republican gov

For someone who is always out campaigning against federal spending, Rick Perry sure seems hell bent on seeing some federal money:

Texas officials filed a lawsuit Thursday against the U.S. Department of Education, seeking to overturn the federal agency's rejection of the state's application for more than $830 million in aid that has been tied up in political wrangling.

A state-specific provision inserted into a federal law by a Democratic Texas congressman requires that Republican Gov. Rick Perry promise Texas will maintain certain education spending levels through 2013 in order to get the funds. Perry has called the requirement unconstitutional because the Texas Constitution prohibits him from committing future state spending.

Texas applied for the money anyway, but was rejected because its application included a caveat saying the state would not violate its own constitution. Federal officials urged the state to reapply without the caveat.

Of course it’s all the Democrats fault, just like when the Democrats forced Perry to spend stimulus money on rebuilding the Governor’s mansion.

I guess at this point George Allen needs all the help he can get:

And on Wednesday, he'll [George Bush] attend another closed-press fundraiser for GOP Sen. George Allen of Virginia, whose race just got a bit tougher when he -- unintentionally, he claims -- maligned a young Indian American aide to his Democratic opponent on camera.

Of course Bush is even heading out to help the campaign of those candidates that are trying to distance themselves from him:

Tomorrow, he heads to Minnesota, where Rep. Mark Kennedy, the Republican Senate candidate facing a slightly uphill race, has been trying to distance himself from Bush. That might make Kennedy a "weenie" in Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's book; Pawlenty, who's also looking at a potentially competitive race, told First Read recently that when candidates distance themselves from Bush (he did not name Kennedy), it's a "weenie" maneuver. Bush will raise money for the state GOP and for the party's candidate for Kennedy's House seat. The fundraiser will be closed-press.

"Weenie" maneuver is a perfect description of it. They sure don't want to be associated with Bush, but they don't mind his help on the campaign trails. You can also bet that if they get elected that they will get their own rubberstamp for Bush.

Two years to go and already the battle is brewing over who will get the Republican's nomination for the White House in 2008:

Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts raised cash for his campaign committee on Monday in what is shaping up as enemy territory — the home state of potential 2008 presidential rival John McCain of Arizona.

Romney held a fundraiser in Phoenix, a foray that Romney's staff says highlights his ability to compete in Southwestern and Mountain states. They are home not only to McCain and a coveted bloc of Republican-leaning voters, but also many of Romney's fellow Mormons.

It is McCain whom Romney singled out when the governor announced in December he would not seek a second term this year. Unlike the senator, who once joked he thought about being president "every day in the shower," Romney said his interest was more like the movie "Star Wars:" "It's in a galaxy far, far away."

Interesting little rivalry going on there, but what is McCain doing. Well let's have a look, shall we? (via Talking Points Memo).

John McCain once called Jerry Falwell an "agent of intolerance." Now he's going to be the graduation speaker at Jerry's Liberty University.

So McCain is going to take the old "be more like Bush" route in trying to win the bid. Is he really this stupid or has senility set in? Most Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Bush and his load of failing policies. The Republicans are starting to show a campaign strategy this year of running on a platform that states "we are not Bush". McCain taking this route is nothing more then helping his opponents.