never advocated amnesty for illegal aliens.”
But …
What Haley Barbour Didn’t Tell Fox News: He Lobbied For Mexico On “Amnesty”
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour made the case Sunday on Fox News that his career as a high-powered federal lobbyist for domestic corporations and foreign governments would be an asset if he ran for President in 2012.
I can tell you what we did when I was there. We represented Switzerland. We represented Macedonia because the Clinton
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At CPAC, It’s Evening In America
The heirs to Ronald Reagan’s conservative legacy gathered Thursday in a hotel ballroom to exchange variations on the dominant theme in today’s Republican politics: It is evening in America.
“The Germans are buying the New York Stock Exchange,” announced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. “The U.S. is becoming the laughing …
In A Boost For George Allen, Sen. Jim Webb Will Not Run Again
Former Virginia Governor and Senator George Allen, a Republican, is now the clear front runner to reclaim his seat in the U.S. Senate in 2012. His onetime rival, Democrat Jim Webb, has decided not to seek reelection, which will force Virginia Democrats to begin casting around for a replacement candidate. The obvious choice is Tim Kaine, …
The Pragmatic Republican Primary
Kay Bailey Hutchison Calls It Quits
The three-term Senator from Texas announced today that she won’t seek reelection after-all. From the Houston Chronicle:
In an open letter to Texans, Hutchison said she wanted to live “full-time in Texas with my family” and was “forever grateful for the privilege of working for you in the United States Senate.”
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“I intended to
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Pawlenty’s Debut
In January, outgoing Minnesota governor and proto-presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty has a (familiar-looking) book coming out, a publicity swing through first-in-the-nation Iowa and New Hampshire (as well as DC, Florida, Ohio and Texas), and above all, an opportunity.
As Richard Land recently pointed out to Newsweek, the Republican …
Morning Must Reads: Assange
–Julian Assange fronts this week’s newsstand issue of TIME. Inside: Massimo on how overclassiffication created the secrecy beast, Fareed Zakaria on how the cables show competent diplomats in action, Crowley on the designs to slaughter sacred cows and Nancy Gibbs on Palin’s push to the past.
–Extending all the Bush tax cuts …