The 2012 GOP field reacts to OBL death

Via Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post:

In the reactions from the 2012 field thus far, it’s notable that not everyone makes mention of President Obama…

Mitt Romney: “This is a great victory for lovers of freedom and justice everywhere. Congratulations to our intelligence community, our military and the president. My thoughts are with the families of Osama bin Laden’s many thousands of victims, and the brave servicemen and women who have laid down their lives in pursuit of this murderous terrorist.”

Tim Pawlenty: “This is terrific news for freedom and justice. In the hours after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush promised that America would bring Osama bin Laden to justice — and we did. I want to congratulate America’s armed forces and President Obama for a job well done. Let history show that the perseverance of the US military and the American people never wavered. America will never shrink from the fight and ultimately those who seek to harm us face only defeat. Today, justice is done, but the fight against radical Islamic terrorism is not yet over.”

Mike Huckabee: “It is unusual to celebrate a death, but today Americans and decent people the world over cheer the news that madman, murderer and terrorist Osama Bin Laden is dead. The leader of Al Qaeda— responsible for the deaths of 3000 innocent citizens on September 11, 2001, and whose maniacal hate is responsible for the deaths of thousands of US servicemen and women was killed by U.S. military. President Obama confirmed the announcement late last night. DNA tests confirmed his death and his body is in the possession of the U. S.

“It has taken a long time for this monster to be brought to justice. Welcome to hell, bin Laden. Let us all hope that his demise will serve notice to Islamic radicals the world over that the United States will berelentless in tracking down and terminating those who would inflict terror, mayhem and death on any of our citizens.”

Michele Bachmann: “Tonight’s news does not bring back the lives of the thousands of innocent people who were killed that day by Osama bin Laden’s horrific plan, and it does not end the threat posed by terrorists, but it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end of Sharia-compliant terrorism.”

Rick Santorum: “This is extraordinary news for all freedom-loving people of the world, and I commend all those involved for this historic triumph. Americans have waited nearly ten years for the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. And while this is a very significant objective that cannot be minimized, the threat from Jihadism does not die with bin Laden. As we were vigilant in taking him out, we need to demonstrate we will continue to be vigilant until the enemy hasbeen subdued.”

Sarah Palin: “Americans tonight are united in celebration and gratitude. God bless all the brave men and women in our military and our intelligence services who contributed to carrying out the successful mission to bring Bin Laden to justice and who laid the groundwork over the years to make this victory possible. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of these brave Americans who relentlessly hunted down our enemy. 

 “This is a victory for the American people, for the victims who were heartlessly murdered on September 11 and in Al Qaeda’s other numerous attacks, and for all the peace-loving people of the world.

May God bless our troops and our intelligence services, and God bless America!”

Donald Trump: “I want to personally congratulate President Obama and the men and women of the Armed Forces. I am so proud to see Americans standing shoulder to shoulder, waving the American flag in celebration of this great victory,” he added. “We should spend the next several days not debating party politics, but in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those currently fighting for our freedom. God Bless America!”

Former MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty announces 2012 bid

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has announced of the formation of an exploratory committee.

Like most candidate propaganda, it’s comically self-congratulating. Tim Pawlenty has been to almost all of the states! Tim Pawlenty put on a jumpsuit and talked to factory people! Tim Pawlenty plays touch football with small children, and his team probably won, because Tim Pawlenty is strong, and he runs fast on high strong legs! But the really comical part is when a track of uproarious applause begins (1:28) when he announces his exploratory committee. Average  Americans have not only heard of Tim Pawlenty, but they’re so happy he’s running for president!

Also: Allfather Ronald Reagan (1:15) personified all of America, and his contributions to the Union get priority over Lincoln’s, again.

But overall, the ad isn’t as negative as I expected. There are only passing references to “taking our government back,” which is so commonplace it’s only disturbing if you think about it. (“Take it back” from…who? The 69,456,897 people who voted for the current president?)

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Earlier this year, I covered Pawlenty when he went on the radio show of Brian Fischer, a fanatic dominionist who wants “elegant” biblical law enforced in the US, believes Native Americans were punished with conquest, alcoholism and poverty for not converting to Christianity, has called for the barring of Muslims from the US military, and claimed that letting people’s houses burn down is “the Christian thing” to do. I find it astounding and depressing that a candidate for highest office in a nation explicitly founded on Enlightenment principles courts theocratic thugs like Fischer and his listeners for support.

Michele Bachmann “all in” for 2012?

(above) Michele Bachmann does not believed this happened, but would probably accomplish something very similar as president.

Via the Minnesota Independent, some conspicuous closing remarks from a speech to some 200 loyalists in South Carolina:

“And so now it’s for us. We decide. Do we go on? Or does the bubble burst? And I’ve made my decision. That’s why I’m here in South Carolina. Because I say the dream goes on,” she said. “And I’ve made a decision that I am all in to preserve the liberties to the latest generation. This dream doesn’t die with us. This dream goes on to the next generation. We have too much invested in that generation, because we are the indispensable nation of the world.”

Bachmann concluded, “So it is our time and it’s about 2012 and I’m in, and so I ask you tonight, are you in for 2012?”

Bachmann could have just been saying she was “all in” for throwing her full support behind a Tea Party candidate next year; or she could have been suggesting she would run herself.

Also: US News and World Report fact checks Bachmann’s speech.

“I have lots of options for the future”

Sharron Angle, the failed 2010 GOP nominee for Harry Reid’s Senate seat, who suggested “second amendment remedies” to Obama’s policies, used air quotes around the word “autism,” mocked the concept of paid maternity leave because ”I’m not gonna have any more babies,”  who told a roomful of Latino students “ look a little more Asian to me”, who once belonged to a third party whose literature referred to gays as “sodomites” and “brazen perverts,”  and who once fled her own press conference without answering any questions, has not ruled out a 2012 presidential run. She’s in Iowa–a traditional testing field for would-be runners–this week, previewing a comically un-self-aware creationist movie.

Newt Gingrich tells Georgia GOP meeting he’ll run in 2012, spokesman backtracks

Via MSNBC:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has told several prominent Republicans in his former state of Georgia that he intends to run for president in 2012, according to an online column Friday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gingrich told them that he plans to use Georgia as a base for his campaign and is looking for office space in Buckhead for a campaign headquarters, columnist Jim Galloway wrote in his Political Insider column.

However, Rick Tyler, a spokesman for Gingrich, told Galloway the former House speaker’s schedule for deciding on a 2012 presidential run had not changed. “His plans are to decide on whether to create an exploratory committee in late February, and make a decision about his candidacy in March,” Tyler said, according to the newspaper column.

Russ Feingold sweeps The Nation!

My alma mater’s shiniest new law school lecturer gives his first post-Senate interview. Have at it, Marquette people!

A second GOP nominee for 2012?

In an appearance the talk radio show of Brian Fischer (the charmer who argued that Tenessee firefirghers did the right thing when they let a man’s house burn to the ground), former Republican Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty was floated several hypotheticals about “if [he] became president in 2012″ about reinstating a ban on out gays in the military, defending DOMA, and appointing anti-abortion judges.  

Two takeaways: First, it’s simply appalling that there are mainstream politicains who will argue for keeping America in the ranks of countries who still prohibit gays and lesbians from the military, whose membership reads like the rogues gallery for the axis of evil–Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, etc. Secondly, and more relevant to the point in my headline: Pawlenty did not ask Fischer to slow down and deny that he had no plans to run in 2012.

There’s been chatter about the possibility of Pawlenty running for some time (the first phrase Google suggests when you type in his name is “pawlenty 2012″), some of it initiated by the man himself. As of late he has toured his book, Courage to Stand, the sort of inspirational-autobiography-cum-policy-manifesto that generally marks interest in higher office.

So it begins

Herman Cain (right) with Ann Coulter (ironically, left)

Herman Cain, Georgia-based AM talk radio host, columnist, gold bug and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza (?) is the first person to launch an exploratory committee for the Republican primaries for 2012 presidential election.