Thursday Must-Reads: RINOs & Re-Branding

Though Arlen Specter has bailed from the Republican parties, GOP conservatives will have no lack of centrists to label as RINOs. There are a few seats in blue states where Democrat missteps have opened the door for Republican hopes, but the competitive candidates are all in centrist, Specter territory (though one, Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk, has declined to run for Senate or governor). And Eric Cantor’s much-talked-about re-branding effort, National Council for a New America, is still taking hits from conservatives for ignoring moral issues. All of which goes against the advice that liberal pollster Stan Greenberg is offering to the GOP. Intraparty, congressman v. Senator races (like the Sestak/Specter primary brewing in Pennsylvania) are rare but usually well-considered, with the challenger beating the incumbent half the time.Be careful what you Tweet: A loose-lipped (fingered?) consultant gives away some of Bob McDonnell’s closely guarded secrets. Today’s polls offer some interesting factoids: Pot’s gaining in popularity, and a majority of Americans support legalization, according to a Zogby poll; another poll on party registration shows that men lean towards independence while Democrats hold a strong lead among women. Finally for all the struggling press secretaries out there—or those who dream of becoming struggling press secretaries—Politico offers a nice behind-the-scenes look at the “guy behind the guy.”