“Republicans being against sex is not good. Sex is popular.”
— GOP strategist Alex Castellanos, quoted by Maureen Dowd.
Romney Preps for Long Primary
“Whether Mitt Romney wins or loses the Michigan and Arizona primaries on Tuesday, his advisers are warning donors and other supporters to prepare for a longer, more bruising and more expensive fight for the Republican presidential nomination that may not be settled until at least May,” the New York Times reports.
“That is prompting a new round of intensified fund-raising by his financial team, which had hoped by this point to be collecting money for a general election match with President Obama. The campaign is increasingly trying to quell anxiety among Republican leaders, while intently focusing on the mechanics of accumulating delegates needed to secure the nomination.”
GOP Establishment Worries About Santorum
The Kansas City Star editorial page asked economist Art Laffer — “yes, he of the famous Laffer curve” — whether Rick Santorum would be the Republican presidential nominee.
“Laffer’s answer was non-verbal. His hands went up on each side of his head. He leaned forward, bug-eyed at the imagined horror of Santorum as the GOP nominee — a response that reflects the fears of many on the Republican side.”
The Ford Field Fumble
The DNC put together a video of highlights from Mitt Romney’s speech before a nearly empty stadium yesterday.
How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics
In honor of Oscar weekend: Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics by Steven J. Ross.
Romney’s Wife Says No More Debates
Ann Romney told an audience in Michigan that she has decided “no more debates” for her husband, according to BuzzFeed.
Said Mrs. Romney: “If we’re going to do another debate, he’s going to sit in the audience and watch me.”
The Republican Break Up
John Heilemann notes many Republicans “are already looking past 2012. If either Romney or Santorum gains the nomination and then falls before Obama, flubbing an election that just months ago seemed eminently winnable, it will unleash a GOP apocalypse on November 7 — followed by an epic struggle between the regulars and red-hots to refashion the party. And make no mistake: A loss is what the GOP’s political class now expects.”
Said GOP strategist Ed Rollins: “Six months before this thing got going, every Republican I know was saying, ‘We’re gonna win, we’re gonna beat Obama.’ Now even those who’ve endorsed Romney say, “My God, what [an effing] mess.”‘
More Divided Than Ever
The latest National Journal congressional voting ratings finds polarization “remains endemic. Lawmakers march in lockstep with their party. Heretics are purged.”
“For the second year in a row but only the third time in the 30 years that National Journal has published these ratings, no Senate Democrat compiled a voting record to the right of any Senate Republican, and no Republican came down on the left of any Senate Democrat. (The first time this happened was 1999.)”
“The 435 members of the House are as polarized as their Senate colleagues. Only six Republicans — Chris Smith of New Jersey, Tim Johnson of Illinois, Justin Amash of Michigan, Ron Paul of Texas, Steven LaTourette of Ohio, and Walter Jones of North Carolina — compiled a slightly more “liberal” voting record than the most conservative Democrat, Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma.”
Quote of the Day
“I’m in the camp that believes that these folks are being refined and improved by this very difficult process.”
— Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), quoted by NBC News, dismissing the notion that a long and bruising primary is cause for concern from Republicans.
Florida Lawmaker Quits After Stalking Prosecutor
Under Secret Service investigation “for sending stalker-like texts to a federal prosecutor,” Florida state Rep. Richard Steinberg (D) abruptly resigned his seat, the Miami Herald reports.
Throughout the summer, Steinberg used a disguised account to send text messages to Assistant U.S. Attorney Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos sending “suggestive messages, calling her ‘sexxxy mama’ and asking about her infant son.”
Romney Holds Edge in Arizona
A new American Research Group poll shows Mitt Romney with a slim lead in the Arizona GOP primary at 39%, followed by Rick Santorum at 35%, Newt Gingrich at 11% and Ron Paul at 9%.
Gingrich Way Up in Georgia
A new Landmark/Rosetta Stone poll in Georgia shows Newt Gingrich with a double-digit lead over the GOP presidential field at 38%, followed by Rick Santorum at 25%, Mitt Romney at 19% and Ron Paul at 4%.
The number of undecided voters remains at 13% before the March 6 primary.
Santorum Attends Super PAC Event Despite Denials
Politico caught Rick Santorum in a lie this afternoon after he “slipped away from the campaign trail” to speak to a super PAC fundraiser, despite denying previous reports that he planned to do so.
When Lawmakers Don’t “Get Lucky”
In one of the weirdest speeches you will ever see on the floor of a legislative body, Virginia Del. David Albo (R) spoke to
his colleagues (and television cameras) about his failed attempt to
seduce his wife as a result of the contentious abortion debate in the state.
Artist Pleads Guilty in Criminal Case Over Obama Poster
Even though Shepard Fairey already settled his case with Associated Press over using their photo as the basis for his iconic Obama “Hope” poster early, the Los Angeles Times reports the artist today entered a guilty plea to related criminal charges.
Fairey was charged with criminal contempt for destroying documents and manufacturing evidence, once again proving the cover up is almost always worse than the crime.
He now faces a maximum of six months in prison.
Man Tries to Stay Awake During Biden’s Speech
Mitt Romney may have had an empty stadium as the backdrop for his big speech today but Vice President Biden had a man behind him struggling to stay awake during his own speech.
Romney Delivers Clunker in Detroit
Mitt Romney delivered what was billed as a major economic speech today in Detroit but it mostly fell flat, The Hill reports.
“Television cameras showed rows of empty chairs as Romney rehashed many of the policies and quips he’d used in previous speeches, made a few jokes that appeared to fall flat with the audience and said that his wife, Ann, drove ‘a couple of Cadillacs,’ which will likely give Democrats more ammunition for their depiction of him as rich and out of touch.”
But this is priceless: “‘That’s my family leading the applause,’ he said quickly, although no one was clapping, then laughed again. No one appeared to laugh with him.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“This feels good being back in Michigan. You know, the trees are the right height, the streets are just right. I like the fact that most of the cars I see are Detroit-made automobiles. I drive a Mustang and a Chevy pickup truck. Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs.”
— Mitt Romney, quoted by BuzzFeed, noting that he and his wife have four cars between them.
