Okay, maybe I'm snarking just a tad. After all, no one could have predicted that an enormously popular Republican ex-Governor would end up as a pundit on Fox News. It's not as though it's ever happened before! Yes, get ready, America - it's Sarah Palin, on the teevee!
Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has signed on as a contributor to the Fox News Channel. The network confirmed that Ms. Palin would appear on the network’s programming on a regular basis as part of a multiyear deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Ms. Palin will not have her own regular program, one person with knowledge of the deal said, though she will host a series that will run on the network from time to time...
(snip)
Many suspected that when Ms. Palin retired as the governor of Alaska last summer she was doing so to pursue some sort of career in television. The Fox News deal, however, would not seem to be all-encompassing, and would appear to give her room for other pursuits, as well.
The deal was formally announced on Monday afternoon. Robert Barnett, Ms. Palin’s lawyer, did not respond to a call for comment. “I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News. It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news,” Ms. Palin said in a statement.
My gawd, this woman is a natural for television; she's a sound-byte generating machine. Just think, in two measly sentences she managed to perfectly work in the Fox News Network's famous slogan!
I always thought she'd be a perfect co-host for her fellow former Republican Governor and fundiegelical teevee host, Mike Huckabee. Maybe she'll get there after a few months. We know she's a quick learner, don't we?
I just hope all those "PUMAs for Palin" aren't totally heart-broken that she isn't, after all, running for President. As far as I know, running for President while appearing as a television pundit would violate the law; for example, Fred Thompson quit Law & Order before deciding to run (okay, hobble) for President in 2008, and that wasn't even a political show.
As for me, I wish Palin all the best. I certainly won't be watching. I've had enough Republican soundbytes from both parties to last a lifetime.
In other news, Massachussetts Senatorial hopeful Martha Coakley, after reversing her stance on the Health Whatever bill in order to curry favor with the National Party, has officially been thrown under the bus, Both Ways Barack style.
President Obama has no plans to travel to Massachusetts to campaign for Democrat Martha Coakley in the home stretch in the special election to fill the US Senate seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy.
Presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs said today in response to a question at a briefing in the White House that the "president doesn't have any travel plans to campaign in Massachusetts," because "it's not on our schedule to go to next week."
Coakley represents the critical 60th vote that Democrats need to pass the president's health care overhaul. Coakley's opponents -- Republican Scott Brown and independent Joseph L. Kennedy -- have both said they would vote to block the health care bill.
The president did, however, send an email to supporters today imporing [sic] them to help push Coakley over the top.
"We all need Ted Kennedy's seat to be filled by a champion for change -- and Martha Coakley is that champion," Obama wrote in the message.
"The stakes are high. Time is short," he added. "And your role is essential."
L.O. Freaking. L. Is he kidding?
Let's see if I've got this right.
If Martha Coakley doesn't win this seat, the Health Whatever monstrosity will have to face a Republican filibuster. Gadzooks! A filibuster supposedly makes the bill impossible to pass according to the "60 votes needed" framing, which as we all know is bullshit - there's no way the Repubs could filibuster forever, is there - but that's what the Democrats and the media have all been saying for years. Given those circumstances, you'd think this extremely critical election would warrant a visit from the head of the Party, our President, Barack Obama, wouldn't you? Isn't health "insurance" reform the jewel in his crown? Isn't this what all the Democrats are going to campaign on in 2012? Isn't this supposed to be the change we could all believe in, timed to pass at Christmas, like St. Nick's biggest and best present to America?
Alas, such an effort would require Obama to take some sort of a stance, to exert himself, to show a little initiative, a little energy. He doesn't do that. That's YOUR job, Obama fans. You do the work; he golfs, vacations and takes the credit. Remember?
Obama highlighted health care, the economy, and financial services reform as reasons to support the attorney general in next week's election.
"We're so close to passing health reform -- finally realizing Senator Kennedy's life's work," Obama wrote. "But we cannot get the job done without Martha Coakley in the Senate. And that means it may well all come down to you."
Get it now? If she doesn't get elected, it's all your fault. As for him, campaigning for Coakley...isn't on the schedule. That's Robert Gibbs' story, and he's sticking to it.
QUESTION: On politics, there are indications that Massachusetts Senate race is tightening up. The DNC sent a top staffer there today. Does the president have any intention of going up to Massachusetts to campaign on behalf of Martha Coakley?
GIBBS: The president doesn't have any travel plans to campaign in Massachusetts.
QUESTION: Robert, why isn't the president going to campaign for Martha Coakley? It's a tight race, very important to (inaudible) essentially?
GIBBS: It's not on our schedule to go to next week.
QUESTION: And why is it not on the schedule?
GIBBS: It's just not on the schedule.
The press can't believe what it's hearing, so the "reporters" try to get more details any way they can.
QUESTION: Is he -- is he concerned -- is there concern that his popularity -- I mean, it just doesn't make any sense that he wouldn't go up there (emphasis mine). Is he concerned that his popularity ratings...
GIBBS: Not that I'm aware of.
QUESTION: ... if he goes up there, that he might hurt her campaign?
GIBBS: No. No. No.
QUESTION: So just -- just not on the schedule. It seems the scheduler actually who has decided not to send him.
GIBBS: All I can say was, you didn't ask me that. We just -- it's not on the schedule as a trip the president's going to make.
Well, all righty then. This here Health Whatever kabuki just got a lot more interesting, didn't it?
Cross-posted at The Widdershins
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Coakley and Obama
I suspect two things at work with Obama not actively campaigning for Coakley:
The first is a guess based on Obama's past behavior but the second is something that can be watched to see if it is a pattern or just irrelevant rambling on my part.
Both good guesses...
I think you're right, we will have to see if a pattern emerges.
It's really interesting how it's Never Obama's Fault, though. His supporters are responsible for electing her, and he just gives his wishy-washy stamp of sorta approval. This way, he's not to blame if she is not elected and Health Whatever doesn't pass.
This makes me lean towards #2 as the reason for his non-support of Coakley. Certainly we'll never know from Robert Gibbs or any of the Obama team - at least, not till Gibbs' 2013 best-selling tell-all: "What Went Wrong: The History of the One-Term Obama Presidency."
Never vote for people who hate you.
ERA Now!
The Widdershins
Does Coakley even want him?
I'd add a third point - does Coakley want Obama up there? Given his declining approval ratings and how much Congressional Democrats are hated, I doubt she wants to run as a national (or Washington) Democrat. She's a state office holder so she has some flexibility in not being tied to DC. If I were her, unless I was in real trouble (and I don't think she is), I wouldn't be dragging in a lot of bankster friends from DC to help me in this electoral climate.
From what I've read, this seems to be a press generated story. I haven't seen any indication that the campaign is pushing for him. It's a winner to the press either way - 1) Obama won't go or 2) Coakley doesn't want him. So I understand why the press is doing it, but I don't know that it says very much beyond the fact the beltway journalists would rather ask about this than, say, Bagram.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
We don't know whether she does or not...
Robert Gibbs won't say. But we do know, it's not on the schedule!
But to say this is a press-generated story...well, I think that really misses the point. Don't you think if this were the 90's and Bill Clinton needed this woman's vote to pass his health care bill, he'd be out there pushing for her? I think so. Unlike Obama, Clinton took ownership of his own agenda.
And, Coakley IS running as a national Democrat, as evidenced by her dizzyingly quick reversal on her decision to support the Health Whatever bill. She also, in the debate with the other two candidates, used the DNC-approved strategy of running against Bush. Her Repub opponent, Scott Brown, even went so far as to say, "I'm not Bush. I'm me."
If she isn't elected, "health care reform" dies. That's what Obama is saying to his supporters. So the fact that he isn't going up there to campaign is definitely noteworthy, IMHO.
Never vote for people who hate you.
ERA Now!
The Widdershins
I had the same reaction
Obama is not a plus these days, If Coakley needs help she will ask Bill.
BDB is correct
Obama would be worse than useless to Coakley now. People are angry at congressional Dems, and frustrated with Obama, and if he campaigned for her it would only remind them (Mass. Dems. and independents) how little difference it's made to have total domination of the House, Senate, and White House.
This is an outsider/change election year, just like 2008. You can't run as an outsider/change agent if you've got the insiders stomping for you. Besides, I think we've seen conclusively that Coakley's election won't matter one way or the other for the Dems. Even when they have 60 votes, they can't get stuff done.
I'm rooting for Coakley because she's a woman. (But I haven't sent her any coin.) 2% less evil is about right.
My point is,
does he support her or not?
He wants it both ways.
And I don't see how this is a change/outsider year like 2008. There are no outsiders any more. The Dems have been in power for a year now, the Repubs were in power for 8 years before that.
Coakley was the Massachusetts Attorney General.
Is Bill Clinton an outsider? He's campaigning for her on the 15th, apparently.
Never vote for people who hate you.
ERA Now!
The Widdershins
they most certainly *can* get stuff done.
They just don't do what should be done.
Only tyrants rig elections.
doesn't quite hold true here in Mass.
Obama's polls have drooped below 50% across the country, but he's still very popular here in Mass. Congress in general may not be, but he is. Also, his health care plan is much more popular here than almost anywhere else (I think it's still over 50%; it's much further above that among Democrats). He would still be a net help. Plus even just a quick wave from AF One at Logan would help Coakley rack up some big bucks (tons of rich liberals in the Boston-Cambridge-Brookline triangle).
This is an off-month election which will have very low turnout. Even a couple of hundred voters here and there could make a difference. There are absolutely enough OFB
around (you all think Booman's bad?) who would go to the polls if Obama told them to, no matter who was running. Or what.
I don't know if the campaign has asked for him, but Martha has made a point to be supportive of Obama with some frequency. She has certainly indicated her support for him by totally flipping on the abortion provisions in the Senate health care bill, without even waiting to get sworn in.
They are pulling in The Big Dog, though.
Because the problem is not that we have too little condescension from our tribe. -- okanogen
He's really referring to these bills this way?
"finally realizing Senator Kennedy's life's work"
I mean, ... < speechless >
We can't afford not to have single-payer!
The smoothest liar yet
The audacity of the hope that if he tells a big enough we'll all believe it, is breathtaking.
Well, it's worked before, many times.
He'll keep doing it until it doesn't work any more.
Never vote for people who hate you.
ERA Now!
The Widdershins
I've always said that Obama is like the guy who has
a whole string of girlfriends, each of whom thinks she is the only one - because that's what he tells her...and she wants to believe it's true.
The man makes my skin crawl.