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09 Oct 2011 11:47

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Politics: With weak presidential field, Tea Party focusing on Senate instead

  • No one is going to get perfect in a general election candidate. That is why we think the Senate is a better place to focus.
  • FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe • Effectively saying that Tea Party groups plan to focus on the presidential election, and instead put their energies towards helping the GOP win back the U.S. Senate, which the Democrats control with a slight majority. The race totals favor the GOP winning more seats — 23 of the 33 seats up for grabs next year are in Democratic power, and at least a few of those seats up for grabs because Senators are retiring — most notably those of Jim Webb and Kent Conrad. Do you guys think the GOP has a chance at getting the Senate back in 2012, especially considering increased Tea Party focus? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Oct 2011 20:42

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Politics: Suddenly surging in the polls: Herman Cain. Herman Cain?!

  • He’s tied with Mitt Romney for first in one poll and ahead of Rick Perry in another. Months ago, Herman Cain‘s presidential campaign seemed like something of an underdog, with many people unaware of the former pizza chain executive. Now, with multiple straw-poll wins under his belt, the non-politician is within shouting distance of the lead. RealClearPolitics has him in third place, but if you take out the two oldest polls listed, he rises to second, ahead of Rick Perry, thanks in part to consistent poll numbers and Perry’s own faltering of late. Cain’s worth watching, suddenly. Wow. (photo via Gage Skidmore) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Oct 2011 21:11

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Politics: Herman Cain: Rick Perry’s hunting camp had “very insensitive” name

  • My reaction is, that’s just very insensitive. [There] isn’t a more vile, negative word than the N-word, and for him to leave it there as long as he did, before I hear that they finally painted over it, is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country.
  • Herman Cain • Complaining about the hunting camp Rick Perry once owned, which once had a name that included a racial slur (we’ll let you figure out which one). Perry’s camp already came out on the defensive against this, claiming it was painted over long ago, and the quickly-rising Cain (who just won another straw poll) has every reason in the world to combat this. Perry will have to work hard to come back from this mess. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2011 17:26

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Politics: Chris Christie’s brother doesn’t think he’ll run for President

  • I’m sure that he’s not going to run. If he’s lying to me, I’ll be as stunned as I’ve ever been in my life.
  • Todd Christie, brother of NJ governor Chris • Making it clear that he doesn’t think his brother will jump into the 2012 GOP presidential race, and making it seem rather definitive. It’s worth mentioning that Christie has long maintained he isn’t going to run, but the hyper-reactivity of the media to last week’s debate has seemed to dictate that the GOP field needs a new voice (and one moderate enough to be electable). source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2011 10:35

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Politics: New Jersey’s controversial “Snooki subsidy” gets vetoed

  • Chris Christie was expected to sign this bill. But Christie, facing sudden political pressure to run for president, let the $420,000 in tax credits for another season of “Jersey Shore” feel the pain of the veto. Why? “I have no interest in policing the content of such projects,” Christie said in a news release. “However, as chief executive I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the state and its citizens.” This is a reversal for Christie — he previously claimed he couldn’t veto the bill because, while he didn’t like the show himself, the program didn’t discriminate based on content. What, do you not like seeing The Situation’s chiseled abs, Chris? (photo via Rachel Kramer Bussel) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 11:04

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Politics: House GOP shows weak points after failing to pass shutdown vote

  • While it is widely expected that the parties will eventually reach a compromise to avoid a shutdown, Wednesday’s 230-to-195 vote showed what can happen when the GOP majority operates with no more than minimal Democratic support.
  • Washington Post writers Rosalind S. Helderman and Paul Kane • Correctly pointing out the weak spot in the GOP’s House leadership — that the GOP members aren’t all on the same page, so as a result, the leadership can push for one thing, but have it taken in a different direction by far-right members of the party. (In this case, the bill passed the House only with the addition of some timely anti-environmental-funding rules, then died in the Senate.) And with no help from Democrats, it becomes harder for GOP leaders to push their agenda without making room for compromise. And this isn’t even considering the Senate and president, who provide blockades of their own (unless you’re Obama and you compromise). source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Sep 2011 21:43

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Politics: UC Berkeley College Republicans hold racially-charged bake sale

  • The pricing structure is there to bring attention, to cause people to get a little upset. But it’s really there to cause people to think more critically about what this kind of policy would do in university admissions.
  • UC Berkeley College Republicans president Shawn Lewis • Discussing his group’s reasoning for having a bake sale where people paid different prices based on their race and gender. The pricing scale’s kinda like this: $2 for whites, $1.50 for Asians, $1 for Latinos, $0.75 for Blacks and $0.25 for Native Americans — with a discount of 25 cents for women of all races. As you might guess, this bake sale, scheduled for Tuesday, is flaring up emotions quicker than a character in the movie “PCU.” It’s not the first time it’s been tried — a couple of other schools have tried the idea, and it’s been shut down at least once. What do you think? Does this seem disrespectful and worth getting angry over, or is there a valid point here? (h/t ProducerMatthew) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

23 Sep 2011 09:16

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Politics: Blogger at debate: Booing at gay soldier limited to one or two people

  • I was at the debate, in the audience on the right hand side about halfway back. The person who booed was just a few rows in front of us. The booing got an immediate and angry reaction from nearly everyone sitting around him, who hissed and shushed at him. Lots of loud gasps, ‘Shhhh!’ ‘No!’ ‘Shut up, you idiot!’ etc.
  • Blogger Sarah Rumpf • Discussing what actually happened during last night’s debate, during the infamous Rick Santorum/gay soldier question. We’d like to proudly note that our writer Chris managed to get this right the first time, rather than claiming the entire crowd was booing. Rumpf explains how the spare booing managed to echo through the room so effectively, and then denounces it. “There may be different opinions among Republicans about gays in the military,” she says, “but booing a soldier is not acceptable, and all but one or two people in a crowd of thousands knew that.” (thanks Dave Weigel) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Sep 2011 11:54

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Politics: Ron Paul wins California straw poll, proving his base is still strong

We’re absolutely positive that the drunk guy in this video put him over the edge. Clearly, it was exactly what Ron needed to ensure his electoral future. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Sep 2011 11:09

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Politics: Mitch Daniels, after the fact: Family concerns trump presidential onces

  • I think our family was really concerned about the lack of privacy. And that it’s not just for four years or eight years, but for the rest of your life. Mitch has given 12 years to public service. And, you know, now it was our turn to get him back.
  • Mitch Daniels’ wife, Cheri • Discussing why the Indiana governor’s family vetoed their father’s potential run for president in 2012. When Daniels made the decision back in May, the key tell sign for us was his open dismissal of questions related to foreign policy, a perceived weak point for the governor. But that point isn’t nearly as weak as his love of his family. “I’m not complaining about a thing. I’m the luckiest guy I know of,” he told CBS Sunday Morning. “And, you know, you can’t have everything in life. And sometimes you have to choose.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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