Amy Walter Quotations

She still has a story that is powerful.

She (Musgrave) should have done a lot better in 2004.

Getting the president of the United States brings you more money than any other political fundraiser.

Kerry's focus and his message has really been middle class, middle America, 'I'm standing up for the little guy' and middle class investors respond to that, but that raises the question of how do you go back and talk to the business community after that.

It is one thing if it is three weeks. Three months, that is another story.

Many folks are very nervous about their own election prospects; they're going to want to spend as much time as possible back home doing the kind of spade work that needs to be done before a big election, and they also want to minimize any sort of exposure in Washington.

It does feel like we've seen this movie three or four times.

We estimate it takes three to five minutes for that secondary screening. We're hopeful that will help reduce the lines overall.

You are going to be inundated with national media and interest groups. This is not going to be a quiet, local election.

Voters tend not to fire someone unless they've done something wrong.

Today, obviously, there's a real chance that this story goes beyond just the next couple weeks, and into the 2006 election.

The real problem with Donald Trump is, if you engage him, it will only make things worse. It's like - it's a little bit what you were taught as a kid to not engage the bully, because they will continue to pick on you.

If you're Chris Christie, who is governor of New Jersey, a state that obviously was impacted by 9/11, this gives you an opportunity to talk about how, as governor, you had to deal with terrorism and security issues.

The ones who are in the Senate have to have a position.

When Jeb Bush came on the shows and couldn't answer questions about Iraq, and when he looked like he was unsteady, it absolutely solidified the concerns that they had had all along about his skills.

It was very clear, even from long before Donald Trump got in this race, when he would talk to Republicans, the number-one concern they had about Jeb Bush was whether he was too rusty for this, and whether he was going to be strong enough to stand up to Hillary Clinton.

The only problem with the "children of Reagan" line is it reminds you that Marco Rubio is the young candidate.

The difference there is that the [Donald] Trump number on change is so much larger than the lead that the other two have in their lanes. And that's going to be the challenge for those other two going forward. The other challenge for Marco Rubio, and this assumption that you're just going to get all those Bush and Kasich voters.

I think you still have a problem here when you're going and you're looking not just that Trump is winning, but he's winning in a broad swath of voters. It's not just that he's got this one lane, oh, he only wins when there's low turnout, he only wins when conservatives, he only wins in these kinds of states. He wins enough across a broad array.

We asked for the criticism, we welcome it, and we'll take it under consideration as we move towards implementation. We think that's good government, and we're confident the public will agree.

We don't believe any passenger information has been compromised.

We will be testing the agency's ability to deploy a variety of resources to quickly and effectively raise the bar of security in any mode of transportation anywhere in the country.

Cuellar has some vulnerabilities with his voting record. But I just don't think Ciro is doing everything to make this as competitive as it could be.

It would be a big distraction because then you admit there is something wrong that goes beyond Tom DeLay.

This is called get out in front of a problem instead of letting it define you.

They're running for Congress, not commander in chief. Obviously, Iraq's an important issue, but at the same time, they need be able to talk about healthcare, the economy, gas prices.

There's been a rift in the Democratic Party about Iraq from the beginning. As the American public changes its views, it makes it easier for these guys (to change).

The more she is identified as a candidate, the harder it is to fall back on the outsider appeal.

It's a classic political deal. You have to make sure, one person said to me, that instead of being on the train tracks you get on the train.

It's not much different than high school. You're not one of the cool seniors yet - as a sophomore you're sort of toiling out there with everyone else, waiting for the gains that come with seniority. In three years, most members of Congress are not going to have a lengthy track record of success.

It's the bigger picture that continues to wear down Bush's approval rating on Iraq, and voter frustration with Iraq.

It's surprising because it comes after King not only raised his profile nationally but in the New York market, which is always tough even for an incumbent.

The bill does not delay implementation. TSA will continue working closely with GAO and Congress to meet the criteria outlined for the Secure Flight program.

It's clear that a storm is brewing. The question is just how strong.

Their experience gives them instant credibility and the ability to break out and get their views heard. But it can be a double-edged sword if they get pigeonholed as one-issue candidates.

If voters are upset about $3 gas and healthcare costs, they're ripe for a message that emphasizes fiscal discipline.

If there is a (Democratic) wave this year and it's going to hit anywhere, it's the Northeast. That is where Bush's weakness is felt.

Being a woman is very helpful in terms of giving a different look to the party, and she has an advantage there.

Certainly things have changed in the last 20 years in voters' perceptions whether women can do the job. But there's still an inherent nervousness on the part of voters to put women in as the ultimate decision-maker. Control of the National Guard and border security, those sorts of traditionally male jobs that's where I think voters consciously or unconsciously have difficulties with women candidates.

Gard is certainly the most polished of the bunch, and he's had a long tenure in the Legislature. That shows in terms of his confidence in talking about the district and issues and the race.

I don't see that Cuellar starts off as particularly vulnerable.

This helps keep Pombo in the spotlight, which is really what the Democrats and many in the environmental community want to do.