Hot Hot Hot:
Paul Ryan – The man at the top of the failed GOP ticket has been eerily silent since his loss, but he’s re-emerged just this week as the same bold politico he was before. So far this year, he’s “decided not to decide” about a run for president in 2016, he voted with The Establishment to avoid the fiscal cliff, and he voted against a Hurricane Sandy aid package that “had too much pork.” He has been given a prestigious role as a keynote speaker for the Conservative Political Action Conference. He spoke in Caledonia, Wisconsin about the “hasty, sloppy” health care bill, income tax reform, Medicare reform, and the need to cut spending. Most recently, he’s enthusiastically jumped on-board to the Marco Rubio immigration plan. Could Republicans see a Rubio-Ryan dream team in 2016?
Marco Rubio – Marco Rubio remained closely aligned with his Conservative base and voted against the fiscal cliff deal. Then he took aim at a huge campaign issue that has fallen by the wayside: immigration. “We can’t have the kind of vibrant growth we need and the economy we want, based on limited government and free enterprise, if we don’t have a legal immigration system that works,” he said. His proposal includes: making it easier for seasonal farm workers and skilled tradesman to immigrate; allowing current illegals the ability to earn a work permit through a guest worker program; and starting a national E-Verify program with background checks and finger-printing. Looks like Marco’s big ambitions and willingness to tackle the hard issues in a sensible way puts him at the top of the ticket in 2016!
Rob Portman – In Ohio, Senator Rob Portman voted with Paul Ryan to support measures to avoid the fiscal cliff. He came out against congressional pay raises and focused on his home state’s need for better skills training programs. Portman said he’s open to new gun legislation, including Obama’s proposed ban on assault weapons. Yet, he attacked the President on matters of spending, saying, “The president says we need to pay our bills. He misses the whole point. The point is we need to adjust what bills we’re paying and how we’re paying them.” He adds, “Think about it in terms of a credit card. If you have a son or daughter who exceeds the limits, what do you do? The first thing you do is probably rip up the card. The second thing you do is say, ‘We need to change our spending habits.’ This is what the president won’t do.” Meanwhile, some political writers are still talking about how “Mitt Romney could have tipped the scales in his favor by selecting Rob Portman as VP.”
Hanging On:
Chris Christie – In New Jersey, Chris Christie went light on property tax hikes — in fact, the lowest NJ residents have seen in two decades. He pushed hard to gain approval for a $51 Billion Hurricane Sandy aid package. He’s also reportedly formed a strategic partnership with NY Governor and rumored Presidential contender Andrew Cuomo, which has been described as a “bromance.” Will we see more from this partnership in the future? In the meantime, the governor will be fighting for re-election this year, with primaries on June 11th.
Yesterday’s News:
Tim Pawlenty -In Minnesota, former Governor and head CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable “T-Paw” led the lobbying group encouraging the GOP to avoid fighting a debt ceiling increase. “We don’t want a ‘Howard Dean scream’ as the country bungee jumps into the cliff,” Pawlenty said on ABC’s “This Week” (– while seated directly across from Howard Dean.) “You’ve got to have moments in politics people get their backs up against the wall to do something big but you don’t want to overplay your hand,” he added. As the debate rages on, Tim Pawlenty is clinging to veepstakes fame by charging a high public speaking fee of $25,000 + expenses.
Bob McDonnell – In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell is focused on two issues for his state: transportation and education. McDonnell danced a fine line with tax proposals for the year — asking to remove the gas tax on one hand, but suggesting that residents pay a little more sales tax and higher vehicle fees. Meanwhile, on the education front, he pushed for Teach America programs in VA schools, among other things. He assembled a school safety taskforce, but shied away from making a bold statement on whether he feels Americans should have assault weapons or not. This position led Former Governor Ed Rendell to call McDonnell “a coward” and “a wuss.” It looks like Bob is embroiled in too much home state controversy to be a serious contender for the national stage.
