New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) should stay in his spot, the state's new Republican congressman said Thursday.
Rep.-elect Jon Runyan (R-N.J.) heaped praise on his state's GOP governor, whose blunt style and nationwide campaign spots have prompted White House buzz. But Christie, Runyan said, needs to stay as governor for now.
"I'll be selfish as a New Jerseyian and say I want him to stay in New Jersey, and fix the problems there," Runyan told the conservative magazine Newsmax.
While innocuous on its face, Runyan's words add pressure to Christie from a home-state political figure against a presidential run.
Christie has repeatedly said he's uninterested in running for president for now, but has been a bit more evasive about possibly joining a ticket as a vice presidential nominee or about running for president in 2016.
Runyan's actually one of the few GOP lawmakers from the mid-Atlantic who have been asked about Christie to discourage the governor from running. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) has said Christie would be an "outstanding presidential candidate," while Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) has said that the New Jersey Republican would give the party its best shot at beating President Obama in 2012.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) said she can beat President Obama if the two went head-to-head in the 2012 presidential election.
Palin made the case for her electability should she decide to run for president, addressing one of voters' core concerns about the 2008 vice presidential nominee.
"I believe so," Palin told ABC's Barbara Walters when asked if she could beat Obama.
Palin made the comments during a sit-down for a special to air in December. The excerpt emerged on the same day that the New York Times posted a profile of the Republican superstar, in which she acknowledges that she's seriously considering a run for the White House in two years.
"I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here," Palin told the Times.
The former governor's sit-downs with ABC and the New York Times could be considered some of the foremost indicators of her seriousness about a possibly challenge to Obama. Palin's largely avoided interviews with major outlets, and has spoken most frequently through Fox News, for which she's a paid contributor.
Palin will have to convince voters -- in the Republican primary and in the general election -- that she is both qualified and electable if she wants to have any chance of winning. She made a direct stab at that by claiming she could beat Obama, whom she trails in polls testing a hypothetical matchup in 2012.
Aides to Palin asserted in the New York Times piece that her reputation is still fluid, and that smart politicking could build her popularity, and convince voters of her qualifications.
Gov. Bobby Jindal is not running for president in 2012 — "no ifs, ands or buts."
The Louisiana Republican made his intentions clear during an interview with The Associated Press.
"I'm not being coy at all. I'm not running for president in 2012. Period. No ifs, ands or buts, no caveats," Jindal said. "We have made great progress in Louisiana, but we've got a lot more work to do."
Jindal was considered a potential contender because of his experience in the Louisiana governor's mansion and as a congressman. He's currently making media appearances promoting his new book.
Jindal has announced he's running for a second term as governor.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Monday that she couldn't support former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for president should she run in 2012, citing Palin's lack of "intellectual curiosity."
In an interview on the "CBS Evening News" with host Katie Couric Monday, Murkowski said she doesn't think Palin enjoyed governing when she was the state's chief executive and questioned Palin's knowledge of policy.
"I just do not think she has those leadership qualities, that intellectual curiosity that allows for building good and great policies," Murkowski said on CBS Monday.
Murkowski has long had an antagonistic relationship with Palin, who backed Tea Party favorite Joe Miller earlier this year in the state's GOP Senate primary. In 2006, Palin defeated Murkowski's father in a primary--former Gov. Frank Murkowski.
"She was my governor for two years, for just about two years there, and I don't think that she enjoyed governing," said Murkowski. "I don't think she liked to get down into the policy. I want somebody who goes to bed at night and wakes up in the morning thinking about how we're going to deal with our national security issues, how we're going to deal with our economy, how we're going to deal with providing better education."
Murkowski said currently her relationship with Palin is just about nonexistent, telling Couric, "We just don't really have much in common. I mean, we don't talk to one another."
Ballots are still being counted in Murkowski's write-in battle against Miller, but the senator's camp appears confident she will come out on top. Elections officials continued the write-in ballot count Monday and Murkowski is still winning close to 90 percent of those votes unchallenged.
Murkowski received a warm welcome from fellow Senators on the Senate floor Monday and congratulations from National Republican Senate Campaign Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Murkowski said she hopes to have some final news on the ballot count by Wednesday.
The bulk of the Republican candidates for president have expressed support for the ban on earmarks that's making its way through Congress.
The proposed moratorium on earmarking, the practice of directing spending in legislation to particular projects, hasn't divided the presidential candidates the way it's split GOP lawmakers.
Seven possible contenders for the Republican nomination in 2012 have expressed support for the congressional ban, while only one possible candidate — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) — has openly embraced the practice.
They're not the only possible Republican presidential challengers who support a moratorium, though. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.) are all on the record in favor of a moratorium or outright ban of the practice.
A spokesman for Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Monday that the governor supports the ban.
"Of course Governor Pawlenty supports the Republicans' ban on Congressional earmarks," said Alex Conant. "It's important that the Republicans we send to Washington govern as they campaigned, and fight wasteful spending."
Huckabee and Romney's professed support for the moratorium comes Monday at a watershed moment for earmarking. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) announced this afternoon that he would support the ban after having previously defended the practice. His support all but ensures a GOP ban on earmarks in both the House and Senate in the next Congress.
Two possible GOP presidential candidates have so far not declared any position on the earmarks ban. Sen. John Thune (S.D.) and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour appear to have no official position on the practice. Spokesmen for both Thune and Barbour did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has started an online petition to support a proposed ban on earmarks.
Romney tweeted Monday: "Support Senator @JimDeMint in his effort to curb federal spending. Sign the 'no earmark' petition today: http://mi.tt/NoEarmarks"
The petition is through his Free and Strong America PAC. Romney, a possible 2012 presidential candidate, praised Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who is leading the charge to ban spending earmarks.
Romney writes: "Senator DeMint is courageously standing on conviction with his much-needed proposal to ban earmarks, which will curb wasteful spending and restore accountability to the way Congress spends taxpayer dollars. We all need to recognize that Washington can’t responsibly begin to address out-of-control debt and deficits until the practice of cramming earmarks into spending bills is stopped.
"While earmarks are not the only cause of our budget proplems [sic], they have come to symbolize what’s wrong with Washington. What was once accepted as the normal way of doing business has to be re-examined in light of our $13 trillion national debt. I encourage all Republicans to embrace Senator DeMint’s earmark ban and send a powerful message that we will no longer tolerate business as usual on Capitol Hill," he writes on the PAC's website.
People are then encouraged to sign the petition.
Voters listed unhappiness with spending in Washington as one of their top concerns this election cycle. Several Republicans ran successful campaigns based on the issue.
The Republican Conference is scheduled to vote on the ban at their weekly meeting Tuesday.
DeMint said Monday the vote on whether or not to ban earmarks will be the first test as to whether members fully grasp the lessons of the midterm elections.
The senator, who easily won reelection, was a major force in the 2010 election cycle.
Through his Senate Conservatives Fund, DeMint helped raise several million dollars for Tea Party backed candidates and played a leading role in several high-profile GOP primary fights.
On the House side, presumed Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and likely Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announced they will hold a vote among House Republicans to ban earmarks.
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) declined to answer a question about his 2012 presidential intentions during an interview on NBC's "Today Show" Monday morning.
Jindal, who is up for reelection in 2011, said his gubernatorial campaign is his priority.
"I'm running for reelection next year. You'll have a lot of Republicans in Iowa. I'm sure I'll be in Louisiana," he said.
Taking the opportunity to tout his work as governor, he said: "I do think there are things we've done in Louisiana. We have cut taxes. We were talking before, our economy is outperforming the national economy. Portfolio.com said we had the second best economic performance during the recession. There are a whole list of numbers. Our unemployment rate's been below the southern and national averages."
Asked if he was trying to raise his national profile, Jindal said: "I want folks across the country to see what we've done in Louisiana. I think they can learn from those experiences. I think if the federal government would do what we did — cut spending, cut taxes — we'd have more, better paying jobs in the private sector for our children and grandchildren."
"I know there's been speculation since almost the first day I took this office about my plans," he said. "There was speculation even in the last presidential cycle. I've made it very clear: I've got the job I want. I'm running for re-election next year. I'm not running for president."
The governor was on the "Today Show" to promote his book "Leadership and Crisis," which goes on sale today.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said over the weekend that he expects former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will run for president in 2012 and that he "would be my preference" for the GOP nomination.
It's one of the first statements of 2012 support from a congressional Republican.
Romney has not yet announced his intentions for 2012, but he is widely expected to make a second run at the White House. In 2008, Hatch backed Romney's bid and publicly encouraged the candidate to address his Mormon faith, which Hatch shares.
The Utah Republican, meanwhile, could be locked in a Republican primary himself in 2012. A recent Mason Dixon survey showed 48 percent of likely voters in the state would prefer an alternative to Hatch in two years.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is one rumored opponent — the two have already locked horns over 2012. Hatch recently claimed that Chaffetz privately pledged to not challenge him, which Chaffetz denies.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) does not regret his decision against
campaigning with then-President Bush during the lead-up to the 2008
election, the senator said during an interview on Sunday.
"It was a decision we made and I hope he respects it," McCain said on "Meet the Press."
McCain said the choice to distance himself from Bush reflected the "realities of the political situation at the time."
"President Obama was doing everything he could to tie me to President Bush," McCain said.
He added that during the campaign, he called Bush "a friend."
McCain was responding to a question concerning a passage in the former president's memoir.
"I was confident I could have helped him make his case," Bush reportedly writes. "But the decision was his. I was disappointed I couldn't do more to help him."
Sarah Palin begins her book tour in two weeks, and she'll stop in two states that play an important role in the GOP primary process.
She's scheduled to make stops in Iowa and South Carolina — two early voting states in the race for the Republican nomination. Notably missing from the list is New Hampshire, home to the nation's first presidential primary.
The nine-day, 16-stop tour focuses on areas of the country in which the former Alaska governor is most popular: the Midwest and the South. As with her first book tour, she'll avoid most major cities on the coasts.
Her family will join her during the tour.
Palin tweeted Wednesday: "Family gearing up 4 Thanksgiving break book tour; anxious 4 kids 2 have "what I did on my vacation" experiences in great US towns along way."
They'll be on the road from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3, with a break for Thanksgiving. The book, America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag, comes out Nov. 23.
Palin will kick off her tour in Phoenix, home of her 2008 running mate John McCain.
She also tweeted Wednesday: "America by Heart" available Nov 23! We'll kick off tour then;wrap up in Alaska...add stops like we did w Going Rogue tour,depending on time."
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