Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

Editor’s note: The buzz that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will be Mitt Romney’s running mate continues. It’s big news down here, but the latest report comes from the New York Daily News. I’m still skeptical, but it’s a good read.

“With the Republican presidential nomination nearly in his grasp, Mitt Romney’s No. 1 job may now be to find his No. 2,” according to the New York Daily News this morning.

“As the former Massachusetts governor begins to pivot toward a general election showdown with President Obama, his team has quietly begun considering potential vice-presidential candidates.

“The first rule of a vice president is, ‘Do no harm,’ said Tobe Berkovitz, professor at Boston University. ‘Make a solid, sensible choice — we’ve seen so many longball, quirky picks turn out to be irrelevant or do damage.’

“Choosing a running mate often involves a delicate balancing act between demographics and geography. The candidate will frequently pick a campaign partner who could deliver a swing state or appeal to a voting bloc that otherwise might be lost.

“For Romney, one name seems like a strong bet to do both — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

‘Rubio checks almost all the boxes,’ said Berkovitz. ‘He’s Hispanic-American, a popular politician from a major battleground state, and is charismatic.’”

The rest of the article is here (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election-2012/florida-sen-marco-rubio-fit-mitt-romney-vice-presidential-nominee-article-1.1058369#ixzz1rY3G4cK7)

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Though vacationing in more humble, beach-side surroundings, Rush Limbaugh’s multimillion-dollar mansion in Palm Beach is just up the road from where we’re staying.

Rush keeps taps on mainstream America for all of us from here, with his down-home neighbors such as “The Donald” and his “ex,” Ivana.

“Infamous radio personality Rush Limbaugh calls this $26 million oceanfront palace ‘home,’” according to Haute Living magazine. “It is out of this magnificent property that he broadcasts his syndicated radio program, The Rush Limbaugh Show. The two-story house, situated right on the beautiful waters of the Atlantic, includes an elevator, seven bedrooms and twelve bathrooms.”

“He calls it his ‘Southern Command’, having spent most of his career broadcasting from New York, and describes it on air as ‘heavily fortified’, yet when you travel up in a lift and step into a glass and leather reception area, there isn’t even a receptionist, let alone a security guard, just several white locked doors and a CCTV camera that follows you. One of the doors buzzes. I am expected,” the London Telegraph reports.

“There is a humidor – Limbaugh is a connoisseur of cigars – and a bust of Churchill. There is also a bust of Beethoven, which has a plaque reading: ‘A genius who produced masterpieces without hearing.’

“Limbaugh became almost completely deaf at the age of 50, but is able to hear callers now thanks to a cochlear implant – an electronic device which stimulates nerves in the inner ear. It explains his way with a monologue, which actually is a dialogue with himself. But even if he could hear, he probably wouldn’t listen. Rush Limbaugh is a talker, not a listener.”

If we had more time, I’d go up to Palm Beach and stand in front of his place with a “KNCO” sign, just for fun. I’ve also noticed that when Rush mentions “Nevada City” on his pre-recorded blurb in KNCO, it sounds genteel like “Nev-
‘ahh’ – da City.” I guess that’s Palm Beach-speak. A video of his place is here:

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