muzzled dogg
03-29-2011, 10:09 AM
MONDAY UPDATE: SUNUNU IN MITT'S CORNER? Officially, John H. Sununu has endorsed no one, yet, for the Republican presidential nomination, but it's becoming evident that when Mitt Romney announces, the former governor and former state GOP chairman will likely move quickly to his corner.
Sununu has given his informal blessing to the former Massachusetts governor several times lately, most recently pronouncing Romney at "the head of the pack" in New Hampshire. That's no surprise, really; the two have long been friendly.
At the same time, Sununu criticized outgoing Obama administration Ambassador to China and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He spoke warily of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. But he's also been mildly complimentary to former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Other camps say privately it's clear where Sununu's allegiance lies. They have been quietly seething about Sununu critiquing candidates as though he is as an unattached "free agent," when, they say, he is virtually a Romney surrogate at this point. These camps say Sununu should simply identify himself as a Romney supporter (and the media should do the same ) so that any future Sununu criticisms of the others are viewed in the proper context.
They also say Sununu's comments against Huntsman (Sununu has vowed to work against Huntsman) and Gingrich, and his skepticism of Barbour, are not in the spirit of welcoming all GOP candidates to participate in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary that Sununu espoused as state GOP chairman.
They say it's not good for the primary that someone who attracts as much attention in national political circles as Sununu does takes shots at candidates at this early stage without his comments being accurately portrayed as those of a supporter of an opposing candidate.
Romney's camp, by the way, insists it has no idea who Sununu will end up endorsing.
Sununu has defended Romney for backing and signing into law a Massachusetts health care plan that has an individual mandate not unlike the federal plan that Romney and other GOP potential candidates now want repealed and replaced. He has lauded Romney's experience as a chief executive.
He has blasted Huntsman as too liberal and for serving in Barack Obama's administration. He said Gingrich must explain why in 2008, he appeared in a television ad with fellow former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to call for action on climate change. He said that Barbour "does have a problem that he didn't handle so well" on a few race-related controversies.
A supporter of another potential candidate says Sununu's "attacks" actually hurt Sununu and Romney more than the person being criticized, and are hurtful to Sununu's "legacy."
That, of course, remains to be seen, but a measure of state GOP's rank-and-file support for its former chairman will be on display on Tuesday night, when Sununu is honored at a party fund-raiser in Concord, headlined by Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus.
On Monday afternoon, party spokesman Christine Baratta said about 300 were expected to attend. Potential candidates who have so far purchased sponsorships are Pawlenty ($5,000), Michele Bachmann ($5,000), Rick Santorum ($1,000), Romney ($1,000), Ron Paul ($1,000) and Herman Cain ($1,000). Those targeted by Sununu _ Gingrich, Barbour or the likely future Huntsman campaign organization, the Horizon PAC _ have yet to be heard from.
Earlier updates and the full March 24 Granite Status follow.
http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=John+DiStaso%27s+Granite+Sta tus%3a+Huntsman%27s+%22campaign-in-waiting%22+taps+two+local+Republicans+to+head+NH+e ffort&articleId=23204267-5b5e-400e-b338-a0583bb37d57
Sununu has given his informal blessing to the former Massachusetts governor several times lately, most recently pronouncing Romney at "the head of the pack" in New Hampshire. That's no surprise, really; the two have long been friendly.
At the same time, Sununu criticized outgoing Obama administration Ambassador to China and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He spoke warily of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. But he's also been mildly complimentary to former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Other camps say privately it's clear where Sununu's allegiance lies. They have been quietly seething about Sununu critiquing candidates as though he is as an unattached "free agent," when, they say, he is virtually a Romney surrogate at this point. These camps say Sununu should simply identify himself as a Romney supporter (and the media should do the same ) so that any future Sununu criticisms of the others are viewed in the proper context.
They also say Sununu's comments against Huntsman (Sununu has vowed to work against Huntsman) and Gingrich, and his skepticism of Barbour, are not in the spirit of welcoming all GOP candidates to participate in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary that Sununu espoused as state GOP chairman.
They say it's not good for the primary that someone who attracts as much attention in national political circles as Sununu does takes shots at candidates at this early stage without his comments being accurately portrayed as those of a supporter of an opposing candidate.
Romney's camp, by the way, insists it has no idea who Sununu will end up endorsing.
Sununu has defended Romney for backing and signing into law a Massachusetts health care plan that has an individual mandate not unlike the federal plan that Romney and other GOP potential candidates now want repealed and replaced. He has lauded Romney's experience as a chief executive.
He has blasted Huntsman as too liberal and for serving in Barack Obama's administration. He said Gingrich must explain why in 2008, he appeared in a television ad with fellow former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to call for action on climate change. He said that Barbour "does have a problem that he didn't handle so well" on a few race-related controversies.
A supporter of another potential candidate says Sununu's "attacks" actually hurt Sununu and Romney more than the person being criticized, and are hurtful to Sununu's "legacy."
That, of course, remains to be seen, but a measure of state GOP's rank-and-file support for its former chairman will be on display on Tuesday night, when Sununu is honored at a party fund-raiser in Concord, headlined by Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus.
On Monday afternoon, party spokesman Christine Baratta said about 300 were expected to attend. Potential candidates who have so far purchased sponsorships are Pawlenty ($5,000), Michele Bachmann ($5,000), Rick Santorum ($1,000), Romney ($1,000), Ron Paul ($1,000) and Herman Cain ($1,000). Those targeted by Sununu _ Gingrich, Barbour or the likely future Huntsman campaign organization, the Horizon PAC _ have yet to be heard from.
Earlier updates and the full March 24 Granite Status follow.
http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=John+DiStaso%27s+Granite+Sta tus%3a+Huntsman%27s+%22campaign-in-waiting%22+taps+two+local+Republicans+to+head+NH+e ffort&articleId=23204267-5b5e-400e-b338-a0583bb37d57