Rick Perry

Well, If You Insist: Rick Perry Takes The Bait, Runs Against Washington

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 20, 2011, 3:26PM

Texas Governor and Presidential Candidate Rick Perry (R)

ROCK HILL, SC -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry responded to his Washington critics here Saturday in a way that could make you wonder if those critics are actually playing for Team Perry.

On Friday, Politico reported on the concerns of some Republicans in Congress that Perry's Texas-style rhetoric on the presidential campaign trail is perhaps a little too Texas.

Speaking to reporters today, Perry responded by essentially saying he doesn't give a rip about what those Washington fat cats have to say about him. It was a move so slick that Perry could have scripted it.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry: Illegal Immigrants Who Serve In The Military Deserve Citzenship

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 20, 2011, 2:32PM

Mexican President Vicente Fox and Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

ROCK HILL, SC -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) spoke for a few minutes to reporters here about his views on immigration, which have gotten him into some hot water with the conservative base he hopes to woo as his presidential campaign spools up. What he offered up was a little something for everyone.

Perry said states should be responsible for their own immigration laws, also stating that the federal government must step up border enforcement. He also spelled out his support for a national program that would allow illegal immigrants who serve in the military to become citizens.

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Jon Huntsman

Huntsman: "I Wouldn't Necessarily Trust Any Of My Opponents Right Now" On The Economy

Kyle Leighton | August 20, 2011, 12:21PM

Jon Huntsman

Updated: August 21, 2011, 10:30AM

Call him crazy, but former Utah Gov. and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is doubling down on his criticism of climate change skepticism as "not a winning formula" for the GOP in 2012, while calling out his opponents in the Republican presidential primary on their willingness to let the US default on its debt.

In an interview on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Jake Tapper asked Huntsman about his shots at Tex. Gov. Rick Perry's contention that evolution is "a theory that's out there," but not a sure thing, nor is the idea of climate change. Last week Huntsman tweeted his take, "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy."

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Rick Perry

Thumbs Up, Handshakes And Ignored Critics: Rick Perry Walks The Line

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 19, 2011, 6:18PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Over the weekend TPM's Evan McMorris-Santoro was on the trail of Rick Perry as he stumped through South Carolina. The following observations of the Texas governor in action reveal much about the political force that's currently shaking up the 2012 campaign.

GREENVILLE, SC -- Remember that Texas presidential swagger? The super-sincere handshakes, the thumbs up everywhere, the short, broski-style answers and genuine charm?

Yeah, it's exactly how you remember it.

For about 30 minutes Friday evening, Texas Gov. Rick Perry walked among the good people on Main St. here, stopping to exchange a few words when his staffers pointed someone out he should meet and -- for one brief moment -- shaking hands and giving thumbs up to the staff of a hookah bar a couple blocks from City Hall. He also pet dogs. A lot of dogs. Perry likes dogs.

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Santorum: I'll Take Up Huntsman's 'Offer' -- He's Crazy To Believe In Global Warming (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2011, 4:33PM

On Thursday, Jon Huntsman tweeted a jab at fellow GOP primary candidate Rick Perry with the declaration: "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy" -- a brave move for a Republican presidential candidate in the age of the Tea Party. In response, his fellow (and much more conservative) candidate Rick Santorum seems to be saying: Yup, you are crazy.

Santorum on Friday singled out Huntsman for accepting the scientific consensus on manmade activities being a significant contributor to global warming -- and did not talk at all about Huntsman's belief in evolution, despite his own long political history of questioning evolutionary science and advocating for the teaching of the "intelligent design" movement of creationism.

"Yeah well, I'll be the first one to take him up on his offer," Santorum told MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell. "You know, look, I've been very, very clear that the science just simply doesn't back up the issue of global warming.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry: Obama Wants To Be Your 'Caretaker'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 19, 2011, 3:05PM

COLUMBIA, SC -- Speaking to a crowd of Republican Party officials and activists here Friday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry didn't mention his rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, but laid out the stakes for a general election contest he says will pit advocates of the nanny state against those who follow the nation's founding documents.

"The central issue of this election is going to be an administration who believes Washington must be our caretaker," Perry said, "and the people who want Washington to only care for their constitutional responsibilities."

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Rick Perry

Did Rick Perry Turn Texas Public Schools Into Creationism Indoctrination Centers?

Brian Beutler | August 19, 2011, 2:15PM

Rick Perry

Gov. Rick Perry's claim to a child in New Hampshire Thursday that Texas public schools teach both Creationism and evolution would come as a surprise to educators and students across the country. The Supreme Court had the last word on this in the 1980s when seven justices ruled that teaching Creationism as fact violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

But Perry's precise words -- "in Texas we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools" -- weren't exactly spoken in error. Texas biology teachers must teach evolution, can't teach Creationism, and can't teach Intelligent Design or any other forms of crypto-Creationism. But the state's curriculum does require schools to teach students to analyze and critique all scientific theories. And that means conservatives like Perry can pretend a loophole exists.

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Romney Releases Web Video: 'Businesses Are Comprised Of People'

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2011, 1:44PM

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)

Updated: Aug 19, 2011, 2:53PM

Mitt Romney released a new web video on Friday, firing back at Democratic attacks on his "corporations are people, my friend" comment to a voter in Iowa last week, when he explained his opposition to raising taxes on businesses.

The video is entitled "Mitt on the Road: A Week in New Hampshire," and shows clips of Romney speaking at different locations around that key early primary state, and discussing the poor condition of the economy.

At just over the halfway mark, Romney declares: "Businesses are comprised of people. I'm talking about repair shops, and gas stations, and beauty salons, and restaurants. I'm talking about Apple computer, and Facebook, and Microsoft. I'm talking about businesses that employ people. It's really astonishing to me that the Obama folks would try and argue that businesses aren't people. What do they think they are? Little men from Mars? But when they tax business, they tax people."

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Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck Enraged At Boehner After Hearing Congress Can't Attend His Israel Rally

Jillian Rayfield | August 19, 2011, 1:01PM

Glenn Beck closes out the "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 2010

Glenn Beck said that House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) "should be ashamed" of himself, after he heard that the House Ethics Committee put the kibosh on members of Congress attending Beck's "Restoring Courage" rally in Israel next week.

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2012

Is He Even Trying? Huntsman Seems Determined To Alienate the GOP Base

Thomas Lane | August 19, 2011, 12:24PM

Jon Huntsman

"Call me crazy," Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman tweeted Thursday. And from a strategic point of view, maybe he is.

The former Utah governor and Obama-appointed ambassador to China has appeared to take glee in poking the Republican base in recent days. Try to convince the base that his appointment by President Obama isn't a fatal handicap? Nah, just mock the base instead.

Huntsman's "Call me crazy" tweet was in response to two prominent blow-ups from Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Within the space of 28 hours he alleged that scientists were making up global warming for profit and had dismissed evolution as "a theory that's out there."

"To be clear," Huntsman tweeted. "I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy."

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2012 Presidential Primaries

The Gaffes Of August - Bachmann's Big Week On The Stump

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2011, 12:03PM

GOP Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

It's been a big week for Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and her insurgent presidential campaign. Her victory in the Iowa straw poll forced her fellow Minnesotan and once top-tier candidate, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, right out of the race. But along the way, as could be expected of Bachmann and her boisterous rhetoric, there have been some other memorable moments.

On Thursday, the Tea Party maven told an interesting tale to a South Carolina audience, explaining her former career as a tax litigation attorney working for the federal government. "How many of you love the IRS? No! It's time to change it," she told the crowd. "I went to work in that system because the first rule of war is 'know your enemy.' So I went to the inside to learn how they work because I wanted to beat them."

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Rick Perry

Former Reagan Official: 'Rick Perry's An Idiot'

Brian Beutler | August 19, 2011, 10:00AM

Ronald Reagan's chief domestic policy adviser took Texas governor Rick Perry to the woodshed Friday for recent controversial statements -- in particular about his suggestion that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke would be committing treason by printing money to boost economic growth.

"Rick Perry's an idiot, and I don't think anyone would disagree with that," Bruce Bartlett said on CNN's American Morning.

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Wisconsin

Feingold: I Will Not Run For Public Office In 2012

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2011, 9:25AM

Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), June 12, 2011.

Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), who lost his seat after three terms in the 2010 Republican wave, has announced that he will not run for office in 2012 -- either in the race for state's open Senate seat, or in a potential recall against Gov. Scott Walker -- a development that could possibly lower the chances for success of the latter possibility, or the likelihood of a recall even occurring.

"This was a difficult decision, as I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure in both the State Senate and the U.S. Senate, and I know that progressives are eager to reverse some of the outrageous policies being pursued by corporate interests at both the state and federal levels," Feingold wrote in an e-mail to his supporters.

"I am also well aware that I have a very strong standing in the polls should I choose to run again for the U.S. Senate or in a recall election for governor. After twenty-eight continuous years as an elected official, however, I have found the past eight months to be an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective."

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Michele Bachmann

Still Singing That Same Old Song: After Ames, Bachmann As Divisive As Ever

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 19, 2011, 6:05AM

Michele Bachmann

FLORENCE, SC -- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is in a tough spot. On the one hand, polls are showing her unlikely presidential candidacy is catching on, at least in Iowa, and she needs to keep that momentum going by expanding her base of support among the various Republican groups here. On the other, Bachmann needs to keep stoking the tea party fire that's gotten her as far as it has.

Speaking to a small audience of true believers and curious visitors in the Palmetto State Thursday, Bachmann made it clear that she's putting her emphasis on the latter goal. In her stump speech, Bachmann offered up an unambiguous call for the dismantling of the federal Department of Education as well as the legislation that created it, which she called "unconstitutional." (She said she'd eliminate the EPA, too, a common refrain among Republicans these days.)

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International Criminal Court

Qaddafi's Deeply Dodgy 'Get Out Of Jail Free' Card

Thomas Lane | August 19, 2011, 6:00AM

Now that Libya's rebels are declaring they will capture Tripoli by the end of August, the country's long-time leader, Muammar Qaddafi, must be pondering his future.

There are whispers and rumors that he may be preparing to flee to Tunisia, but the problem he faces there is that the country is about to become a member of the International Criminal Court. That's the same International Criminal Court that has filed warrants against him and his son, Saif al-Islam, and obliges its members to arrest them should they cross their borders.

As such, Qaddafi's mind may be turning to the rebels' earlier offer: that he could cede power and live out the rest of his days in Libya.

But there's a hitch: those same ICC warrants also make it hard for him to stay in his home country. If the rebels formally take control of Libya then they will be obliged to turn him over to the court.

Technically there's only one way out, and it's deeply unsatisfactory for all concerned.

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Allen West

Waters: Allen West's Comments 'So Odd' -- And I'm Helping His Brother (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 6:25PM

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has been firing back at Rep. Allen West (R-FL), who named her as an example of how the Democratic Party has created what he called a "21-century plantation" over black voters, with appointed African-American leaders to act as "overseers" -- the men who committed the day-to-day atrocities of ruling over slaves in the antebellum South.

"I think it's so odd," said Waters, in one such appearance on Hardball, shaking her head. "No, I think that's odd, and it doesn't make good sense. And I don't think that it even deserves a response.

Waters then dished out a response: "Did I tell you his brother was here today?"

She explained to Matthews that West, who is originally from Atlanta, has a brother who went to the Congressional Black Caucus's jobs fair and town hall event in that city.

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Ohio

Kasich Opponents: Repeal Your Anti-Union Law -- Then We'll Talk

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 5:33PM

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R)

The Ohio labor and progressive-backed political group that is behind the referendum to repeal Gov. John Kasich's new law, which would weaken collective bargaining rights for public unions, has a response to his offer on Wednesday for compromise: We'll sit down and talk -- after you repeal the bill in its entirety.

"We are asking you for a fresh start, and that fresh start must begin with a full repeal of Senate Bill 5," the group declared in a letter released Thursday, with emphasis in the original.

"A complete repeal of Senate Bill 5 would go a long way toward creating an environment for compromise, restoring trust in government by the electorate and setting the table for meaningful negotiations about creating jobs, rebuilding Ohio's economy and moving the state forward."

As such, it seems as if the most likely scenario is that the bill will not be repealed, and the referendum will go forward this November -- with the bill's opponents currently ahead in the race.

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Huntsman Dings Perry: 'Call Me Crazy' But I Believe In Evolution And Global Warming

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 4:03PM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman is often regarded as too moderate a Republican to qualify for the GOP's presidential nomination -- he does, after all, support civil unions for gay couples, and served in the Obama administration as Ambassador to China. And his latest comments might not help fix that: Slamming Rick Perry's denial of global warming and non-answer on evolution.

Thursday afternoon, Huntsman tweeted:

To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.

Hmm. Huntsman is running for the Republican nomination for president, and just tweeted that comment. Maybe we can call him crazy.

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Evolution

Perry Says Texas Public Schools Teach Creationism... Which May Be In Violation Of The Constitution

Brian Beutler | August 18, 2011, 3:52PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Campaigning in New Hampshire Thursday, Texas Governor, and GOP Presidential candidate Rick Perry claimed that Texas public schools teach both evolution and creationism in their science classes.

Perry described evolution as "a theory that is out there," telling a young child questioning him that "it's got some gaps in it." That's why, he said, "in Texas we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools. Because I figure...because I figure you're smart enough to figure out which one is right."

There's just one problem with that: in 1987 the Supreme Court ruled that teaching creationism in public schools is an unconstitutional violation of the Establishment Clause.

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Rick Perry

Perry On Evolution: 'It's A Theory That's Out There' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 3:28PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Rick Perry is sure about a lot of things. But the theory of evolution, or even how old the planet Earth is, are not on that list.

A woman who will probably not be supporting the Texas governor brought her young son along to a campaign event in New Hampshire on Thursday, and had the boy ask Perry his views about science. "How old do you think the earth is?" the boy asked. This was an apparent allusion to how fundamentalist Christians often insist that Earth -- and indeed, the whole universe -- is about 6,000 years old.

"How old do I think the earth is? You know what, I don't have any idea," Perry responded. "I know it's pretty old. So it goes back a long, long ways. I'm not sure -- I'm not sure anybody actually knows completely and absolutely hold the earth is.

Perry then steered the conversation to some questions the boy's mother had been asking him, about evolution.

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Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell: I Walked Off Piers Morgan Because Of 'Creepy' Sex Questions (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | August 18, 2011, 1:55PM

Christine O'Donnell

Failed Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell said Thursday that she walked out of an interview on Wednesdasy with CNN's Piers Morgan because he "would not stop trying to talk about sex."

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Wisconsin

Tommy Thompson Announces Co-Chairs For Upcoming Wisconsin Senate Bid

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 12:33PM

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI)

Tommy Thompson, the former four-term Wisconsin governor and Bush-era Health and Human Services Secretary, has now taken significant steps toward running for the open Senate seat in his state, where Democrat Herb Kohl is retiring.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Thompson has announced two co-chairs for his nascent campaign: Former top political aide Jim Klauser, and current state Attorney General JB. Van Hollen.

"I'm honored to have the support and commitment of Jim and J.B.," Thompson said in a statement. "We need to get America working again. We can do better, and it begins with getting government out the way of creating the jobs that make our families and communities stronger."

Following Kohl's retirement announcement in May, Thompson said that he would wait until after the very high-profile state Senate recalls, which concluded this past Tuesday, to make a decision about whether he would run for the U.S. Senate.

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Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren Launches Exploratory Committee

Benjy Sarlin | August 18, 2011, 12:24PM

Elizabeth Warren, Chairman of the Congressional Oversight Panel for TARP

Signalling a possible run for office, consumer advocate and Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren has launched an exploratory committee in Massachusetts.

The website, ElizabethForMA.com, went live on Thursday with a contact form for supporters interested in tracking her decision. According to the Boston Globe, Warren filed the paperwork for the new committee the same day. Warren has been heavily courted by top Senate Democrats to run against Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who took office after winning the 2010 special election to replace the late Ted Kennedy. She gained a national following in her role as head of the Congressional Oversight Panel Chair for TARP and was a leading advocate for the creation of a consumer protection agency, a key piece of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

Warren has been on a "listening tour" of the state this week and recently published a post on liberal blog Blue Mass Group in which she sounded very much like a candidate.

"It is time for me to think hard about what role I can play next to help rebuild a middle class that has been hacked at, chipped at, and pulled at for more than a generation--and that that is under greater strain every day," she wrote.

2012 Presidential Primaries

Obama's Education Secretary Slams Perry's Texas: 'I Feel Very, Very Badly For The Children There'

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 10:46AM

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is taking a rhetorical shot at one of President Obama's possible election opponents, slamming the education system in Gov. Rick Perry's home state of Texas.

"Far too few of their high school graduates are actually prepared to go on to college," Duncan said on Bloomberg Television. "I feel very, very badly for the children there."

"You have seen massive increases in class size," Duncan also added. "You've seen cutbacks in funding. It doesn't serve the children well. It doesn't serve the state well. It doesn't serve the state's economy well. And ultimately it hurts the country."

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Rick Perry

Ron Paul: Rick Perry 'Makes Me Look Like A Moderate'

Benjy Sarlin | August 18, 2011, 10:44AM

Ron Paul

Rick Perry's intimidating talk on Ben Bernanke may be too much even for Ron Paul, the patron saint of the anti-Fed GOP movement.

Paul mocked Perry's recent statement that Bernanke's polices may be "almost treasonous" on the campaign trail in New Hampshire Wednesday, referring to him only as "this other governor" and claiming he forgot his name.

"He realizes that talking about the Fed is good, too," Paul said, according to the LA Times. "But I'll tell you what, he makes me look like a moderate. I have never once said that Bernanke has committed treason."

Then the punchline: "But I have suggested very strongly that the Federal Reserve system and all the members have been counterfeiters for a long time."

Bashar al-Assad

Obama Steps Up Pressure On Syrian Leader To Resign

Susan Crabtree | August 18, 2011, 10:12AM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

President Obama on Thursday issued his most explicit call to date for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down from power after months of the Syrian leader's brutal assaults on peaceful pro-reform protestors.

In a written statement, Obama urged Assad to resign and announced a host of new sanctions against the Syrian government. Previously, the President and the administration had said only that Assad had lost all credibility to rule Syria.

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China

Chinese Minders Forcefully Shove American Reporters During Remarks By Joe Biden

Thomas Lane | August 18, 2011, 10:03AM

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice President Biden

Chinese press minders twice broke into altercations Thursday with American reporters covering Vice-President Joe Biden's visit to China.

The trouble began when the press were allowed to watch the start of a meeting between Biden and the Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. According to the LA Times, an agreement had been reached that the two Vice Presidents would deliver brief opening remarks, and then the press would leave so the meeting could go on in private.

Biden's remarks, however, seemed to go on a little long for the taste of the Chinese organizers. According to the Financial Times, as he launched into some anodyne remarks on the economy, Chinese officials began to whisper, "Why is he talking for so long?"

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Allen West

Allen West: 'I'm Here As The Modern-Day Harriet Tubman' To Lead Blacks Out Of The Dem 'Plantation' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 9:39AM

Rep. Allen West (R-FL)

In an appearance Wednesday night on Fox News, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) said that the Democratic Party has kept African-Americans on a "21st-century plantation," with liberal black politicians being like the "overseers" who would rule over the slaves -- and likened himself to Harriet Tubman, the most famous member of the Underground Railroad movement, who helped over 70 slaves escape to freedom and inspired many others by her example.

West discussed President Obama's current bus tour, with guest host Laura Ingraham.

"Well I think, Laura, when you look at what is happening, the laughable hypocrisy is that the big black bus is not going into the black community," said West. "When you had unemployment in the black community, 16.3 percent in July, and it dropped down to 15.9 percent for the month of August, that's not in the right direction. [Note: 15.9% unemployment for a demographic group certainly is bad -- but isn't even a slight drop a move in the right direction?]

"So, you have this 21st-century plantation that has been out there, where the Democrat Party has forever taken the black vote for granted. And you have established certain black leaders, who are nothing more than the overseers of that plantation. And now the people on that plantation are upset, because they have been disregarded, disrespected, and their concerns are not cared about.

"So I'm here as the modern-day Harriet Tubman, to kind of lead people on the Underground Railroad, away from that plantation into a sense of sensibility."

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Grover Norquist

Norquist Calls Sen. Murray 'The Lady From Washington' Who 'Doesn't Do Budgets'

Brian Beutler | August 18, 2011, 8:53AM

Grover Norquist

All six Republicans on the new deficit Super Committee have all kissed anti-tax zealot Grover Norquist's ring. So now he's training his sights on the six committee Democrats -- not always politely. Here's the New York Times.

All six Republicans on the committee have signed the pledge not to raise taxes dictated by Grover Norquist, who heads Americans for Tax Reform. Now, Mr. Norquist said, he will focus on keeping the Democrats in line. "The Republicans are serious budget reformers; the lady from Washington," Mr. Norquist said of Mrs. Murray, "doesn't do budgets."

"The lady from Washington," is the only female member of Senate leadership in either party, and the second highest-ranking member, male or female, of the Senate Budget Committee.

Barack Obama

Obama's Economic Numbers: Down, Down, and Up

Kyle Leighton | August 18, 2011, 6:00AM

President Barack Obama (D)

President Obama came into office with high levels of support and approval on a key component of the 2008 election: his ability to handle the economy. Two and half years later, jobs and the economy are still identified as the top concerns for Americans, and that's a problem for Obama.

Given the sluggish growth in this area since he was sworn in, the key to Obama's 2008 victory is starting to become a liability. In a new Gallup poll, Obama registered just 26 percent approval on his handling of the economy, his lowest ever rating and down from a high of 59 percent in February of 2009.

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2012

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) Leads Charge Against 'Extreme' Rick Perry

Benjy Sarlin | August 18, 2011, 6:00AM

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) is on a media blitz this week as part of his mission to sink Governor Rick Perry's candidacy, lending a Texan face to national Democrats' efforts.

"He's arrogant, he's full of himself, he just fits the stereotype that is sometimes misapplied to our state," Doggett told TPM in an interview. "We all are really proud to be Texans, but we're not proud of what he's done to our state."

Doggett urged voters to look at Perry's recent cuts to K-12 education as a model for how he would govern. After insisting that the legislature not dip into the state's rainy day fund or raise taxes to help make up a shortfall this year, the governor forced deep cuts to social services instead , including $4 billion in education funding.

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Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell Walks Out Of Piers Morgan Interview

Eric Kleefeld | August 17, 2011, 6:41PM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell, the Delaware conservative activist who shockingly won the Republican nomination for Senate in 2010 -- and then lost what had looked like a safe seat by a double-digit margin -- walked out of taping an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on Wednesday.

O'Donnell is currently promoting her book, Troublemaker: Let's Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again, mostly through appearances on friendly conservative media.

In this case, she apparently reacted badly to Morgan's questions about her views on sexuality. As the public learned in the 2010 campaign, she is a vociferous abstinence campaigner, and has even gone so far as to speak out vigorously against masturbation. Morgan apparently couldn't resist prodding her on this, nor could he resist raising her infamous anecdote about having once dabbled in witchcraft. The final straw, however, appears to have been a question about her opposition to gay marriage.

Early Wednesday evening, Morgan tweeted:

BREAKING: Christine O'Donnell just walked out of my interview for @PiersTonight in disgust at my 'rudeness'. Tune in at 9pm ET.

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Michael Bloomberg

Discrimination suit against Bloomberg LP tossed

Megan Reback | August 17, 2011, 6:15PM

On Wednesday, a U.S. judge dismissed a class action discrimination suit against Bloomberg LP because of insufficient evidence. The 2007 suit was brought against the privately-held, New York-based media and information services company by the Equal Opportunity Commission. The government agency alleged that between 2002 to 2007 female employees at Bloomberg were demoted and that their pay was cut after they became pregnant.

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Chris Christie

Fitch Downgrades New Jersey's Credit Rating To AA-

David Taintor | August 17, 2011, 4:52PM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

On the same day a report suggested that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is exploring a presidential bid, the ratings agency Fitch downgraded the state's credit rating from AA to AA-.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, the state's budget needs more funding to meet growing needs of pension and worker-benefit liabilities:

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Barack Obama

Rove Group To Attack Obama For Using Same $1.1M Bus GOP Candidate Will Use

Ryan J. Reilly | August 17, 2011, 4:30PM

Karl Rove's American Crossroads group is planning to "make a star out of" the $1.1 million armored bus President Barack Obama is using to travel across the country by featuring it in attack ads ahead of the 2012 election.

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Ohio

Kasich: Let's Make A Deal On My Anti-Union Bill -- And Call Off The Repeal Referendum

Eric Kleefeld | August 17, 2011, 3:34PM

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R)

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Wednesday offered a deal to the state's public employee unions: Let's compromise on my law stripping away your collective bargaining rights -- and withdraw the referendum where you could get it repealed.

The Columbus Dispatch reports on Kasich's press conference, at which he was also joined by top Republican legislative leaders:

Kasich said avoiding a fight is in "best interest of everyone, including public employee unions." He asked the unions to "set aside political agendas and past offenses."

The governor said the offer stems from him being a "believer in talking," and not out of "a fear we are going to lose." Kasich asked for a delegation of 10 public employee union leaders to talk with state officials.

The law has not actually taken effect, but was put on hold by the petition process that triggered the referendum for this November. A recent Quinnipiac poll from this past July showed that repealing the bill had a lead of either slightly under or over 20 points, depending on the wording of the question.

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2012

Michele Bachmann Gets Another Super PAC

Benjy Sarlin | August 17, 2011, 3:28PM

Michele Bachmann

It's getting hard to keep track of all the unlimited money groups forming to support various presidential candidates. Rick Perry already has multiple competing ones. Now Michele Bachmann is getting a second one.

The group, Citizens for a Working America, will be chaired by Ken Blackwell, who held office as Ohio's Secretary of State and ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor. Bachmann adviser Ed Brookover will also be on board, according to The Fix, who first broke the news.

CWA joins another recently formed pro-Bachmann group, Keep Conservatives United, that's already announced plans to take on Perry directly.

Bachmann is one of three candidates with Super PAC support. In addition to Perry's trio, Romney supporters have already raised over $12 million through Restore Our Future.

Polls

Poll: New Hampshire Still Romney's Turf In GOP Primary

Kyle Leighton | August 17, 2011, 3:15PM

GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney (R-MA)

With another high profile candidate in the GOP presidential primary field and the Ames Straw Poll in the books, attention is turning back to the votes that will really matter: key among them, New Hampshire. A new poll out on Wednesday shows that despite the recent shakeup in the race with the addition of Tex. Gov. Rick Perry, Granite State GOP voters are still behind former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney at the moment.

Romney is the first choice of 36 percent of GOP voters in the new survey sponsored by the New Hampshire Journal. Romney's score is twice that of the next closest candidate, Perry, who polls at 18 percent. Following Romney and Perry is Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) with 14 percent, then Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) with 10. Businessman Herman Cain and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. both register 3 percent, with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 2 percent and former PA Senator Rick Santorum rounding out the field with 1.

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Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich To Shore Up Primary Vote In Hawaii

Benjy Sarlin | August 17, 2011, 2:31PM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) with wife, Callista.

It's a critical month in the Republican primaries, as Rick Perry reshuffles the race, the Ames Straw Poll results set in, and candidates prepare for a brutal stretch of debates in September. So where will Newt Gingrich soon spend a three-day stretch campaigning?

That would be sunny Hawaii, where he's scheduled for a meeting with the Maui GOP on Saturday followed by a visit to an elementary school in Makawao on Sunday to teach about the founding fathers.

Politico wryly notes that while the trip is ostensibly for fundraising, it just happens to coincide with Newt and Callista Gingrich's wedding anniversary.

Newt isn't shipping out from Iowa or New Hampshire, either -- Politico notes that Gingrich will be in California on Friday to screen one of Newt Inc.'s movies.

Rick Perry

CHART OF THE DAY: *Government* Jobs Led To Perry's Economic Boom

Brian Beutler | August 17, 2011, 2:23PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

On the campaign trail, governor Rick Perry will claim credit for the so-called Texas miracle. His state weathered the housing and jobs crises better than many others, and he'll happily tell voters it was the result of his small government conservative approach to running things.

But his state's relative success has a lot to do with things out of his control -- population growth resulting from an influx of immigrants from Mexico and of workers and retirees from other U.S. states, and high oil company profits, to name just a couple. Oh, and also federal stimulus.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry: Climate Scientists Manipulate Data For Grant Money (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 1:55PM

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) reaffirmed his climate change denier status before a crowd in Bedford, N.H., Wednesday and accused the researchers behind climate change science of playing games with the numbers to land more research funding.

"I do believe that the issue of global warming has been politicized," Perry said. "I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects."

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Wis. Dems: We Changed The State Senate (Even If We Didn't Get The Majority)

Eric Kleefeld | August 17, 2011, 1:07PM

On a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Wisconsin Democrats claimed victory with the end of the Wisconsin recalls -- in which they gained two state Senate seats, just short of the three needed to take a majority, and where their own incumbents fended off Republican challenges.

"In the wake of this historic recall season, we really see Democrats with the most momentum and most success on the board. We won an obvious majority in these elections, five of nine contests," said Tate, referring to the two Democratic pickups, and three successful defenses by Dem incumbents.

"And this is an important point, all three recalls against Democrats failed - not a single Democrat was recalled for standing up to Scott Walker and the extreme Republican agenda. On the other hand, two Republicans from red districts were recalled for supporting Scott Walker and his agenda."

One reporter asked Tate if the recall election season could truly be called a success, after many millions of dollars were spent, to remain in the minority. "Well look, obviously we would have loved to swing 1,200 votes in Baraboo and Ripon and had an official Democratic majority," Tate said. "But if the goal was to change the face of the state Senate in Wisconsin, we've done that."

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2012

Report: Chris Christie Exploring Presidential Run

Benjy Sarlin | August 17, 2011, 12:49PM

Perhaps Rick Perry isn't the only late entrant into the Republican field. According to one report, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is considering a last-second bid as well.

According to reporter Jonathan Alter on Twitter, "sources say NJ Gov. Chris Christie is conducting focus groups in preparation for a possible run for president in 2012."

Christie has long denied any interest in a 2012 run. Of course, so did Perry, but the New Jersey governor's denials have been Shermanesque to the point of absurdity.

"Listen, I threatened to commit suicide. I did, I said, 'What can I do short of suicide to convince people I'm not running?'" Christie said in February. "Apparently, I actually have to commit suicide to convince people I'm not running."

But Christie has developed a strong following among grassroots and establishment Republicans alike with his combative style and many conservative commentators have openly pined for him to run. While it's late in the campaign, a lot of top Republican donors have yet to take sides, meaning there's still room to find donors. Or for donors to find Christie: a group of major GOP fundraisers led by Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone met with the governor last month to beg him to change his mind, according to Politico's Mike Allen, only to be rebuffed when the governor gave a firm "no" based on family and state commitments.

Update: CNN quoted an anonymous source close to Christie saying that the governor's thinking doesn't seem to have changed. Still no official denial.

Update II: A spokeswoman for Christie, Maria Comella, denied the focus groups report to First Read. "It's absolutely not true," she said.

Government Shutdown

Cantor Calls On House GOP To Avoid Government Shutdown Brinksmanship

Brian Beutler | August 17, 2011, 12:44PM

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)

In a significant de-escalation of partisan brinksmanship on Capitol Hill, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is asking his members not to push for further cuts to discretionary spending in the wake of the debt limit agreement.

"While all of us would like to have seen a lower discretionary appropriations ceiling for the upcoming fiscal year, the debt limit agreement did set a level of spending that is a real cut from the current year level," Cantor wrote in a Wednesday memo to House Republicans. "I believe it is in our interest to enact into law full-year appropriations bills at this new lower level."

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Paul Ryan

White House Goes After Paul Ryan's Pay-To-Play Town Halls

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 11:58AM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Democrats have found a new way to harass Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the man behind the Medicare voucher plan. Ryan, who some conservatives still float as a presidential contender, is back home among his constituents these days -- the same place most Representatives are during this August recess.

And Ryan has decided that this time around, he'd prefer to spend time with constituents that pay for the privilege. That has Democrats rubbing their hands with glee.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry Cowboys His Response To Obama (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 11:31AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Tuesday afternoon, President Obama sardonically "cut" Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) "some slack" after Perry's incendiary remarks about Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke and the military's respect for its current commander-in-chief.

On Wednesday, Perry responded with the kind of Texas swagger his supporters love, his critics hate and everyone should get used to hearing a lot more of as Perry's presidential campaign unfolds.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry: Climate Change Is A Hoax Drummed Up By Scientists Looking To Make Money

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 10:04AM

Rick Perry

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is a conservative Republican, and as such he does not believe that climate change is caused by human activity. But Perry went one step further than most in the mainstream climate change denier community on the presidential campaign trail in New Hampshire Wednesday, stating flatly that scientists drum up phony climate change data to make a buck.

"A substantial number of scientists [have] manipulated data to keep the money rolling in," New Hampshire Union Leader editorial page editor Drew Cline quoted Perry saying on the stump in a tweet. Before that, Cline quoted Perry saying, "I do believe the issue of global warming has been politicized."

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Default

Who's Really Responsible For U.S. Debt Downgrade

Brian Beutler | August 17, 2011, 10:00AM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

This article was updated at 10:00am Eastern on August 17, 2011 to include additional names pointed out by TPM readers.

Now that Standard & Poors has confirmed that the chorus of default doubters in the GOP was part of what spooked them into downgrading the U.S. credit rating, Republicans will do all they can to pretend that they never questioned the risk of missing payment obligations, or allowing borrowing authority to lapse. But they sure did! Here's a long, partial timeline of influential Republicans either vouchsafing default, or downplaying the consequences of passing the August 2 deadline without raising the debt limit.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry's RGA Replacement Says The Bernanke Quote Was A Bad Move

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 9:58AM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R)

Add Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to the list of Republicans raising an eyebrow at Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) recent "almost treasonous" line about Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke.

"Governor perry is a tough guy but a compassionate guy," McDonnell, who just took over as chair of the Republican Governors Association after Perry left to run for president, told MSNBC this morning. "I thought the remarks probably were something that could have been said differently."

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Debt Ceiling

Perry Was A Default Doubter (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | August 17, 2011, 9:49AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

As if attacking the Fed chairman and opposing expansionary economic policy wasn't enough to give markets (and perhaps fundraisers) pause, it turns out Rick Perry, like a long list of right wing Republicans, downplayed the risk of allowing the country's borrowing authority to lapse.

"There's still gonna be revenues flowing in, so I think this threat that somehow or another the world is going to come to an end and the threat of, 'We're not going to be able to pay our bills' is a bit of a stretch," Perry told reporters in Houston. "[Americans] want the government to continue to function, they want our military young men and women to be paid on time. They want the programs out there that help the citizens of this country to be taken care of [but] most Americans know this: We've spent too much money. We've gotten our house in bad shape, and we need to stop spending."

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Herman Cain

Herman Cain: We Really Should Impeach Obama Over DOMA

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 9:33AM

Herman Cain

Herman Cain, fresh off his fifth-place finish in the Ames Straw Poll, is embracing another one of the extreme positions that have turned him into such a polling success.

Politico reports Cain said Tuesday that impeaching Obama "would be a great thing to do" given Obama's clearly impeachable offenses like signing the health care reform bill into law and declaring the Defense Of Marriage Act unconstitutional. But, sadly, Cain said, the divided Congress stands in the way of removing Obama from office.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Dem Incumbents Win Last Two Wisconsin Recalls, GOP Holds Slim Senate Majority

Eric Kleefeld | August 16, 2011, 11:01PM

The Wisconsin state Senate recalls of 2011 -- in which tens of millions of dollars and countless man-hours were spent, almost resembling Congressional races -- are officially over. Tuesday night, Democratic incumbents Jim Holperin and Robert Wirch fended off their Republican challengers, for a final state Senate margin of 17 Republicans to 16 Democrats, just shy of the Dems' original goal of taking control of the chamber via recalls.

The Associated Press has projected both Holperin and Wirch as the winners in their respective races. With 78% of precincts reporting in Holperin's race, he led Republican opponent Kim Simac by 54%-46%. With 99% reporting in Wirch's race, he won by a margin of 57%-43%.

Holperin was always considered the most vulnerable Democrat. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's rankings of the state Senate districts shows, Holperin represents the most Republican-leaning district that is currently held by a Democrat. It voted 57.4%-40.8% for Scott Walker in the Republican wave of 2010, though before that Barack Obama carried it 52.7%-45.7% during the 2008 Democratic wave. But in the end, he pulled through the challenge, and by a wider margin than his original 51%-49% election to the seat in 2008.

Another fun fact: This was Holperin's second recall of his political career. Back in 1990, then-state Rep. Holperin faced a recall election in a backlash over the more local issue of newly-reinstated Native American spearfishing rights. Holperin won that election, later went on to be state Tourism Secretary, and in 2008 was narrowly elected to the state Senate by 51%-49% in an open-seat race, to succeed a retiring Democrat.

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2012

Obama On Perry: "I'll Cut Him Some Slack"

Thomas Lane | August 16, 2011, 7:33PM

President Barack Obama (D)

President Obama joined the chorus of people trashing Texas Governor Rick Perry's foot-in-mouth remarks, in a CNN interview Tuesday night.

At a Sunday campaign appearance in Iowa, Perry said one reason he was running for President was in order to to "make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of this nation respects highly the president of the United States."

Appearing on an episode of The Situation Room, program host Wolf Blitzer raised these comments to President Obama. The President replied:

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Paul Ryan

Wisconsin Dems: Please Run For President, Paul Ryan

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 16, 2011, 6:42PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

The rumor mill surged Tuesday with talk that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) -- last seen playing the bogeyman in numerous Medicare-themed Democratic campaign ads -- was preparing to throw his hat in the presidential ring.

Ryan's staff quickly tamped those rumors down -- just like they were tamped down by Ryan himself the last time this came up -- but not before the Wisconsin Democrats found a way to make a Medicare bogeyman out of Ryan yet again.

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MA-SEN

Gettin' Worried: Scott Brown Begs For Money To Help Fight Elizabeth Warren

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 16, 2011, 5:38PM

Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) just might have a formidable opponent next year in former Harvard professor and progressive heartthrob Elizabeth Warren. And it looks like he's starting to get nervous about it.

On the heels of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee's $100,000 campaign cash haul on Warren's behalf, Brown's up with a new fundraising appeal begging supporters to help him before it's too late.

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Defense Spending

Panetta Confirms Pentagon Considering Replacing Military Retirement With 401(k) Plan

Brian Beutler | August 16, 2011, 5:03PM

Leon Panetta

In a rare joint appearance with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the National Defense University Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta confirmed a CBS News report that the Pentagon is considering a dramatic plan to overhaul the military's once sacrosanct retirement plan.

According to CBS, the plan "would eliminate the familiar system under which anyone who serves 20 years is eligible for retirement at half their salary. Instead, they'd get a 401k-style plan with government contributions."

Panetta largely confirmed the report, with a key caveat.

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2012

W's Revenge: Ex-Bushies Gang Up On Rick Perry

Benjy Sarlin | August 16, 2011, 4:23PM

Karl Rove

Rick Perry is facing a full-on assault from former Bush aides over his comments on Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, pushing a long-rumored rivalry between the two ex-governors' camps out into the open.

Acknowledging to TPM that "there is no love lost between the W camp and the Perry camp," one Bush veteran appealed for detente.

"I do not think it serves any purpose for any Bushy to fuel to fire or resentment," the person said. "The goal for us should be to defeat Obama not defeat ourselves.

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Tim Walberg

MI GOP Rep: When The GOP Takes Over The WH, We'll Finally Get To The Bottom Of The Birth Certificate

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 16, 2011, 4:06PM

It's baaaack.

Months after President Obama put to bed most remaining doubts about his origins by releasing his long-form birth certificate, a Republican member of Congress from Michigan is strongly suggesting the matter needs some attention from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Welcome back to the birther debate, courtesy of Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI).

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Rick Perry

Awkward Allies? White House Agrees With Karl Rove About Perry's "Treason" Comments

Thomas Lane | August 16, 2011, 3:29PM

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney

It's not often you see President Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, agreeing wholeheartedly with Karl Rove. However, they're both singing from the same song-sheet when it comes to Rick Perry's recent remarks on Ben Bernanke.

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2012

Rick Perry Condemns Federal Farm Regulation -- That Doesn't Exist

Benjy Sarlin | August 16, 2011, 3:06PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Rick Perry pulled a Michele Bachmann on Tuesday, passionately condemning a policy that does not actually exist.

This time round it was over farming issues. "If you're a tractor driver, if you drive your tractor across a public road, you're gonna have to have a commercial driver's license. Now how idiotic is that?" perry told a Des Moines crowd. "What were they thinking?"

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Michele Bachmann

Ron Paul Ad: Romney May Talk Smoothly But Only I Can Bring Peace (Video)

Michael R. Corjulo | August 16, 2011, 3:00PM

New Ron Paul TV Ad, "The One"

A day after The Daily Show's Jon Stewart blasted the national media for ignoring Congressman Ron Paul's (R-TX) presidential campaign, the twelve term congressman and narrow runner up in the recent Ames Straw Poll released a dramatic new ad.

Filmed as a Michael Bay-esque movie trailer, the ad even opens with a disclaimer that "the following preview has been approved for all audiences" and concludes that Ron Paul is "the one who will stop the spending, save the dollar, create jobs, bring peace, the one who will restore liberty."

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Michele Bachmann

Don't Be Cruel: Bachmann Wishes 'Happy Birthday' To Elvis -- On Anniversary Of His Death

Eric Kleefeld | August 16, 2011, 2:19PM

Michele Bachmann is continuing her campaign theme of celebrating Americana -- even if the details are a bit more macabre than she intended.

"Before we get started, let's all say 'Happy Birthday' to Elvis Presley today," Bachmann said, kicking off a rally in Spartanburg, South Carolina, CNN reports.

"We played you a little bit of 'Promised Land' when we pulled up. You can't do better than Elvis Presley, and we thought we would celebrate his birthday as we get started celebrating taking our country back to work."

In fact, Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935. Today's date, August 16, is the anniversary of his death in 1977 at age 42, likely caused by heart disease that was seriously exacerbated from prescription drug abuse.

The video is below the jump, courtesy of Politico:

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Polls

Rasmussen Poll: Perry Surges Ahead Of The GOP Field

Kyle Leighton | August 16, 2011, 2:01PM

Texas Governor and Presidential Candidate Rick Perry (R)

Rick Perry has had an eventful four days. On the heels of his official announcement, first appearances as a candidate seeking the GOP nomination and even his first splash with a controversial position, Perry has impressed a lot of Republican voters: a new national Rasmussen survey has him taking the lead in the GOP primary, far outside the margin of error.

The poll shows that Perry is now the first choice of 29 percent of the GOP voters surveyed, with former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney with 18 percent, and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) in third with 13 percent. As with any nomination process, state polling in the first contests will be of the most importance. But Perry's surge past the rest of the field is remarkable: by contrast, Bachmann showed more and more strength in national polls as her campaign ramped up, but only overtook Romney in one poll, by a single point.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Poll: Wis. Voters Unsure On Walker Recall

Eric Kleefeld | August 16, 2011, 12:41PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Is it still possible for Wisconsin Democrats to recall Gov. Scott Walker, following their narrow failure last week to take control of the state Senate via recall elections? New survey numbers from Public Policy Polling (D) suggests that the answer is unclear -- and a lot would seemingly depend on whether they can recruit a top candidate, such as former Sen. Russ Feingold.

Walker's approval rating is still underwater, with 45% approval to 53% disapproval. However, a later question asked: "Would you support or oppose recalling Scott Walker from office before his term is up?" The answer was 47% support, to 50% oppose -- down slightly from a 50%-47% support margin in a PPP survey from late May, though both are within the margin of error.

However, Wisconsin recalls do not function as an up-or-down vote on the incumbent. Instead, if a number of people equal to 25% of the number of votes in the last gubernatorial election were to sign petitions (plus a buffer for disqualified signatures), then the election would be called. At that point, it would effectively become a special election, with the incumbent challenged by other candidates.

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Newt Gingrich

Gingrich: Republicans Will Have A Hard Time Saying No To Extending Payroll Tax Cut

Brian Beutler | August 16, 2011, 11:41AM

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

GOP Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says Republicans are going to have a hard time blocking an extension of the payroll tax holiday.

"I think it's very hard not to keep the payroll tax cut in this economy," Gingrich said in a presentation at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "I don't know what Republicans are going to say but I think it's very hard to say 'no.' We're going to end up in a position where we're gonna raise taxes on the lowest income Americans the day they go to work and make life harder for small businesses."

He's referring to a stimulative, two percent payroll tax holiday President Obama negotiated when he agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts in December. It's set to expire at the end of the year, and it's one of the economic growth proposals President Obama has called on Congress to pass when they return from August recess.

"I do think that it's a serious challenge to not extend it," Gingrich added.

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2012

Rick Perry Stands By 'Passionate' Rant Against 'Almost Treasonous' Bernanke

Benjy Sarlin | August 16, 2011, 11:03AM

Rick Perry

Rick Perry is standing by his remarks about Fed Chair Ben Bernanke's "ugly" reception in Texas should he enact "treasonous" expansionary monetary policies before the election.

"He is passionate about getting federal finances under control," Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan told the New York Times in an interview. "They shouldn't print more money, they should cut spending and move much more rapidly to a balanced budget."

Perry has come under fire, even from some fellow Republicans, for his intimidating talk against Bernanke.

"I know there's a lot of talk and what have you about if this guy prints more money between now and the election," Perry said in Iowa on Monday. "I don't know what y'all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas." He added that it would be "almost treasonous" to print money ahead of the 2012 election to help boost the recovery.

But as his spokesman's affirmation suggests, there is political upside as well: a fight over the Fed could be difficult territory for the more Wall Street friendly Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney

Perry's Fed Fight Dangerous Territory For Romney

Benjy Sarlin | August 16, 2011, 10:23AM

Mitt Romney

Rick Perry's tough words for Ben Bernanke Monday weren't just idle talk. By going after the Federal Reserve, he immediately brings to the forefront one of the few major policy distinctions between him and Mitt Romney.

A successful investor who is well-versed in monetary policy, Romney has been extremely wary about joining in on the Republican party's populist revolt against the Federal Reserve over the last two years. Perry, by contrast, is clearly all too happy to ride the anti-Fed tide, perhaps making a play for some of the Bernanke haters more naturally drawn to Ron Paul.

As recently as April of this year, well after Tea Partiers had taken to vilifying Bernanke as the face of the 2008 bailout, Romney defended the Fed Chair in an interview with CNBC's Larry Kudlow after being repeatedly pressed to criticize him for "depreciating the dollar."

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Barack Obama

Rick Perry Thinks 'Printing More Money' Is 'Almost Treason' Because It Would Help The Economy And Thus Obama

Brian Beutler | August 16, 2011, 9:51AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Texas governor, and freshly minted GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry will have to explain what he meant when he said "we would treat [Fed chairman Ben Bernanke] pretty ugly down in Texas" if he prints money -- or, more charitably, printing more money than usual. Likewise, he'll have to explain why he thinks printing money -- or prints more money than usual -- would be "almost treasonous," at least as compared to, say, secession.

But what's gone completely unnoticed in the wake of candidate Perry's first big flap is his rationale for opposing a looser Fed policy in this depressed economy: specifically that it would work, boost the economy, and thus make it harder for the GOP to defeat President Obama.

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Ken Cuccinelli

Senator Ken Cuccinelli? The Plan May Be In The Works

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 16, 2011, 9:18AM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

Tea party mega-star and Virgina Attorney General Ken Cucinelli may be planning to bring his climate change scientist-suing, LGBT worker rights-scrapping and health care law-challenging ways to the United States Senate.

In a new interview with the Washington Post, Cucinelli says he's considering taking on Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) in 2014.

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Rick Perry

Five Ways Rick Perry Changes The Primaries

Benjy Sarlin | August 16, 2011, 9:15AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

As we've seen from the brouhaha over Rick Perry's Bernanke-bashing, the Texas Governor has the potential to shake up the GOP primaries. Merely by stepping into the ring the "good looking rascal," as Bill Clinton called him, has changed the dynamic on a number of levels. Here are the top five.

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Karl Rove

Karl Rove Piles On Rick Perry: Bernanke Line 'Not A Presidential Statement'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 16, 2011, 8:52AM

Karl Rove

It's no secret that Team George W. Bush and Team Rick Perry are not exactly close. And with Perry flailing after he accused Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke of "almost treasonous" behavior, one of Team W's biggest names is taking the opportunity to twist the knife.

"You don't accuse the chairman of the federal reserve of being a traitor to his country. Of being guilty of treason," Karl Rove told Fox News Tuesday. "And, suggesting that we treat him pretty ugly in texas. You know, that is not, again a presidential statement."

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Wisconsin Recalls

Today: The Last Two Wisconsin Recalls (For Now)

Eric Kleefeld | August 16, 2011, 6:00AM

Today will be the end of the great Wisconsin recall saga - at least for 2011 - with Democratic incumbents Jim Holperin and Robert Wirch facing the voters, though after last week, majority control of the chamber is not at stake.

Wisconsin Democrats, faced with a 19-14 Republican majority in the state Senate, attempted to mount a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union legislation, by recalling their way to a majority. However, they were also hampered by the fact that the only recall-eligible districts were ones where the incumbent had won their terms in 2008, even during that year's Democratic wave. Last Tuesday, when six Republicans were on the ballot, the Dems picked up two seats, just short of the magic three.

Democrats still hope to go for the big target next year, of recalling Walker himself. For now, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to sustain the kind of political momentum and enthusiasm necessary for that task.

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Perry Calls Bernanke Policies "Almost Treasonous"

Josh Marshall | August 15, 2011, 11:24PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Coming off a dramatic and highly successful entry into the 2012 Republican nomination race, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) escalated his rhetoric against Washington and the Obama administration today by calling Fed Chair Ben Bernanke's emergency economic policies "almost treasonous."

Asked about the Federal Reserve, Perry told a questioner at a campaign stop in Iowa that if Bernanke "prints more money between now and the election I don't know what you'all would do to him in Iowa but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas."

Perry went on to suggest that a continuation of Bernanke's policies -- a so-called third round of quantitative easing -- would be "almost treasonous."

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Barack Obama

$1.1M Secret Service Bus Makes Debut On Obama's Midwest Tour

Ryan J. Reilly | August 15, 2011, 9:30PM

With President Barack Obama embarking on his mid-August tour of the midwest on Monday, the public got its first look at one of two $1.1 million armored buses that, as TPM first reported back in April, were recently purchased by the Secret Service and will be used on the campaign trail.

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2012

Pawlenty's Top NH Aide Joins Huntsman

Benjy Sarlin | August 15, 2011, 4:48PM

Jon Huntsman

Tim Pawlenty's exit leaves behind a whole campaign's worth of free agents ready to be scooped up by the remaining candidates. And the process is already beginning: according to the New Hampshire Union Leader, Pawlenty's NH state director, Sarah Crawford Stewart, is joining up with Jon Huntsman.

"Governor Huntsman is committed to winning the New Hampshire primary, and I look forward to helping him and his team do just that," Stewart told the paper. "I viewed Gov. Huntsman as somebody with exceptional governing experience. And I viewed him as someone who would be the strongest competitor against President Obama in a general election."

Huntsman has yet to make much of an impact in the race despite his impressive credentials as a former governor of Utah and ambassador to China.

2012

Obama: Hey, Republicans Are Blocking My Tax Break!

Thomas Lane | August 15, 2011, 3:53PM

President Barack Obama (D)

Congress may be out, but that doesn't mean President Obama can't score some political points from its inertia.

He's been doing that since the end of June, repeating at virtually each public appearance a mantra-like list of actions that Congress could do "right now" to help the economy.

The President was at it again Monday, speaking to an audience in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Trade deals, rebuilding projects, red-tape slashing... President Obama said these were all things Congress could tackle "right now," or at the very least once it's back in session.

One item he included in that list is shaping up to be a key part of the White House's strategy in the coming months: the payroll tax holiday.

Contrary to conservative smears against the President as a tax-raising liberal, this is a tax break he is battling to keep in the face of Republican opposition.

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry's 1st Campaign Video: Obama Caused The S&P Downgrade

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 15, 2011, 3:24PM

Rick Perry TV Ad "Rick Perry: Time to Get America Working Again"

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is kicking off his presidential campaign with a bit of creative spin on S&P's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating: turns out President Obama did it.

In his first and bio-heavy campaign video of his presidential campaign, Perry places the blame for the downgrade squarely on the shoulders of Obama. This comes despite the fact that S&P itself says the slew of congressional Republicans who were (at best) apathetic about default were responsible for the rating agency's controversial decision.

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Rick Perry

Bill Clinton Scoffs At Rick Perry's Platform: 'I Mean, This Is Crazy' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 15, 2011, 2:59PM

Former President Bill Clinton (D)

Former President Bill Clinton spoke Monday morning to the International Association of Fire Fighters conference in Manhattan, The New York Observer's PolitickerNY reports -- and he had some tough words for the newest entrant into the GOP race for president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

"I got tickled by watching Governor Perry announce for governor, for president," Clinton said -- perhaps stumbling a bit in the wind-up of a joke. "He's a good looking rascal."

The former president elaborated: "And he's saying 'Oh, I'm going to Washington to make sure that the federal government stays as far away from you as possible -- while I ride on Air Force One and that Marine One helicopter and go to Camp David and travel around the world and have a good time.' I mean, this is crazy."

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Barack Obama

'Obama Cares': President Tries To Reclaim Label From The Right

Thomas Lane | August 15, 2011, 2:41PM

Since Barack Obama first came to office with plans to reform the country's healthcare system, conservative critics have derogatorily branded his policies as "Obamacare."

Speaking today in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, the President pushed back by embracing the term.

"I have no problem with folks saying 'Obama cares'," he told the crowd. "I do care."

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry's Slightly New Groove On Social Security Secession

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 15, 2011, 1:31PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) holds a copy of his book

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) made a lot of hay last year with his contention that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and his suggestion that states should be allowed to abandon it for their own senior support systems before it's too late.

Less than a week after Perry announced his White House bid however, he's tempering that last idea a bit.

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Harry Reid

Harry Reid: The Tea Party Will Fade Away

David Taintor | August 15, 2011, 12:25PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Is the Tea Party in its waning days of influence in Washington? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) seems to think so.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Reid said "the Tea Party was the result of a terrible economy. I've said that many times, and I believe that."

"That (the tea party) will pass," Reid added. "They will lose a number of seats next year."

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Wisconsin Recalls

Poll: Incumbent Dems Lead In Final Two Wisconsin Recalls

Eric Kleefeld | August 15, 2011, 12:11PM

The Wisconsin recalls -- in which Dems narrowly failed in their ambitious uphill effort to win control of the state Senate by targeting GOP incumbents -- aren't over just yet, with two more races on Tuesday targeting Democratic incumbents. And in the latest polling from Public Policy Polling (D), commissioned by Daily Kos, the two Dems are favored to win their races.

Of course, in a way these races have much lower stakes than last week's contests, in which Democrats gained two seats, short of the magic three needed to take control. But the question tomorrow is whether Dems will consolidate those gains, for a new Republican majority of just 17-16, or be busted back down to the 19-14 margin that existed at the start of the year.

In the 12th district, Democratic state Sen. Jim Holperin leads Republican Kim Simac by 55%-41%, with a ±2.6% margin of error. In the 22nd district, Democratic state Sen. Robert Wirch leads Republican Jonathan Steitz by 55%-42%, with a ±2.9% margin of error.

An obvious caveat is that these recall elections have been very unusual, lacking a normal statistical model to make projections, and are thus difficult to poll. With that said, PPP's pre-election polls for last week's races were within a few points of the actual results.

Herman Cain

Cain: If I Get 5th Place In New Hampshire, 'We Will Be Ecstatic' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 15, 2011, 11:33AM

Herman Cain came in fifth place in the Iowa straw poll -- two positions back from third-place finisher Tim Pawlenty, who then quit the race. But not only is he sticking with it, Cain said during an appearance Monday morning on Fox News that he is excited about fifth place.

"Before I let you go, what's your next marker?" asked host Martha MacCallum. "You know, in terms of you looking forward, at what point do you decide, 'I'm in or out based on this date, or this victory, or this place?'"

"I will finish at number five in Iowa -- that's right where we want to be.," said Cain. "If we finish in the top five in New Hampshire, Martha, we will be ecstatic, because we're gonna put the same type of on the ground effort in New Hampshire that we did in Iowa, and we're also working South Carolina simultaneously.

"All right," MacCallum responded, "a determined Herman Cain."

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Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett to Congress: Seriously Guys, Raise Our Taxes

Michael R. Corjulo | August 15, 2011, 9:24AM

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett

Berkshire Hathaway CEO (and Forbes second wealthiest American in 2010) Warren Buffett penned an assertive op-ed in Monday's New York Times calling for the congressional "super-committee" assigned to draft a debt reduction plan to raise taxes on the "super rich". The piece did not mention any members of congress or political parties by name but was highly critical of the structure of the U.S. tax code.

Buffett called for a plan that would,"leave rates for 99.7 percent of taxpayers unchanged", and "raise rates immediately on taxable income in excess of $1 million, including, of course, dividends and capital gains. And for those who make $10 million or more -- there were 8,274 in 2009 -- I would suggest an additional increase in rate."

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Polls

Gallup Poll: Obama Approval Hits New Low

Kyle Leighton | August 15, 2011, 9:02AM

It's the middle of August, members of Congress are at home, and the traditional thinking is that most of America is on vacation, whether they've physically left their homes or not. But it seems that whatever the theory about who is paying attention, President Obama is seeing a downward trend in his approval rating, which just hit another low.

Obama registered 39% approval in the daily Gallup tracking poll from Sunday, which is made up of interviews of adult Americans from the three days prior to release (Thursday-Friday-Saturday of last week). It was also the first time the President has dipped below the forty percent threshold.

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Tea Party

Tea Party Movement Getting Americans Steamed

Kyle Leighton | August 15, 2011, 6:10AM

The debt ceiling fight turned out to be a damper on the American economy, and for the approval ratings of political leaders in Washington. But it's starting to consume the same political entity that decided to make raising it a major issue: the Tea Party. Last week saw the release of three separate polls that showed Americans are not just more skeptical of their movement, but growing tired of their role in the political process, which builds on previous evidence that the Tea Party is being pushed away by independent voters.

The Tea Party movement, as an idea, was originally about anger at the way things turned out after 2008. Congress had been taken over by Democrats, and President Obama came into office after a change election with high approval ratings and the political capital to make that change. Then, surprisingly, those Democrats didn't work to enact Republican policies, they proposed and passed a few of their own. This was not how government is supposed to work, according to some very conservative Americans.

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Super Committee

The Stage Is Set! For Super Committee Gridlock?!

Brian Beutler | August 15, 2011, 6:05AM

Clockwise: Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

We now know who's serving on the 12-member deficit Super Committee this fall. We know who the two co-chairs will be, we know many if not all of the requirements it must meet, and we know what happens if it fails.

Which means we know the battle lines and can project with some certainty how the fight will play out.

Of the six Democrats on the committee, most if not all have publicly proclaimed they'll support certain cuts to Medicare and Medicaid -- particularly if they fall hardest on providers and not beneficiaries -- but only if Republicans are willing to accept some "meaningful" new tax revenues.

Of course, all of the six Republicans have pledged never to support tax increases, and most if not all have demonstrated extreme reluctance over raising any revenues at all, including from loophole closures that benefit extremely few privileged individuals and businesses.

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China

Report: Importing Chinese Goods Isn't All Bad

Kyle Leighton | August 15, 2011, 6:02AM

With the American economy stuck in neutral, there has to be someone to blame. Wall Street has certainly taken the brunt of criticism in the last few years, mostly because the financial sector almost went down and then the taxpayers had to bail them out. But recent major economic crises aside, the longer term economic complaint has been trade.

The argument is mainly that as America loses our manufacturing base to other countries (and for many reasons, this point is most associated with China), our more service based economy can't replace the jobs for laborers from that sector. In other words, giving a laid off autoworker a gig at Starbucks isn't really comparable, and it contributes to underemployment.

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2012

Rick Perry's Vaccine Push Sparked Backlash From Left And Right Alike

Benjy Sarlin | August 14, 2011, 10:35PM

Rick Perry

Rick Perry's officially joined the cast of the 2012 Republican primary, which means it's time for national audiences to start reading up on his decade-plus tenure as Texas' longest serving governor. One word you're going to be hearing a lot about in the early running: Gardasil.

As in Gardasil, the vaccine developed several years ago to treat against HPV, a virus that can eventually lead to cervical cancer. An effort to introduce the drug into Texas schools turned into one of Perry's greatest defeats, an exceptional episode in that it pitted the governor, renowned for his ability to closely read his base, strongly against the religious right.

"He's pretty clearly a social conservative in the Michele Bachmann camp, but you just can't nail him down all of the time," Bob Stein, a professor of political science at Rice University, told TPM. "He will surprise you."

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Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: I Don't 'Judge' Gays, Everyone Has 'Dignity' And 'Honor'

David Taintor | August 14, 2011, 2:35PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Fresh off her win at the Iowa straw poll, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) on Sunday launched a media blitz on the morning talk shows.

For the most part, Bachmann stayed on message, calling for the repeal of "Obamacare" and reigning in government spending. But an interesting moment came when Meet The Press host David Gregory challenged Bachmann's position on homosexuality.

It's no secret Bachmann isn't the biggest fan of gays. But when Gregory played a clip of Bachmann saying homosexuality leads to "personal enslavement" and "bondage," she responded simply by saying "I am running for the presidency of the United States."

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Tim Pawlenty

Pawlenty Drops Out Of Presidential Race

David Taintor | August 14, 2011, 9:16AM

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

After finishing a distant third in the Ames straw poll, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) on Sunday told supporters on a conference call he's dropping out of the presidential race, the Associated Press reports.

"We needed to get some lift to continue on and have a pathway forward," Pawlenty said in an interview on This Week. "That didn't happen, so I'm announcing this morning on your show that I'm going to be ending my campaign for president."

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