Chris Cillizza dishes on the three GOP leaders who have emerged like butterflies from whatever butterflies emerge from since Barack Obama became POTUS: Mark Sanford, Eric Cantor, and Mitt Romney.
For his part, Romney's spokesman talks about his boss like 2012 is circled in giant, red ink.
"From having spent a career in the private sector, Governor Romney has some ideas on what it will take to get the economy moving again. He's going to continue to speak out on this and other subjects because he cares deeply about a strong and prosperous America."
(ea) Is George W. Bush going to continue to speak out on issues he cares deeply about? Also, note the "strong and prosperous America". You only talk about a strong and prosperous America if you're interested in representing her further. It would be one thing if Romney were a sitting governor or Senator -- then we might hear such talk. But he's not a this or that. He's just a Romney.
As for the remaining two men, Cillizza runs the key talking points. Sanford would rather drown koala bears who are about to have kittens (analogy, courtesy of dooce) than cut taxes; and Cantor is causing the Dems all sorts of mayhem, even though he's out-numbered 600-3.
Cillizza finishes by reminding us how physics and politics interact (ea).
All three men have national ambitions, whether in 2012 or beyond. And, it's not too early to see these attempts to emerge as the leading economic voice in the party as a precursor to that broader fight down the line.
In politics (as in life), every action tends to produce an equal and opposite reaction. When the president signs his economic stimulus bill today, watch for the pull in the other direction.