Ed Gillespie Mulls Challenge To Sen. Warner, Cuccinelli Rules It Out

[DonViejo]

CATHERINE THOMPSON – DECEMBER 9, 2013, 7:41 AM EST

Former Mitt Romney advisor and Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie is floating a challenge to Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) in 2014. “It’s safe to say that there’s people talking about it here, and I’m listening to them,” Gillespie told Politico in a Saturday interview. “I’ve been flattered to have it raised. There’s plenty of time to give it some thought.”

The former RNC chairman, who has never run for public office, said he was confident a GOP candidate would have a real opportunity to win the Virginia Senate race. But he cautioned that three months remain until the Feb. 1 filing deadline to enter the race.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) briefly seemed to consider a run against Warner last month after losing the governor's race to Democrat Terry McAuliffe. He said the idea of challenging Warner was "tempting" because of the senator's support for Obamacare, an issue he credited with closing the gap between him and McAuliffe on election day.

But Cuccinelli specifically ruled out a run against Warner in a speech Saturday. “I don’t mind not having an elected role in about a month or so. I’ve been in office 11 years,” he told party activists, as quoted by Politico. “I look forward to a little bit of a break. … but I’ll be back with you. I’m not talking as a candidate, but just fighting for these principles because I believe in them.”

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ed-gillespie-mulls-challenge-to-sen-warner-cuccinelli-rules-it-out

[Coyotl]

1. Make that "Former George W. Bush henchman, Enron lobbyist, and Jack Abramoff buddy"

And, I might add, "math retard" to that list. From Dec. 9 to Feb. 1 is NOT three months!

Here's the dirt on Ed:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1111575
Ed Gillespie, Tenet Healthcare lobbyist, Ex-RNC chief named President's Counselor

A lobbyist peripheral to the firing of US Attorney Carol Lam has been named as the new Counselor to the President. Gillepsie's firm was paid $360,000 by Tenet Healthcare in 2006. Carol Lam was litigating against Tenet's Alvarado Hospital and its staff when fired. Gillespie served as Bush's hand-pick RNC chairman.

DeLay and Gillespie Were Hacks for Enron.
http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/05/republican_char.php

"Tom DeLay...received $28,900 in personal campaign donations from Enron Corp since 1989;
in addition, Enron used as lobbyists two influential members of DeLay's informal kitchen cabinet...
received $10,000 corporate contribution from Enron in 2000 for its unregulated 'soft money';
the group also received $47,250 in regulated contributions in 1995 through 2000 from Enron."
In return, DeLay pushed a "stimulus" bill which would have given Enron a $254 million tax break --
which RNC chairman Ed Gillespie, a registered Enron lobbyist and key Bush ally, lobbied on behalf of.
Enron executives described Gillespie as their key contact to Bush.

"I know Jack Abramoff," Gillespie, RNC Chairman replied ...

Abramoff and His Vanishing Friend
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, January 6, 2006; Page A19
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/05/AR2006010501903.html

It almost makes you feel sorry for Jack Abramoff.

Republicans once fell all over themselves to get his "moolah," the term used famously by the disgraced superlobbyist, and to get his advice on dealing with that warm and cuddly entity known as "the lobbying community." ...

There's a scramble to treat him as a wildly defective gene in an otherwise healthy body politic, and to erase the past. But seeing the record of the past clearly is essential to fixing the future.

Abramoff, who used to pall around with close Bush allies Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed in the College Republicans and who has been a central figure in the rise of Republican dominance in Washington, is not a lone wolf. ...

On an Oct. 15, 2003, CNBC broadcast, journalist Alan Murray asked Ed Gillespie, then chairman of the Republican National Committee, about fundraising by "people like Jack Abramoff, who represents Indian tribes here," and another lobbyist whose name I'll leave out because he has not been implicated in any scandals. "Are you going to sit here and tell us that their contributions to your party have nothing to do with their lobbying efforts in Washington?"

"I know Jack Abramoff," Gillespie replied. He mentioned the other lobbyist and insisted: "They are Republicans; they were Republicans before they were lobbyists....

[Coyotl]

2. Enron Secretly Funded Ed Gillespie's Lobbying Campaign for Bush's Energy Plan

Enron Secretly Funded Ed Gillespie's Lobbying Campaign for Bush's Energy Plan
19-Feb-02 - http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Ed%20Gillespie

During the Clinton years, Republicans went ballistic over a scheme by the Teamsters to funnel money secretly through a liberal fundraising company - and some of the middlemen actually went to jail. Now Newsweek has revealed that Enron secretly funneled $50,000 through corporate whore Grover Norquist's "Americans for Tax Reform," in order to promote Bush's pro-Enron energy plan. The mastermind of this scheme was former Bush consultant Ed Gillespie, who told a baldfaced lie to the media when he claimed his "21st Century Energy Project" was funded by non-profit groups. In fact, every last dime came from corporations who oppose pro-environmental policies to stop global warming. Where is the outrage? We demand a Special Prosecutor for Enrongate!

[BlueDemKev]

3. Mark Warner would wipe up the floor with either of those clowns