Newt Gingrich
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Newt: I’ll appoint John Bolton as Secretary of State
◼ “If he will accept it, I will appoint John Bolton as Secretary of State.” - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
__________________
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
While it is hardly unusual for sitting presidents to size up their prospective rivals, the White House began taking its engagement with Mr. Romney to another level, essentially becoming the ninth candidate in the Republican race.
◼ The White House is not conceding that by focusing on Mr. Romney, it aimed its initial attacks at the wrong opponent. But in taking on Mr. Gingrich as well, it is underscoring its determination to play an active role in the opposing party’s primary.
Obama’s political advisers emphasized that they believed the broad contours of the race would be the same between the president and Mr. Gingrich as they would be between the president and Mr. Romney. But, they said, Mr. Gingrich’s rocky tenure in the mid- to late 1990s would provide a particularly juicy target that could help portray him as a symbol of the past.
“It wasn’t that long ago, and the debates and the tactics were very much what we’re dealing with today,” Mr. Axelrod said Wednesday during a question and answer session in Manhattan sponsored by Bloomberg View, the opinion section of Bloomberg News. “I mean it was shutting down the government in order to defund the E.P.A., and to defund education programs and to cut Medicare in order to give tax cuts to the wealthy. These guys are in the back-to-the-future machine.”
Mr. Gingrich, through a spokesman, declined to reply to the criticism. He spent the day in Washington, trying to persuade conservative leaders that he was the party’s strongest nominee. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, he renewed his call to challenge the president to seven three-hour debates in the general election.
“We’ll see how they feel about it,” Mr. Gingrich said.
Obama’s political advisers emphasized that they believed the broad contours of the race would be the same between the president and Mr. Gingrich as they would be between the president and Mr. Romney. But, they said, Mr. Gingrich’s rocky tenure in the mid- to late 1990s would provide a particularly juicy target that could help portray him as a symbol of the past.
“It wasn’t that long ago, and the debates and the tactics were very much what we’re dealing with today,” Mr. Axelrod said Wednesday during a question and answer session in Manhattan sponsored by Bloomberg View, the opinion section of Bloomberg News. “I mean it was shutting down the government in order to defund the E.P.A., and to defund education programs and to cut Medicare in order to give tax cuts to the wealthy. These guys are in the back-to-the-future machine.”
Mr. Gingrich, through a spokesman, declined to reply to the criticism. He spent the day in Washington, trying to persuade conservative leaders that he was the party’s strongest nominee. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, he renewed his call to challenge the president to seven three-hour debates in the general election.
“We’ll see how they feel about it,” Mr. Gingrich said.
Remembering Pearl Harbor: 70 years
◼ Five memorials will be held today for “servicemen who lived through the assault and want their remains placed in Pearl Harbor out of pride and affinity for those they left behind.” - Michelle Malkin
God bless our veterans and their families.
Labels:
History,
Remembrance
Still a bit better than his mid-October rating of 39/54, but hardly the kind of number that the White House would have expected after last Friday’s jobless report, which they tried to spin as progress
◼ Obama disapproval back over 50% in Gallup tracking poll - HotAir
So far, the class-warfare strategy doesn’t appear to be paying dividends. Obama gave the joint-session speech that launched his soak-the-rich theme on September 8, and his Gallup rating in the tracking poll at that time was 43/48. He managed to narrow that to 45/47 in mid-November, but for most of that time his disapproval has gone up, not down. When the gap has narrowed, it’s been more from lower disapproval than gains in approval, which has only gotten as high as 45% once in the past three months in this series.
Republicans might have worried that their lively primary fight might raise Obama’s stature ahead of the general election. So far, that doesn’t appear to be a problem.
So far, the class-warfare strategy doesn’t appear to be paying dividends. Obama gave the joint-session speech that launched his soak-the-rich theme on September 8, and his Gallup rating in the tracking poll at that time was 43/48. He managed to narrow that to 45/47 in mid-November, but for most of that time his disapproval has gone up, not down. When the gap has narrowed, it’s been more from lower disapproval than gains in approval, which has only gotten as high as 45% once in the past three months in this series.
Republicans might have worried that their lively primary fight might raise Obama’s stature ahead of the general election. So far, that doesn’t appear to be a problem.
Labels:
Approval Rating,
Polls,
President Obama
Documents: ATF used "Fast and Furious" to make the case for gun regulations
◼ Documents obtained by CBS News show that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discussed using their covert operation "Fast and Furious" to argue for controversial new rules about gun sales. - CBS News
In Fast and Furious, ATF secretly encouraged gun dealers to sell to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels to go after the "big fish." But ATF whistleblowers told CBS News and Congress it was a dangerous practice called "gunwalking," and it put thousands of weapons on the street. Many were used in violent crimes in Mexico. Two were found at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
ATF officials didn't intend to publicly disclose their own role in letting Mexican cartels obtain the weapons, but emails show they discussed using the sales, including sales encouraged by ATF, to justify a new gun regulation called "Demand Letter 3". That would require some U.S. gun shops to report the sale of multiple rifles or "long guns." Demand Letter 3 was so named because it would be the third ATF program demanding gun dealers report tracing information.
On July 14, 2010 after ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. received an update on Fast and Furious, ATF Field Ops Assistant Director Mark Chait emailed Bill Newell, ATF's Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious:
"Bill - can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks." ...MORE
◼ “Smoking Gun” in Fast & Furious? - Sarah Palin
In Fast and Furious, ATF secretly encouraged gun dealers to sell to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels to go after the "big fish." But ATF whistleblowers told CBS News and Congress it was a dangerous practice called "gunwalking," and it put thousands of weapons on the street. Many were used in violent crimes in Mexico. Two were found at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
ATF officials didn't intend to publicly disclose their own role in letting Mexican cartels obtain the weapons, but emails show they discussed using the sales, including sales encouraged by ATF, to justify a new gun regulation called "Demand Letter 3". That would require some U.S. gun shops to report the sale of multiple rifles or "long guns." Demand Letter 3 was so named because it would be the third ATF program demanding gun dealers report tracing information.
On July 14, 2010 after ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. received an update on Fast and Furious, ATF Field Ops Assistant Director Mark Chait emailed Bill Newell, ATF's Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious:
"Bill - can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks." ...MORE
◼ “Smoking Gun” in Fast & Furious? - Sarah Palin
Labels:
ATF,
DOJ,
Eric Holder,
FastandFurious,
Gun Control,
Investigations,
Scandals
Focus on Agenda 21 Should Not Divert Attention from Homegrown Anti-Growth Policies
◼ Agenda 21, a voluntary action plan adopted by various nations after the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in 1992, advocates changes similar to those of smart-growth advocates. - Heritage.Org
Radical environmentalists, local business groups, and the ever-present Not in My Backyard crowd have been trying for decades to reshape American communities to conform to their preferred “smart growth” policies. These advocates work to impose land use regulations that would force Americans into denser living arrangements, curtail freedom of choice in housing, discriminate against lower-income Americans, and compel people to pay more for their houses and give up their cars in favor of subways, trolleys, buses, and bicycles.
These efforts—often described as “New Urbanism,” “sustainable development,” or “open land preservation”—have long been resisted by some members of the community due to their negative impact on economic growth, competitiveness, and the nation’s standard of living. As Heritage has documented, communities implementing smart-growth policies have significantly higher home prices, which precludes moderate-income households from homeownership. In turn, these high home prices have forced buyers to take on excessive levels of mortgage debt, which has contributed to the default and foreclosure problems that have led to the current recession. Indeed, the foreclosure problem is at its worst in states with the strictest land use constraints: Florida, California, Arizona, and Nevada.
In recent years, however, many smart-growth opponents working at the local level have shifted their focus toward opposing the 1992 United Nations voluntary initiative called Agenda 21, which advocates many policies that reflect smart-growth principles. They should recognize that Agenda 21 is simply another facet of smart growth and not allow it to divert them from opposing the more ubiquitous, overarching agenda of homegrown environmental extremists. Learn MORE...
Radical environmentalists, local business groups, and the ever-present Not in My Backyard crowd have been trying for decades to reshape American communities to conform to their preferred “smart growth” policies. These advocates work to impose land use regulations that would force Americans into denser living arrangements, curtail freedom of choice in housing, discriminate against lower-income Americans, and compel people to pay more for their houses and give up their cars in favor of subways, trolleys, buses, and bicycles.
These efforts—often described as “New Urbanism,” “sustainable development,” or “open land preservation”—have long been resisted by some members of the community due to their negative impact on economic growth, competitiveness, and the nation’s standard of living. As Heritage has documented, communities implementing smart-growth policies have significantly higher home prices, which precludes moderate-income households from homeownership. In turn, these high home prices have forced buyers to take on excessive levels of mortgage debt, which has contributed to the default and foreclosure problems that have led to the current recession. Indeed, the foreclosure problem is at its worst in states with the strictest land use constraints: Florida, California, Arizona, and Nevada.
In recent years, however, many smart-growth opponents working at the local level have shifted their focus toward opposing the 1992 United Nations voluntary initiative called Agenda 21, which advocates many policies that reflect smart-growth principles. They should recognize that Agenda 21 is simply another facet of smart growth and not allow it to divert them from opposing the more ubiquitous, overarching agenda of homegrown environmental extremists. Learn MORE...
Labels:
Agenda 21,
Leftist Activism
Oh, Dear: Evidence Mounts That Obama's Campaign Falsified Signature, Cheated His Way On To The 2008 Indiana Primary Ballot
◼ The allegations that election fraud touched a race for the highest office in the land are at the center of an investigation by St. Joseph County Attorney Michael Dvorak. He would not comment, but sources say the probe is gaining steam as prosecutors delve into the petitions that sailed through the St. Joseph County Voter Registration Board, located in South Bend. There have been reports that as many as seven people may have been involved in an alleged conspiracy to fake the petitions. - Ace of Spades
"I had always thought that, now-President Obama, had earned his victory in Indiana," said the state's Republican chairman, Eric Holcomb. "But then I quickly learned that he had cheated his way on to the ballot in the primary."
◼ Indiana 2008 Presidential Primary Election Fraud Probe Heats Up (Video) - FOX
Charity Rorie, a mother of four, sat in her Mishawaka, Ind., kitchen, stunned that her name appeared on a 2008 Democratic presidential primary petition for then-candidate Barack Obama.
"That's not my signature," she told Fox News, saying her signature is "absolutely" a fake. She also said she was troubled someone forged both her signature and that of her husband, Jeff, and listed personal details such as their address and birthdays....
◼ Did Obama get on the Indiana ballot in the 2008 primaries due to forged signatures? - Neoneocon
"I had always thought that, now-President Obama, had earned his victory in Indiana," said the state's Republican chairman, Eric Holcomb. "But then I quickly learned that he had cheated his way on to the ballot in the primary."
◼ Indiana 2008 Presidential Primary Election Fraud Probe Heats Up (Video) - FOX
Charity Rorie, a mother of four, sat in her Mishawaka, Ind., kitchen, stunned that her name appeared on a 2008 Democratic presidential primary petition for then-candidate Barack Obama.
"That's not my signature," she told Fox News, saying her signature is "absolutely" a fake. She also said she was troubled someone forged both her signature and that of her husband, Jeff, and listed personal details such as their address and birthdays....
◼ Did Obama get on the Indiana ballot in the 2008 primaries due to forged signatures? - Neoneocon
Labels:
2008 Election,
Democrats,
Indiana,
President/Candidate Obama
DEMOCRATS TURN AGAINST ISRAEL...
◼ Israel rift roils Democratic ranks - Politico via Drudge
Two of the Democratic Party’s core institutions are challenging a bipartisan consensus on Israel and Palestine that has dominated American foreign policy for more than a decade.
The Center for American Progress *, the party’s key hub of ideas and strategy, and Media Matters, a central messaging organization, have emerged as vocal critics of their party’s staunchly pro-Israel congressional leadership and have been at odds, at times, with Barack Obama’s White House, which has acted as a reluctant ally to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government.
* Created by the Democratic National Committee, developed by a secret White House brain trust, and initially funded by the George Soros / Herb Sandler / Hillary Clinton money lists, the Center for American Progress is an echo chamber for the Democratic Party and left-wing politics in general. A favorite source of NPR (National Public Radio) stories.
Two of the Democratic Party’s core institutions are challenging a bipartisan consensus on Israel and Palestine that has dominated American foreign policy for more than a decade.
The Center for American Progress *, the party’s key hub of ideas and strategy, and Media Matters, a central messaging organization, have emerged as vocal critics of their party’s staunchly pro-Israel congressional leadership and have been at odds, at times, with Barack Obama’s White House, which has acted as a reluctant ally to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government.
* Created by the Democratic National Committee, developed by a secret White House brain trust, and initially funded by the George Soros / Herb Sandler / Hillary Clinton money lists, the Center for American Progress is an echo chamber for the Democratic Party and left-wing politics in general. A favorite source of NPR (National Public Radio) stories.
The Republican Party has launched a war on women, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday
◼ EMILY's List donors hear of Republican Party's 'war on women' - The Hill
The Republican Party has launched a war on women, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday, flanked by five of her female Senate colleagues at a fundraiser for Democratic female candidates.
Republican efforts to curtail family planning and infertility treatment, and to repeal clean air regulations that protect pregnant women and others, have created a dire need for a stronger voice in the Senate representing women's needs, Boxer told donors for EMILY's List, a PAC that supports Democratic women who favor abortion rights.
...At her side were major forces in the Democratic party and female senators up for reelection in 2012, including Sens. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.). Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, also made an appearance.
__________________
You can contact each of the representatives listed in the article by clicking on their names. Let them know what Republican Women think of their hateful rhetoric.
The Republican Party has launched a war on women, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday, flanked by five of her female Senate colleagues at a fundraiser for Democratic female candidates.
Republican efforts to curtail family planning and infertility treatment, and to repeal clean air regulations that protect pregnant women and others, have created a dire need for a stronger voice in the Senate representing women's needs, Boxer told donors for EMILY's List, a PAC that supports Democratic women who favor abortion rights.
...At her side were major forces in the Democratic party and female senators up for reelection in 2012, including Sens. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.). Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, also made an appearance.
Barbara Boxer (D)
Hart Senate Office Building
Room 112
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3553
San Francisco: (415) 403-0100 Fax: (415) 956-6701
http://boxer.senate.gov/ (Email contact via webform)
You can contact each of the representatives listed in the article by clicking on their names. Let them know what Republican Women think of their hateful rhetoric.
Labels:
Boxer,
Democrats,
The New Civility,
Women In Politics,
Women in the News
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Union Bosses Win, Ohio Workers Get Fired
◼ One month ago Ohio voted with its heart against reforms portrayed as an attack on public workers. - Jason Hart/Breitbart's Big Government
Ohio, DC, and New York union bosses spent more than $30 million drenching the airwaves in images of sad firefighters, sad police officers, and evil Republicans, convincing voters to overlook a broken status quo.
A month later, how are local governments celebrating the union victory on Issue 2?
◼ COMPARE THAT TO WISCONSIN: Saving Money in Wisconsin
Ohio, DC, and New York union bosses spent more than $30 million drenching the airwaves in images of sad firefighters, sad police officers, and evil Republicans, convincing voters to overlook a broken status quo.
A month later, how are local governments celebrating the union victory on Issue 2?
Middletown is laying off 9 firefighters, despite the city’s police and fire budgets both increasing by nearly 1/3 in the past decade....The unions made this bed, and Ohio voters were gullible enough to climb into it.
Cleveland City School District is eliminating preschool, high school busing, and 75 security positions...
Westerville City School District is firing 62 support staff, cutting busing, and eliminating all sports...
One of Lancaster’s three city firehouses was closed last month after the mayor laid off 13 firefighters to help balance the budget. The 68 firefighters remaining have predicted response times will increase in the city of about 37,000, but they could not say by how much....
◼ COMPARE THAT TO WISCONSIN: Saving Money in Wisconsin
Labels:
Ohio,
Unemployment,
Unions
Mitt Romney Announces He Won’t Be Participating In Trump Moderated Debate
◼ Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is the latest GOP presidential hopeful to announce he will not be participating in the December 27th debate schedule to be moderated by Donald Trump. - Mediaite
◼ Oh my: I’m skipping the Trump debate, says Romney - HotAir
This is, however, a bona fide risk, no matter how freakish the debate might be: The Trump event is set for December 27, just a week before the caucuses, and it’ll probably do major ratings thanks to Trump’s star appeal. As such, it’s a last chance for Newt to close the deal with Iowans or for Perry or Bachmann to gain traction and vault past Romney, which would be ruinous to his campaign heading into New Hampshire.
◼ Rick Santorum on Moderators: Trump Wouldn't Be Any Worse 'Than What We Get from the Mainstream Media' - Noel Sheppard/Newsbusters
◼ Oh my: I’m skipping the Trump debate, says Romney - HotAir
This is, however, a bona fide risk, no matter how freakish the debate might be: The Trump event is set for December 27, just a week before the caucuses, and it’ll probably do major ratings thanks to Trump’s star appeal. As such, it’s a last chance for Newt to close the deal with Iowans or for Perry or Bachmann to gain traction and vault past Romney, which would be ruinous to his campaign heading into New Hampshire.
◼ Rick Santorum on Moderators: Trump Wouldn't Be Any Worse 'Than What We Get from the Mainstream Media' - Noel Sheppard/Newsbusters
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Mitt Romney
Join Michele Bachmann in tele-town hall! 5:20 pm
◼ Will you join me tonight for a special tele-town hall meeting?
Are you free to talk tonight? I'd like to speak with you at 8:20pm EST about our campaign for president along with the urgent issues facing our country: the unemployment crisis, immigration enforcement, creating American jobs, just to name a few. Register for tonight's tele-townhall exclusively for my supporters by clicking on the link (here).
Michele Bachmann
Congresswoman Jenkins Reacts to the President's Remarks in Osawatomie
The following is the full transcript of President Obama’s remarks in Osawatomie, Kan. Tuesday, as provided by The White House.
Labels:
Jobs Plan,
President Obama
Republicans vs. Democrats TV survey results: Lefties want comedy, right wingers like work
◼ Republicans don’t watch MTV’s Jersey Shore. But they dig ABC’s Castle. Democrats don’t like Discovery’s Deadliest Catch. But they swoon for NBC’s Parks and Recreation. - Inside TV
LIBERAL-DEMOCRAT FAVORITES:
– 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation (NBC): Literate media-savvy comedies score high among Dems in general, notes Experian-Simmons senior marketing manager John Fetto. “Sarcastic humor is always a hook for them,” he adds.
– The View (ABC): Shows that skew female tend to do better among Dems, while male-friendly shows tend to do perform higher among Republicans.
CONSERVATIVE-REPUBLICAN FAVORITES:
– Swamp Loggers (Discovery) and Top Shot (History): Gritty documentary-style work-related reality shows on cable index really strongly with conservative Republicans. Swamp Loggers is particularly polarizing.
– Only in America With Larry the Cable Guy, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Swamp People (History): If you’re a Republican candidate looking to raise money, put ads on History.
– Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, The Mentalist (CBS): Popular crime dramas — except the left-wing Law & Order franchise — tend to draw a conservative crowd.
Read the rest...
LIBERAL-DEMOCRAT FAVORITES:
– 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation (NBC): Literate media-savvy comedies score high among Dems in general, notes Experian-Simmons senior marketing manager John Fetto. “Sarcastic humor is always a hook for them,” he adds.
– The View (ABC): Shows that skew female tend to do better among Dems, while male-friendly shows tend to do perform higher among Republicans.
CONSERVATIVE-REPUBLICAN FAVORITES:
– Swamp Loggers (Discovery) and Top Shot (History): Gritty documentary-style work-related reality shows on cable index really strongly with conservative Republicans. Swamp Loggers is particularly polarizing.
– Only in America With Larry the Cable Guy, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Swamp People (History): If you’re a Republican candidate looking to raise money, put ads on History.
– Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, The Mentalist (CBS): Popular crime dramas — except the left-wing Law & Order franchise — tend to draw a conservative crowd.
Read the rest...
Labels:
Conservatives,
Democrats,
Entertainment,
Liberals
CRP Statement in Response to Governor Brown's Call for Massive Tax Increases
◼ SACRAMENTO — California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro today issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown's latest call for massive new tax increases:
"For more than a decade, Sacramento Democrats have been coming up with one tax raising scheme or another - none of which have worked. The answer to our budget and revenue problems lies not in taking more money from those already working but in finding work for those that are not.
"The fact that Governor Brown refused to present his tax hike to the press today demonstrates that he knows it is an unworthy proposal. Rather than simply sending Californians invoices for his spending sprees, he should go about reducing the size of the California government."
###
"For more than a decade, Sacramento Democrats have been coming up with one tax raising scheme or another - none of which have worked. The answer to our budget and revenue problems lies not in taking more money from those already working but in finding work for those that are not.
"The fact that Governor Brown refused to present his tax hike to the press today demonstrates that he knows it is an unworthy proposal. Rather than simply sending Californians invoices for his spending sprees, he should go about reducing the size of the California government."
Labels:
California,
CRP,
Governor Jerry Brown,
Taxes
Monday, December 5, 2011
Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly endorses Michele Bachmann
◼ Social conservative Phyllis Schlafly has endorsed Michele Bachmann for president and is urging Iowans to caucus for her - Jennifer Jacobs/Des Moines Register
In a written statement, Schlafly says: “Most important, Michele has the courage to be a leader among her peers. She is a real champion in speaking up for values we care about. Michele is a woman of faith and the mother of a beautiful family. She has a 100 percent pro-life record and is a strong supporter of traditional marriage.”
Schlafly became a national leader in the conservative movement in the 1960s. In 2000, she campaigned in Iowa for Republican Steve Forbes.
In the statement, Schlafly pumps up Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses.
“If I were an Iowa voter, I would be making plans right now to cast my vote for Michele Bachmann for president on January 3. I hope you will take advantage of this golden opportunity to support a candidate we can all be proud of.”
Schlafly said conservatives don’t want the media to choose their candidate, “or tell us we must choose one of the two who currently lead in the polls.”
__________________
Michele Bachmann
In a written statement, Schlafly says: “Most important, Michele has the courage to be a leader among her peers. She is a real champion in speaking up for values we care about. Michele is a woman of faith and the mother of a beautiful family. She has a 100 percent pro-life record and is a strong supporter of traditional marriage.”
Schlafly became a national leader in the conservative movement in the 1960s. In 2000, she campaigned in Iowa for Republican Steve Forbes.
In the statement, Schlafly pumps up Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses.
“If I were an Iowa voter, I would be making plans right now to cast my vote for Michele Bachmann for president on January 3. I hope you will take advantage of this golden opportunity to support a candidate we can all be proud of.”
Schlafly said conservatives don’t want the media to choose their candidate, “or tell us we must choose one of the two who currently lead in the polls.”
Michele Bachmann
The insider-outsider divide over Newt Gingrich
◼ While insiders remember Gingrich's low points from the 90s, outsiders remember his triumphs. They remember a Gingrich who had the vision to imagine a Republican takeover of the House when no one else could, and the skill to make it happen. - Byron York/Washington Examiner
There's a deep and growing divide in the Republican world between those who are able to reconcile themselves with -- to wrap their heads around -- the possibility of Newt Gingrich becoming the GOP presidential nominee, and those who are not. It's becoming increasingly clear that it is Washington insiders who are having the most trouble imagining a Gingrich nomination, while Republicans outside Washington aren't having a problem.
...when outsiders think of the two greatest policy achievements of the Clinton years -- a balanced budget and welfare reform -- they know Gingrich can legitimately claim a lot of credit for both. So what if he was abrupt with colleagues? Or, for that matter, if he was the target of a Democratic-driven ethics attack? As far as the 1990s are concerned, outsiders remember Gingrich's high points.
When outsiders talk about the Old Newt, they're mostly talking about his personal life -- the man who had affairs and is now on his third marriage. "I was all for Newt during the Gingrich revolution, but when he had his affairs, I swore I would never vote again for him for dogcatcher," said South Carolinian Gene Bustard after a Gingrich town hall last week in Greenville. "But as much as I try not to like him, I love what he says."
Lots of voters would say the same thing. They have no memories of personal slights or insider gossip about the Gingrich of 15 years ago. For them, there really is a New Newt -- unless Gingrich himself proves otherwise.
◼ To whom in the Republican Party is Newt beholden? (Tweet of Day added) - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion (image source)
◼ “Gingrich may be a lightning rod, but he also embodies the revolution like no one else” - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
Quoting Arianna Huffington in 1995: He is its most articulate, self-confident, and unapologetic voice, and he burns with conviction that America can and will be a better place because of it. And if he’s sufficiently freed up from the punishing legislative schedule of the last few months, he can rediscover the youthful realization that drove him to dedicate his life to politics in the first place: that at certain critical moments in history, effective leadership is all that stands between a civilization and its collapse.
There are times in life when risking everything is more prudent than protecting what you have. For Gingrich, this could be one of them. And if Gingrich fails to accept the mission, the mission does not go away. The hole in the heart of the Republican revolution remains, waiting for a leader to fill it.
Fast & furious lies
◼ Justice Dept. must come clean - Michael A. Walsh/New York Post
It was all a lie. The angry denials, the high dudgeon, the how-dare-you accuse-us bleating emanating from Eric Holder’s Justice Department these last nine months.
Operation Fast and Furious — the “botched” gun-tracking program run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — did, in fact, deliberately allow some 2,000 high-powered weapons to be sold to Mexican drug cartel agents and then waltzed across the border and into the Mexican drug wars — just as Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Darrell Issa, who are leading the congressional investigations, have charged all along.
That’s the conclusion we can draw from Friday night’s nearly 1,400-page document dump, which gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of the Justice Department as it struggled earlier this year to come up with an explanation for the deadly mess — and “misled” Congress.
Now the man who supervised it, Attorney General Holder, will appears before Congress again Thursday to testify in the exploding fiasco. But there’s really only one question he needs to answer: Why?
It was all a lie. The angry denials, the high dudgeon, the how-dare-you accuse-us bleating emanating from Eric Holder’s Justice Department these last nine months.
Operation Fast and Furious — the “botched” gun-tracking program run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — did, in fact, deliberately allow some 2,000 high-powered weapons to be sold to Mexican drug cartel agents and then waltzed across the border and into the Mexican drug wars — just as Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Darrell Issa, who are leading the congressional investigations, have charged all along.
That’s the conclusion we can draw from Friday night’s nearly 1,400-page document dump, which gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of the Justice Department as it struggled earlier this year to come up with an explanation for the deadly mess — and “misled” Congress.
Now the man who supervised it, Attorney General Holder, will appears before Congress again Thursday to testify in the exploding fiasco. But there’s really only one question he needs to answer: Why?
Rumor has it that Christmas elves have hit the Republican Central Committee Headquarters early this year...
if you are in Eureka, stop by & peer in the window and check out what they've done!!!
They left a wish note....what they are asking for are 2 comfortable chairs to put by the "lending library" that has been set up at headquarters. A rug to compliment the chairs would also be great!!!
If you don't have the items, maybe you could send out feelers as to where we might find these items...
Thank you & the Christmas Elves thank you too!!!! (h/t: Gwen)
They left a wish note....what they are asking for are 2 comfortable chairs to put by the "lending library" that has been set up at headquarters. A rug to compliment the chairs would also be great!!!
If you don't have the items, maybe you could send out feelers as to where we might find these items...
Thank you & the Christmas Elves thank you too!!!! (h/t: Gwen)
Labels:
Holidays,
Humboldt GOP,
Lending Library
Pelosi: I’ll reveal dirt on Gingrich 'when the time is right' Gingrich: Bring it On!
◼ "I know a lot about him. I served on the investigative committee that investigated him, four of us locked in a room in an undisclosed location for a year. A thousand pages of his stuff.” - The Hill via Drudge
◼ Pelosi: I’ve Got Dirt on Gingrich; Update: Gingrich: Bring it On! - Michelle Malkin
It does my heart good to know there are selfless public servants like Nancy Pelosi who are willing to serve on ethics committees in order to help
◼ Newt fires back at Pelosi: Bring it on! (Video) - The Right Scoop
First of all I’d like to thank Speaker Pelosi for what I regard as an early Christmas gift. If she’s suggesting she’s gonna use material she developed while she was on the ethics committee, that is a fundamental violation of the rules of the House and I would hope members would immediately file charges against her the second she does it.
◼ Gingrich fires back at Pelosi over threat - The Hill
Gingrich said that Pelosi's suggestion that she would reveal information from that investigation underscored that the ethics charges were politically motivated. "It tells you how capriciously political that committee was," Gingrich said.
Rove says RNC should 'discourage' Trump-moderated debate
◼ "Here's a guy who is saying, 'I'm going to endorse one of you,' " Rove said, criticizing the choice on "Fox & Friends....More importantly, what the heck are the Republican candidates doing showing up at a debate [whose moderator] says, 'I may run for president next year as an Independent'?" - The Hill
(Ron) Paul's campaign also slammed the moderator choice as unserious.
“The selection of a reality-television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity,” Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said, predicting a "circus-like atmosphere" at the debate.
(Ron) Paul's campaign also slammed the moderator choice as unserious.
“The selection of a reality-television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity,” Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said, predicting a "circus-like atmosphere" at the debate.
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Debates,
Donald Trump,
Karl Rove,
Ron Paul
New Ron Paul Ad - BIG DOG
Ron Paul
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Ads,
Ron Paul
Mysterious blasts, slayings suggest covert efforts in Iran
◼ Attacks targeting nuclear scientists and sites lead some observers to believe that the U.S. and Israel are trying to derail Iran's programs. - Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times
At an Iranian military base 30 miles west of Tehran, engineers were working on weapons that the armed forces chief of staff had boasted could give Israel a "strong punch in the mouth."
But then a huge explosion ripped through the Revolutionary Guard Corps base on Nov. 12, leveling most of the buildings. Government officials said 17 people were killed, including a founder of Iran's ballistic missile program, Gen. Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam.
Iranian officials called the blast an accident. Perhaps it was.
Decades of international sanctions have left Iran struggling to obtain technology and spare parts for military programs and commercial industries, leading in some cases to dangerous working conditions.
However, many former U.S. intelligence officials and Iran experts believe that the explosion — the most destructive of at least two dozen unexplained blasts in the last two years — was part of a covert effort by the U.S., Israel and others to disable Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The goal, the experts say, is to derail what those nations fear is Iran's quest for nuclear weapons capability and to stave off an Israeli or U.S. airstrike to eliminate or lessen the threat.
At an Iranian military base 30 miles west of Tehran, engineers were working on weapons that the armed forces chief of staff had boasted could give Israel a "strong punch in the mouth."
But then a huge explosion ripped through the Revolutionary Guard Corps base on Nov. 12, leveling most of the buildings. Government officials said 17 people were killed, including a founder of Iran's ballistic missile program, Gen. Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam.
Iranian officials called the blast an accident. Perhaps it was.
Decades of international sanctions have left Iran struggling to obtain technology and spare parts for military programs and commercial industries, leading in some cases to dangerous working conditions.
However, many former U.S. intelligence officials and Iran experts believe that the explosion — the most destructive of at least two dozen unexplained blasts in the last two years — was part of a covert effort by the U.S., Israel and others to disable Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The goal, the experts say, is to derail what those nations fear is Iran's quest for nuclear weapons capability and to stave off an Israeli or U.S. airstrike to eliminate or lessen the threat.
Labels:
International Issues,
Iran,
Middle East,
War
Video: Watch the entire Huckabee GOP Presidential Forum
In case you missed the Presidential Forum from Saturday night's "Huckabee" program on Fox News, here is the entire replay video. Six GOP candidates participated in the forum, taking questions from 3 state Attorneys General, on the topic of Federal power versus States' rights.
Air Time: Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 8pm ET on Fox News
Candidates: Romney, Bachmann, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul, Perry
Here is the entire video courtesy of MRCTV:
◼ link
Air Time: Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 8pm ET on Fox News
Candidates: Romney, Bachmann, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul, Perry
Here is the entire video courtesy of MRCTV:
◼ link
Word is his internal polls are dismal: One source described them as “heinous.” Florida is fully in play, as are Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, even little states like New Hampshire and Nevada. And Pennsylvania: The president even went to his veep’s hometown, Scranton, to shore up support among white working-class voters.
◼ Obama’s tin ear extends to sensibility - Joseph Curl/Washington Times
But the Obamas, they like their vacations: Hawaii, Martha’s Vineyard, Spain, Vail - wherever, whenever. Whipped by work? How about 11 days chilling on the Vine, kicking back on a 30-acre estate worth $24 million? Still exhausted? Just jump over to Oahu to a multimillion-dollar pad for some R&R.
The expansive vacay comes just as Mr. O is getting desperate.... How desperate is the incumbent getting? His New York fundraiser trip last week (at rush hour, just when the Rockefeller Center tree was being lit - tin ear?) showed a completely different candidate. “I’ve got to win in 2012,” he said, and, “In order to finish the job, I’m going to have to have a second term.”
But the Obamas, they like their vacations: Hawaii, Martha’s Vineyard, Spain, Vail - wherever, whenever. Whipped by work? How about 11 days chilling on the Vine, kicking back on a 30-acre estate worth $24 million? Still exhausted? Just jump over to Oahu to a multimillion-dollar pad for some R&R.
The expansive vacay comes just as Mr. O is getting desperate.... How desperate is the incumbent getting? His New York fundraiser trip last week (at rush hour, just when the Rockefeller Center tree was being lit - tin ear?) showed a completely different candidate. “I’ve got to win in 2012,” he said, and, “In order to finish the job, I’m going to have to have a second term.”
Labels:
Polls,
President/Candidate Obama
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Courage Of Pamela Geller – An American’s War Against Islamic Jihadists & The Stealth Jihad Of CAIR
◼ (T)here’s one shining example of a person in the form of a gallant woman by the name of Ms. Pamela Geller, who knows this material like the back of her hand. This dispatch is also an ode to her struggle to get America, as well as, American Jews to wake up.... - Scott Pollack/The Critical Post – Chicago
Pamela Geller is a beautiful, (soul and otherwise) and glamorous siren songstress of reason in a sea of Muslim, as well as, liberal confounded argument. She’s the only woman in the American popular culture, doing what she does, that we have been able to find. There are those who consider her courageous stance against the Muslim counterculture currently gripping at the underbelly of the American fabric, as bigoted, unreasonable and far beyond the pale.
Pam has been a guest commentator and entertained by many in the media, right, left (tacitly at best) and center. She is an award winner on the conservative side of the political spectrum, has co-written two books expounding her views. However, some we fear, has been entertaining her as merely a curiosity, and we think that is a grave mistake. Not only is Pam fighting for her four girls, She is fighting for you and your children. She is fighting and sustaining unfair comparison by uncritical thinkers, who we think are in a funk of ignorant tolerance and it is these folks who are more a danger to the American Collective Conscience, than Muslims themselves could ever hope to be. If you count yourself amongst them, that means you.... Read the whole thing.
◼ Courageous Conservatives Episode #4: Pamela Geller - POH Diaries
◼ Pamela Geller's New Book Is a Work of Love, not Hate - The People's Cube
◼ The effective anti-jihad activist pays the price for disturbing the Left's delusions. - Oleg Atbashian/PJM
◼ Pam's blog: Atlas Shrugs
◼ Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance Available at Amazon
Labels:
Anti-Semitism,
Blogs we love,
Islam/Muslim,
Israel
CFRW Capitol Update
We Need You Now!
Your action is needed now to stop AB 131 and repeal the California Dream Act! We have been working tirelessly, gathering signatures for important ballot measures. But now is no time to rest! More petitions are needed and time is running out. As you will recall, the California Dream Act allows illegal immigrants to apply for and receive public financial aid to most California public universities and community colleges. Our state simply cannot afford this! California is drowning in debt and with our financial crisis crumbling our education system, this is not the time to increase spending and benefits for illegal immigrants. We need your help NOW to put a STOP to this! Please distribute petitions at your Republican Women holiday teas and parties and gather signatures whenever and wherever you can! If you need petitions to distribute, please visit www.STOPAB131.com or --- Email the CFRW Advocate at: advocate@cfrw.org
Brace Yourselves
Governor Brown announced earlier this week that he plans to put before the voters next November a ballot measure that would increase taxes for the upper income earners over the next five years, as well as a sales tax hike, raising nearly $7 billion. According to the Sacramento Bee, “The upper-income tax hike starts with a 1 percent increase at $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for joint filers. A separate increase would charge 1.5 percent more on income between $300,000 and $500,000, followed by a third step of 2 percent on income above $500,000 for individuals (with amounts doubled for joint filers). That would increase the tax on millionaires from 10.3 percent to 12.3 percent.” The sales tax would increase by half a cent starting in 2013. Both taxes are set to expire at the end of 2016. But that's not the only potential tax-increasing ballot measures targeted for the November ballot. The “Tax Oil to Fund Education” ballot proposal would impose a 15% tax on oil and natural gas while the Californians for Clean Energy and Jobs are promoting a $1.1 billion dollar tax increase on out-of-state companies. Unfortunately, for California tax-payers, these potential ballot measures are just the beginning. With a projected $12.8 billion deficit, everyone is looking for ways to fill the gap.
(Find all Contact info for Governor Brown HERE *)
(Find EMAIL Addresses for California Republicans in the State Senate and Assembly HERE *
Lookout for Project Vote
◼ Project Vote is an affiliate of ◼ ACORN... remember them? With election season creeping up on us we must be wary of the holes in our election system, especially voter registration fraud. While ACORN's legitimacy has been tarnished, Project Vote is a lesser-known faction of the ACORN organization and therefore may be able to go under the radar. But do not be fooled! Project Vote board members were entirely made of up former ACORN staffers, according to Matthew Vadum, author of Subversion Inc. It should come as no surprise then that President Obama has already begun his 2012 voter registration drive with Project Vote. We must be vigilant this election cycle! Consider organizing a Vote Integrity Committee within your Republican Women Federated club or your Central Committee. Get involved with voter registration or elections at your local elections office. Be aware! For more information on Project Vote click HERE. For information on starting a Vote Integrity committee, please Email the CFRW Advocate at: advocate@cfrw.org.
◼ GUIDE TO THE GEORGE SOROS NETWORK - Discover The Networks *
Disclaimer: The Capitol Update is an activity of the CFRW Advocate's Office. The update is for information only. CFRW official positions on legislation are stated immediately preceding the stated legislation or immediately following the stated legislation in this report.
◼ View this article online: http://www.cfrw.org/index.cfm/article_176.htm
California Federation of Republican Women, Mariann Hedstrom, President
Allison Olson, CFRW Legislative Advocate
* some links added by HRWF
Labels:
ACTION ITEM,
Capitol Update
The Debt Generation
In 2008, the youth vote was overwhelmingly for Obama and helped elect him to the White House. Now, three years into his presidency and one year from the most important election of our lives, college students are thinking twice before voting for Obama again. ◼ Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TennesseeCollegeRepublicans Twitter: @TNCollegeGOP Share this.
Labels:
Debt,
Deficit,
Economy,
President Obama,
Spending
Dead Movement Walking: Top Ten New Media Moments That Brought Down #OccupyWallStreet
◼ Now that they’ve officially been hung out to dry by both the elite media and the Left, Occupy Wall Street has apparently decided to die with a whimper instead of with dignity. - John Nolte/Big Journalism
But you have to remember ’twas New Media that killed Obama’s astro-turfed, anti-American army of poopers, rapists, vandals, drug abusers and trespassers — and that without New Media the MSM would’ve gotten away with their evil (yes, really) master plan, which was to recreate the sixties’ anti-war movement. The whole of the MSM intended to give these Occupy degenerates the same oxygen they gave anti-war degenerates forty years ago. The worst people in the world would be spoon fed the encouragement and legitimacy required to spin them into something they are not. And all of this was going to be made possible through the covering up of a hundreds of sins both big and small.
The only problem for the MSM, though, is that this isn’t the sixties and, therefore, they no longer control every portal of mass communication. Thus, armed with our own cameras, the power to disseminate information without funneling through the media’s corrupt filter, and armed with THE TRUTH — video by photo by investigative report, Occupy collapsed under the exposed weight of their own hypocrisy, noxious beliefs, and craven misdeeds.
In the form of a victory lap, here are (the) top ten New Media moments: at the link.
While the mainstream media told their lies and half-truths and chose whatever context would fit their pro-Occupy narrative, within seconds, real truths were emailed, posted on Facebook pages and blogs, tweeted and re-tweeted. With lightning speed, photographs and videos told the story the MSM attempted to cover up….
But you have to remember ’twas New Media that killed Obama’s astro-turfed, anti-American army of poopers, rapists, vandals, drug abusers and trespassers — and that without New Media the MSM would’ve gotten away with their evil (yes, really) master plan, which was to recreate the sixties’ anti-war movement. The whole of the MSM intended to give these Occupy degenerates the same oxygen they gave anti-war degenerates forty years ago. The worst people in the world would be spoon fed the encouragement and legitimacy required to spin them into something they are not. And all of this was going to be made possible through the covering up of a hundreds of sins both big and small.
The only problem for the MSM, though, is that this isn’t the sixties and, therefore, they no longer control every portal of mass communication. Thus, armed with our own cameras, the power to disseminate information without funneling through the media’s corrupt filter, and armed with THE TRUTH — video by photo by investigative report, Occupy collapsed under the exposed weight of their own hypocrisy, noxious beliefs, and craven misdeeds.
In the form of a victory lap, here are (the) top ten New Media moments: at the link.
10. The Copper-Pooper Photo That Went ‘Round the WorldBy the hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands, citizen journalists took everything listed above (and more) and then went around the corrupt MSM in order to let the word go forth.
9. #OccupyWallStreet Cult Chant: ‘You Can Have Sex With Animals’
8. #Occupy Trust Fund Baby
7. ‘New York Times’ Reporter Busted As #Occupy Activist, Supporter
6. Anti-Defamation League Condemns #Occupy Anti-Semitism
5. Exposure of #Occupy Sexual Assaults, Including Alleged Rape of a Deaf Man
4. #OccupyOakland Threatens Reporter With Physical Violence
3. The ‘Kent State Moments’ That Collapsed Under New Media Scrutiny
2. The Occupy Wall Street Rap Sheet
1. ‘Crowdsource This’: Occupy’s Astro-turf Exposed In Massive Email Dump
While the mainstream media told their lies and half-truths and chose whatever context would fit their pro-Occupy narrative, within seconds, real truths were emailed, posted on Facebook pages and blogs, tweeted and re-tweeted. With lightning speed, photographs and videos told the story the MSM attempted to cover up….
Labels:
#Occupy,
Media bias,
NEW Media
It must be nice being President... Obama to jet off to Hawaii for SEVENTEEN DAY Christmas vacation
◼ The White House travel office announced the president has no public events scheduled for the trip. - Daily Mail
The President's family covers the cost of a private beach front residence in Kailua, Oahu, for their vacation - a ‘Winter White House’ that costs up to $3,500 a day, or $75,000 a month.
But the local and federal taxpayers help pay the bill for travel and security.
The President's family covers the cost of a private beach front residence in Kailua, Oahu, for their vacation - a ‘Winter White House’ that costs up to $3,500 a day, or $75,000 a month.
But the local and federal taxpayers help pay the bill for travel and security.
Labels:
President Obama
Trump to Moderate Newsmax, ION TV GOP Debate
◼ Newsmax Media and ION Television, one of the nation’s largest broadcast networks, will collaborate to host a Republican presidential debate on Tuesday, Dec. 27, moderated by businessman Donald J. Trump. - Newsmax
The Newsmax ION Television Debate will be held at the Hoyt Sherman Theater in Des Moines, Iowa, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET – and will be the last forum of major Republican presidential candidates a week before the Jan. 3, 2012 Iowa caucus.
The Newsmax ION Television Debate will be televised live nationwide on ION Television to 99 million U.S. homes and online by Newsmax.com. It will be the final meeting of the Republican candidates before the Iowa Caucus on Jan. 3, 2012. All of the major Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate.
◼ Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27. - Michelle Malkin
◼ Paul campaign calls Trump debate 'wildly inappropriate' - CNN (blog)
◼ Gingrich Says 'Yes' to Donald Trump Debate Invite - Forbes
◼ Trump Tells Van Susteren Newsmax, ION TV Debate Will Shine - Newsmax
"We'll have a debate on the issues. We'll be talking about things like, as an example, OPEC, where nobody is talking about OPEC at the debates, or very little. China. India, other countries that are just taking our lunch right out of our mouths...
"So we'll be talking about very important issues and talking about social issues and environmental issues maybe to a lesser extent, but we'll be talking about environmental issues and talking about lots of different things."
Trump added: "This is a serious debate. Some said, this will be 'The Apprentice.' The fact is this is a serious debate, and a lot of people will be watching."
The Newsmax ION Television Debate will be held at the Hoyt Sherman Theater in Des Moines, Iowa, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET – and will be the last forum of major Republican presidential candidates a week before the Jan. 3, 2012 Iowa caucus.
The Newsmax ION Television Debate will be televised live nationwide on ION Television to 99 million U.S. homes and online by Newsmax.com. It will be the final meeting of the Republican candidates before the Iowa Caucus on Jan. 3, 2012. All of the major Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate.
◼ Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27. - Michelle Malkin
◼ Paul campaign calls Trump debate 'wildly inappropriate' - CNN (blog)
◼ Gingrich Says 'Yes' to Donald Trump Debate Invite - Forbes
◼ Trump Tells Van Susteren Newsmax, ION TV Debate Will Shine - Newsmax
"We'll have a debate on the issues. We'll be talking about things like, as an example, OPEC, where nobody is talking about OPEC at the debates, or very little. China. India, other countries that are just taking our lunch right out of our mouths...
"So we'll be talking about very important issues and talking about social issues and environmental issues maybe to a lesser extent, but we'll be talking about environmental issues and talking about lots of different things."
Trump added: "This is a serious debate. Some said, this will be 'The Apprentice.' The fact is this is a serious debate, and a lot of people will be watching."
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Debates,
Donald Trump
Obama Administration's Friday Night Document Drop raises more questions about Fast & Furious...
◼ Justice Dept. details how it got statements wrong - AP
The Justice Department on Friday provided Congress with documents detailing how department officials gave inaccurate information to a U.S. senator in the controversy surrounding Operation Fast and Furious, the flawed law enforcement initiative aimed at dismantling major arms trafficking networks on the Southwest border.◼ Justice Withdraws Inaccurate 'Fast And Furious' Letter It Sent To Congress - NPR
Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole sent nearly 1,400 pages of emails and other documents to Capitol Hill late Friday afternoon that lay bare the raw and sometimes cringe-worthy process by which the letter was drafted. The materials contain clues into how misleading information about the botched gun trafficking operation made it into a Feb. 4, 2011 letter to Congress that department leaders have since acknowledged was false.◼ Justice Department Reveals Origins of False Gun Letter To Grassley - Roll Call
Misleading Congress can be a prosecutable offense if a person who makes the statements knows they are false. But Attorney General Eric Holder has told lawmakers that so far he has no evidence anyone intended to deceive them. The matter remains under investigation not only by Republicans in Congress but also the Justice Department's inspector general.
A spokeswoman for Grassley said, "After a first glance at today's document dump from the Justice Department, there appears to be even more questions for Assistant Attorney General Breuer, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Weinstein and former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke."◼ Issa says Holder ouster is up to White House - Chuck Neubauer/Washington Times
Labels:
DOJ,
Eric Holder,
FastandFurious,
Investigations,
Scandals
What happened to Herman Cain is what the Democrats intend to do to whoever the Republican nominee turns out to be. They know they can’t win a debate on the economy or on President Obama’s record, so they will do everything they can to distract the voters’ attention from those matters
◼ THE MORAL OF THE HERMAN CAIN STORY - John Hinderaker/PowerLine
They know they can’t win a debate on the economy or on President Obama’s record, so they will do everything they can to distract the voters’ attention from those matters, which should be decisive, and instead turn the focus to the GOP candidate and his or her alleged foibles. If Republican voters allow that to happen by nominating a candidate with baggage that permits the Democrats to turn him into the next Herman Cain, it is all too likely that President Obama will be re-elected, with consequences that can hardly be overestimated.
They know they can’t win a debate on the economy or on President Obama’s record, so they will do everything they can to distract the voters’ attention from those matters, which should be decisive, and instead turn the focus to the GOP candidate and his or her alleged foibles. If Republican voters allow that to happen by nominating a candidate with baggage that permits the Democrats to turn him into the next Herman Cain, it is all too likely that President Obama will be re-elected, with consequences that can hardly be overestimated.
Despite Record Number of Visits, Swing States Still Cold to Obama
◼ President Obama knows his chances for reelection lie in the so-called swing states – the states’ that aren’t considered a lock to vote red or blue in any given year. He also knows he’s facing an uphill battle in those states.
- College Republican National Committee (CRNC)
The most recent Gallup poll of 12 crucial swing states found that voters believed that the Republican candidate would do a better job of handling all of the most important issues of the day. On the federal budget deficit and debt, voters preferred Republicans by a 54%-to-38% margin; on unemployment Republicans held a 7% advantage; and on health care (supposedly Obama’s grandest achievement), the GOP had a 1% edge.
Those bad numbers have carried over into some bad fundraising for Obama in those states. As it turns out, people aren’t willing to put their money where their mouth isn’t....
College Republicans are working hard to reconfigure the political landscape once again in 2012. We sense that Americans, and especially young adults, are tired of Obama’s singular focus on reelection, leaving Washington without a leader. America deserves better. We deserve someone who will put policy over politics. That’s why we’ll be putting boots on the ground to ensure that today’s swing states are tomorrow’s red states. Will you help us?
◼ College Republicans on Facebook
- College Republican National Committee (CRNC)
The most recent Gallup poll of 12 crucial swing states found that voters believed that the Republican candidate would do a better job of handling all of the most important issues of the day. On the federal budget deficit and debt, voters preferred Republicans by a 54%-to-38% margin; on unemployment Republicans held a 7% advantage; and on health care (supposedly Obama’s grandest achievement), the GOP had a 1% edge.
Those bad numbers have carried over into some bad fundraising for Obama in those states. As it turns out, people aren’t willing to put their money where their mouth isn’t....
College Republicans are working hard to reconfigure the political landscape once again in 2012. We sense that Americans, and especially young adults, are tired of Obama’s singular focus on reelection, leaving Washington without a leader. America deserves better. We deserve someone who will put policy over politics. That’s why we’ll be putting boots on the ground to ensure that today’s swing states are tomorrow’s red states. Will you help us?
◼ College Republicans on Facebook
Labels:
Campaign Finance,
Campaign tactics,
CRNC,
Polls
Few presidents have dashed so many illusions as Obama.
◼ In the last three years, the president has taught us a great deal about America, the world, and himself. - Victor Davis Hanson/National Review
Before Obama, many Americans still believed in massive deficit spending, whether as an article of fairness, a means to economic growth, or just a lazy fallback position to justify an out-of-control federal government. But after the failure of a nearly $800 billion “stimulus” program — intended to keep unemployment under 8 percent — no one believes any more that an already indebted government will foster economic growth by taking on another $4 trillion in debt. In other words, “stimulus” is mostly a dead concept. The president — much as he advised a barnstorming President Bush in 2005 to cease pushing Social Security reform on a reluctant population — should give it up and junk the new $500 billion program euphemistically designated as a “jobs bill.” The U.S. government is already borrowing every three days what all of America spent on Black Friday. Read the rest.
Before Obama, many Americans still believed in massive deficit spending, whether as an article of fairness, a means to economic growth, or just a lazy fallback position to justify an out-of-control federal government. But after the failure of a nearly $800 billion “stimulus” program — intended to keep unemployment under 8 percent — no one believes any more that an already indebted government will foster economic growth by taking on another $4 trillion in debt. In other words, “stimulus” is mostly a dead concept. The president — much as he advised a barnstorming President Bush in 2005 to cease pushing Social Security reform on a reluctant population — should give it up and junk the new $500 billion program euphemistically designated as a “jobs bill.” The U.S. government is already borrowing every three days what all of America spent on Black Friday. Read the rest.
Labels:
Gunrunner,
President/Candidate Obama
Mitt Romney looks to outlast and outwork Gingrich to GOP nomination
◼ ...(W)here the former House speaker has momentum and enthusiasm, Romney is counting on mechanics and regimen. Where Gingrich talks confidently of being the nominee, Romney and his aides are quietly plotting to bleed him dry in a marathon battle. - Philip Rucker/Washington Post
◼ Are Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney Really the Best the GOP Can Do? - US News
◼ Are Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney Really the Best the GOP Can Do? - US News
Gingrich presidential run inspires fear and loathing in top GOP circles
◼ Sure, Newt Gingrich is surging in the polls. But the blunt truth about Newt is that the people who know him best and have worked with him in Washington want him nowhere near the White House or the top of the GOP ticket — and in the end, that’s likely to doom his chances. - Jonathan Bernstein/Washington Post
◼ Discussion at Lucianne
◼ Romney and Gingrich, from bad to worse - George Will/Washington Post
Republicans are more conservative than at any time since their 1980 dismay about another floundering president. They are more ideologically homogenous than ever in 156 years of competing for the presidency. They anticipated choosing between Mitt Romney, a conservative of convenience, and a conviction politician to his right. The choice, however, could be between Romney and the least conservative candidate, Newt Gingrich.
◼ Discussion at Lucianne
◼ Mark Shields: Obama Wins in a Landslide if Gingrich is GOP Nominee - Noel Sheppard/Newsbusters
What's really hysterical about this is they'd be saying the same thing if Bachmann, Paul, or Santorum were the current frontrunner.
But the last laugh could be Gingrich's for as even the perilously liberal Chris Matthews realizes, the last person Obama wants to debate is the former Speaker of the House.
As such, these folks better be careful what they wish for.
◼ Discussion at Lucianne
◼ Romney and Gingrich, from bad to worse - George Will/Washington Post
Republicans are more conservative than at any time since their 1980 dismay about another floundering president. They are more ideologically homogenous than ever in 156 years of competing for the presidency. They anticipated choosing between Mitt Romney, a conservative of convenience, and a conviction politician to his right. The choice, however, could be between Romney and the least conservative candidate, Newt Gingrich.
◼ Discussion at Lucianne
◼ Mark Shields: Obama Wins in a Landslide if Gingrich is GOP Nominee - Noel Sheppard/Newsbusters
What's really hysterical about this is they'd be saying the same thing if Bachmann, Paul, or Santorum were the current frontrunner.
But the last laugh could be Gingrich's for as even the perilously liberal Chris Matthews realizes, the last person Obama wants to debate is the former Speaker of the House.
As such, these folks better be careful what they wish for.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Huckabee Republican Presidential Forum
◼ Jon Huntsman declined to attend the forum tonight as did Herman Cain. - Jim Hoft/Gateway Pundit
◼ Open thread: Are you ready for the Huckabee presidential forum? Update: Gingrich leads new Iowa poll, Paul second - HotAir
Huckabee has three conservative Attorneys General to ask the questions. Pam Bondi from Florida, Ken Cuccinelli from Virginia and Scott Pruitt from Oklahoma. There is no crowd to cheer the candidates. It is just the candidate, Mike Huckabee as moderator and the three attorneys general.◼ Huckabee Candidates Forum - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ Open thread: Are you ready for the Huckabee presidential forum? Update: Gingrich leads new Iowa poll, Paul second - HotAir
Obama Fundraiser and Ambassador Blames Israel for Anti-Semitism
◼ The U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, recently told a conference hosted by the European Jewish Union that Israel is to blame for growing anti-Semitism harbored by people of Muslim faith. - Daniel Halper/the Weekly Standard
According to the account in the Israeli paper, “The legal experts at the event were visibly stunned by Gutman’s words, and the next speaker offered a scathing rebuttal to the envoy’s remarks.”
Gutman was a major fundraiser for President Obama’s 2008 election campaign. He bundled $500,000 for Obama, according to OpenSecrets.org, personally giving at least $2,300 to the campaign.
In 2009, Obama nominated Gutman, a Washington, D.C. attorney, to be ambassador to Belgium.
According to the account in the Israeli paper, “The legal experts at the event were visibly stunned by Gutman’s words, and the next speaker offered a scathing rebuttal to the envoy’s remarks.”
Gutman was a major fundraiser for President Obama’s 2008 election campaign. He bundled $500,000 for Obama, according to OpenSecrets.org, personally giving at least $2,300 to the campaign.
In 2009, Obama nominated Gutman, a Washington, D.C. attorney, to be ambassador to Belgium.
Labels:
Anti-Semitism,
Israel,
Obama Administration
Herman Cain drops out of presidential race
◼ Herman Cain, the insurgent populist whose candidacy has been ensnared by allegations of sexual impropriety, said Saturday that he is leaving the race for the Republican presidential nomination, saying that the allegations have cast a "cloud of doubt over me and this campaign." - James Oliphant/LA Times
◼ Cain Iowa Staffers and Volunteers React: ‘There’s Sadness in the Family’ - ABC
◼ Bachmann and Gingrich praise Cain as he exits race - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner
◼ Did Gloria sink Herman Cain's presidential campaign? Pizza tycoon drops out of race... as Newt Gingrich tops latest Iowa poll - Daily Mail
◼ Once You Go Conservative Black, You Better Watch Your Back - Ann Coulter
Mitt Romney: Herman Cain's campaign was one of ideas. His announcement today was based on what was best for him and his family. We wish Herman and Gloria the very best.
Newt Gingrich released the following statement regarding Herman Cain's announcement to suspend his presidential campaign: Herman Cain’s 999 plan got our country talking about the critical issue of how to reform our tax code and he elevated the dialogue of the Republican presidential primary in the process. I am proud to know Herman Cain and consider him a friend. I know from having worked with him for more than a decade he will continue to be a powerful voice in the conservative movement for years to come.
Michele Bachmann: Herman Cain provided an important voice to this process. His ideas and energy generated tremendous enthusiasm for the conservative movement at a time it was so desperately needed to restore confidence in our country. I wish Herman, his wife Gloria, and his family all the best.
◼ Cain Iowa Staffers and Volunteers React: ‘There’s Sadness in the Family’ - ABC
◼ Bachmann and Gingrich praise Cain as he exits race - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner
◼ Did Gloria sink Herman Cain's presidential campaign? Pizza tycoon drops out of race... as Newt Gingrich tops latest Iowa poll - Daily Mail
◼ Once You Go Conservative Black, You Better Watch Your Back - Ann Coulter
Mitt Romney: Herman Cain's campaign was one of ideas. His announcement today was based on what was best for him and his family. We wish Herman and Gloria the very best.
Newt Gingrich released the following statement regarding Herman Cain's announcement to suspend his presidential campaign: Herman Cain’s 999 plan got our country talking about the critical issue of how to reform our tax code and he elevated the dialogue of the Republican presidential primary in the process. I am proud to know Herman Cain and consider him a friend. I know from having worked with him for more than a decade he will continue to be a powerful voice in the conservative movement for years to come.
Michele Bachmann: Herman Cain provided an important voice to this process. His ideas and energy generated tremendous enthusiasm for the conservative movement at a time it was so desperately needed to restore confidence in our country. I wish Herman, his wife Gloria, and his family all the best.
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Herman Cain
A $230,000 Taxpayer-Funded ‘Green Jobs’ Website, but No Jobs Listed
◼ How’s this for a waste of taxpayer money? - Mike Brownfield/Heritage.Org
Even The New York Times wrote, ”federal and state efforts to stimulate creation of green jobs have largely failed” and Obama’s goal of creating 5 million new green jobs within 10 years is a “pipe dream.”
Even The New York Times wrote, ”federal and state efforts to stimulate creation of green jobs have largely failed” and Obama’s goal of creating 5 million new green jobs within 10 years is a “pipe dream.”
Labels:
GREEN jobs agenda,
Scandals,
Spending
Friday, December 2, 2011
Rick Perry: Faith
Rick Perry
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Ads,
Religion,
Rick Perry
Gloria Cain launches 'Women for Herman Cain'
◼ As Herman Cain heads home for his first face-to-face meeting with wife Gloria since he was accused earlier this week of a 13-year extramarital affair, his campaign has launched “Women for Herman Cain,” an “online national fellowship of women dedicated to helping elect Herman Cain.” - Kim Geiger, Washington Bureau/LA Times
The new Web page, which appears to have been added to Cain’s campaign website late last night, offers a forum for people to voice their support for the Republican presidential hopeful. Gloria, Cain’s wife of 43 years, is listed as the national chairwoman.
◼ Cain to make major announcement about campaign tomorrow - HotAir
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Herman Cain
HANNAFORD TAKES NEW REAGAN BOOK ON THE ROAD
“Reagan’s Roots” by Peter Hannaford of Eureka, California, will be published December 1 by Images From the Past, Inc. followed by a two-week book tour by the author.
The book examines the sources of Reagan’s character which the author concludes was formed during the first 21 years of the late president’s life, all of them spent in rural settings in northwestern Illinois. Born in the small town of Tampico, Reagan lived in five other locations during his childhood and youth, culminating in four years at Eureka College, a small liberal arts school 25 miles east of Peoria. Three months after graduating, he got his first job, as a radio sportscaster at a station just across the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa.
During the week of December 5-9, Hannaford will give a series of talks about the book’s topic in Illinois in the following cities and towns: Chicago, Dixon, Tampico, Fulton, Decatur, Morton, Washington, Eureka, Peoria.
On December 12 he will speak at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara; on the 13th at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley; on the 15th at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. On Friday, December 16, he will be the featured speaker at the Marin County, California, Republican Christmas Gala.
This is Hannaford’s 10th published book and his sixth about the 40th president, with whom he was closely associated for several years. His 11th book, “Presidential Retreats” is scheduled for publication in Summer 2012 by Simon & Schuster.
After 22 years in public affairs and public relations in Washington, he and his wife, Irene, moved back to their native California in 2006.
◼ Available at Amazon
Labels:
Books,
Peter Hannaford,
Ronald Reagan
Mitt Romney Declines Lincoln-Douglas Debate With Newt Gingrich - UPDATE: Jon Huntsman accepts
◼ As Joe Guerriero, publisher of Human Events and Red State, put it to RCP: “Newt was all over it, and the Romney camp basically said no. It wasn’t a harsh no, but it was a no.” - Erin McPike/Real Clear Politics
◼ Romney one step closer to Pawlentyville - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ Update: This Is A Genius Move By Gingrich - Business Insider
Newt Gingrich has invited Jon Huntsman to engage in another long Lincoln-Douglas style debate on December 12, in Windham New Hampshire. Newt did a similar debate with Herman Cain earlier this year. Huntsman accepted.
It’s a genius move for Gingrich, and a good one by Huntsman. Romney has declined an invitation to engage Gingrich in this kind of debate.
Newt Gingrich gets to elevate Huntsman in New Hampshire, which could hurt Mitt Romney. ◼ h/t: Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ Romney one step closer to Pawlentyville - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ Update: This Is A Genius Move By Gingrich - Business Insider
Newt Gingrich has invited Jon Huntsman to engage in another long Lincoln-Douglas style debate on December 12, in Windham New Hampshire. Newt did a similar debate with Herman Cain earlier this year. Huntsman accepted.
It’s a genius move for Gingrich, and a good one by Huntsman. Romney has declined an invitation to engage Gingrich in this kind of debate.
Newt Gingrich gets to elevate Huntsman in New Hampshire, which could hurt Mitt Romney. ◼ h/t: Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
Analysis: Best and Worst Run States in America — California ranks # 50
◼ Best and Worst Run States in America — An Analysis Of All 50 - 24/7 Wall St.
# 50. California
◼ American Migration [Interactive Map] - Forbes
Close to 40 million Americans move from one home to another every year. Click anywhere on the map below: blue counties send more migrants to the selected county than they take; red counties take more than they send. See how many people are leaving California. Red is outgoing migration, blue is incoming:
# 50. California
> State debt per capita: $3,660 (21st highest)California has moved down one slot on from last year to earn the title of the worst-run state in the country. In the fiscal year 2009, the state spent $430 billion, roughly 14% of all the money spent by states in that year. Compared to its revenue, the state spent too much — California had the 10th lowest revenue per person, and spent the 15th most per person. California is the only state in the country to be rated A-, the lowest rating ever given to a state by S&P. Despite the huge amount the state spends each year, conditions remain poor. California has the second-lowest percentage of adults with a high school diploma in the country, the second-highest foreclosure rate and is tied for the second highest unemployment rate in the U.S.
> Pct. without health insurance: 18.5% (8th highest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 14.5% (tied for 21st highest)
> Unemployment: 11.9% (2nd highest)
◼ American Migration [Interactive Map] - Forbes
Close to 40 million Americans move from one home to another every year. Click anywhere on the map below: blue counties send more migrants to the selected county than they take; red counties take more than they send. See how many people are leaving California. Red is outgoing migration, blue is incoming:
Labels:
Blue State,
California,
Economy,
Red State
Seattle Reverses Ban on “Buy American”
On Thursday evening Seattle’s Metro Transit reversed its ban and decided to allow the “Buy American” ads to be posted on city buses. “Upon further evaluation, the text of the ad does not express an opinion about a public issue,” said General Manager Kevin Desmond in a statement released to the Seattle Fox television affiliate.
◼ ORIGINAL STORY: Seattle’s public transit system is under fire for rejecting an advertising campaign urging people to buy American and shop locally because it was too political. - FOX
The rejected ads read: “December is Buy American Month, Shop Locally, Join Seattle’s TAPamerica.org.”
Tso said his organization was prepared to pay as much as $9,000 for the ads to be posted on 45 Metro buses running through major shopping districts in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, WA.
“The ads were rejected by King County as being too political,” Tso told Fox News & Commentary, wondering if the county was simply being politically correct.
“Buy American should never be a bad word,” he said. “Those are words we should have pride in as citizens of the United States.”
...“The concept of ‘Buy American’ is an issue of both political and economic debate,” spokeswoman Linda Thielkein wrote in an email to the newspaper.
◼ ORIGINAL STORY: Seattle’s public transit system is under fire for rejecting an advertising campaign urging people to buy American and shop locally because it was too political. - FOX
The rejected ads read: “December is Buy American Month, Shop Locally, Join Seattle’s TAPamerica.org.”
Tso said his organization was prepared to pay as much as $9,000 for the ads to be posted on 45 Metro buses running through major shopping districts in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, WA.
“The ads were rejected by King County as being too political,” Tso told Fox News & Commentary, wondering if the county was simply being politically correct.
“Buy American should never be a bad word,” he said. “Those are words we should have pride in as citizens of the United States.”
...“The concept of ‘Buy American’ is an issue of both political and economic debate,” spokeswoman Linda Thielkein wrote in an email to the newspaper.
Labels:
Business,
Political correctness
Thursday, December 1, 2011
New Rick Perry ad
Rick Perry
Labels:
2012 Presidential Contenders,
Ads,
Rick Perry
A 2011 White House Christmas: Michelle unveils holiday decorations to military families as Obamas celebrate the season
◼ A White House Christmas: The Blue Room Christmas Tree, seen from the Cross Hall of the White House (left), features photographs, medals and cards created and written by children of U.S. military members and medals, badges and patches from all branches of the U.S. military - Daily Mail
◼ Flashback: 2010 Decorations
Labels:
Holidays,
Michelle Obama,
Military
Jerry Brown wants to raise taxes
◼ Under the measure, California would impose a half-cent sales tax increase starting in 2013 and an income tax hike on high-income earners starting retroactively with the 2012 tax year. - Sacramento Bee/Capitol Alert
The upper-income tax hike starts with a 1 percent increase at $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for joint filers. A separate increase would charge 1.5 percent more on income between $300,000 and $500,000, followed by a third step of 2 percent on income above $500,000 for individuals (with amounts doubled for joint filers). That would increase the tax on millionaires from 10.3 percent to 12.3 percent.
The upper-income tax hike starts with a 1 percent increase at $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for joint filers. A separate increase would charge 1.5 percent more on income between $300,000 and $500,000, followed by a third step of 2 percent on income above $500,000 for individuals (with amounts doubled for joint filers). That would increase the tax on millionaires from 10.3 percent to 12.3 percent.
Labels:
California,
Class Warfare,
Economy,
Governor Jerry Brown,
Taxes
Fun Fact of The Day: Obama Averaging One Fundraiser Every Five Days In 2011…
◼ Pretty much the only thing he’s good at. - Weaselzippers
◼ Barack Obama Has, on Average, Attended a Fundraiser Every Five Days in 2011 - Andy Kroll/Mother Jones
◼ Barack Obama Has, on Average, Attended a Fundraiser Every Five Days in 2011 - Andy Kroll/Mother Jones
Gingrich: "Right After I'm Sworn In I Will Fire Every Czar In The White House"
◼ California With Newt on Facebook
"Two hours after I'm sworn in as President and by the time the Obama's land in Chicago, I will have 40% of Obama's Government Dismantled by signing close to 200 executive orders."
◼ Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook!
"Two hours after I'm sworn in as President and by the time the Obama's land in Chicago, I will have 40% of Obama's Government Dismantled by signing close to 200 executive orders."
◼ Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook!
Obama Loses Egypt
◼ Obama’s Egypt failure is becoming all the more plain, and the cultural and political Islamization of our most important Arab ally may well become a campaign issue before long - Keith Koffler/White House Dossier
◼ Islamists Claim Egypt’s Mandate in Early Voting - David D. Kirkpatrick/NYT
The party formed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s mainstream Islamist group, appeared to have taken about 40 percent of the vote, as expected. But a big surprise was the strong showing of ultraconservative Islamists, called Salafis, many of whom see most popular entertainment as sinful and reject women’s participation in voting or public life.
Analysts in the state-run news media said early returns indicated that Salafi groups could take as much as a quarter of the vote, giving the two groups of Islamists combined control of nearly 65 percent of the parliamentary seats.
That victory came at the expense of the liberal parties and youth activists who set off the revolution, affirming their fears that they would be unable to compete with Islamists who emerged from the Mubarak years organized and with an established following. Poorly organized and internally divided, the liberal parties could not compete with Islamists disciplined by decades as the sole opposition to Mr. Mubarak. “We were washed out,” said Shady el-Ghazaly Harb, one of the most politically active of the group.
◼ Islamists Claim Egypt’s Mandate in Early Voting - David D. Kirkpatrick/NYT
The party formed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s mainstream Islamist group, appeared to have taken about 40 percent of the vote, as expected. But a big surprise was the strong showing of ultraconservative Islamists, called Salafis, many of whom see most popular entertainment as sinful and reject women’s participation in voting or public life.
Analysts in the state-run news media said early returns indicated that Salafi groups could take as much as a quarter of the vote, giving the two groups of Islamists combined control of nearly 65 percent of the parliamentary seats.
That victory came at the expense of the liberal parties and youth activists who set off the revolution, affirming their fears that they would be unable to compete with Islamists who emerged from the Mubarak years organized and with an established following. Poorly organized and internally divided, the liberal parties could not compete with Islamists disciplined by decades as the sole opposition to Mr. Mubarak. “We were washed out,” said Shady el-Ghazaly Harb, one of the most politically active of the group.
Labels:
Egypt,
International Issues,
Middle East
Candidate Obama says: "The very core of what this country stands for is on the line."
◼ A strangely desperate new Obama campaign speech: Urgent, dramatic, about him - Investors Business Daily
After talking up his payroll tax cut in Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon, Obama flew Air Force One to New York City for not one, not two, but three money gatherings from Gotham liberals.◼ Discussion at Lucianne
As he does on regular collection runs to Los Angeles, Obama and his motorcade paralyzed Manhattan's pre-holiday traffic, already struggling with the evening's scheduled lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
Here are several other points made by Obama to a possibly puzzled crowd assembled at the Gotham Bar and Grille:
"I've got to win in 2012."And in case anyone had missed the point, the ex-partial-term senator said, "I'm going to need a few more years to finish the job."
"In order to finish the job, I'm going to have to have a second term."
"I need a couple more years to finish the job."
"I'm going to need another term to finish the job."
This was in one speech.
Sign up for The December FairTax Webinar
With Special Topic: The FairTax Effect on Education
When: Thursday, December 22, 2011
Time: 8 pm Eastern, 7 pm Central, 6 pm Mountain, 5 pm Pacific
Where: At your personal computer anywhere!
Why: To provide an interactive forum for people who cannot get to local meetings to learn about the FairTax and to present special topics that are frequently misunderstood or not generally discussed.
Who: Join Marc Manieri, Americans for Fair Taxation Community Coordinator in the Greater Orlando, Florida area. In their third year now, Marc’s webinars draw national participation from seasoned FairTax supporters as well as those just getting introduced to the FairTax.
Join: To participate, ◼ register here.
For more information contact Larry Walters at repeal_16@earthlink.net
When: Thursday, December 22, 2011
Time: 8 pm Eastern, 7 pm Central, 6 pm Mountain, 5 pm Pacific
Where: At your personal computer anywhere!
Why: To provide an interactive forum for people who cannot get to local meetings to learn about the FairTax and to present special topics that are frequently misunderstood or not generally discussed.
Who: Join Marc Manieri, Americans for Fair Taxation Community Coordinator in the Greater Orlando, Florida area. In their third year now, Marc’s webinars draw national participation from seasoned FairTax supporters as well as those just getting introduced to the FairTax.
Join: To participate, ◼ register here.
For more information contact Larry Walters at repeal_16@earthlink.net
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