Welcome back to Hotline Sort. Bullock readies a gubernatorial bid in Montana, while in Arizona, Jan Brewer is up against the clock is she tries to move up the state's primary. Meanwhile, Bill Maloney gets hit with a new ad, and what will it look like when and if Romney hits Perry? Here's today's rundown:
8) The Disaffected Party, and the Apathatarians, the Flying Spaghetti Monster Party, the Zombie Hunters of America Party, the Awesome Party, the Charles Barkleyism Party and the Galactic Empire Party -- these are all strange party names to which Arizona voters have claimed allegiance in election records.
7) The New York Times takes a closer look at first term New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who is quietly building a national profile and continues to be talked about as a potential vice presidential nominee. Martinez has worked to distinguish herself from her predecessor, ridding herself of what she saw as some of the excesses of the office when former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson was in power, including a state-owned jet and private chefs in the governor's mansion. Undoing some of his other policies has proven more difficult -- she pushed hard to reverse a measure allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses, but the attempt failed the Senate and she has vowed to press the matter again in a special session that begins next month.
6) Christine O'Donnell will take the stage at a Saturday Tea Party rally in Iowa shortly before Sarah Palin.
5) NY-09 Democratic nominee
David Weprin,
pulled out of a Monday debate at the last minute, saying Tropical Storm Irene disrupted his schedule, a decision that touched off angry denunciations, from the debate's sponsors as well as his GOP opponent
Bob Turner.
4) If Arizona Gov.
Jan Brewer wants to move the state's presidential primary up to Jan. 31, she'll have to issue a proclamation by Saturday. While she is still leaning toward moving it up, her spokesman says she is also considering other options, including holding a presidential debate in the state,
the AP reports.
3) A group aligned with the Democratic Governors Association is hitting West Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee
Bill Maloney in a new ad by calling him a "millionaire businessman" who plays "by a different set of rules," the
Washington Post reports.
2) Montana Attorney General
Steve Bullock is expected to launch his gubernatorial campaign next week, and has scheduled several "campaign kickoff" events around the state, the
Billings Gazette reports. Bullock would become the most prominent Democrat in the Treasure state's race, which is likely to be one of 2012's most competitive contests. Former Rep.
Rick Hill is the frontrunner on the Republican side.
1) If Texas Gov.
Rick Perry's surge in the polls continues and he does not collapse,
Mitt Romney will eventually have to attack -- an assault his advisers
tell Marc Thiessen will commence "at a time of our choosing." Romney strategists are quick to note that in his book, Perry writes that "By any measure, Social Security is a failure" and calls the program "something we have been forced to accept for more than 70 years now" that was created "at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government."
The Romney camp also plans to highlight Perry's opposition to a border fence and legislation he signed in 2001 allowing the children of illegal immigrants to attend Texas colleges and universities at in-state tuition. They also intend to portray him as the anti-government candidate who has spent most of his life in government.
Leave A Comment