Month: May 2015
Jeb Loves His Family — in a Really Defensive-Sounding Way
I love my mom and dad. I love my brother, and people are just going to have to get over that. That’s just the way it is.
— Jeb Bush, quoted by the New York Times.
A Nice Way to Put It
Who should we contact in case you became a martyr?
— Question on an al Qaeda application form that was among the papers seized by American military members during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
This Is the Polar Opposite of an Endorsement
For months, we have wondered how Gov. Chris Christie thinks he can win the presidency when New Jersey is in such rotten shape after his six years in office. Now we may have our answer: The man has lost touch with reality.
— Newark Star Ledger Editorial Board, in an op-ed piece in New Jersey’s largest newspaper. “He needs to pour himself a drink and ask himself the tough question: Why don’t people love me? It could be the rotten job market. Or the high property taxes. Or the crumbling transit system. Or the broken promise on pensions. Or the private jets. Or the Bridgegate indictments. And so on. … It’s no wonder that New Jersey is screaming a warning to the rest of the country. God forbid he gets a chance to make an even bigger mess on a larger stage.”
Ted Cruz Thinks Gay Rights Has Something to Do with Sex
Is there something about the left — and I am going to put the media in this category — that is obsessed with sex?
— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), quoted by the Texas Tribune, when asked about gay rights.
Walker Claims to Be ‘Most Scrutinized’ Politician in America
They threw $100 million dollars at us over the last four years and all sorts of attacks and I think we’re in a pretty good condition.
— Gov. Scott Walker (R), calling himself “probably the most scrutinized politician in America” as he walked into a meeting with lawmakers in Washington, CNN reports. “Walker touted his electoral track record, having won three elections in four years, including a recall election that he survived — making him the only governor in U.S. history to survive a recall effort.”
Republicans Gaining Confidence in Their Presidential Contenders
57%
Nearly six-in-10 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters say they have an excellent or good impression of their party’s presidential candidates, according to Pew Research. That compares with 54% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters who have positive impressions of the Democratic Party’s candidates. “Republicans are more positive about the GOP field than they were at nearly comparable points in the past two presidential campaigns.”
Paul Promised to Stop Saying the GOP Sucks, but then Didi It Anyway
Right now, the Republican brand sucks. I promised Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, that I would stop saying the GOP sucks, and I will (except for this last time.)
– Rand Paul, quoted by the Washington Post from his forthcoming book Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics.
Clinton Answered Questions from the Media Yesterday (and Why Is This a Headline?)
1,433
Number of minutes (as of 12:08 p.m. May 20) since Hillary Clinton last answered a journalist’s question at 12:15 p.m. May 1, reports the Washington Post. Prior to that, it was 40,150 minutes since she last answered a reporter’s question in New Hampshire.
Rubio & Braman — By the Numbers
It appears Rubio is accustomed to feeding at the Braman trough. Here are some numbers that illuminate their relationship:
