Conservatives register Tea Party as an official third party in Florida.
Conservatives register Tea Party as an official third party in Florida.
After hard-line conservatives and tea party activists forced moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava to drop out of the race in New York’s 23rd congressional district, they announced that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist would likely be their next target in the GOP civil war. Politico’s Ben Smith reports that some Florida Republicans recently registered an official “Tea Party” to challenge both Republicans and Democrats:
“The current system has become mired in the sludge of special interest money that seeks to control the leadership of both parties. It’s time for real change,” says Orlando lawyer Frederic O’Neal, the new party’s chairman, who couldn’t be reached immediately by phone, in a press release.
A spokeswoman for the Florida Secretary of State, Jennifer Davis, said the party had registered in August.
O’Neal compared his party’s role to that of the Conservative Party in New York’s 23rd District. Florida, however, lacks the “fusion” rules that has allowed third parties in New York to amass influence by offering their ballot line to acceptable major-party candidates.
On Saturday, Dan Semenza, a Lake County Republican Party executive committee member, told the Daily Commercial that the registration of the third party organization meant “that the Tea Party has considerable strength.”
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Steele Agrees That GOP Should Cease To Exist In New Jersey If Corzine Wins
Steele Agrees That GOP Should Cease To Exist In New Jersey If Corzine Wins
During an interview on MSNBC this morning, RNC Chairman Michael Steele oddly agreed that if the Republican Party cannot pull out a victory against incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine in the upcoming New Jersey gubernatorial race, it should just give up and cease to exist.
“If Chris Christie doesn’t win under these circumstances in New Jersey, should the Republican Party just fold in that state?” NBC’s Chuck Todd asked, getting a laugh out of Steele. Todd likened the Republicans to a Charlie Brown character. “It’s like Lucy and the football — Lucy is about to pull the football away again.”
Steele accepted the premise. “You’re absolutely right, Chuck,” Steele said, countering with his own pop culture metaphor:
Have you seen those commercials the NFL is running with the referee who is tripping up the players and getting into the game? Well, I’m that referee getting into the game. And we’re doing everything we can to keep that football in place for Chris Christie to kick that extra point, if you will.
Of course, referees are supposed to be unbiased observers who have authority to enforce the rules of a contest — hardly the proper analogy for the head of a political party wading into a political race to help his favored candidate.
Moreover, Steele’s more appropriate role as a “referee” in another political race is sure to anger the right-wing base of his party. When asked who he was supporting in the New York 23rd congressional race, Steele sided against the tea party activists’ favored candidate, Doug Hoffman. “I support the Republican nominee, as a Republican Party chairman,” Steele said. “And that’s the way to go, right?” Watch it:
National Republican leaders don’t agree that endorsing Republican candidate DeDe Scozzafava is “the way to go.” In supporting Hoffman, Sarah Palin said her endorsement would be a message to party leaders of “no more politics as usual.” Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) said that “we cannot send more politicians to Washington who wear the Republican jersey on the campaign trail but then vote like Democrats in Congress.”
Steele and former Speaker Newt Gingrich are increasingly standing alone in their support of the Republican candidate. Roll Call reports that on Tuesday, “former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) spurned the leadership by endorsing Doug Hoffman’s third-party campaign in the New York special election, following the lead of Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.).”
Lieberman jokes about running in 2012 as a Republican.
Lieberman jokes about running in 2012 as a Republican.
This morning, Politico reported on how some Democratic senators are already preparing for their reelection efforts in 2012, “boosting their campaign coffers, raising millions for an election that is still 37 months away.” In an interview, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) joked that he could potentially run as a Republican:
Several Senate Democrats up in 2012 have already joined the million-dollar club, including Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Bill Nelson of Florida, Dianne Feinstein of California and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, as well as independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who caucuses with Senate Democrats. Several more are expected to surpass the million-dollar mark when the latest round of campaign finance reports is released Oct. 15.
Lieberman, who had $1.4 million through June 30, said he was unsure whether he would run in 2012 as a Democrat or an independent.
“Or a Republican,” Lieberman jokingly added. “I have all sorts of options.”
Some Democrats might not find Lieberman’s joke very funny. After Lieberman bucked his party and supported Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president — even delivering a speech at the Republican National Convention — some of his Senate colleagues wanted him to be punished, with some suggesting that he should lose his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Instead, they let him off with slap on the wrist.
Rep. Lynn Jenkins says the GOP needs a ‘great white hope’ to thwart President Obama.
Rep. Lynn Jenkins says the GOP needs a ‘great white hope’ to thwart President Obama.
At a town hall forum last week, Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) offered encouragement to conservative activists by saying there were some “really sharp” young Republicans in the House. “Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope,” said Jenkins. “I suggest to any of you who are concerned about that, who are Republican, there are some great young Republican minds in Washington.” Jenkins proceeded to name three GOP members of Congress who are all white — Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Watch it:
A Jenkins spokeswoman told the Topeka Capitol-Journal yesterday that “the congresswoman wanted to apologize for her word choice and to emphasize she had no intention of expressing herself in an offensive manner.” “There may be some misunderstanding there when she talked about the great white hope,” said spokeswoman Mary Geiger. “What she meant by it is they have a bright future. They’re bright lights within the party.”
Loyal Bushie Nicolle Wallace calls Tom Ridge a ‘wussy.’
Loyal Bushie Nicolle Wallace calls Tom Ridge a ‘wussy.’
This morning on Fox News, the pundit roundtable discussed new charges leveled by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge that politics played a role in the issuance of terror alerts in the Bush administration. Nicolle Wallace, who served as the Communications Director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and later served as the White House communications director, complained that Ridge was making a “wussy” allegation:
We were having a very political discussion [in the 2004 campaign] about terrorism. … But that is quite different from what he very, I think in a kind wussy way, alleges. I mean, this is not a very precise attack. This is — he pondered and wondered if perhaps politics went into it. You know, it’s very fishy to me.
Tad Devine, a senior strategist on the 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign, responded, “I don’t think he’s wussy to expose this. I think he’s shown a lot of courage, and I’m glad he did it.” Watch it:
Wallace’s criticism echoes that of former Bush speechwriter David Frum. “That is the most tentative possible way of advancing an accusation,” Frum said of Ridge’s accusation. Last week, a spokesman for John Ashcroft said, “Now would be a good time for Mr. Ridge to use his emergency duct tape.”
Jeb Bush: ‘I don’t know’ if Obama is a socialist.
Jeb Bush: ‘I don’t know’ if Obama is a socialist.
When asked by Tucker Carlson in an interview for Esquire magazine if he considered President Obama a socialist, former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) said, “I don’t know. Define socialism for me.” But then, after calling Obama a “collectivist” — a common synonym for socialist or communist — Bush said the he believed the word “‘socialism’ was a pejorative, and ‘didn’t help’ the GOP make its case.” Bush said further that he didn’t think that Obama would have been elected had he “been honest with Americans about his agenda”:
Bush would not answer the question of whether he agreed with the assessment of some congressional Republicans that the president is a socialist. “I don’t know. Define socialism for me,” he told Esquire magazine. “It’s a word… I believe he’s a collectivist. He believes that through collective action, through government, you can solve more problems.” He added that he believed the word “socialism” was a pejorative, and “didn’t help” the GOP make its case. [...]
“….He made it appear like McCain was going to raise taxes, which was unfair, but there was no response back. When there was an ideological component, it was generally centrist or even center-right. Had he said what he was going to do as a candidate, (Obama) would have lost.”
Bush’s response appears to follow the lead of other prominent Republicans, like his brother former President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). In May, the former president declared that “the verdict is out” on whether Obama’s a socialist. And while RNC Chairman Michael Steele has refrained from labeling Obama a socialist, he — like Jeb — said that he viewed Obama as a “collectivist.”
House Democratic Fundraising Committee To Attack Patriotism Of GOP Members Over July 4 Weekend
House Democratic Fundraising Committee To Attack Patriotism Of GOP Members Over July 4 Weekend
Last week, Congress passed the “$106 billion military supplemental to fund the U.S. military’s efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.” In the House, 170 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted against final passage of the supplemental citing various reasons, including opposition to a measure from the Senate version of the bill which would make a new line of credit available to the IMF at a cost of $5 billion. (CAPAF Senior Fellow Nina Hachigian explained the need for the IMF measure.)
Now, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) plans to run ads on the July 4 holiday criticizing several vulnerable Republican members for their votes against the supplemental last week. As Glenn Thrush reports, “A series of 60-second radio ads will run during drive time from July 1 through July 8, according to a script provided to POLITICO — and they have the support-our-troops ring of GOP spots.” Thrush provides the script:
Around here, we recognize Independence Day with parades … and picnics … maybe a few fireworks. But July Fourth is about more than that.
It’s about remembering those who fought for our freedoms. And those still fighting today. Congressman Lee Terry used to understand that.
When George Bush asked, Congressman Terry voted to fully fund our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, last year he said, quote, “We must give our military every resource it needs.”
Seems like Congressman Terry is playing politics now … Last month Congressman Terry voted AGAINST funding for those same troops. It’s true: vote No. 348 – you can look it up.
Versions of the ads are reportedly going to be run against seven Republican members: Reps. Ken Calvert (R-CA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Mike McCaul (R-TX), Lee Terry (R-NE) and Joe Wilson (R-SC). The DCCC insists that it is simply pointing out that “[w]hen George Bush was president, Republicans were quick to criticize anyone who voted against the supplemental bills that fund the troops as against the troops. But now that Republicans are trying to score political points, they have flip flopped on troop funding.”
This, however, is not really the case. On May 14, when the House voted on its version of the supplemental — which did not include the IMF funding and a number of other changes to which many Republicans ultimately objected — 168 Republicans voted in favor of the bill. In fact, every single member whom the DCCC is targeting with its patriotism-themed ads voted for initial passage of the war funding.
Steve Benen writes, “As a substantive, policy matter, lawmakers can have completely legitimate reasons for voting against military spending measures, and opposition to these expenditures does not make one an unpatriotic terrorist sympathizer.”
On multiple occasions, ThinkProgress has criticized Republicans and conservatives for questioning the patriotism of those who were critical of the Bush administration’s policies — it’s not any more acceptable when Democrats question Republicans’ patriotism in a similar fashion.
Liz Cheney doesn’t rule out run for office, but says she doesn’t plan to ‘right now.’
Liz Cheney doesn’t rule out run for office, but says she doesn’t plan to ‘right now.’
On Friday, Washington Whispers’ Paul Bedard reported that some conservatives want Liz Cheney to run for office, believing that “she’s a chip off the block!” ThinkProgress noted yesterday that Republican political guru Karl Rove has said that “she might” run at some point. Asked about the rampant speculation on Fox News today, Cheney didn’t rule out an eventual run for office, simply saying, “it’s not something I’m focused on right now.” Watch it:
After the interview ended, hosts Trace Gallagher and Martha MacCallum said it sounded like Cheney was open to running. “But I think that was ‘I’ll consider it,’” said Gallagher. “I would say it’s not ruled out at all, said MacCallum.
Washington Post profiles TP founder Judd Legum’s campaign for Maryland state legislature.
Washington Post profiles TP founder Judd Legum’s campaign for Maryland state legislature.
An article in today’s Washington Post highlights former presidential campaign staffers who are now launching their own bids for public office, including ThinkProgress founder Judd Legum:
Judd Legum, 30, a blogger-turned-opposition-researcher, has announced that he will run for the House of Delegates representing his native Annapolis area. [...]
Legum founded the ThinkProgress blog at the Center for American Progress before joining Clinton’s campaign. After Clinton lost the nomination, he said, he took a break from the hyperactive pace of Washington politics. But the wonk in him quickly took over, and he immersed himself in local issues. He started a Maryland politics blog, Legum’s New Line, and announced his candidacy more than a year out.
The long hours and intense pressure of campaigning nationally “made me want to at least try another kind of politics,” Legum said. “There is something valuable about being in the political process at this level. It’s not sexy, but it’s important. That’s part of what persuaded me to get involved.”
McCotter: House GOP needs to be an ‘entrepreneurial insurgency.’
McCotter: House GOP needs to be an ‘entrepreneurial insurgency.’
In February, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) argued that the Republican Party needed to be come an “insurgency” to counter Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, and added that the Taliban can serve as “a model.” In an interview with Roll Call about the GOP’s latest re-branding effort, House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) echoed Sessions, saying that the House GOP needed to act as an “entrepreneurial insurgency”:
Instead of potentially diluting their message by outsourcing its development to outside players, McCotter said, House Members should focus on engaging the Democratic majority as an “entrepreneurial insurgency” and continue to build their strength from within the Conference.
“We should be focusing on doing the little things right and building on them,” McCotter told Roll Call. “We have to do it every single day in the House.”
He added, “I hope [the new group] augments it but I worry that it may overwhelm it.”
Roll Call notes that McCotter is “the only member of the House leadership team who declined to participate in the National Council for a New America,” the GOP re-branding group launched by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) last week.
Specter: ‘I Did Not Say I Am A Loyal Democrat’
Specter: ‘I Did Not Say I Am A Loyal Democrat’
Shortly after news leaked that Sen. Arlen Specter would be switching from the Republican to the Democratic Party, media reports quoted Specter telling President Obama he would be a “loyal Democrat” who would support his agenda:
At 10:32am, President Barack Obama reached Specter and told him “you have my full support” and “thrilled to have you.”
Specter told the president, “I’m a loyal Democrat. I support your agenda.”
Specter immediately exhibited his loyalty by restating his opposition to Dawn Johnsen, Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel, and by joining every Republican in Congress in voting against the president’s budget.
Today on Meet The Press, host David Gregory asked Specter if he would be supporting Obama’s health care plan given reports of his loyalty to Obama’s agenda. “No,” Specter said, adding that he never said he would be a “loyal Democrat”:
GREGORY: It was reported this week that when you met with the president, you said, “I will be a loyal democrat. I support your agenda.” Let me test that on probably one of the most important areas of his agenda, and that’s health care. Would you support health care reform that puts up a government run public plan to compete with a private plan issued by a private insurance company?
SPECTER: No. And you misquote me, David. I did not say I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that. And last week, after I said I was changing parties, I voted against the budget because the budget has a way to pass health care with 51 votes, which undermines a basic Senate institution to require 60 votes to impose closure on key issues. …I did not say I am a loyal Democrat.
Watch it:
Trying to clarify Specter’s position on Obama’s health care reform, Gregory then asked, “You would not support a public plan?” “That’s what I said and that’s what I meant,” Specter replied.
Blunt: “Just because we’re in a situation now where we vote no doesn’t mean we are the ‘party of no.’”
Blunt: “Just because we’re in a situation now where we vote no doesn’t mean we are the ‘party of no.’”
Yesterday, Republican leaders announced their latest effort to re-brand the party, the National Council for a New America, which will feature input from conservative luminaries like Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Discussing the need for the new group with CQ, former House Minority Whip Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), complained about the party being branded as the “party of no,” claiming that just because they consistently vote no on President Obama’s agenda it “doesn’t mean we are the ‘party of no’“:
In addition, they say, they are having trouble breaking through to Americans with a popular Democratic president, Barack Obama , in the White House and the binary choice of yes-or-no votes on Democratic-written legislation.
“Just because we’re in a situation now where we vote no doesn’t mean we are the ‘party of no’ or have no ideas,” said former House Republican Whip Roy Blunt , who is running for Senate in Missouri and signed the letter. “This adds another way of getting those ideas out there.”
Blunt is claiming that they are being forced to vote no, but other Republican leaders have previously argued that consistently voting no is part of an obstructionist strategy. “What transpired . . . and will give us a shot in the arm going forward is that we are standing up on principle and just saying no,” said current House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA). NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) told House Republicans during a retreat that they needed “to get over the idea that they’re participating in legislation and ought to start thinking of themselves as ‘an insurgency’ instead.”
Americans feel less ‘positive’ about Bush since he left office.
Americans feel less ‘positive’ about Bush since he left office.
In January 2009, just as former President George W. Bush was leaving office, the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that 31 percent of Americans viewed him somewhat or very positively. In their latest poll, positive views of Bush have dropped to just 26 percent. In roughly the same time period, positive views of former Vice President Cheney dropped from 21 percent to 18 percent.
Snowe says GOP isn’t ‘encouraging’ of ‘moderates,’ will she follow Specter?
Snowe says GOP isn’t ‘encouraging’ of ‘moderates,’ will she follow Specter?
Following the surprising news that Sen. Arlen Specter is switching his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, Politico writes that one of the last Republican moderates, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), “didn’t seem surprised” by Specter’s announcement:
“I’m stunned … I’m very surprised. I had no idea this was coming,” said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) “I’m stunned.” But Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) a fellow moderate, didn’t seem suprised. On the national level, she says, “you haven’t certainly heard warm encouraging words of how they [Republicans] view moderates. Either you are with us or against us.”
According to Politico, Specter made his “final move” to switch parties after “a recent poll showed him badly losing a Pennsylvania Republican primary next year.” Snowe was most recently elected in 2006, so she won’t face re-election until 2012.
Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, one of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the Senate, said Tuesday that Arlen Specter's abandonment of the GOP is "devastating," both "personally and I think for the party."
"I've always been deeply concerned about the views of the Republican Party nationally in terms of their exclusionary policies and views towards moderate Republicans," said Snowe, who has been approached, she said, by Democrats in the past about switching parties.
Specter's switch to the Democratic Party "underscores the blunt reality" that the GOP is not a welcome place for moderates, she said.
Secessionist Gov. Rick Perry asks for federal help to deal with swine flu.
Secessionist Gov. Rick Perry asks for federal help to deal with swine flu.
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), who was last making headlines for suggesting that Texas may consider seceding from the Union, is requesting help from the federal government to deal with a possible swine flu pandemic:
Gov. Rick Perry today in a precautionary measure requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide 37,430 courses of antiviral medications from the Strategic National Stockpile to Texas to prevent the spread of swine flu. Currently, three cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Texas.
According to a recent DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, “37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry’s recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States. … Imagine the outcries of patriotism (or lack thereof) if Massachusetts or New York hinted at secession during the Bush years,” writes NBC’s Mark Murray. And imagine how Texas would deal with the swine flu without federal assistance.
Cornyn: GOP Prepared To Fight ‘World War III’ To Keep Franken Out Of The Senate For ‘Years’
Cornyn: GOP Prepared To Fight ‘World War III’ To Keep Franken Out Of The Senate For ‘Years’
Last week, the ongoing legal battle between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman officially became the “the longest recount in Minnesota history.” Though Franken leads Coleman in the current vote tally, according to the Minnesota Supreme Court, he can’t be certified until after election challenges have been decided in the state courts.
If Coleman loses in the state courts, he and his Republican backers are indicating that they may seek to bring it to the federal level, which could keep the Senate seat vacant for much longer. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn told Politico recently that the party is willing to keep the seat empty for “years“:
Texas Sen. John Cornyn is threatening “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Al Franken in the Senate before Norm Coleman can pursue his case through the federal courts.
Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acknowledges that a federal challenge to November’s elections could take “years” to resolve. But he’s adamant that Coleman deserves that chance — even if it means Minnesota is short a senator for the duration.
The threat of an empty Senate seat for years — which would hold the Democratic advantage in the Senate at 58-41 — does not appear to be a welcome concept to the people of Minnesota. The Star Tribune reported last week that “the prospect of a protracted battle irks some regardless of their political leanings.”
Additionally, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) believes that only having one senator is hurting Minnesota. In February, Pawlenty told C-Span that “it has put Minnesota at a disadvantage when there’s only 100 senators total and you are missing one.” Watch it:
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who is serving as Minnesota’s lone voice in the Senate these days, says that it has been a “challenge.” Klobuchar told Politico in February that “her home-state office has been flooded with phone calls and said her staff has seen its casework double in size.”
Cantor Complains Of Distractions, But He Co-Sponsored Resolution Celebrating The American Dental Association
Cantor Complains Of Distractions, But He Co-Sponsored Resolution Celebrating The American Dental Association
Yesterday on CNN, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) strongly criticized President Obama for his expected decision (Obama signed the executive order this afternoon) to reverse the Bush administration’s limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, claiming that the move is a distraction from the country’s economic troubles:
CANTOR: [T]here’s a reason why this discussion is coming up this week. Why are we going and distracting ourselves from the economy? This is job number one; let’s focus on what needs to be done. [...] We’ve got a new Congress now. And certainly that is something that we ought to be talking about, but let’s take care of business first. People are out of jobs. And, again, there is a reason why all this is happening right there — right now.
Watch it:
Except it might be difficult for Cantor to have any credibility in criticizing others for not, as he said, “tak[ing] care of business first.” Just in the first few months of the 111th Congress, Cantor has co-sponsored legislation that one might consider “distracting”:
– H. Res. 204: Congratulating the American Dental Association for its 150th year of working to improve the public’s oral health and promoting dentistry.
– H. Res. 18: A bill honoring the life, achievements and contributions of Paul Newman.
– H.R. 997: To declare English as the official language of the United States.
– H.R. 836: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce the tax on beer to its pre-1991 level, and for other purposes.
While the life and work of Paul Newman is certainly something to be celebrated, it seems Cantor doesn’t have a leg to stand on when criticizing others for distracting from the real issues.
Rep. McHenry on House GOP: ‘Our goal is to bring down approval numbers’ of Democrats.
Rep. McHenry on House GOP: ‘Our goal is to bring down approval numbers’ of Democrats.
Greg Sargent notes that in the National Journal today, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) “offered an unusually blunt description of the Republican strategy right now.” Dropping any pretense that his party’s opposition to Obama’s agenda is based on anything other than politics, McHenry explained that House Republicans’ only goal right now is to “bring down approval numbers for Pelosi and for House Democrats”:
“We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., an outspoken conservative who has participated on the GOP message teams. “Our goal is to bring down approval numbers for [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Despite how “blunt” McHenry’s pronouncement may be, it is a widely held view among House Republicans. In fact, McHenry is echoing the sentiments of the House Republican leadership. Steve Benen explains the implications of such positions, writing, “If we take McHenry at his word, Republicans can’t be constructive, they necessarily have to be destructive.”
Specter has ‘strong incentive’ to leave the Republican Party.
Specter has ‘strong incentive’ to leave the Republican Party.
With former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA), who currently heads the right-wing Club for Growth, announcing that he will challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) in a primary battle for his Senate seat in 2010, The Hill is reporting that Specter now has a “strong incentive to abandon his party this year.” Specter barely beat Toomey in 2004 and 2010 looks to be a much tougher fight:
Pennsylvania political experts say that Specter would likely face a more difficult challenge in 2010 because the Republican primary electorate in Pennsylvania has become more conservative.
“I think he has a lot of problems,” said Terry Madonna, a professor of political science at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. “I think this is the test of lifetime.”
Madonna estimated that between 150,000 to 200,000 centrist Republicans switched registration to the Democratic Party in the 2008 election cycle, leaving the remaining GOP electorate more conservative.
If Specter were to lose to Toomey in the primary, he would not be able to run as an independent under Pennsylvania election law.
EXCLUSIVE: Tancredo Says Jindal’s Speech Was The ‘Last Nail In The Coffin’ For His Presidential Ambitions
EXCLUSIVE: Tancredo Says Jindal’s Speech Was The ‘Last Nail In The Coffin’ For His Presidential Ambitions
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has been heralded as everything from the next Barack Obama to the next Ronald Reagan. As the GOP searches for a new leader, Jindal is seen by some conservatives as their best hope of capturing the White House in 2012. But Jindal’s abysmal response to Obama’s address to the nation on Tuesday has been ridiculed by commentators across the political spectrum, raising doubts about his 2012 ambitions.
Stepping up in Jindal’s defense yesterday, Rush Limbaugh warned his fellow conservatives yesterday not to say negative things about Jindal. “Those of you who think Jindal was horrible….I don’t ever want to hear from you ever again,” he said.
One Republican who isn’t heeding Limbaugh’s warnings is the anti-immigrant zealot and former congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO). In an interview with ThinkProgress at the CPAC conference today, Tancredo declared that Jindal’s speech marks the end of his presidential ambitions:
TP: [Jindal] has gotten some flack for his performance on the response to Obama. I’m curious what your thoughts on it was.
TANCREDO: Great content. Lousy delivery. And I’m sorry to say this because I like him a lot. I served with him. Good guy. Solid guy. But I think that performance would very well have put the last nail in the coffin for him, for running for president. Mostly because what we are desperately looking for today in this party is a leader. Bobby Jindal is a great intellect, but his capacity to lead just is, his bearing, is not there. At least, it wasn’t there.
Watch it:
“I’m not saying he can’t overcome it, but I’m telling you it’s a major obstacle now. And I’m sorry about that,” Tancredo said. “In this business, often times you need more sizzle than steak.”
SLIWA: Because he is — when guys look at him and young women look at him — they say oh, that's the slumdog millionaire, governor. So, give me some slum love. STEELE: I love it. (inaudible) ... some slum love out to my buddy. Gov. Bobby Jindal is doing a friggin' awesome job in his state. He's really turned around on some core principles — like hey, government ought not be corrupt. The good stuff ... the easy stuff.
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