TPM: How Mitt Romney Revived A Scandal-Plagued CEO’s Career
On November 18, 2011, Talking Points Memo reported:
In this particular case, however, Romney’s business experience really was instructive. As an executive at Bain Capital he faced a similar situation in the private sector with a businessman whose successful career had been derailed by a sex scandal...
ABC News: Santorum Launches Policy Tour, Pushes Social Issues
On November 4, 2011, ABC News reported:
URBANDALE, IOWA Rick Santorum launched a three-speech, three-state policy roll-out tour Friday beginning with “moral, cultural” issues. The economy and national security will follow, but this was chosen as the first topic because it is the most important to Santorum, according to campaign aides. [...] Democrats responded quickly. American Bridge, a Democratic SuperPac, issued a statement while Santorum was still speaking. “Rick Santorum, and the other candidates running for the nomination, are dusting off the old playbook of using socially divisive issues to reignite the culture wars of the past in a desperate attempt to appease their base. Proposing ideas like disbanding the 9th circuit court will create exactly zero jobs and shows that they are more interested in playing politics than getting our economy back on track,” communications director Ty Matsdorf said in the statement.
Helena IR: Rehberg in the thick of budget fray
On October 9, 2012 the Helena Independent Record reported:
As he oversees U.S. House Republicans’ draft of the federal government’s 2012 health and education budgets, Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg finds himself hip-deep in the Washington, D.C., political fray, defending a $153 billion plan that’s drawing fire from all sides. The proposal — unveiled last week — would torpedo virtually all funding for the Obama Administration’s health reform law, including additional money for community health clinics across Montana; ax federal money for two dozen family planning clinics in the state; reduce funds for Pell grants that help low-income students pay college tuition; and scale back money for home-heating assistance. Those and other cutbacks have prompted Democrats to say the “Rehberg budget” unduly targets women, families, students and workers.
Rick Perry: Tea Party Frenemy
Rick Perry was quick to recognize and capitalize on the tea party’s rise in 2009, casting himself as a strong advocate for “state-based” solutions and railing against perceived encroachments from Washington. But activists have been less than impressed with Perry’s deviation from the movement’s hardline stances on immigration, property rights, government mandates and spending itself. See the research after the jump.
MEMO: Questions For The Republican Debate
During tonight’s debate the American people will see the Republican candidates firsthand and will get a glimpse at the positions and ideology driving the field. Over the last few months, as they have scrambled further and further to the right, American Bridge’s research and tracking has documented the candidates adopting positions that are: hypocritical (Romney and taxes), evasive (Huntsman and Libya) and just downright out of the mainstream (Bachmann and contraceptives). Yet tonight, as the candidates face a national audience, and not solely a fawning crowd of TEA party activists, the nation will see if they will maintain their extreme positions as the candidates attempt to answer the following questions...
VIDEO: Bachmann Says Health Insurers Shouldn't Be Required To Pay For Birth Control
Transcript after the jump.
Roll Call: Heather Wilson Running to the Right in N.M.
On July 5, 2011, Roll Call reported:
Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) sounds like a tea partyer. The former Congresswoman, who ran on her national security expertise and independent voting record to win five full terms representing Albuquerque, is now boasting that she has signed a conservative “cut, cap and balance” pledge, says she wouldn’t increase the debt ceiling unless a deal includes significant budget cuts and calls the new health care law unconstitutional.
Real Clear Politics: Heller has changed abortion stance in Congress
On June 18, 2011, Real Clear Politics reported:
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller's stance on abortion would appear to have changed completely from the congressional candidate who stated five years ago that he supported a woman's right to have an abortion.
Think Progress: Romney Proposed Jail For Abortion Providers, Now Says No One Ever Talked About Criminal Sanctions
On June 3, 2011, Think Progress reported:
"With each step in this campaign, repeat GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney walks further away from the principles he once held. Quickly joining climate change, immigration, and health carein the grave on his progressive principles is his pro-choice stance.
AP: Snowe, facing primary fight, shifts to right on votes
On May 7, 2011, the Associated Press reported:
Maine’s Olympia Snowe has long thrived as one of the Senate’s leading GOP moderates, but she has recently sided with Tea Party movement activists on high-profile votes as she braces for a primary challenge from the right. Such votes could help Snowe fend off conservatives who mock her as a RINO — Republican In Name Only — and hope to sink her bid for a fourth term next year. Snowe insisted she has been true to her moderate roots. “I am who I am,’’ Snowe said. “I haven’t changed.’’