Starting Lineup: Allen's Return
Good Monday morning and welcome to the Starting Lineup. Here's our take on the day's political news.
Et tu, Webb? Former Virginia Sen. and Gov. George Allen (R) will make it official on Monday: He'll run for his old Senate seat next year.
While Allen -- and recollections of his infamous "macaca" moment -- will dominate the news cycle, the attention will quickly turn to Sen. Jim Webb (D), who Allen lost to in 2006 and who has been noncommittal about whether he'll seek reelection next year. If Webb doesn't run, the Democratic bench is so thin that Allen will likely have an easy path back to the Senate in the general election -- particularly with Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine saying he won't run.
Allen will face a challenge in the Republican primary. He got a break late last year when the Virginia GOP voted to hold a primary to choose their Senate nominee, instead of a vote at the convention -- which Allen preferred. However, Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart looks increasingly like he's going to run, and Tea Party activist Jamie Radtke has already said he's in -- and both represent a challenge from Allen's right.
Most likely in response to that, the New York Times reports that Allen will call himself "the original Tea Partier."
If Stewart gets in, this will be a great GOP primary to watch. It very well could be one of the marquee Tea Party v. Establishment showdowns of the 2012 cycle and it's in a state that is a top pick up opportunity for the GOP.
The GOP's Prebuttal: Those looking forward to seeing what Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R) would say in the Republican rebuttal to Pres. Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night, got more than just a preview on Sunday when Republicans took to the morning talk shows. Led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Republicans gave the response early.
Their focus was entirely on spending -- a sure sign that the GOP is seeking to take control of the issue and the likely focus of what Ryan -- the new chairman of the Budget Committee -- will say in his rebuttal. And it looks like Republicans are posturing that they will hold raising the debt ceiling hostage until other significant budget cuts are made.
Here's Cantor on "Meet The Press": "Republicans are not going to vote for this increase in the debt limit unless there are serious spending cuts and reforms...That is just the way it is."
About That N.H. Straw Poll: There was plenty of ink over the weekend about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) winning a straw poll of the New Hampshire GOP's committee members at their convention on Saturday with 35 percent of the vote -- an early sign that Romney is the early frontrunner in the Granite State.
There are a few other important parts of that convention to note. First is Tea Party-backed Jack Kimball becoming state chairman. Second is Texas Rep. and Tea Party favorite Ron Paul (R) coming in second in the straw poll with 11 percent.
Third -- and least noticed -- were the results of the straw poll's second question: What is the most important issue for the Republican presidential nominee to focus on? Nearly a majority -- 49 percent -- of the committee members say reducing the size of government -- a rallying cry of the Tea Party movement. The second place finisher -- reducing the size of the deficit and debt -- finished far behind with 15 percent.
Those three results suggest that there is a real opening for a budget cutting Republican, at least among the influential committee members (independents can also vote in the Republican primary). The last result also underlines the opportunity for an anti-establishment contender to make significant inroads into Romney's support.
Scalia To Capitol Hill: Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will deliver remarks to the House Tea Party Caucus on Capitol Hill Monday. Scalia, according to the caucus, will focus on Scalia's judicial philosophy -- Constitution originalism -- which appeals to many freshman Republican members. The speech, however, is creating some controversy, as legal scholars are saying it represents an unlawful coordination of two branches of government.
The Starting Five
1. Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (R) staff vows to carry on her work as she continues her steady recovery.
2. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) heads to New Hampshire on Monday.
3. West Virginia will hold its special election for governor on Oct. 4.
4. In case you missed it, it sure looks like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) is serious about a presidential run this time around.
5. Which Supreme Court justices will skip the State of the Union on Tuesday?
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