A few things to round out your day. * Update*

I am trying something new, I am going to put together a set of links at the end of the day with a few quotes lifted from each. This will be focused on candidates or potential candidates for either the 2012 or 2016 Presidential election.

Tonight, we'll start with ...

Chris Christie

"Muslim Picked For New Jersey Bench"

Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday that one of his seven nominees for Superior Court judgeships would be a lawyer who represented many detainees swept up by the government in the post-9/11 dragnet.

The lawyer, Sohail Mohammed, worked in the aftermath of the attacks to try to foster trust between American Muslims and law enforcement, particularly federal officials. He is a board member of the American Muslim Union. Mr. Christie, a United States attorney, was a regular guest at that group’s annual Ramadan dinner and spoke highly of Mr. Mohammed’s work.

Mr. Mohammed was on former Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s short list of potential judicial appointees, but he was not nominated. He would serve on the court in Passaic County. His appointment requires confirmation by the State Senate.

I did a quick search on Sohail Mohammed, and from what I read, I am not impressed.

*Update* As a friend noted in an email, the real red flag here is Jon Corzine's blessing.*/Update*

Now on to ...

Haley Barbour

"Barbour pushes for Mississippi civil rights museum"

Barbour urged the state's legislature during an annual address to build the $50 million museum in a state that became notorious during the 1950s and 1960s for violent enforcement of racial segregation and opposition to civil and voting rights.

... snip ...

"I urge you to move this museum forward as an appropriate way to do justice to the Civil Rights Movement and to stand as a monument of remembrance and reconciliation," Barbour said in the speech late on Tuesday.

"The civil rights struggle is an important part of our history, and millions of people are interested in learning more about it. People from around the world would flock to see the museum and learn about the movement," he said.

Some analysts said Barbour's advocacy, driven by a desire to remake the state's image, was also in part an attempt to deflect criticism over his December remarks on civil rights and his apparent defense of the white Citizens Councils, which also opposed civil rights.

As I said on twitter, "Irrespective of any potential presidential run, I think Haley Barbour is doing the right thing here." I am sure I will be in the minority in not charging Gov. Barbour with hypocrisy, but then ... Robert Bird.


Next? Well how about ...

Herman Cain

"Herman Cain announces presidential exploratory committee"

Everybody knows he was the head of Godfathers Pizza, and rescued it from the brink of failure. Do you think he fell off the turnip truck one day after dropping out of high school and was hired as a CEO?

In 1977, at age 29 he had a MS in Computer Science. He joined Pillsbury, and within 5 years became VP of Corporate Systems and Services. He quit that post after 2 years, and joined Pillsbury’s Burger King division, learning from the ground up as a burger flipper. Nine months later, he was in charge of 400 stores in Pennsylvania, BK’s worst performing region. in three years, it was the company’s best.

THAT is when Pillsbury sent him to the rescue of their failing Godfathers Pizza chain in 1986. In fourteen months it was profitable and in another year he led his executive team to a buyout of Godfathers from Pillsbury. It gets better but I’ll stop there. You get an idea of the kind of man we are talking about.

So I am curious. In terms of leadership, problem-solving, just plain old hard work, how does that resume stack up against Barack Obama’s life of privilege, pot smoking, crooked real estate deals, multiple auto-biographies, guest lecturing at the University of Chicago, and “community organizing”?

That one was written by a good friend of mine at RedState, make sure to watch the video at the end, very inspirational. Cain is certainly intriguing as a candidate, but whether he can get the movement to coalesce around him is yet to be seen.

That's all I have for now, I hope you enjoy, and if you do, I will try to make this a habit.

Aaron B. Gardner

P.S. I can't believe we are talking about this already. The last few years have zipped by, I assume the next few will as well. Hope you are all strapped in.