GOP '08 Watch: A Weekly Look At the Potential Republican Candidates
January 26, 2007
This week, the potential Republican Presidential candidates faced a number of hurdles as they make their runs for the White House. The ever changing John McCain called for benchmarks in Iraq which would require the kind of timeline he once called "a recipe for disaster." At the same time, smooth talking Mitt Romney keeps struggling to gain traction among leading Republicans, receiving criticism from Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt who said he's not sure Romney's health plan "could work." Romney also lost the home state endorsement of former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci to Rudy Giuliani despite asking for his backing.
Rudy Giuliani took his presidential makeover further with his support for President Bush's health care tax, former Governor Mike Huckabee continues to face ethics questions, George Pataki finally broke his silence by opposing the troop escalation in Iraq in the same week that he packed up his New Hampshire office, and Newt Gingrich's former advisor told Newt to give back a $1 million contribution from a casino executive.
John McCain Proposes Benchmarks After Calling Them "A Recipe for Disaster." In the face of overwhelming opposition from the American public to the Bush-McCain plan to escalate the Iraq War, presidential hopeful John McCain yesterday proposed a Senate resolution that would include "a series of benchmarks" he has long opposed. [New York Times, 1/26/07] McCain emphasized that if the benchmarks set by his resolution are not met, "everyone knows the consequence...then you have to examine your mission." [CNN, 1/26/2007] In other words, McCain is now proposing imposing benchmarks that the Iraqi government would be required to meet on a specific timetable, or face an American re-evaluation of its strategy. The move is a contradiction for John McCain who "has vigorously endorsed the president's war policies" and once called the idea of a timetable "a recipe for disaster." [Washington Post, 1/26/07; Birmingham News, 11/22/05] Just over a month ago, McCain went so far as to say that "placing a limited timeframe....would only induce Iraqis to side with militias" and against Americans. [Arizona Republic, 12/7/06]
Mike Huckabee Continues to Reel From Scandal Surrounding His Messy Exit From Office. This week, the Arkansas State House was forced to appropriate emergency funds to replace money depleted by outgoing Governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee used these funds on non-critical expenses leaving the state high and dry with no emergency resources. The "Joint Budget Committee reversed itself Tuesday and endorsed a $500,000 appropriation to replenish the governor's emergency fund after balking last week because former Gov. Mike Huckabee drained the fund with non-emergency spending before he left office. The governor's emergency fund is normally replenished on July 1, at the beginning of each fiscal year. Huckabee emptied the fund prior to leaving office in January, with six months left in the fiscal year. [Times Record, 1/24/07]
Mike Huckabee Looks To Hire Frist Staffer Accused of Helping Funnel Money to Avoid Campaign Finance Laws. News surfaced this week that Mike Huckabee is entertaining the idea of hiring Chip Saltsman, former Chair of the Tennessee Republican Party. [The Hill, 1/24/07] Currently Saltsman is under suspicion for his involvement in helping Tennessee's Senate Speaker funnel money to Republican candidates. "Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's political action committee avoided campaign contribution limits by giving money to another PAC, which then directed money to key Republican candidates, an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance records has found. His PAC then gave money to a separate committee, SALT PAC, which in turn gave more money to the same candidates, the AP analysis showed...John "Chip" Saltsman, a former state Republican Party chairman from Nashville who runs SALT PAC, said his committee did not have discussions about the RAAMPAC contributions. But he acknowledged the intent of his committee is clear. [AP, 1/18/07]
Rudy Giuliani Tries to Makeover His Image, Backs Bush's Health Care Tax. After voicing his support for the President's escalation of the Iraq war, Rudy Giuliani played the role of loyal foot soldier again on Tuesday night and defended the President's latest health care scheme. On the Fox News Channel, Giuliani called the plan "innovative, a very, very good way to increase the number of people covered by health insurance... and not the kind of rush toward socialist medicine that you could have," even though it represents a new health care tax for middle class families and it actually will do little to provide health care for more Americans. [Fox News Channel, 1/23/07] This support comes as Giuliani is trying to makeover his image. As the Associated Press reminds him today, the former New York City mayor is "on the wrong side of social issues in the eyes of hard-core conservatives who are a crucial voting bloc in the primaries. The former mayor's support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control conflict with the hard-line positions of the GOP's right."[AP, 1/26/07]
Romney Still Not Gaining Traction With Leading Republicans. On Wednesday, President Bush's Health and Human Services Secretary (and former Republican Governor of Utah) Mike Leavitt said "he didn't quite understand how Romney's health care insurance plan in MA could work, saying 'I'm not 100 percent sure how they did that' and adding he wasn't sure the plan was 'fully tested yet.'" [The Hotline blog, 1/24/07] Days later, former Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci rejected Romney, telling the Boston Globe "that he is supporting former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani for president over Mitt Romney -- even though Romney called Cellucci and asked for his endorsement in a meeting two weeks ago." [Boston Globe, 1/26/07]
George Pataki Breaks Silence and Comes Out Against Troop Escalation In Iraq. "Former New York Gov. George Pataki, breaking ranks with President Bush and the front-runners for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, says he opposes the president's plan to send more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. Pataki's position, at odds with the support offered Bush by Sen. John McCain, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, was made public Thursday as aides released excerpts of a speech the former governor was to deliver Friday at Georgetown University. 'A functioning democracy throughout Iraq is not essential to our achieving a military victory over al-Qaida in Iraq,' said Pataki, who is eyeing a run for the 2008 nomination. 'And I share the doubt of many that 20,000 additional troops alone will assure a successful democracy.'" [AP, 1/25/07]
George Pataki Already Giving Up On New Hampshire? If a posting on Craig's List is any indication, it appears that George Pataki is already giving up on New Hampshire. He packed up his Manchester, New Hampshire office, leaving it "available for any other presidential candidate." [Boston Globe, 1/24/07]
Newt Takes $1 Million for 527 Group from Casino Exec., Former Advisor Says "Give the Money Back." Days after the Washington Post reported that Gingrich's new 527 group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, took a $1 million contribution from casino CEO Sheldon Adelson, one of his closest former advisors, Matt Towery, called on him to return it. A long-time Republican donor, Adelson's contribution "dwarfed" all other checks to the group, which totaled just $60,000. Adelson's check underscores the uncomfortable position that Republicans face on the issue of gambling. The party rose to power under Gingrich in the early 1990s on the strength of social and religious conservatives, and many of the latter oppose gambling on moral grounds. 'The problem is the income comes from what we call a vice, and that is an issue,' said the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, which has long been a powerful voice on social issues inside the GOP." [Washington Post, 1/23/07]
Tommy Thompson Supports President's Plan to Increase Troops in Iraq Then Three Days Later Says the Plan Is Like "Fitting a Square Peg into a Round Hole." As Thompson tours Iowa, it seems his position on Iraq changes with every campaign stop. Thomspon first said, "Maybe sending more troops overseas at this time wasn't the best idea, not something I would have done, but I support our president. He is still our leader." [Des Moines Register, 1/21/07] Then three days later he pens an op-ed in the Des Moines Register saying, "In many ways, core elements of our current approach are akin to fitting a square peg into a round hole." [Des Moines Register, 1/21/07]
