Breaking: Sununu becomes the first GOP Senator to say Gonzales should leave

Why would Sununu rush to call for Gonzales' ouster? (4.00 / 1)

1) The one non-Bush enabling thing he's done in five years is to criticize recently the Patriot Act.  This disgusting scandal gets its permission slip from the Patriot Act.

2) He's finally figured out he's under 50% approval, but he keeps voting with the likes of Gregg and not with the likes of Collins, Snowe, Voinovich, Gordon, etc...

3) We are only just beginning to realize the "slow walk" phonejamming implications of this story in respect to Colantuono.  Any news there hurts Sununu, because it reminds voters that his success in 2002 was illegitimate.

4) Sununu totally ignored his constituents concerns about Gonzales and torture.

Most of all, I think the light bulb just went on in his head that as long as he carries Bush's water he can't win in 2008.

What he doesn't yet realize is that it's too late for a fourth quarter Hail Mary.  His record heretofore is crystal clear.

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by: Dean Barker @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 17:27:19 PM CDT

Another theory (4.00 / 1)

inspired by you:

Big John McCain asked him to float a trial balloon, while McCain hides on the issue.

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 17:31:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, I'm still stewing on the McCain angle (0.00 / 0)

and hadn't thought of that.  That makes a lot of sense.

I see also that Sununu voted against the Homeland Security bill, while his BFF McCain once again couldn't be bothered to show up for a vote.

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by: Dean Barker @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 17:38:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Note to Marchand, Swett, Buckey: (4.00 / 3)

This story could have been, "After a likely challenger called for Gonzales' removal, Senator John Sununu..."

This sort of thing will happen over the next year and a half. Get ahead of him!

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 18:37:55 PM CDT

Oh, great (4.00 / 1)

So, how many times are we going to hear on the campaign trail about that one time he criticed that one bush administration official as evidence that he's indypendant?

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by: Nicholas Gunn @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 18:43:12 PM CDT

Timetable prediction (0.00 / 0)

The Senate has Easter recess in 2.5 weeks.

Gonzales resigns during the recess, and Bush immediately announces his replacement by recess appointment.

Someone who might have trouble getting past the Senate, precisely because s/he will be committed to keeping the lid on all the scandals.

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 18:50:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, the MSM lovefest that will emanate from this (0.00 / 0)

will completely drown out Sununu's vote against the 9/11 recommendations and all of his recent Iraq votes.

Why a lovefest?  Because Republicans are now more desperate than ever to get off the rapidly sinking USS Bush-Cheney, and this helps them feel like they can do so and remain within the corrupt shell their party has become.

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by: Dean Barker @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 18:53:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Me thinks... (0.00 / 0)

he could be gearing up for his re-election bid in 2008. The more he distances himself from the GOP the better his chances "might" be.

Seems like his race could resemble a lot like Lincoln Chaffee's last November.

... but it's all just speculation of course.

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by: NH Ex-pat @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 18:49:16 PM CDT

I wonder... (0.00 / 0)

...Could the Club for Growth endorsement prompt a primary challenge from a "moderate" Republican? After seeing the CfG's campaign to wipe out GOP moderates, might someone strike back?

(BTW, that CfG endorsement makes the comparison to Chafee pretty untenable.)

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 18:54:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

didn't (0.00 / 0)

the Republican Main Street Partnership also endorse Sununu?  You Know, the one now chaired by Charlie Bass.

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by: Nicholas Gunn @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 12:32:56 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Betsy! (0.00 / 0)

Read your stuff all the time,particularly during the last election cycle -- so glad you decided to cross-post here!

As for Sununu, he certainly knows how to play a hero while acting a villian.

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by: Mike Caulfield @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 19:26:56 PM CDT

Climate Change (4.00 / 1)

Does anyone want to start a pool on when he changes his position on global warming? 
This "independent" Republican riff didn't work for Bass, won't work here.

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by: Frodo @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 20:23:32 PM CDT

That's what I was thinking (0.00 / 0)

Frodo you are correct it didn't work for Charlie.
But he took Hodes for granted, like a deer in the headlights when he figured out that the guy he toated by 20 points was ahead. He thought evryone loved him and that was his biggest mistake. They did not love Bush or his policies any more.
Johnny 'Palindrome' Sununu's situation is quite different.It's a long way out, he knows he's in deep shizzle, and he's trying to turn around the Queen Mary...the image of him alone, the engineer in the wheelhouse just wailing on the wheel comes to mind. he will also benefit from his party having picked a leader, running for President, who will be flogging the Dems for a year or more.
Charlie lost with no turnout by his base... there will be R turnout in '08...they'll be back...we need our best candidate, and hard work.
Reading here you'd think Johnny Sununu already lost. 18 months can be lifetimes in politics and enough time to re-package...look at how many times Clinton changed positions, and Dick Morris Svengali-ed him back into power.
Don't anything for granted.

Next time, there may be no next time.

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by: Jon Bresler @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 20:47:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I can see the headlines now: (4.00 / 1)

Sununu calls for energy independent NH

Sununu to business leaders: "You need to start complaining about health care"

I told you I was always against the surge, says Sununu

Junior Senator blames Gonzales for earlier stem cell vote

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by: Dean Barker @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 20:50:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bass and Sununu had very different... (4.00 / 2)

...political brand images.

Bass posed as The Last of the New England Moderates. Good record on the environment, strong on women's rights, pro-choice.

Sununu posed as the Independent, Conservative Yankee Voice. Solid with the evangelical wing, anti-choice, not particularly strong on the environment -- but with a Maverick Streak that sometimes led to a speech (but not a vote) opposing the latest civil liberties outrage.

Each of these brand images has been destroyed by the Bush / Frist / McConnell demand for ideological purity.

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 21:00:08 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hahahaha (4.00 / 1)

Sununu's right wing base ain't too happy.

Some choice selections from the "other" side:

Dammit, if Bush caves into this any and every investigation into democrat corruption and crime will never see the light of day.

Grow some damn cajones and tell John Sununu to stick it.

darwin on March 14, 2007 at 5:19 PM

...Sununu doesn't have anyone in a leadership position to giv'em five across the eyes, combined with the fact that he can get away with this crap because he's in the northeast, and we need a handful of people in the Northeast, if only for want of warm bodies in Capitol Hill with an R beside their name.

Bad Candy on March 14, 2007 at 5:43 PM

Let me be the first Republican to make a proposal for a new law limiting the amount of "U"s and "N"s allowed in one person's name.

RightWinged on March 14, 2007 at 6:08 PM

That entire New England Republican crew has turned to jelly. Obviously their values are whatever the polls say they should be. Those dolts will never grow a backbone and it's time to dump every one of them.

rplat on March 14, 2007 at 6:32 PM

DOLT!

Kini on March 14, 2007 at 7:16 PM

Traitor ! !

Texyank on March 14, 2007 at 10:02 PM

Is this guy's middle name "Benedict" or "Arnold" by any chance?

Tim Burton on March 14, 2007 at 10:13 PM

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by: Dean Barker @ Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 21:56:25 PM CDT

Sununu! (4.00 / 1)

The guy has "UN" in his name twice!

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by: elwood @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 08:47:35 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Applying a little pressure: (0.00 / 0)

Hello all,

The Anti-War Poetry Reading at Sen Sununu's Portsmouth office took place March 13, Tuesday.  Those present included current Portsmouth Poet Laureate Mimi White, former Portsmouth Poet Laureates Maren Tirabassi and John Perrault, former NH Poet Laureate Marie Harris and Stratham poet Mark Decarteret.  There were 11 of us total.  It was a moving and powerful event to be a part of.

We read anti-war poetry, much of it newly written for the occasion, and gave copies of "The Other Side of Sorrow" to the staff, an anti-war poetry book edited by NH poet Pat Frisella.  We also delivered a protest letter to Senator Sununu's staff from the poets, and a letter from SPR with questions that we want answered by the Senator.  We were told we would hear back from him. 

We continue to be told that the Senator does not yet have a position on the impending US attacks on Iran.  It seems that he is against a troop surge without more help from the Iraqi government, but we're not sure if he thinks the troops should be pulled entirely otherwise.
We did get some media coverage, links below.

Seacoast Peace Response, and NH Peace Action, will be continuing this campaign to pressure Sununu to work and vote against the Iraq occupation & potential Iran war. 

What next, exactly, is being worked out now.  Please let me know how you would like to be involved.

The Senator is very aware that his job is in jeapordy over this issue for the 2008 elections.  We hope that you will all stay involved.

Thanks & Peace,
Amy

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by: hannah @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 04:19:13 AM CDT

veepstakes??? (4.00 / 1)

I liked the idea that Sen. Sununu's announcement may have been a test balloon for Sen. McCain, and that Sen. Sununu is trying to moderate himself for the upcoming election cycle. 

But what if he's not running for re-election?  What if he's trying to become Sen. McCain's RUNNING MATE?

Hear me out for a second.  Sununu hails from one of the most connected political families in NH, possibly the country.  His father was governor and Pres. George H. W. Bush's chief of staff.  He all but appointed David Souter to the Supreme Court (yeah, that one didn't really work out so well for the conservatives, but I digress.)  At least in terms of foreign policy, tapping Sununu as a running mate may begin to heal the rift between Bush-41 and Bush-43 Republicans.  And, with Sen. McCain struggling to make headway in the polls against Mr. Giuliani, an endorsement from NH's 2nd highest-ranking Republican official would go far the GOP primary fight, even though Sununu is slipping in general popularity. 

One could also make a strong case for Sen. Sununu as a general election candidate.  First, his youth (42 as of this writing) and (perceived) fitness serves as a reassuring counterweight to Sen. McCain's age issue that he will probably face.  He has experience in both the House and Senate and was educated at MIT (which I think would be a first for the VP) and Harvard (obviously not a first.)  And, with the GOP struggling in the Northeast, elevating a New England Republican may serve as a signal that the Republicans haven't given up the ghost on the region. (This would also combine a Southwest candidate with a Northeast one: not exactly a "heartland" ticket, but maybe a "bridge across america" ticket?)  Sen. Sununu also has Lebanese (Palestinian) family ties, and he can refer to Middle East issues with some background that contains a personal element.  In fact, I can recall this being considered a kudos when he has spoken out on the Middle East (particularly Israel-Palestine) in the past, but I cannot provide a source for this assertion. 

And finally, McCain and Sununu are friends to begin with!  Shouldn't you at least be able to tolerate your running mate?  In 2000, then-Gov. Bush and Dick Cheney did what Sen. Kerry and John Edwards overdid in 2004: gave the appearance of a real chemistry that I think people want to know exists between a President and a Vice President.

Now, to sum up, DO NOT read this post as advocacy that this SHOULD happen.  I disagree with Sen. Sununu on just about anything, and the only reason I would like to see him on a McCain ticket is because it may make it easier for the Democrats to pick up next year.  This post was simply intended to air out one of my many insane political hypotheticals that I come up with, and to see what my Comrades in Blue think.

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by: NH_expat @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 15:25:25 PM CDT

That's been the subtext (4.00 / 1)

Dean (the Blue Hamster, not the party chair) believes that McCain is stringing along considering both John Sununu of NH (first primary) and Lindsey Graham of SC (second primary) for Veep, and they are both wooing him.

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by: elwood @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 16:14:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

More likely (0.00 / 0)

He's toying with them to try and leverage their influence in their important primary states.

Just a hunch.

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by: Nicholas Gunn @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 16:16:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, thanks. (0.00 / 0)

I've been banging the Best Friends Forever Senators John-John drum for quite a while now, and McCain himself explicitly mentioned him as a veep possibility.

I keep meaning to do a post detailing in full their relationship, but I keep getting sidetracked by the news of the day.

So far, they have only two items that may lead to irreconcilable differences: climate change (how insane that Sununu is to the right of McCain on that one?) and this recent call for Abu Gonzo's head (McCain has expressed support for Torture Guy since Sununu's news).  On that last matter, I'm still wondering whether that may signal a divorce between the two, kind of a revenge for the "gadzooks, St. John, you are sending my re-election straight down the toilet with this ridiculous surge I have to keep propping up" track which must be playing in the younger John's head.

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 18:24:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]