Once Burned, Twice Shy

A story in today’s WaPo* about Mitt’s Veep pick says that he is likely to choose someone “he sees as competent and ready to be president.”

You’d kind of assume that would go without saying, but not after 2008.

So that’s a relief, maybe we’ll get someone who knows what the Federal Reserve is, what role Germany played in WWII, why there is a North and South Korea, that the Queen doesn’t run the British government, that Saddam Hussein didn’t attack us on 9/11, etc.

After the Palin debacle, there is a concern about some potential candidates who are seen as inexperienced — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is seen as tainted by his support for vaginal probe ultrasounds, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is seen as bombastic.

The Romney campaign sounds like Goldilocks.

I don’t think Mitt will pick a woman.  I don’t think that’s because of Palin, I think that’s because of him.

* “Mitt Romney’s ‘veepstakes’ begin,” Philip Rucker

I Got That Lawsuit Part Right

Keith Olbermann has confirmed that he will be suing Al Gore and Joel Hyatt:  “It goes almost without saying that the claims against me implied in Current’s statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently.”

This should be fun!

Olbermann Fired (Again)

Keith Olbermann has been fired from Current TV for not honoring his five-year, $50 million contract.  This comes a little over a year after Olbermann left MSNBC under less than happy circumstances.

Eliot (Client #9) Spitzer is replacing him as of tonight, and the show is being re-named “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer” instead of Countdown.  Olbermann won’t have a chance to say goodbye.

I’m guessing there will be a lawsuit.  Current is owned by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt.

Olbermann is notoriously impossible to work with — he gives divas a bad name.

Mitt Gets Paul Ryan

Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) is reported to be endorsing Mitt tomorrow, with the Wisconsin primary coming up on Tuesday.  This is the quid pro quo for Mitt’s endorsing Ryan’s budget, which Dems are now calling the Romney-Ryan budget.

Perhaps the Romney-Ryan budget is the precursor to a Romney-Ryan ticket.

Mitt and Newt Partied in New Orleans

Ok, they probably didn’t party, but they did meet in Nawlins last Friday morning at Mitt’s hotel.  Mitt confirmed a leaked report of the meeting, but wouldn’t talk about substance.

Sounds like a good premise for an SNL skit, especially with the New Orleans setting.  Newt in a Stanley Kowalski undershirt outside Romney’s window, screaming, “MITTENS!”  Or maybe Newt as Blanche in a floral dress, picture hat, and white gloves.  He’s about as finished and washed-up as she was.

I’m finding something homoerotic about Newt and Mitt in a hotel room in the French Quarter.

Santorum Wants to Go Home

Campaigning in Wisconsin, Rick Santorum said that he’d prefer to be home in Virginia, so he could “make a little money and tend to my own garden and take care of my family and friends.”

Um, Rick, who or what is stopping you?  If you want to go garden, I’ll send you some seed packets.

Go home, before you embarrass yourself and the GOP and your fellow Catholics (who prefer to vote for a Mormon over you) any more.  The republic will survive without you.  Actually, it will do a whole lot better, since you don’t believe in separation of church and state.  That’s the real B.S., not what some NYT reporter writes about you.

Face it, Frothy, there isn’t going to be a brokered convention, and Mitt isn’t going to pick you for his Veep.  Not only has the fat lady sung, she’s gone home and is sound asleep.

The Sorry State of Our War in the Failed State of Afghanistan

From “Our Troops in Afghanistan Are Props,” Jack Kelly, Real Clear Politics:

“‘The mission in Afghanistan is on track…,’ Marine Gen. John Allen, the NATO commander in Afghanistan, told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday.

“If Gen. Allen really believed that, he’d be delusional.

“Afghan solders and policemen have murdered a coalition soldier or aid worker once a week on average since early 2010, according to an Army study.

“Our soldiers think their Afghan ‘allies’ are unstable, incompetent, drug abusers and thieves, according to that Army study, ‘A Crisis of Trust and Cultural Incompatibility.’  They call them cowardly and lazy and say they lack discipline….

“The Afghans don’t like us either.  ‘Many ANSF members demonstrated a general loathing of U. S. soldiers,’ the study said.

“A Taliban victory is ‘inevitable’ once coalition troops withdraw, concluded a NATO intelligence report last month.  The Taliban remains ‘resilient’; the Afghan government and security forces are corrupt and ineffective, a U. S. National Intelligence Estimate, also in February, concluded.”

 

Obama Winning Key Swing States

Since 1960, no one has been elected president without winning at least two of these three states — Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  A new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama leading both Mitt and Santorum in all of them.

The economy and unemployment are still the top issues in all three, and President Obama wins among women (the gender gap) in all three, with margins between 6 and 19%.

In Florida, Obama beats Mitt 49 to 42%.  He beats Santorum 50 to 37%.

In Ohio, Obama beats Mitt 47 to 41%.  He beats Santorum 47 to 40%.

In Pennsylvania, Obama beats Mitt 45 to 42%.  He beats Santorum 48 to 41%.

 

Quote of the Day

“It’s odd that Newt, who prides himself on being America’s most preeminent historian, doesn’t seem to have a clue that he is history.”  Frank Rich, New York Magazine

Mitt Made Fun of Kerry for Big House

Buzzfeed’s Andrew Kaczynski strikes again.  He’s been finding embarrassing old video and transcripts of the Republican presidential candidates.

His latest is Mitt attacking John Kerry in 2004 for having a big house:  “There’s a senator from my state who wants to get elected president.  I don’t know why he would want to do that because he would have to move into a smaller house.”

This comes at a time when the oceanfront mansion Mitt is building in La Jolla, California is getting a lot of attention for features like an elevator for his cars and a 3,600 square-foot finished basement.  Mitt paid $12 million for the property — and is tearing down the existing house.

Very expensive European pot meet very expensive European kettle.