Gallup: “Massachusetts and Maryland rank as the most Democratic states, and Wyoming and Utah are the most Republican, based on the political party identification and leanings of their state residents in 2014. The Democratic advantage in Massachusetts and Maryland exceeds 20 percentage points, while Utah and Wyoming show Republican advantages of more than 30 points.”
What’s Up with a GOP Virgin Islands PAC?
“The strange case of the Virgin Islands political action committee took another strange twist,” the New York Times reports.
“Prominent members of the Virgin Islands Republican Party who were caught unaware by the creation of a federal PAC run by a political operative in Virginia more than a year ago now find themselves in an unusual position: One of them is responsible for it, at least on paper.”
“As we’ve reported before, VIGOP is a strange beast. It appears to raise no significant amount of money from the Virgin Islands, an American territory. (Most state parties depend on in-state support from individual donors.) It also had no Virgin Islander listed on the committee’s forms.”
A New Bush Already in the Spotlight
“George P. Bush’s new job as Texas land commissioner has nothing to do with abortion, and it lacks any authority to funnel public dollars to private schools. But after barely 30 days in office, he’s already headlined high-profile rallies on both issues,” the AP reports.
“The 38-year-old has a political surname far better known than his obscure office, which administers Texas’ vast public lands and mineral rights. Though he insists he’s not yet eying any moves up Texas’ political ladder, the newest Bush in politics has wasted no time becoming a leading voice for top conservative causes and seizing the spotlight in a state already full of powerful Republicans.”
Bush Was Offered Post of NFL Commissioner
Jeb Bush said that he only seriously considered becoming commissioner of the National Football League for “about 10 minutes” back in 2006, Politico reports.
“During his final year as governor of Florida, a few team owners reached out to the Republican. The job instead went to Roger Goodell, who has been criticized during his tenure for mishandling everything from players accused of domestic violence to how to deal with the rate of concussions.”
Obama Feared Huntsman Most in 2012
Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina said that “the guy that we were always most afraid of was Jon Huntsman, the governor of Utah, who I think would be a smashingly great general election candidate,” The Hill reports.
Of course, he added, given the Republican Party’s conservative tilt now, “You and I have the same chance he does of getting the Republican nomination for president.”
Major Paper Calls on Oregon Governor to Resign
The Oregonian has called for Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) to resign over “revelations about the apparently borderless world of public policy and private gain in which he and fiancée Cylvia Hayes exist.”
“More ugliness may surface, but it should be clear by now to Kitzhaber that his credibility has evaporated to such a degree that he can no longer serve effectively as governor. If he wants to serve his constituents he should resign.”
“To recite every reported instance in which Hayes, ostensibly under Kitzhaber’s watchful eye, has used public resources, including public employee time and her ‘first lady’ title, in pursuit of professional gain would require far more space than we have here and, besides, repeat what most readers already know. Suffice it to say there’s a pattern, and the person who bears the responsibility for allowing it to form and persist is Kitzhaber, who should know better. After all, as he pointed out during Friday’s press conference, he’s been serving in public office on and off since the 1970s.”
Brian Williams Admits He Made Up Story
“After 12 years, Brian Williams is coming clean, admitting the helicopter he traveled in during NBC’s coverage of the 2003 Iraq invasion never once came under fire, despite Williams’ story to the contrary,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“On Jan. 30, NBC Nightly News posted a video of Williams to Facebook, in which Williams recounts the false story during a news segment. Williams references ‘a terrible moment a dozen years back during the invasion of Iraq, when the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by an RPG.'”
“A user by the name of Lance Reynolds, who claimed to have been serving in Iraq during the incident in question, subsequently commented on the video, writing, ‘Sorry dude, I don’t remember you being on my aircraft.'”
Brad Phillips: Did Brian Williams really misremember being shot at?
Jailed Lawmaker Votes Against Banning Porn in Jail
Virginia Del. Joe Morrissey (D), who spends his nights in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, is opposing a measure aimed at keeping pornography out of the hands of inmates, NBC Washington reports.
“The bill passed by a broad majority and its sponsor said the state’s wardens support the measure so that they can keep ‘hard-core’ pornography out of the hands of inmates. Morrissey told reporters that the measure won’t survive legal challenges and noted that he is a former constitutional law professor.”
North Korea Threatens U.S. with ‘Final Doom’
North Korea’s military leaders said the United States and “cesspool” Obama administration “will face final doom”, Sky News reports.
It added that North Korea was capable of bringing about the “final ruin of the U.S.” with its “precision and diversified nuclear striking means.”
Walker Surges Ahead in New Hampshire
A new NH1 poll in New Hampshire shows Gov. Scott Walker (R) leading the Republican presidential race with 21% support, followed by Jeb Bush at 14%, Sen. Rand Paul at 8%, Ben Carson at 8%, Gov. Chris Christie at 6%, Mike Huckabee at 6%, and Sen. Marco Rubio at 5%.
Bibi-Sitter
Peggy Noonan: “Whatever your views on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the upcoming Israeli elections, put them aside for a moment and appreciate this as sheer political art. It is one of the best political ads I have ever seen—funny, warm, surprising and clever. It seems aimed at what I’d think is one of Netanyahu’s prime problems as a political figure, which is his heavy grimness, his air of aggression and constant warning.”
Clinton Offered Edwards Post In Return for Endorsement
A new book from David Axelrod claims that Hillary Clinton offered former Sen. John Edwards the position of attorney general if he got out of the race and endorsed her in the 2008 Democratic primary, the New York Daily News reports.
Homophobic Russian Politician Caught in Lesbian Selfie
“A homophobic Russian politician found himself an unwitting participant in a piece of gay propaganda, after two women on his flight home from Moscow spotted him and took a photo of themselves kissing as he worked in the background. The politician, Vitaly Milonov, is a city legislator in St. Petersburg and one of the most tireless pushers of the country’s anti-gay legislation,” New York magazine reports.
Flake Backs McCain in Arizona Senate Primary
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) “is throwing his weight behind Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), endorsing his home-state colleague against any potential primary foes,” The Hill reports.
“The endorsement could help McCain against a Tea Party challenge. Flake remains popular with Arizona’s conservative base despite his split from activists on immigration reform.”
Debate Questions Leaked in Chicago
Notes and potential questions for a Chicago mayoral debate were leaked to the campaign of County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, “giving Garcia what could be a leg up on the competition,” the Chicago Sun Times reports.
All of the candidates were informed of the breach: “Some working notes, referred to as ‘early thoughts,’ which included possible questions for the candidates participating in our Feb. 5 Chicago mayoral debate, were leaked to one of the campaigns today. In the interest of fairness, we have decided to share the notes with all of the campaigns. Again, we’d like to clarify that these are early notes and only suggested questions, which may or may not be the final questions asked in this debate.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“People say, ‘should the president be impeached?’ I say, we’re getting close to that.”
— Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA), in a video form BuzzFeed.
Top Iowa Donor Says Christie Can’t Win
Gary Kirke, a longtime Iowa GOP donor who unsuccessfully attempted to draft Gov. Chris Christie (R) into the presidential race in 2012, tells U.S. News that he isn’t backing him anymore.
Said Kirke: “I don’t think Christie can win. It’s just comments I hear. Christie’s hurt himself a couple times.”
Is Chris Christie an Ass?
Andrew Sullivan: “The question is a truly difficult one. I used to find Christie’s bluntness and boldness refreshing. I don’t mind his aggressive manner – it’s entertaining at least, and we can all use some personality in our politics at times. I’m in favor of standing up to public sector union mediocrity. I like his relative social liberalism, especially in the madrassa-like swamps of the GOP base. He may even be exonerated in the Bridgegate scandale.”
“But then you just read about him. It’s clear to anyone with eyes and ears by now that he is an almost pathologically ambitious figure, who has no qualms about persecuting his enemies, pettily seeking payback when necessary, and using public office to pursue political vendettas. What you really see in the Bridgegate mess is his desire to get Democratic party officials to endorse him to burnish his bipartisan credentials for a national race. If they didn’t, they had something to fear in New Jersey. He’s a big guy, in other words, with a tendency to punch down and suck up.”
