“I guarantee my name will be on the ballot, I will be registering the
first day I can. I can’t wait to get on the campaign trail.”
— Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, quoted by the Toronto Star, dismissing accusations he’s on video smoking crack cocaine.
Ex-Obama Aides Cash In
Washington Post: “Obama came into office promising that his administration would hew to higher standards than his predecessors did. He implemented rules barring former aides from directly lobbying the government for two years and frequently decries the influence of ‘special interests’ in Washington.”
“But the efforts have done little to slow a tide of groups hiring former top aides as highly paid consultants, speakers and media advisers in an effort to influence the administration — part of a longtime Washington practice in which interest groups seek access to the White House by hiring people who used to work there.”
GOP Sizes Up Obama as a Midterm Target
New York Times: “His name won’t be on any ballot in 2014. Or ever again, for that matter. But plenty of Republicans are still eager to wage a midterm campaign against President Obama, convinced that the spate of recent troubles dogging his second term will drive voters into their arms next year.”
“Not everyone in the party, however, is so sure that they can expand their ranks in Congress or improve their standing among voters by personally attacking the president, whose likability ratings stand near 80 percent even if only half of Americans approve of his job performance. And they are cautioning their fellow party members to avoid building their campaigns around the same kinds of messages that have fallen flat before.”
Rutherford Will Run for Illinois Governor
Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford (R) told the Chicago Sun Times that he will formally announce Sunday that he is running for the Republican nomination for governor.
Tillis Will Run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina
North Carolina state House Speaker Thom Tillis (R) said he plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) next year, making him the first high-profile Republican to announce a bid, the AP reports.
Raleigh News and Observer:
“Tillis could face a crowded primary. Others named as possible
contenders include U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk and Renee
Ellmers of Dunn; state Sen. Phil Berger; and former ambassador Jim Cain.
So far, however, Dr. Greg Bannon, a Cary OB-GYN, is the only Republican
Senate candidate who has announced.”
Quote of the Day
“Having lost the election, I don’t look at myself as the person best equipped to prescribe where the party should go, going forward.”
— Mitt Romney, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, on offering the Republican party guidance.
Could Rick Perry Run for President Again?
The Los Angeles Times reports that Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) performance running for president “painted Perry — maybe unfairly, perhaps indelibly — as inept and none too bright. That could prove an exceedingly high hurdle to overcome.”
Said former Dan Quayle aide David Beckwith: “Once it happens, it’s almost impossible to reverse.”
Amazon to Produce Original Political Satire
If you haven’t finished watching House of Cards yet, you should hurry because another online-only TV show set in Washington is on the way.
The Washington Post reports that Alpha House, “a political satire about four Republican senators who live together in a rowhouse on Capitol Hill, has been ordered to series by Amazon Studios… 13 episodes will air this year and early next year.”
The show will be free to Amazon Prime subscribers. If you’re a student, join Amazon Student.
Campaign Manager Indicted for Spying on His Own Candidate
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez’s (R) former campaign manager was “indicted on computer intrusion and false statement charges,” KOB-TV reports.
Said Martinez: “The federal felony indictment today vindicates what I have been saying for almost a full year – that the personal and political emails of dozens of people, including my own, were hijacked, stolen, and never received by the intended recipients.”
Lawmaker Attacked Constituents Using Fake Identity
Pennsylvania State Rep. Jesse White (D) apparently made up multiple online identities to attack constituents who supported drilling for gas. He was discovered when his own IP address was found to be used for multiple identities.
When confronted by KDKA-TV all White could say was, “No comment.”
Romney Seeks to Rejoin National Dialogue
“More than half a year after his election loss, Mitt Romney is putting a tentative foot back onto the public stage,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Romney said that he plans to re-emerge in ways that will “help shape national priorities.”
“As a first step, the former Republican presidential nominee plans to welcome 200 friends and supporters to a three-day summit next week that he will host at a Utah mountain resort. He is considering writing a book and a series of opinion pieces, and has plans to campaign for 2014 candidates. But he is wary of overdoing it.”
Said Romney: “I’m not going to be bothering the airwaves with a constant series of speeches.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Rubio’s articulate. I met him once, maybe twice. My brother likes him, so I like him.”
— Former President George W. Bush, quoted by the Huffington Post, on his impressions of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Billy Long, Now and Then
“Sequestration was the president’s idea. Hopefully we can budget and do away with the sequester before her husband is laid off.”
— Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), in an interview on KOLR-TV.
“The people that I’ve talked to seem to be doing well. In fact, when I got out in restaurants here in town, people come up to me. They want to see more sequestration, not less.”
— Long, in an interview on the same station earlier this month.
Quinn Focuses on Personal Over Political
The New York Times gets an early peek at New York City mayoral candidate Christine Quinn’s new memoir, With Patience and Fortitude: A Memoir.
“Ms. Quinn’s candor about her personal life is as notable as her vagueness about politics. There is not a single reference to the slush-fund scandal that has been her lowest point as speaker. She says little about her relationship with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, whom she calls ‘my colleague.’ The battle over term limits is disposed of in two pages, while thousands of words are devoted to her wedding last year.”
McCollum Suggests Scott Could Face Primary
Former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R), who lost the gubernatorial primary to Rick Scott (R) in 2010, thinks the governor could face a primary himself, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Said McCollum: “I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody looks at it. I’m not planning to do it.”
More Staffers Quit on Toronto Mayor
The exodus of staff members from the office of scandal-embroiled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford continues, the Toronto Star reports.
With two staffers escorted out by security today, it brings to five the number of staff who have walked out or been fired from Ford’s office in the last week.
Fox Contributor Says Men Should Dominate Women
After a Pew Research report found that mothers were the sole breadwinners in 40% of American households with children, Erick Erickson said on Fox Business that it is “anti-science” to suggest that’s acceptable.
Said Erickson: “I’m so used to liberals telling conservatives that they’re anti-science. But liberals who defend this and say it is not a bad thing are very anti-science. When you look at biology — when you look at the natural world — the roles of a male and a female in society and in other animals, the male typically is the dominant role. The female, it’s not antithesis, or it’s not competing, it’s a complementary role.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Congress has a job to do with oversight. But if your oversight becomes overly political, the public gets turned off. Not that this White House needs saving, but that’s where the Republicans are saving the White House.”
— Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, quoted by Time magazine.
