Newt Gingrich

WELLESLEY - Barney Frank's two challengers teamed up Sunday to criticize the congressman for what they called his failure to properly regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two mortgage lenders at the heart of the current financial crisis.

Frank emphatically defended himself, saying his efforts to regulate the industry were stymied by the twelve years Republicans controlled Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac came under fire earlier this year for backing bad mortgages that eventually lead to the current credit crisis that Congress acted to remedy with a several hundred billion dollar bailout proposal.

However, Earl Sholley, the Republican in the race, called Frank the "chief architect of the mortgage meltdown."

"All of this is well documented that Mr. Frank is the key player," Sholley said. "In fact, recently former President Bill Clinton made the statement on ABC News that when he was in the White House, he and the Republicans tried to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and every time they attempted to do so, the Democrats blocked their efforts."

Waiting in the wings? John McCain and Mitt Romney: Getty Images PhotoA National Journal survey of Republican insiders shows that former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Belmont) is by far and away the frontrunner for the 2012 presidential nomination should U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lose in November.

55 percent of those polled said Romney is the most likely to win the 2012 nomination -- more votes than everyone else combined. "Nobody" placed second at 15 percent, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 8 percent. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were tied at 6 percent, and 2008 vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin scored 3 percent.

One Romney-leaning insider cited a built-in advantage for having run in 2008.

DENVER -- U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden) slammed the Republican Party’s efforts to address energy issues when they controlled Congress on Wednesday, and said the GOP’s recent U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Malden)discussion of energy issues is motivated by the politics of an election year.

Markey’s remarks came at the beginning of a Democratic Caucus energy briefing on decreasing the United States’ reliance on foreign oil at the convention center in Denver. Markey is the chair of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which was created by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) just after the Democrats gained a congressional majority in 2006.

The lawmaker said he has been “dismayed at the Republicans that have all of the sudden been displaying all sorts of interested in energy issues.”

“I don’t just think it’s a coincidence,” Markey added, “that this is happening two months before the election.”

It doesn't get much better on FOX than seeing the rare sight of Alan Colmes emerging from his protective shell and exposing Sean Hannity for the idiotic, hypocritical windbag he is.

Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director Rob Willington said there was little discussion of who presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain will choose as his running mate at a GOP conference last week, despite Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a front runner for the position, speaking at the event.

Willington attended the GOPAC leadership summit in Washington D.C. last week. GOPAC, the motto of which is "preparing a new generation of young Republicans to lead America," focuses on new teaching candidates to use new campaign tools and developing the GOP farm system by focusing on mayors and other local and statewide positions.

Pawlenty, who is widely rumored to be on McCain's short list, addressed the summit, but Willilngton told PolitickerMA.com that there was "no VP talk."

"I don't think anyone wants to play the guessing game," he added.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) is touting former U.S. Reps. Rob Portman (R-Cincinnati) and John Kasich (R-Westerville) as potential vice presidential picks for U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

But if he had to choose between the two -- and there's a reasonable chance they might face each other in a gubernatorial primary in 2010 -- who would Gingrich support?

Summer fundraisers with high-profile national figures are commonplace, especially for incumbents with a challenger hot on their heels like U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert with Newt Gingrich on Father's Day this or President Bush last year.

But when Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, comes to town this Thursday to raise money for Gov. Chris Gregoire things will be different.

For starters Mrs. Obama isn't running for, nor has she ever held any office. But more importantly, this fundraiser has seating for 1600.

If drilling talk is read as capitulation to Republican messaging, as those in the Democratic base angry with him over FISA will undoubtedly do, it could spell more trouble for Steny Hoyer's future in party leadership.

Rep. John BoehnerU.S. House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) will be the featured guest at a fundraiser for Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) later this month. The June 28 event will be the second major Reichert benefit of the month, with former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) in town for a Father's Day event this Sunday.

Boehner will appear at a $100 a plate breakfast at the Bellevue Westin, helping Reichert stock up for what looks to be an expensive race in a rematch with Democrat Darcy Burner (D-Carnation). Burner has been outraising Reichert of late, and her campaign continues to use instances like these to tie Reichert to prominent national Republicans, despite his efforts to paint himself as a moderate in the purple-tinged 8th Congressional District.

"First Bush in August last year and the first lady in February. Now Gingrich this Sunday and Boehner on the 28th," Burner spokesman Sandeep Kaushik said of Reichert's past and future fundraising events. "For a guy who is working to position himself publicly as an independent -- notably, his campaign web site seems scrubbed of any easily discernable references to Reichert being a Republican -- he seems to have close ties to Republican leaders in DC."

Darcy BurnerDarcy Burner (D-Carnation) has made a habit of using U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert's big name fundraising events as a rally cry in her bid to unseat Reichert in the 8th District.

Last August, Burner made a youtube video criticizing Reichert's GOP ties and set up an online ActBlue account to call attention to a fundraising visit President Bush made to the 8th District on Reichert's behalf, and then did the same thing this past February when first lady Laura Bush came to town. The Democrat has used these occasions to bring in more than $200,000 to her campaign.

That trend continues today.