Month: May 2011
In 2009 Daniels Said No to Prez Run
I wouldn’t subject myself or my family to what I see as the savagery of presidential politics.
— Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, in a 2009 C-SPAN interview, dismissing a possible presidential bid.
Plow Chops: More Shoes Could Drop in Schwarzenegger Scandals
Every town has its secrets. The difference in Los Angeles is that some of the secrets here relate to world-famous celebrities. It’s fair to say that hardly anyone in town knew that Arnold Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with a member of his household staff. But it’s equally true that there are other rumors — what Donald Rumsfeld might call “known unknowns” — that have been floating around years, decades even, that could come to light, if the scandal escalates, which, based on the volume of news reports in both legit and gossip outlets, appears to be what is happening.
Just in the past few days, the baby mama has been identified as Patty Baena, the Schwarzeneggers’ housekeeper for 20 years. Local news in Los Angeles found the McMansion Schwarzenegger bought her in Bakersfield, and neighbor interviewed by local reporters praised the son as being extremely well-mannered.
Maria Shriver has hired a divorce attorney, although sources say Shriver, who is Catholic, has not yet decided whether to proceed with divorce, which is astounding, if true. Meanwhile, her son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, 17, changed his last name to Shriver on his Twitter account.
And this one had to hurt: TMZ reports that Maria Shriver and Patty Baena were pregnant at the same time. Maria’s son Christopher was born on Sept. 27, 1997 and Baena’s son was born five days later, on Oct. 2, 1997.
Newt (Predictably) Blames the Media for his Cock-Up
The literati sent out their minions to do their bidding. Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods. Now they are left exposed by their bylines and handles. But surely they had killed him off. This is the way it always worked. A lesser person could not have survived the first few minutes of the onslaught. But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces.
— Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler, in a bizarre statement full of mixed metephors to Huffington Post that essentially blames the mainstream media for Newt’s meltdown, when he should be blaming the right-wing firebrands like Limbaugh and Krauthammer.
GOP/Tea Overconfidence Ends in Defeat
He didn’t write anybody off. He went and talked to everybody, while on the other side, they ran like they had already won it.
— Former Jacksonville, FL mayor Jake Godbold, commenting on the win for the office by Democrat Alvin Brown. The Republican/Tea Party candidate was so favored to win that both he and his party badly miscalculated voter sentiment.
Pakistanis Pissed at U.S. Over bin Laden Assassination
2/3
Of Pakistanis condemn the U.S. military operation inside their country that resulted in Osama bin Laden’s death. About half of all Pakistanis (46%) said his death makes their country less safe from terrorism.
Americans Still Down on Congress
28%
Of U.S. voters say most members of Congress deserve re-election — tying the historical low set last year. At the same time, voters are somewhat more likely now than they were last year to believe their own member deserves re-election, though the 57% who say so is below the historical average.
Florida Mayor’s Race Could Be Early Indicator of Tea Party Decline
Jacksonville Republicans are reeling because the nightmare they were having when they went to bed last night didn’t slip away as they hoped at today’s dawn. No, Democrat Alvin Brown, a former Clinton administration and Al Gore advisor, African-American, and pro-education candidate (not to be confused with bizarre nobody Alvin Greene of South Carolina) was still 603 votes ahead in the mayor’s race, just like he was last night.
As we speak, absentee and provisional ballots are being counted, so anything could happen in what the elections supervisor is calling the closest mayor’s race in Jacksonville history. Anything could happen, that is, except reinstating the conventional wisdom that a Democrat can’t win in Jacksonville – or in Northeast Florida. Apparently he can.
Brown was one of six candidates in the elimination round in March that was expected to easily pick Republican Audrey Moran, who passes for moderate in these parts, and fellow Republican and incumbent Tax Collector Mike Hogan to face off in the final race. Had that played out, Duval County voters would have the familiar Republican Thing One and Republican Thing Two from which to choose, and First Baptist Church (a Jacksonville institution that pulls most of the power strings), the Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, and a few others could resume running things for another four years.
And then something strange happened.
[…]
