“Voters in Minnesota are not terribly into home state politicians Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann running for President next year. Only 28% think Pawlenty should seek the White House to 17% who think he should run for the Senate and 45% who think he shouldn’t run for anything. There’s even less interest in a Bachmann Presidential run — 14% think she should seek that office to 23% who think she should run for the Senate, 10% who think she should run for reelection to her House seat, and 47% who just want her to go away.” [Public Policy Polling, via Political Wire]

Politico headline: “Rep. Anthony Weiner ‘can’t say with certitude’ photo isn’t him”.

Politico story:

“I didn’t send that picture out,” Weiner said in an interview with NBC News.

“That’s not a picture of you?” reporter Luke Russert asked.

Weiner responded: “You know, I can’t say with certitude.”

We don’t have access to the video, but we have a strong suspicion that Weiner was making a gag about the extraordinary package, especially after old friend Jon Stewart confirmed last night that “my memory is this cat had a lot more Anthony and a lot less wiener.”

But that’s not the best gag. We give the gold to “reporter Luke Russert”.

“Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) says he is considering running for president after frustrated conservative activists have pleaded with him to run. DeMint told The Hill that he has discussed a White House bid with his wife and will pray on the question out of respect for his supporters across the country.” [The Hill]

The homepage of the CBS News “Political Hotsheet” website contains ten stories. Let’s sample, oh, four of them displayed Tuesday night.

Story #1:

Palin confident she could beat Obama

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was met by a gaggle of reporters outside of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall Tuesday, on day three of her “One Nation” bus tour.

The question du jour: Will she or won’t she run for president?

Story #2:

Sarah Palin meeting with Donald Trump tonight

Potential Republican presidential candidate Sarah Palin will meet this evening with real estate mogul Donald Trump, who earlier this year flirted with a presidential campaign, according to a Trump adviser.

The two plan to go out to dinner and meet at Trump’s “primary residency” at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump’s wife Melania Knauss-Trump will be present at dinner.

Read more »

“Evading questions… is a strategy most often utilized by people with something to hide, and will only further pique the media’s interest. Weiner either has something to hide, or he has no idea how the media operates.” [New York, via Political Wire]

ABC’s “The Note” describes itself as “Washington’s Original and Most Influential Tipsheet”. Let’s find out why!

Congress Mulls Cuts to Food Stamps Program Amid Record Number of Recipients

This, strictly speaking, is true. But half of Congress is controlled by Democrats, the other half by Republicans. Guess which half is Mulling Cuts?

Congress is under pressure to cut the rapidly rising costs of the federal government’s food stamps program at a time when a record number of Americans are relying on it.

Under pressure? By whom? Are a record number of Americans gathering at the Mall to demand that Our Glorious Nation starve them to death?

The House Appropriations Committee today will review the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill for the Department of Agriculture that includes $71 billion for the agency’s “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.” That’s $2 billion less than what President Obama requested but a 9 percent increase from 2011, which, critics say, is too large given the sizeable budget deficit.

Ah. The House Appropriations Committee. The one run by, y’know, Republicans.

But who are the critics? It’s a mystery!

Read more »

“Ted Haggard will make a cameo as himself in a Christian sex comedy promoting abstinence, with the tagline ‘abstinence never felt so good.'” [TPM]