What Does Rick Want?
Santorum is to meet with Romney Friday to talk endorsement and more; what does Rick really want.
(A brief discussion twixt Baer & Baer's editor, a.k.a. BE)
BE: Hey, JB, see that Mitt and Rick are set to meet on Friday?
JB: Yep. Undisclosed location. No press. No photo-ops. No endorsement.
BE: So what does Rick want?
JB: Aides say he doesn't want money to help retire about $1 million in campaign debt.
BE: Well, Newt will ask for that.
JB: And, reportedly, he won't be asking for a prime-time speaking role at the Republican national convention.
BE: Well, ya gotta figure they'll give him that. Say around 3 a.m. Eastern time.
JB: So maybe what he just wants party platform input.
BE: Uh-oh.
JB: What?
BE: Could be wild. Could be life-begins-at-erection stuff. Could be military funding to protect the Catholic Church from Obama's "war on religion." Could be first-strike authority directed at Iran. Could be firing tenured faculty from liberal, snobbish universities. Could be...
JB: What is WRONG with you?
BE: You're right, you're right. It doesn't matter what he wants. The economy's getting better, voters, even Republican voters, don't like Mitt. It's hard to see anything making much of a difference at this point.
JB : Well, ya never know. Things can change. Economic turndowns happen. Foreign policy glitches occur.
BE: Hey, speaking of glitches, think Newt wants anything other than money?
JB: You kidding? Newt? Newt wants all he can get. Moon rocks? A janitor's job? Psychotherapy? Anything that can help him erase the national image he's created of being flat-out delusional.
BE: Mitt'll pay off Newt's debt if Newt promises not to endorse him.
JB: And, if he's smart, Mitt'll ask for Rick's help only in deep-South and Midwestern states.
BE: Maybe that's were their Friday meeting is!
JB: Could be.