Column: Obama, Biden duck; Perry steals show

For 127 years, the sitting president or vice president usually has had the last laugh at closing remarks at the annual fancy white-tie Gridiron dinner, where press and politicians spoof each other.

By Ralph Barrera, AP

About 600 of the USA's top journalists, politicians and business leaders attend. But last Saturday night at the downtown Renaissance Hotel, neither President Obama nor Vice President Biden showed up. Why?

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The president was in South Korea meeting with world leaders. But the vice president was at his home base in nearby Wilmington, Del.

Clearly, the administration didn't want either of its two top guys to take part in the fun and games in an election year.

Ironically, the Gridiron is where then-U.S. Sen. Obama of Illinois really captured the attention of the press when he gave the Democratic Party speech at the 2006 affair.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the designated closer subbing for President Obama, was pretty gentle on everybody. His closest thing to a jab was when he said: "DoD (Department of Defense) recently completed a 65-year project to develop a cutting-edge robot. Initial testing wasn't good, but Mitt Romney's performance is improving."

With neither of the two top Democrats present this time, Republican presidential also-ran Gov. Rick Perry of Texas stole the show as his party's speaker. He mostly made fun of himself by quoting from some of his campaign goofs.

"My problem was saying stuff that wasn't right. Mitt's problem is saying stuff that is," Perry joked. Examples: "I would say stuff like 'Solyndra is a country' or 'the voting age is 21.' Mitt says things like his wife drives a couple of Cadillacs or his pals own NASCAR teams."

If Perry had learned to loosen up like that while he was a candidate, he might still be in the race.

Feedback: Other views on the Gridiron

"When an organization's been around 127 years, we don't get overly concerned about a scheduling problem one year. We look forward to welcoming President Obama and Vice President Biden — or their successors — back next year."

—George Condon, president, the Gridiron Club

"Obama had a genuine scheduling conflict, but Biden's no-show was a sign of the Gridiron's declining prestige. The club needs to evolve, especially by televising the dinner on C-SPAN."

—Robert McCartney, columnist, The Washington Post

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AP Interview: Branstad: Debate gaffe hurts Perry (AP)

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad on Friday said Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry's debate gaffe this week was one of those unfortunate iconic moments, just like former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's memorable scream was in 2004.

The veteran Republican governor said Perry's inability to remember the name of the third Cabinet department he would eliminate was not a fatal blow, but that the episode served to punctuate doubts about the Texas governor.

"It's not helpful especially in light of the fact that he had had several previous debates where he had not performed well," Branstad told The Associated Press in an interview. "It is kind of comparable to, it was the governor of Vermont, Howard Dean's scream here at caucus night in Iowa."

During a GOP presidential debate Wednesday night in Michigan, Perry couldn't name the third department.

"Commerce, Education and the — what's the third one there? Let's see," he said, before checking his notes and eventually admitting he couldn't remember.

Later in the debate, Perry said Energy was the third department.

But the minute-long video of Perry's stumble spread quickly as he made the rounds of network and cable television news programs to put a lighthearted spin on the situation and dismiss questions about his ability to stay in the race.

Dean, once the poll leader for Iowa's 2004 Democratic presidential caucuses, famously rallied supporters on caucus night after finishing a disappointing third. He shouted the names of state contests ahead, capping it with a red-faced yell.

The circumstances were different but the episodes reinforced doubts about each candidate.

In Dean's case, the concerns were about his demeanor. In Perry's case, his sometimes awkward and wandering debate answers have raised questions about his ability to perform under pressure.

Like Dean, Perry's moment also comes as the he is trying to regain his footing after slipping sharply in the polls.

Branstad said he was unlikely to endorse any of the seven candidates who are campaigning to win the state's Jan. 3 caucuses. He previously had held out the possibility of doing so.

Branstad said strong performances in Iowa were essential for Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, both of whom have slumped in the polls since August.

He also said former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum "could be the real sleeper in this thing." Santorum last week reached his goal of visiting each of Iowa's 99 counties, a feat made famous by Iowa GOP icons Branstad and U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley. Santorum is the only candidate to invest that much time on retail politics in the state.

Branstad also said it was possible that Mitt Romney could win the caucuses, despite the former Massachusetts governor's less aggressive campaign in Iowa this year than four years ago. Romney recently said he would like to win in Iowa. Doing so would help him build momentum heading into the leadoff primary a week later in New Hampshire, where he is heavily favored.

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Democrats working to undercut Perry, Romney (AP)

WASHINGTON – Democrats are sharpening their arguments against the two candidates leading the Republican presidential field, hoping to soften up Rick Perry of Texas and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts before next year's general election.

Democrats want to undercut the economic records that Perry and Romney developed while serving as governors of their respective states. They also hope to tie Republicans to the tea party and raise concerns about their support for Social Security for seniors.

Republicans won't settle on a challenger to President Barack Obama for months, but Democrats are trying to turn next year's election into a choice between Obama and his opponent.

Obama's weakened standings in the polls and a struggling economy make it likely that next year's campaign will turn negative and draw sharp contrasts between the candidates.

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DNC aims at Romney, Perry (Daily Caller)

The Democratic National Committee is aiming its tweets, emails, videos and rhetorical fire at Gov. Mitt Romney, while largely ignoring the other candidates.

“Mitt Romney has had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day in Iowa,” the DNC declared Thursday, following a heated exchange between Romney and a few hecklers who jeered at his afternoon speech.

The DNC painted the exchange, which produced some GOP cheers for an aggressive and relaxed-looking Romney, as a “brutal” flub by the candidate. The party followed up during the evening with a video attack ad titled “Mitt Romney and the Luckiest People in the World.” It portrays Romney as sympathetic to heartless corporations.

Still, the Democratic PR machine had plenty of extra staff to go after Romney and put out a “Fact Check” claiming that Romney, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Gov. Tim Pawlenty had followed the “extreme wing” of the GOP in opposing the recent $2.4 trillion debt ceiling deal.

Other DNC emails and tweets showcased news reports containing story lines that are disadvantageous to Romney.

The party machine also kicked out an email aimed at Texas Gov. Rick Perry. “The real ‘Texas miracle’ is that the Governor dares talk about our jobs, after demanding a state budget that will lay off tens of thousands of our teachers and kill hundreds of thousands of jobs, claimed Texas Democratic Party Spokeswoman Kirsten Gray. “For Rick Perry, the only job that matters is his own — and starting Saturday, he can finally be honest about why he’s spent the entire year ignoring the problems he created at home.”

The DNC tried to shape the media coverage by sending out a late-afternoon memo from Melanie Roussell, the DNC’s national press secretary.

“Instead of a new approach that puts party aside and America first, we hear a rigid and extreme ideology that asks working and middle class families to carry the entire load. … [GOP candidates are] driven in large part by their willingness to let the extreme Tea Party dictate the Republican Party’s agenda and take over the party, with the 2012 Republican candidates following their lead,” said her statement.

The memo pitched themes intended to shape voters’ and reporters’ attitudes towards the eventual GOP candidate. One painted Republicans as reluctant to lead.

“The Republican presidential contenders have fully embraced what we call the Duck, Dodge and Dismantle approach to leadership,” read the memo, “because they are ducking their obligation to the Middle Class; dodging their obligation to our nation’s seniors; and, they want to dismantle critical education and job creation programs.”

Another portion of the DNC memo was directed at older Americans, a voting bloc critical to candidates in Florida and other states.

“Extreme Aims toward America’s Seniors … each of the Republicans running for president has proven that their priority is not standing up for seniors or America’s middle class; their priority is protecting the wealthy and the special interests.”

To keep the many journalists now in Iowa fed with quotes and video, the Democratic National Committee is using the Smoky Row Coffee Shop in Des Moines to present Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Leonard Boswell and officials of the Iowa Democratic Party. They will discuss “the disastrous GOP agenda” at a 10:30 a.m. roundtable event prior to the Saturday straw poll in Ames.

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DNC aims at Romney, Perry

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