Yes, I know the GOP's 2012 field will be hard to beat—it's difficult to imagine a more entertaining clown show than the one that starred Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, and Newt Gingrich. But now that 2016 is essentially upon us, we don't have to imagine what the next clown show will be like—we can experience it for real. And
with a start like this, I'm bullish:
Three Republican governors eyeing the White House, including embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, were in Las Vegas yesterday to court Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino owner who could give any of their eventual campaigns a major financial boost.
And what happened when Adelson summoned the presidential wannabes? Well, obviously, they tripped over themselves to show up. But Adelson himself
wasn't quite so eager to see them as they were to be seen by him:
Adelson — who is not known as a morning person and also was nursing a cold — skipped Saturday morning speeches from Walker and former Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. He entered the hall midway through Christie’s address, walking with the help of a bodyguard to a reserved seat in the front row as Christie talked about his governing style.
Please read below the fold for more on this story.
But even though Adelson wasn't in the crowd for Walker's remarks, that didn't stop him from trying to butter the audience up:
Walker, who spoke first, opened his address with an appeal to the largely Jewish crowd. He said he lights a “menorah candle” every year with his Christmas tree and that his son Matthew’s name derives from the Hebrew for “gift from God.”
No word on whether Walker plays dreidel on Christmas Eve.
Adelson may have been more interested in hearing what Christie had to say, but Christie found himself in hot water after saying it. After referring to "occupied territories" in Israel, Christie personally apologized to Adelson in a private meeting:
The source told POLITICO that Christie “clarified in the strongest terms possible that his remarks today were not meant to be a statement of policy.”
Instead, the source said, Christie made clear “that he misspoke when he referred to the ‘occupied territories.’ And he conveyed that he is an unwavering friend and committed supporter of Israel, and was sorry for any confusion that came across as a result of the misstatement.”
Whatever you think about the policy, that's a pretty amazing flub, especially given that Christie is still trying to pitch himself as the best politician among the GOP's 2016 hopefuls.
And it wasn't just the candidates who provided colorful moments during the weekend. Adelson—who, don't forget, was nursing a cold—pitched in as well:
Adelson perused the breakfast buffet of bagels, lox, pastries and eggs, using his fingers to sample a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese in a serving bowl.
Ewww. Gross. But given that he treats elections the same way, not surprising.
