Palin: Bus Tour Promotes 'Americana'
Taking a pit stop from the One Nation bus tour, Sarah Palin fielded more questions about her motivation for the cross-country trip on Fox News Sunday. The former governor said she still hasn't decided on a 2012 run, though the response to the tour has been "great confirmation of the need for real positive change." As for her Paul Revere history gaffe this week: "In a shout out gotcha type of question…I answered candidly."
Paul: 'We Don't Have Democracy'
Is ignorance bliss? On State of the Union, Candy Crowley asked 2012 hopeful Ron Paul if he understood the odds stacked against him. The Texas congressman said he begs to differ. "Mainstream is moving in the direction that I have been talking about for a long time and therefore nobody knows what the outcome will be in this election," he said, and later added that the U.S. doesn't have a democracy, anyway.
Goolsbee: 'Don't Make Too Much' of Jobs Reports
Fightin' words: On This Week, Christiane Amanpour held Austan Goolsbee's feet to the fire on the latest dismal jobs report, leading the two to spar over the "jobless recovery." The White House economic adviser said not to put a lot of stock in monthly reports and defended the Obama administration's record on job creation: "The overall direction is—yes—somewhat slowed from the stiff headwinds…But, overall the last six months, we've added a million jobs in the private sector."
Pelosi: Obama 'Pulled Us From the Brink' of Crisis
In the wake of Mitt Romney's comments that the president caused the financial crisis, Nancy Pelosi defended Obama's record on Face the Nation. The House minority leader sparred with Bob Schieffer over who's responsible for the lack of progress on jobs. "We're not in the majority in the House and so you're saying to me why haven't we brought something to the floor to create jobs? I think that's a better question asked to the Republicans," she said.
Who Is Herman Cain?
The 2012 Tea Party hopeful emerged from unknown status as a successful pizza store owner to lead a Gallup poll of GOP candidates last week. On This Week, Cain, drawing on a point made by Newsweek and The Daily Beast's Mark McKinnon, said fundraising won't determine campaign success: "There are two dynamics that have changed the political landscape: the power of the Internet as well as the citizens' Tea Party movement. Those dynamics neutralizes [sic] having the most amount of money."
A Former Weiner Talks Weinergate
Here's one way for Anthony Weiner to drum up sympathy: CBS reporter Nancy Cordes née Weiner said that while the congressman's racy underpants picture made for an awkward interview, she feels for him because of her former last name (no relation). "I can't think of anything more awkward…It was very surprising when he said, 'Well, I can't really say whether it's me or not,'" Cordes told Howard Kurtz on Reliable Sources.
Barbour: Obama Deliberately Raising Energy Costs
Is there an energy conspiracy theory? Haley Barbour certainly thinks so. The Mississippi governor told Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation that he believes the Obama administration is deliberately driving up energy prices as a way to control environmental policy. "There's no question about that. I mean, this administration's policy has clearly been to drive up the cost of energy so Americans would use less of it," he said.