Dear Rush … Love, Mitt
Two years ago today, during an interview with NewsMax, Mitt Romney admitted he finds it "hard to disagree with Rush Limbaugh on topics." Given what we've seen from Romney over the past couple weeks, it's obvious he was telling the truth. To commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Romney/Limbaugh love-fest, we've created two digital greeting cards "to" Rush "from" Mitt. Check them out in the extended entry.
TPM: Romney Backer Ted Nugent Has History Of Extreme, Violent Political Rhetoric
On March 2, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Romney hasn’t shied away from controversial endorsements this cycle — he accepted Donald Trump’s seal of approval, who led a birther revival last year. One of his 2008 campaign officials, Joe Arpaio, become an embarrassment for Republican officials this week when he held a press conference outlining his own theory that Obama’s birth certificate is a fraud (he has not endorsed a candidate in 2012). But Nugent’s allusions to violence likely put him in a league of his own.
NY Times: Santorum Makes Case For Religion In Public Sphere
On February 26, 2012, the New York Times reported:
But the crowd initially booed Mr. Romney, who occasionally struck a discordant note, as when he approached a group of fans wearing plastic ponchos. “I like those fancy raincoats you bought,” he said. “Really sprung for the big bucks.” And when asked if he was a fan of the sport, he mentioned that “I have some great friends who are Nascar team owners.”
TPM: Joe The Plumber’s Campaign: ‘Rich Iott Is Not A Nazi’
On February 23, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
In an interview with TPM, Wurzelbacher’s deputy campaign director Phil Christofanelli vigorously defended Iott as a job-creating businessman who has helped the Toledo area — and denied the legitimacy of any negative associations. “He has a whole collection, it’s one of the thing he does. I don’t know all the costumes he does, but he has a whole wardrobe of different army costumes,” said Christofanelli, also adding, “Joe has actually seen his collection, I understand.”
TPM: Joe The Plumber Touts Endorsement Of Rich The Nazi Reenactor
On February 23, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher, who gained fame during the 2008 campaign when he met Barack Obama and subsequently campaigned for John McCain, is the likely Republican nominee for the House this year in his deep-blue Ohio district. This week he trotted out the endorsement of Rich Iott, who gained fame in 2010 when it was discovered he enjoys spending his weekends dressed up like a Nazi.
The New Republic: Candid Camera
On February 22, The New Republic profiled American Bridge:
But the project is also the test run of a novel idea. American Bridge is the latest invention of David Brock, the apostate conservative journalist turned mercurial liberal activist, and it bears some resemblance to his last project, the Fox News-hounding watchdog Media Matters for America. Media Matters’ signature innovation was using new broadcast-capturing technologies to publicize the incendiary ephemera that used to go unnoticed outside of conservative outlets’ target audience; it was an attempt to tame the partisan noise machine by saddling it with a publicly accountable record. American Bridge wants to apply the same logic to the 2012 race. The group’s operating theory is that the thousands of hours of footage it has compiled of Republican candidates tacking rightward during the primary can be fashioned into a weapon to wield against them in the general election. The question is whether information technology’s capacity to remember can overcome U.S. politics’ tendency to forget.
Rodell Mollineau On MSNBC's Daily Rundown
On February 22, 2012, American Bridge 21st Century's President Rodell Mollineau appeared on MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd" to discuss the 2012 presidential election:
AP: Santorum Views On Birth Control At Odds With Most Of U.S.
On February 17, 2012, the Associated Press reported:
Most Americans don't share Rick Santorum's absolutist take on abortion. He's out of step on women in combat. He questions the values of the two-thirds of mothers who work. He's even troubled by something as commonplace as birth control - for married couples. Even among a Republican presidential field eager to please religious conservatives, Santorum's ideas stand out.
Washington Post: Scott Brown Struggles To Refight Old Culture War With Elizabeth Warren
On February 16, 2012, the Washington Post wrote:
Late yesterday, Scott Brown — who is under fire from Elizabeth Warren over the issue — went on a New England TV station and faced an absolutely brutal grilling from his questioner, forcing him to repeatedly dissemble about the legislation. You can watch video of the interview here. The reporter repeatedly pointed out that the measure goes much further than just exempting religious organizations from covering contraception; it also allows employers and insurers to refuse to cover any health service they findmorally objectionable. Brown repeatedly insisted that the bill doesn’t do this. [...] Republicans like Brown are desperate for this battle not to be about women’s health or the health care economics of familes, as Warren is framing it, and want to fight it exclusively on old culture war turf by alleging a war on religion. After all, polls suggest that large majorities, including of independents and moderates, see it as the former.Read the full column here.
Washington Post: George Allen Hires Minister Joseph Ellison For Senate Campaign
On February 16, 2012, the Washington Post reported:
The information on Ellison was provided by American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal-leaning group that formed last year to combat conservative outside organizations in elections. “Twenty five thousand dollars is a huge chunk of campaign cash, and George Allen needs to explain exactly what that money paid for,’’ said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century. “But with his long history of not answering even the most basic questions like who his consulting clients are, Virginians shouldn’t hold their breath waiting.”