10 Arizona Sheriffs Demand ‘Fast & Furious’ Investigation – Call For Holder to Step Down or Be Fired (Video)

Sheriffs Want Truth About 'Fast and Furious': MyFoxPHOENIX.com

◼ Sheriffs Want Truth About ‘Fast and Furious’ - Gateway Pundit

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu led the press conference today in Phoenix.
MyFOX Phoenix reported:

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and nine other elected sheriffs held a press conference Friday morning in Phoenix.

They demanded the truth from the federal government, and they asked for a special council to conduct a criminal investigation into what really happened during and after the failed operation, which let guns into Mexico.

They believe the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Attorney General Eric Holder bungled the operation and then tried to cover it up.

This week, Holder said he just found out about the controversial operation, but those inside the justice department said that he knew months ago.

The operation allowed guns into Mexico that the ATF hoped to track drug cartel activities.

Some 2,000 guns were sent there, but about 1,400 guns are still unaccounted for.

“In law enforcement, this is unacceptable — the fact that our own government has given weapons — some of these weapons not only semi-automatic, some transitioned to fully automatic, and 50-caliber rifles — rifles my deputies and our deputies don’t even have on the street, and they put them into the hands of the criminals that we’re fighting,” Babeu said.

The sheriffs said they want Holder to be held accountable for the lost law enforcement lives in Arizona and Mexico.

Upcoming Events: California Republican Women

◼ CFRW Quick Reference Calendar - 2011

Oct. 21-23, 2011: CFRW 37TH Biennial Convention, Visalia Marriott
Nov. 4-7, 2011: Central Division Biennial Convention, San Luis Obispo
Nov. 11- 13, 2011: Northern Division, Biennial Convention

We can send up to 10 delegates. If you would like to attend, contact President Debbie Walker at (707) 441-1126

Hypocrisy: Pelosi finds dissent un-American… for the Tea Party, but not #OccupyWallStreet

◼ THEN: ON HEALTH CARE PROTESTORS, Pelosi Chokes Up Warning Against Political "Violence" - Real Clear Politics, SEPT 17, 2009

When the Tea Party movement emerged in 2009, then-Speaker of the House Pelosi called them "astroturf" and "un-American" people who were "carrying swastikas."

◼ AND NOW: Pelosi on Occupy Wall Street Protesters: "God bless them" - Weekly Standard, OCT 6, 2011

Zombie: The Great Racist Diversity Cupcake Sale

◼ In pictures - Zombietime

Rick Perry addresses ni**erhead rock

◼ House quickly kills 'embarrass Perry' resolution - David Freddoso/Washington Examiner



◼ On camera, Rick Perry addresses ni**erhead rock - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner

◼ Surprising things and places in science, engineering and geography named “niggerhead” - WattsUpWithThat

I can understand how it is offensive, and I can certainly see removing it. But I think removing it is going to be a much bigger job than the bloodhounds in the mainstream media thinks. Just look at all the references to the word in science and engineering and geography... Read The Rest...

◼ The mineral resources of New South Wales – Page 402

◼ books.google.com Geological Survey of New South Wales, Edward Fisher Pittman – 1901 – 487 pages – Free Google eBook

There is another peculiar form common on the field, known as a nigger head. These nigger heads are usually oval or spherical masses of more or less opal- impregnated, fine grained silica ; they are of all sizes from 1 lb. to 1 cwt.,

Cain opens 20-point lead on closest rival...

◼ Yahoo: In news sure to inject shock and awe into the Republican political primary season, a Zogby poll released Thursday showed Herman Cain leading the Republican field, topping former front-runner Mitt Romney by an astonishing 20 points. Cain would also narrowly edge out Obama in a general election, the poll found, by a 46/44 margin.

...This is the second month in a row in which Zogby has found Cain leading the pack; he has surged another 10 points ahead of his competitors since September.
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Herman Cain

Holder vs White House: Who Is Accountable?

◼ Michelle Malkin: The bloody malfeasance of Eric Holder and Barack Obama; Plus: Who is Acting DOJ IG Cynthia Schendar?

Must read: Obama’s October revolution

◼ Protesters aren’t interested in solutions, just demonizing enemies of the people - Washington Times ◼ via weaselzippers (image source)

President Obama’s shock troops are marching in the streets. Occupy Wall Street... Mr. Obama has said he “sympathizes” with the protesters - especially their anger at Wall Street and “fat-cat” bankers. For years, he has demonized billionaires and millionaires, jet owners and corporate America. His divisive, irresponsible rhetoric has laid the groundwork for Occupy Wall Street.

The White House connection is even deeper. The protest’s main players all have ties to the Obama administration. Its primary organizer is former Obama “green-jobs czar” Van Jones.

Why Herman Cain's NFRW Straw Poll Win Is Significant

A comment on a blog:
"Supporters of other candidates are now beginning to disparage straw polls. That's fair, but this straw poll was a little different. Just keep in mind that while straw polls are not elections, the emergence of Cain is unique. In order to vote in the Republican Women’s poll you had to be a delegate to their convention, unlike straw polls that can bus supporters in. Second, unlike Ron Paul, Cain does not represent a movement like the Libertarians who form voting blocs and can effectively overwhelm straw polls that make Paul look more popular than he is. Third, it takes more than a 75 cent taco to go to the Republican Women’s Convention is Kansas City (take it from me). Women have flown in from all parts of the country at significant expense to be there. Straw polls are not elections, but Cain gave an electrifying, persuasive speech to a cross section of active Republican women and got an overwhelming endorsement.

And a final point, Republican women make up a lot of the worker bees during an election, passing out literature, going door to door, manning the polls. That’s why elected Republican officials pay them a lot of attention. Republican women did not to go to Kansas City to give Herman Cain a win in the straw poll. The fact that he won big was solely due to his ability to convince the delegates that he was the one they wanted for President. That’s big."
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Herman Cain

#OccupyWhiteHouse2012 – The hashtag for the rest of us

◼ Passed on from Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Chevret-Vaissade Park, HRWF in The Arcata Eye

◼ arcataeye.com

Honor Flight Welcomed Home

Jose Quezada for The Times Standard

Times Standard, front page, click to embiggen

“Mr. President, why have you given up on the country and decided to campaign full-time?”

◼ John Boehner, calling it like it is. At the same time that the president took to the podium to chastise members of Congress for purportedly putting politics before country, the House Speaker expressed his own frustration with the president’s unwillingness to actually negotiate - HotAir
◼ Boehner: 'We're Legislating; He's Campaigning' - The Atlantic
◼ Boehner: It's 'very disappointing' that Obama is campaigning‎ - Washington Post
◼ Boehner: Obama has "given up" on governing - CBS

Obama Has Now Increased Debt More than All Presidents from George Washington Through George H.W. Bush Combined

◼ Since Obama, Debt Increased By $35,835 Per Household... - CNS News via Drudge

The Obama administration passed another fiscal milestone this week, according to new data released by the Treasury Department. As of the close of business on Oct. 3, the total national debt was $14,837,099,271,196.71—up about $44.8 billion from Sept. 30.

That means that in the less-than-three-years Obama has been in office, the federal debt has increased by $4.212 trillion--more than the total national debt of about $4.1672 trillion accumulated by all 41 U.S. presidents from George Washington through George H.W. Bush combined.

Jobless claims rise above 400,000 again

◼ Initial claims for state unemployment benefits climbed 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 401,000, the Labor Department said, from a revised 395,000 the prior week. - CNBC

Democrats vs. Republicans: Stars they Won’t Pay to See; Movies They Hate and Love (Poll)

◼ On Sept. 23, Morgan Freeman went on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight to proclaim that Tea Party opposition to President Obama "is a racist thing." The timing wasn't ideal, considering Dolphin Tale had opened that day and the film was tracking particularly well among conservatives, many of whom the star had suddenly maligned. - Hollywood Reporter

While only 627,000 people saw Freeman on CNN that night, millions soon viewed the clip as Drudge Report, Twitter, Facebook and other digital outlets turned it into a viral sensation -- not difficult given how partisan and personal politics have become in this run-up to the 2012 presidential election. "He belongs on my 'no pay, no watch' list after his latest, nearly hallucinatory raving," wrote one commenter on a conservative media site.

With Dolphin Tale opening with a strong $19.2 million that first weekend and finishing No. 1 with $13.9 million in its second, the financial impact of Freeman's comments is hard to quantify. But they did have an effect.

Holder Leading DOJ 'Cover-up' of Fast and Furious Investigation, Cornyn Says Read more on Newsmax.com: Holder Leading DOJ 'Cover-up' of Fast and Furious Investigation, Cornyn Says

◼ Attorney General Eric Holder is leading what looks "more and more like a cover-up" of what he knew about a government-sanctioned gunrunning scheme that allowed hundreds of assault weapons to fall into the hands of violent Mexican drug cartels, says one of the key senators involved in the investigation. - NewsMax

Obama trails Mitt Romney in new Quinnipiac poll

◼ If the 2012 presidential election were held now between President Obama and Mitt Romney, Romney would win, according to a Quinnipiac University opinion poll released on Wednesday.

Forty-six percent would vote for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney while 42% would vote for Obama, the poll found. Romney has been gaining in Quinnipiac’s head-to-head matchup. In July, Obama had a six percentage point advantage; by August, the two were tied.

If Obama’s Republican contender was Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Obama would do better, but the race would still be tight, the data shows. Forty-five percent would cast their vote for Obama, compared to 44% for Perry. That’s within the poll’s margin of error -- 2.1 percentage points.

Steve Jobs: R.I.P.

◼ "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being"

◼ Prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005 - Stanford.edu

BREAKING NEWS: SARAH PALIN'S 2012 ANNOUNCEMENT... "No."

◼ I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States.

COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE MEETS

◼ Humboldt County’s Republican Central Committee will hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, October 6 at the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District building, 828 Seventh Street, Eureka.

The agenda will include a report on the recent annual picnic where several local election candidates spoke, There will also be status reports on petitions to change the state’s rural fire-fee law and to call for new state senate reapportionment.
###

Scandal Watch: LightSquared partner ($267 million fed loan recipient) goes under; stonewalling at NTIA

◼ More government loans to nowhere… - Michelle Malkin

◼ LightSquared: Obama’s Dangerous Broadband Boondoggle
◼ NTIA Cannot Find LightSquared Documents, Tells Magazine to Go Fish - GPS World

Announced Job Cuts in U.S. More Than Triple From Year Ago

◼ Sept Layoffs Highest in 2 Years... - Reuters via Drudge

◼ 115,730 job cuts last month, more than double August's 51,114..More Than Triple From Year Ago. - Bloomberg

Compared with August, job-cut announcements climbed 126 percent, the Challenger report showed. Because the figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal effects, economists prefer to focus on year-over-year changes rather than monthly numbers.

Obama Presidency by the Numbers

Democrats Introduce Bill to Seal Up Obama’s Presidential Records

◼ “the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2011,” introduced by Rep. Edolphous Towns (D-NY) - Pajamas Media

In an obvious effort to protect President Barack Obama, a group of congressional Democrats has introduced legislation to create an official process that will allow the commander-in-chief to keep presidential records secret after he leaves office.

The veteran Brooklyn congressman (Edolphus Towns) who recently introduced the law in the U.S. House has yet to explain why it’s necessary.

◼ Dems Want Law To Keep Obama Records Secret - Judicial Watch
◼ National Obama Accountability Project - Judicial Watch

Opposition to Obama grows — strongly

◼ ANY REPUBLICAN 47% OBAMA 41% - Rasmussen
◼ Daily Presidential Tracking Poll -24 - Rasmussen

◼ Four in 10 Americans “strongly” disapprove of how President Obama is handling the job of president in the new Washington Post-ABC News poll - Washington Post

While the topline numbers are troubling enough, dig deeper into them and the news gets no better for Obama. Forty-three percent of independents — a group the president spent the better part of the last year courting — strongly disapprove of the job he is doing. Forty-seven percent of people 65 years of age and older — reliable voters in any election — strongly disapprove of how he is doing his job.

Strong opposition to Obama has grown markedly since the start of the year.

◼ ANY REPUBLICAN 47% OBAMA 41% - Rasmussen

Michelle Obama's Africa Vacation Cost More Than $432,142 -- for flights alone

◼ Michelle Obama's Africa Vacation Cost More Than $432,142 -- for flights alone - US News and World Report

◼ Daughters listed as 'senior staff'.. - Mark Tapscot/Washington Examiner

◼ Taxpayer-funded spending 'an embarrassment' for WH - Nile Gardiner/The Telegraph via Drudge

This follows in the wake of claims this August from sources inside the White House itself that the First Lady may have spent “$10 million of taxpayers’ money on vacations alone in the past year.” Without all the figures available, it is impossible to establish the total cost to the public purse of Michelle Obama’s 42 days of holiday during that period, which included her trip to Spain last year (though not the Obamas' recent sojourn in Martha’s Vineyard).

PERRY POWERHOUSE: PULLS IN $17 MILLION

◼ DRUDGE EXCLUSIVE: - Republican White House hopeful Rick Perry raised over $17 million in 49 days, DRUDGE has learned. $347,000 per day; 20,000 unique donors from all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam. With more than half of donors living outside of Texas

Sarah Palin has been quiet recently. Surprisingly quiet.

◼ Sarah Palin-affiliated law firm made early-state deadline inquiries - Politico
◼ Palin ‘on the Verge’ of a Decision About Presidential Run - NYT

(T)he political clock is ticking away. Ms. Palin now faces serious deadlines in October that, if missed, could keep her name off the presidential primary ballot.

The first of those comes on Oct. 15. By that date, Ms. Palin’s election team must deliver a letter of candidacy to the secretary of state in Utah if she wants her name to appear on that state’s ballot.

Utah is by no means a critical primary state, especially in a race that features two Mormon candidates, one of them a former governor of the state. Ms. Palin could decide that she does not need her name to appear.

But Florida comes next. By Oct. 31, that state’s Republican Party must deliver to state officials the list of candidates who are running for president there. It is a ballot she has to be on if she wants the Republican nomination.

Humboldt County Ron Paul Sign Bomb

◼ http://www.ronpaulsignbomb.com/

Ron Paul Sign Bomb; 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2011; at the corner of Wabash and Broadway in Eureka. Rain or shine.

Jobs 101

Herman Cain Knocks The Socks Off NY Money Crowd At 'Monday Meeting'

◼ Herman Cain was given a warm welcome at last night's 'Monday Meeting' of Republican politicians and donors — including a rare standing ovation — according to tweets from inside the off-the-record event. - Business Insider
__________________
Herman Cain

"I’m the only one who thinks this is a story, and they think I’m unfair and biased by pursuing it.”

◼ “CBS reporter: White House, DOJ reps ‘yelled’ and ‘screamed’ at her over ‘Fast and Furious’ scandal” - Protein Wisdom

Attkisson also said the DOJ and White House representatives complained that CBS was “unfair and biased” because it didn’t give the White House favorable coverage on the developing scandal.

“Is it sort of a drip, drip. And I’m certainly not the one to make the case for DOJ and White House about what I’m doing wrong,” she added. “They will tell you that I’m the only reporter, as they told me, that is not reasonable. They say The Washington Post is reasonable, the LA Times is reasonable, The New York Times is reasonable — I’m the only one who thinks this is a story, and they think I’m unfair and biased by pursuing it.”

CBS poll shows 69% believe Obama has not significantly helped economy

◼ The latest CBS poll more or less corroborates other media polls on Barack Obama’s performance on the economy, and overall as well. Over two-thirds of Americans agree with Obama’s admission yesterday that they are worse off (or at least no better off) after almost three years with Obama at the helm - HotAir
◼ Poll: 7 in 10 say Obama has not helped economy - CBS

Obama Campaign Says GOP Blocking Jobs Bill -- After Reid Blocks Jobs Bill!

◼ On the Senate floor today, Republican leader Mitch McConnell asked for unanimous consent to proceed on voting on the bill. Reid, who has struggled to find enough votes for the bill in the Democratic caucus, objected to the motion and killed the opportunity for a vote. - The Weekly Standard

About ten minutes later, Jim Messina, Obama’s 2012 campaign manager, emailed this message to supporters:

President Obama is in Dallas today urging Americans who support the American Jobs Act to demand that Congress pass it already.

Though it's been nearly a month since he laid out this plan, House Republicans haven't acted to pass it. And House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is out there actually bragging that they won't even put the jobs package up for a vote -- ever.

It's not clear which part of the bill they now object to: building roads, hiring teachers, getting veterans back to work. They're willing to block the American Jobs Act -- and they think you won't do anything about it.

But here's something you can do: Find Republican members of Congress on Twitter, call them out, and demand they pass this bill.

So will the Obama campaign be asking its supporters to "call out" Harry Reid and "demand" he and Senate Democrats pass the bill?

How can a President watch $535 million in taxpayer funds get destroyed in a vain attempt to prop up an investment for a campaign donor, and then claim to have no regrets over the failure?

◼ Video: RNC hits Obama on Solyndra - HotAir

NY Times’ poster child for #OccupyWallStreet not what he seems

◼ a simple Google search reveals that Cole is a professional progressive operative, having worked — according to his LinkedIn profile – for the past three years for the Progressive Patriots Fund, which he still lists at his employer... - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

The NY Times Dealbook section takes a very sympathetic look at the Occupy Wall Street protests, On Wall Street, a Protest Matures.

The article leads with a feature on Andrew Cole, who arrived from Madison, Wisconsin (shock!) where he recently lost a job:

“I think a good deal of the bankers should be in jail.”

...The New York Times does not tell us where Cole was working prior to being laid off....read the rest

Christie watch: Not running

◼ Chris Christie won't run for president in 2012 - Politico

Christie has scheduled a 1 p.m. press conference in his state’s capital, where he’s expected to announce that he will not seek the presidency. Two sources said he has started informing people of his decision in advance of his Trenton press conference. “He is not running,” said a fundraiser informed of the decision. “Mary Pat and the gov just called tier one [donor] group to say he was out.”

◼ Sources: Christie’s Out - National Review Online

◼ It’s Official: Chris Christie is Not Running for President - Pajamas Media

Moments ago, NJ Gov. Chris Christie announced that he would not run for president in 2012. Citing his loyalty and commitment to the people of New Jersey, Christie said that with so many serious people asking him, he seriously considered running but that “now is not my time.” Adding that “New Jersey, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me,” Gov. Christie reaffirmed his goal of fixing the state, which faces a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall and intransigent union forces.

No, Rick Perry’s not a racist say … Texas Democrats

◼ Worth posting for two reasons. One: It contains one of the most surreal quotes you’ll ever read in a political story. Two: It helps answer a question I’ve had since WaPo’s story broke on Saturday night. Namely, how’d Perry manage 10 years as governor of Texas without the story about his family’s hunting camp coming out? - HotAir

◼ Texas Chief Justice Says Ranch Furor an Overreaction - Texas Tribune

Even some of Perry's fiercest Texas critics say they do not believe he is racist. They point to his record of appointments as evidence: He appointed the state’s first African-American state supreme court justice, Wallace Jefferson, and later made him chief justice. (Jefferson’s great grandfather was a slave, “sold like a horse,” Perry once said with disgust.) Perry’s former general counsel and former chief of staff, Brian Newby, is black; so is Albert Hawkins, the former Health and Human Services commissioner who Perry handpicked to lead the massive agency in 2002.

“He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body,” said former Democratic state Rep. Ron Wilson, who is black and served with Perry in his early years in the Legislature. “He didn’t then, and he doesn’t now.”

Poll: Majority of Americans don’t know what “GOP” stands for

◼ HotAir: It’s a little hard to take this 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll seriously, given that “Grumpy Old People” was one of the multiple choice options and some folks surely checked that box just to make a political statement. Nevertheless, it’s interesting.

Just forty-five percent of Americans correctly identified “GOP” as an acronym for “Grand Old Party,” while 35 percent said it stands for “Government of the People.” Seven percent said it equates to “Grumpy Old People,” three percent chose “God’s Own Party” and another nine percent admitted to not having a clue.

Most tellingly, just 51 percent of self-identified Republicans knew the meaning of the moniker.

Fast and Furious "Media Exploitation Support"

◼ Holder Lied, People Died - David Codrea, Gun Rights Examiner

"New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010," Sharyll Atkisson reports. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.

◼ ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010 - CBS News

◼ Gunwalker: Holder Appears To Be Fast, Furious, and Finished - Bob Owens/Pajamas Media

News documents indicate that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder more than likely perjured himself in congressional testimony about Operation Fast and Furious earlier this year.... A copy of the heavily redacted weekly report posted by CBS News offers direct evidence that not only was the attorney general briefed on Operation Fast and Furious, but that he was briefed on it regularly and was well aware that the program was sending thousands of weapons into the hands of the Sinaloa cartel:

From July 12 through July 16, the National Drug Intelligence Center Document and Media Exploitation Team at the Phoenix Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCTDETF) Strike Force will support the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Phoenix Field Division with its investigation of Manuel Celis-Acosta as part of OCDETF Operation Fast and Furious. This investigation, initiated in September 2009 in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Phoenix Police Department, involves a Phoenix-based firearms trafficking ring headed by Manual Celis-Acosta. Celis-Acosta and [redacted] straw purchasers are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug trafficking cartels. They also have direct ties to the Sinaloa Cartel which is suspected of providing $1 million for the purchase of firearms in the greater Phoenix area.

That excerpt stated what the task force would do in the near future, while the same language was used later in the report to show what the task force had done that week:

From July 6 through July 9, the National Drug Intelligence Center Document and Media Exploitation Team at the Phoenix Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCTDETF) Strike Force will support the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Phoenix Field Division with its investigation of Manuel Celis-Acosta as part of OCDETF Operation Fast and Furious. This investigation, initiated in September 2009 in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Phoenix Police Department, involves a Phoenix-based firearms trafficking ring headed by Manual Celis-Acosta. Celis-Acosta and [redacted] straw purchasers are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug trafficking cartels. They also have direct ties to the Sinaloa Cartel which is suspected of providing $1 million for the purchase of firearms in the greater Phoenix area.

President Obama’s relations with Senate Democratic leaders are deteriorating along with his poll numbers.

◼ White House kept Democratic senators hanging on the phone - The Hill

Obama, focused on winning a second term, has distanced himself from Congress altogether, at times not making the distinction between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill....The White House has had to rely on (Harry) Reid because, unlike former President Clinton, Obama has little appetite for regularly calling Democratic lawmakers.

“I think one of the problems with the White House is that it’s been too set apart. It’s been too Chicago-centric, and it needs to get out,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

...as Democratic lawmakers near a tough election, rank-and-file members feel less inclined to stand close to Obama. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who is seeking a second term in 2012, said she would not join Obama for a public appearance in Missouri on Tuesday, citing the Senate’s busy schedule. One Democratic aide, whose boss is facing reelection in a swing state, said of Obama: “There are no coattails.”

Republicans will capture control of the Senate if they net four seats in 2012 (three if Obama loses). The map favors the GOP; Democrats are defending 23 seats, Republicans only 10.

◼ Meanwhile, Obama heads to St. Louis for for a pair of fundraisers, including a reception at the Renaissance Grand Hotel that begins an hour after the first pitch of Tuesday's game. After his downtown reception, Obama will head to a $25,000-a-person dinner - stltoday

Why I Agree With Sarah Palin

◼ Kathleen Kennedy Townsend - From 1995 to 2003, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend served as Maryland's first woman lieutenant governor. - The Atlantic

The Former Alaska governor was right in speaking out against crony capitalism; it's all too common for the rich and powerful to bend government to their own purposes....

Not to put Sarah Palin in the tradition of Andrew Jackson, the Roosevelts, and John Kennedy, but I'm glad she raised the question of crony capitalism. I look forward to hearing her proposals for legislation to restrict the power of the few. We should know what these large donors want when they give so much money. At least on this issue, the Tea Party may find that they share something with the Democrats. an interesting read.

UPDATE: HONOR FLIGHT

North Coast Honor Flight takes off tomorrow morning, Oct. 4, for the flight to Washington, DC! Chartered jet with over 100 WWII veterans & 30 guardians. Please come to the airport to send our vets off. They're departing around 7:00 AM - Gwen says: If you're going, plan to be there by 5:30 AM, they are to begin gathering at 6:00 & depart at 7:00. (previously reported as 8:00)

Another success story for central planning: New Fed rule will ban credit cards for many stay-at-home parents

◼ A federal rule kicked in Saturday that will prevent many applicants from qualifying for new credit card accounts. - Doug Ross
◼ Fed rule limits credit cards for stay-at-home parents - Household income can no longer be considered, regulator says - creditcards.com

The Federal Reserve's rule told credit card companies that they no longer can consider household income when assessing the creditworthiness of an individual who applies for his or her own card. Under the rule, only an individual's own salary or other income -- rather than combined household income -- can be considered.

One major effect of the new regulation: Stay-at-home moms (or dads) without significant outside income no longer will be able to open their own credit card accounts -- and establish their own credit histories to build their credit scores. Compliance with the rule became mandatory Oct. 1, 2011.

"From an economic standpoint, this is a whopper," said Manisha Thakor, founder of the Women's Financial Literacy Initiative, a financial fellow at Wellesley College and a Houston-based financial analyst. "Not only will be harder to build a credit score, but this ruling is tantamount to assigning a zero dollar value to the work stay-at-home parents do day in and day out to keep households running."

...Previously, an individual member of a household could qualify for a credit card account by pointing to the combined income of several members of that household. For instance, in the case of a married couple, a stay-at-home wife without any independent income could qualify for and obtain a credit card under only her own name -- and establish her own credit history -- by pointing to the salary of her husband.

That no longer will be the case. Now, she must prove that she can make the payments with only her own resources, a nearly impossible hurdle for many homemakers to overcome.

Ron Paul announces $2.5mil 'voter contact blitz'

◼ Bolstered by banner third quarter fund-raising, the campaign of Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, announced a $2.5 million "voter contact blitz" involving various media in an email pushing its final fundraising effort of this quarter. - Joel Gehrke/Washington Examiner

__________________
Ron Paul

House Majority Leader Cantor: Obama’s Jobs Package is Dead

◼ House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said that President Obama’s $447-billion American Jobs Act was dead, adding that Obama’s “all or nothing” approach would not work. - CNS News

“It seems as if the president is in full campaign mode. The president continues to say ‘pass my bill in its entirety.’ As I’ve said from the outset, this all-or-nothing approach is just not acceptable.”

“Clearly, I think comments made by Democrats on both the House and Senate side indicated they’ve got problems with the president’s bill.”

Just 37% of people in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll say they expect Obama to win re-election: 55% instead expect the eventual Republican nominee to win.

◼ It’s a challenging finding for the president because expectations can fuel voter enthusiasm -- precisely the ingredient that led the GOP to its broad success in the 2010 midterms, when charged-up conservatives turned out while dispirited Democrats stayed home. - WLSam

"I didn't go in to business to create a public policy success for either party, Republican or Democrat. I went in business to create jobs and opportunity, create opportunity, create value for myself and my investors. And that's what the president should be praising, not demagoguing us simply because Warren Buffet says he pays more than his secretary. He should pay the secretary more and she will pay more."

◼ BET's Robert Johnson To Obama: Stop Attacking The Wealthy - Real Clear Politics

Chicago exchange headed for Texas?

◼ The Chicago Board Options Exchange, the world’s largest futures exchange operator, may be headed for Florida or Texas in reaction to the state of Illinois raising the board’s state taxes by 25% in January taking with it a hunk of 120,000 jobs in the trading business in Chicago - Don Surber/Daily Mail

Is this an attempt to get the state to back off on a tax hike? Undoubtedly. But once in a while, leaders in an industry that employs 120,000 people in well-paying jobs, must remind the state that they are not a piñata for politicians.

◼ CBOE chairman Bill Brodsky told the Chicago Tribune the exchange does not want to leave, but the state’s tax structure as it relates to the exchange “is virtually punitive.” - AP/Chicago Tribune

"The current administration's view of our nation's future in space offers no dream, no vision, no plan, no budget, and no remorse," said former NASA administrator Michael Griffin

◼ Obama under fire over space plans - Breitbart via Drudge

"We will have no American access to, and return from, low Earth orbit and the International Space Station for an unpredictable length of time in the future," Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the Moon, warned lawmakers at a recent hearing.

The end of the space shuttle era has left America's human spaceflight program in an "embarrassing" state, Armstrong said, arguing that NASA needs a stronger vision for the future and should focus on returning humans to the Moon and to the International Space Station.

◼ U.S. Abandons Space - Investors Business Daily

Exceptionalism: While the American space program is in a museum, Beijing orbits a nearly 9-ton space station module. Soon men will return to the moon, but they will likely be speaking Chinese.

Nancy Reagan Denies New York Times Report She's 'Pushing' Christie to Run

◼ George Will spoke to the former First Lady Saturday evening and told Christiane Amanpour on ABC's "This Week" that Mrs. Reagan "laughed merrily at that absurdity" - Noel Sheppard/Newsbusters

Calif. gov signs bill to prevent circumcision bans

◼ California's governor has signed a bill that that will prevent local governments from banning male circumcision. Gov. Jerry Brown's office announced Sunday that (he) signed AB768, a bill written in response to a ballot measure proposed in San Francisco. - AP

Cain Wins Near-Majority in Presidential Straw Poll of National Federation of Republican Women

◼ In a presidential straw poll taken at the National Federation of Republican Women’s (NFRW) 36th Biennial Convention on Oct. 1, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain took a near-majority of the vote.

Cain received 48.9 percent of the 505 total votes cast, with Rick Perry placing a distant second and Mitt Romney placing third. The poll featured nine Republican presidential candidates.

“In a straw poll with this many candidates on the ballot, it is unusual for one candidate to receive almost half of the votes,” said Karen Floyd, former chair of the South Carolina Republican Party and publisher of PalladianView.com, which conducted the poll. “It is very impressive.”

Straw poll voters consisted of Republican women activists from 41 states who were registered to attend the NFRW’s convention. “This straw poll is significant because the voters are Republican women from across the nation who are extremely active and influential in their states and communities,” NFRW President Sue Lynch said.

Following is the breakdown of the vote:

Herman Cain – 48.9%
Rick Perry – 14.1%
Mitt Romney – 13.3%
Newt Gingrich – 12.5%
Rick Santorum – 6.9%
Michele Bachmann – 1.4%
Ron Paul – 0.6%
Gary Johnson – 0.4%
Jon Huntsman – 0.2%
Undecided – 1.8%

Each of these presidential candidates was invited to address the NFRW convention, which was held in Kansas City Sept. 29-Oct. 2. Cain, Gingrich and Santorum accepted the invitation and spoke on Oct. 1.

Full straw poll results are available at http://www.nfrw.org/documents/convention/2011/pollresults.pdf

Founded in 1938, the NFRW has thousands of active members in local clubs across the nation and in several U.S. territories, making it one of the largest women’s political organizations in the country. The grassroots organization works to promote the principles and objectives of the Republican Party, elect Republican candidates, inform the public through political education and activity, and increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government.

◼ Businessman Herman Cain took first place in another straw poll Sunday, topping the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) survey by a wide margin one week after he easily won the Florida straw poll. - FOX
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Reminder: Your membership in Humboldt Republican Women Federated is a 3 in 1 membership! HRWF members receive membership in the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) and the California Federation of Republican Women (CFRW).

Obama demands jobs bill... Democrats balk

◼ Barack Obama wants jobs bill back - Politico
◼ Obama's jobs bill can't get through Dem-controlled senate? Durbin says Democrats don’t currently have the votes for Obama jobs bill - The Hill
◼ Senate delays jobs bill - Defies Obama on top priorities - Washington Times

#OccupyWallStreet Photo of the Day

“Give me some chick who likes to have her image 

captured on an iPad while protesting corporate greed.”

◼ And don't miss the #OccupyWallStreet Tweet and Post of Day - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ Trust Fund Kids 'Occupy' Boston - DUmmie FUnnies

The Trust Fund Kids of Boston, in imitation of the Trust Fund Kids of New York, are rising up against the system. What are their grievances about a capitalist system that allows them to remain the idle rich? They will give you a lot of BS answers but the REAL answer is that deep down they know they are the useless offspring of the wealthy who are secretly jealous of self-made people. The strange thing is that these protests are coming in the middle of a DEMOCRAT administration. Gee. What about all that Hope and Change that they were orgasmic about a couple of years ago?

◼ Roseanne Barr: Behead Bankers, Rich Who Won't Give Up Wealth - Real Clear Politics
◼ Dozens arrested after foreclosure protesters target Bank of America - Daily Mail
◼ Police reopened the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday evening after more than 700 anti-Wall Street protesters were arrested for blocking traffic lanes and attempting an unauthorized march across the span. - Reuters

Bombshell: DOJ Considering Elimination of ATF

◼ Katie Pavlich, News Editor at Townhall reports:

Multiple sources, including sources from ATF, DOJ and Congressional offices have said there is a white paper circulating within the Department of Justice, outlining the essential elimination of ATF. According to sources, the paper outlines the firing of at least 450 ATF agents in an effort to conduct damage control as Operation Fast and Furious gets uglier and as election day 2012 gets closer.

Cain: Doesn't Matter If Christie Joins Race

◼ "It doesn't matter, just like it didn't matter if Rick Perry got in. I stick to my message," Cain said. "If he gets in, he gets in." - FOX/Houston
◼ Time to raise Cain to contender status (H)e's beginning to look like a contender. - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner
◼ Cain is able to shake up the GOP race - Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post
◼ Cain says Christie too liberal for conservatives - Yahoo/AP

Governor Rick Perry: Americans Aren't Soft, We've Got a Soft President

◼ “Americans aren't soft,” Perry said. “We've got some bad policies on tax and regulation in D.C. that are kicking people out of jobs every day. That's the real tragedy. What we've got is a soft president.”
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Rick Perry

Hot Air Candidate Survey Results: October Edition

◼ Herman Cain leads the pack for the first time, taking 39% of the vote. Cain also wins the second choice and declared candidate ballots. Sarah Palin takes second for a third consecutive week. Rick Perry drops from first to third. Mitt Romney takes fourth, and Chris Christie returns to the survey in fifth.

Marco Rubio is again the top pick for vice president, taking 40% of the vote. Complete results.

Fast and Furious Friday Document Dump

◼ Late Friday, the White House turned over new documents in the Congressional investigation into the ATF "Fast and Furious" gunwalking scandal. - CBS

The documents show extensive communications between then-ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix office Bill Newell - who led Fast and Furious - and then-White House National Security Staffer Kevin O'Reilly. Emails indicate the two also spoke on the phone. Such detailed, direct communications between a local ATF manager in Phoenix and a White House national security staffer has raised interest among Congressional investigators looking into Fast and Furious.

◼ What did Napolitano know about Fast and Furious? - Ken Klukowski/Washington Examiner
◼ The cover-up is undeniable. Grassley & Issa drop a nuke on Phoenix US Attorneys Office. Emails utterly damning. Newell perjury certain. - Sipsey Street Irregulars

◼ New Fast and Furious details indicate gov’t cover-up, White House involvement - The Daily Caller

Poll: Dem approval rating at historic low

◼ Congressional Democrats have just a 28 percent approval rating, which broke their record-low of 30 percent in December 2007. - Joel Gehrke/Washington Examiner

Republicans in Congress have an even lower approval rating of 26 percent. Those statistics flip when Gallup polls the approval ratings of each party as a whole. Republicans have a 43 percent approval rating compared to 42 for the Democrats, and a 53 percent disapproval rating compared to 55 percent for the Democrats.

The most important election cycle statistic comes from polling of how the public views the parties on specific issues, as Republicans have signficantly higher numbers than the Democrats. 49 percent of respondents believe that Republicans will "do a better of protecting the country" from national security threats, with just 38 percent prefering the Democrats. On economic issues, the 48 percent believe the Republicans will be better at "keeping the country prosperous." Only 39 percent will say that of Democrats.

SOLYNDRA Won't Reveal Contracts, Customers or Executive Bonuses

◼ Top executives at Solyndra have refused to tell U.S. officials whether they received executive bonuses after the company began to fail, and they have frustrated bankruptcy proceedings by refusing to answer questions about the solar firm's sudden and dramatic shutdown, according to papers filed by Justice Department lawyers late Friday. - ABC

The fresh allegations that Solyndra is refusing to cooperate in bankruptcy proceedings come just days after two top Solyndra executives declined to answer questions from Congress, invoking their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

Krauthammer: Obama's Going to suffer a landslide

Democrat's Solar Fire Sale: All Taxpayer Money Must Go!

◼ With Fund for Companies Like Solyndra About to Expire, Democrats are Rushing to Mint More Solyndra-Like Loan Guarantees Before the Clock Runs Out on Friday - NRCC

(Friday was) the last day of stimulus funding for the loan guarantee program that infamously backed now-bankrupt Solyndra with a $535 million loan—and Obama’s Department of Energy is doing its best to make sure there’s no money left in the bank when the fund expires at midnight.

Democrats appear to have learned nothing from the Solyndra fiasco, which was similarly characterized by a rush to issue loans before they were properly vetted to make sure taxpayers were protected.

Instead, a troublesome pattern is emerging of Obama energy loans going to long-time Democrat donors, a number of whom have deep ties to the Obama administration and Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Florida Flouts GOP Rules, Sets Jan. 31 Primary

◼ Newsmax reports: Florida decided Friday to hold its Republican presidential primary on Jan. 31, snubbing a party rule against fast-track delegate-selection for 2012 and triggering angry responses from traditional early voting states which will now likely rejigger their calendars to stay ahead.

The move actually thwarts efforts by both major political parties to delay presidential primaries and caucuses. Their aim has been to avoid a repeat of the 2008 scenario, when states jumped ahead of each other at that time in attempts to increase their influence in the process.

In Florida, a special nine-member committee appointed by legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott voted 7-2 to set the January date two days after House Speaker Dean Cannon announced that's what it was expected to do.

Cannon and other Florida GOP leaders said they didn't want to jump the traditional early states but wanted to make sure Florida was fifth, even the move was a violation of party rules.

"We're the biggest swing state in the union," said Republican former Gov. Bob Martinez, a member of the selection panel. "Texas is red, New York is blue, California's blue, and we're 10 electoral votes greater than Ohio. ... So I think this is a real, real election in Florida."

Start “The Revolution” Without Me

◼ Your 'On The Money' laugh for the day Teresa In Fort Worth

Survival and Self Defense: Becoming a Bond Girl

◼ The James Bond movie series wouldn't be complete without a sexy Bond girl, but jumping out of planes, flying helicopters and shooting 9 mm guns aren't reserved for just Hollywood movies anymore. - Townhall Magazine EXCLUSIVE

Bond Girl Bootcamp's Web site describes the program as "a 360[-]degree hardcore experience where you'll gain talents and confidence that will blow your boyfriend's mind and skills that could blow his head off." It continues: "Adrenaline pumping adventure, tactical training and raw emotion are just a taste of what you'll get before lunch. Should you choose to accept your mission, you'll train under the direction of special ops instructors, world class linguists, high[-]speed stunt drivers, shoot-to-kill marksmen and avant[-]garde burlesque performers. We're not here to baby anyone, and we don't charge extra for the bruises."

Ross founded Bond Girl to help women learn they don't have to be victims. ... ◼ On Facebook