insiders

Elections 2012

GOP Events Trumped!

Following my previous post, where a Tea Party rally, expected to draw around 2,000 people only drew 30 after Donald Trump cancelled, we now have another case where Trump's cancellation is causing the GOP some problems:

Donald Trump on Thursday backed out of a June speaking engagement at one of the Iowa Republican Party's premier annual fundraisers, prompting state GOP officials to scrub what was expected to be the state party's largest ever.

Trump was scheduled to headline the annual Lincoln Dinner on June 10 in Des Moines.

More than 1,500 tickets had been sold for the event, which was moved from its original location to a more spacious downtown auditorium when it was announced that Trump had accepted the invitation from Iowa Republican Chairman Matt Strawn in March.

So many of the beltway's insiders, as well as right wing bloggers and journalists, tried to write-off Trump as not being a real candidate, yet his cancellation at events is causing some serious financial problems for the GOP. I really think the left should thank the Don for all he has done.

Politics

Rahm On His Way Out?

One can only hope so:

Amid mounting signs that Rahm Emanuel will leave the White House to run for mayor in Chicago, Democratic insiders say President Barack Obama is likely to choose a new chief of staff who's already in his orbit but has experience with previous administrations.

The goal: to keep a comfort level for the president while simultaneously bringing in an outside perspective that would help dilute the insularity of the current West Wing.

Rahm is by far my least favorite person in this administration. Seeing him hit the trails would be a major win for the Obama presidency.

Maybe Rahm will announce this week he is taking a new job for the Jewish new year?

OMG Communism!

Wow this must be some big government conspiracy! I bet the feds are even involved in this, you know – since Obama is from Chicago.

But what is Drudge reporting? Let’s look:

A local TV station that reported on Chicagoans NOT wanting the Olympics has been told NOT to run the report again, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT!

The Chicago Olympic Committee told FOX Chicago that its broadcast "would harm Chicago's chances" to be awarded the games.

The station's news director ordered staff to hold fire after the report aired once last Thursday morning, claims a source.

That station’s news director ordered staff not to report on this? How was the station “ordered” not to run it then? This sounds like an editorial decision made by the people who are supposed to make such decisions, all internally within the station. I give it to the end of the day for Obama to be accused of trying to muzzle the fourth estate and talks of communism to really start.

Tweety Exodus?

Chris_Matthews_Tweety The Politico:

Chris Matthews is dead serious about running for the Senate in Pennsylvania - and shopping for a house in the state and privately discussing quitting MSNBC as proof of his intense interest, according to NBC colleagues, political operatives and friends.

Even so, some NBC insiders think it’s all simply a negotiating ploy to jack up his contract.

The garrulous host of the show "Hardball with Chris Matthews" has already picked out a home in Philadelphia to establish residency in the state, according to a Democratic operative in discussions with him about a potential candidacy. Over Thanksgiving weekend, at his vacation house in Nantucket, Matthews’ family gave him their full backing.

If he does end up leaving MSNBC, then it will be interesting to see who MSNBC finds to replace him. Of course it won’t be someone new. MSNBC is a strong believer in recycling – especially when it comes to talent.

Another Choice For Secretary of State

Here is another fine choice for Secretary of State Obama is considering:

Eyewitness News 4 has learned Gov. Bill Richardson met with the Barack Obama transitional team Friday in Chicago about a possible position as Secretary of State.

Richardson, the former secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, is considered a top contender for secretary of state.

Democrat insiders say Richardson, along with Sen. Hillary Clinton, both met with the Obama team Friday for Obama's top cabinet post.

I have always really liked Bill Richardson. I believe he is firm enough, yet likeable enough to do a great job as our top diplomat. Add to that the fact he was our ambassador to the UN under Clinton, he also posses the experience of Hillary.

"Clueless"

Ed Schultz has this very interesting blurb on his front page right now:

McCain Camp insiders say Palin "clueless"
Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people
are more than concerned about Palin. The campaign has held
a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

If it was on the site of any other lefty talking head, I might take it with a grain of salt, but we need to remember that Ed Schultz used to be on the right and still has many connections there, so we can safely assume there is some merit to this complaint. If so it pulls back another layer on the stunt McCain pulled this week. Simply put, he wanted the VP debate pushed back to give Palin more time. I think evidence also lies in that disastrous interview she gave with Katie Couric.

(h/t Cesca)

Remember This Name

Richard Hohlt is one of Washington Mutual's lobbyists, receiving close to $40,000 in the first half of 2007. He is also a major Republican fundraiser and then there is this little gem:

Hohlt is also the leader of a group of Washington, DC insiders called the "Off the Record Club" and is known as an "information broker" in political circles. Other members of this club include lobbyists Ken Duberstein, Charlie Black and Vin Weber. They have been known to host Karl Rove and Joshua Bolten on occasion at these social gatherings. Hohlt has been referred to as a regular background source of information for Robert Novak and other journalists

So we got another McCain campaign official tied to the lobbyist of a failed financial institute. Washington Mutual also paid BKSH & Associates for lobbying. Who is that? The lobbying firm led by.......Charlie Black.

Bye Twirp!

You will be missed (NOT!):

Insiders tell TVNewser Tucker Carlson's 6pmET show Tucker is getting the axe, but Carlson stays on as a political contributor to all MSNBC shows at least through the 2008 election. The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other political programming additions. Sources say the network is going to beef up its schedule with more NBC News talent.

In recent days, Jossip, as well as other blogs, ratcheted up the talk that Tucker would be replaced "for a new project." In its 33-month run, Carlson's show has had two names, four time slots and multiple formats. At 6pmET, it builds on its Harbdall lead-in on some days, but loses audience on others.

Carlson is expected to host the show through next week, with his new role and title to take effect March 17. We're told he'll also be reporting from the campaign trail.

Two words for a new show - Rachel Maddow.

Some More Thoughts On The Race

First off I got a new delegate tracker in the side bar. It's based off of numbers from CNN. Going through everything, they seem to be the closest we will get to an accurate count.

The Clinton campaign has to be worried after yesterday. When you consider that she only won the popular vote by a small handful of votes, and the financial situation of the campaign, they are looking at an uphill struggle in the weeks to come. As matter of fact, the AP is reporting that the Clinton's could dip into their own wealth now:

Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign, lagging far behind Barack Obama's fundraising this year, expects to be outspent by Obama in upcoming Democratic nominating contests just as it was in Feb. 5 states, her strategists conceded Wednesday.

Officials with both campaigns have said Obama raised $32 million in January and that Clinton raised $13.5 million, a significant gap between the two that allowed Obama to place ads in virtually every Super Tuesday state and to get a head start on advertising in primaries and caucuses over the next week.

Needless to say this will probably be a necessity to keep going.

The biggest fear has to come from the Obama momentum. This has been going strong. Clinton was a clear front runner just last week, now not so much so. Obama is quickly catching up.

There has also been a lot of talk about super delegates today. Remember that these people are not committed to voting one way or another. If things continue to be this close after next month, I wouldn't be shocked to see the DNC start pushing some to vote for the pledged delegate leader. That would be the wise decision. If one candidate is the most popular by the people, the party would be better off backing that person instead of letting a bunch of insiders pick someone else.

Looks Like Another Repug In

According to Politico, and the name should be of no shock:

Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.

Thompson, the "Law and Order" star and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, has been publicly coy, even as people close to him have been furiously preparing for a late entry into the wide-open contest. But the advisers said Thompson dropped all pretenses on Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with more than 100 potential donors, each of whom was urged to raise about $50,000.

True it is the Politico. This is the same source that said Edwards was dropping out when Elizabeth's cancer returned. Their track record isn't that great.

Abramoff Gets A Desk

The final nail in the GOP coffin this election season would be if the DOJ announced a bunch more indictments in the Abramoff scandal. We know this is not about to happen, but this little bit of information gives us insight into the possibility that they will becoming after elections:

Jack Abramoff, the lobbying scandal figure, has become such a chatty rat that probe insiders say he's been given a desk to work at in the FBI. We're told he spends up to four hours a day detailing his shady business to agents eager to nail more congressmen in the scandal. And when cooperative witnesses spend that much time inside, they get a desk. As a result of his help in the ever expanding investigation, we hear that the Feds hope to keep him in a nearby prison after he's sentenced on his conspiracy admission.

It is amazing to think that Abramoff was so crooked as to require such treatment and time commitments to bring down more in Abramoff. Of course it has been the job of reporters and watchdog groups to bring this sort of corruption to the attention of officials. The Republicans have failed to do any investigating and instead chose to lead with the attitude that they are above the law.

Voters (especially GOP leaning voters) need to seriously ask themselves if they want to vote for someone who may ultimately end up being removed from office due to their improprieties with Jack.

No Plan Bush

This was rather big news yesterday:

Some Republican strategists are increasingly upset with what they consider the overconfidence of President Bush and his senior advisers about the midterm elections November 7-a concern aggravated by the president's news conference this week.

"They aren't even planning for if they lose," says a GOP insider who informally counsels the West Wing. If Democrats win control of the House, as many analysts expect, Republicans predict that Bush's final two years in office will be marked by multiple congressional investigations and gridlock.

"The Bush White House has had no relationship with Congress," said a Bush ally. "Beyond the Democrats, wait till they see how the Republicans-the ones that survive-treat them if they lose next month." GOP insiders are upset by Bush's seeming inability to come up with new ideas or fresh approaches. There is even a heightened sensitivity to the way Bush talks about advisers who served his father.

Of course to those of us that actually think, that is not big news. It would be big news if Bush actually had a plan. Instead his election life is like his war life - a life of denial and no plan.

Drudge's Disconnect From Reality

Drudge is trying to spin FoleyGate so bad that he is looking more like and idiot than people already knew. He is now saying that the pages conducted these email and IM exchanges with Foley as a "prank":

Faced with claims by the conservative political website The Drudge Report on Thursday that lurid instant message exchanges between disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) and the former page who was outed on a conservative website yesterday were the result of an elaborate prank, insiders at ABC News say the network stands behind its story.

Even if it was a "prank" to these children, it was not a "prank" to Foley. He obviously was very much into the reality of these messages. Trying to dismiss any wrongdoing because it was a "prank" would also mean the thousands of would-be molesters, who are behind bars because the children they thought they were talking to were actually police officers, would not be in jail.

ABC is Also planning on releasing much more information on Foley, including more messages:

RAW STORY has also learned that ABC plans to release additional stories that indicate that Foley's behavior extended to other congressional pages who served on Capitol Hill during different sessions of Congress.

Stay tuned - this story is far from over.

Inside Meltdown

Tomorrow's Washington Post gives us the insight to the meltdown happening within the GOP over Foley:

Republican insiders said Reynolds spoke out because he was angry that Hastert appeared willing to let him take the blame for the party leadership's silence.

A House GOP leadership aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job, said that Reynolds realizes he has taken a shot at his leader but that it is understandable.

"This is what happens when one member tries to throw another member under a bus," the aide said.

That's right - the House Republican leadership has screwed themselves, and they know it. They are looking for a fall guy, but the first one they picked won't go down. Now the infighting is coming into the public light and it will only get worse. This is the news of October and will have an affect on the ballots in November.

Aravosis has coverage of tomorrow's NYTimes, including Shays calling for leadership's resignation if they knew about this.