Sunday, July 31, 2011

Fox News Challenges The Tea Party

I think that it is only fair that I, critic of Fox News, should point out when Fox News does its job. Here we have Gregg Jarrett finally countering Mike Lee's red meat. Jarrett doesn't go far enough. He could have pointed out the economic downside of a balanced budget amendment. He could have further discussed the ramifications of not raising the debt ceiling. And he could have brought home how real conservatism doesn't focus its attention on gimmicks, but is rather concentrated on gradual, coalition-building steps that work in the real world. Nevertheless, Jarrett made Lee think. And so journalism sneaks its way onto the Fox News set.


Is Sarah Palin working on PLAN B?

I had thought up until recently, that Palin might jump in the race for 2012. The bus tour, the documentary, the tweets, and facebook entries, all pointed to a run. I'm starting to take a different view.

Here is a thought:

What does Palin have to lose if she doesn't run and Obama is reelected?......I'll tell you, 4 additional years of gaining personal wealth and repairing her image, while stirring the political pot with an eye on 2016?

Case in point, her hard line stand via Facebook and threats to Republicans who backed the Boehner Bill:
Out here in proverbial politico flyover country, we little folk are watching the debt ceiling debate with great interest and concern. Today I re-read the open letter I wrote to Republican Freshman Members of Congress in November 2010, just days after they were ushered into office in an historic landslide victory due in large part to the activism of commonsense patriots who are considered part of the Tea Party movement. I respectfully ask these GOP Freshman to re-read this letter and remember us “little people” who believed in them, donated to their campaigns, spent hours tirelessly volunteering for them, and trusted them with our votes. This new wave of public servants may recall that they were sent to D.C. for such a time as this.

The original letter is pasted below, with added emphasis to certain passages that I feel are especially relevant to the current discussion.

All my best to you, GOP Freshmen, from up here in the Last Frontier.

Sincerely,

Sarah Palin

P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries.
(emphasis mine)
Perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye? Perhaps her resistance isn't about the Boehner Bill or a compromise solution after all, But instead, trying to stay relevant with her Tea Party base and keeping the Tea Party relevent as well.

If a compromise bill is reached, her status and the Tea Party's importance is knocked down a notch and might be looked upon as a defeat. If a compromise isn't reached, we default, our AAA rating lowered, interests rates rise, America looses, but Palin gains in the sense that she can blame Obama for not accepting what the Tea Party wanted.

The problem with this scenario, is that many independents will look at this not as only a Democratic failure, but a Republican failure as well. Payback may turn out to be the 2012 elections.

Laura Ingraham put it this way:
You can stand on that soapbox and it might make you feel good in the moment. It might make you feel good to put out these Facebook postings," she said. "But in the end, does it actually advance your cause? And does it advance the cause of fiscal restraint, which I think we all have?" (emphasis mine)
Well, I guess that depends on what "your cause" is.

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INTRADE: Mitt Romney back on top (07-30-11)

Last time I checked, the flavor of the month was ahead of Romney by almost 3 points. I would expect that Romney's numbers will continue to inch up over time. He has been at 28+ for quite some time now, while everyone else seems to fluctuate. Perry's numbers will continue to be erratic until he decides to get in or not. If he gets in, I would expect his numbers to settle below Romney.

To view the Intrade specifics on any particular candidate, CLICK the photo below:



Intrade July 23, 2011
Intrade June 19, 2011

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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Allen West stands up to The Tea Party

It seems that some of the Tea Party leadership (what ever that is) has come out against Congressman Allen West for backing the Boehner Bill.

West obviously fails to realize that these fools want to be able to dictate to him what he can and can't do. West has been with Tea Party on the issues 99% of the time. But because he backed a plan that would save helped save The U.S. from defaulting on the national debt, he finds himself on their S#!T LIST!
"One minute they're saying I'm their Tea Party hero, and three, four days later I'm a Tea Party defector; that kind of schizophrenia I'm not going to get involved in it," West said on conservative Laura Ingraham's radio show.


The full story is here.


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How Sarah Palin turned me into a moderate

Click graph to see where YOU stand on issues.
To be honest, it was not just Sarah Palin, it was the whole motley crew; including Rush, Levin, the Tea Party, DeMint, O’Donnell, Miller, Bachmann, and others.

And to be honest again, I have not really changed into a moderate. I agree with these people most of the time. I’ve always been conservative, and I’m not about to change now. However, recent events have caused me to wonder if the conservative side of my party has gone a little nuts:

-the constant innuendo/accusations about the birth/background of Barack Obama

-NY23, as OJ so fondly remembers.

-the twin train wrecks of O’Donnell and Miller

-the disparaging remarks of people like Levin, Rush, etc. about Republicans and conservatives, who have dared to slightly disagree with or criticize Sarah Palin. The most recent example of this is Laura Ingraham–who was highly supportive of Palin for years, but has now been thrown under the bus.

-websites such as HotAir and AmericanThinker which have now become Palin-worship-only sites. The constant snarling about good people like Brown, Pawlenty, Daniels, Romney, Christie, Krauthammer, and anyone else who is viewed as an obstacle to Sarah Palin, is so unhelpful. The other day, there was actually a front page article at AT about how Boehner is the most dangerous man in America.

-the overuse and misuse of RINO/CINO designations.

-the third party threats by Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and others.

-the ‘you will be primaried out if you don’t tow my line’ threats.

-the latest debacle in the House, where members of Congress---who appear to be perfectly rational---threw common sense out the window and held out for entirely unachievable goals. As RW said, he wants to ‘go down swinging’.

Well, I don’t want to go down swinging, I want to win. We won’t win every battle, but we can win the war if we play it smart. Unfortunately, sometimes the GOP seems incapable of doing so. It is curious how willing some are to throw the baby out with the bath.

A house divided against itself cannot stand. I imagine that Obama smiles every time the GOP engages in a new civil war. We need to stand united, and not let any single group within our ranks hold the rest hostage. Please do not misunderstand me: I'm not saying that these people should not have a place at the table. They have made great contributions. But sometimes they begin to think they own the place, and that the rest of us don't matter.

I’m all for towing the line on conservative principles, until it becomes counterproductive. Those are the times when we need to take whatever progress we can find, and live to fight the next battle.


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Mitt Romney: President Obama is Leading in the Wrong Direction

Click Image to enlarge
The Commerce Department reported weak GDP numbers today for the second Quarter:
U.S. economic growth remained disappointingly weak the first three months of the year, the government reported Thursday.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic health, grew at an annual rate of 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the Commerce Department. That is unchanged from the original reading released a month ago, and well below the 3.1% pace of economic growth in the final three months of 2010.
The full story is Here:

Mitt Romney Responds to the Commerce Departments weak GDP Report for the second quarter. From his Website:
In Recent Days, President Obama And His Team Have Insisted We Are Headed In The Right Direction On The Economy:

President Obama, On The Economy: “I Think The Trajectory Is A Good One.”

OBAMA: “What people want to know is that we're moving in the right direction, even if they're frustrated with how fast we're moving, we need to speed it up, but I think the trajectory is a good one.”

Treasury Secretary Geithner: America Is “Undeniably” In A Stronger Economic Position Today Than “Three Or Four Months” Ago. FOX’s CHRIS WALLACE: “You think you're in a stronger position on the economy today than you were…” GEITHNER: “Oh, undeniably.” WALLACE: “…three or four months ago when you were growing hundreds of thousands of jobs a month?” GEITHNER: “Absolutely … The economy is growing. American businesses are investing again. Exports are getting stronger. That is all going well.”

Today’s Dismal GDP Report Confirms That President Obama’s Policies Aren’t Working:

Growth Estimates For The Second Quarter Badly Underperformed Economists’ Projections. “The U.S. economy grew less than forecast in the second quarter, after almost coming to a halt at the start of the year, as consumers retrenched. Gross domestic product rose at a 1.3 percent annual rate following a 0.4 percent gain in the prior quarter that was less than previously estimated, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 1.8 percent increase.”
  • “Consumer Spending From April Through June Showed The Smallest Gain Since The Second Quarter Of 2009, When The Economy Was In Recession.”
The Government Also Issued Major Downward Growth Revisions For The Previous Two Quarters, Suggesting A “Troubling And Fundamental Slowdown Might Be Underway.” “The Commerce Department data on Friday also showed the current lull in the economy began earlier than had been thought, with the growth losing steam late last year. … First-quarter output was sharply revised down to a 0.4 percent pace from a 1.9 percent increase. … Fourth-quarter growth was revised to a 2.3 percent rate from 3.1 percent. … The sharp downward revisions to the prior quarters [suggests] a more troubling and fundamental slowdown might be underway.”
GDP Estimates Were Not This Morning’s Only Disappointing News:
A Key Index Of Consumer Confidence “Fell More Than Expected” In July, Reflecting Americans’ Unease With The Economy. “Consumer sentiment fell more than expected in July, according to a report released Friday, depressed by higher gas prices and worries about the U.S. debt crisis. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers' final July consumer sentiment index fell to 63.7 from 63.8 in the preliminary July reading, according to a report released on Friday. Economists in a Reuters survey had expected a final July sentiment reading of 64.”
Read more HERE.


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Luntz Global Poll: Romney Beats Obama by 8 Points

Pollster Frank Luntz announced on the Sean Hannity Show that he polled a Head-To-Head match-up between Mitt Romney and President Obama, With the following results:

Mitt Romney 54%
Barack Obama 46%

800 Interviews, July 28, M.O.E +/-3.5%

I will post more information on this poll whem it becomes available. What is significant in this poll is that Romney is ABOVE 50%.


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The House passes Boehner's debt limit bill....Then the Senate shelves it.

With the U.S. moving perilously closer to defaulting on its loans, the House on Tuesday evening passed an increase in the federal debt limit tied to progress on a balanced budget, but the Senate responded less than two hours later by putting the House bill on ice.


The full story is HERE.

Note:

Twenty-two Republicans voted against the bill, which got no Democratic votes. The dissenting Republicans were:

Justin Amash (Mich.), Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Jason Chaffetz (Utah), Chip Cravaack (Minn.), Scott DeJarlais (Tenn.), Jeff Duncan (S.C.), Trey Gowdy (S.C.), Tom Graves (Ga.), Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), Timothy Johnson (Ill.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Steve King (Iowa), Tom Latham (Iowa), Connie Mack (Fla.), Tom McClintock (Calif.), Mick Mulvaney (S.C.), Ron Paul (Texas), Tim Scott (S.C.), Steve Southerland (Fla.), Joe Walsh (Ill.), and Joe Wilson (S.C.).


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Friday, July 29, 2011

LIVE FEED: Debt Ceiling Talks

I've posted these popup windows for you do view the ongoing debt ceiling talks.

PRESS the POPUP BUTTONS under the photo below:





C-Span 1

C-Span 2


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Mitt Romney at Newport, RI Fundraiser (VIDEO 07-26-11)

Here is an amateur video of Mitt Romney at a Tuesday night fundraiser in Newport, RI:



BONUS:

Romney was in Ohio this week, Governor John Kasich was asked to comment on Romney while at a local fair with his family:



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Gallup Poll: GOP Nomination by Region: Romney leads East, Mid-West, West. Perry leads in South

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted July 20-24, 2011, on the Gallup Daily tracking survey, with a random sample of 1,088 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, selected using random-digit-dial sampling. The maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

The full information is HERE.

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Mitt Romney: On Trade with China

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said on Wednesday Chinese businesses were the "worst offenders" of global trade rules as his campaign vowed he would "get tough" with China if he wins in 2012.

Romney's campaign took aim at President Barack Obama's China trade policies, saying the Democrat had not followed through on a pledge to take Beijing "to the mat" over unfair trade practices and currency manipulation.
"We will crack down on cheaters like China and protect the intellectual property and the jobs of American workers, and American enterprises. And I will do that if I am president," Romney said at a campaign stop in Pataskala, Ohio.
The full story is HERE.

Here is a new Romney ad: Take China To The Mat



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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Pew Research GOP Nomination: Romney with 9 point lead over Perry


Most of the analysis in this report is based on telephone interviews conducted July 20-24, 2011 among a national sample of 1,501 adults, 546 Pepublicans. MOE Total sample +/-3.5%. Republican +/-5.5%.

Crosstabs can be viewed here.


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PPP Polling: Romney with slight lead over GOP in NC and NJ

North Carolina:

If the candidates for President next year were Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Perry, and Mitt Romney, who would you vote for?

Mitt Romney 18%
Michele Bachmann 17%
Rick Perry 14%
Sarah Palin 12%
Herman Cain 8%
Newt Gingrich 8%
Ron Paul 7%
Tim Pawlenty 4%
Jon Huntsman 1%
Someone else/Undecided 9%

WITHOUT Palin:

Mitt Romney 23%
Michele Bachmann 22%
Rick Perry 14%
Herman Cain 9%
Newt Gingrich 9%
Ron Paul 6%
Tim Pawlenty 5%
Jon Huntsman 2%
Someone else/Undecided 10%

Favorable/Unfavorable/Not sure:

Sarah Palin 68/23/9 (+45)
Mitt Romney 56/28/16 (+28)
Michele Bachmann 55/27/18 (+28)
Herman Cain 46/19/35 (+27)
Tim Pawlenty 34/24/42 (+10)

The Upside of US Debt Rating Downgrade

It is looking more and more likely that the US debt rating will be downgraded even if the debt ceiling is raised in time to avert default.

From Politico

But what really haunts the administration is the very real prospect, stoked two weeks ago by Standard & Poor’s, that Barack Obama could go down in history as the president who presided over his country’s loss of its gold-plated, triple-A bond rating.

Obama could win and lose at the same time, striking a deal to avoid default but failing to pass muster on the substance of that deal with credit agencies, which could go ahead and downgrade the rating anyway.

Financial analysts say such a move would hit Americans with more than $100 billion a year in higher borrowing costs, but it’s not just that. It would be a psychic blow to a nation that already looks over its shoulder at rising economic powers like China and wonders, what’s gone wrong? And it would give the president’s Republican rivals a ready-made line of attack that he’s dragging the country in the wrong direction. (emphasis added)

I see two upsides to this scenario. The first is very politically cynical and is contained in the last line of the above quote. If the US rating is downgraded before the general election next year this could and should be the millstone around the neck of the Obama administration. But that is a short term political gain which really does nothing to stabilize the US economy or the growing debt. Especially if our next president is another go along, get along guy like Bush Jr who had no problems passing big entitlement programs into law, or who dragged us into unfunded wars.

The better upside to this scenario is that America and Americans will have to tighten their belts and practice delayed gratification and self denial, two virtues which have largely died in American culture and politics over the last half century. We as a nation have to face a fundamental principal that is bitter medicine: as we citizens lose control of our own financial discipline, so the nation looses its control of financial discipline. Personal discipline is a leading indicator of a nation's discipline.

The doomsayers have been proclaiming the end of the world if the US debt rating is downgraded. One of the reasons is that interest rates for all types of loans will increase dramatically, such as mortgages, student loans, and car loans. No doubt this would hurt the economy in the short run. But it may just be the bitter medicine necessary to save this nation. The mortgage crisis of 2008 was reached, in large part, because of average, ordinary citizens who overextended in the size of their loans and debt loads. In their mortgage applications they often went to such extremes as to lie about their income and existing debt. Student loans will be one of the next crushing debt implosions as the costs of higher education quickly outstrip the rate of inflation. These loans cannot be forgiven through bankruptcy, and the fees and interest rates only blow up in the faces of the loan holders.

I can go on and on about the destruction of personal and household incomes wrought by carelessness through credit cards and car loans. But let's go back to the line I bolded in the above quote. We will very soon not be the number one economy in the world. It is a foregone conclusion that China will surpass us within the next decade or two. The one question that remains is, can we clean house and return the US to its place at the top within our children's lifetimes.

How has China moved into this position where they will overtop the US as the world's economic powerhouse? Many factors have led them to this, including very illegal actions by Chinese companies to steal intellectual property, unethical actions by the Chinese government to manipulate currency, and American's gluttony of cheap products made in China.

But there is another huge factor which is never discussed. Chinese, culturally, are treating their household economies the way the US did in the post depression era. They are enjoying the fruits of their labors and are consuming, but within restraint. They don't overextend on their debt the way that US households do.

Sometimes the best thing for an irresponsible, reckless child is to take away their toys/allowance. A downgrading of US debt may well be the best thing for our country and our culture.

Gallup Poll: Romney leads Announced Candidates by 9 points

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted July 20-24, 2011, on the Gallup Daily tracking survey, with a random sample of 1,088 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

For results based on the total sample of Republicans, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.
The crosstabs can be viewed HERE.

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What Does Rick Perry and O'Hare International have in common?

I'm all for winning the Presidency in 2012 and sending Obama out to pasture. Saying that, Perry won't do. Like Newt Gingrich, he has more baggage than the lost and found at O'Hare International.

Perry might be strong enough to win the GOP nomination, but THEN WHAT?

Perry is far from being a conservative:

1. Perry supported Rudy Giuliani in 08, as Mike Huckabee put it "For all his new found commitment to hyper-conservatism," said the former GOP presidential candidate, "he'll get to explain why he supported pro-abortion, pro-same sex marriage Rudy Giuliani last time."

2. As a former Democrat, he was Al Gore Texas Campaign Chairman during the 1988 election.

3. Then there's his Texas Dream act. Perry, who presides over a state with a large and growing Hispanic population. has been criticized by Texas Tea Party groups for not pushing hard enough to pass a "sanctuary city" ban and other hard-line immigration legislation. In 2001, he signed the Texas version of the DREAM Act allowing children of illegal immigrants access to in-state college tuition.

4. In 2007, Perry signed an executive order requiring that Texas sixth-grade girls be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer. (The order was ultimately blocked, but the order outraged many conservatives.)

5. Texas DEBT PROBLEM: Texas' debt has doubled under Perry. Since 2001, according to the Star-Telegram's Mitchell Schnurman, Texas' debt has grown at a faster rate than that of the U.S. government. Perry assumed office in December 2000.

Etc.......Etc......Etc.....

I could go on and list at least 30 more items but instead, I'll let you read what the The Texas Tea party and the New Hampshire Tea Party Coalition have put together. If you are considering supporting Rick Perry and believe that it's important to be informed, You have to take a look at THIS.


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GOP Presidential Candidates Raise Money From Bush, McCain Bundlers

Republican presidential candidates are all refusing to release lists of donors who are bundling contributions to their campaigns, but campaign finance reports filed on Friday show that three candidates have already received financial backing from some of these important donors and, in many cases, the support of their larger wealth networks.
The full story is HERE.

Click on the photo below. Then scroll down the page to the interactive map. Here you can locate all the major bundlers by state. Click on the colored balloons once at a particular state, and see how much this person has raised for present and past candidates:


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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Congressman Paul Ryan: "America is Running Out of Road to Kick the Can Down."



America is running out of road to kick the can down.

America can't keep spending money it doesn't have.

We are borrowing 42 cents of every dollar the government spends.  Half of that money comes from other countries like China.

You can't cash flow half your deficit by borrowing it from other countries.

We are losing our sovereignty and our own control based upon our spending policies.

Tax increases are not the answer. It kills job creation and economic growth. And it doesn't solve the problem.

Like Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann are strong supporters of States Rights and the 10th Amendment

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."~10th Amendment

Mitt Romney has been a strong believer of states rights and the 10th Amendment. As Governor of Massachusetts, he and the Massachusetts Legislature developed a plan and passed a law that would insure that everyone had health insurance and that no one would any longer be able to take advantage of a law passed by President Reagan in the 80's requiring hospitals not to turn away anyone if they did not have insurance. What was happening in the state was that the voluntarily
uninsured (freeriders) were using hospital emergency rooms for health care needs and we tax payers were footing the bill through higher taxes and higher costing insurance premiums. Under the new law, everyone is required to purchase health insurance. Those who could not afford it in the past, were given lower cost subsidized policies. As a result, Massachusetts is number 1 in the nation with the least amount of uninsured. Romney did all this by not raising taxes and using MA share of federal monies and state user fees.

When President Obama decided to use the MA plan as a guide for Obamacare, Romney took some heat. Romney argues that under the 10th Amendment, states have a right to pass such laws based on their states particular needs. The federal courts are in the process of deciding now if the federal government has those same rights at a national level. Mitt Romney believes they do not and has pledged to work to repeal Obamacare if elected President.

Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann also believe states have the right to pass laws that affect only their particular state.

"Americans understand that the states were the laboratory of innovations, the states should be competing."~Rick Perry

Here is Rick Perry back in November talking with Greta Van Susteren about states rights and Health Care

The very beginning of the video and 3:30 minute mark, Perry talks about states rights and how he'd like to apply it in Texas:



Here is Perry's response to a gay marriage law recently passed in New York State:

“Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. And you know what? That’s New York, and that’s their business, and that’s fine with me,” Mr. Perry said.

“That is their call. If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business,” the Texas Republican added.

Michele Bachmann also chimed in on New York law:

“In New York state, they have passed the law at the state legislative level and, under the 10th Amendment, the states have the right to set the laws that they want to set,” Bachmann told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace soon after passage of the law last month.

“That's up to the people of New York,” the presidential candidate responded when Wallace noted that she opposes such rights.

I'm looking forward to both Bachmann and Perry sticking up for Mitt when people challenge what Romney did in Massachusetts. AREN'T YOU?

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Did Mitt Romney Flip Flop On The Debt Ceiling?

In the past, Mitt Romney has never been a profile in courage. However, he stepped up to the plate last month by signing Jim Demint’s Cut, Cap, & Balance pledge. I know…I know, he was only fishing for DeMint’s endorsement, but he signed it nonetheless.

Romney even went as far as to call Cut, Cap, and balance his ”line in the sand” for increasing the debt limit.
“And if the president were to do those things, this whole debt ceiling issue disappears,” Romney said. “For me that’s the line in the sand: come on Mr. President, you can by yourself cut spending, agree to cut spending, cap the spending, and put in place a balanced budget amendment. And that for me is the course.”
However, Romney had failed to weigh in on the ongoing negotiations between President Obama and congress….until today.
“Gov. Romney thinks President Obama’s leadership has been an historic failure. He applauds Leader Boehner for standing firm against raising taxes when our nation can least afford them.”
What happened to the “line in the sand,” Mitt?

Romney apologists are suggesting that his lack of courage is due to the politically sensitive nature of the issue. Fantastic. That really inspires confidence. Isn’t this a prime example of why we’re in this mess in the first place?

Cross-posted at Redstate

Rick Perry's Texas: Leading the Nation in Percentage of Minimum Wage Jobs

It's always a good idea to do a little research when you hear something that sounds to good to be true. Because in most cases, it's not.

Case in point. Rick Perry's claim to fame is that Texas is the number one state in Job creation. Sounds good doesn't it. Well I'll just pack up my bags, my degree in math and engineering from MIT, and head on down.

But before I do, let me investigate a little further. NUMBER 1 IN JOBS, but WHAT KIND OF JOBS?
 Between 2008 and 2010, jobs actually grew at a faster pace in Massachusetts than they did in Texas, and “Texas has done worse than the rest of the country since the peak of national unemployment in October 2009.” But as it turns out, Texas is leading the nation in one employment metric — the number and percentage of minimum wage jobs:
Additionally, Texas has by far the largest number of employees working at or below the federal minimum wage ($7.25 per hour in 2010) compared to any state, according to a BLS report. In 2010, about 550,000 Texans were working at or below minimum wage, or about 9.5 percent of all workers paid by the hour in the state. Texas tied with Mississippi for the greatest percentage of minimum wage workers…From 2007 to 2010, the number of minimum wage workers in Texas rose from 221,000 to 550,000, an increase of nearly 150 percent.
I think I'll just UNPACK MY BAGS and stay right where I am!

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I in 5 American men are out of work

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Congressman John Campbell Says We Need Mitt Romney

U.S House Representative for California's 48th congressional district, John Campbell, has just published his endorsement of Mitt Romney:
Today, economic issues dominate the scene in America. We have record-breaking, unsustainable deficits and face credit downgrades and a looming debt crisis. We are supposedly in the middle of economic recovery, but no one can really feel it. Unemployment is stubbornly high and shows no signs of coming down any time soon. Inflation is now running over 3%, which is relatively low, but since savings accounts pay essentially nothing, the wealth of Americans is being eroded. Europe and, yes, even China have economic challenges. Decisions about issues as diverse as national defense, the environment and immigration are all now impacted by the economic prospects and our current fiscal situation.

President Obama has been the major contributor to these problems. He has massively grown spending, deficits and debt in a misguided and failed Keynesian attempt to fix the economy. His strong and very liberal ideology continues to churn out job-killing policies in the areas of health care, energy, finance and manufacturing. He claims to love the jobs created by these industries, but his administration does whatever it can to restrict the products that these industries make and to punish those who would invest in them. And, his lack of competence and experience in matters of governance and the economy further hurt job creation and add to the uncertainty and the feeling out there that we are without direction and with little hope for the future.
“Hope and change” has failed. We need to change again. But, to whom?
I don’t want another president who has to learn management and governance on the job. I don’t want another president who doesn’t really understand how capital creates jobs and how jobs reward capital. I don’t want another president without executive experience in both the public or private sectors. I don’t want another president who blindly follows some academic ideology without assessing the practicalities of the situation he or she faces.
Please, no more people who can speak, but not lead. No more people who can read a talking point, but not think.
That’s why I am strongly supporting Governor Mitt Romney for President.
You can read the entire text of John Campbell's endorsement HERE

I don't know what else to add except to say that Congressman John Campbell is right. America really does need Mitt Romney to be the next President of the United States in 2012.

This article was cross posted from Conservative Samizdat

Former Governor George V. Voinovich To Endorse Mitt Romney

Former Ohio Governor and Senator George V. Voinovich will formally give his endorsement to Mitt Romney tomorrow:


Lately, Mitt Romney has been picking up a lot of endorsements from of current and former governors back him for 2012. Former Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri will also officially give his endorsement to Mitt Romney and will help him raise money at an upcoming fundraiser. A few weeks ago, Nebraska Govenor Dave Heineman endorsed Romney as well.

Congratulations Mitt Romney for getting these endorsements!

This article was cross posted from Conservative Samizdat.

Why Romney Is MIA On Debt Ceiling

Mitt Romney, that summer soldier and sunshine patriot, has apparently retreated from the call to war. So thinks some in the conservative media who fight valiantly from their million dollar trenches. Mark Halperin laments that Romney is "no profile in courage on the Beohner scheme."

Let's take this one step at a time. First, a quick 57 second video on why raising the debt ceiling is necessary. Please watch the video and tell me how not raising the debt ceiling is a good idea.



You got that? It's really quite simple. That's why Beohner wants a deal. That's why Romney doesn't want to say anything. There are really no good options for Republicans who want to win a general election.

1. They can demand that the debt ceiling not be raised. This is not going to be a popular move come 2012. Especially if the economy crashes. But at least Michelle Bachmann will win the hearty endorsement of those fighting in their million dollar trenches. And then there is Tim Pawlenty, who will gladly have the debt ceiling raised, if only Congress will go through the completely futile charade of trying to muster up support for changing the Constitution into requiring the federal government to limit its spending to 18% of the GDP.

2. They can blast talk radio for not understanding anything about the federal budget and thus demanding that the debt ceiling remain untouched. This also is not a good option, especially if you are trying to win the Republican nomination.

3. They can try their best to avoid the discussion. Enter that summer soldier.

It may not be a profile in courage, but it really is the best option. 

Cartoon of the Day


Cartoon by Gary Varvel
H/T Townhall

Harris Interactive Poll: Romney and Giuliani Top GOP and Obama

For The GOP nomination:

Mitt Romney 11%
Rudy Giuliani 11%

Sarah Palin 8%
Ron Paul 7%
Rick Perry 5%
Michele Bachmann 4%
Herman Cain 4%
JonHuntsman 3%
Newt Gingrich 1%
Tim Pawlenty 1%
Rick Santorum 1%
Gary Johnson 0%
Thaddeus McCotter 0%

Head-to-Head: (Obama/Candidate)

Rudy Giuliani 47/53 (+6)
Mitt Romney 49/51 (+2)
Ron Paul 50/50 ( - )
Michele Bachmann 54/46 (-8)
Newt Gingrich 54/46 (-8)
Sarah Palin 54/46 (-8)
Tim Pawlenty 54/46 -8)
Rick Perry 54/46 (-8)
Jon Huntsman 55/45 (-10)
Rick Santorum 55/45 (-10)
Herman Cain 56/44 (-12)
Gary Johnson 56/44 (-12)
Thaddeus McCotter 57/43 (-14)
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between July 11 to 18, 2011 among 2,183 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
The crosstabs and previous results can be viewed here.


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Gary Johnson: Welcome to Romneyland

Poor Governor Johnson. Thought he'd have a nice long run....forget about campaigning for a while...and much to his dismay, he forgot he was in New Hampshire. Gary Johnson Tweets:












I like Johnson's sense of humor. But I like Romney as President better.

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Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachman are at it again.

Tim Pawlenty wasn't happy with Michele Bachmann's comments about his record, so he said the following at a Davenport, Iowa town hall meeting Monday:
“She and I have fought for many of the same issues, we have fought the same fights,’’ he said. “But she hasn’t won. I have.” He said that as governor, he had trimmed spending, nominated conservative judges and signed stricter limits on abortion.

“I respect Congresswoman Bachmann, but her comments, I think, were consistent with her pattern of being inaccurate and off the mark, and number two, there’s a big difference between talking and getting stuff done,” he continued. “I get stuff done."
The full story is here.


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Investor Jim Rogers: "the US has already lost its AAA status. Who cares what Moody's say."



In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, legendary billionaire investor Jim Rodgers, Chairman of Global Investors Rogers Holdings had this to say Monday, in reaction to the debt ceiling grid lock.

Known for not pulling any punches and telling it like it is, Rogers is visually upset. Look at his body language during this interview: 




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Monday, July 25, 2011

ARG Polling: GOP Nomination in Florida

If the 2012 Republican presidential preference primary were being held today between (names rotated) Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Perry, Charles Roemer, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum, for whom would you vote? (Results from May)

Rick Perry 16%
Michele Bachmann 15% (5%)
Mitt Romney 15% (26%)
Sarah Palin 13% (9%)
Herman Cain 11% (4%)
Rudy Giuliani 7% (6%)
Ron Paul 4% (1%)
Newt Gingrich 3% (11%)
Jon Huntsman 1% (0%)
Tim Pawlenty 1% (1%)
Rick Santorum 1% (1%)
Gary Johnson 0% (0%)
Buddy Roemer 0% (0%)
Other 1% (1%)
Undecided 12% (11%)
Sample Size: 600 completed telephone interviews among a random sample of likely Republican primary voters living in Florida (550 Republicans and 50 no party voters (independents). Sample Dates: July 18-24, 2011 Margin of Error: ± 4 percentage points.
The crosstabs can be viewed here.


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Mike Huckabee's exclusive interview with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Mike Huckabee traveled to Israel last week to interview Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

Ode to Sarah Palin Supporters

H/T to Martha

"We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway, yay
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasin' after some finer day...."

......&&&&......ANTICIPATION......&&&&......



Martha made a comment in a Right Speak thread about the Pay-Per-View/DVD release of the documentary about Palin, "The Undefeated". As expected, the Palin supporters over-hyped the release by disregarding the fact that the movie did lousy in it's limited release in theaters even with Palin supporters getting emails begging them to purchase as many tickets as they could afford.

What was sad about Martha's comment, was that it was so true. Palin has some of the most loyal and steadfast supporters that most candidates would die for. Yet my gut feeling is, that they are being played by Palin like a ukulele.

Here is Martha's comment:
You just wait. We've always being told to just wait, and we'll see Palin take the world by storm.
You just wait, this movie is going to be huge and change everyone's perception of Palin.
You just wait, until Palin can speak for herself and isn't controlled by McCain.
You just wait, this 'documentary' is going to make everyone fall in love with Sarah Palin.
You just wait until Palin jumps into the race. She'll immediately dispatch all the other candidates.
Well, we're still waiting for all of it. Sarah Palin obviously knows by now whether she's running or not. If she's not, shame on her for leading her fans on 6 months longer than necessary. If she is, I look forward to one GIANT LAST FLOP.
I agree with Martha in that If she decides not to run, then the false hope she has embedded in her supporters does not put her in a good light. BTW, if she decides to run now, and loses the nomination, it won't be her supporters fault, it will be poor judgment on her part. If she decides to run now and wins the nomination, I'll be the first to admit she's a political genius. But a snowball freezing in hell, is more likely.

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