In life, but especially politics, nobody wants to be seen as part of a losing proposition. Politics is a career and everyone is always looking to punch up their resume for their next gig. To that note, I give you the next punch in the gut to Romney's campaign news this week.
Pawlenty quits Team Romney, becomes bank lobbyist
About a month ago, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) was a national co-chair of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, a high-profile surrogate, and a possible vice presidential nominee. As of this morning, Pawlenty has a very different kind of role in politics.
Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, is resigning as a national co-chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign to take a job in Washington as a top lobbyist for a group representing banks and financial companies.
Mr. Palwenty's new role as President and C.E.O. of the Financial Services Roundtable was announced by the organization Thursday morning. In a statement, the group said that Mr. Pawlenty will step down from his role at Mr. Romney's campaign because the organization is bipartisan.
This really won't help with the "fleeing a sinking ship" talk. Indeed, it's been widely assumed that Pawlenty would be rewarded with a prominent role in a Romney administration if the Republican won in November. Perhaps Pawlenty no longer sees that as likely?
Indeed, the timing of the announcement seems especially odd -- Election Day is 47 days away. By resigning from Team Romney today, it gives the impression that Pawlenty couldn't wait to get away.
For that matter, it doesn't help Romney's larger image problems to have one of his closest political allies quit his campaign to begin lobbying for banks.
oh, and the Bank Lobbyist part? so telling
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller on Wednesday became the latest Republican Senate candidate locked in a competitive race to distance himself from GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's "47 percent" remarks, which came to light after the wide release of a hidden camera video that documented Romney's appearance at a Boca Raton fundraiser. Heller joined Connecticut Senate aspirant Linda McMahon and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in disowning Romney's take on the portion of the electorate he deemed to be "victims" who could not be convinced to forego government assistance.
Well, Hawaii Senate candidate Linda Lingle lingered a little longer without making a comment on Romney's lapsus linguae, but now she, too, has parted ways with him over the "victims" flap
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller on Wednesday became the latest Republican Senate candidate locked in a competitive race to distance himself from GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's "47 percent" remarks, which came to light after the wide release of a hidden camera video that documented Romney's appearance at a Boca Raton fundraiser. Heller joined Connecticut Senate aspirant Linda McMahon and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in disowning Romney's take on the portion of the electorate he deemed to be "victims" who could not be convinced to forego government assistance.
Well, Hawaii Senate candidate Linda Lingle lingered a little longer without making a comment on Romney's lapsus linguae, but now she, too, has parted ways with him over the "victims" flap
Pawlenty? One in the hand is better than two in the bush. And it only makes sense to distance yourself from Romney's pandering statements to his big donors that were never intended to reach the general public. Just like Barack never intended for "guns and religion" to reach most Americans.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller on Wednesday became the latest Republican Senate candidate locked in a competitive race to distance himself from GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's "47 percent" remarks, which came to light after the wide release of a hidden camera video that documented Romney's appearance at a Boca Raton fundraiser. Heller joined Connecticut Senate aspirant Linda McMahon and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in disowning Romney's take on the portion of the electorate he deemed to be "victims" who could not be convinced to forego government assistance.
Well, Hawaii Senate candidate Linda Lingle lingered a little longer without making a comment on Romney's lapsus linguae, but now she, too, has parted ways with him over the "victims" flap
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller on Wednesday became the latest Republican Senate candidate locked in a competitive race to distance himself from GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's "47 percent" remarks, which came to light after the wide release of a hidden camera video that documented Romney's appearance at a Boca Raton fundraiser. Heller joined Connecticut Senate aspirant Linda McMahon and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in disowning Romney's take on the portion of the electorate he deemed to be "victims" who could not be convinced to forego government assistance.
Well, Hawaii Senate candidate Linda Lingle lingered a little longer without making a comment on Romney's lapsus linguae, but now she, too, has parted ways with him over the "victims" flap
Dang... Two more "rats" decide to leave the sinking ship.... :Whistle
LJ, you just love being a jerk don't you. Anyone who disagrees with you is a "rat"? Can't you have any debate without trying to demean others?
Gee, I didn't invent the term "Rats leaving a sinking ship".... That probably goes back for centuries... (But it does seem appropriate---somehow....) Getting a little sensitive, are we?
Nothing like "Barack, the Magic Negro"; or the "socialist", or the "Kenyan", or the "Muslim"... Yeah, I guess we have to leave "sensitivity" at the door, don't we....
Heath Lovell, Coal Executive, Poses As Miner In Ad For Republican Congressional Candidate Andy Barr
A Kentucky Republican running for Congress is taking heat for a misleading campaign ad featuring a coal executive.
Heath Lovell appears in the ad for GOP candidate Andy Barr -- who is running agains Democratic Rep. Ben Chandler -- dressed not in a suit, but wearing a mining helmet and standing on railroad tracks.
"Obama, Ben Chandler, and the EPA are destroying us. They're putting the coal industry out of business, and it's just devastating," Lovell says in the ad. "This is our way of life. It means jobs for people around here, good-paying jobs."
The political ad has one saving grace: It displays Lovell's real name at the beginning, but without any other identifying information. Lovell actually is vice president of River View Coal, not a miner. He has donated $24,650 to political campaigns over the past two years, almost entirely to Republicans, according to the Courier-Journal.
Putting aside LJ's snark, there are a lot of coal miners losing their jobs right now in Appalachia. Obama's anti-coal remarks coming home to roost. Even in Colorado, utilities are shuttering modern coal plants and replacing them with expensive natural gas versions. (And passing the bill onto their customers.) Thanks Barack, more unemployed Americans, and higher utility bills for the jobless and underemployed to pay.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Yeah, and then there are all those dead miners that were killed because the corporate slimebags (who donate heavily to the GOTP) violated and falsified safety records to put more corporate profits in their pockets...(while making sure the GOTP blocked any attempts to improve mine-safety.)
FredHayek wrote: Putting aside LJ's snark, there are a lot of coal miners losing their jobs right now in Appalachia. Obama's anti-coal remarks coming home to roost. Even in Colorado, utilities are shuttering modern coal plants and replacing them with expensive natural gas versions. (And passing the bill onto their customers.) Thanks Barack, more unemployed Americans, and higher utility bills for the jobless and underemployed to pay.
I'm, in fact, living in a dieing PA river town these days and there's a "vote for coal" sign right up the street from me but most people see the writing on the wall, not to mention so many of their loved ones suffering from lung disease that they can directly attribute to coal mining. Most everybody knows that a change has got to come. Although they are none too keen on fracking but I digress...
