by Mark Silva
The Republican Governors Association said it set a new record with last night's fundraising dinner at the National Building Museum: $10.6 million collected from 1,400 people.
President Bush addressed the Washington dinner crowd, at an event chaired by Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi served as finance chairman.
Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri also opened with a joke about a fellow, if Democratic, governor and the party's leading candidate for president in the delegate chase: Sen. Barack Obama.
"What a great crowd!'' Blunt told the crowd. "At least, that's what Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick told me to say.''
Deval, an influential member of the Obama campaign, has lent the senator from Illinois some phrases, which have led some to accuse the senator of plagiarism in his speeches.
Bush, for his part, predicted a good year for Republicans:
" I don't know about you, but I'm confident we'll hold the White House in 2008,'' the president told the governors last night. "And I don't want the next Republican President to be lonely, and that is why we got to take the House, retake the Senate, and make sure our states are governed by Republican governors.
"Our ideas are those embraced by the American people,'' he said. "American people want strong national defense and they want the government to protect the people from further attack, and that's precisely what Republicans will give them.
"Americans want lower taxes and less government, and it's precisely what Republicans will give them. Americans want strong, principled leadership, and that is precisely what Republicans will give them.
"And so when I say I'm confident, I am so because I understand the mentality of the American people and I understand the mentality of our candidates,'' Bush said. "And there's no question in my mind, with your help, 2008 is going to be a great year. ''
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Comments
As Screech's mom demonstrated during a recent rant, it's not always what you say, but how you say it.
Obama has the cadence and the tone down cold.
It's funny how we've been taught that public speaking skills are important to develop.
Now, the moment someone outside the usual political circles demonstrates his skills in public speaking, he's ridiculed by those same leaders in the political class.
Hmmmm.... Jealously is so unbecoming.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | February 26, 2008 7:44 AM
Seems to me that the GOP governors would be more concerned about the fact that there have been fewer and fewer of them during the W. administration.
Posted by: BobinATL | February 26, 2008 8:53 AM
Missouri's governor should stick to his dayjob and fix his states high rate of inbreeding. They've ranked in the top 3 of the union since the National Eugenics Institute began tracking cases in 1887.
Posted by: john | February 26, 2008 9:22 AM
It's not jealousy, but a realization that Obama is not a change in the politics. He's only a change in the coat being worn. The thing most frightful is that people like you are putting your hope in him to make changes and there will be none. Dissappointment will be hard, then will come the disillusion. A person like him doesn't make such a meteoric rise by being different. He does it by knowing the game and playing it well. The funny thing is that he is the opposite of Chester Arthur. What a shame.
Posted by: Paul | February 26, 2008 9:35 AM
I'm wondering (not really because I know the Swamp "reporters" won't cover it) if the Swamp will cover the latest ties between Obama and indicted criminal Rezko. This relationship keeps getting deeper and deeper. But since it could derail the Joke-une's and its Swamp "Reporters" mission of getting Obama elected president, I don't think we'll see much here about Illinois' presidential aspirant Obama.
But I'm sure we'll see the Chicago, Il "news" paper have more items on Arizona's Renzi, who isn't running for president and who announced last summer he wasn't seeking re-election, won't we?
Posted by: John D | February 26, 2008 9:45 AM
Bud,
Yes yes, and Hills is not that bad an off the cuff speaker. She uses complete sentences. Can you imagine the comparison when McCain and 'Bama are side by side. McCain becomes more 'Bush like' every day. Next up; The stuttering and stammering delivery? The shifting eyes? The sweating? Made up words and hilarious misnomers?
Beyond that, imagine if Chruchill had been a poor speaker.
Posted by: C.Morris | February 26, 2008 9:49 AM
I'm proud that Republicans can get up and make jokes about a United States Senator while our men and woman are dying overseas. Really shows the respect the Republican Party has for our country.
Posted by: Paul | February 26, 2008 10:24 AM
John D(elusional),
Well, what are those 'latest' ties? Post a link.
Posted by: TheLeninSisters | February 26, 2008 10:33 AM
Johnny:
Seems like on the main page of tribune.com there is an article about Barack being mentioned in the trial.
Even though he has not been accused of doing anything illegal.
Posted by: BobinATL | February 26, 2008 10:53 AM
"MONEY ON THE WOOD MADE THE CHICKEN WITH NO SKIN TASTE GOOD"
As the Chairman attempts to escape his lobbyist most intimate secrets caught live on "AT&T / VERIZON WIRELESS SERVERS awaiting distribution on YOUTUBE, I DID, BUT I DIDN'T. OH JOHN LET'S OH JOHN LET'S NOT MADE FOR FOX AWAITS IT'S NATIONAL DEBUT.
NOW THE REPUBLICANS SHOW UP! I thought we were all broke. Not if you want a WOMAN PRESIDENT OR A BLACK MAN PRESIDENT.
SO EAT YO CHICKEN AND SHUT YO NECKS!
Oh waiter, can you get my wife, I mean lobbyist a drink of water please. Put it on my QWEST COMMUNICATIONS TAB!
OH FANNIE, OH FANNIE, HOW YA BEEN DOING!
Posted by: Roger Morris | February 26, 2008 10:58 AM
The Trib run something truly critical of Obama? You jest!
I think we saw their staff on the opening SNL skit last Saturday.
Posted by: Bemused | February 26, 2008 11:04 AM
Little Johnny D,
Even IL Republican hero Governor Jim Edgar says that Obama is clean. He's a rational objective human being, not a foaming at the mouth rabid right wing knuckledragger. His words carry a lot of weight, unless you would like to be the first IL Republican to rebuke this popular Governor/lawyer...
Posted by: janet | February 26, 2008 11:23 AM
John D-
Okay. So what's new? Still more evidence they knew each other? That he made a lower offer on a home that the seller was having difficulty selling, and they made a deal? That an investigation of Rezko by hardass prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald turned up nothing except a relatively clean nose on Obama's part?
So far, the only thing I'm impressed with is the stubbornness with which his opponents insist that going negative on him will lead to a win. Most of the evidence has indicated that such attacks generally create an appearance of jealousy on the part of the people employing them: they can't beat him on their own merits, so they try to undermine the appearance of his own.
At best, he's made to look imperfect, but as Bob Dole and George H.W. Bush voters know already, imperfect and good is better than lousy and jealous.
The Irony is, if these campaigners had been better relaxed, better able to project their own positives, they might have been more attractive to voters. Unfortunately, they failed to show this grace under pressure, which the voters are looking for.
Posted by: Stephen Daugherty | February 26, 2008 11:37 AM
The press and voters need to do more research on Obama’s background and voting record in Illinois, now that he is the front-runner. DIG DEEP, ASK HARD QUESTIONS.
We need someone who can handle the problems facing American families, like house foreclosures, health insurance, college tuition, gas prices, foreign enemies, etc.
Ask the tough questions. Vote with our heads. Voting for president is a serious business and we CAN'T AFFORD TO WASTE 4 YEARS ON someone who is not qualified.
Posted by: tsr | February 26, 2008 12:06 PM
Bush, for his part, predicted a good year for Republicans:
"I don't know about you, but I'm confident we'll hold the White House in 2008,'' the president told the governors last night. "And I don't want the next Republican President to be lonely, and that is why we got to take the House, retake the Senate, and make sure our states are governed by Republican governors".
Sounds like W is drinking again!!!
http://photobucket.com/mediadetail/?media=http%3A%2F%2Fi98.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl250%2Fhey_italy_x3%2FGeorge-Bush.jpg&searchTerm=george%20bush&pageOffset=2
Posted by: John E | February 26, 2008 1:23 PM
"HALEY BARBOUR SPEAKS"
ARE THERE ANY KATRINA VICTIMS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT?
I SAID ARE THERE ANY KATRINA VICTIMS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT? GOOD, BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO EAT AND NOT HEAR ABOUT 100 MILLION DOLLARS DIVERTED FROM HELPING THE POOR.
IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE NPF IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT?
I SAID IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE NPF IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT.
OKAY, NPF TO THE LEFT AND ALL GOP MEMBERS TO THE RIGHT!
AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO KATRINA VICTIMS, POOR CHILDREN, IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI THIS FINE "CHICKEN WITH NO SKIN" MILLION DOLLAR PLATE CAN GO ON!
Are John D or Doug Z in the house? Did you bring your million dollar check with you son?
MAYBE YOU LOST A LOVE ONE IN KATRINA AND YOU WANT TO DONATE THAT INHERITENCE YOU GOT TUCKED AWAY FOR A "RAINY" DAY!
DICK MORRIS, SAID WHAT.....
Posted by: Roger Morris | February 26, 2008 1:50 PM
John E:
You forgot the part where Bush said that he was going to send MORE money to Iraq for the war. Never mind spending it on things that will help Americans here.
He better do that now - once Barack gets into office, his friends at Halliburton will be in big trouble.
Posted by: BobinATL | February 26, 2008 2:10 PM
Why was there an entire article named after one opening joke? And why is someone unhappy that there's jokes being made while we're at war? Is a movie maker being disrespectful of our service men and women if he/she makes a comedy? Should everyone in the US dress in black for the entirety of the war? If he was making jokes about the soldiers, then I would protest. But making jokes? I think someone is looking for an excuse to criticize.
Posted by: Green | February 27, 2008 1:32 AM
Here is one link of too many to list for Obama/Rezko ties:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3433485.ece
Notice it is a UK paper. Libel laws are draconian there, so its true or the billionaire Auchi would sue the hell out of the Times.
Some of these Obama supporters are the most vile people I'v ever seen on the net. Inbreeding in Missouri? And you wonder why middle america hates your guts? Grow up people and start looking into the "saviors" past. You won't like what you see if you take off the blinders the Obama campaign has been handing out.
Seriously people!! And when people do hit Obama with true negative information from his past, will people see he is not "an agent of change" and that he is really an "agent of corrupt Chicago politics." I'm from Chicago and its worse here than any other city in America. BTW, Jim Edgar is a statesman and has never liked getting in the gutter, but he knows the truth.
If anyone really wants t learn about this guy, go to: http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com
Posted by: Joe | February 27, 2008 4:39 PM
So what were the other Obama jokes?
The funniest I've seen is someone saying that Drudge's photo looked like Obama had been TP'd.
Btw here is the source of the photo, a legitimate African site: http://www.geeskaafrika.com/ethiopia_31aug06.htm
RW websites have been circulating it for weeks, real journalists have received it in email but without any connection with any Clinton staff.
Posted by: 1950democrat | February 27, 2008 5:19 PM
Gee John (not John D) it must have been all that Missouri inbreeding that put your boy Obama into the winner's circle on Super Tuesday because they certainly fell for his B.S.
Actually, I think this is the first funny thing Matt Blunt has said since he was elected. Too bad he is not running again, I might have voted for him on this comment alone.
Posted by: Sue | February 27, 2008 10:37 PM
Like any good Chicago politician, Obama would often go the cemetary to register voters. One night he came across a grave so old and worn that he couldn't make out the name on the tombstone. The staffer holding the flashlight got impatient and suggested they just move on to the next plot. Obama angrily exclaimed, "This person has a much right to vote as anyone else here!"
Posted by: Hillary Kitten | May 23, 2008 2:23 AM