Cain, Romney Lead in Iowa
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on November 8th, 2011 5:39 am by HL
Cain, Romney Lead in Iowa
A new JMC Enterprises poll in Iowa shows Herman Cain and Mitt Romney tied atop the Republican presidential field with 20% each, followed by Newt Gingrich at 16%.
The rest of the field: Michele Bachmann at 6%, Ron Paul at 6%, Rick Perry at 4%, Rick Santorum at 4% and Jon Huntsman at 2%.
Abramoff Opens His Playbook
Notorious ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff reveals the tricks of the trade in an interview with 60 Minutes, in which he discusses how he was able to exert so much influence over lawmakers and the title of the book he would like to write, “The Idiot’s Guide to Buying a Congressman.”
On how to seal the deal: “When we would become friendly with an office and they were important to us, and the chief of staff was a competent person, I would say or my staff would say to him or her at some point, ‘You know, when you’re done working on the Hill, we’d very much like you to consider coming to work for us.’ Now the moment I said that to them or any of our staff said that to ’em, that was it. We owned them.”
On whether subsequent reforms have helped: “The system hasn’t been cleaned up at all.”
African-Americans Still Overwhelmingly Back Obama
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/theGrio.com poll finds that 49% of African-Americans feel the country is headed in the right direction, versus 38% who say the country is on the wrong track. That’s a sharp contrast from recent polling which shows an overwhelming majority of all Americans who say the country is on the wrong track.
Interestingly, an overwhelming 86% of African-Americans said they approve of the president’s handling of the economy. By contrast, 57% of overall respondents disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy, versus just 40% who approve.
Daley Gives Up Some Duties
White House chief of staff Bill Daley “turned over day-to-day management of the West Wing to Pete Rouse, a veteran aide to President Obama,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
The unusual recalibration of Daley’s portfolio “is designed to smooth any kinks in the president’s team as it braces for the overlapping demands of governing while campaigning for re-election, people familiar with the matter said. The West Wing is preparing for budget battles with Congress and is seeking to use its executive powers more extensively.”
The new set-up effectively makes Rouse the president’s inside manager and Daley his ambassador to Congress, “roles that appear to better suit both men’s talents.”
Politico: “Daley’s relationship with some of his West Wing colleagues has been strained, and many pined for Rouse, who served as a bridge between the volatile Rahm Emanuel, now the mayor of Chicago, and Daley, the son and brother of Chicago mayors — who assumed office just ten months ago.”
