Miami Herald: Liberal Attack Group Blasts Marco Rubio For "Hypocrisy" Over Debt
On January 10, 2012, the Miami Herald wrote:
If Sen. Marco Rubio is eventually tapped to be a Republican vice-presidential candidate, expect a lot more of this from groups like American Bridge 21st Century...
Tampa Bay Times: Connie Mack Hit For Hitting The Red Carpet, In California
On January 9, 2012, the Tampa Bay Times reported:
U.S. [Representative] Connie Mack, who is running for U.S. Senate in Florida, attended the Palm Springs International Film Festival over the weekend with his wife, California Rep. Mary Bono Mack. That provided ammunition for both Democrats and Republicans in Florida.
Reuters: Republican Foes Try To Brand Romney As Elitist
On January 9, 2012, Reuters reported:
The labels being attached to Republican U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney seem to be straight out of the Democrats' playbook. Elitist. Job killer. Out of touch. [...] One thing is clear: Accusing Romney of being an elitist matches what almost certainly will be a key part of the strategy of Obama's re-election campaign and groups that support the president. "In fact, we will do it much better than the Republicans are doing it now," said Rodell Mollineau, president of American Bridge, a Democratic "opposition research" unit that uses film footage of candidates' own words to discredit them.
The Hill: Dems Hope To Portray Romney As Monty Burns—With Better Hair
On January 9, 2012, The Hill reported:
Mitt Romney has tried to portray himself as a regular guy in campaign speeches and meet-and-greet events with voters but his penchant for gaffes has undermined the effort, which Democrats plan to exploit in a general-election match-up. His remark Monday that he likes to be able “fire people” is the latest awkward statement that will haunt him if he wins the GOP nomination. Democrats on Monday described the statement as one of several “silver bullets” they plan to use in the summer and fall if Romney becomes the Republican nominee.
TPM: Mitt Romney: Don’t Run For Office If You Need The Salary
On January 8, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Mitt Romney recounted some advice from his father, former presidential candidate George Romney, in Sunday’s NBC/Facebook debate about running for office: make sure you’re set for cash already. [...] Rodell Mollineau, president of Democratic Super PAC American Bridge, also condemned the comments. “I’d say that Romney has forgotten what it’s be part of the working class or middle class, but he never was,” Mollineau said, adding his quote showed he “has no idea what average Americans are going through on a daily basis.”
BuzzFeed: 11 Newt Gingrich Tweets That Should Exist, But Don't
On January 6, 2012, BuzzFeed reported:
It's hardly a secret that Newt Gingrich is furious with Mitt Romney after pro-Romney groups spent millions attacking is character in Iowa. And while Gingrich hasn't shied away from going on the offensive, the pro-Obama SuperPAC American Bridge doesn't think he's quite gone far enough yet. They sent along these 11 tweets for Gingrich to send to get his campaign back from the dumps.
MSNBC: Pro-Obama Super PACs Hit Romney For Own 'Solyndra'
On January 5, 2012, MSNBC's First Read reported:
A video produced by American Bridge, called “Romney’s energy loan hypocrisy,” hits Romney for loans made while he was governor of Massachusetts to two companies that eventually failed or moved away – and had ties to Romney campaign donors.
Daily Beast: Is New Hampshire Jon Huntsman’s Last Hurrah?
On January 5, 2012, The Daily Beast reported:
Indeed, one of the enduring mysteries of the 2012 presidential race is why Jon Huntsman’s candidacy turned out to be a dud. Was it the candidate or the ideological environment? Was it his message or his delivery? [...] "He's plenty conservative, but his unwillingness to give the base red meat and his penchant for relying on logic and common sense doomed him from the start. Also, his rollout was horrible,” says Democratic operative Rodell Mollineau, president of American Bridge to the 21st Century.
POLITICO's Arena: Is Santorum's Surge For Real?
Is everyone familiar with the phrase 'save the best for last'? This is pretty much the opposite of that. Right now, Santorum is the reaping the benefits of being the worst candidate in the field. Republican primary voters are so desperate to nominate anyone but Mitt Romney, that they've literally gone through everyone else. This started with Donald Trump last spring, and since the summer has rapidly cycled through Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Gingrich, and Paul. Each of them proved to be a fatally flawed candidate once they got their moment in the spotlight. Fortunately for Santorum, his turn just happens to coincide with the Iowa caucuses. He is also benefiting from having his surge occur in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Assuming that the latest polling accurately reflects Santorum as the anti-Romney vote du jour, the increased scrutiny he'll receive this week will help Republican voters realize that since losing his last election by 17 points, Santorum has been working as a corporate lobbyist.
POLITICO's Arena: Why Did Michele Bachmann implode?
Michele Bachmann's campaign imploded for exactly the reason that political experts in D.C. never took her campaign seriously to begin with and why many were so surprised by her victory at Ames. As people who follow politics closely already knew, while her bombastic rhetoric may be ideal for riling up a crowd, her propensity for gaffes leaves her vulnerable once one stops and actually thinks about what she said. This is a candidate that actually told a crowd in South Carolina that the reason that she worked for the IRS is "because the first rule of war is 'know your enemy.'" These type of outlandish statements and unforced errors may have helped her raise money as a backbencher congresswoman, but couldn't hold up against the scrutiny of a national campaign.