Illinois Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has fired back at Texas GOP Gov. Rick Perry for taking out full-page ads in Illinois journals, urging businesses to relocate to his more business-friendly, less-taxed state.
Quinn, at a news conference last week, said of Perry: “I was his roommate when we went to Iraq and Afghanistan. So he’s a big talker and I think people saw that in the presidential campaign. ... We don’t need any advice from Gov. Perry.”
Illinois State GOP Chairman Pat Brady also weighed in, telling reporters: “I like Gov. Perry. He’s been a good leader for Texas, but I don’t think it’s productive for him to come in here and do this so publicly. Stealing jobs from Illinois is not going to help” — a reference to Perry possibly making another bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
All Eyes on Toomey in Harrisburg
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey will soon hear what his fellow Pennsylvania conservatives think of him, days after the compromise measure on background checks for gun-owners he co-wrote with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia fell short in the Senate.
Toomey, long a conservative hero for his anti-tax, small-government agenda, will make a speech this weekend to the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, a conclave of 700-plus conservative activists holding its annual meeting in Harrisburg.
With charges of “sell-out” and “traitor” against Toomey for authoring the bill flying around the blogosphere, I asked a PLC leader if there might be booing of the senator when he speaks. “There may,” he replied.
FBI Raids Tennessee Governor’s Family Business
Although it’s not yet clear if an FBI raid on his family’s truck stop will come anywhere near Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, the incident is already being ballyhooed by state Democrats.
Following the raid by the FBI and the IRS on Pilot Flying J headquarters in Knoxville, the governor’s brother, Jimmy Haslam, CEO of the truck-stop chain, held a news conference to say the federal government has begun a criminal investigation into rebates offered by the company.
“We don't know a lot,” Jimmy Haslam, majority owner of the Cleveland Browns, told the Associated Press. “It appears to be centered on a very insignificant number of customers and the application of rebates. Rebates that were owed to the customers were not paid. We, of course, disagree with that.”
U.S. Attorney Bill Killian told AP that four search warrants have been served on the Haslam family business. Bill Haslam is seeking re-election as governor next year.
Christie Aide Preparing for 2016 Bid
With New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie considered a cinch for a big re-election this fall, he will be watched closely to see when and how he makes what seasoned Christie-watchers say is a certain bid for his party’s presidential nomination in 2016.
Perhaps the best clue as to how Christie will proceed is to watch what Mike DuHaime does.
Often linked to Christie in the way Karl Rove was to George W. Bush as he prepared his own presidential bid, DuHaime is considered the Garden State governor’s closest political adviser.
DuHaime, who quarterbacked Christie’s upset election to the governorship in 2009 and was Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign manager in 2008, is expected to reach out in 2014 to other GOP officeholders Christie has helped — Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner, for one — and begin cobbling together a national “Draft Christie” team.
John Gizzi is a special political columnist for Newsmax.com.
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