A Gun to the Gun Fight
In the summer of 2008, revving up for the general-election campaign against John McCain, Barack Obama raised some eyebrows by telling a group of Philadelphians: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” He wasn’t talking about fundraising specifically“he was emphasizing his ability to give a punch as well as take it“but he might as well have been: Obama also dismayed some supporters by eschewing the public financing system to make sure he had more than enough artillery ($750 million, in fact) to fend off the Republicans that year. Today’s announcement that the Obama campaign was embracing a super PAC, Priorities USA, to make major bank for his re-election bid inspired a similar outcry. NBC’s First Read said that it “looks hypocritical no matter how you try and rationalize it,” given the president’s outspoken opposition to Citizens United.
So They Say
- “If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern.”“Mitt Romney, 1994
- “I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices.”—Mitt Romney, today
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Daily Meme: Mini-Tuesday
- Romney won the Minnesota caucus easily in 2008; this time, Rick Santorum is the favorite.
- Anticipating Santorum victories in Missouri and Minnesota, Romney trains his fire on the former Pennsylvania senator.
- Romney expects to win in Colorado“with Santorum poised for a strong second-place finish.
- Newt Gingrich exults: “It’s going to be a good day for Santorum and a relatively bad day for Romney.”
- The Romney campaign downplays today’s three contests.
- Can Ron Paul rekindle his revolution in Minnesota and Maine?
- Is Santorum benefiting from a new round of culture wars?
- Do today’s results really matter?
What We're Writing
What We're Reading
- “Obama Gay Marriage Evolution Watch: Day 468.”
- The 24/7 news cycle is dumbing down coverage of the 2012 campaign.
- Former Senator Bob Kerrey won’t run in Nebraska, dashing a Democratic hope...
- ...as Democrats scramble against the clock to find a candidate for Ben Nelson’s open seat.
- Separated by birth? Striking similarities between Newt Gingrich and Dwight Schrute.
Poll of the Day
- Two new polls find that a majority of Catholics support the Obama administration’s contraception mandate for religiously affiliated employers.
- In one of the surveys, 46 percent of Catholics said they were less likely to vote for Romney because of his opposition.
You can read the entire story here
