Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

Quote of the Day

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:33:11 -0500

"Mitt Romney did what he had to do in order to become the nominee."

-- Newt Gingrich, in an interview on MSNBC.

Walker Spending Much More on Television Ads

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:44:00 -0500

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his Republican allies have outspent Tom Barrett (D) and supportive groups more than 3-1 on TV ad buys during the three months leading up to the June 5 recall election, The Hotline reports.

Rubio Plans Swings State Book Tour

Fri, 25 May 2012 05:37:28 -0500

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) "is planning a swing-state summer bus tour that will also roll through South Carolina, the early presidential primary battleground," the Miami Herald reports.

"It's officially aimed at selling books, not winning votes, but the freshman senator and possible vice presidential pick is set to make multiple stops not just in his home state of Florida but also in North Carolina and Virginia, critical presidential battlegrounds this fall. On the way, he'll make several appearances in South Carolina, where Republicans hold their first-in-the-South presidential primary."

An American Son will be released in June.

Perry Reasserts Himself in Texas

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:31:22 -0500

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) "is now embarking on an all-out effort to revive his standing in Texas and prove he's still a dominant force in the Lone Star State," Politico reports.

"Unlike other failed White House candidates -- Tim Pawlenty, for example -- Perry has declined to become one of many full-time foot soldiers for Mitt Romney's general election campaign. And unlike Sarah Palin, another superstar governor who flamed out as a national candidate, Perry still has a taste for wielding power on the state level. He has toyed publicly with the idea of running for governor again in 2014, and even with another presidential bid down the line."

"The governor has endorsed 16 candidates for state and local office this year, including throwing his full weight behind Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is locked in a battle for the Republican Party's Senate nomination next Tuesday... The decision to back Dewhurst so aggressively represents a gamble that as a three-term governor, Perry is still the political king of Texas."

Marion Barry Digs a Deeper Hole

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:09:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Council member Marion Barry "stepped up his campaign to mend relations with Asians, apologizing again for disparaging remarks he made about Koreans and Filipinos," noting the United States "has had racial tensions since it was founded," the Washington Post reports.

Said Barry: "The Irish caught hell, the Jews caught hell, the Polacks caught hell."

Asked later about his reference to "Polacks," Barry at first denied using the word, then retracted it. "I meant Poles."

Halperin Interviews Romney

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:29:57 -0500

Andrew Sullivan comments on Mark Halperin's recent interview with Mitt Romney:

"If you do not feel the urge to cut out your own heart with a dull knife after reading it, there's something wrong with you."

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:19:45 -0500

"I've had a couple of those during the campaign, which have haunted me a little bit, but I'm sure before this is over will haunt me a lot."

-- Mitt Romney, in an interview with Peggy Noonan, speaking about gaffes "that make me want to kick myself in the seat of my pants."

Romney Has Edge in North Carolina

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:43:02 -0500

A new Civitas Institute poll in North Carolina shows Mitt Romney just edging President Obama in the battleground state, 47% to 45%.

Mayor Arrested for Hacking Into Website

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:16:21 -0500

West New York Mayor Felix Roque (D) was arrested by the FBI "on charges of illegally hacking into a website associated with a recall movement, while attempting to tap into e-mails to find who might be plotting against him," the Newark Star Ledger reports. Rogue's son was also arrested.

"According to a criminal complaint filed under seal and released following the arrests, the two men are charged with an electronic dirty tricks campaign in an effort to disrupt and kill the recall movement... Details in the complaint show the two men were playing hardball, in a place where politics is always a life and death struggle against competing Democratic factions."

Most Bizarre Campaign Ad of the Year?

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:10:13 -0500

Jeff Barth (D), who is running in the Democratic primary to challenge Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD), released a freewheeling campaign ad that could be the weirdest of this election cycle.

A glimpse of what makes it so special: Barth makes the point that that his daughters "have straight teeth, college degrees and husbands."

Levi Johnston is Penniless

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:07:14 -0500

Levi Johnston, father to Sarah Palin's grandson, "has been forced to move in with his mother after reportedly squandering his $1 million earnings," the Daily Mail reports.

"The 22-year-old wasted the eye-watering sum on 'guns, boats and four-wheelers'... The spending has left him penniless and he has now moved in with his mother, a convicted prescription drug dealer, at her home in Alaska."

Ignore the Horserace Polls

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:46 -0500

Paul Begala: "Quick readers' guide to the 2012 polls: until the final two weeks, ignore the head-to-head horserace... Instead of obsessing about who's up and who's down, look at how folks view the direction of the country. When the 'right direction' number creeps up close to 50%, the incumbent is going to win. But when it plunges, get ready to back the moving van up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. At this writing, that all-important indicator is a middling 31% -- almost precisely equidistant from both an outright rejection of Obama and an incumbent's safe reelection."

Model Forecasts a Narrow Obama Victory

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:40:18 -0500

Alan Abramowitz plugs the latest approval and GDP growth numbers into his presidential forecasting model and finds President Obama is expected to win re-election by a very narrow share of the two-party vote.

"Whether we base our prediction on President Obama's 47% approval rating in the Gallup Poll in early May or a more sophisticated forecasting model incorporating economic conditions and the 'time for change' factor, it appears likely that we are headed for a very close election in November. Both models make Obama a slight favorite to win a second term. However, the final outcome will depend on the actual performance of the economy and the public's evaluation of the president's job performance in the months ahead. Those interested in assessing where the presidential race stands should focus on these two indicators rather than the day-to-day events of the campaign, which tend to dominate media coverage of the election."

Obama Keeps Low Profile in Wisconsin

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:35:14 -0500

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "Ever since the recall wars erupted in this battleground state, the Obama campaign has been faced with a dilemma: how involved does the President get in a polarizing fight with huge national overtones?"

"Less than two weeks to go before the June 5 election, the answer seems pretty clear. The Obama forces are pitching in with voter turnout and fund-raising appeals. But the President has avoided taking a vocal role in the conflict, and there is little expectation of an Obama visit to Wisconsin in the homestretch of the campaign."

Dewhurst Pulls Away from Cruz in Texas Primary

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:28:05 -0500

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Texas shows David Dewhurst (R) leads Ted Cruz (R) by a whopping 17 points in the GOP Senate primary, 46% to 29%

The main question on Tuesday will be whether Dewhurst can get over 50% and avoid a runoff.

Clinton Takes Photo with Porn Stars

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:20:55 -0500

"Bill Clinton just out-Clinton'd himself -- posing with two famous porn stars in Monaco moments ago," TMZ reports.

ABC News: "It's unclear whether he was aware of the women's occupation."

The Little Blue Book

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:14:47 -0500

Just published: The Little Blue Book: The Essential Guide to Thinking and Talking Democratic by George Lakoff and Elisabeth Wehling.

Introducing Wonk Wire

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:49:10 -0500

If you haven't stopped by yet, check out Wonk Wire and let us know what you think.

You can follow us on Twitter at @wonkwire.

Bonus Quote of the Day

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:30:55 -0500

"It's creepy. I still hurt every time I see it."

-- South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), quoted by Politico, on video that surfaced of a union leader hitting a pinata featuring her face.

Obama at 48%

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:18:54 -0500

First Read notes President Obama's approval rating is now a solid 48% and that he's also at 48% in three new battleground state polls.

"What does this mean? Is 48% a good thing or bad thing? On the one hand, he's leading and in the high 40s, despite what's been a rocky and volatile last few weeks (the April jobs numbers, the worries out of Europe, the rushed gay-marriage announcement, etc.). On the other hand, he remains below that important 50% threshold that's usually considered safe haven for an incumbent president, and Romney is well within striking distance, especially given all of Europe's economic uncertainty."

"Bottom line: 48% is really the knife's edge; not quite close enough where you can just fall over the 50% finish line, but close enough that it doesn't take much. It's a number to follow in the months ahead."

Gay Marriage Likely to Pass in Maryland

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:16:29 -0500

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Maryland finds a significant increase in support for same-sex marriage among African American voters following President Obama's historic announcement two weeks ago.

The referendum to keep the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage now appears likely to pass by a healthy margin, 57% to 37%, a 12 point shift from a similar survey in early March.

Trump Mulls Creating a Super PAC

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:13:59 -0500

Donald Trump tells Newsmax that he is seriously considering launching his own super PAC.

His goal would be to produce ads against President Obama that show how Washington is permitting outsiders to "absolutely suck the blood out of this country."

Said Trump: "If I did one I would show how bad we're doing as a country, how disrespected we are as a country. I would show people from OPEC, 11 people sitting around a beautiful gold-encrusted table talking about how they are going to continue to rip off the United States."

Quote of the Day

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:58:43 -0500

"I'm so boring that I didn't even know I was boring."

-- Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), quoted by the Washington Post.

Obama Leads in Three Key Swing States

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:54:42 -0500

New NBC Marist polls find President Obama with a narrow advantage over Mitt Romney in three of the most pivotal presidential battleground states -- Florida, Ohio and Virginia.

Florida: Obama 48%, Romney 44%

Ohio: Obama 48%, Romney 42%

Virginia: Obama 48%, Romney 44%

Walker Looks Likely to Avoid Recall

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:24:51 -0500

A new Reason-Rupe poll in Wisconsin finds Gov. Scott Walker (R) eight points ahead of challenger Tom Barrett (D) in the recall race, 50% to 42%.

A new St. Norbert College poll finds Walker leading by five points, 50% to 45%.

A new We Ask America poll shows Walker leading by 12 points, 54% to 42%.