Mitt Romney, Donald Trump raise campaign cash at New York bankruptcy law firm

There were no public events on his schedule today, except for an appearance this evening at an office furniture manufacturer near Grand Rapids, Mich. The campaign has been uncommunicative about where he was and what he’s been doing.

But one good source close to the campaign has spilled the beans: Romney and some of his biggest fundraisers spent part of the day in the executive lunchroom of a New York law firm Weil Gotshal & Manges, making phone calls to recruit other financial rainmakers.

The Fifth Avenue firm has one of the country’s leading bankruptcy practices.

The big excitement of the day was not the candidate, however, but the Donald.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/mitt-romney-donald-trump-raise-campaign-cash-at-new-york-bankruptcy-law-firm/2012/02/15/gIQAvXYTGR_blog.html

Republican mayor of San Diego pushes for marriage equality.

WASHINGTON -- When a coalition of mayors launched a campaign to push for marriage equality a month ago, there were about 70 individuals signed on to it. Now, there are 153 involved in Mayors for Freedom to Marry, with the Republican mayor of one of the nation's largest cities serving as a co-chair.

"This is an equality issue, nothing more, nothing less," San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders (R) told The Huffington Post during a sit-down interview on Wednesday. "History is going judge us 10, 20, 30 years from now. I think it's going to be very different then. We're seeing the landscape change dramatically."

Sanders is one of just four Republicans signed on to Mayors for Freedom to Marry. The others are Mike Gin of Redondo Beach, Calif., Dennis O'Brien of Newton, Pa., and Craig Cates of Key West, Fla. Sanders said that while his party's involvement is small so far, he is confident that there are Republican mayors -- especially in smaller cities -- who will eventually come out for marriage equality.

Sanders' coming out, if you will, took a significant amount of political courage. After he announced his support for marriage equality in 2007, fighting tears at a news conference, the local Republican Party threatened to take away its endorsement of him.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/jerry-sanders-marriage-equality_n_1279728.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Waldo County Republicans call for censure of state GOP chairman after caucus controversy

AUGUSTA, Maine — Members of the Waldo County GOP Committee voted Tuesday evening to recommend a censure of Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster for his handling of the party’s presidential caucuses.

Raymond St. Onge, who leads the Waldo County GOP, said the initial motion was to call for a vote of no confidence in Webster and a recommendation that he step down from his post. That motion was amended to recommend a censure instead. The amended motion passed by a strong majority, St. Onge said.

The censure recommendation will be taken up at the state GOP committee meeting on March 10. A censure is essentially a nonbinding but public slap on the wrist.

Webster is under fire for his handling of the Republican caucuses, particularly Saturday’s announcement that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had narrowly defeated Texas Congressman Ron Paul in the state’s presidential preference poll.


http://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/15/politics/waldo-county-republicans-call-for-censure-of-state-gop-chairman-after-caucus-controversy/

Is it LGBT, or GLBT?

While it's listed as LGBT here on DU, I've been to many discussions in CA and MI where where the term GLBT is used. I know it's not an earth shattering issue, but I do want to get it right.

Democrats win two big victories in Oklahoma special elections, including first GLBT state senator.

Democrat Curtis McDaniel picks up a very red State House district that gave Obama 26% of the vote. Democrat Al McAffrey becomes OK's first openly gay state senator.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/14/1064898/-Democrat-poised-to-win-26-Obama-district-in-OK?via=siderec

Rampant fraud uncovered in Maine Caucus.

1. Vote counts were altered by state party official on Saturday night.
2. Towns were left unreported.
3. Washington County caucus was cancelled BY THE STATE PARTY CHAIR.
4. A accurate would probably put Paul ahead.

http://www.fox19.com/story/16937227/reality-check-was-there-voter-fraud-in-maine

Romney: I like mandates. The mandates work. (VIDEO)

Watching Andrew Breitbart on TYT.

He looks like he lives in his mom's basement.

The Romney good will does not extend beyond George in Michigan.

My mom's side of the family is as deep blue as you can get. But the relatives old enough say that George Romney did a good job as Governor of Michigan. To this day, it's hard to find anyone who will say anything negative against George. But the good name never extended beyond that. Willard's brother, Scott failed to get the Republican nomination in 1994 and daughter-in-law Ronna lost badly to Carl Levin in 1996. so while Willard may win the Michigan primary, don't expect his family name to mean much in November.

Romney Backer Attacks Santorum For Same Votes He Cast Himself

The Romney campaign did just that when they dispatched former Sen. JIm Talent (R-MO) to attack Rick Santorum’s budget-busting vote to add a Medicare prescription drug program in the Senate. The problem they quickly ran into was that Talent voted the same way.

In a call with reporters, Talent slammed Santorum for his Medicare Part D vote, calling it a “big expansion of a federal entitlement.” Asked by a reporter how he could criticize Santorum for taking the same position, Talent offered up only a general defense of his tenure in the Senate.
“I’d be happy, if I was running against Rick, to compare my record to his because I think it’s stronger in a whole lot of respects,” he said. “But he’s running against Governor Romney and the point is that Mitt Romney has a whole lot more comprehensively conservative record than Rick does.”

Medicare wasn’t the only awkward note for Talent. As the same reporter noted in the call, Talent also voted for a bill containing the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” earmark that the Romney campaign is going after Santorum on this week.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/surrogate-fail-romney-backer-attacks-santorum-for-same-voted-he-cast-himself.php?ref=fpblg