RNC Steps in it on Rahm Emanuel Chief of Staff Pick

On the heels of Rahm Emanuel agreeing to the Chief of Staff position, the RNC had decided the best response is to blast Rahm:

Republicans attacked the selection, however. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement: “This is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil and govern from the center.”

This is amazingly boneheaded. Just days after McCain and Obama pledge cooperation, and with even George Bush being somewhat of a “team” player, the RNC decides to go to war on…the Chief of Staff? Watching MSNBC, Andrea Mitchell questions why they are picking this fight. Atlantic Media’s Ron Brownstein notes that this is why they are the minority party. Even the GOP pundit questioned why the RNC is starting out on this negative note. Meet the new RNC, same as the old RNC.

Solution For the Palin $150k Spending Spree

-Now, I’m not in the habit of giving McCain advice, but I’m starting to feel a little sorry for them. So here’s a little advice.

So the McCain camp is getting a lot of grief over spending $150k for Gov. Palin’s wardrobe, and even republicans aren’t happy:

“Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures. … The heat for this story will come from Republicans who cannot understand how their party would do something this stupid … particularly (and, it must be said, viewed retroactively) during the collapse of the financial system and the probable beginning of a recession.”

Now the press is having a field day, even speculating there may be tax implications:

I just got off the phone with a well-respected and well-known tax attorney who doesn’t want to be identified.

I asked him earlier in the day whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can avoid paying taxes on the $150,000 worth of clothes the RNC bought her, as she and the RNC maintain. (They said the RNC now owns the clothes; she’s just borrowing them.)

He said that, after consulting with a number of experts at his prominent firm, he thinks the RNC and Gov. Palin are wrong.

“It’s probably not a ‘gift,'” he said. “The issue is whether it counts as ‘income.'”

Now, I have a simple solution to this problem. Sell the clothes to Rich “Starbursts” Lowery. You remember Rich. He revealed after the Vice Presidential debate that Gov. Palin’s performance was so awesome, that he saw “starbursts”:

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

Just a moment to revisit my prediction on Sarah Palin’s speech:

The press, now feeling guilty at how tough they went after Palin (see: Mika B. brow-beaten by Halperin and Scarborough this morning into admitting the press is liberal and sexist), will swing their pendulum the other way go gaga and declare her an enormous success, qualified for the Presidency.

I’d say I’m happy to pat myself on the back that I nailed this outcome, but instead I feel profoundly sad.

A Prediction

After extensive training, Sarah Palin is going to give a serious-sounding, policy-heavy speech tonight. She will acknowledge her background isn’t the most conventional, but then pivot into some major details. She will discuss foreign policy a bit. She will talk about the need for reform, change, and competent government that “takes on the system.” The speech will be tailored to swing voters, and light on social conservative red meat.

The press, now feeling guilty at how tough they went after Palin (see: Mika B. brow-beaten by Halperin and Scarborough this morning into admitting the press is liberal and sexist), will swing their pendulum the other way go gaga and declare her an enormous success, qualified for the Presidency.

Just a prediction.

Dems Plan Welcome to Twin Cities

Bus shelters and billboards around town will feature this image, courtesy of the DNC (via Ben Smith):

July fundraising: Obama nearly doubles McCain, DNC outraises RNC

The fundraising figures for the Obama campaign and the DNC are in today, and there is a lot of good news to go around.   Obama raised more than $51 million, while the DNC raised $27.7 million

From the AP

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised more than $51 million in July and the Democratic National Committee reported $27.7 million in donations last month, putting Obama in a strong position for the fall campaign.

Obama’s $51 million, although down a hair from last month when he raised $52 million, still almost doubles the $27 million McCain raised in July (his best ever).  Even though Obama’s figures are slightly down from last month, they are encouraging.  Last month Obama got a significant fundraising bounce from wrapping up the Democratic nomination, and this month he was overseas for a significant portion of the trip, which prevented him from fundraising.  August looks to be a really robust fundraising month for Senator Obama. Both Senator Obama’s birthday earlier this month and the Democratic Convention at the end of the month will provide Senator Obama with a boost in fundraising.  I’m willing to go out on a limb and predict that Senator Obama’s August fundraising figures will break his monthly record of $55 million (February 2008).

The DNC’s fundraising figures are even better news for the Democrats than Obama’s fundraising figures.  Up until now, the DNC has sort of been the black sheep of the Democratic fundraising committees this cycle.  While the Obama campaign, the DSCC, and the DCCC have all significantly outraised their Republican counterparts this election, the DNC has been getting badly beaten by the RNC this cycle.  This looks like it is about to change as the DNC outraised the RNC last month for the first time since October 2004.  Obama’s big donors came through for the party as the DNC raised $27.7 million compared with the RNC’s $26 million.