Conservative Views For The Grassroots

Reagan and Rush Limbaugh Defends Newt Gingrich

2012-01-28T00:16:00.000-08:00

The media is supporting a Romney nomination. The media understands putting Romney against Obama will give Obama a chance to win another term. When you have Michael Reagan, the son of Ronald Reagan, and Rush Limbaugh defending Newt, Romney's credibility is in jeopardy. Also, it shows how desperate Romney wants to win. However, using lies and deceit is not favorable among the American voter.

(Newsmax)

Ronald Reagan’s eldest son Mike Reagan has issued a statement lambasting Mitt Romney and his supporters for claims that Romney’s Republican presidential rival Newt Gingrich was a strong critic of President Reagan.

Reagan says such claims are false.

Even Rush Limbaugh, shocked by the Romney claims, chimed on his Thursday radio broadcast to say "This is obviously a coordinated attack to take Newt out here in Florida."

Rush slammed the Romney-backed smear campaign against Newt.

“That kind of stuff is why people hate Romney so much," Limbaugh said.

Limbaugh added that Newt has always been a conservative from his early days in national talk radio in the 1980s.

“He was perhaps the premier defender of Ronald Reagan,” Limbaugh said.

On Thursday, Mike Reagan, a respected conservative commentator, responded to the Gingrich critics with this statement to Newsmax:

“I am deeply disturbed that supporters of Mitt Romney are claiming that Newt Gingrich is not a true Reaganite and are even claiming that Newt was a strong critic of my father.

“Recently I endorsed Newt Gingrich for president because I believe that Newt is the only Republican candidate who has both consistently backed the conservative policies that my father championed and the only Republican that will continue to implement his vision.

“It surprises me that Mitt Romney and his supporters would raise this issue — when Mitt by his own admission said he opposed my father in the 1980s claiming he was an 'independent,' and later supported liberal Democrat Paul Tsongas for president.

“As governor of Massachusetts, Romney’s achievement was the most socialistic healthcare plan in the nation up until that time.

“Say what you want about Newt Gingrich but when he was Speaker of the House he surrounded himself with Reagan conservatives and implemented a Ronald Reagan program of low taxes and restrained federal spending.

“Newt’s conservative program created a huge economic boom and balanced the budget for the first time in more than a generation.”

Mike Reagan concluded: “I would take Newt Gingrich’s record any day over Mitt Romney’s.”

And Nancy Reagan, Reagan’s wife, has stressed Gingrich’s close relationship with her late husband.

In a 1995 speech at a dinner honoring Ronald Reagan, Nancy said: “The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive.”

To Say Newt Gingrich is Anti-Reagan is All a Lie

2012-01-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

The other day there was an article stating that Newt was against Ronald Reagan. Conservative Republicans put Reagan high on the mantle for being Conservative. Any GOP candidate spewing conservatism should mimic Reagan. The article came from a pro-Romney supporter. Thus, the article was a lie. In fact, Nancy Reagan supports Newt. Also, Ronald Reagan's son, Michael Reagan, supports Newt too.

(Spectator)
As Ronald Reagan used to say: Well...

Yesterday we took note of former Reagan State Department official Elliott Abrams' piece over at NRO that went after Newt Gingrich on his relationship with Reagan. While voting regularly with Reagan as a young congressman from Georgia, Gingrich, claimed Abrams, "often spewed insulting rhetoric at Reagan, his top aides and his policies to defeat Communism." Abrams then goes on to cite " a famous floor statement Gingrich made on March 21, 1986."

Or sort of cites it.

In fact, I'm sorry to say, what appears to be going on here is that Elliott Abrams, a considerably admirable public servant and a very smart guy, has been swept up in the GOP Establishment's Romney frothings over the rise of Newt Gingrich in the Republican primaries. He is even being accused of trolling for a job in a Romney administration. No way!!!! Really????

What else can possibly explain a piece like the one Abrams penned on a day when Gingrich was being of a mysterious sudden targeted in one hit piece after another for his ties to Reagan? The pieces invariably following the Romney line that Newt had some version of nothing to do with Reagan.

A piece like the one Abrams wrote depends for its success in garnering headlines -- which it did -- by assuming no one will bother to get into the weeds and do the homework. Usually a safe assumption when dealing with the mainstream media, particularly a mainstream media that, as one with Establishment Republicans, hates Newt Gingrich.

Not so fast.

Specifically, Abrams implies that Newt Gingrich was spewing mindless vitriol about Reagan on the House floor. Not only not so, it was quite to the contrary. Of President Reagan, Gingrich says:

• "Let me be clear: I have the greatest respect for President Reagan. I think he personally understands the threat of communism." Gingrich then goes on -- at Newtonian length -- praising Reagan for Reagan's understanding of Lenin, Reagan's understanding of the real "purposes of a Soviet dictatorship" and much more. He lists and applauds Reagan repeatedly for the President's appreciation of "the threat in a more powerful Soviet empire" and the threats posed by Communist Cuba and Nicaragua. He ranks Reagan with the great cold war presidents in protecting freedom.

In short, time after time after, Newt Gingrich -- true to form -- is there on the floor of the House relentlessly praising and crediting Ronald Reagan. Is it any wonder that years later Nancy Reagan would speak so publicly and warmly about "Ronnie" passing the conservative torch to Newt? Is there any wonder that Michael Reagan has stepped into the middle of this current brawl to endorse Newt?

• Abrams quotes Newt for saying in this speech that Reagan's policies towards the Soviets are "inadequate and will ultimately fail." This is shameful. Why? Here's what Newt said -- in full and in context:

"The fact is that George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Irving Kristol, and Jeane Kirkpatrick are right in pointing out the enormous gap between President Reagan's strong rhetoric, which is adequate, and his administration's weak policies, which are inadequate and will ultimately fail."

In other words, Newt was picking up on a concern, prominent in the day and voiced by no less than Reagan's then ex-UN Ambassador Kirkpatrick, not to mention prominent Reagan supporters Will and Kristol and the late-Mondale aide turned conservative Krauthammer, that Reagan's anti-Communist policies could be stronger if better institutionalized and not tied as much to the Reagan persona. The entire speech focused on suggestions of how to do just that -- to effectively institutionalize Reagan's conservative beliefs in the government. Is Abrams seriously accusing Jeane Kirkpatrick and George Will of being anti-Reagan? Of spewing "insulting rhetoric" at a president everyone in Washington knew they staunchly supported? Really? Of course not. But in apparent service to the Romney campaign, in order to make Newt Gingrich appear to be doing just that, Abrams apparently quite deliberately cut out the original Gingrich reference to Will, Kirkpatrick, Krauthammer, and Kristol.

Obama State of the Union, Same Old Crap Every Year

2012-01-27T18:35:00.001-08:00

For the past 3 years, Obama has been on campaign mode. For the past 3 years, Obama has been all talk. For the past 3 years, Obama repeats the same issues plaguing America. For the past 3 years, America just had enough of the president's bull crap!

(WSJ)
President Barack Obama‘s State of the Union address Tuesday touched on topics that have been a staple of such addresses, including the economy, jobs, housing and taxes. Here’s what he had to stay on those subjects over the years.

THE ECONOMY

2010: “We can’t afford another so-called economic ‘expansion’ like the one from the last decade –- what some call the ‘lost decade’ -– where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion; where the income of the average American household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs; where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation.”

2011: “We are poised for progress. Two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back. Corporate profits are up. The economy is growing again.

But we have never measured progress by these yardsticks alone. We measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer.”

2012: “No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

JOBS

2010: “I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from; who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response. That is why jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010, and that’s why I’m calling for a new jobs bill tonight.”

2011: “The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation. None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn’t know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution.”

2012: “In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s.”

HOUSING

2010: “This year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages.”

2011: “We live and do business in the Information Age, but the last major reorganization of the government happened in the age of black-and-white TV. There are 12 different agencies that deal with exports. There are at least five different agencies that deal with housing policy.”

2012: “While government can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.

That’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low interest rates. No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks.”

TAXES

2010: “We cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95% of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college.”

2011: “Over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and it has to change.

So tonight, I’m asking Democrats and Republicans to simplify the system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the playing field. And use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years –- without adding to our deficit. It can be done.”

2012: “Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else – like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.”

BANKS

2010: “Look, I am not interested in punishing banks. I’m interested in protecting our economy. A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs. It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes. But that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy.”

2011: No mention

2012: “Tonight, I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans. “

DEBT

2010: “Now, if we had taken office in ordinary times, I would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit. But we took office amid a crisis. And our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another $1 trillion to our national debt. That, too, is a fact. I’m absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do. But families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same.”

2011: “Now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confront the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. That is not sustainable. Every day, families sacrifice to live within their means. They deserve a government that does the same.

So tonight, I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years.”

2012: “When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings. But we need to do more, and that means making choices. Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. “

GOVERNMENT

2010: “In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength.”

2011: “We shouldn’t just give our people a government that’s more affordable. We should give them a government that’s more competent and more efficient. We can’t win the future with a government of the past.”

2012: “The greatest blow to confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from events beyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not. Who benefited from that fiasco?”

CHINA

2010: “Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China is not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany is not waiting. India is not waiting. These nations — they’re not standing still. These nations aren’t playing for second place.”

2011: “Nations like China and India realized that with some changes of their own, they could compete in this new world. And so they started educating their children earlier and longer, with greater emphasis on math and science. They’re investing in research and new technologies. Just recently, China became the home to the world’s largest private solar research facility, and the world’s fastest computer.

So, yes, the world has changed. The competition for jobs is real. But this shouldn’t discourage us.”

2012: “Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia.”

Romney gave 15% to Charity, Obama 1%, Biden $370

2012-01-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

Democrats are never afraid to spend other peoples money, but they are stingy with their own money. There is a study done by a liberal finding if liberals were more charitable than conservatives. In amazement, the study showed conservative Republicans were more charitable than liberal Democrats. By the way, Democrat Vice-President Joe Biden gave $370 to charity in 2011.

(FoxNews)
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle gave $10,772 of the $1.2 million they earned from 2000 through 2004 to charities, or less than 1 percent, according to tax returns for those years released today by his campaign.

The Obamas increased the amount they gave to charity when their income rose in 2005 and 2006 after the Illinois senator published a bestselling book. The $137,622 they gave over those two years amounted to more than 5 percent of their $2.6 million income.

Romney charitable contributions

Tax year    Taxable income          Charitable donations Donations as % of income
2010           $21.7 million                 $2.98 million                13.73%
2011 (est)   $20.9 million                $4 million                     19.14%

Obama and the GOP Establishment Want Romney in November

2012-01-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

It should be note that Democrats and GOP establishment want Romney to go head to head with Obama in November. When the enemy supports a candidate, one can expect there is a reason behind it. Democrats understand Romney is weak against Obama. The president has enough ammo to discredit Romney. The GOP establishment will take a chance with Romney. Besides, the establishment doesn't care if Romney win or lose. The GOP establishment wants status quo to stay the same. Newt and the other candidates would alter the status quo.

(Breitbart) Democratic lawmaker sarcastically welcomed struggling Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to Florida Sunday ahead of a critical primary, in a sign the White House is focused on taking him down more than rival Newt Gingrich.

Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz welcomed all four Republican candidates to her home state of Florida, which is next in line in the nominating contest, one day after Gingrich thumped longtime frontrunner Romney to win the South Carolina primary.

But she trained her taunts squarely at Romney -- just as her DNC committee has done for months -- belittling the former Massachusetts governor for squandering his lead in South Carolina and saying his campaign's economic themes were "cratering."

Romney is seen as the relative moderate of the four major Republican candidates battling for the right to square off against President Barack Obama in November's election.

While the party's core conservatives view him with suspicion, he has the support of establishment Republicans, and the White House clearly sees Romney as their greatest threat to Obama winning a second term.

GOV'T MOTORS Volt Battery-Fire Investigation Closed by Gov't Regulators

2012-01-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Isn't it convenient for the government to stop investigating something they poured billions of dollars of tax payers money? It is hard to hide stupidity.

(Bloomberg) U.S. regulators, who ended their investigation yesterday into the Chevrolet Volt, said electric- powered vehicles do not pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline cars.

“Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationsaid in an e-mailed statement.

The conclusion by NHTSA came two weeks after General Motors Co. (GM) told Volt owners to bring the vehicles to dealerships for repair.

The government started investigating the Volt after a side- impact crash test in May led to a fire three weeks later. During that test, the lithium-ion battery pack broke open and coolant leaked into the battery. When the car was physically rotated as part of the test, more coolant leaked into a circuit board, leading to a fire. NHTSA replicated the fire in November and started an official probe Nov. 25.

Obama Decision To Kill Keystone Reflects Broken Promises

2012-01-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

Obama's Decision To Kill The Keystone Pipeline Reflects His Broken Promises To Create Jobs And Bring The Country Together

MSNBC'S Joe Scarborough: "We haven't talked about one issue that on any other day we'd be talking about nonstop. A big policy decision yesterday by the Obama administration. I must say, I don't understand it for a lot of different reasons, but I'm going to let you guys comment on it. Keystone, the president killed the permitting for Keystone. And I'm just wondering, wouldn't this be a good issue for him to reach out to the middle on? Am I wrong about that?"

Time's Joe Klein: "No, the campaign this year is like the stupid Olympics. These guys -- Obama just made, I think, a very big mistake at a time when we have 9% unemployment, the one most important consideration in any political decision is jobs. And whether there are 2,500 jobs or 2,000 jobs, you go with it."
Scarborough: "What's the motivation inside the White House? Because the president -- the president wants to win independent voters. He wants jobs, he wants more energy. What is the hold up here?
Klein: "He wants his base."

Scarborough: "The base would not forgive him for this?"

Klein: "College campuses, there's a lot of environmental sentiment, this is a big issue."

Time's Mark Halperin: "I don't think it's purely political. I think the president doesn't think this is the right -- that the country's ready to make the decision, primarily because of safety concerns. But I think it is reflective of the fact he has not brought the country together on controversial issues which he promised to do." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 1/19/12)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OBAMA'S MISGUIDED MOVE ON KEYSTONE

Chicago Tribune: "Obama made a decision that will deny the U.S. a reliable source of oil. Note that Canada has never threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz. Obama made a decision that will cost the U.S. good jobs. He seems to think those jobs will still be there when he gets around to making a decision on the pipeline. But they may well be gone for good." (Editorial, "Pipeline Politics: Misguided Obama Blocks Keystone Pipeline," Chicago Tribune, 1/19/12)

The Washington Post: "But, clearly, constructing the pipeline would still result in job gains during a sluggish economic recovery." (Editorial, "Obama's Keystone Pipeline Rejection Is Hard To Accept," The Washington Post, 1/18/12)

The Washington Post: "We almost hope this was a political call because, on the substance, there should be no question. Without the pipeline, Canada would still export its bitumen -- with long-term trends in the global market, it's far too valuable to keep in the ground -- but it would go to China. And, as a State Department report found, U.S. refineries would still import low-quality crude -- just from the Middle East. Stopping the pipeline, then, wouldn't do anything to reduce global warming, but it would almost certainly require more oil to be transported across oceans in tankers." (Editorial, "Obama's Keystone Pipeline Rejection Is Hard To Accept," The Washington Post, 1/18/12)

Laborers' International Union of North America: "Instead of celebrating their victory by hugging a tree they should hug a jobless construction worker because they're the ones who are going to need it." (Laborers' International Union of North America , "Job-Killers, 2; American Workers, 0," Press Release, 1/18/12)

Laborers' International Union of North America Called Obama's Decision "Politics At Its Worst." "'The score is Job-Killers, two; American workers, zero. We are completely and totally disappointed. This is politics at its worst,' LIUNA General President Terry O'Sullivan said. 'Once again the President has sided with environmentalists instead of blue collar construction workers - even though environmental concerns were more than adequately addressed. Blue collar construction workers across the U.S. will not forget this.'" (Laborers' International Union of North America , "Job-Killers, 2; American Workers, 0," Press Release, 1/18/12)

Obama Kills Keystone Oil Pipeline Then Goes to Disney World

2012-01-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

(Daily Caller) GOP leaders jumped on the news that President Barack Obama is stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline from Canada, and charged him with putting his political fortunes ahead of the good of the country.

In a tweet ostensibly directed at Obama, the National Republican Congressional Committee said, “U just turned ur back on 20k american workers & energy security what r u gonna do next? I’m going 2 Disney World.”

On Thursday, Obama is schedule to fly to Disney World — locared in the swing state of Florida — to tout new regulatory initiatives.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney also slammed the announcement, saying that ”Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline is as shocking as it is revealing.”

“If Americans want to understand why unemployment in the United States has been stuck above 8 percent for the longest stretch since the Great Depression, decisions like this one are the place to begin,” Romney said.

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, declared that Obama “has sacrificed 20,000 American jobs and an affordable, secure energy source simply to please his liberal base.”

The pipeline was strongly opposed by environmental groups, whose members could provide dollars and volunteers to Obama’s re-election campaign.

“Today, Barack Obama proved he will say anything to save his job but do nothing to create jobs for the unemployed,” Priebus said. “America cannot afford four more years of misplaced priorities… We need a president who puts the interests of the American people ahead of the special interests.”

Top 6 Failed Obama Policies

2012-01-20T05:27:00.001-08:00

THE STIMULUS

Obama's Stimulus Failed To Keep Unemployment Below 8 Percent As Obama Promised

Obama's $825 Billion Stimulus Failed To Keep The Unemployment Rate Below The 8 Percent And Is Nowhere Close To The 6 Percent They Predicted It Would Be At By Now. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/6/12; Christina Romer and Jared Bernstein, "The Job Impact Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Plan,"1/9/09; Congressional Budget Office, 5/25/11)

Instead, Since The Stimulus Was Passed, The Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 8.2 Percent To 8.5 Percent And Has Remained Above 8 Percent For A Post-WWII Record 35 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/6/12)

The Unemployment Rate Peaked At 10.1 Percent In October 2009. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/6/12)

Obama's Stimulus Failed To Create The Over 3.5 Million Jobs That His Advisors Predicted It Would Create

PROMISE: Obama's Advisors Predicted That The Stimulus Would Create Over 3.5 Million Jobs And Raise Payroll Employment To Over 137.5 Million By The Fourth Quarter Of 2010. (Christina Romer and Jared Bernstein, "The Job Impact Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Plan,"1/9/09)

FAILURE: Since President Obama's $825 Billion Stimulus Passed, The Nation Has Lost 1.1 Million Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/6/12)

At The End Of 2010, Payroll Employment Was Only 130.3 Million. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/6/12)

The Washington Post's Fact Checker: "Obama Is On Track To Have The Worst Jobs Record Of Any President In The Modern Era." "Unless the economy turns around in the next 18 months, Obama is on track to have the worst jobs record of any president in the modern era. That would be an accurate statement." (Glenn Kessler, "Rick Perry's Claim That Obama Has 'Killed More Jobs' Than Any Other President," The Washington Post's "The Fact Checker", 8/22/11)

OBAMACARE

On CBS' "60 Minutes", Obama Called His Health Care Package One Of His Major Accomplishments
CBS' Steve Kroft: "Why do you think you deserve to be reelected? What have you accomplished?"
President Obama: "Not only saving this country from a great depression, not only saving the auto industry, but putting in place a system in which we're going to start lowering health care costs and you're never going to go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick." (CBS' "60 Minutes," 12/11/11)

Yet ObamaCare Has Failed To Make Health Insurance More Affordable

PROMISE: Obama Promised His Plan "Would Save The Average Family $2,500 On Their Premiums." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks Of Senator Barack Obama's Plan To Fight For Working Families And Take On Special Interests In Washington, Indianapolis, IN, 6/20/08)

FAILURE: FactCheck.org: ObamaCare Is Actually Making Health Care "Less Affordable." "At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year's premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made -- that the health care law would 'lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.'" (D'Angelo Gore, "Promises, Promises," Fact Check.org, 1/4/12)

The Washington Post's The Fact Checker: "Moreover, at this point it is debatable whether the law has made health care more affordable. Insurance premiums have gone up, in part because of new benefits mandated by the law." (Glenn Kessler, "The Fine Print In Obama's 'Promises Kept' Ad," The Washington Post's The Fact Checker, 1/6/12)

"The Cost Of Health Insurance Skyrocketed In 2011 After Several Years Of Relatively Small Increases." (Jane M. Von Bergen, "Health Insurance Costs Skyrocketing," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/27/11)

Workers Paid An Average Of $132 More For Family Coverage This Year. "Although premiums rose, employers kept the percentage of the premium workers pay about the same: An average of 18 percent for single coverage and 28 percent for family plans. Still, with rising costs, workers paid more, up an average of $132 a year for family coverage. Since 1999, the dollar amount workers contribute toward premiums nationally has grown 168 percent, while their wages have grown by 50 percent, according to the survey." (Julie Appleby, "Cost Of Employer Insurance Plans Surge In 2011," Kaiser Health News, 9/27/11)

Cost Of Single Employee Coverage Grew 8 Percent According To The Survey. "Family plan premiums hit $15,073 on average, while coverage for single employees grew 8 percent to $5,429, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust. (KHN is an editorially-independent program of the foundation.)" (Julie Appleby, "Cost Of Employer Insurance Plans Surge In 2011," Kaiser Health News, 9/27/11)

And Americans Are Losing Their Coverage

PROMISE: President Obama Promised That "If You Like Your Health Care Plan, You Will Be Able To Keep Your Health Care Plan. Period." OBAMA: "So let me begin by saying this: I know that there are millions of Americans who are content with their health care coverage - they like their plan and they value their relationship with their doctor. And that means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what. My view is that health care reform should be guided by a simple principle: fix what's broken and build on what works." (President Barack Obama, Address To The American Medical Association, Chicago, IL, 6/15/09)

FAILURE: FactCheck.org: ObamaCare "Falls Short Of Making Health Care 'Affordable And Available To Every Single American,' As Promised." "Furthermore, the law falls short of making health care 'affordable and available to every single American,' as promised. The law provides subsidies to help some Americans buy insurance, expands Medicaid and doesn't allow insurance companies to exclude persons with preexisting conditions. But still, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected 23 million persons will remain uninsured -- some because they can't afford coverage." (D'Angelo Gore, "Promises, Promises," Fact Check.org, 1/4/12)

FactCheck.org: The White House Ad Promising Medicare "Benefits Will Remain The Same" Is False. "Currently, about 1 in every 4 Medicare beneficiary is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. For many of them, the words in this ad ring hollow, and the promise that 'benefits will remain the same' is just as fictional as the town of Mayberry was when Griffith played the local sheriff." (Brooks Jackson, "Mayberry Misleads On Medicare," FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)

The Washington Post's The Fact Checker: "Not Every Single American" Has Health Coverage As Obama Promised. "No matter what one thinks of Obama's health care law, it was certainly a signature legislative achievement--the most sweeping health care law since the creation of Medicare. But notice that Obama said he would bring health care to 'every single American,' but the headline simply says 'more than 30 million Americans.' That translates into 95 percent of nonelderly Americans--when the law is fully implemented in 2016. That is certainly an increase over the 82-percent level that would have been expected in the absence of the law, but it is not 'every single American.'" (Glenn Kessler, "The Fine Print In Obama's 'Promises Kept' Ad," The Washington Post's The Fact Checker, 1/6/12)

A Survey Found That Only 60 Percent Of Employers Offered Medical Coverage This Year, A 9 Percent Decrease From 2010. "Sixty percent of employers said they offered medical benefits this year, a decrease from 69 percent in 2010." (Jeffrey Young, "Health-Benefit Costs Rise Most In Six Years," Bloomberg, 9/27/11)

GREEN JOBS

"The Obama Administration Has Managed The Nearly Impossible Feat Of Turning Energy Policy Into A Money Loser, Pouring Taxpayer Dollars Into Green-Energy Busts Like Solyndra."(Editorial, "The Non-Green Job Boom," The Wall Street Journal, 11/28/11)

Obama Predicted His Investments In Green Energy Would Create 5 Million Jobs

PROMISE: In 2008, Then-Senator Obama Claimed His Investments In Green Energy Would Create 5 Million New Jobs. OBAMA: "And I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy -- wind power, and solar power, and the next generation of biofuels -- an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced."(Sen. Barack Obama, Acceptance Speech Remarks At The Democratic National Convention, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

FAILURE: The Failure Of Obama's Green Jobs Programs "Gets More Embarrassing By The Day." "The green jobs subsidy story gets more embarrassing by the day. Three years ago President Obama promised that by the end of the decade America would have five million green jobs, but so far some $90 billion in government spending has delivered very few." (Editorial, "Green Jobs Brown Out," The Wall Street Journal, 10/11/11)

"The Green Economy Is Not Proving To Be The Job-Creation Engine That Many Politicians Envisioned." "In the Bay Area as in much of the country, the green economy is not proving to be the job-creation engine that many politicians envisioned. President Obama once pledged to create five million green jobs over 10 years. Gov. Jerry Brown promised 500,000 clean-technology jobs statewide by the end of the decade. But the results so far suggest such numbers are a pipe dream." (Aaron Glantz, "Number Of Green Jobs Fails To Live Up To Promises," The New York Times, 8/18/11)

Green Technology Jobs Account For Just 2 Percent Of Employment Nationwide. "A study released in July by the non-partisan Brookings Institution found clean-technology jobs accounted for just 2 percent of employment nationwide and only slightly more -- 2.2 percent -- in Silicon Valley. Rather than adding jobs, the study found, the sector actually lost 492 positions from 2003 to 2010 in the South Bay, where the unemployment rate in June was 10.5 percent." (Aaron Glantz, "Number Of Green Jobs Fails To Live Up To Promises," The New York Times, 8/18/11)

"Federal And State Efforts To Stimulate Creation Of Green Jobs Have Largely Failed." "Federal and state efforts to stimulate creation of green jobs have largely failed, government records show. Two years after it was awarded $186 million in federal stimulus money to weatherize drafty homes, California has spent only a little over half that sum and has so far created the equivalent of just 538 full-time jobs in the last quarter, according to the State Department of Community Services and Development." (Aaron Glantz, "Number Of Green Jobs Fails To Live Up To Promises," The New York Times, 8/18/11)

The Energy Department Has Handed Out $35.2 Billion From The Stimulus, But The Clean Energy Industry Has "Yet To Provide The Boost Many Had Hoped For." "The Energy Department handed out $35.2 billion from the Recovery Act for energy efficiency and other initiatives. At the time, clean energy was seen as a potentially powerful industry for job creation. But the industry has yet to provide the boost many had hoped for." (Vauhini Vara, "Red Flags For Green Energy," The Wall Street Journal, 10/12/11)

Despite Soaring Promises From Obama And His Allies, Green Energy Has Barely Taken Flight And Has Failed To Create Jobs. "New clean-energy sources could address environmental, economic and national security problems all at once. In his 2008 convention speech, Barack Obama promised to create five million green economy jobs. The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimated in April 2009 that green jobs could account for 10 percent of new job growth over the next 30 years. Alas, it was not to be." (David Brooks, "Where The Jobs Aren't," The New York Times, 9/5/11)

"There's A Wealth Of Other Evidence To Suggest That The Green Economy Will Not Be A Short-Term Jobs Machine. According To Investor's Business Daily, Executives At Johnson Controls Turned $300 Million In Green Technology Grants Into 150 Jobs -- That's $2 Million Per Job." (David Brooks, "Where The Jobs Aren't," The New York Times, 9/5/11)

The Energy Department's Loan Program Has Fallen Far Short Of The 65,000 Jobs That It Said It Would Create

"In The Understatement Of The Year, The IG Says The Program Failed To 'Assist Those Most Impacted By The Recession." "A new report by the Labor Department's Office of Inspector General examined a $500 million grant under the stimulus program to the Employment and Training Administration to 'train and prepare individuals for careers in 'green jobs.'' So far about $162.8 million has been spent. The program was supposed to train 125,000 workers, but only 53,000 have been 'trained' so far, only 8,035 have found jobs, and only 1,033 were still in the job after six months. Overall, 'only 10% of participants entered employment.' In the understatement of the year, the IG says the program failed to 'assist those most impacted by the recession.'" (Editorial, "Green Jobs Brown Out," The Wall Street Journal, 10/11/11)

Obama's $38 Billion Green Energy Stimulus Program Only Has A Few Thousand Jobs To Show For It. "A $38.6 billion loan guarantee program that the Obama administration promised would create or save 65,000 jobs has created just a few thousand jobs two years after it began, government records show. The program -- designed to jump-start the nation's clean technology industry by giving energy companies access to low-cost, government-backed loans -- has directly created 3,545 new, permanent jobs after giving out almost half the allocated amount, according to Energy Department tallies." (Carol D. Leonnig and Steven Mufson, "Obama Green-Tech Program That Backed Solyndra Struggles To Create Jobs," The Washington Post, 9/14/11)

"The Jobs Record Is Even More Dismal When You Consider That Many Of The Jobs Classified As Green Aren't Even New Jobs, Much Less Green." "The jobs record is even more dismal when you consider that many of the jobs classified as green aren't even new jobs, much less green, according to a report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. They include positions that have been 'relabeled as green jobs by the BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics].'" (Editorial, "Green Jobs Brown Out," The Wall Street Journal, 10/11/11)

The Cost Of Each Green Job Is $157,000. "This means that bus drivers, Environmental Protection Agency regulators, university professors teaching ecology, and even the Washington lobbyists who secure energy loan guarantees count as green employees for the purposes of government counting. The Oversight Committee finds that even a charitable assessment of the Labor program puts the cost of each green job at $157,000." (Editorial, "Green Jobs Brown Out," The Wall Street Journal, 10/11/11)

HOME FORECLOSURES

PROMISE: President Obama Promised That His Housing Program Would Prevent 7 To 9 Million Families From Foreclosure. "And we will pursue the housing plan I'm outlining today. And through this plan, we will help between 7 and 9 million families restructure or refinance their mortgages so they can afford--avoid foreclosure." (President Barack Obama, Remarks On The Home Mortgage Industry In Mesa, Arizona, 2/18/09)

FAILURE: Obama Has Only Helped 1.7 Million Avoid Foreclosure Of The 9 Million Homeowners He Promised. "President Obama pledged at the beginning of his term to boost the nation's crippled housing market and help as many as 9 million homeowners avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. Nearly three years later, it hasn't worked out. Obama has spent just $2.4 billion of the $50 billion he promised. The initiatives he announced have helped 1.7 million people." (Zachary A. Goldfarb, "Obama's Efforts To Aid Homeowners, Boost Housing Market Fall Far Short Of Goals," The Washington Post, 10/23/11)

The Administration's Foreclosure Prevention Programs "Have Had Little Impact On The Overall Housing Sector." "The administration is already using taxpayer funds from its $700 billion bank bailout program to help prevent foreclosures and give struggling Americans a reprieve on their mortgage payments. But the programs have had little impact on the overall housing sector." ("White House Says Needs To Deal With Housing Problems," Reuters, 6/5/11)

"To Date, Administration Programs Have Permanently Reduced The Debt Of Just One Tenth Of 1 Percent Of Underwater Borrowers." (Zachary A. Goldfarb, "Obama's Efforts To Aid Homeowners, Boost Housing Market Fall Far Short Of Goals," The Washington Post, 10/23/11)

Obama's Housing Programs "Dramatically Underperformed" This Summer At The White House, Obama Offered A Rare Acknowledgment That His Response To The Housing Crisis Had Fallen Short." (Zachary A. Goldfarb, "Obama's Efforts To Aid Homeowners, Boost Housing Market Fall Far Short Of Goals," The Washington Post, 10/23/11)

Obama Said That Housing Has Been The "Most Stubborn In Us Trying To Solve The Problem." "Asked what mistakes he had made in handling the recession and what he would do differently, he said: 'We had to revamp housing several times to try and help people stay in their homes and try to start lifting home values up. Of all the things we've done, that's probably been the area that's been most stubborn in us trying to solve the problem.'" (Zachary A. Goldfarb, "Obama's Efforts To Aid Homeowners, Boost Housing Market Fall Far Short Of Goals," The Washington Post, 10/23/11)

President Obama Said "I'll Be Honest With You, [Housing] Is Probably The Biggest Drag On The Economy Right Now." "'I'll be honest with you, this is probably the biggest drag on the economy right now,' Obama replied to a questioner at an economic forum in Palo Alto, Calif., who lamented that the 'housing crisis will not go away.'" (Abby Phillip, "Housing Crisis Back On President Obama's Agenda," Politico, 7/11/11)

Treasury Secretary Geithner: "But Our Programs Have Dramatically Underperformed What We Thought. ... We Are Very Disappointed And Frustrated By It And We Have A Lot Of Challenges Ahead." (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Testimony Before The House Financial Services Committee, Washington, D.C., 10/6/11)

DEFICIT SPENDING

Obama Promised To Cut The Deficit In Half, But Has Failed To Even Present A Plan That Would Bring The Deficit To Those Levels

PROMISE: Obama Pledged To Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of His First Term. OBAMA:"And that's why today I'm pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office." (President Barack Obama, Remarks At The Fiscal Responsibility Summit, Washington, D.C., 2/23/09)
"President Barack Obama Plans To Cut The U.S. Budget Deficit To $533 Billion By The End Of His First Term ..." (Hans Nichols, "Obama Plans To Reduce Budget Deficit To $533 Billion By 2013," Bloomberg, 2/21/09)

One White House Official Told Politico "We'll Cut It At Least In Half." "Under White House projections, this year's inherited budget deficit of $1.3 trillion will be cut to $533 billion by fiscal year 2013, the end of the first term. 'So we'll cut it at least in half,' the official said." (Mike Allen, "Obama Vows To Cut Huge Deficit In Half," Politico, 2/22/09)

FAILURE: Even If Every Part Of Obama's Deficit Reduction Proposal Was Enacted, The Deficit At The End Of His First Term Would Still Be $1.33 Trillion, Over Double What He Promised. ("The President's Plan For Economic Growth And Deficit Reduction; Table S-3," Office Of Management And Budget, 9/19/11)

Politifact: "Obama Made A Pledge To Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of His First Term. And He's Falling Short So Far." (Gregory Trotter, "Tim Pawlenty Says President Obama Is Going To Break Promise On Deficit And Will Double It," Politifact, 6/10/11)

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Said Even If Congress Enacted The President's Budget "We Would Still Be Left With A Very Large Interest Burden And Unsustainable Obligations Over Time." (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Remarks Before Senate Budget Committee, Washington, D.C., 2/17/11)

In Doing So The "Undisputed Debt King" Has Put The Economy At Risk

At $15.22 Trillion, The National Debt Has Officially Surpassed 100 Percent Of GDP. (Treasury Direct, Accessed 1/3/12; Bureau Of Economic Analysis, Accessed 1/3/12)

The Nation's GDP Is $15.18 Trillion. (Bureau Of Economic Analysis, Accessed 1/3/12)

Politifact: "Obama Is The Undisputed Debt King Of The Last Five Presidents." "So by this measurement -- potentially a more important one -- Obama is the undisputed debt king of the last five presidents, rather than the guy who added a piddling amount to the debt, as Pelosi's chart suggested." ("Nancy Pelosi Posts Questionable Chart On Debt Accumulation By Barack Obama, Predecessors," Politifact, 5/19/11)

"By The Time The Next Election Rolls Around, The Government Will Have Taken On Almost $7 Trillion In Debt Under Obama. It's Hard To Explain Away A Number So Big." "For that reason alone, it is unimaginable that debt doesn't become an even bigger issue in the presidential election. The size-of-government spat is a hard one for the president to win. By the time the next election rolls around, the government will have taken on almost $7 trillion in debt under Obama. It's hard to explain away a number so big." (Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, "President Obama's Big Drags," Politico, 8/4/11)

By The Next Election Obama Will Have Added "$22,500 In New Debt For Every Man, Woman And Child In The Nation." (Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, "President Obama's Big Drags," Politico, 8/4/11)

The Government Is In A Debt Trap That Could Be Fueling The Recession. "Our recession may be driven, at this point, by the balance sheet of the government. Repairing that balance sheet by lowering spending may be the only way out of the debt trap. Call it the New Paradox of Thrift: the government can stimulate growth only by refusing to borrow. We need thrift all the way down." (John Carney, "From Jackson Hole: A Defense Of The Debt Ceiling," CNBC, 8/29/11)

CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf: Growing Debt Increases Risk Of "Sudden Fiscal Crisis." "Growing debt also would increase the probability of a sudden fiscal crisis, during which investors would lose confidence in the government's ability to manage its budget and the government would thereby lose its ability to borrow at affordable rates." (Douglas Elmendorf, "CBO's 2011 Long-Term Budget Outlook," Congressional Budget Office "Director's Blog", 6/22/11)

Rick Perry Dropped Out of Race as Expected

2012-01-20T04:37:00.001-08:00

As expected, Perry is out! Endorse Newt. Let the battle begin!

(National Journal) Rick Perry dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday and endorsed rival Newt Gingrich. "Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?" Perry said.

The move by the Texas governor to end his flailing campaign comes two days before the primary in South Carolina, where he has been unable to gain a foothold among the state's many evangelicals and social conservatives. The endorsement of Gingrich also comes as polls suggest the former speaker is closing in on front-runner Mitt Romney as voters prepare to vote in the state on Saturday.

“As I’ve contemplated the future of this campaign, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign. Therefore today I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich for president of the United States,” Perry said at a press conference. “I believe Newt is a conservative visionary who can transform our country. We’ve had our differences, which campaigns will inevitably have. And Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?” he asked.

Perry appeared before a packed room of reporters and a handful of campaign staff. He was accompanied by his wife, Anita, his son, Griffin, and a military veteran, Marcus Luttrell, and his wife, with whom Perry has a close relationship.

"I know when it's time to make a strategic retreat," he added.

Polls show Perry running dead last in the Republican pack, with only 4 percent support among likely GOP voters in South Carolina in a poll by NBC News/Marist published on Thursday.

Ilinois Raise Income Taxes 67% and still $8.5B in Debt

2012-01-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Topinka: Illinois’ Unpaid Bill Crisis Just Keeps Getting Worse « CBS Chicago

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Illinois keeps falling farther behind on its
debt.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports, officially, the state
has a backlog of more than $4.25 billion in unpaid bills.

But Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka says when one factors in other bills, the figure is closer to around $8.5 billion.

Those other outstanding bills include tax refunds, employee health insurance, and bills that have not yet reached her desk.

Topinka says this is extremely disappointing, since a year ago, the state
sharply increased income taxes (by 67 percent) and corporate taxes.

“After the largest tax hike in our history, the state continues to be in this precarious fiscal position with persistent payment delays, and frankly, the situation is unlikely to significantly improve in the
near term,” she said.

Some state officials say the solution is more borrowing to pay the bills, but Topinka says the solution is to cut spending.

Treasury dips into pension funds to avoid debt

2012-01-19T05:24:00.001-08:00

Instead of borrowing out from our kid's future, Obama is dipping in the retirees pension fun to pay off the debt. Obama policies suck! It doesn't work. America is broke

(Yahoo) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury on Tuesday started dipping into federal pension funds in order to give the Obama administration more credit to pay government bills.

"I will be unable to invest fully" the federal employees retirement system fund beginning Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a letter to Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Wednesday on the Obama administration's request to raise the country's legal debt limit to $16.394 trillion.

However, unless the lower chamber and the Senate are able to shore up enough votes to block the White House request, the debt limit will be increased by $1.2 trillion next Friday and a repeat of last year's debt ceiling debacle will be averted.

Geithner said Treasury started suspending reinvestments in a federal pension fund known as the G-Fund -- a tool Treasury has had to employ six times over the past 20 years in order to keep the country below the statutory debt limit.

The Treasury Department has already tapped another seldom-used fund in order to allow the government to continue borrowing without running afoul of the country's laws.

Obama: Extending Unemployment Benefits Will Create Jobs

2012-01-19T05:05:00.001-08:00

Obama killed the Keystone Pipeline bill, which would make American less dependent on foreign oil and it would create jobs. Instead, he blames on Republican. Obama says that more jobs would be created by extending the payroll tax cuts and extending unemployment benefits. I would like to see how paying people not to work will create jobs! Our president is out of touch with reality.

(Washington Examiner) President Obama said that he will delay his vacation and keep Congress in session until the passage of his desired payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits extension -- two proposals that Obama said would create more jobs than the Keystone XL pipeline that his administration recently delayed.

"I would not ask anyone to do something I'm not willing to do myself," Obama said when asked if he would go on vacation while keeping Congress in Washington D.C. "We are going to stay here as long as it takes [to get unemployment extended and pass the payroll tax cut]."

As Obama called for passage of those bills, he also responded to a recent Republican push to require him to approve the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada. "However many jobs might be generated by a Keystone pipeline," he said, "they're going to be a lot fewer than the jobs that are created by extending the payroll tax cut and extending unemployment insurance."

Newt: OMG! I Forgot about my Ex Wife

2012-01-19T04:43:00.000-08:00

I have said it in the past. Newt's affair with another woman will catch up to him. When the media stay quiet about a candidate, they have the ammo to unleash havoc. Thus, when Palin and Cain were going to be the odds on favorite, the media had a conniption. The mainstream media didn't have anything on Palin and Cain. Thus, the media made crap up. For example, you haven't hear anything about the "women" in Herman Cain's life after Cain left the race. It was too much for Cain to handle. The media forced Herman Cain out from the race. It was the same situation with Palin.

(Drudge Report) NEWT EX-WIFE UNLOADS ON CAMERA; NETWORK DEBATES 'ETHICS' OF AIRING BEFORE SC PRIMARY

**Exclusive**
Wed Jan 18 2012 18:47:14 ET

Marianne Gingrich has said she could end her ex-husband's career with a single interview.

Earlier this week, she sat before ABCNEWS cameras, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

She spoke to ABCNEWS reporter Brian Ross for two hours, and her explosive revelations are set to rock the trail.

But now a "civil war" has erupted inside of the network, an insider claims, on exactly when the confession will air!

MORE

ABCNEWS suits determined it would be "unethical" to run the Marianne Gingrich interview so close to the South Carolina Primary, a curious decision, one insider argued, since the network has aggressively been reporting on other candidates.

A decision was tentatively made to air the interview next Monday, after all votes have been counted.

Gingrich canceled a press conference on Wednesday to deal with the matter.

"He believes that what he says in public and how he lives don't have to be connected," Marianne Gingrich, Newt's wife of 18 years, explained to ESQUIRE last year.

Developing...

UPDATE: The AP reports ABC is now likely to air the segment Thursday on NIGHTLINE.

Carney Dodges Question About Obama College Transcripts

2012-01-18T00:28:00.001-08:00

This is why the GOP debates must linger longer. The American people desire to have their future president vetted. Hence, the American people don't want to go through another Obama wannabe. It has been 3 years and the president hasn't produce an official college transcript and a live birth certificate.

(RealCearPolitics) White House press secretary Jay Carney is asked why President Obama hasn't released his college transcripts. Carney dodges the question and tells the reporter, Ed Henry of FOX News, to ask the campaign.

Carney then talks about candidates and releasing their tax returns.

Ed Henry, FOX News: "I don't know how many years, maybe you do, George Romney released of his college transcripts, but Republicans like to complain that the President has not released his college transcripts. What is the stated reason for that?"

Jay Carney, White House: "I would refer you to the campaign.

"I think we've answered this a bunch. The tradition of releasing income tax records for serious potential nominees, and nominees of the two parties is well established. It's not a law. But it's well established. It's one this President abided by when he was a Senator. It's one numerous Republicans and Democrats have abided by and we think its a good idea."

Sarah Palin Wants Newt to Win in South Carolina

2012-01-18T00:07:00.001-08:00

Palin brought a good point. Prolong the debates because the vetting process is not over. In other words, Romney better get off his butt and fight for it.

(Politico) Sarah Palin's not quite endorsing Newt Gingrich for president, but if she were a South Carolina voter, he's the one she'd cast her ballot for this weekend.

The idea, Palin explained on Fox News, would be to keep the primary season going. Via Juana Summers, here's the case Palin made:

"I can tell you what I would do if I were a South Carolinian…If I were a South Carolinian though, and each one of these primaries and caucuses are different, Sean, I want to see this thing continue because iron sharpens iron. Steel sharpens steel. These guys are getting better in their debates. They are getting more concise. They are getting more grounded in what their beliefs are and articulating what their ideas are for getting America back on the right track and getting Americans working again. If I had to vote in South Carolina order to keep this thing going, I would vote for Newt and I would want it to continue. More debates, more vetting of candidates."

TSA Makes $400K Off Loose Change

2012-01-13T15:07:00.001-08:00

TSA didn't report what they actually keep when no one is looking. Unlike the US Postal Service, we don't need to worry about the TSA going backrupt. They are making a profit every year.

(NBC) Turns out those airport security checkpoints aren't just for your safety, they are also a source of funds for the Transportation Security Administration.

Travelers left behind $409,085.56 in loose change in 2010. Not only did they ditch their pennies, dimes and quarters at the checkpoints, but they also left behind foreign currency.

Nico Melendez, spokesperson for TSA, said when people go through security checkpoints they typically leave behind the change from their pockets in the plastic bins.

The total numbers have been pretty consistent, although trend slightly upward. In 2008 the total was $364,000 and 2009 was $399,000.

The TSA said it does everything it can to get items back to passengers, but if no one claims the money, it is used to finance operations.

The Fed Say Unemployment Rate Will Rise in Coming Months

2012-01-13T14:39:00.001-08:00

Trying not to look stupid, economist retreated by saying that unemployment will go up in coming months. NO KIDDING!

(Bloomberg) Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said the drop in the unemployment rate to 8.5 percent may be partially reversed in coming months.

“I’m a little concerned that the most recent improvement is going to be transitory and it might move up above 8.5 percent,” Evans said in response to audience questions after a speech today in Carmel, Indiana.

Evans said he forecasts that “at the end of the year, we’re not going to be very different from 8.5 percent unemployment.”
Fed policy makers will discuss at their Jan. 24-25 meeting in Washington whether more steps are needed to bolster an expanding U.S. economy. Employers last year added 1.64 million workers, the best year for the American worker since 2006. Even with the gain, little headway has been made in recovering the 8.75 million jobs lost as a result of the recession that ended in June 2009.

The Labor Department said last week that the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent, down from 8.7 percent in November, 8.9 percent in October and 9.4 percent in December 2010.

Speaking to reporters after his speech, Evans said he “can’t discount the possibility” that the “headwinds” facing the economy could cause growth to slow, as happened in the summer of 2010 and 2011.

Obama Wants Closing of Commerce Department

2012-01-13T09:59:00.001-08:00

Now Obama wants a smaller government??? Shaking my head......And it had to happen during an election year....

(Chicago Tribune) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will ask Congress on Friday for authority to close the Commerce Department and create a new export agency, an overhaul that could save $3 billion and help inoculate him against Republican election-year charges that he is a big-government liberal.

White House budget official Jeffrey Zients told reporters the reorganization would fold together the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and other trade bodies now spread across Washington, giving businesses a single point of contact and ensuring federal spending goes further to boost exports.

Obama was set to deliver remarks at 11:20 a.m. on the new, yet-to-be-named department that would be tasked with achieving his goal of doubling exports in five years, a key part of his economic agenda as the November presidential vote nears.

The Democrat was expected to cast it as an effort to make the government leaner and more efficient, reducing bureaucracy for export-oriented companies.

The proposal - the first of a series of consolidation steps Obama is expected to pursue - comes amid growing concerns about huge federal deficits and the size of the government.

Obama wants to put the USTR, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corp, the Trade and Development Agency, the Small Business Administration and parts of the Commerce Department under a new roof - something that has been under discussion for years.

Last March, he asked White House budget officials to examine whether to merge the groups as a way to save money and ensure that U.S. export promotion is as efficient as possible.

A White House official said on Friday the goal of the consolidation was to save $3 billion over 10 years. It may also lead to the loss of 1,000 to 2,000 jobs through attrition, the official said.

Top 5 Let Them Eat Cake Moments at the Obama White House

2012-01-13T09:33:00.001-08:00

The Obama do not understand to be public servants. The presidency is not a monarchy. They need to be kicked out of the White House.

(Washington Times) A rebuttal to ongoing criticism that the Obamas have seemed out of economic touch with a nation struggling with high unemployment and the ongoing fallout of the Great Recession.

As Nancy Reagan once learned after being blasted for buying pricey White House china during a recession, both political opponents and the general public can quickly turn against presidential glamour — at least when it comes off as less Jackie Kennedy than Marie Antoinette.

Case in point: Ms. Kantor’s book depicts a lavish, unpublicized 2009 “Alice in Wonderland” White House Halloween party featuring director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp, a soiree that has drawn negative scrutiny for taking place during the deepest dip of the economic downturn.

Herein, a guide to Mr. and Mrs. Obama’s top “Let Them Eat Cake” controversies:

1. The Pain in Spain

Incident: The first lady and daughter Sasha took a five-day trip to southern Spain, shopping, visiting coastal towns and lunching with the nation’s king and queen.

2. Date Fright

Incident: Mr. and Mrs. Obama jetted up to New York City for a “date night” — dinner and a Broadway play — in May, 2009.

3. Concerted Efforts

Incident: In May of last year, the Obamas held a “celebration of poetry and prose” party in the East Room of the White House, with Chicago rapper Common among the invited guests.

4. Hawaii Five-Oh No

Incident: The Obamas took a 17-day trip Hawaii at the end of last year, the family’s annual Christmas vacation.

5. Island of Misadventure

Incident: With the White House still working on an unfinished jobs plan, Mr. Obama took a vacation to the resort island of Martha’s Vineyard last August.

The Worst Obama Recovery Since The Great Depression

2012-01-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you allow a Democrat to run wild in Washington. It becomes worst when the Oval Office, the US Senate, and the US House of Representatives are controlled by Democrats. Let this be a lesson to the ignorant and wise. Democrats may be stingy with their own money, but not yours.

(Forbes) The record of President Obama’s first three years in office is in, and nothing that happens now can go back and change that. What that record shows is that President Obama, with his throwback, old-fashioned, 1970s Keynesian economics, has put America through the worst recovery from a recession since the Great Depression.

The recession started in December, 2007. Go to the website of the National Bureau of Economic Research (www.nber.org) to see the complete history of America’s recessions. What that history reveals is that before this last recession, since the Great Depression recessions in America have lasted an average of 10 months, with the longest previously lasting 16 months.

When President Obama entered office in January, 2009, the recession was already in its 13th month. His responsibility was to manage a timely, robust recovery to get America back on track again. Based on the historical record, that recovery was imminent, within a couple of months or so. Despite widespread fear, nothing fundamental had changed to deprive America of the long term, world-leading prosperity it had enjoyed going back 300 years.

Supposedly a forward looking progressive, Obama proved to be America’s first backward looking regressive. His first act was to increase federal borrowing, the national debt and the deficit by nearly a trillion dollars to finance a supposed “stimulus” package, based on the discredited Keynesian theory left for dead 30 years ago holding that increased government spending, deficits and debt are what promote economic growth and recovery. That theory arose in the 1930s as the answer to the Great Depression, which, of course, never worked.

That was the beginning of President Obama’s Rip Van Winkle act, pretending not to know anything that happened over the previous 30 years proving the dramatic, historic success of the new, more modern, supply side economics, which holds that incentives for increased production are what promote economic growth and recovery. Indeed, that Rip Van Winklism pretended not to remember the 1970s either, when double digit inflation and double digit unemployment proved Keynesian economics grievously wrong.

As should have been long expected, Obama’s trillion dollar Keynesian stimulus did nothing to promote recovery and growth, and almost surely delayed it. That is because borrowing a trillion dollars out of the economy to spend a trillion back into it does nothing to promote the economy on net. Indeed, it is probably a net drag on the economy, because the private sector spends the money more productively and efficiently than the public sector.

The National Bureau of Economic Research scored the recession as ending in June, 2009. Yet, today, in the 49th month since the recession started, there has still been no real recovery, like recoveries from previous recessions in America.

Unemployment actually rose after June, 2009, and did not fall back down below that level until 18 months later in December, 2010. Instead of a recovery, America has suffered the longest period of unemployment near 9% or above since the Great Depression, under President Obama’s public policy malpractice. Even today, 49 months after the recession started, the U6 unemployment rate counting the unemployed, underemployed and discouraged workers is still 15.2%. And that doesn’t include all the workers who have fled the workforce under Obama’s economic oppression. The unemployment rate with the full measure of discouraged workers is reported at www.shadowstats.com as about 23%, which is depression level unemployment.

Today, over 4 years since the recession started, there are still almost 25 million Americans unemployed or underemployed. That includes 5.6 million who are long-term unemployed for 27 weeks, or more than 6 months. Under President Obama, America has suffered the longest period with so many in such long-term unemployment since the Great Depression.

94 Percent of Senate Bills Done in SECRECY with NO DEBATE

2012-01-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

This shows you that the corruption in Washington is SO BAD that they feel brazen enough to let it continue to happen, RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN. Who is at fault for this??? WE ARE! We put them in office. We must put an end to it. THEY WORK FOR US!! Throw them all out. Ever since Democrats took the Majority in Congress in 2006, this country has gone downhill. I hope this teaches the young voters a lesson that Democrats cannot be trusted.

Obama, ‘Everything that we fought for is now at stake in this election’

2012-01-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

Obama: ‘Everything that we fought for is now at stake in this election’ - Aurora Beacon News

Trying to jump-start his re-election with hometown fund-raisers and rallies, President Barack Obama told 500 cheering fans Wednesday, “Everything that we fought for is now at stake in this election.”...He hopes the fund-raisers bring in more than $2 million for what he told donors would be a “close race.”

US Jobless Claims Rise Sharply to 6 Week High, YAWN

2012-01-12T09:14:00.001-08:00

Jobless claims up for December, and we are still 8.5% unemployment. Instead of getting out of a recession, economists are saying the economy still sucks. It is important for the American people get the real facts. Again, how is it possible that 3.63 million people continue to get claims benefits, up from 3.61 million, and unemployment is 8.5%. This is joke. We are in a recession. The economy sucks. Obama and his Administration are using fuzzy math to make themselves feel better. It is time to make Obama a one term president.

(CNBC) WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The number of Americans applying for first-time jobless benefits rose last week, a report showed on Thursday, reversing a recent decline and suggesting the labor market remains brittle. Unemployment claims jumped to 399,000 in the first week of 2012, the highest in six weeks, from an upwardly revised 375,000 in the prior week. The four-week average of claims also marched higher to 381,750 from 374,000. The Labor Department report also showed 3.63 million continuing claims, up from 3.61 million. Including the millions of workers receiving benefits under emergency federal programs, some 7.3 million Americans were receiving unemployment benefits as of Dec. 24, the most recent date for which comprehensive figures are available. The U.S. unemployment rate has fallen sharply in recent months and was 8.5 percent December, but some economists worry the drop has been due in part to discouraged workers dropping out of the labor force.

Romney Compares Bain Capital to Obama Takeover of GM

2012-01-11T22:56:00.001-08:00

Shaking my head....Conservatives complain that Newt should not criticize on Romney and Bain Capital as an attack on capitalism. In fact, Romney was saying Obama's takeover on the auto industry was no different to what he did with Bain Capital. Thus, if Romney become the GOP presidential nominee, I expect GM and Bain Capital as a debatable issue. Romney need to solidify his argument that government is not in the business to make a profit. Also, Romney must convince the American people that the company is saving jobs and protecting its existence when they lay off workers.

"On the heels of his decisive victory in the New Hampshire primary, Mitt Romney took the attacks on his private sector record used by GOP rivals and turned them against President Obama. Romney's critics have accused him of destroying jobs in order to increase profits for his investment firm, Bain Capital, but speaking Wednesday on CBS, Romney said..." Are you sitting down?

Today on CBS, "Romney said that what he did [with Bain Capital] was no different..." Dadelut dadelut dadelut! from what Barack Obama did bailing out the auto industry.

The next paragraph is a quote from Romney.

"In the general election I'll be pointing out that the president took the reins at General Motors and Chrysler -- closed factories, closed dealerships, laid off thousands and thousands of workers -- he did it to try to save the business." So TheHill.com is reporting that Romney on CBS today said that what he did with Bain Capital is no different than what Obama did in taking over the auto companies. Obama had to lay people off; Obama had to streamline the place to make them profitable. So he's accepting the premise that Newt and Perry have put out there, apparently, that he has gone into these companies with a chainsaw -- and now he is using Obama and what he did at General Motors and Chrysler as: Hey, the president did it!

You just don't, if you are the leader in the race for the Republican nomination, come out and give tacit approval to the government takeover of General Motors and Chrysler and then compound that by saying: Hey, what I did is no different. I was trying to save the businesses.

RUSH: I'm still struggling with this here, folks. What Romney should have said is, "You call what I did layoffs? I was trying to save jobs! I was trying to save companies. Look at what Obama did with General Motors: Those jobs went overseas to the ChiComs. Look at how he's laying off 80,000 soldiers," and this is the point: Is Obama trying to save the Pentagon by laying off 80,000 soldiers? No, ladies and gentlemen. Quite the opposite. There's nothing -- there's not a single thing -- that is common between we as conservatives and Barack Obama.

Not a single thing. In the areas of economics and substance there's not a single thing. Now, the Democrats may talk about the fact, "Yeah, we need to streamline the Pentagon! Lean and mean. So we're gonna lay off 80,000 soldiers." That's not why they're laying off 80,000 soldiers. They are cutting that money to spend it elsewhere to buy more votes. They're doing it to cut the military down to size because they think the US military has been the focus of evil in this world. The colonialism and imperialism are rooted in the US military. And it's not just Obama; that's the Democrats from as long as I've been alive. Well, since JFK.

Romney: Congress Should Have Term Limits

2012-01-10T05:46:00.001-08:00

That is the first intelligent thing Romney said so far.

(The Hill) NASHUA, N.H. — Mitt Romney said Monday there should be term limits for members of Congress.

“I would love to see term limits for congressmen and senators,” he told business executives at a breakfast for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. “We have one for the president. It’s a good idea.”

Romney didn’t indicate the length he wanted for term limits, and his campaign did not respond to an email asking for clarification.

Tebow Throws For Biblical-Like 316 Yards In Broncos Win

2012-01-10T05:25:00.001-08:00

More reasons why the anti-Tebow movement is gaining momentum. There are ignorant people who have no life but to complain about other people. Originally, Tebow-haters despise an individual who wears Jesus on his or her sleeve. After Sundays miracle win, it is difficult to find a rational fan who isn't impressed by Tebow's results. However, the Tebow-hater will now admit that Tebow's technique is problematic. Again, Tebow-haters will find a way to hate Tebow. So, they look for faults. Even though the religious intonations may bother some, majority of fans do not see it as a problem. Tebow's game, not his character, will be the subject of the debate, which is what reasonable people have been trying to talk about for the past 11 weeks. Even though last Sundays status were merely coincidental to the Bible, let's stop doing Tebow a disservice by chasing the red herring.

(CBS Denver) — Only Tim Tebow could turn his passing yards into a biblical passage.

In a thrilling 29-23 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Denver Broncos quarterback threw for 316 yards and set a postseason record of averaging 31.6 yards per completion. John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that the final quarter-hour television rating for the Broncos-Steelers game was, you guessed it, 31.6.

The religious aspect takes shapes with the number 316 because one of Tebow’s favorite Bible passage is John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Tebow would put “John 3:16″ on his eye-black during his playing days at the University of Florida.

The Broncos will continue to seek “eternal” life in the playoffs Saturday as they hope to take down the New England Patriots.

Newt, Paul, Santorum, Perry, Huntsman Gang Up on Mitt

2012-01-09T05:51:00.001-08:00

Romney will not be allowed to sit back as the other candidates bicker among themselves. In this debate, all the candidates went after Romney. In fact, each candidate tore several layers of armor from him. While some thought Romney handle himself well, the majority saw his feathers ruffled. The debates are starting to look more interesting to watch on television.

(The Hill) CONCORD, N.H. — Mitt Romney finally faced the heat of searing campaign fire on Sunday, as his rivals in a presidential debate launched a Hail Mary effort to undercut the frontrunner two days before New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.

Newt Gingrich accused him of trading in “pious baloney” and leveling dishonest attacks against him, while Jon Huntsman charged the former Massachusetts governor with putting party ahead of country.

The NBC News debate in New Hampshire, where Romney is poised to score a wide-margin win on Tuesday, stood in sharp contrast to another debate the night before. The contenders competing for a second-place finish behind Romney waged a war against each other on Saturday, but on Sunday, Romney was enemy No. 1.

Romney shirked the fire of his rivals with confidence and a cool composition, his feathers seemingly unruffled. But the sharp and meticulous attacks of his opponents — most notably Gingrich, Huntsman and Rick Santorum — allowed them to make plain that whatever the outcome in New Hampshire, the fight is not over.

TEBOW OWNED THE STEELERS IN OVERTIME

2012-01-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

By design, Tebow wanted to take on the Steelers. It didn't matter losing the last 3 games of the regular season, Tebow and the Broncos had a score to settle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who played in the Super Bowl against the Packers in 2010. Denver was playing against a team that was number one in defense. Tebow dazzled the team into over-time. During overtime, it took 1 play to make the entire stadium shake. The Broncos is the first team to win in the shortest overtime in NFL history- 11 seconds. We all know it as Tebow time! Actually, Tebow wanted to let the Steelers know who owns the over-time period. However, this miracle win will still be criticize by anti-Tebow haters.

(Denver Post) To begin what turned out to be the biggest week of his professional football life, Tim Tebow was down in the dumps.

All the Broncos were down.

By now, the country knows the Broncos would snap out of their doldrums in time to stun the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in overtime Sunday. Tebow's exhilarating 80-yard dart-and-run pass play targeted Demaryius Thomas, who capped the game-winning touchdown on the first play in overtime by pulling a Bo Jackson and running straight into the tunnel that led to the victorious locker room.

"I was coming back out, and I got crushed," Thomas said of his celebrating teammates. "Everybody got me in the tunnel."

The sellout crowd of 75,970 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High erupted in celebration. Witnesses said that in Denver neighborhoods, delirious people were screaming from their balconies. Patrons at Denver-area bars were heard chanting, "Te-bow! Te-bow!"

Tebowmania is once again inflated. It was the Broncos' first playoff victory in six years.

Tebow had just come off back-to-back rough performances against the lowly Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs to close out the regular season. He spent the week covering his ears from a deluge of insults from local and national media outlets.

Worse, Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs joined current players Steve Smith, Jermichael Finley and Joe Flacco in bashing Tebow, breaking the unwritten code already long broken by former players.

"I don't get it," said Champ Bailey, the Broncos' star cornerback. "You can say it looks different or whatever you want, but don't say he won't make it. You don't do that. This is like a big fraternity for me. Guys who do that, I lose respect for them."

So what did Tebow do? He went John 3:16. That's what Tebow thinks when he hears 316, anyway. Broncos fans of all beliefs will remember Tebow throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns, and running for another score to outduel two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger.

Palin Says Romney Is Being Set Up to Fail Against Obama

2012-01-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin sees the media protecting Mitt Romney. The mainstream media want to see an Obama/Romney showdown in the fall. So far, Mitt Romney needs to sit back and let the other candidate bicker with one another. If Romney believes he is the virtual winner, he better sharpen up his talking points because he was not as stellar in the debates last night. Palin is afraid that Romney will fold in the debates with Obama. Only time will tell. Romney needs to be more convincing regards to Romneycare and running a very lucrative hedge fund company.

(HumanEvents) Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said the mainstream media and President Barack Obama “want to face Mitt Romney in the general election.” She made those comments on “Justice With Judge Jeanine” on FOX News on Saturday during the same time the Republican presidential candidates were debating in New Hampshire on ABC.

Palin said the mainstream media would take a hands-off approach to Romney “in order to bolster Romney’s chances” to “finally face Obama.”

According to Palin, the mainstream media and Obama would then portray Romney as someone who is out of touch with regular Americans in the general election.

“They are already gearing up to portray him, accurately or inaccurately … as being out of touch with the working class,” Palin said, nothing that Romney’s wealth and perfect family may make it easy to paint him as someone “being a bit out of touch from working and middle class Americans and from the challenges we all face.”

Palin continued: “My opinion is that I can see what’s coming ... the media will try to bolster Romney so they can tear him down, and that is quite unfortunate.”

Palin then conceded that any of the candidates, though, would be better than Obama.

Newt Gingrich: Obama will laugh at Mitt Romney

2012-01-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Newt brought an excellent observation. If Romney gets the nomination, Obama will destroy him with Romneycare. Obama will destroy Romney as being part of Wall Street. If Romney is willing to attack Obama, the GOP can win in 2012. If not, Romney will be another John McCain. Honestly, we need one more candidate to leave to see who will get the GOP nomination. Currently, it is a tie. With Michelle Bachmann out of the race, we will see who her voters will support. The only weak link is Rick Perry. Assuming he will drop out of the race in the coming weeks, we will begin to see who will ultimately lead the GOP primary.

(Politico) Newt Gingrich said Friday that if Mitt Romney becomes the Republican presidential nominee, President Barack Obama will simply “laugh at him.”

“As people look at his record and they imagine him debating Obama, Obama’s going to laugh at him,” Gingrich said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “Obama’s going to say, ‘I developed Obamacare based on Romneycare. I even brought your staff into the White House in order to develop it.’”

And just days ahead of the New Hampshire primary, Gingrich said that a bad performance in the Granite State would be fatal for Romney, while downplaying his rival’s victory in Iowa last week.

“This is one of his three best states, along with Utah and Massachusetts. If he doesn’t win here, he couldn’t stay in the race,” he said. “In his so-called win in Iowa, having campaigned for five years and spent, I think, $20 million, he got 25 percent. That’s one out of four. Three out of four said no after five years of campaigning.”

Nader and Democrats Want Primary Opponent for Obama

2012-01-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Obama rules his house with an iron fist. Because Obama's minions are on top of any news of a primary challenge, they use Chicago politics to discourage them. The Democratic base is unhinging. The liberals want a challenger to take on Obama, who have failed them. Liberals claim they want to force Obama to pay more attention to the liberal base, but it is false. One would not create this stunt 10 months to the presidential election. The liberal base want change. For the past year, Democrats wanted a primary challenger to take on Obama in the primaries. Even though, historically, a primary challenger would weaken Obama in the primary, the liberals are scared of their own political lives.

(The Hill) Ralph Nader is accusing the White House of applying political pressure to stop Democrats who were considering a primary challenge against the president.

The consumer activist and former presidential candidate, who had been searching for a prominent Democrat to challenge President Obama, told The Hill he has given up his effort.

“I hate to say but it’s over,” Nader told The Hill.

Last year, Nader said there was an almost 100 percent chance Obama would face a primary challenge.

Nader explained that he had planned to organize a slate of six candidates to primary Obama on a variety of issues. The plan didn’t work out though, Nader said, partially blaming those who are working to get Obama reelected.

“The minute any name was mentioned ... they made the calls,” Nader said of the White House’s efforts. “They jumped like a cat.”

For example, he said if former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) had opted to run against Obama, his future in the Democratic Party would be finished.

Nader said the goal of a primary challenge would not have been to defeat Obama. Instead, it would have forced Obama to pay more attention to his liberal base, he maintains.

Gingrich was Speechless By Young Voter’s Stupid Question

2012-01-07T05:45:00.001-08:00

My recommendation for the young man, who asked Gingrich the most idiotic and ignorant question, is to stay in school. Thus, I believed that we need school voucher program. It proves my point that responsible people should be allowed to vote. If there is an age limit to consume alcohol, then there should be an age limit to vote. A good example of it occurred in 2008. The youth in America thought it would be nice to vote someone who is not qualified to be president. And thus, they did. However, there is a consequence to his/her stupidity. Hence, only responsible people should be able to vote.

(CBS) MEREDITH, N.H.– It’s not easy leaving Newt Gingrich at a loss for words, but it happened Thursday night.

He went up to Meredith, New Hampshire to try to convince a few hundred Tea Party members that he’s their candidate in Tuesday’s GOP Presidential Primary.

At one point, a young man asked Gingrich what he would do for the future of the younger generation.

But the man took a unique way of asking the question.

“I noticed that in my age bracket no one cares about politics because it is something for old people, I say that respectfully,” the man continued, “because it seems like a lot of the issues are catered to them.”

Then he got to his question.

“I would like to know what hope I have as a hard-working, young individual, what change will you actually accomplish in Washington? What can be done in eight years that will affect the life that I have yet to live, that you have already lived?”

That drew more laughter and applause from the crowd.

“You know, there are moments in this business where I’m just left speechless,” Gingrich said.

True Unemployment Dropped to 15.2% YAY!!!

2012-01-06T06:13:00.001-08:00

Holiday employment help improve the unemployment figure, but the holiday jobs are temporary. When more people decide to leave the workforce or quit looking for jobs, the unemployment figure is calculated by using fuzzy math. Thus, if we calculate 50% of the workers who decided to leave the workforce or stop looking for jobs, the unemployment rate would be 5%.

(CNBC) The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 8.5 percent last month as job creation was more robust than expected, providing continued signs that the nation's labor market is improving gradually.

The unemployment rate — a hotly contested number because of the rise in potential workers who have quit looking for jobs — has fallen 0.6 percentage points since August.

However, an alternative measure of unemployment that counts discouraged workers also dropped sharply. The so-called U-6 number, more encompassing than the headline number the government publicizes, dropped to 15.2 percent from 15.6 percent in November.

Despite a steady progression in the amount of jobs created, the market has been reacting negatively on the first Friday of the month when the government's payroll count comes out. In fact, if the market closes lower Friday it will mark a new record of eight consecutive session in which the averages fell on the day of the monthly employment report.

High School Students Laugh at Obama Speech

2012-01-06T05:37:00.001-08:00

It is hard to keep a straight face when the audience know the president is full of crap.

During his opening remarks at Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, President Obama got laughs when he told students that they inspire him.

"I want you to know you're the reason that I ran for this office in the first place. You remind me what we are still fighting for," Obama said to tepid cheers.

"You inspire me," Obama said to an audience that laughed at him.

Michelle Obama Wants to Be Called 'Your Excellency'

2012-01-06T05:01:00.000-08:00

Michelle Obama is arrogant like her husband. There is no hiding the fact she is a wicked wench. Being playful or not, Michelle Obama wouldn't mind being call "your Excellency." To serve as a public servant, one need to show a sense of humility and modesty. Michelle Obama's display of flamboyancy, arrogance, and indulgence are not a good example for our children.

(RealClearPolitics) First Lady Michelle Obama is to make a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of the popular Nickelodeon show iCarly.

In the episode, which airs on January 16, the First Lady helps the show's title character Carly get in touch with her father, an Air Force colonel who can't make it home for his birthday.

Obama surprises the girl and her friends, which leads to her being called "Your Excellency" by Carly's friend Sam Puckett.

After being corrected by a friend that you don't call the First Lady that, Michelle Obama jumps in and says "No, no, I kind of like it."

US Closes 2011 at 100.3% Debt/GDP. We are Broke

2012-01-05T05:33:00.001-08:00

While not news to Zero Hedge readers who knew about the final debt settlement of US debt about 10 days ahead of schedule, it is now official: according to the US Treasury, America has closed the books on 2011 with debt at an all time record $15,222,940,045,451.09. And, as was observed here first in all of the press, US debt to GDP is now officially over 100%, or 100.3% to be specific, a fact which the US government decided to delay exposing until the very end of the calendar year. We wonder, rhetorically, just how prominent of a talking point this historic event will be in any upcoming GOP primary debates. And yes, technically this number is greater than the debt ceiling but it excludes various accounting gimmicks. When accounting for those, the US has a debt ceiling buffer of... $14 billion, or one third the size of a typical bond auction.

Ron Paul Doesn't Care to be President

2012-01-05T05:14:00.000-08:00

If Ron Paul decided he didn't want to be in the White House, why is he still running? Since America have seen Obama not taking the job as president seriously, it will be the same lack of commitment with Ron Paul.

(RealClearPolitics) Asked why he believes he draws a large crowd of young people, Ron Paul says younger people are "more open to consistency and principle."

"I think all young people, whether you're a toddler or a teenager, like independence," Paul added.

Later in the interview Paul is asked if he sees himself sitting in the Oval Office.

Terry Moran, ABC News: "When you lay your head on your pillow at night, do you see yourself in the Oval Office?"

Ron Paul: “Not really."

Ron Paul went on to say that he’s not blind to the odds, but they are “not as slim as they were 25 years ago.”

In 2011, Americans Buy A Lot Guns Because of Obama

2012-01-03T09:22:00.001-08:00

Americans are buying guns to prepare for a revolution. The Federal Government is on the verge of total chaos. For 2012, they imposed 40,000 new laws upon the American people. The economy sucks, jobs are dismal, and consumer confidence is at an all time low. Our right to bear arms is necessary to protect our love ones and our personal property. With the uncertainty of our future, it is wise to take precautions.

(Telegraph) According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December. Nearly 500,000 of those were in the six days before Christmas.

It was the highest number ever in a single month, surpassing the previous record set in November.

On Dec 23 alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history.
The actual number of guns bought may have been even higher if individual customers took home more than one each.

Explanations for America's surge in gun buying include that it is a response to the stalled economy with people fearing crime waves. Another theory is that buyers are rushing to gun shops because they believe tighter firearms laws will be introduced in the future.

The National Rifle Association said people were concerned about self defence because police officer numbers were declining.

Analysts Predict Five Dollars a Gallon for Gas in 2012

2012-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

We have seen $3.00/gallon of gas during the Bush Administration and people were upset. It took Bush an executive order to see the price of gas drop. Now, under 3 years of an Obama Administration, the price of gas remain in the $3.00 range, and no one is complaining. Because Obama vetoed the Keystone Pipeline, Obama is deliberately destroying jobs and making America dependent on foreign oil. Why would Obama delay a project that will bring up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day to U.S. refineries? Why would Obama delay a project that will create 20,000 U.S. jobs during the 1,700-mile pipeline's construction phase alone? You make your own conclusion.

(CBS) BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Five dollars a gallon for gas? Analysts say it could happen this year.

Monique Griego has more on why gas prices could soon explode.

Just this weekend, the president signed new sanctions against the country of Iran. Now, Iran is firing back with a threat that could send gas prices higher than ever.

Prices at the pump already have drivers in pain.

But if Iran follows through on a threat to shut down one of the world’s most important oil routes, analysts say prices here could skyrocket by summer.

n just the past week, gas prices have gone up nearly seven cents and there is no sign of them coming down any time soon.

According to AAA, the average for a gallon of regular is $3.25, compared to $3.07 this time last year.

Horrigan, who’s with the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors’ Association, says he won’t go as far as five dollars a gallon, but does expect prices to go up.

As of Jan 1, 2012, Big Brother Enacted 40,000 New Laws

2012-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

40,000 new Federal and State laws were enacted January 1, 2012. Under the new Federal and State laws, big brother has decided to waste tax payer money, expand the government, and squeezing our freedom. Some of the laws do make sense, but it doesn't overshadow the fact that the government is infringing out freedom. It is important to note that any law enacted by our legislator will cost the tax payer money. I recommend that you read this article. It is important to know what our selected representatives are doing with our money.

(MSNBC) About 40,000 state laws taking effect at the start of the new year will change rules about getting abortions in New Hampshire, learning about gays and lesbians in California, getting jobs in Alabama and even driving golf carts in Georgia.

Several federal rules change with the new year, too, including a Social Security increase amounting to $450 a year for the average recipients and stiff fines up to $2,700 per offense for truckers and bus drivers caught using hand-held cellphones while driving.

NBC News, the National Conference of State Legislatures, The Associated Press, and other organizations tracked the changes and offered their views on the highlights.

Many laws reflect the nation's concerns over immigration, the cost of government and the best way to protect and benefit young people, including regulations on sports concussions.

Eight states will raise the minimum wage, NBC News reported. They include Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Ohio, Vermont and Florida, NBC News said. San Francisco will become the first city to raise its minimum wage above $10 per hour. The new $10.24 minimum is nearly $3 above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, set in 2009.

Jan. 1 is the effective date in many states for laws passed during this year's legislative sessions. In others, laws take effect July 1, or 90 days after passage.

Alabama, with the country's toughest immigration law, will require all employers who do business with any government entity to use a federal system known as E-Verify to check that all new employees are in the country legally.

Georgia is putting a similar law into effect requiring any business with 500 or more employees to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of new hires. The requirement is being phased in, with all employers with more than 10 employees to be included by July 2013.

In Colorado, coaches will be required to bench players as young as 11 when they're believed to have suffered a head injury. The young athletes will also need medical clearance to return to play.

The law also requires coaches in public and private schools and even volunteer Little League and Pop Warner football coaches to take free annual online training to recognize the symptoms of a concussion. At least a dozen other states have enacted similar laws with the support of the National Football League.

Florida will take control of lunch and other school food programs from the federal government, allowing the state to put more Florida-grown fresh fruit and vegetables on school menus. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says the change will help children eat healthier.

A California law will add gays and lesbians and people with disabilities to the list of social and ethnic groups whose contributions must be taught in history lessons in public schools. The law also bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on gays or particular religions.

New laws requiring voters to present photo identification will go into effect in Kansas, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas. A law in New Hampshire will require election day registrants who do not present a photo ID to return a mailed identify verification. An additional Tennessee law will require election officials to identify possible non-citizens who are registered to vote and require them to present proof of citizenship in order to remain registered voters.

Among federal laws, a measure Congress passed last week to extend Social Security tax cuts and federal unemployment benefit programs raises insurance fees on new mortgages and refinancings backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration by 0.1 percent beginning Jan. 1.
That covers about 90 percent of them and effectively makes a borrower's monthly payment on a new $200,000 mortgage or refinancing about $17 a month more than it would have been if obtained before the first of the year.

Rick Santorum Has the Momentum in Iowa

2012-01-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

The underdog Rick Santorum is on the momentum to do well at the Iowa caucuses. Like I said before, the last man standing may win the GOP primary. We have seen the rise and fall of Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich. The only candidate the media gave a pass is Rick Santorum. I guess this may be a surprise to Santorum.

(Pulbic Policy Polling) Raleigh, N.C. – The Republican caucus in Iowa is headed for a photo finish, with the three leading contenders all within two points of each other. Ron Paul is at 20%, Mitt Romney at 19%, and Rick Santorum at 18%. Rounding out the field are Newt Gingrich at 14%, Rick Perry at 10%, Michele Bachmann at 8%, Jon Huntsman at 4%, and Buddy Roemer at 2%.

The momentum in the race is completely on Santorum's side. He's moved up 8 points
since a PPP poll earlier in the week, while no one else has seen more than a one point
gain in their support. Among voters who say they decided who to vote for in the last
seven days he leads Romney 29-17 with Paul and Gingrich both at 13. Santorum's net
favorability of 60/30 makes him easily the most popular candidate in the field. No one
else's favorability exceeds 52%. He may also have more room to grow in the final 48
hours of the campaign than the other front runners: 14% of voters say he's their second choice to 11% for Romney and only 8% for Paul.

Other than Santorum's rise the other big story of this week is Paul's fall. He was at 24% earlier in the week but has dropped to 20%. That decline in support coincides with a precipitous drop in his favorability numbers. On our last poll he was at +13 (53/40), but that's gone down 21 points on the margin to -8 (43/51). For all that Paul still has a very decent chance at winning on Tuesday- it just depends on whether his unusual coalition of young voters and non-Republicans really comes out to caucus. Mitt Romney leads with the more traditional caucus demographics of senior citizens and registered Republicans.

“It’s impossible to say who’s going to win Tuesday night,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “If you think momentum will be the most important factor that’s an argument for Santorum. If you think having the most passionate supporters will be the most important factor that’s an argument for Paul. And if you think the ability to beat Barack Obama will be the most important factor that’s an argument for Romney.”

If you thought 2011 was tough, 2012 will be tougher

2012-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

You thought 2011 was tough? 2012 will be tougher. It will be a continuation from 2011 with a shaky Europe, political gridlock, and a volatile market. Nothing has changed. Yes, we can celebrate the coming of the new year, but what are we celebrating? It is the same crap, but a different year. Well, at least, we got our health and our family.

(Reuters) Familiar themes for those who lived through 2011, and investors should be ready to revisit them next year.

With a spiraling debt crisis in Europe, political upheaval around the world, and crumbling creditworthiness in major industrial nations, 2011 was a tough year to know where to invest. 2012 is unlikely to offer much respite.

The S&P 500, a measure of the biggest U.S. companies' market value, spent much of the year getting pushed up and down, flummoxing shorts and longs - and scaring Moms and Pops away from stocks. It ended the year at 1,257.60, down a mere 0.04 of a point.

For every rally built on improving economic figures this year, selloffs were never far away on worries the European debt crisis would eventually drag the continent into a recession and perhaps the United States as well. That could continue in 2012.

Volatility is likely to persist through early 2012 because of the uncertainty in Europe and rising concern about slowed earnings growth due to recent revisions.

Many economists believe the euro zone is already in recession. They forecast that the economies of the 17-nation bloc will stagnate in 2012 after contracting in this year's fourth quarter and the first quarter of the next.

Investors are worried that Italy and Spain will have to keep refinancing borrowings at unsustainable levels early next year, which could escalate the crisis.

The key may be China rather than Europe.

Chinese business confidence is weakening. A survey showed export orders fell for the first time in nearly three years.

One of the pivotal events of 2011 was the downgrade of the United States' perfect triple-A credit rating. Standard & Poor's cited congressional bickering as the reason for the downgrade.

August's stalemate in Washington over raising the debt ceiling sparked a selloff that accelerated after the downgrade.

Investors expect the gridlock in Congress to get worse as the U.S. presidential election approaches in November. The election is likely to be close, which will not make legislative efforts to tackle high debt levels and weak demand any easier.

Media Abet Obama's Aloofness on Tough Issues

2011-12-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Even though the media gave Obama a pass, the president will have to answer the issues sooner or later. The media vetting process to find the appropriate GOP presidential nominees is grueling. Because of Obama's failure as president, the media is saving the president's implosion for the presidential debate.

(RealClearPolitics) Over the past five months, the Republican presidential candidates participated in 13 debates where they fielded dozens of penetrating questions on every major issue facing the nation, and some not so major.

The nationally televised and/or Internet-streamed forums each drew an average of 5 million to 6 million viewers, along with breathless wall-to-wall coverage, commentary and criticism from the news media, radio and TV talk shows, Internet blogs and partisan websites.

Indeed, the GOP hopefuls have been thoroughly queried on a laundry list of issues ranging from immigration problems to the faltering economy, Iran’s nuclear program to trade deficits with China, the intricacies of climate change to strategies to combat terrorism, exploding government regulations to skyrocketing public debt, plus some uncomfortable questions about their pasts and their personal lives.

Yet, during all that time, the man they hope to defeat next November has rarely been asked by news reporters about many of these issues. Since August, President Obama has held only one formal White House news conference. That came on Oct. 6, nearly three months ago. It lasted 74 minutes, shorter than any single Republican debate, and the president was asked 17 questions, most of them softballs on the economy and his latest legislative proposals to create jobs.

No questions on immigration, no questions on Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan or Israel or North Korea -- global trouble spots the GOP candidates have been queried about repeatedly. Moreover, he was not asked about what spending cuts he would make to reduce the deficit, nothing about Medicare and Social Security reform or his health care law, all familiar questions for the Republicans seeking his job.

Obama’s ability to avoid tough questions, skate above the fray and look presidential while his potential successors appear to be futilely flailing is not by accident. It is by White House design, abetted by a press corps that seems content with being shut out by the president and being spoon-fed the message of the day, rather than clamoring for more chances to ask him questions during this critical time.

Iowa Evangelicals Supporting Rick Santorum

2011-12-30T07:26:00.000-08:00

Getting the evangelical vote is very important for the 2012 election. It seems the evangelicals are supporting Santorum. The GOP primary is getting really interesting.

(Reuters) - Signs that Rick Santorum is suddenly a contender in the race for the Republican nomination for president were all over Iowa on Thursday.

The former Pennsylvania senator - who has built his long-shot campaign around trying to appeal to evangelical Christians in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday - received a boost when several prominent preachers said their followers were coalescing behind Santorum.

Many evangelicals see Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, as too moderate and Paul, a Texas congressman backed by libertarians, as unelectable. The winner of the Republican nomination faces Democratic President Barack Obama in November.

In perhaps the most significant sign that Santorum had arrived as a contender, Texas Governor Rick Perry - the third candidate in the GOP field who has made a special point of attracting evangelicals - launched a negative radio ad against Santorum.

In campaign parlance, Perry's ad - which accused Santorum of backing costly spending projects while in the Senate - was a sign of respect, an acknowledgement that Santorum had broken from the back of the pack of Republican contenders.

The good vibes for Santorum came a day after a CNN/ORC poll indicated that he was running a best-ever third in the Republican race in Iowa, behind Romney and Paul and ahead of one-time leader Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker.

The poll, and evangelicals' flocking to Santorum on Thursday, are signs that he is having at least some success in trying to follow the 2008 strategy of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses before fading out of the race.

Several Christian leaders who support Santorum say they believe they have persuaded many evangelicals to unite behind Santorum.
Evangelicals made up about 60 percent of the Republican vote in Iowa in 2008, helping power Huckabee to a surprise victory over Romney.

US Navy to Iran Navy, Do Not Even Think About it

2011-12-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

The Iranian navy is no match for the power of the Fifth Fleet. It is a joke if Iran wants to mess with the United States. It would be suicide. Iran is acting like a spoiled brat. Being raise old school, there is a remedy to stop a child who is throwing a tantrum, and it is not putting them in "time-out".

(Reuters) - The U.S. Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday it would not allow any disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran threatened to stop ships moving through the world's most important oil route.

"Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated," the Bahrain-based fleet said in an e-mail.

Iran, at loggerheads with the West over its nuclear program, said on Tuesday it would stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports.

Analysts say that Iran could potentially cause havoc in the Strait of Hormuz, a strip of water separating Oman and Iran, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, it is 21 miles across.

But its navy would be no match for the firepower of the Fifth Fleet which consists of 20-plus ships supported by combat aircraft, with 15,000 people afloat and another 1,000 ashore.

A British Foreign Office spokesman called the Iranian threat

"rhetoric," saying: "Iranian politicians regularly use this type of rhetoric to distract attention from the real issue, which is the nature of their nuclear program."

Sarah Palin Stumping in Iowa. Supporters Going Rogue

2011-12-29T23:41:00.000-08:00

From a radio advertisement airing in Iowa: "Are you unhappy with the current GOP field? Let me tell you something, you are not alone. Join thousands of Iowans as we vote rogue. It's the caucus for Sarah Palin on January 3. Let Iowa and the entire country know we want real leadership and real reform in DC. So come on Iowa, vote rogue on January 3!"

An independent group is running ads in Iowa asking voters to write in Palin's name. They will air on KCAU-TV in the Sioux City, Iowa market. Some will also air as a commercial during the Broncos-Chiefs game on WHBF-TV in the market for the eastern border of Iowa.

Hannity asked Palin what she would do as President and she answered him. Palin admits jumping in the race if the GOP candidates aren't able to step it up. This is getting really interesting.

Nancy Pelosi Deciding to Retire Before the 2012 Election

2011-12-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

Democrats will not be immune to a major backlash from the American people in 2012. To save face, many Democrats in Washington decided to retire. Several days ago, Democrat Senator Ben Nelson decided to retire. As Democrats decided to play the spoilers, the American voters will continue to purge them out of Congress. Democrats took control of Washington in 2006. For the next six years, the economy went into shambles and Congress spent like a drunken sailor. In 2012, things will be different.

(BigGovernment) Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of House Minority Leader and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told Big Government this week that her mother wants to leave Congress–and that she remains in Washington only at the behest of her campaign donors.

During a telephone interview, Ms. Pelosi–speaking from a friend’s home in New York City–described her mother’s predicament:

She would retire right now, if the donors she has didn’t want her to stay so badly. They know she wants to leave, though. They think she’s destined for the wilderness. She has very few days left. She’s 71, she wants to have a life, she’s done. It’s obligation, that’s all I’m saying.

Minority Leader Pelosi’s departure would make room for her deputy and former rival, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who currently serves as Minority Whip.
Hoyer is widely seen as more moderate than Pelosi. She opposed his election to the party leadership in 2006, choosing instead to back the late Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA), despite his ethical challenges.

Rick Santorum the Likely Sleeper in GOP Primary

2011-12-29T01:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a roller coaster ride throughout the GOP primaries. Many front-runners took the lead, but faltered down the road. While Ron Paul got the support of the Libertarian Party and Newt/Romney got the support of the GOP establishment, the conservative voters are lost. We have seen Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry falter. Also, Herman Cain dropped out. The only person left is Rick Santorum. Similar to "Survivor", the last person standing usually wins.

(FoxNews) With 45 percent of Iowa Republican voters undecided and a roller-coaster ride about to come to a screeching stop next Tuesday with the GOP caucuses, it may be Rick Santorum's turn to take the final ascent and surprise the political class by ... doing better than expected?

Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, has been touted as the sleeper candidate by none other than 2008 Iowa caucuses winner Mike Huckabee. He has relentlessly campaigned in the state, hitting all 99 counties and moving his family out there. He has held 350 campaign events in the past year.

He has received key endorsements from well-known social conservatives in the state, and has had solid performances at each of the debates. And he's running an old-school style campaign that Iowa voters expect in the retail-style politics of the Hawkeye State.
The man whose at the back of the polling pack -- despite recent buzz giving him a late boost -- is taking nothing for granted but has nothing to lose.

Santorum, who claims organization and message will make the difference, is also banking on a divide and conquer strategy.
"There's really three primaries going on here," Santorum said. "Ron Paul has his own primary, the libertarian primary. And (Newt) Gingrich and (Mitt) Romney are sort of the establishment primary. And I think there are three who are vying for the conservative mantle to go up against the Gingrich-Romney duo. And I think that I'm going to be the one coming out Iowa with that mantle.
"And if we can do that, then we're off to the races here, and conservatives around the country, just like they're doing here in Iowa, are going to start rallying around our campaign," he said.

Obama is Planning to Raise the Debt Ceiling Again

2011-12-29T00:50:00.000-08:00

We we go again raising the debt ceiling. This will never end.

(Reuters) - The White House plans to ask Congress by the end of the week for an increase in the government's debt ceiling to allow the United States to pay its bills on time, according to a senior Treasury Department official on Tuesday.

The approval is expected to go through without a challenge, given that Congress is in recess until later in January and the request is in line with an agreement to keep the U.S. government funded into 2013.

The debt is projected to fall within $100 billion of the current cap by December 30, when the United States has $82 billion in interest on its debt and payments such as Social Security coming due. President Barack Obama is expected to ask for authority to increase the borrowing limit by $1.2 trillion, part of the spending authority that was negotiated between Congress and the White House this summer.

Under the agreement struck in August during the showdown over the government's debt limit, the cap is automatically raised unless Congress votes to block the debt-ceiling extension. Lawmakers have 15 days within receiving the request to vote, which is largely symbolic because the president can veto it and Congress would be unlikely to muster the two-thirds majority to override it. Moreover, the U.S. House of Representatives also is in recess until January 17.

The deal called for raising the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion to serve the nation's borrowing needs into 2013 and also included mandatory cuts to the federal budget deficit. Since then, the extension has been increased twice by a total of $900 billion.

The debt limit currently stands at $15.194 trillion and would increase to $16.394 trillion with the request.

Ben Nelson Retiring May Give GOP the Senate

2011-12-29T00:35:00.000-08:00

In the 21st century, moderates from both parties are becoming extinct. The American people are getting fed up with inconsistent in Congress. The new trend is to determine if a politician has a liberal ideology or a conservative ideology. I will help the American voters decide when they go in the voting booth. Having Ben Nelson retire will help the GOP take full control of the Senate. It is nice to see conservatism coming back in style.

Sen. Ben Nelson Retires

(By Jamie Dupree)

Democrats got some unwelcome election news on Tuesday, when Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska announced he would not seek re-election, giving Republicans a good opportunity to pick up a Senate seat in the 2012 elections.

"I want to thank Senator Nelson for his years of service representing the people of Nebraska," said President Obama in a written statement issued by the White House.

Mr. Obama also took time to note Nelsons's middle-of-the-road politics, which often earned him the political stink eye from fellow Democrats.

"Over the course of his career, Ben’s commitment to working with both Democrats and Republicans across a broad range of issues is a trait far too often overlooked in today’s politics," said the President.

But to most in both parties, Nelson's willingness to vote with Republicans was reason number one that many Democrats had been secretly wishing that Nelson would just stay in Omaha.

Nelson is certainly one of a dying breed, the Blue Dog Democrat, as those conservatives are almost extinct now in the Congress.
As of now, this seat would seem to favor Republicans; but a lot of that could well depend on the candidates who end up in the race.

Democrats were already trying to convince former Sen. Bob Kerrey to run again; it doesn't seem that long ago that I was covering Kerrey when he crossed swords with President Bill Clinton on budget policies.

Just as I'm dating myself a little with a mention of Bob Kerrey, it doesn't seem that long ago that the Congress had a big chunk of conservative Democrats and more liberal Republicans.

But both parties have done a very effective job of purging those types from their party ranks.

Chalk up another one with Nelson's departure.

If Iraq Divide in 3 Regions, Expect the Return of US Troops

2011-12-27T05:35:00.000-08:00

The only difference between Yugoslavia and Iraq is the oil. Iraq has oil to create revenue. Yugoslavia has none. If Iraq is split to three countries. The north and south will have the oil rich land. The central region will have nothing. There will be a civil war. There will be chaos. Without our military presence in the region, war is inevitable. Because of Obama haste decision to get out, there is a change we have to go back in to fix the mess Obama has created.

(CNN) Blog by Wolf Blitzer - I am beginning to suspect that Iraq could wind up following Yugoslavia’s example.

As you know, there once was a country called Yugoslavia. It had several distinct provinces based on ethnic differences: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Kosovo and Serbia. You get the point.

What largely held the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia together was the brutal dictatorship of Marshal Josip Broz Tito. Once he died, the country went into a series of deadly and bitter civil wars. Yugoslavia ceased to exist in 2003. It has been replaced by these other countries.

As you also know, Iraq has had bitter ethnic tensions for a long time among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. It was held together for a long time by Saddam Hussein’s brutal dictatorship. For the almost nine years since Saddam’s removal, it has been held together by a huge U.S. military presence.

But with U.S. troops now out of the country, I suspect we could be on the verge of seeing Iraq spiral into civil war. We already have seen a series of terrorist attacks in recent days. My fear is that this will only get worse.

The Sunnis clearly don’t trust the Shiites, especially Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Some of his recent actions, including an arrest warrant for the Sunni vice president, have fueled this fear of a civil war.

Vice President Joe Biden has been on the phone for days with Iraqi leaders trying to calm things down. So far, he has not met with much success. It has long been Biden – more than any other top U.S. official – who has long feared the collapse of Iraq into these three groupings.

Unless cooler heads prevail in Baghdad, his fears may turn out to have been justified.

Obama Would Jail Dissidents Like China Is Doing

2011-12-27T05:01:00.000-08:00

Do not give any ideas to the White House. The Obama Administration is trying to find way to stifle free speech and the Constitution. With a corrupt US Attorney General and Homeland Security, Obama has the means to detain any US citizen without due process, if suspected as a terrorist. When "big brother" wants to put his foot down our throat, he will without mercy.

(Guardian) A Chinese court has handed down a 10-year jail sentence to Chen Xi, the second dissident in four days to be convicted of inciting subversion through online essays.

Another democracy campaigner, Chen Wei, was sentenced to nine years on 23 December. The two men are not related.

It is one of the heaviest sentences for inciting subversion since the Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo was jailed for 11 years on Christmas Day 2009.

Arrests and detentions have gathered pace this year as the Communist party reacted to online calls for protests like those that have toppled dictators across the Middle East. The calls, however, have drawn little response and no large-scale protests have taken place in China.'

Twitter is banned in China but lively debate, cynical jokes and criticisms of official corruption spread rapidly on home-grown services such as Sina Weibo. The decision applies to new users from Monday, and will eventually cover all users. The new real-name registration rules were first applied in Beijing on 16 December, then expanded to Guangzhou and Shenzhen.