Former Ky. Lawmaker Nabbed After Ex Found Dead

GOP as useless as 7 vowels in Scrabble, needs new letters

(NEWSER) - Just like you get to throw in your tiles when Scrabble gives you seven useless vowels, so too do Republican voters keep picking again—and coming up with the same useless tiles, says Thomas Friedman in the New York Times . That's because the GOP is an out-of-date "captive of conflicting ideological bases," including anti-abortion forces, anti-taxes, anti-immigration, libertarians, and more. What America really needs is a second party in its two-party system—ie, "a coherent Republican opposition" that is able to respond realistically to the true problems facing the United States. "We need a 'Different Kind of Republican' the way Bill Clinton gave us a 'Different Kind of Democrat,'" writes Friedman. And maybe that means a crushing defeat in this election to force a hard reboot. More»

Rubio also neutral as GOP focuses on state

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney has been racking up endorsements in Florida but the state's two most prominent Republicans are staying silent. Sen. Marco Rubio says he won't be endorsing a candidate and Jeb Bush has failed to join the party establishment in backing Mitt Romney against Newt Gingrich. Romney has been doing his best to win the popular former governor's endorsement but an offer to make him national co-chairman of his campaign was declined, insiders tell the New York Times. More»

Arizona governor drops plan to keep it under wraps

(NEWSER) - Jan Brewer has released the letter she delivered to President Obama in this week's chatter-generating showdown—and it doesn't contain much in the way of bombshells. "You've arrived in a state at the forefront of America's recovery—and her future," the handwritten note says, according to the Arizona Republic . "We both love this great country, but we fundamentally disagree on how to best make America grow and prosper once again. I'd love an opportunity to share with you how we've been able to turn Arizona around." More»

Meanwhile, her book is moving up the Amazon charts

(NEWSER) - John McCain thinks President Obama's tarmac spat with Arizona's Jan Brewer is proof that he's got a "prickly personality." He told Fox today that Obama got into a similar tiff with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, notes the Hill . "It is very well-known (that Obama) has a prickly personality, and I think it has been displayed in both of those cases.” At Forbes , John McQuaid says the encounter could pay off for Brewer because in these days of declining political decorum, "spats are good for business." More»

Indiana governor says US must be 'pro-growth' instead

(NEWSER) - President Obama may be bullish about the state of the union, but he shouldn't be, said Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels in the GOP response. Obama was elected to fix the nation's financial problems, but he's only made them worse, said Daniels. "When President Obama claims that the state of our union is anything but grave, he must know in his heart that this is not true." ( International Business Times has the text.) Highlights:

• “The extremism that stifles the development of homegrown energy, or cancels a perfectly safe pipeline that would employ tens of thousands, or jacks up consumer utility bills for no improvement in either human health or world temperature, is a pro-poverty policy. It must be replaced by a passionate pro-growth approach that breaks all ties and calls all close ones in favor of private sector jobs that restore opportunity for all and generate the public revenues to pay our bills."