The Crystal Ball’s Tweets of the Week reviews the highlights of the past week in politics in 140 characters or less. To get this analysis as soon as news breaks, follow University of Virginia Center for Politics Director, and Crystal Ball founder, Larry Sabato on Twitter by clicking here.
1:47 PM Aug 14th: Jimmy Carter used to say that as president he’d never met a person who hadn’t had a recent bath. Ppl are on their best behavior, rarely rude.
10:46 AM Aug 15th: Impressive achievements by Sen. Jim Webb of VA today in Myanmar. Senatorial equivalent of BClinton in North Korea.
5:31 PM Aug 15th: From CBS’ Mark Knoller via Politico’s Mike Allen: 8/13 was only 8th time in 206 days that Obama was not seen/heard in person by press corps.
9:46 AM Aug 16th: On health care reform, summarizing everything, best bet is that Congress Dems won’t do to Obama what they did to Clinton: They’ll pass a bill
9:48 AM Aug 16th: But this isn’t going to be the bill Obama wanted. Much scaled back in cost, reach, taxes. Will still be massively unpopular w/GOP.
9:50 AM Aug 16th: 2010 midterm contests may be much affected, in part because GOP voters will be motivated to show up at polls disproportionately.
9:00 PM Aug 17th: Kay Bailey Hutchison struck the only theme that can get her a GOP TX primary win–that Gov. Rick Perry is trying to stay too long (14 yrs).
9:02 PM Aug 17th: In 1996 both TX U.S. senators told me they thought they were the last Anglo senators from TX. Not true. But those demographics are TX future
1:01 PM Aug 18th: Bob Novak, dead today at 78, had much bluff and bluster on TV and in columns, but privately was generous with his time and talents. Rest in peace.
1:53 PM Aug 18th: Jenny Sanford, wife but not soulmate of Mark(R-SC), says the problem is pol ego–everyone treats pols as earthly gods. She’s right as rain.
12:09 PM Aug 19th: CBS’s Don Hewitt has died. Most obits will center on “60 Minutes” but in my mind Hewitt will be remembered for swinging the ’60 election.
12:10 PM Aug 19th: It was inadvertent. He produced Nixon-Kennedy TV debates. At the critical first, he offered make-up to JFK, who refused. Nixon followed suit
12:11 PM Aug 19th: But the wily JFK had been suntanning all day and looked fabulous. Nixon had been sick and was pale w/ 6 o’clock shadow. JFK looked more POTUS-like