Bob McDonnell Blames His Wife’s Office

Greedy, sleazy, soon-to-be-ex-governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell is trying to blame his wife‘s office for his corruption scandal.  In a radio interview today, he said there’s a “misconception” about his relationship with snake oil salesman Jonnie Williams, founder of Star Scientific, which is being investigated by the Feds.  Williams lavished McDonnell and his wife with six figures worth of “loans” and gifts.  McDonnell said the event at the Governor’s Mansion launching Star Scientific’s tobacco-based health supplement (now there’s an oxymoron for you) was organized by his wife’s office.  Like Sgt. Schultz, McDonnell claims, “I know nothing, nothing.”

Hey, Bobby, look at that Rolex your friend Jonnie gave you.  It’s telling you it’s time to resign.

You Know It’s Bad When…

your supporters set up a legal defense fund for you.

Embattled Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell now has such a fund, the Restoration Fund.

I’m so glad I’m an Embattled Farmer and not an Embattled Governor.

And The Feeling Is Mutual

“In private, Romney has told friends he has little interest in helping the Republican Party rebuild and re-brand itself.”

Philip Rucker, “A detached Romney tends wounds in seclusion after failed White House bid,” WaPo

Look, I can’t stand the guy, but if the GOP thinks it was just him and his 47% percent — hideous as that was — they’re even crazier than I thought. 

The seeds of Mitt’s defeat were sown in the earlier victories of extremist governors like Scott Walker, Rick Scott, John Kasich, and Bob McDonnell.  They were sown in the spectacle of the GOP debates when Mitt had to share the stage with nutjobs like Cain, Santorum, Bachmann, Perry, and Newt.  They were sown in the Senate races of Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, dragging Mitt down with them as they drowned. 

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

Gov. Ultrasound Can’t Carry His Own State

A new poll shows that Gov. Bob ” Forced Ultrasound” McConnell of Virginia isn’t very popular in his own state these day.  If Mitt chooses him as his running mate, they lose Virginia to President Obama 50-43.

The new law forcing women seeking to have abortions to also have a state-imposed ultrasound at their expense may cost McConnell the vice presidential spot.

Which is ironic, since forcing women to have something they don’t want is costing him something he desperately wants.

Is the Gender Gap Becoming a Gender Chasm?

The “gender gap,” which helped kill John McCain’s chances in 2008, when President Obama got 56% of women’s votes in an election where they cast 53% of the ballots, is threatening to become a “gender chasm” for Mitt Romney.

A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll shows the President leading by 18% among women against Mitt.  With Mitt up by 6 among men, that translates into a 6% overall lead for President Obama.

The way I see it, it’s not just that Democrat women will turn out heavily for the President and Independents will turn to him, as they see their reproductive freedom under threat from the right.   I believe he’ll get Republican women who voted for Bush and McCain, back when everybody thought birth control wasn’t an issue anymore (silly us).

Mitt’s in a tough spot.  Already mistrusted by social conservatives, the VP picks who help him with the base, choices like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida or Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, hurt him with women.