State Department Spokesman Forced Out
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on March 14th, 2011 4:38 am by HL
State Department Spokesman Forced Out
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley abruptly resigned over controversial comments he made about the Bradley Manning case, CNN reports.
Crowley “came under pressure from the White House, where officials were furious about his suggestion that the Obama administration is mistreating Manning, the Army private who is being held in solitary confinement in Quantico, Virginia, under suspicion that he leaked highly classified State Department cables to the website WikiLeaks.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Lie low. There’s no need to inject yourself into the story.”
— Fox News chairman Roger Ailes, quoted by New York magazine, advising Sarah Palin to stay quiet after the Tuscon shootings. Palin ignored the advice and made her “blood libel” statement.
Could Republicans Lose Major Party Status in Indiana?
WISH-TV reports a Democratic lawsuit challenges Secretary of State Charlie White’s (R) status “on the ballot last November because his voter registration was allegedly false (a contention backed up by grand jury indictments.) If a judge rules in the Democrats’ favor and White is disqualified, the Republicans would not receive the 10% of the vote in the Secretary of State race that is required to maintain major party status.”
Possible ramifications: “The lack of major party status would make the 2012 Senate race a convention battle rather than a primary for the GOP. Richard Mourdock’s chances of upsetting Richard Lugar would be greatly enhanced in a convention.”
Donors Told Obama in Weaker Positition
President Obama’s advisors “are telling potential donors that he is in a weaker position heading into the 2012 election than he was in 2008 and are detailing potential vulnerabilities of likely opponents,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The centerpiece of their pitch to donors is a 10-page slide show, which features the slogan ‘Change that Matters’ and offers an early glimpse into the thinking of the president’s re-election team… Part of Mr. Messina’s presentation is to caution donors that while Mr. Obama has recovered after the trouncing his party took in the 2010 elections and is well-positioned for 2012, he will face a tough re-election fight that will require substantial donor support.”
“The donor meetings and the recent hiring of several senior campaign staff members are among the early moves Obama aides have made before the official launch of the president’s re-election effort, which Democratic officials say will come shortly after April 1.”