Entries for June 2009

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

The world seems divided today between people who view Michael Jackson's death as an all-consuming, world-stopping Event and those who, while acknowledging that yes, he was talented and famous, wonder whether there might be other news going on in the world that is worth taking note of. As we approach hour 24 of the PM (Post-Michael) Era, it is clear that the people running the 24-hour "news" networks seem to be ecstatically smoking, as Allahpundit Tweets it, the "Jacko Cracko." (Excepting when one of them showed newly released security camera video of...Mark Sanford walking through an airport. Seriously.) I'm in the other camp.

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Democracy Corps has a new research memo out on how Obama and the Dems can create a "sustainable majority for healthcare reform." The word sustainable reflects the fact that healthcare reform tends to be more popular in the abstract than when it is leavened with details. They described the Obama plan, including how it will be funded (I've appended the description at the end of this post) and charted how different demographics respond. The things that caught my eye had to do with intensity: While likely voters support the Obama plan 50-43, only 21 percent "strongly favor" it, while 30 percent "strongly oppose" it. And here's the one that should bring a broad smile to Republican faces: Seniors oppose the Obama plan 54-35, with 41 percent strongly opposing it and only 14 percent strongly favoring it. Kind of an important demographic that.

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

According to a new SurveyUSA poll (h/t pollster.com), 60 percent of South Carolina adults believe that Mark Sanford should resign as governor. A couple of interesting details: More younger Palmettans think he should resign (65 percent of those 18-34 and 72 percent of those 35-49) than do older ones (54 percent of those 50-64 and 42 percent of those over 65). In fact, a majority of South Carolinians over 65 think he should stay in office. What the poll doesn't answer is: Does the "resign" crowd think he should go because he had an affair or because he flaked out on his job?

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Erick Erickson at RedState has gotten a good bit of grief from the left for a Tuesday blog post absurdly defending Gov. Mark Sanford's then-mysterious road trip. He wrote a subsequent post walking his defense back, but still misses a couple of key points.

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Whoah. That was not something you see every day in politics. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, after days of literal and figurative evasion, apparently laid himself emotionally bare. His voice breaking at times, Sanford admitted that not only had he lied about his whereabouts but that he had been unfaithful to his wife. And he spoke with (what we presume to be) a kind of emotional honesty one does not hear among politicians. "I have been unfaithful to my wife. I developed a relationship with what started out as a dear, dear friend from Argentina," he said.

Good for him for candor. He managed to sap a political circus of its snarky glee—and that's not easy to do. "This is genuinely painful, sad," TPM's Josh Marshall blogged under the headline "Sanford Trainwreck Presser Liveblogging."

He resigns as chairman of the Republican Governors' Association and pledges an apology tour of South Carolina. I think we can safely assume that he'll be too busy trying to rebuild his personal and political relationships at home to worry about 2012, even if his initial flakiness and moral lapses would not have disqualified him. "The guy could have been president. Now he's finished. Witness the power of the male libido," HotAir's Allahpundit Tweets.

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Maybe we should call him "Indiana" Sanford. Maybe he was traipsing through the South American jungles with a bull-whip, fedora, and leather jacket, hunting for hidden gold. Maybe the South Carolina governor is on a personal quest to visit all places with "South" in their names. His next stop might well be South Dakota. Speaking of south, that's the direction Sanford's presidential aspirations have gone, according to my colleagues over at Washington Whispers. "Governor Sanford has disqualified himself," one strategist told Whispers. Talk about a story that has devolved as it has evolved. My initial take was: What's the big deal? He wants to get away and commune with nature—undoubtedly he's left contact info with the appropriate people and his staff is being overprotective and exaggerating when they say that he's "out of pocket." Nope. In fact they were understating the case: He was "out of country." And now it looks like he's out of the 2012 race because he apparently has a propensity for taking leave of his senses. I can't wait for his 2 p.m. presser.

In the mean time, as a TPM reader noted, "hiking the Appalachian Trail" is a new instant political metaphor.

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

David Brooks has a typically interesting column in today's Times arguing in favor of ending the tax exemption on employer-provided health benefits specifically and more broadly for a health overhaul plan (which contains that idea) cosponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, and Bill Bennett, a Utah Republican. But Brooks makes the mistake of assuming that because an idea makes practical sense it is politically viable.