Turn of Phrase - Jeb Bush on Bipartisanship, Obama, and the Grover Norquist Tax Pledge

"Back to my dad’s time and Ronald Reagan’s time—they got a lot of stuff done with a lot of bipartisan support that right now would be difficult to imagine happening."

- From former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, lamenting the demise of  bipartisanship in the last 30 years. Bush added that in today's political arena, [Reagan] "would be criticized for doing the things that he did."

"Presidents matter, and this president lost his chance to be a transcendent figure."

- From Jeb Bush, commenting on President Obama's failure to lead meaningfully (and not just rhetorically) on deficit reduction.

Lastly, a video quote from Bush about lobbyist Grover Norquist's ridiculous and gimmicky "Taxpayer Protection Pledge."

I didn't live in Florida for most of Jeb Bush's term as Governor, so I don't have many personal recollections of Jeb's policy positions, his accomplishments, and his mistakes, as many of my Florida friends and readers most assuredly do. 

I'm also not attempting to put Bush on a pedestal, but I will say this - compared to the rest of the GOP these days, Jeb ain't so scary.

The More You Know Newt...

Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker
and would-be election thief

Can a politician have too much name recognition and publicity? Apparently, if the politician is pompous, self-serving, and generally dislikable, yes.

Based on increasingly negative polling trends, the best thing Newt Gingrich can do for his campaign is disappear from it.

As the Republican primary race has dragged on, Newt has had more than ample opportunity to share his vision for America (moon colony, anyone?), but the more he makes his case for the presidency, the further he gets from the Oval Office. Owing perhaps to the increased awareness of his role as spoiler at best, and election thief at worst, Gingrich's un-favorability rating has escalated from 58% in November, to 64% in February, to 71% by the first of April.

Gingrich should go into hiding now so that he might hold on to the embarrassing 21% favorability rating he has, which no doubt reflects the last of the far right-wing diehards who are still living the "Contract With America" dream from 1994.

Click the graphic to enlarge.

Related Posts: Bad Lip Reading With Newt

Play Time Is Over for Obama and Democrats

The Way We Were
Photo: Getty Images

For nearly a year, we Democrats have lounged comfortably on our sofas, munching our popcorn and writing our snarky blogs, while the GOP circus came to town each day and entertained us.

Big top performers like Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum amazed and amused us, while unforgettably freakish sideshow acts like Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and Michelle Bachmann, sent us wildly retreating in horror and befuddlement. Until now, a good time was had by all.

As the primary race nears its inevitable conclusion though, and the Republican party finally moves forward through the stages of grief (Romney "denial" seems to have been an inordinately stubborn phase), those hilarious political barbs we've seen the GOP contenders toss candidly at each other will now be sharpened and hurled with increasing force at President Obama and his policies.

Remember how much fun those televised debates were? Rick Perry stumble-fucking his way through almost every argument or response, Herman Cain sound-biting his way to shooting star-like brightness and burnout, Ron Paul sounding measured and reasonable - pushing his thoughtful agenda of actual ideas as if someone in the GOP really cared, and Michelle Bachmann, that wacky Minnesota congresswoman, just plain scaring the crap out of all of us. Oh, the memories. Letting go is hard, but we can't let ourselves live in the past. We all have to move on eventually.

Here we are at last, with a clear frontrunner and a nearly presumptive Republican nominee. Beware Democrats! I warn you - this one is not like the others. While the rest of the field has been sloppy, undisciplined, and slightly lunatic, Mitt Romney has proven himself to be a well-oiled machine (sorry, as soon as I thought of it, I had to use it).

Romney is prepared and organized, and with more than five years of practice under his belt, he is finally a formidable foe in the world of presidential politics. He's a master of deception, capable of deftly shifting positions right before your eyes, a man who can appear to be passionate about nothing while caring deeply about representing his own interests.

Here's a look at the clever trickery we have to look forward to from the Romney campaign.

Turn of Phrase - Mitt's Wife Wants to Unzip Him

"We better unzip him and let the real Mitt Romney out because he is not."


- From Mitt Romney's wife Ann, in response to a question about the common perception that her husband's personality is "too stiff."


In a related story, Rick Santorum commented that because Mitt and Ann are a married heterosexual couple, unzipping is permissible.

5 Signs "W" Plans to Endorse Romney

Romney and the elder Bushes

George H.W. Bush, our forty-first president, has officially endorsed Mitt Romney as the Republican presidential nominee.

One of the senior Bush's sons, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, made the same announcement last week, but his other political progeny, George W. Bush, a man whose name is uttered in GOP circles these days only slightly less often than Voldemort's name is spoken at Hogwarts, has been silent thus far about which candidate he prefers in 2012.

If you've been eager to find out which contender will be the lucky beneficiary of W's endorsement, your wait is over. I have leveraged my enormous journalistic resources and keen instincts for truth to ferret out the answer. 

Here are 5 recent actions that George W. Bush has taken which are evidence of his plans to endorse Mitt Romney for President. 

1. Hired a web developer to post "Mission Accomplished" banner atop Romney campaign website.

2. Asked the Supreme Court to interrupt primary season and declare Romney the winner.

3. Called Dick Cheney to ask for permission. 

4. Announced plans to finally put an end to torture - by halting televised Republican candidate debates.

5. Nominated Mike "Good job Brownie" Brown to clean up debris scattered by the Gingrich disaster.

Thanks to these Bush family endorsements (and also to delegate math and the absence of any other reasonable candidates) there's virtually no way Mitt can lose the nomination. 

Newt Gingrich Can't Quit Because He Thinks Too Much of Himself

Photo: AP/ Jose Luis Magana

Imagine you're running for President of the United States of America.

After almost a full year of campaigning, you've won 2 of the 29 state primary contests, you've spent more cash than you raised, and you've admitted that it is mathematically impossible for you to amass the number of delegates needed to win your party's nomination.

What would you do?

Reasonable human beings would acknowledge that their ideas failed to adequately ignite the passions of voters, and that their campaign lacked the support and structure needed to win. Rational people would graciously step aside, and allow the electoral process to unfold naturally.

Pompous egomaniacal blowhards, however, would apparently take a different tact. They would forge ahead pointlessly, cutting their staff by one-third and reducing their campaign activity, while simultaneously shifting their focus to behind-the-scenes manipulation of the Republican political machine.

Newt Gingrich honestly believes he is one of a handful of politicians who can save America, one of the few who is smart enough, skilled enough, and tough enough to see us through the next four years. He thinks his answers are better than anyone else's, and what's more, he is likely stunned that the rest of us can't see that. Newt cares too darned much about this great nation of ours to let it fail, or so he thinks.

In light of Gingrich's ongoing delusions of grandeur, I think it's time for an intervention. I think it's time for Newt to take someone else's advice, for a change. The time has come for Newt to get a heavy dose of the truth, whether he likes it or not.

The reality is the former House Speaker is delusional and sad. He is an arrogant and egomaniacal man, who in the face of a fair and honest beatdown at the hands of Mitt Romney, is holding out hope against all odds that he can steal the Presidency of the United States. And when his efforts to cheat his way into the White House are unsuccessful, he will secretly wish us all a fast trip to Hell in a handbasket, and pity us for our ignorance in not recognizing him as our own best chance at survival. So be it.

Give it up, Newt. Your time has come and gone long ago, and no one wants to play with you. Pack up your toys and your bloated bag of big ideas, and just go home.

Santorum Wins South, Still Loses in Delegates

Photo: Reuters

After winning two Southern primaries yesterday, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum said in his victory speech, "We did it again!"

Yes you did, Senator. You scored a public relations victory and received the lion's share of mainstream media attention, but you actually managed to lose the delegate tally for the day.

Santorum did indeed sweep the South yesterday, winning both the Alabama and Mississippi primaries, but thanks to the fancy math of delegate apportionment in those states and two less publicized Pacific primary races, Mitt Romney actually extended his lead in the total delegate count.

Romney failed to win either Southern primary, but he finished just 3% behind Santorum in Mississippi and only 6% behind in Alabama. When delegates from those states are split among the candidates, and you add in delegates from late night results reported from contests in Hawaii and American Samoa, both handily won by Romney, the former Massachusetts Governor actually added about a half dozen more delegates to his total than Santorum did.

Santorum got the press and whatever campaign contribution boosts that might bring, but Romney won the day and moved closer to earning the nomination at the Republican convention this August. The frontrunner may have lost the 24-hour news cycle battle, but he won the delegate war, and in the end, Romney's strategy and organization will win out over Santorum's perceived conservative sincerity.

With Newt Gingrich playing spoiler and vowing to stay in the race until the end, and with Santorum "victory days" like Tuesday, it will only be a matter of weeks before Mitt Romney wins the Republican presidential primary race.

Romney Likes Grits, Right Ya'll?

I find it easier to accept as fact that Mitt Romney runs on motor oil, than that he really likes the taste of grits. Clearly, someone with the stature of Newt Gingrich has more experience with grits (and butter and ribs and cornbread and banana puddin'), but Romney is gaining ground in Alabama and Mississippi nonetheless.

Take a look at Mitt's less-than-convincing video clip. I dare ya'll not to wince.

Obama's "Job-Killing" Results In 4 Million Jobs

Republican presidential candidates love to criticize President Obama's "job-killing" policies, citing specifically his penchant for over-regulation and his wasted stimulus spending. Each month's updated employment statistics, however, totally contradict the right-wing rhetoric, proving it to be nothing more than fabrication and fiction.

The February jobs report was released today by the Department of Labor, and for the third consecutive month, our economy benefitted from the creation of more than 200,000 new jobs. 

Additionally, nearly 500,000 job-seekers who had stopped looking for work have re-ignited their search for gainful employment. Amazingly, job growth has been so robust that even with this massive influx of workers added back into the equation, the unemployment rate remained steady at 8.3%. 

Campaign rhetoric is often nothing more than empty words, but facts are facts. Below is a chart that shows our actual employment statistics in the twelve months before Obama compared to the three years since Obama. 

Viewing Tip: Clicking on the chart should open a larger easier-to-read version.

Dept of Labor Employment Statistics, Feb 2012

The fact is that America has enjoyed 24 consecutive months of job growth, resulting in more than 4 million newly created jobs in the last two years. 

Consequently, I ask you all to join me in imploring President Obama to absolutely continue the implementation of the horrific "job-killing" policies that Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul have warned us against. I'd rather live with steady progress and bombastic right-wing criticism, than return to the glory days of the Bush-era economy.

Do Republicans Even Care Any More?

Mitt Romney and his wife Ann.
Photo: Reuters / Brian Snyder

With more than 400 delegates up for grabs, Super Tuesday is the most important primary day to date, and the atmosphere among Republican voters is muddled at best, and apathetic at worst.

Voter turnout has been inconsistent from state to state, and in many primary races, public participation has reflected more on the strength of the candidates' ground organizations than on a genuine groundswell of enthusiasm for ideas. For GOP voters, the primary season appears to feel rote and mechanical, an unsatisfying exercise in futility and eventuality, all of which bodes poorly for Republican hopes in the Fall.

Why so glum? Three fundamental elements underly the absence of enthusiasm in Republican voters, two of which have been much discussed and one of which is true, but less remarked upon to date. We all know the main causes of GOP apathy: (1) Mitt Romney (2) No viable alternative to Mitt Romney. The other factor which is worth at least a casual mention at this point is (3) No new ideas to rally around. Even Mitt could be popular if he had something interesting to add to our national dialogue.

Despite the general lack of excitement for the frontrunner (see issue #1 above), Mitt Romney heads into Super Tuesday riding high on an impressive string of five consecutive victories, which include Maine, Michigan, Arizona, Wyoming, and Washington (a direct result of issue #2 above). Romney still has cash, he still has a solid campaign organization, and he still has a sizable delegate lead over the rest of the field. After Super Tuesday, all of those things will still be true, and the unmotivated GOP population knows it.

5 Things Republicans Should Stop Attacking

1. Economy/Jobs - Sorry, it's improving. Hard to accept, but you can't win this one.

2. Gays - Seven states have legalized gay marriage. Not enough bigots left for this to matter.

3. Birth Control - Seriously? Even Catholics are on the pill.

4. The Teleprompter  - Get over it. The President is an inspiring speaker. Also, in a sing-off, Obama's voice delivers a solid ass-whooping to Mitt's voice.

5. Iran - Did GWB teach you nothing about fucking up foreign policy? Besides, no one wants to pay for another war. 

With apologies to my friend Selene (who has reminded me more than once to stop feeding good suggestions to the GOP), I feel obligated to send this simple message to my Republican friends - it's the trillion dollar budget deficit, stupid!

Republicans find themselves faced with these facts: Under President Obama, the economy and job market have shown consistent growth, and they continue to move in the right direction. The U.S. is now out of Iraq, and the troop draw down is underway in Afghanistan. Oh yeah, did I mention that whole killing of Osama bin Laden thingy?

So, here's all you have left GOP. I'm a fairly hardcore Democrat, and even I can't stand that the President's current budget proposal, if adopted, would guarantee another year of $1 trillion deficit spending. Think about it - for four straight years, our government will have spent $1 trillion more than they collected. And what's worse, we would make minimal reductions in the next six years, adding at least another half trillion dollars per year to what we already owe. Not acceptable. Bill Clinton must be rolling over in his satin bed sheets.

The Obama administration will argue that these deficits are the price we must pay to repair the damage done to our economy by the Bush administration, and they may be right. But honestly, other than a somewhat related argument the GOP can make against Obamacare, there are no other significant issues around which they can rally enough Americans to actually beat Obama.

The sad fact for the even sadder right wing is this - if the economy continues its slow and steady improvement, Obama will win. But hey GOP - at least I'm offering you something to legitimately complain about.

Headlines the GOP Hates On Road to Michigan

Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg

The next major Republican primary contest is scheduled for Michigan in less than two weeks.

As Santorum and Romney battle it out in the state that should have easily been Romney's, it may not matter who wins the primary - or even the GOP nomination.

 Republicans woke up to these three headlines today:

• Jobless Claims Drop to Near 4-Year Low
• GM Reports Big Profit
• Bailout Politics: Even Michigan's Economy Is Improving

The economic news is once again very good for America, but horrible for the GOP. The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims last week is the lowest it has been since March 2008, almost a full year before George Bush left office. General Motors, whose Obama-backed bailout was opposed by both Romney and Santorum, has reported its eighth consecutive profitable quarter. This will result in profit-sharing bonuses of up to $7,500 for nearly 50,000 eligible hourly workers at GM. The impact of the auto industry resurgence is lifting the entire Michigan economy, and tax revenues in the state have risen so dramatically that the state now has a $450 million budget surplus.

Romney and Santorum can argue all they want over who can best put things back the way they were in the first eight years of this decade, but no one wants to revert to a proven failed way of doing business, when the new way works.  

It doesn't matter which Republican wins the GOP primary on February 28. With headlines like these, Michigan will vote blue in 2012.

Turn of Phrase - The Long Primary To Nowhere

"Bottom line: for a long primary process to reveal diamonds in the rough, the diamonds actually have to be there in the rough for the revealing."

- From writer Noah Millman, commenting in American Conservative magazine on the absence of genuinely exciting Republican candidates.

For both Republicans and Democrats, the long primary process serves a multitude of purposes. Like professional sports playoffs, the primary system is intended to be a proving ground that highlights and exploits the strengths and weaknesses of participants, while simultaneously affording them the opportunity to sharpen their skills as they advance through the process. Theoretically, the process culminates eventually in the coronation of a frontrunner who outshines the rest and who best represents the interests of his or her party. Theoretically.

As Millman points out, Republicans are doing their best to slog down the long, twisty, and rambling primary highway, but it looks more likely each day that their road may be heading nowhere.

Top 5 Reasons Trump Didn't Endorse Gingrich

Donald Trump has endorsed Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate for the presidency, despite widespread rumors that he would support former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Trump's endorsement comes just days before this Saturday's Nevada caucus.

Here are the top 5 reasons behind Trump's decision NOT to endorse Gingrich:

    5. Sees Newt's moon colony as competition for Trump Towers-Las Vegas
    4. Has environmental concerns with Gingrich (Newt's wife – not biodegradable)
    3. Plans to pick up presidential hair tips from Romney
    2. Gingrich campaign already has a douchebag millionaire casino mogul

and...

    1. Shares Romney’s arrogant lack of concern for the “very poor"

Pundits don't expect Romney to fall too far in the polls in light of the Trump endorsement.

2012 - Most Important Election of Our Lifetime?

Winner of the actual "most
important election" of my lifetime

After a robust spanking in the Florida primary on Tuesday, Newt Gingrich took the stage to deliver his concession speech, and he told a crowd of supporters the 2012 election is the "most important election" of our lifetime.

Really? I don't think so, Newt.

As I recall, that's exactly how Democrats felt about the election in 2004, and we were right. Democrats desperately feared the impact of four more years of President Bush, and history has proven those fears to be justified.

We lost the 2004 election to GWB, and as a result: we saw our government continue to mismanage an illegal and unjust war, we exploded our national debt, we experienced a devastating housing bubble, and we saw the near collapse of our financial industry. All of this together resulted in the worst period of American economic recession in eight decades.

So is 2012 the most important election in our lifetimes? Nope. The 2004 election was and we blew it.

Fun Facts About Newt's $10 Million Dollar Man

1. Sheldon Adelson has made two donations totaling $10 million to Newt Gingrich's Super PAC.

2. According to Forbes, Adelson is the 8th richest man in America. He is also the self-proclaimed "richest Jew"in the world.

3. He made his fortune in the casino biz and he is the CEO of the Las Vegas Sands corporation.

Campaign finance experts indicate Adelson's individual contributions are among the largest in American history. Should we care? Hell yes.

I acknowledge the fact that there is likely no getting the money out of politics, but I don't accept that the first amendment protects the rights of individuals, corporations, and unions to make UNLIMITED donations in support of a single candidate. But, that's the law since the Supreme Court handed down a ruling known as "Citizens United" in January 2010.

This landmark judicial decision prohibits government from putting limitations on "independent" campaign spending, meaning people and corporations cannot dump their cash directly into a campaign's coffers, but they can contribute whatever they want to a candidate's Super PAC. Super PACs, which are legally unaffiliated with formal campaigns, often operate for the sole purpose of supporting a single candidate, and they are typically run by political operatives who are former employees of a candidate's campaign team.

The "Citizens United" ruling overturned decades of campaign finance law, and blew a giant hole in the structure that existed to ensure singular donors, individual or corporate, did not wield undue influence in the political process.

How Did Republicans Like Newt in 1998?

I'm not bashing Newt. I am simply sharing some useful and instructive headlines to remind people of the national news the House Speaker made thirteen years ago. Considering how divided and vitriolic the atmosphere is in Washington today, do we need a guy as President who had to quit the highest elective office he ever held because he couldn't maintain the support of his own party?

Find more fun Newt headlines here (all from one day in November 1998), courtesy of the Breaking Copy blog.

Turn of Phrase - Newt Says Spanish Is "Ghetto"

"We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English, so people learn the common language of the country, and so they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto."

- Newt Gingrich, in a 2007 speech to the National Federation of Republican Women that was captured on video.

This quote is nearly five years old, but with the Florida primary happening in less than a week and Hispanics making up more than 13% of registered voters and 23% of the total population in the state, Gingrich's words are extremely relevant.

When politicians, or any of the rest of us for that matter, make pronouncements like this, we expose something inherently real about how we see the world. Regardless of intent or motive, words like these reveal our core beliefs. Consequently, an apology for this kind of outright racism can only be seen as a disingenuous and desperate attempt at political recovery.

If you watch the clip, you'll see the original statement, as well as part of Newt's apology to the Hispanic community (in poorly spoken Spanish no less), and you can decide if this is the kind of man who represents the best America has to offer, someone who should be a legit contender for our highest office.

I Thought Republicans Liked Lower Tax Rates

I'm not happy that Mitt Romney's tax rate is lower than mine, but I'm thoroughly confused at why Newt Gingrich is climbing up Romney's ass about it. I'm even more confounded at how the whole thing isn't a giant plus for Romney with Republicans.

First, Mitt makes $20 million per year primarily from his financial investments. Don't Republicans love capitalism, unfettered success, and all that? I mean c'mon, it's not like Mitt is a community organizer or something.

Second, because he has the money and expertise to work the system, his tax rate is only 13.9%. This is far below the top tier tax rate of 35%, and only slightly higher than the average working class American rate. But hey, aren't Republicans the party that demands tax cuts for the top 1%? Don't most Republican flat-taxers argue for a uniform rate of around 15% anyway?

Third, under Mitt's proposed tax policy, his share of income taxes owed would be reduced by about 40%. BUT, under Newt's tax proposal, capital gains taxes would be eliminated completely and Mitt's tax burden would be nearly zero. Sounds fair, right? Isn't that how Republican economics are supposed to work?

Gingrich is trying to have it both ways. He's arguing for economic policies that further line the pockets of the 1%, while simultaneously slathering Mitt with a populist paintbrush to make him look even more like the one-tenth of one percenter that he is. Mitt may be a rich, out-of-touch, elitist, but Newt is an angry, hateful, and devious douche.

But, Where Are the Clowns?

First, Donald Trump decided not to don his superhero cape and save America. Then, Herman Cain had to withdraw early (probably for the first time from the sound of things). Michele Bachmann dropped out when enough people finally realized she was insane. And now, no more Rick Perry - 'cuz the wizard never delivered on the brain he was promised.

Oh well, we've got Rick Santorum for now, and we'll probably always have Newt.