By ,
Published May 08, 2017
Some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Ratted Out?
Former "car czar" Steven Rattner offers the first insider account of the Obama White House in his new book, "Overhaul." And reports suggest, Rattner pulls few punches.
Early in the auto rescue, President Obama appears to mock the Big Three American carmakers, quipping, "Why can't they make a Corolla?" Rattner was critical of the president's stance during the transition, stating: "If his team had linked arms with the outgoing administration, as President Bush's advisers had proposed, billions of dollars could well have been saved."
And Rattner writes that chief of staff Rahm Emanuel ruled "by a mixture of respect and fear." He quotes Emanuel as saying: "[Blank] the UAW," referring to the United Auto Workers union.
The White House is pushing back against Rattner's book.
Run for the Border
Candidates for governor in at least 20 states are making immigration a big issue. Politico reports Republicans and Democrats are running on strict anti-illegal immigration platforms with many supporting tough laws like Arizona's, even in liberal states like Massachusetts.
At least three Republicans, who initially expressed concern with the Arizona law, changed their minds after taking heat from their party.
Hard to Watch
Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer is trying to explain her awkward pause during Wednesday's primary debate that the Associated Press labeled "one of the most painful openings... in recent memory."
Brewer now says what she calls a "brain freeze" only took 16 seconds to reshape her national image and that she won't participate in any more debates.
https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/white-house-vs-former-car-czar