POLITICO: Heller's 'March Madness' foul
On November 15, 2011, POLITICO reported:
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller's campaign has changed the name of a spring fundraiser to avoid a trademark breach of the NCAA's "March Madness" slogan. The Democratic research and opposition group American Bridge first noticed that Heller had dubbed a mid-March fundraiser at the glitzy Palazzo hotel on the Las Vegas strip "March Madness weekend."
TPM: Navy Vet Says She Was Kicked Out Of Romney Rally Because She Was Silently Protesting
On November 15, 2011, Talking Points Memo reported:
There are ways to deal with protesters gracefully at a campaign event, and then there’s kicking a Navy veteran out of your rally because she’s wearing a t-shirt you don’t like.
TPM: Rick Perry’s Good Government Plan: Throw The Bums In Jail!
On November 15, 2011, Talking Points Memo reported:
Democratic group American Bridge is already accusing him of hypocrisy, citing one incident in which Perry purchased stock in a hospital equipment company run by a top donor, James Leininger, the same day he met with him. Perry turned a profit after a new wave of investors drove its price up immediately afterwards. He has denied any wrongdoing. “If Perry thinks members of Congress belong in jail, what would he think about an elected official who purchased 2,800 shares of stock after speaking with that company’s CEO on the same day a giant investment group purchased 2.2 million of its shares?” communications director Chris Harris said in a statement.
NY Times: Cain Stumbles in Assessing Foreign Policy
On November 14, 2011, the New York Times reported:
Herman Cain became badly flustered on Monday when asked to assess President Obama’s policy toward Libya, raising new questions about his command of foreign policy as he lurched over five minutes from awkward pauses to halting efforts to address the issue. Video of Mr. Cain’s appearance on Monday before editors and reporters at The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went viral almost immediately after it was posted online, and drew immediate comparisons to Rick Perry’s recent stumble in a debate when he froze in discussing which federal agencies he would eliminate...
Austin American Statesman: Project with ties to Perry OK'd despite objections
On November 14, 2011, the Austin American Statesman reported:
State environmental regulators appointed by Gov. Rick Perry issued a permit in January for a Houston-area industrial waste injection well to a company whose top investors include some of Perry's close friends and campaign contributors. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved the permit over the objections of the Texas Railroad Commission and every state and local official representing Montgomery County, and in spite of an administrative law judge's recommendation to deny the permit because the well might pollute groundwater.
Rick Perry’s “Insider” Hypocrisy
Last week, corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff offered his thoughts on how to clean up Washington. Today, crony capitalist Rick Perry chimed in. In an apparent attempt to paint himself as an outsider who would change Washington, Rick Perry released a web video asserting that members of Congress who use their “inside knowledge to profit in the stock market ought to be sent to jail.” Not so fast, Governor. As detailed below, he has a long history of using his position to make a quick buck. If Perry thinks members of Congress belong in jail, what would he think about an elected official who purchased 2,800 shares of stock after speaking with that company’s CEO on the same day a giant investment group purchased 2.2 million of its shares?
TPM: Romney Spit-Balls His Way To Privatizing Veteran’s Benefits
On November 11, 2011, Talking Points Memo reported:
Over barbecue and sweet tea with 12 veterans here Friday, Mitt Romney appeared to brainstorm a fundamental change to the way the nation pays back the people who put their lives on the line in the military. Talking with the veterans about the challenge of navigating the Veterans Affairs bureaucracy to get their health care benefits after they leave active duty, Romney suggested a way to improve the system would be to privatize it. [...] The plan did not go over well with one veteran among the 12 discussing the VA with Romney. Auston Thompson, a veteran of the Iraq War and former Marine, told TPM after the session that though the idea of the plan was sound to his fiscally conservative ear, the implementation would likely lead to problems.
Reuters: The golden age of opposition research
On November 14, 2011, Reuters reported:
It was a little noticed event in Texas governor Rick Perry's schedule, an October 28 visit to the Barley House tavern in Concord, New Hampshire, to sample a burger and be interviewed by a local radio station. The flagging candidate for the Republican nomination was addressing a tiny audience of about 10 in this early primary state. He told the story of a 38-year-old Occupy Wall Street protestor named Jeremy, who had complained that bankers got to work so early that he never managed to get out of bed in time to insult them face-to-face. [...] Also in the small crowd at the Barley House was a "tracker" from American Bridge, a newly formed SuperPAC doing research for the Democratic Party. The tracker was videotaping Perry's every word and gesture, and even though the gaffe was a relatively minor one, the candidate was about to become a victim of the latest, state-of-the-art opposition research.
TPM: Gingrich Jokes About His ‘Historian’ Gig For Freddie Mac
On November 11, 2011, Talking Points Memo reported:
Newt Gingrich said during Wednesday’s debate that he worked for housing giant Freddie Mac as an “historian” in 2006 not as a lobbyist. That would make him one highly paid historian. While Freddie Mac confirmed that he did no lobbying work, government watchdogs told TPM that it was a fairly arbitrary distinction since ex-politicians are often hired as “consultants” who use their connections to perform similar functions. And that’s why they get paid the big bucks: Gingrich earned $300,000 for a year’s work with Freddie Mac while the average history professor has an average salary of about $63,000.Would that make Newt the highest paid historian in history? See Newt's answer after the jump
MSNBC: Gingrich campaign plays defense on ties to Freddie Mac
On November 10, 2011, MSNBC's First Read reported:
Newt Gingrich found his past work with Freddie Mac under scrutiny during last night's presidential debate, where the former House Speaker denied ever having lobbied for the mortgage giant. CNBC debate moderator John Harwood pressed Gingrich as to why his firm received $300,000 from Freddie Mac in 2006 -- two years before the mortgage finance company was forced into government conservatorship under the weight of subprime loans. The question was maybe the toughest Gingrich has received this campaign cycle.