TPMDC
Sarah Palin

Rubio Has No Plans To Meet With Palin Next Week, Camp Says

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 20, 2009, 5:17PM

Fmr. St. Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Fmr. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

Though he had nothing but praise for Sarah Palin, a spokesperson for Marco Rubio told TPMDC this afternoon that Rubio has no plans to to meet up with Palin when she's in Florida hawking her bestselling book next week.

"It's unlikely," Rubio spokesperson Alex Burgos said when asked about a Rubio-Palin joint appearance during the three days Palin will spend crisscrossing Florida starting Monday. "The plan is for Marco to be in Miami with his family for Thanksgiving next week."

Burgos said that Rubio and Palin haven't spoken so far during Senate primary, but hastened to add that Rubio has nothing but good things to say about the former Alaska governor. "Marco has a positive opinion of her and what she's done in Alaska," Burgos said of Palin. "She is definitely someone who's support he'd very much appreciate."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (2) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Charlie Crist, FL-SEN, Marco Rubio, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Who's Palin Backing In FL-Sen? Dems Want To Know

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 20, 2009, 1:41PM

Fmr. St. Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Fmr. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

The Sarah Palin roadshow rolls into Florida next week, and Democrats want to know if Palin will take any time off from Going Rogue to wade into the state's contentious GOP senate primary.

The DSCC sent Palin and open letter this afternoon calling on the former Alaska governor to take a stand in the race between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio. The primary is swiftly becoming the next NY-23, with Rubio taking the role of insurgent Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and Crist increasingly worried he'll be Scozzafavaed. In the New York race, Palin endorsed Hoffman, helping to lead what eventually became a sprint away from the GOP nominee by most national Republicans.

Now the DSCC wants to know -- will Palin do it again?

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (6) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Charlie Crist, FL-SEN, Marco Rubio, Sarah Palin

Barack Obama

Poll: Obama Still Beats Palin And Other GOPers, But Palin Improves A Little

Eric Kleefeld | November 20, 2009, 11:54AM

President Barack Obama and Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

The new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) finds that President Obama continues to hold a national lead over Sarah Palin and other potential Republican challengers -- but interestingly enough, Palin has closed the gap just a little.

The numbers: Obama leads Palin by 51%-43%, is ahead of Mike Huckabee by 49%-44%, leads Mitt Romney by 48%-43%. The margin of error is ±3%. As a frame of reference, in 2008 the Obama-Biden ticket beat the McCain-Palin ticket by 53%-46%.

A month ago, Obama was ahead of Palin by 52%-40%, ahead of Huckabee by 47%-43%, and ahead of Romney by 48%-40%. Paul was not tested.

Obama's approval rating in the poll is 49%, with 46% disapproving, down from 51%-43% last month.

"Barack Obama is now in a slightly weaker position than he was a year ago at this time," said PPP president Dean Debnam, in the press release. "His leads against Huckabee and Romney are smaller than his margin of victory against John McCain and his approval's dropped below 50%. It's not a dire situation but he needs to reverse the current trend."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (10) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Sarah Palin

Organizing for America

Like An '08 Flashback: OFA Targets Sarah Palin As 'Dangerous'

Christina Bellantoni | November 20, 2009, 10:30AM

Fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Organizing for America, the DNC's campaign arm set up to support President Obama's agenda, has a familiar target today: Sarah Palin.

Mitch Stewart, OFA's director, told supporters in an email just now they need help to raise "$500,000 in the next week to push back against Sarah Palin and her special interest allies."

His argument is that Palin's "lies" about health care are "widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform." He uses her death panels meme as an example.

In his book "The Audacity to Win," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said he was shocked that Palin was such a good fundraising driver for the team.

He writes that he looked at the online fundraising numbers a few hours after Palin made her big debut at the Republican National Convention going after Obama as his only experience being a community organizer.

"I couldn't believe what I saw," Plouffe wrote.

Going Rogue

Internal AP Memo Thanks Writers For Successful 'Literary Treasure Hunt' In Finding Sarah Palin's Book

Christina Bellantoni | November 19, 2009, 5:59PM

Before Sarah Palin's book, "Going Rogue," was released to the public, the Associated Press published a much-heralded fact check that detailed where her claims didn't line up with reality. It was possible in part because the AP snagged a copy of Palin's book early.

There's a lot to how the AP found the books - and beat their competitors - detailed in a weekly internal newsletter to the company's 4,000 employees and obtained by Talking Points Memo.

Mike Oreskes, a senior managing editor, offers staffers a description of the AP's own work tracking down and fact checking the book and it reads like a spy thriller:

"The AP was determined to get the first copy," Oreskes wrote, detailing how the writers learned a store had "inadvertently placed the book on sale five days before its official Nov. 17 release date."

"They bought a copy, ripped it from its spine and scanned it into the system so it could be read and electronically searched," he wrote. "A NewsNow moved within 40 minutes, followed quickly by multiple leads as details were gleaned from the 413-page manuscript."

Paul Colford, director of media relations for the AP, said the latest edition of "Beat of the Week" newsletter lauding the reporters who tracked down "Going Rogue" showcased the wire service was "dogged enough" to find the book and "be able to echo what was in it before it was in wider circulation."

"There's no greater fox hunt in newsgathering around the publication of a big book than the rush to be the first to get it and say what it says," Colford told TPMDC.

In the newsletter, the AP congratulates the two reporters who found the book for their work, and jabs a bit at the competition. The reporters will share a $500 cash prize awarded to the best beats at the AP each week.

Read the "Going Rogue" portion of the weekly newsletter - which also lauds other reporters' unrelated works - after the jump.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (47) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)
Topics: Associated Press, Going Rogue, Sarah Palin

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama: U.S., Allies, Discussing Sanctions Against Iran
At a press conference in South Korea, President Obama said that the United States and allies could have a package of sanctions against Iran "within weeks." "We weren't going to duplicate what has happened with North Korea," said Obama, "in which talks just continue forever without any actual resolution to the issue."

Obama's Day In South Korea
President Obama visited U.S. Embassy staff and their families in Seoul, South Korea, at 10:10 a.m. local time (8:10 p.m. ET last night). He participated in an arrival ceremony at the Blue House, at 11 a.m. He held a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Myng-bak at 11:15 a.m., with an expanded bilateral meeting at 11:50 a.m., and a joint press conference at 12:30 p.m, and a working lunch at 1:10 p.m. Obama delivered remarks to service-members at at Osan Air Base at 3:20 p.m., and departed South Korea at 4:05 p.m. (2:05 a.m. ET). He will arrive in Anchorage, Alaska, at 9:40 a.m. ET, will depart form Anchorage at 11:40 a.m. ET, and arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington at 6:05 p.m. ET.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Bailout, Barack Obama, Dick Lugar, Iran, Joe Biden, Karl Rove, NRCC, NRSC, Roundup, Sarah Palin

John McCain

McCain Defends Staffers From Palin: 'I Think It's Just Time To Move On'

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 4:32PM

Fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is now defending his former presidential campaign staffers from attacks by his ex-running mate, Sarah Palin.

"There's been a lot of dust flying around in the last few days and I just wanted to mention that I have the highest regard for Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace and the rest of the team ... and I appreciated all the hard work and everything they did to help the campaign," McCain told Reuters.

He added: "I think it's just time to move on."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (36) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: John McCain, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Palin Digs In On Death Panels, Also Calls For Primary Against Lindsey Graham

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 12:22PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

In an interview with National Review, Sarah Palin explained how "death panels" are not meant to be taken literally -- and then gave a pretty much literal description -- and also called for a Republican primary challenge against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

On death panels:

"To me, while reading that section of the bill, it became so evident that there would be a panel of bureaucrats who would decide on levels of health care, decide on those who are worthy or not worthy of receiving some government-controlled coverage," she explains. "Since health care would have to be rationed if it were promised to everyone, it would therefore lead to harm for many individuals not able to receive the government care. That leads, of course, to death."

"The term I used to describe the panel making these decisions should not be taken literally," says Palin. The phrase is "a lot like when President Reagan used to refer to the Soviet Union as the 'evil empire.' He got his point across. He got people thinking and researching what he was talking about. It was quite effective. Same thing with the 'death panels.' I would characterize them like that again, in a heartbeat."

There are two problems here. As Dave Weigel notes, Reagan was not speaking figuratively about the Soviet Union -- they were an empire, and they were evil. But beyond that, Palin gives a literal description of a panel of bureaucrats deciding that some people won't be worthy of getting any health care.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (118) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)
Topics: Death Panels, Health Care, Lindsey Graham, Sarah Palin

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 8:59AM

Obama Will Release Afghanistan Plan Soon, Promises Exit Strategy
In an interview with CNN, President Obama said he will soon release his plans for Afghanistan, and that there will be an exit plan. "The American people will have a lot of clarity about what we're doing, how we're going to succeed, how much this thing is going to cost, what kind of burden does this place on our young men and women in uniform and, most importantly, what's the end game on this thing," said Obama. "My preference would be not to hand off anything to the next president. One of the things I'd like is the next president to be able to come in and say I've got a clean slate."

Obama's Day In China And South Korea
President Obama held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, at 11:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET last night), with a working lunch at 12:15 p.m. local time. Obama toured the Great Wall of China at 2:30 p.m. He departed Beijing at 5:10 p.m., arriving in Seoul, South Korea, at 7:45 p.m. local time (5:45 a.m. ET).

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (9) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Glenn Beck, Joe Biden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Robert Byrd, Roundup, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Poll: Even Conservatives Don't Want Palin Running For President

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 11:05AM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

A new CBS poll finds that Americans overwhelmingly don't want Sarah Palin to run for president -- and furthermore, even conservatives don't want her in the race.

Respondents were asked: "Would you like Sarah Palin to run for president in 2012?"

The top-line numbers: Only 24% would like Palin to run, compared to 66% who don't want her to run. Broken down by party identification, among Republicans it's 44%-48%, with Democrats 9%-83%, and among independents 26%-62%.

And among self-identified conservatives, only 41% said yes, to 50% who said no. Palin's only bright spot was white evangelicals, who favored a run by a narrow margin of 48%-42%.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (27) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Pres '12, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin Quotes C.S. Lewis And Asks For Cash

Christina Bellantoni | November 17, 2009, 10:16AM

For all her 2012 denials, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is sure sounding like a presidential candidate in her fundraising emails.

Palin (R) asks supporters for up to $5,000 in donations, and anything over $100 gets a free, signed copy of "Going Rogue."

She says Ronald Reagan "showed us the way" and "charted the course for us," and goes on to quote C.S. Lewis:

C. S. Lewis once wrote: "We all want progress, but if you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road." We need to get back on the right road. In order to progress, we must return to our founding principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and strong national defense.

Palin says she'll help commonsense candidates "regardless of party" and asks for fundraising help with a peppy message:

"We won't let anyone tell us to sit down and shut up. We're going to stand up, stand together, and fight for what's right!"

Palin's full email after the jump.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: 2008 campaign, Barack Obama, Fundraising, Pres '12, Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin, SarahPAC

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 9:03AM

Obama And Hu Vow Cooperation, But Produce Few Deals
At their press appearance today, President Obama and Chinese President Hut Jintao promised greater cooperation between the two countries on issues such as climate change and nuclear disarmament. During their appearance, however, Hu pointedly called on Obama to reject protectionism -- the U.S. recently imposed tariffs on Chinese-made tires and steel pipes -- and Obama called on China to relax controls that keep their currency artificially weak on the world market.

Obama's Day In China
President Obama participated in a welcome ceremony in Beijing at 9:45 a.m. local time (8:45 p.m. ET last night). He held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao at 10 a.m., and an expanded meeting at 10:45 a.m. They made joint press statements at 12:15 p.m. Obama toured the Forbidden City at 1:20 p.m. He met with U.S. Embassy employees and their families at 2:55 p.m. He held a bilateral meeting with Chairman Wu Bangguo at 5:55 p.m., and attended a state dinner at 6:30 p.m.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Barack Obama, Blanche Lincoln, China, Jeremiah Wright, Joe Biden, John McCain, Mark Pryor, Roundup, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Poll: Palin Not Qualified To Be President, Hillary Clinton Is

Eric Kleefeld | November 16, 2009, 4:48PM

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

A new CNN poll finds further evidence that Americans don't think Sarah Palin is qualified for President -- and that Hillary Clinton, the country's other top woman in politics, is qualified.

The numbers on Palin: qualified 28%, not qualified 70%.

By contrast, the same question was asked about Hillary Clinton -- and 67% of Americans say that she is qualified to be president.

Among Republicans only, 54% say Palin is qualified, and 44% say she is not.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (14) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Pro-Life Group Says Palin 'Misleading And Unreliable' On Abortion

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 16, 2009, 1:28PM

Sarah Palin

On a day where most critics are attacking Sarah Palin for being too conservative, one group of anti-choice activists is slamming former Alaska governor for not being conservative enough when it comes to the issue of abortion.

American Right To Life, the self-proclaimed "personhood wing of the right-to-life movement" attacked Palin today for using "liberal, pro-choice, socialist terminology" in her political rhetoric on abortion and for distinguishing "between her 'personal' and public pro-life views" ("personally pro-life means officially pro-choice," the group says.

ARL on Palin, from the website the group launched today:

As a candidate whom many pro-lifers want to support, her actual abortion record and rhetoric is shocking to the conscience.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (59) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Abortion, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Poll: Americans Don't Like Sarah Palin

Eric Kleefeld | November 16, 2009, 9:12AM

Sarah Palin

A new ABC/Washington Post poll finds that Americans still do not like Sarah Palin, who is kicking off her Going Rogue book tour with a taped interview airing today on the Oprah Winfrey show.

The poll finds that a majority of Americans, 52% of respondents, have an unfavorable opinion of her, compared to only 43% favorable.

In addition, respondents were asked this question: "Regardless of whether or not you'd vote for her, do you think Palin is or is not qualified to serve as president?" The numbers: qualified 38%, not qualified 60%.

In addition, 53% say they would definitely not vote for her. Only 9% would definitely vote for her, and 37% would consider it (those people are likely Republicans and GOP-leaners who want to see all the options).

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (30) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)
Topics: Pres '12, Sarah Palin

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 16, 2009, 9:01AM

Today: Palin On Oprah Winfrey
Sarah Palin's interview on the Oprah Winfrey show will be broadcast today. The interview was taped last week, and kicks off Palin's media tour for her new book, Going Rogue.

Obama's Day In China
President Obama visited U.S. Consulate employees and their families in Shanghai, China, at 10:20 a.m. local time (9:20 p.m. ET last night). He met at 11 a.m. local time with Party Secretary Yu Zheng Sheng and Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, with a working lunch at 11:30 a.m. local time. He held a town hall meeting with Chinese leaders at 12:45 p.m. local time. He departed Shanghai at 2:40 p.m., arriving in Beijing at 4:50 p.m. He arrived at the Diaoyutai State Guest House at 6:30 p.m., and was greeted by President Hu Jintao. The two held a bilateral meeting at 6:35 p.m, and had dinner at 7 p.m.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (6) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Blanche Lincoln, Grover Norquist, Jeff Sessions, Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey, Roundup, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin

Roundup

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 14, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama: Fort Hood Shooting Will Be Fully Reviewed
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama said there will be a full investigation of the shooting at Fort Hood, and whether better steps could have been taken to prevent it:

"The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information," said Obama. "Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that - and most importantly - we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve."

Kirk: Dem Health Care Bill Would Make Top Taxes Worse Than France
This weekend's Republican address is by Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), a candidate for President Obama's former Senate seat in 2010. Kirk attacks the Democrats on health care -- and even says it would make some Americans worse off than if they were in France:

"The Pelosi health care bill has no significant lawsuit reforms and does not guarantee your medical rights from government waiting lines or restrictions," said Kirk. "In the teeth of the Great Recession, the Pelosi bill would impose ten new taxes on the American economy. The top combined tax rate for my state of Illinois would be four percentage points higher than France."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (20) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Barack Obama, Grover Norquist, Harry Reid, Health Care, House '10, IL-SEN, John McCain, Judd Gregg, Mark Kirk, NRCC, NV-SEN, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Senate '10

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 9:02AM

RNC Ends Coverage Of Abortion In Its Employee Health Plans
The Republican National Committee has told its insurance company to remove coverage of abortion from the RNC's standard health insurance policy for its employees, following a Politico story revealing the policy that has existed since 1991. "Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "I don't know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled."

Obama's Day In Japan
President Obama arrived in Tokyo, Japan, at 4:15 p.m. ET local time (2:15 a.m. ET). He held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Hatoyama at 6:50 p.m. local time, an expanded meeting at 7:10 p.m. They held a joint press conference at 8:20 p.m., and dinner at 8:45 p.m.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (10) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Abortion, Barack Obama, Chris Van Hollen, Climate Change, DCCC, Greg Craig, Hillary Clinton, Japan, Michael Steele, Pres '12, RNC, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 10, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama Calls For Revision In Stupak Amendment
President Obama said yesterday that the Stupak Amendment should be revised, in the hopes that neither pro-choicers nor pro-lifers feel "betrayed" by any change in the status quo. "I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test," said Obama, "that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we're not restricting women's insurance choices."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and the First Lady will depart the White House at 9:05 a.m. ET, arriving in Killeen, Texas, at 12:25 p.m. ET. They will meet at 12:50 p.m. ET with families of the fallen at Fort Hood, and with wounded soldiers and their families at 1:20 p.m. ET. President Obama will address the Fort Hood community at 2 p.m. ET. They will meet with wounded soldiers at 3:25 p.m. ET, and depart from Killeen at 4:20 p.m. ET. They will arrive back at the White House at 8:35 p.m. ET.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (17) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Abortion, Barack Obama, Bart Stupak, George Miller, Iowa caucus, Joe Biden, Pres '12, Roundup, Sarah Palin

Pres '12

Sarah Palin Rips Health Care Bill And Reprises Death Panels Claim

Christina Bellantoni | November 9, 2009, 10:19AM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin accused Democratic leaders of trying to "ram" the health care bill through Congress over the weekend and said voters should "look closely" because death panels remain in the legislation.

Palin took to Facebook a few hours after the late-night vote to tell her nearly 1 million supporters the bill was "disastrous" for the economy but they should "hold on to hope."

"We've got to hold on to hope, and we've got to fight hard because Congressional action tonight just put America on a path toward an unrecognizable country," Palin wrote. "The same government leaders that got us into the mortgage business and the car business are now getting us into the health care business."

Palin, who used her Facebook feed to further the phony death panel meme earlier this year, brought it up again:

We had been told there were no "death panels" in the bill either. But look closely at the provision mandating bureaucratic panels that will be calling the shots regarding who will receive government health care.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (93) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Capitol Hill Tea Party, Health Care, Pres '12, Sarah Palin, Tea Party

Roundup

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 7, 2009, 1:01PM

Obama Praises Heroism At Fort Hood
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama discussed the shooting at Fort Hood, and paid tribute to the heroism of both military and civilian personnel at the base:

"And yet, even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America," said Obama. "We saw soldiers and civilians alike rushing to aid fallen comrades; tearing off bullet-riddled clothes to treat the injured; using blouses as tourniquets; taking down the shooter even as they bore wounds themselves. We saw soldiers bringing to bear on our own soil the skills they had been trained to use abroad; skills that been honed through years of determined effort for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect and defend the United States of America."

Barbour: New Jersey And Virginia Elections Show America Rejecting The Democrats
In this weekend's Republican address, Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) claimed that this past Tuesday's gubernatorial elections represent a rejection of President Obama's and the Democrats' agenda:

"This week also saw the first big elections since this administration and its Democrat Majority in Congress took control of our federal government. The results made clear the American people don't like where the Democrats are trying to take our country," said Barbour. "Virginia and New Jersey elected new governors Tuesday, and in both cases, voters chose Republican governors to succeed the Democrats elected four years ago. Both are states that President Obama carried by large margins last year."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (6) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Abortion, Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Bart Stupak, Capitol Hill Tea Party, Haley Barbour, Health Care, Iowa caucus, Michele Bachmann, NJ-GOV, NRCC, Pres '12, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Tea Party, Tim Pawlenty, VA-GOV

Mark Kirk

Kirk Seeking Palin's Endorsement For Senate Run -- After Badmouthing Her In 2008

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 4:41PM

Fmr. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) has been actively seeking seeking the endorsement of none other than Sarah Palin in his race for Senate, the Washington Post reports, a sharp turnaround from prior image as a moderate and even his own open criticism of Palin herself.

In a memo, Kirk wrote that he was hoping for Palin to support his candidacy when she comes to Chicago to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show, saying that "the Chicago media will focus on one key issue: Does Gov[ernor] Palin oppose Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?"

Kirk has formerly had a reputation as a moderate Republican able to win in Democratic areas, such as his own district that voted for Barack Obama by 61%-38%. And in October of 2008, he openly declared of Palin, "I would have picked someone different."

But the pressure of seeking the Republican statewide nomination, with a primary electorate that has become increasingly right-wing, sure has him looking for the Palin stamp of approval.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: IL-SEN, Mark Kirk, Sarah Palin, Senate '10

Sarah Palin

Palin: NY-23 Race Isn't Over, 'Just Postponed Until 2010'

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 12:57PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), whose endorsement of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election helped to give him a huge boost against moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava, posted this note last night on her Facebook account, commenting on Hoffman's defeat by Democrat Bill Owens:

The race for New York's 23rd District is not over, just postponed until 2010. The issues of this election have always centered on the economy - on the need for fiscal restraint, smaller government, and policies that encourage jobs. In 2010, these issues will be even more crucial to the electorate. I commend Doug Hoffman and all the other under-dog candidates who have the courage to put themselves out there and run against the odds.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Bill Owens, Dede Scozzafava, Doug Hoffman, House '10, NY-14, NY-23, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Biden And Palin Battle Each Other In NY-23

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 1:54PM

Vice President Joe Biden, Fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin (R)

Via Facebook today, Sarah Palin took on Vice President Joe Biden over comments he made about her support for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 race.

At a rally over the weekend, Biden called out Palin over her approach to energy policy. Biden's comments, as ABC News reported them:

"Sarah Palin thinks the answer to energy is 'Drill, baby, drill.' " Biden said...Then he leaned in to the microphone: "It's a lot more complicated, Sarah."

On Facebook today, Palin seemed eager to step into the ring again with the man she battled for the vice-presidency last year. From her post:

There's one way to tell Vice President Biden that we're tired of folks in Washington distorting our message and hampering our nation's progress: Hoffman, Baby, Hoffman!

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (5) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Doug Hoffman, Joe Biden, NY-23, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin GOTV Robocalls Hit VA

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 9:22AM

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin is urging Virginia voters to turn out tomorrow and ~~"vote for Sarah's principles"~~ "vote to share our principles" in a new robocall that began rolling out across the state this weekend. The calls are paid for by a group run by former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed, and do not mention the name of any candidate, including GOP gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell.

More from the call script, first reported this morning by CNN's Peter Hamby:

"The eyes of America will be on Virginia and make no mistake about it, every vote counts. So don't take anything for granted, vote your values on Tuesday, and urge your friends and family to vote, too."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Bob McDonnell, Sarah Palin, VA-GOV

Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2009, 1:04PM

Lieberman Pledges To Filibuster Public Option, Blames Its Supporters For Holding Up Reform
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) pledged to filibuster against the public option: "The government going into the health insurance business -- I think it's such a mistake that I would use the power I have as a single senator to stop a final vote." He also blamed public option-supporters for being the ones who are obstructing reform: "All of a sudden if you're not for this government health insurance company, you're against health care reform. I'd say to them, 'Don't stop us from getting something good and important done for the American people.'"

Boehner: NY-23 Election Part Of 'Political Rebellion Going On In America'
Appearing on State of the Union, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) addressed the situation in NY-23 by delcaring, "We're in the middle, I think, of a political rebellion going on in America," and said that the Republicans will work to earn the support of people coming into the political system. At the same time, he insisted that the GOP was not excluding moderates, in light of moderate GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava's withdrawal from the race: "We accept moderates in our party. We want moderates in our party. We cover a wide range of Americans."

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Topics: David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Fox News, Health Care, Joe Lieberman, John Boehner, NY-23, Public Option, Roundup, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Sunday Shows, Timothy Geithner, Valerie Jarrett

TX-GOV

Perry Reacts To Cheney's Endorsement Of His Opponent: 'I'd Stick With Sarah' Palin

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2009, 11:12AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) and Fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK)

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is brushing off former Vice President Dick Cheney's endorsement of Perry's primary challenger, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison -- saying he'd rather have his current support from Sarah Palin.

Perry touted an upcoming endorsement from Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, as evidence of Republican support. Perry was then asked if he would rather have Cheney or Palin, who endorsed him back in February.

Perry's response: "I think I'd stick with Sarah."

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Topics: Dick Cheney, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, TX-GOV

NY-23

McCain's Office Not Saying Who He Supports In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 23, 2009, 3:32PM

Fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Here's an important question on the NY-23 race: Now that the Republican Party's 2008 Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has broken with the party to support a third party Conservative over the moderate GOP candidate, who does her former running mate and ex-presidential nominee John McCain support?

I have placed multiple messages with McCain's office, asking which candidate he supports in the special election, and whether he agrees with Palin's denunciation of the GOP for putting up a moderate nominee. They have not gotten back to me.

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Topics: Dede Scozzafava, Doug Hoffman, John McCain, NY-23, Sarah Palin

NY-23

Palin Endorses Conservative Party's Hoffman In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 22, 2009, 11:49PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) has endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election, in a statement provided to the Weekly Standard, and is blasting the GOP for picking moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava:

Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of "blurring the lines" between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate that more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket.

Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.

Just think about the seriousness of the split in Republican ranks over this race -- the nominee for Vice President in last year's election is now rejecting the party's candidate in a Congressional race, where the divisions among the right are threatening to hand a GOP-held seat to the Democrats.

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Topics: Dede Scozzafava, Doug Hoffman, NY-23, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Poll: Palin Loses Big To Both Romney And Huckabee For GOP Nomination

Eric Kleefeld | October 19, 2009, 11:46AM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

A new Rasmussen poll suggests that Sarah Palin should not be viewed as a favorite for the Republican nomination in 2012, with her trailing both Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee by wide margins in head-to-head match-ups.

Romney leads Palin by 52%-37% among likely GOP primary voters, and Huckabee is ahead by 55%-35%.

The pollster's analysis also finds that Mitt Romney's Mormon religion is still a liability, with him losing to Palin by 14 points among evangelical Christians, while leading her among other Protestants, Catholics and other groups. By contrast, the former Southern Baptist minister Mike Huckabee leads Palin by 17 points among evangelicals.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (27) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Pres '12, Sarah Palin

Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 11, 2009, 12:58PM

Liz Cheney: Obama Given Nobel Prize For Opposing American Dominance
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Liz Cheney attacked President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. "Well, I think what the committee believes is they'd like to live in a world in which America is not dominant. And I think if you look at the language of the citation, you can see that they talk about, you know, President Obama ruling in a way that makes sense to the majority of the people of the world," said Cheney. "You know, Americans don't elect a president to do that. We elect a president to defend our national interests. And so I think that, you know, they may believe that President Obama also doesn't agree with American dominance, and they may have been trying to affirm that belief with the prize. I think, unfortunately, they may be right, and I think it's a concern."

McCain: Palin 'Energized Our Party'
Appearing on State of the Union, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) defended his former running mate Sarah Palin, against the criticism of his former campaign manager Steve Schmidt. "There are fundamental facts ... that cannot be denied," McCain adds. "When we selected or asked Sarah Palin to be my running mate, it energized our party. We were ahead in the polls, until the stock market crashed. And she still is a formidable force in the Republican Party, and I have great affection for her."

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Topics: Afghanistan, Bob Casey, Carl Levin, Dianne Feinstein, Health Care, Jack Reed, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Liz Cheney, Nobel Peace Prize, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Saxby Chambliss, Steve Schmidt

Carly Fiorina

Fiorina: 'I've Never Met Sarah Palin. Next Question'

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 6:24PM

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R-CA)

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard, former surrogate for the McCain campaign, and current exploratory candidate for Senate in 2010, declined to answer a question about Sarah Palin. Blogger Bill Black reports that Fiorina spoke to a business meeting in San Francisco Thursday night:

But most interestingly, she was asked whether Sarah Palin displayed leadership qualities. The question was asked in apparent sincerity, but her physical reaction seemed to suggest that she considered it a hostile question.

Here's her response, word for word, in its entirety:

"I've never met Sarah Palin. Next question."

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Topics: CA-SEN, Carly Fiorina, Sarah Palin, Senate '10

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 8:59AM

NYT: Withdrawal From Iraq Daunting, Complicated
The New York Times reports that the withdrawal from Iraq is an enormous logistical task: "By itself, such a withdrawal would be daunting, but it is further complicated by attacks from an insurgency that remains active; the sensitivities of the Iraqi government about a visible American presence; disagreements with the Iraqis about what will be left for them; and consideration for what equipment is urgently needed in Afghanistan."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks at 10:30 a.m. ET, presumably on his having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He will meet with Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) at 11:35 a.m. ET. He will meet with Vice President Biden at 12:30 p.m. ET for lunch. At 1:40 p.m. ET, he and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner will meet with five Americans who have been hurt by outdated rules regulating the financial sector, and Obama will deliver remarks on regulatory reform at 2 p.m. ET. Obama will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan at 2:30 p.m. ET. Finally, the President and First Lady will host a barbecue for Secret Service members and their families on the South Lawn.

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Topics: Al Franken, Barack Obama, Iraq, Nobel Peace Prize, Olympia Snowe, Roundup, Sarah Palin

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 8:59AM

CBO: Budget Deficit Reaches Record $1.4 Trillion
The federal budget deficit for the just-completed fiscal year 2009 reached $1.4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This record number was due to multiple factors, including falling tax revenues due to the recession, corporate bailouts and stimulus spending. This was triple the previous record of $459 billion, which was reached last year.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will have lunch at 12 p.m. ET with business leaders. At 2:30 p.m. ET, he will visit the National Naval Medical Center Marine Wounded Warrior basketball game. At 3:15 p.m. ET, Obama and Vice President Biden will meet with Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner, and they will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At 5 p.m. ET, Obama will play basketball with cabinet secretaries and members of Congress.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Budget, Health Care, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Karl Rove, Levi Johnston, Sarah Palin, Timothy Geithner

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 9:00AM

Poll: Obama's Approval Rating Going Back Up
The new AP/GfK poll finds that President Obama has a 56% approval rating, up from 50% in September -- and the first time that his approval rating has increased in the AP/GfK surveys. Disapproval is at 39%, down from 49% last month.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 10:45 a.m. ET with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. At 1:30 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks and award the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. At 3:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan. At 8 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will host an event for local middle students, to star gaze and conduct hands-on experiments with astronomers.

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Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Jon Corzine, NJ-GOV, Sarah Palin, Tom DeLay

Arlen Specter

Sestak Launches Site Tying Specter To Palin

Brian Beutler | October 6, 2009, 11:00AM

As I reported yesterday, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) is putting the screws to his primary opponent, incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) by launching a website tying Specter to his 30 year record as a Republican.

The site, which bares a non-coincidental resemblance to Specters actual campaign site, has since gone live; you visit it here. Perhaps most damningly, it includes one image tying Specter to liberal bete noir Sarah Palin.

A letter from the Sestak campaign warns, "This election, Pennsylvania will have a choice between a principled, accountable leader for the next generation or two long-time Republicans." (Whoever wins the Democratic Senate primary will face conservative Pat Toomey in the general election.)

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Topics: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak, PA-SEN, Pat Toomey, Sarah Palin, Senate, Senate '10

Levi Johnston

Levi Johnston Stars In Safe Sex Pistachio Ad

Christina Bellantoni | October 5, 2009, 5:37PM

Here's how the Get Crackin folks are pegging this YouTube video, which is definitely the hottest thing on the Internet today:

Levi Johnston, father of Sarah Palin's grandchild, shows us how he Gets Crackin'. Show us how you do it. www.getcrackin.com. Show us how you Get Crackin' and you could win $25,000 and see your spot on TV!

Watch and, um, learn(?):

The brand of nuts is indeed sold in the greater D.C. area, and are harvested by the same group who does Everybody's Nuts.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (6) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Levi Johnston, Sarah Palin

Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 3, 2009, 1:10PM

Obama: Small Businesses Need Health Care Reform
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama pitched the Democratic health care proposals as being good for small businesses:

"Altogether, they create roughly half of all new jobs. And right now, they are paying up to 18 percent more for the very same insurance plans as larger businesses because they have higher administrative costs and less bargaining power," said Obama. "Many have been forced to cut benefits or drop coverage. Some have shed jobs or shut their doors entirely. And recent studies show that if we fail to act now, employers will pay six percent more to insure their employees next year - and more than twice as much over the next decade."

GOP Address Blasts Obama And Pelosi's "Job-Killing Agenda"
In this weekend's Republican address, Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) called upon PResident Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "put aside their job-killing agenda" and work with the GOP:

"All told, our economy has lost roughly 3 million private-sector jobs since President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trillion-dollar 'stimulus' plan became law," said Miller, later adding: "It didn't have to be this way."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (8) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Alan Grayson, Barack Obama, Candice Miller, Carol Browner, Climate Change, FL-08, Honduras, House '10, Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin, Steve Schmidt, Tom Carper

John McCain

Limbaugh Blasts Schmidt's Palin-Bashing: McCain Crowd Has 'Done Enough Damage' To GOP

Eric Kleefeld | October 2, 2009, 11:55AM

Talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh is definitely not happy with former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt, who said that a Palin campaign for president would be "catastrophic."

Limbaugh, who has been a long-time Palin fan, gave this comment to Greg Sargent:

I think it's time for the McCain crowd to acknowledge they are losers and pack it in. They've done enough damage to the Republican Party. Move aside and let a brighter, more principled, and more competent generation of people clean up the mess they helped create.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS (47) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: John McCain, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Steve Schmidt

Sarah Palin

Former McCain Campaign Manager: Nominating Palin In 2012 Would Be 'Catastrophic'

Eric Kleefeld | October 2, 2009, 9:25AM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

That famous infighting of the core McCain campaign versus Sarah Palin is still continuing, with former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt openly saying at the Atlantic's "First Draft of History" symposium that it would be "catastrophic" if Palin were to win the Republican nomination in 2012.

Schmidt said: "I think that she has talents, but you know, my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate for the Republican Party in 2012, and in fact, were she to be the nominee, we could have a catastrophic election result."

It's sure been a long journey for Schmidt, as far as his attitudes on Palin are concerned. The Los Angeles Times reported in October 2008 that Schmidt himself pushed McCain into picking her. After Karl Rove said the pick was a campaign decision, and not a governing decision, Schmidt fired back: "Karl's wrong. She's an exceptional governor, a reform governor in Alaska."

But with the campaign long over -- and Palin's performance regarded as disastrous by everyone except her core fan-base -- Schmidt is sure singing a different tune.