Pawlenty to GOP Govs: 'Comb-Over' Not Enough

California's GOP nominees for US Senate, governor share contentious history

(NEWSER) - Gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman and US Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina are the first women to fill those roles for the California Republican party, which means they're often treated as a unit despite their numerous differences and contentious history. "It's like—OK, we've got two gals running now, they must have been putting their makeup on in the bathrooms together," a B-school professor tells the LA Times , which proceeds to help prove her point. "Would we assume the same if one were a man or both were men?" More»

Current Republican field riddled with weak spots

(NEWSER) - Republicans talk a good game about challenging President Obama in 2012, but the GOP would look scarier if it had even one legitimate challenger , says Dick Polman. "Obama's job-approval numbers are tepid these days—but he looks robust when matched against actual Republican challengers," warns the Philadelphia Inquirer columnist. "Not to mention the inevitable wounds and scars that any Republican will suffer during a primary season that promises to be downright Darwinian." More»

He's got about $3M, and she's got $2.1M

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin lead the pack of possible 2012 GOP presidential challengers when it comes to fundraising, with $2.9 million and $2.1 million coming in over the last year, respectively. Romney still had $1.1 million in the bank at the beginning of the year after his 2008 run, while former VP nominee Palin held on to $928,000. During the last 6 months of 2009, Palin spent almost $900,000 on travel and consulting. More»

Scandal speculation gives way to new theories

(NEWSER) - When Sarah Palin made her sudden exit, many expected a scandal to break. But "in the days since, it has become clear that no other shoe is likely to drop," writes Jay Newton-Small of Time, who offers five likely reasons she resigned Alaska's top job:

• For the good of the state: Palin was lauded for resigning in protest from Alaska’s oil and gas commission. She painted her gubernatorial resignation “in the same way: a selfless act that should earn her kudos for saving taxpayers' money.”

Kind comments follow critical Vanity Fair piece

(NEWSER) - Following a particularly stinging piece about her in Vanity Fair, the pendulum has swung again, and Sarah Palin seems to be winning back GOP support after months of ridicule. The feeling within the party is that “enough is enough,” writes Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post. “Sarah Palin will be a leader in this party," said RNC chair Michael Steele. "She has the ability to galvanize the base, and even folks outside the base.” More»