Obama Uses Bush Tax Cuts to Prod Donors

MEDINA, Wash. – President Barack Obama used the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts at the end of the year to rally support for his re-election campaign, telling donors Friday that never in his lifetime has the philosophical difference between the Democratic and Republican parties been so stark. “The Bush tax cuts are going to expire at the end of this year, and whoever is president is going to shape what our tax policy is and how we reduce our deficits and how we maintain fiscal stability for the next 20 or 30 years,” Mr. Obama told donors at the home of Costco founder Jeff Brotman and his wife, Susan. Mr. Obama is in the Seattle area wrapping up a three-day West Coast trip with the last two of eight campaign fund-raisers. This was the first time he mentioned the Bush tax cuts in his remarks to donors. The president, who is 50 years old, also listed a series of issues that he said show the wide gap between Democrats and Republicans.

Romney Slams Santorum for Debt Ceiling Votes, Earmarks

BOISE, Idaho—Mitt Romney laid into Rick Santorum at a rally here Friday, accusing his GOP presidential opponent of  free-wheeling spending that contributed to the deficit.

“I know that Sen. Santorum is getting his moment in the spotlight now, which is a good thing. I hope people take a very close look at his record,” Mr. Romney said. “Because he was in Congress for about 20 years and during that time the size of the federal government doubled… And by the way, he voted to raise the debt ceiling five different times without compensating cuts. And he’s a big proponent of earmarks.”

The Romney campaign has been ramping up attacks ever since the former Pennsylvania senator won a trio of nonbinding contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado in early February. They’ve tapped surrogates and launched ads to call Mr. Santorum a defender of earmarks and labor unions.

But Mr. Romney, himself, has stayed mostly mum about Mr. Santorum.  Mr. Romney is now ratcheting up the attacks, which tend to carry more weight with voters when delivered by the candidate. The harsh remarks also carry a greater downside risk of alienating those who don’t like seeing Republicans lash out against one another…

Maine GOP Caucuses: Drama Continues

The Maine Republican Party said Friday that a recount of the state’s disputed GOP presidential preference poll showed that Mitt Romney still has more votes than any other candidate – even more than he had a week ago –but that the final outcome may not yet be known.

Under heavy criticism for mistakes and omissions from its straw poll tally of the state’s caucuses last Saturday, the Maine GOP Friday concluded a recount and moved to eventually include the results of a delayed caucus in Washington County, where the poll had been delayed because of a snowstorm.

The Maine GOP Friday announced that a recount found that Mr. Romney had 2,269 votes to Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s 2,030 out of a  total 5,814 votes cast. That 239 vote margin is slightly wider than the 194-vote edge the former Massachusetts governor had last Saturday night when the party announced its initial count.

But there were two problems with that initial result: Some communities said their results were not accurately recorded by the state party. And the GOP drew heavy criticism for saying it would not include the results from Washington County, which postponed its caucus from Feb. 11 until Saturday, Feb. 18, because of an impending snowstorm…

Sen. Cornyn Blocks Obama Nominee Over Taiwan Fighters

As Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping wraps up a visit to the U.S., Sen. John Cornyn is renewing a push to enable the sale of new F-16 fighters to Taiwan, regarded as a renegade province by Beijing.

Last fall, the Obama administration informed Congress of plans to upgrade Taiwan’s existing fleet of F-16 fighters, instead of selling brand-new models. That move angered some lawmakers, and Sen. Cornyn responded Friday by placing a hold on the nomination of Mark Lippert to be assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security affairs.

That makes good on a threat Sen. Cornyn made in a November letter to President Barack Obama requesting a plan to address what he called “Taiwan’s looming fighter shortfall.”

The U.S., Sen. Cornyn wrote, “should not give in to intimidation and threats from China, nor should we cede regional leadership there,” he wrote.

Sen. Cornyn’s office also released the administration’s response: a letter sent by acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller, who wrote that the proposed F-16 upgrade package “effectively meets Taiwan’s current needs.”

Arms sales to Taiwan are a longstanding point of friction between the U.S. and China, and Sen. Cornyn has been a persistent backer of the sale of new F-16s, which are built in Fort Worth, Texas.

Santorum: Contraception ‘Should Be Available’

Rick Santorum sought to clear up any confusion about his position on contraception Friday, telling reporters that while he personally opposes it, he thinks it should be available.

The position isn’t a new one for Mr. Santorum, but questions arose this week after an interview from October surfaced in which Mr. Santorum said, “One of the things I will talk about that no president has talked about before is… the dangers of contraception in this country, the whole sexual libertine idea.”

Speaking Friday in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Santorum said, “Birth control can and should be available if people want to use it. They have a right to use it… I believe the better alternative is abstinence education.”

He continued, “My personal position is well known… I do my best to be a faithful Catholic. My wife and I don’t practice birth control as an article of faith in our church.”

Although it’s not new ground, it appeared to be an attempt to cast his opposition to contraception in less stark terms that don’t turn off independent voters as well as less socially conservative Republicans.

For Air Force One, a Homecoming in Everett

EVERETT, Wa.–Air Force One had a homecoming on Friday when President Barack Obama landed on the tarmac at the Boeing manufacturing plant that built the presidential aircraft 25 years ago.

Mr. Obama flew to Boeing to tout his economic plans to revive the manufacturing industry and increase U.S. exports.

He toured the facility–the largest building in the world–and stepped aboard the 787 Dreamliner, a plane he hadn’t been on before.

One of the Boeing workers Mr. Obama met on his tour told the president he had worked on Air Force One. “I told him he did a pretty good job,” Mr. Obama later said in remarks on the factory floor. “It’s flying smooth. I get to see your handiwork in action every single day.”

Yet, he said, as wonderful as it is to fly Air Force One, the Dreamliner is “pretty nice.”

DeWine Switches From Romney to Santorum

By Danny Yadron and Janet Hook

DETROIT — Former Sen. Rick Santorum snagged a notable Ohio backer Friday from Mitt Romney, winning the endorsement of Ohio Attorney General and former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine.

Mr. DeWine, known for his outspoken opposition to abortion, had previously announced his support for Mr. Romney.

“To be elected president, you have do more than tear down your opponents,” Mr. DeWine said in a written statement. “You have to give the American people a reason to vote for you — a reason to hope — a reason to believe that under your leadership, America will be better. Rick Santorum has done that. Sadly, Gov. Romney has not.” Mr. Santorum made the announcement Friday afternoon at the state house in Columbus, Ohio, prior to a campaign swing through one of the largest Super Tuesday states. After a morning campaign event in Shelby Township, Mich., Mr. Santorum declined to comment on the forthcoming endorsement, but told Washington Wire that Mr. DeWine is a “good man.”…

Politics Counts: The Impact of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert

Among the many forces that go into shaping a campaign – from speeches to advertisements – late-night comedy has earned a special place. It’s where narratives about candidates can be created and grow free of the constraints of regular journalism, for better or worse.

On late-night TV a candidate can be branded and rebranded as a flip-flopper or stiff (see Sen. John Kerry in 2004) or reckless and foolish (frequently part of the jabs at former President George W. Bush).

But not all late-night shows are the same. For some, politics is more than just the stuff of monologue one-liners; it’s a critical element to the program. Take, for instance, the late-night shows on Comedy Central, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. They thrive on politics. And when you look at who watches those shows through Patchwork Nation’s demographic/geographic county breakdown an interesting pattern emerges.

Both shows do well in places where the vote is solidly Democratic, collegiate Campus and Careers and big city Industrial Metropolis counties. And both shows underperform in reliably Republican counties like the small-town Service Worker Centers and the socially conservative Evangelical Epicenters.

But the Daily Show and the Colbert Report also have strong followings in the politically crucial, swing-voting Monied Burbs. In fact, viewership numbers in those 286 counties mirror the numbers from those more liberal counties, according to data from Experian Simmons.

That tells us a bit about the voters in those counties and about the impact of Mr. Stewart and Stephen Colbert on the 2012 campaign.

The Daily Show and Colbert Report aren’t like other late-night TV shows. The main goal for both shows is comedy, of course. No laughs equals no audience. But there is a definite bent to their humor. Consider this week’s offerings.

On Monday, just back from a week’s vacation, Mr. Stewart devoted 11 minutes of his show to poke fun at former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s rise in the polls and the battle over contraception – with the GOP as his primary target. On Tuesday, Mr. Colbert used the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to mock Republican class-war arguments (yes, you read that right) with his own unique style, of course. Mr. Colbert’s on-air persona is a sardonic take on conservative commentators in general…

Obama’s Lunch Stop Causes Stir

SEATTLE – President Barack Obama escaped a food fight when he jetted from San Francisco to Washington state Friday morning.

Mr. Obama caused a stir in the liberal California city when he made a surprise lunch stop Thursday at a Chinatown restaurant that sells shark fin soup. Banning shark fin products has long been a cause of conservationists.

The president didn’t order the soup; he opted for dumplings. But his mere presence at the restaurant made an impact. “President Obama, who signed the Shark Conservation Act into law last month, greets employees of the Great Eastern restaurant in Chinatown, which still serves shark fin soup,” was the cut line on a photograph of Mr. Obama on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Mr. Obama and his staff didn’t know the restaurant served shark fin soup.

“The president enjoyed his visit to Chinatown,” Mr. Carney told reporters traveling with Mr. Obama as he raised money for his re-election on the West Coast. “He ordered a lot of dim sum takeout. No soup.”

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law last year banning imports of shark fins, but  shark fins already in the state can be used until July 1, 2013.

IRS Seeks Some PR Help

The Internal Revenue Service is offering up to $15 million for some professional public relations help.

Racy Super Bowl commercials this is not. The IRS is currently evaluating pitches made last week from communications agencies to help publicize programs like the earned-income tax credit and small business retirement plans.

The nation’s tax collector wants a “full service communications and marketing company” to help convey its “corporate vision and goals,” according to a 49-page solicitation sent to 12 agencies. The winner’s duties could include market research, educating the public about new tax provisions, and designing national information campaigns.

The one-year contract could be extended for four more years, with a total value of as much as $15 million, the IRS solicitation says. PR firm Porter Novelli has had the contract for four years, but it reached the $17.5 million limit, IRS spokesman Terry Lemons said.

The most surprising element of IRS’s search for a new marketing contract is it isn’t the first, said anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “The idea that they used to have a PR firm really leads to the question of ‘what did they do?’”…