There are lots of pie fights going today. In an effort to bring peace to Daily Kos, I wish to straighten out our circular firing squads. And I can't think of a better way to do that than to remind you guys of the real enemy.
My precise topic was inspired by this Wonkette articleWonkette, wherein it is revealed that Rick Santorum is being attacked - from the right - for being too pro-choice. Yes, the mind boggles.
What occurs to me, though, is the thought that this is obviously the first salvo in the GOP 2012 primary. Because these attacks are occurring in Iowa. Which means that it's worth it to someone to launch a preemptive attack against a former Senator who did not attempt to gain the nomination in 2008.
More below the fold.
If the race is already heating up, it means that someone with money wants to take Santorum out. Santorum is speaking to the Iowa Christian Alliance this week, per a Salon link at Wonkette, so Santorum is very likely considering a run. And that frightens someone. Who?
Update: From the comments, two additional names emerge:
Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida and brother to the worst President.
Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana.
From the justifiably infamous Daily Kos poll of Republicans, we obtain the following table:
Palin | Romney | Cheney | Gingrich | Huckabee | Pawlenty | Paul | Thune | Undecided |
16 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 42 |
From the extremely mocked 2010 CPAC, we get this table:
Ron Paul | Mitt Romney | Sarah Palin | Tim Pawlenty | Mike Pence | Newt Gingrich | Mike Huckabee | Mitch Daniels | Rick Santorum | John Thune | Haley Barbour | other | Undecided |
31 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
And from Wikipedia, we see the following list of men who tried last time:
- John McCain
- Mike Huckabee
- Mitt Romney
- Ron Paul
- Fred Thompson
- Duncan Hunter
- Rudy Giuliani
- Alan Keyes
- Sam Brownback
- Jim Gilmore
- Tom Tancredo
- Tommy Thompson
People on all 3 lists (important!): Romney, Huckabee, Paul, and an honorary mention for Palin who wound up on the ticket with McCain. This matters a lot, because the GOP has a tendency to nominate those who have "paid their dues" and been party leaders for a while.
People who got votes in both polls but didn't run in 2008: Gingrich, Pawlenty, Thune. All of whom may be considered to have 'paid their dues' by being Speaker or Governor or Senator.
And, finally, Dick Cheney, who finished 3rd in the DKos poll and certainly can claim to have paid his dues.
So the first culling of candidates looks like this:
Romney
Huckabee
Paul
Palin
Gingrich
Pawlenty
Thune
Cheney
Of these, who would want to disparage Rick Santorum among Iowa Christians? Whose 'base' would be among the religious right for whom abortion is a hot button issue?
Huckabee, or Palin.
But that's not the big deal. The big deal is what would happen to today's pie fight if one of these people were to win in 2012 and set out to fulfill the GOP pledge to repeal HCR?
Here's Romney's website: Romney
Massachusetts also proved that you don't need government insurance. Our citizens purchase private, free-market medical insurance. There is no "public option."
Mike Huckabee's website: http://www.mikehuckabee.com/... Features a button reading "Vote No against Senate Health Care Plan".
Ron Paul's website has been hijacked, so far as I can tell. Here's a link to something from his Congressional website: Move Government
Government has been mismanaging medical care for more than 45 years; for every problem it has created it has responded by exponentially expanding the role of government.
Sarah Palin's site:The Sarah
You betcha! Can't find anything!
Newt Gingrich's site: newt!
Two weeks notice! Act NOW to stop government run health care!
Tim Pawlenty's site: t-paw
In the race to replace Senator Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts there is one issue that stands above the rest - health care reform. The outcome of this special election will have a lasting impact on the health of our nation, both literally and figuratively, for years to come.
Electing Republican State Senator Scott Brown is effectively our last best chance to stall the disastrous health care bill being forced though Congress.
John Thune's site: Thune
Nothing regarding public option
If Dick Cheney has a website, I'm not going to defile the Great Orange by linking to it.
Jeb Bush's site: jeb.com. Nothing there - blank screen.
Mitch Daniel's site: My Man Mitch No comments on Health Care.
So there you have it, Kossacks. Unleash your health care pique upon the real enemies for a little while, and then return to unleashing pie upon your friends.