Tea Party Boiling Mad About Budget Deal

Even in Washington, things do slow down somewhat during Christmas Week.  Nevertheless, I still had full consultation schedules every day but Tuesday, which was Christmas Eve, and, of course, on Wednesday, Christmas Day, when everybody in town except the military, the cops, the firemen, the spies and the hookers goes off duty. But President Obama… Continue reading Tea Party Boiling Mad About Budget Deal

Republicans Form Circular Firing Squad Around Karl Rove

Representative Steven King, of Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District, had been pestering Gretchen to get a telephone consultation with me since the last days of January.  Finally, she managed to fit him in on Friday, February 8th. King: Hello, is this Tom Collins? Tom: Yes, Representative King, that’s me.  How can I help you today? King:… Continue reading Republicans Form Circular Firing Squad Around Karl Rove

The Etchy, Sketchy Heart of Romney’s Worst Problem

As any good political operative will tell you, their role in a campaign is to make their candidate as famous as possible while themselves remaining, if not anonymous, at least thoroughly obscure.  But late yesterday afternoon, Gretchen patched through Eric Fehmstrom, a gentleman who works for the Mitt Romney campaign, and, as many readers of… Continue reading The Etchy, Sketchy Heart of Romney’s Worst Problem

Romney Campaign Swag Gets Competitive

While I’m sure most of this Web log’s readers who live in the United States and Europe know about teleconferencing, for the benefit of those in other parts of the world where the practice is not common, what you do is, you pick up your telephone and enter the number of a “bridge” – sort… Continue reading Romney Campaign Swag Gets Competitive

Mitt Romney’s Southern Fried French Connection

While relaxing at home in Great Falls, Virginia, this afternoon, I received a telephone call from Jacques, my thoroughly French friend from La Sorbonne. Jacques: Hello, Tom?  Comment vas-tu? Tom: Ca va, et toi? Jacques: To tell the truth, my friend Tom, I am not so happy today, because of what I have read on… Continue reading Mitt Romney’s Southern Fried French Connection