Saturday, February 4, 2012

MITT TAKES NV; RON, NEWT FIGHT FOR DISTANT SECOND


Romney holds large lead in Nevada - CNN

Meet The Florida Federation of Republican Women


The FFRW has a long, proud and distinguished history of grassroots activism and GOP leadership that spans decades. We count among our membership empowered women leaders, Florida State Senators and Representatives, elected officials at every level of government, and the Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee, Sharon Day.

Our members were also instrumental in electing Marco Rubio to the US Senate, Rick Scott as Florida’s “Lets Get to Work” Governor, Jeff Atwater as Florida’s CFO and Adam Putnam as Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner. We are also proud of our work in helping retain and also elect many new GOP Congressional seats including Congressman Allen West, Sandy Adams and Steve Southerland.

A map of results from the 2012 GOP nomination contest in Nevada

Nevada GOP Caucuses - Los Angeles Times

Nevada GOP caucus results have begun to arrive. The rural polls close now at 5pm, but big Clark County stays open until 7pm PST. Follow the votes as they arrive on our interactive map.

Allen West: Obama's Jerking Us Around With Falsified Unemployment Numbers

West said: "Can someone tell me how employment in the black community has improved at a rate three times the national average in just a few months?? With numbers like today, urban communities should be well on their way to economic recovery then! There is something suspicious about the job numbers released today and it has me very concerned," West wondered Friday. "Is this dramatic supposed decrease in black unemployment a result of job creation or is someone playing around with the census numbers?" - Ace of Spades

Rep. West: Someone's 'playing around with' unemployment numbers - The Hill

Economists reached by The Hill for comment couldn't fully explain the unemployment rate change for the black community. William Darity, a professor of public policy at Duke University specializing in African-American studies and economics, wrote in an email to The Hill that the decline could have been due to a smaller labor force. He called the drop an "unbelievably dramatic drop" but didn't rule out the possibility of someone tampering with the numbers; he said there was no evidence one way or the other.

Payrolls Jump Casts Doubt on Fed’s Rate Pledge: Economy - Bloomberg

U.S. Stocks Jump on Upbeat Reports
Obama to Congress : don't 'muck up' recovery - Breitbart
Romney: Obama DOES NOT Deserve Credit - Bloonberg
Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month, Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low - Zerohedge
SANTELLI: Here's What's Wrong With Data - CNBC

Senate Democratic leaders on Friday said they do not intend to bring a fiscal 2013 budget up for a floor vote.

"We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year — it's done, we don't need to do it," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters on Friday. - The Hill

Republicans have attacked Democrats for failing to bring a budget to the floor. Last week, they marked the 1,000th day since Democrats have passed a budget, accusing the majority of shirking its duty while the deficit soars.

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who is working on his own budget plan, tweeted Friday that Senate Democrats "‪confirm they’ve given up on budgeting. What a disgrace. Reid's refusal to budget is a recipe for crisis.‬"

Bad News for Obama in Latest Rasmussen Polls of Uncommitted Voters

Obama's approval number among uncommitted voters is only 20 percent. His disapproval number is an enormous 76 percent. - Mark Whittington/YahooContributor

That suggests that among people who have yet to make even a tentative decision on who to vote for president, Obama is extremely unpopular and will be hard for the president to win back over.

On the other hand, as much disdain as the uncommitted have for Obama, they have yet to decide on an alternative. This is a problem for Romney, as the front runner. He has to figure out how to attract these undecided voters, who have already rejected Obama, over to his corner.

The head to head match ups have bad news for Obama as well. Both Rasmussen and Gallup have the president tied with Romney at 45 percent and 48 percent respectively. Rasmussen also has Obama just two points ahead of Santorum, a candidate who has been an also ran since his razor thin victory in Iowa. Obama is eight points ahead of Gingrich, however.

Each of the polls consistently shows Obama at below 50 percent, a bad place to be for any incumbent. The rule of thumb among pollsters is that the undecided voters, the ones whom Rasmussen shows holds Obama in great disdain, usually break for the challenger.

Powerline: Doorbell

Nevada Caucuses

Nevada Caucuses Open Thread - Michelle Malkin
So far there seem to be no real surprises in Nevada — especially since three of the four GOP candidates aren’t even currently in the state
Romney looks to boost front-runner status in Nevada - Reuters
With a huge lead in polls, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney appeared poised for an easy win in Nevada on Saturday that would put him in firm command of the party's see-sawing presidential nominating race.
A Nevada victory would be Romney's second win in a row and his third in the first five contests in the state-by-state battle to find a Republican challenger to President Barack Obama in November's general election.
Gingrich to Hold Post-Caucus Press Conference - National Journal

Wisconsin: State and local savings from the Governor's reforms now top $900 million, and counting.



http://www.reforms.wisconsin.gov/

Meanwhile, in California: ◼ California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Friday allowing the state government to borrow from internal funds to build up its cash, which the controller earlier this week said was quickly dwindling. - Reuters/SF Examiner

California: Governor Brown signs bill that allows state to borrow from itself

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Friday allowing the state government to borrow from internal funds to build up its cash, which the controller earlier this week said was quickly dwindling. - Reuters/SF Examiner

The legislation allows the state to tap up to $865 million, part of a plan crafted by Controller John Chiang, Treasurer Bill Lockyer and the finance department to address the cash shortage.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin: State and local savings from the Governor's reforms now top $900 million, and counting.

Friday, February 3, 2012

McConnell: Obama is the most divisive president in my lifetime



In a wide-ranging interview on Senate Democrat’s blockade to stall major pieces of legislation from becoming law, set to appear in an upcoming HUMAN EVENTS’ print edition, McConnell also addressed the negative impact President Obama’s campaign is already having on the country. - Jason Mattera and Audrey Hudson/Human Events

“None of this has anything whatsoever to do with accomplishing anything. It’s not having any positive impact on the country. This is all about the campaign,” McConnell said....

“And, it was all about demonizing people who’ve been successful, trying to make people who have been less successful envious of those who have been. And of course there is nothing liberals like more than taking your money and spending it the way they want to spend it. You know, the government doesn’t need any more money; we’re awash in revenue. The problem is we’re spending way, way, way, too much. He’s going to have over a trillion-dollar deficit every one of the four years he’s been in office,” McConnell said.

Roseanne Barr Seeks Green Party Presidential Nod

Roseanne Barr said Thursday she’s running for the Green Party’s presidential nomination — and it’s no joke. - CBS

Barr has submitted paperwork to the Green Party for her candidacy. The party’s presidential nominee will be selected at a convention in Baltimore in July.

Rally today in support of cleaning up the Humboldt County courthouse

A rally organized by community members who say they want the front of the courthouse cleaned up and unfenced is scheduled for this afternoon at the Humboldt County Courthouse.

Organizer Julie Salminen said the purpose of the rally is to show the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the Eureka City Council that people want the area restored.

”We want it cleaned up over there,” Salminen said.

More than 250 people are anticipated to attend the rally from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Salminen said people are tired of the Occupiers that have taken over the courthouse entrance. She said people should be allowed to protest but that things have gotten out of control.

...Interim Eureka Police Chief Murl Harpham said his office spent $8,600 in overtime for officers in October and that the amount of patrol hasn't changed at the courthouse.

”We're there six to seven times a day. Over the weekend, we were called out 11 times,” Harpham said. “It's an every day thing.”

He said the police have logged close to 100 arrests and about 70 citations since the start of the Occupy Movement in front of the courthouse, dating back to late September.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Alert from Alert from Northern Division Legislative Issues Chair

Under the guise of doing good for the downtrodden, the Obama administration has reaffirmed a rule under Obamacare that requires many religious employers to provide health care coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures and related education and counseling. Many groups believe that certain FDA-approved contraceptive methods can sometimes cause the demise of embryos both after and before uterine implantation and therefore that the rule forces them to cover abortion.

Many religious groups object to the requirement and believe that providing these services is an attack on freedom of religion. The Becket Fund For Religious Liberty has filed a lawsuit on behalf of an interdenominational Christian College that objects to providing these services in its health care insurance.

The rule provides a narrow exemption for “houses of worship” but it burdens their affiliated institutions, schools and hospitals with the rule. If no exemption is provided from this mandate, many religious institutions will have no choice but to stop making group health plans available to their employees and pay any fines for failure to do so.

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced Senate Bill 2043 in Congress. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to respect conscience protections for religious institutions and not force them to carry abortifacients and other drugs as part of their health coverage.

If the administration can get away with this rule, who knows what else is in Obama care that will restrict everything we do.

I recommend that you contact our Senators and Senator Reid. He needs to know that this bill must come to the floor for a vote.

Senator Barbara Boxer - (202) 224-3553 - Fax: (202) 224-0454
Senator Diane Feinstein - (202) 224-3841 - Fax: (202) 228-3954
Senator Harry Reid - (202) 224-3542 - Fax: (202) 224-7327

Thank you for your work.

Edelweiss Geary
Legislative Issues Chair
Northern Division - CFRW ◼ www.cfrwnd.org
www.cfrwnd.org

AG Holder Testifies on DOJ’s Response to Operation "Fast and Furious"

Live on CSPAN

Did DoJ approve “a different approach” to gunwalking in 2010? - HotAir
Fast and Furious showdown: Holder/Obama defend bloody culture of contempt; Update: Fortress Holder, Stonewall City - Michelle Malkin
Holder: No One Disciplined for 'Fast and Furious' - FOX
Issa Subpoenas Holder, Justice for 'Fast and Furious' Documents - FOX
Brian Terry's Family Files $25M Lawsuit Against ATF - JWF
Fast and Furious: Issa threatens Holder with contempt charges - Letter from Issa says Holder's DOJ "is actively engaged in a cover-up." - John Hayward/Human Events
House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) has grown tired of the foot-dragging from Eric Holder’s Justice Department. On Tuesday, he fired off a scathing letter to the Attorney General, pronouncing himself dismayed that the Justice Department waited an entire year to produce “documents that provide startling new details about the involvement of senior Department officials in what appeared to be the Fast and Furious cover-up.”

By the end of the four-page letter, Issa isn’t talking about “appearances” any more:
Since the Department initially misrepresented the facts and misled Congress, it is necessary to investigate the Department’s response to our investigation. Your actions lead us to conclude that the Department is actively engaged in a cover-up. It is essential for the Department’s Office of Legislative Affairs to facilitate the production of documents we have requested so we can complete our investigation. The Department’s persistent delay tactics make this task increasingly and unreasonably difficult.
Holder to Issa: I’ll hold people accountable … for whistleblowing - HotAir



The Fast and Furious Cover Up - Reince Priebus at RedState

Rasmussen in AZ: Romney 48, Gingrich 24

Rasmussen focuses on the Arizona primary that will take place in less than four weeks and act as a springboard for Super Tuesday. - HotAir

WISCONSIN RECALL FRAUD: Racine Man Finds His Name 4 Times on Wanggaard Recall, Never Signed

On Wednesday, Citizens for Responsible Government in Racine reported that Racine native Jeff Demet’s name was found four times on the petition to recall Republican Senator Van Wanggaard. - Mediatrackers

Finding the same signature four times is bad enough, but when Demet was contacted about the four signatures, he claims he never signed the Wanggaard recall petition at all!

This week, Ken Brown of CRG Racine was perusing the recall petitions for names he might recognize and came across his friend Jeff Demet. Brown thought this was interesting because not only does Demet not support the recall of Senator Wanggaard, but Demet even signed up with Verify The Recall to ensure his name was not on the recall petition....

According to Ken Brown of CRG Racine, the current theory is that Jeff Demet’s brother Mark may have signed Jeff’s name since he is a circulator on page 2755 and the handwriting is remarkably similar....
Mary’s (Mary Demet, Jeff and Mark’s mother) signature as recorded above on form # 2755, is also located on form # 3428, which was also circulated by Mark Demet! Not once but twice he knowingly either forged, or allowed to have forged his own Mothers signature!!

Also recorded twice was a “Jackson Demet”, who is the son of Mark..and is signed with 2 different addresses. One on Arlington…the other on Buckingham, in Sturtevant I believe. Mark also signed twice as himself on form #2509 with Sergio Angliano; and secondly on form #241, where Laura Betker was the circulator.

Dan Lungren measure passes to cut House spending

Committees in the House of Representatives will cut their spending by an average of 6.4 percent, under a resolution passed Wednesday night. - Sacramento Bee

"All of our constituents need us to do more with less and to rein in government spending," Lungren said during the evening debate. "Families have been required to tighten their belts, and they constantly ask us to do the very same thing."

Some House Democrats opposed the measure... The resolution does not need Senate approval.

The Stop Special Interest Money initiative on the November ballot will stir up public employee unions in a frantic effort to defeat it.

The measure would require union members to declare they want some of their dues to be used for political purposes and set up similar rules for corporation employees, as well. - Fox&Hounds

Why do unions feel they would be completely stripped of power if this measure passes? After all, members supporting the unions’ political action could still agree to donate to the political fund and engage in campaigns for candidates and ballot measures. True, union leaders would have to sell their membership on the positions they want to take. If done successfully, the union would have the resources to conduct a campaign.

If the union leadership believes its members support the political positions the union takes they should have no difficulty raising funds. If they do have problems raising funds the leaders will be forced to re-think their agendas to satisfy members in a true democratic fashion.

Trump to Endorse...

Donald Trump to endorse Mitt Romney - Rachel Weiner and Philip Rucker/Washington Post
Egomaniacs R Us: Trump to pick Newt - Jennifer Rubin/Washington Post
Donald Trump Set To Endorse Mitt Romney In Las Vegas - Michael Falcone/ABC
Conflicting reports emerge on Trump's 2012 endorsement - Daniel Strauss/The Hill

Happy Groundhog Day


Call and make your reservation for lunch!
FEBRUARY 16th MEETING
PLEASE RSVP by FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10
By PHONE: Laura 839-5538
or by EMAIL: Margaret Stafford tom-marg @ suddenlink.net
Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair to "see" his shadow on Thursday, in the process predicting six more weeks of winter. - AP

OVERSEAS COUPON PROJECT UPDATE

Because our military families living overseas live at, or just above, the poverty level, HRWF decided to help support our troops by clipping 'manufacturer's coupons' for food and household items from newspapers and magazines and mailing them to an overseas military base. These coupons are honored at PXs on American bases around the world and help defray the cost of family living. (They are even honored several months after the expiration date.) This is a very worthwhile program we are proud to support.

As my late husband Bill was in the Air Force in WWII, in his memory, I chose a U.S. Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan, which had few sponsors. We may soon have to add another base or two as recipients due to the constantly growing volume of coupons we collect.

In November of 2009, the face value of our first mailing was $5,988; our three mailings in 2010 totaled $45,011; 2011 mailings totaled $54,184; our first 2012 mailing was $30, 504, for a grand total, to date, of $135,690.

If you would like to help, here are the GUIDELINES FOR COUPONS:
1. Cut out and trim Manufacturer's Coupons only.
[NO store coupons (like Target, Rite Aid, Safeway) and
NO restaurant coupons (like Olive Garden, Red Lobster, etc.)]
2. Sort into 2 piles: Food and Non-Food
(use 2 baggies or envelopes; label each).
3. FOOD includes: all food/beverages for humans,
candy, gum, mints, diet drinks, baby formula, drinks.
4. NON-FOOD includes: vitamins, drugs, dog food,
cat food, cosmetics, cleaning products, etc.
5. Add up the face value of coupons in each category.
For FREE items, check coupon for amount, such as
"Up to $2.99," etc.; otherwise, estimate.
6. Write total on each envelope. Bring to me, GOP
Headquarters, or the President at or before our next
meeting.
Thank you all so much for your invaluable help with this project. It is greatly appreciated by our troops, by HRWF,
and by me. Chris Wennerholm 725-2020.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

THREE CHEERS FOR ROMNEYCARE! Coulter, and Levin

What went wrong with Romneycare wasn't a problem in the bill, but a problem in Massachusetts: Democrats. - Ann Coulter
Mark Levin’s rebuttal of Ann Coulter’s “Three Cheers for RomneyCare” article (Audio) - The Right Scoop
A Different Take on What Ann Coulter’s Been Up to Lately - Kevin Dujan/Hillbuzz

Indiana becomes 23rd "right-to-work" state

Indiana's Republican governor Mitch Daniels signed the legislation into law immediately after it was given final approval in the state Senate, making Indiana the first state to adopt such a measure since Oklahoma did so a decade ago.

Indiana became the 23rd state to pass anti-union "right-to-work" legislation on Wednesday and the first in the nation's manufacturing heartland, dealing a blow to organized labor by allowing workers to opt out of paying union dues.

House votes to repeal part of health care law

The House voted Wednesday to repeal a part of President Obama’s health care law deemed unsustainable by his own administration, sending the bill to the Senate, where Democrats have indicated they aren’t ready to kill the long-term care program. - Washington Times

More than two dozen House Democrats broke party ranks to join Republicans in a 267-159 vote to repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act - a part of Mr. Obama’s signature health care reform aimed at providing long-term coverage for the elderly and those with disabilities.

But putting together a filibuster-proof majority to repeal CLASS in the Senate is another matter...

Election Resources: Defeat Obama – Info You Need

Here is a first attempt to provide links to the last three years under Barack Obama. - Maggie's Notebook

There is an abundance of revealing information on Conservative blogs about Barack Obama’s Oval Office tenure – the information you and I need to be reminded of, and to use to educate our Lefty friends (assuming you have some – surely you have Lefties in your family) and to nudge those acquaintances who may sit-out the voting process at the primaries or the general election in November 2012.

A new Republican National Committee rule says that no state holding its presidential contest before April is allowed to award its delegates to the national convention on a winner-take-all basis, unless it is one of the four early carve-out states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada).

But here’s the catch: Florida is already in violation of RNC rules because it moved its primary into January. And the RNC, which has already docked Florida half of its delegates for moving its primary up, says it cannot punish a state twice.

Therefore, the states that are already in violation of RNC rules for setting their primaries too early (Florida, Arizona and Michigan) were allowed to go winner-take-all....

This is why, when former RNC chairman Michael Steele said on MSNBC today that Florida was not a winner-take-all state, eyebrows were raised.

“Florida’s proportional,” said Steele, who opposes Florida’s winner-take-all status. “Florida violated the April 1st rule of the RNC, Rule 15, and their delegates, whatever number’s apportioned to them, will be proportional for the candidates.”

Alas, the RNC says it’s not true, and Florida remains winner-take-all, at least until this situation can be hammered out at the convention.

"Every Level"



Another ad smartly attacks the president on Solyndra - HotAir

Gallup state numbers predict huge Obama loss


Gallup released their annual state-by-state presidential approval numbers yesterday, and the results should have 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue very worried. - Conn Carroll/Washington Examiner

◼ And Rasmussen: The number of Republicans in the country inched up half a percentage point in January, while the number of Democrats dipped to the lowest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports.

OBAMA’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WIN LEADS TO FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF AWARD

The investigation comes after persistent complaints by a Norwegian peace researcher that the original purpose of the prize was to diminish the role of military power in international relations. - The Blaze

If the Stockholm County Administrative Board, which supervises foundations in Sweden’s capital, finds that prize founder Alfred Nobel’s will is not being honored, it has the authority to suspend award decisions going back three years – though that would be unlikely and unprecedented, said Mikael Wiman, a legal expert working for the county.

Internet porn and creepy videos are little match for virginity tests, stoning women and beheading Jews — all for the fun of it.

‘Islamist Firster’ president not what he claimed - Charles Hurt/Washington Times

...In both foreign and domestic matters, Mr. Obama had unique credibility to change things as few presidents ever had.

Despite his background as a liberal street organizer, he campaigned on tax cuts and personal responsibility and preached that the government simply cannot be the answer to every problem. Republicans would have no choice but to go along with an agenda to shrink the tax burden and get the federal government out of our everyday lives.

Instead, Mr. Obama has devoted his administration to raising taxes, adding to the byzantine structure of the federal government, and has created a whole new massive bureaucracy he claims really will cure our every little boo-boo.

As for the rest of the world, Mr. Obama promised to devote himself to healing the grave injustices and halting the atrocities that have afflicted the world since the rise of radical, violent jihadism. With his Muslim roots, Mr. Obama was positioned better than any leader on the global stage to speak with authority to radical Islamists and finally bring about permanent peace.

Instead, Mr. Obama chose to unilaterally alienate perhaps our most strategically important ally in the world and do all he can to cozy up to the very people who are dedicated to destroying not only Israel, but America as well.

Leading Democrats have been in the news lately sliming Americans who stick up for Israel as being “Israel Firsters.” Well, Mr. Obama has become an “Islamist Firster.”...

Clearly, Newt Gingrich has his work cut out for him. The road from primary headquarters in Orlando Jan. 31 to the Republican National Convention in Tampa this summer can be hiked -- but few will argue that journey ahead for Newt Gingrich is rocky and uncertain.

What Gingrich must do to go 'all the way to Tampa' - John Gizzi/Human Events

Twelve Ways Obama Could Lose

(I)f ever there was a time to avoid overconfidence, Democrats, this is it. - PJM

(A)nyone who says this election is in the bag is crazy. How could President Obama lose? Let us count the ways. (at the link)

Why Romney won -- Why Gingrich lost

Coming off a decisive loss to Newt Gingrich in South Carolina, Mitt Romney needed to do three things to win the Florida primary: 1) attack Gingrich with a level of ferocity not yet seen in the already-contentious Republican presidential campaign; 2) raise the level of his performance in debate; and 3) improve his on-the-stump message to give voters more substance and fewer platitudes. - Byron York/Washington Examiner

For his part, Gingrich had two must-dos: 1) deal with Romney's attacks in a calmer, more seasoned way than Gingrich handled the last Romney barrage, during the campaign in Iowa; and 2) keep up the solid message he rode to victory in South Carolina.

Over the past week in Florida, Romney did nearly everything right; his ads hit hard and his debate performance was dominating, even if he improved only marginally on the stump. And Gingrich did nearly everything wrong. The result was a decisive 14-point victory for Romney, who now has two primary victories to Gingrich's one.

Waiting for Senate Democrats' Full-Year Payroll Tax Relief Plan

Obama Fundraising Advantage Disappearing

With the emergence of American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS and Restore Our Future, a well-stocked Romney super PAC, the Obama fundraising juggernaut no longer looks so imposing. - Josh Kraushaar/National Journal

If Romney is the Republican nominee, he won't be overwhelmed with a wave of negative advertising, and will have the resources to fight back.... The Obama campaign ended the year with $81.8 million cash-on hand - a very strong total. But the outside Democratic groups, especially the party's newly-created super PACs, haven't given him much in the way of reinforcements. The Democratic National Committee has $12.6 million cash-on-hand to assist. But Priorities USA banked a meager $1.5 million, receiving money from just 42 individual donors in the last six months. The party's congressional super PACs -- Majority PAC and House Majority PAC -- also didn't bank much, $1.3 million and $1.17 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Romney campaign ended the year with $19.9 million in the bank, far less than the president's cash haul. But when you add in the outside groups, he's about at even strength. Romney's super PAC, Restore Our Future, banked $23.6 million at the end of the year, thanks to funding from venture capitalists aligned with Romney. American Crossroads, which is poised to play an outsized role in the presidential race, ended the year with $15.6 million cash-on-hand. And the RNC ended the year with more cash-on-hand than the DNC, banking $20 million. All told, that adds up to $79.1 million - and it doesn't include the cash-on-hand from Crossroads GPS, which doesn't file with the Federal Election Commission. But based on Crossroads' announced fundraising totals, it's logical to assume that they have around $15 million on-hand.

That brings the combined Obama and Democratic outside group totals to $98.3 million cash-on-hand, with the GOP groups tallying $94.1 million. Take out the Democratic groups strictly devoted to congressional activities, and it's a virtual financial tie. With labor and environmental groups poised to help Obama's re-election, Democrats still could hold a narrow edge. But it's hardly the cash advantage that would allow Team Obama to run negative advertising uncontested against Romney, without an aggressive response.

GOP governors are slashing taxes, cutting debt, reducing spending

link - Bob McDonnell/Washington Examiner

In an election year, Americans may wonder what the SOTU might have included if we had a Republican president. Perhaps the best way to consider that potential is by looking to the State of the State addresses where Republican governors are in charge today, and comparing their records with those of their Democratic counterparts.

More than half of the nation's Republican governors have already delivered their State of the State addresses, and reviewing them reveals common themes. In these Republican-led states, you will find leaders who are balancing budgets, reducing taxes and making job creation their top priority. They are leading and getting results.

Many of the Republican governors who have given their State of the State speeches announced plans to ease the tax burden in order to make their states more competitive....

Democratic governors are doing just the opposite. At least six Democratic governors have proposed raising taxes this year....

Over the past two fiscal years, Republican governors have eliminated $65 billion in deficits, while the federal government borrows $5 billion a day just to stay afloat.

Obama has mastered the art of political rhetoric, but records are what matter. In Washington and state capitols, it has never been clearer that Republicans and Democrats have two distinct visions for America.

Republican governors are putting forth a positive, competing vision for America that establishes a strong and sustainable foundation for our country. It's this results-oriented conservatism that will restore America.

If the CBO estimate is correct, it would mean that the United States recorded a deficit of more than $1 trillion for every year of Obama’s first term.

ANOTHER OBAMA RECORD!… 4 Straight Years of TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICITS - Jim Hoft/Gateway Pundit


Back in February 2009 Barack Obama promised to cut the $455 billion deficit in half in four years.

Instead, Barack Obama tripled the US deficit his first year in office.

The Top 150 Conservative Websites

Using Alexa's traffic rankings - a tabular view of the top 150 conservatively focused news and blog sites. compiled by Doug Ross

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Report: Florida primary actually IS the most negative campaign ever

According to Campaign Media Analysis Group, an organization that tracks political ads in Florida, this campaign is the most negative on the books: - HotAir
Rush to Newt: Stop whining about negative campaigning - HotAir
Gingrich isn’t mad that Romney and his allies are running attack ads where Gingrich and his allies aren’t; they’re mad that they have a lot more money to spend in doing so. There isn’t anything wrong with negative campaigning per se anyway, as long as it’s honest, and in this campaign, the inaccuracies and cheap shots have gone in both directions. As Rush says, if Newt’s whining about this, how can we expect him to handle what a billion-dollar campaign will lay out against him in the fall?

On Rush’s last point, though, I’ll disagree. Romney has a streak of ruthlessness behind that cool exterior that has been on display now for weeks, and I’m sure came in handy in his private-equity career, too. He’s a lot less likely to relax his bite on the jugular than John McCain was, who spent far too much time worrying how he would be perceived in the media for attacking Barack Obama.
Florida: Why Gingrich Lost Big and What’s Next - Roger L Simon/PJM
Romney Runs Most Negative Campaign in Record Year for Florida - Newsmax
A whopping 99 percent of the 3,276 ads paid for by the Romney campaign were deemed negative, while 100 percent of the 4,969 spots sponsored by the pro-Romney Restore Our Future PAC were considered negative.
How Mitt suckered Newt - Dick Morris
In Spanish bullfights, the picadors torment the bull by sticking darts into his shoulders. Enraged, bleeding, frustrated and in pain, he lowers his head, snorts, paws the ground and charges straight at the matador, oblivious to the sword awaiting him behind the red cape. That’s about what Romney did to Gingrich in the January primaries....

No longer was he Newt the visionary, the leader, the intellect. He was a Nixonian caricature of himself, wallowing in negatives, forsaking the chance to explain himself and his ideas for the chance to jab with attacks.

Romney pulled Newt off his game. Late on the Monday night before the primary, we had a vision of what could have been. Newt went on the “The Sean Hannity Show” and laid out a sweeping plan for his first month in office. His obvious grasp of the legislative process and the potential reach of executive action was vintage Gingrich. Where had he been all campaign? Wallowing in negative campaigning, courtesy of Romney’s strategy in playing him.
Apathy will be the legacy of Romney’s carpet bombing - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Allen West to run for reelection in different Florida district


Tea party firebrand Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) announced Tuesday that he will switch districts and run for reelection in Florida’s new 18th district… - HotAir

According to WaPo’s analysis of the new Florida map last week, Rooney and West were the two big losers from redistricting, with each of their home bases turning roughly four points bluer. That’s the bad news; the good news is that the 18th (i.e. the 16th) District has been more reliably Republican in recent years than West’s 22nd has.

Mitt Romney's Florida Primary Victory Speech

Gingrich Florida Primary Speech, 46 states to go

Freedom and the Internet, Victorious- Congressman Tom McClintock



Congressman McClintock, SOPA is a “Crippling Danger to the Internet” - Trevor Loudon

(The clip) shows the Congressman’s dedication to freedom and his perceptive understanding of the dangers creeping government infringements pose to our First Amendment liberties.

Mitt Romney wins Florida GOP primary


Mitt Romney won the Florida presidential primary Tuesday, taking a long stride toward capturing the GOP nomination - LA Times

The television networks called the race for the Massachusetts governor soon after polls in the westernmost part of the state closed; by that time Romney already held a big lead in the votes already tabulated. The result ended what had become a suspenseless campaign over the last few days, as multiple opinion surveys showed Romney opening a commanding lead.

His victory handed Romney Florida's 50 delegates, the biggest cache yet, but more than that show his ability to capture support in a big, costly and diverse state that will be a major battleground in the fall contest against President Obama.

MITT 48% NEWT 31% RICK 13% RON 7% - CBS
Landslide... for Romney in Florida. - Althouse
Polls just closed in the western panhandle of Florida, and there is no need for suspense regarding the result. It has been pretty much a universal certainty for the past week that Romney was going to win this thing pretty easily, and the only question is the final margin of victory. - The Other McCain

California will run out of cash by early March

Controller: State to run out of cash in March without action - Sacramento Bee

California will run out of cash by early March if the state does not take swift action to find $3.3 billion through payment delays and borrowing, according to a letter state Controller John Chiang sent to state lawmakers today.

The announcement is surprising since lawmakers previously believed the state had enough cash to last through the fiscal year that ends in June.

But Chiang said additional cash management solutions are needed because state tax revenues are $2.6 billion less than what Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers assumed in their optimistic budget last year. Meanwhile, Chiang said, the state is spending $2.6 billion more than state leaders planned on.

The Obama reelection campaign is providing headquarters staff, field organizers and volunteers the ability to take campaign donations with their mobile phones.

Obama campaign rolls out Square mobile fundraising platform - Politico

Campaign personnel are being issued Square mobile credit card readers, allowing them to process donations with their iPhone or Android phones, a campaign official tells POLITICO. The rollout will happen nationwide, and involve staff at all levels.

Florida Presidential Primary Today

Here's why union membership keeps falling

The strength of the union movement now moves in tandem with the size of the government. This would have surprised the early leaders of the labor movement. - James Sherk/Washington Examiner

They did not think unions belonged in government. Government unions bargain with elected representatives over how to spend taxes. They thought that made no sense. George Meany, the first president of the AFL-CIO, famously declared that "Bargaining collectively is impossible in government."

Today's union movement has a direct stake in big government, no matter how well that serves the public.

Viral Internet story says Mitt Romney helped locate missing teen daughter of Bain Capital partner

Romney’s former partner credits Mitt Romney with saving his daughter’s life, saying, ‘It was the most amazing thing, and I’ll never forget this to the day I die.’ - Politifact

By all accounts, the effort by Bain employees was central to the effort to locate the girl, and Romney reportedly played a significant role in that effort. We give the account now circulating a rating of True.

The Florida Smear Campaign

The Republican establishment is pulling out all the stops to try to keep Newt Gingrich from becoming the party's nominee for President of the United States -- and some are not letting the facts get in their way. - Thomas Sowell/Real Clear Politics

...Unfortunately, there are likely to be far more people who will see the smears than will have time to get the facts. But, if nothing else, there needs to be some understanding of the reckless accusations that have become part of the all-out attempt to destroy Newt Gingrich, as so many other political figures have been destroyed, by non-stop smears in the media.

Gingrich is by no means above criticism. He has been criticized in this column before, over the years, including during the current primary season, and he will probably be criticized here again.

But the poisonous practice of irresponsible smears is an issue that is bigger than Gingrich, Romney or any other candidate of either party.

There have long been reports of people who decline to be nominated for federal judicial appointments because that means going before the Senate Judiciary Committee to have lies about their past spread nationwide, and the good reputation built up over a lifetime destroyed by politicians who could not care less about the truth.

The same practices may well have something to do with the public's dissatisfaction with the current crop of candidates in this year's primaries -- and in previous years' primaries. Character assassination is just another form of voter fraud.

There is no law against it, so it is up to the voters, not only in Florida but in other states, to punish it at the ballot box -- the only place where punishment is likely to stop the practice.

All the President's Props

It was less a speech than a play, lavish with props and masquerading actors tasked with immersing the audience in an alternate version of reality. - Matt Thomas/American Spectator

Obama is fully aware that his tax increase would do little to arrest the deficit and less to catalyze the economy. His purpose is to blacken the wealthy into villains and portray himself as the eminently reasonable hero; to siphon all the laws and details of politics and economics into a simple, dramatic dichotomy and cast himself on the side of good. He is, with total self-awareness, jousting with phantoms and trying to bring the rest of us along for the ride. It may make for a spectacular show, but at the end of the day, that's all it is: cheap lines and theatrics cluttering the stage floor.

OCCUPIERS ASSERT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO COMMIT CRIMES

Remarkably, Occupiers claimed that they have a constitutional right to break into City Hall and destroy public property: - Powerline

The protest group issued an email criticizing police, saying “Occupy Oakland’s building occupation, an act of constitutionally protected civil disobedience was disrupted by a brutal police response today.”

Let no one forget that the Democratic Party, including Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and many others, has endorsed the Occupy movement.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Romney win in Fla. won’t ensure nomination


Gingrich: I can beat Obama, ‘liberal’ Romney can’t
- Hayley Peterson/Washington Examiner
Gingrich vows to fight on against ‘liberal’ Romney
- Byron York/Washington Examiner
When it comes to hubris, Gingrich has Obama beat
- Timothy P. Carney/Washington Examiner @tpcarney
Romney win in Fla. won’t ensure nomination
- Susan Ferrechio/Washington Examiner

Mark The Date:


NOTE: FEBRUARY 16th MEETING LOCATION ◼ 445 Herrick Avenue, Eureka
Our Guest Speaker, Lt. Dave Morey will discuss
The Reality of the Internet and the Associated Hazards

TIME: 11:30 a.m. Buffet Luncheon - Meeting 12 noon to 1 p.m.
PRICE: Beverage & speaker - just $4.00 - Full Buffet Luncheon - $14.50

PLEASE RSVP by FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10
By PHONE: Laura 839-5538
or by EMAIL: Margaret Stafford tom-marg @ suddenlink.net
Early RESERVATIONS appreciated, and to be honored.

Laura Ingraham: Maybe the Tea Party isn’t as strong as the media thinks

“They don’t have the power that they thought they had, perhaps,” Ingraham said. “I mean, Romney is not a tea party candidate, and they’re talking about 27 percent of the Republican Party that still believe it’s tea party infused. The tea party, they have a lot of energy but you know … more of a moderate view of conservatism seems to get nominated every time. And that’s just a fact. The tea party doesn’t have the great strength that the old media believe.” - HotAir

Obama's revengonomics won't help economy

Obama and his political advisers have determined that income inequality, or "fairness" as they call it, is the defining issue of our time. - Conn Carroll/Washington Examiner

"In the last few decades, the average income of the top 1 percent has gone up by more than 250 percent to $1.2 million per year," Obama recently said in Osawatomie, Kan.

"Now, this kind of inequality -- a level that we haven't seen since the Great Depression -- hurts us all."

And how does Obama propose to reverse this income inequality? Through something he calls "the Buffett Rule," which would force all Americans making more than $1 million a year to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes.

Defending this tax hike in Nevada this week, Obama said, "This has nothing to do with envy. It has everything to do with math." Which sounds like a nice line until you realize that Obama is refusing to show his work.

California unions preparing for all out war against "Stop Special Interest Money" ballot measure that would limit their ability to collect political dues from members.

High-stakes labor battle coming to California Mercury News

The state's powerful labor groups have anxiously witnessed union rights and benefits being gutted in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. Now, unions in California are girding for an all-out war over a ballot initiative that would curb their ability to raise political cash.

If the November measure passes, unions would have to get written permission from their members every year to use their dues for political purposes.

In California, that's a fight that could eclipse a presidential ballot filled with other intriguing and controversial measures, including Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to hike taxes temporarily.

"This could change the balance of power long after the governor's taxes are expired," said Thad Kousser, a political-science professor at UC San Diego. "Defeating this has got to be the top goal of labor. If they don't, they could become almost extinct in California politics." #afpca
WHAT THE INITIATIVE WOULD DO
A November ballot measure, which proponents call the Stop Special Interest Money Now Act, would:
Ban corporations and labor unions from donating directly to political candidates.
Prohibit government contractors from contributing money to government officials who award them contracts.
Ban corporations
and labor unions from using payroll deductions for political purposes. Such deductions would have to be authorized in writing every year.
Source: California Secretary of State's Office

Obama’s breach of faith over contraceptive ruling

One of Barack Obama’s great attractions as a presidential candidate was his sensitivity to the feelings and intellectual concerns of religious believers. That is why it is so remarkable that he utterly botched the admittedly difficult question of how contraceptive services should be treated under the new health care law. - E .J. Dionne Jr./Washington Post
His administration mishandled this decision not once but twice. In the process, Obama threw his progressive Catholic allies under the bus and strengthened the hand of those inside the Church who had originally sought to derail the health care law.
Here Is The Anti-Obama Administration Letter That Was Read To Almost Every Catholic Sitting In Church On Sunday - Business Insider
The Catholic Church is fighting mad with the Obama Administration, and nearly every Catholic sitting in a pew this weekend heard the reasons why.

The Health and Human Services Department recently announced it will require all employers (with few exceptions) to provide health insurance to their employees which includes subsidized contraception, sterilization and coverage for abortion-inducing drugs.

This meant that religious institutions, like Catholic colleges and hospitals, or other Christian institutions would be compelled to violate their conscience by cooperating with that which they believe to be wrong. Currently many of these institutions purchase health-insurance plans which do not provide free coverage of these services.
This Conscience Thing - Catholic leaders object to an Obama administration rule on contraceptive coverage, but will Americans listen? - American Spectator
Has President Obama's Department of Health and Human Services awakened a sleeping giant?

In pews across America, Catholics listened yesterday to letters from their bishops denouncing an HHS requirement that forces virtually every employer in America to pay for health insurance that covers contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients.

As Nancy Pelosi complained during the health care debate, many of her coreligionists have "this conscience thing" concerning the sanctity of human life. Now the executive branch of the federal government is telling them to drop dead.
Obama plays his Catholic allies for fool, "Catholic leaders are still trying to process the implications of this ambush." - Michale Gerson/Washington Post
Discussion at Lucianne
In politics, the timing is often the message. On Jan. 20 — three days before the annual March for Life — the Obama administration announced its final decision that Catholic universities, hospitals and charities will be compelled to pay for health insurance that covers sterilization, contraceptives and abortifacients.

Preparing for the march, Catholic students gathered for Mass at Verizon Center. The faithful held vigil at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Knights of Columbus and bishops arrived to trudge in the cold along the Mall. All came to Washington in time for their mocking.

Catholic leaders are still trying to process the implications of this ambush.

No benefit from tax holiday, say majority of voters

A majority of voters say they have not benefitted from the payroll-tax holiday that lawmakers are working to extend through the rest of this year, according to this week’s poll conducted for The Hill. - The Hill

“Now is the time to spread hate, hatred for the rich.”

#OWS Oakland: “Passionate, organized hatred is the element missing in all that we do to try to change the world” - Darleen Click/Protein Wisdom

Well, let’s, at least, give props to Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz, a retired professor of Cal State East Bay, for honesty. Most #Occupods are blathering about “fairness” and “social justice” when really all they want is to steal from their more successful neighbors.

Oakland police, Occupy protesters clash - scores arrested - David R. Baker,Vivian Ho, Chronicle Staff Writers/SF Gate

Police arrest 400 Occupy protesters in Oakland - Kimihiro Hoshino | AFP

Riot police fired tear gas and arrested more than 400 people in Oakland, California, as hordes of anti-Wall Street protesters tried to take over downtown buildings including City Hall, police said Sunday.

The most violent protest of the year by an Occupy Wall Street offshoot led to what Oakland police described as "an unprecedented number of arrests" Saturday night into early Sunday.

Three officers and a protester were injured in the clashes, after a peaceful march of some 1,000 demonstrators degenerated into confrontation with police in which rioters "pelted officers with bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares," police said in a statement.

The $1.2 Tril Gap: Obama's Subpar Recovery Continues

The latest economic data make it clear that President Obama's policies aren't helping the country get stronger. Rather, they're smothering what should have been a solid recovery. - IBD

Obama might think the U.S. is "getting stronger," as he put it in his State of the Union speech, and maybe it is, a little. But if he keeps choking it with his misguided policies, it will never be as strong as it could be, or should be.

"Miraculous turnaround" for Rick Santorum's daughter

Rick Santorum said his youngest daughter Bella has made a "miraculous turnaround" after being hospitalized for pneumonia and delaying his return to the campaign trail this weekend. - CBS

"Thank you so much for those prayers. They have lifted us up," Santorum told a group of Florida voters on a tele-town hall he held Sunday evening. He added that his daughter was "alert" after what he described as a "very, very tough night" for his family on Saturday. She is currently wearing a mask to assist her breathing, and is expected to spend between two and four more days in the hospital, he said.

Bella, 3, was born with a severe genetic abnormality that claims the lives of most children within a year of birth.

California could matter in the GOP presidential race after all

For months, nobody figured California Republicans would have a say in picking their party's 2012 presidential contender -- the state's June 5 primary was just too late to matter. - Oakland Tribune

But suddenly, as a volatile and vicious GOP battle barrels toward Tuesday's Florida primary, uncertainty is setting in as some pundits start to wonder: Could the Golden State's mother lode of delegates actually make a difference?

...In all, 2,286 delegates are up for grabs. A candidate needs half that plus one -- 1,144 -- to clinch the nomination at the Republican National Convention this August in Tampa, Fla.... Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina had a total of 65 delegates at stake, just a little more than the 50 in winner-take-all Florida -- and far less than California's 172.

...by the time California votes, all but six other states and territories already will have done so, and as many as 1,900 delegates -- more than 80 percent -- could be spoken for.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

RNC Chairman Priebus likens Obama to Italian cruise ship captain

Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, called President Obama a “Captain Schettino” for going on the campaign trail. - The Hill

“We’re going to talk about our own little Captain Schettino, which is President Obama who’s abandoning the ship here in the United States and is more interested in campaigning than doing his job as president,” Priebus said on CBS’s Face The Nation....

“What did you just say? What did you call President Obama?” asked Bob Schieffer, the show’s host.

“I called him Captain Schettino, the captain that fled the ship in Italy. That’s our own president who’s fleeing the American people and not doing his job and running around the country and campaigning,” Priebus said.

The White House today issued an angry denial following claims that Michelle Obama indulged in a $50,000 shopping spree at a luxury lingerie boutique in New York.

White House fury at 'false' claims Michelle Obama 'closed off Agent Provocateur's Madison Avenue boutique to spend $50,000 on lingerie' - 'This story is 100 per cent false.' - Daily Mail

This is HuffPo? Really? + OPEN THREAD

OK, looks interesting, I thought as I mindlessly clicked the link without noticing where it was taking me. Then I saw the domain name: Huffingtonpost.com!

Oh, well, might as well read on. I haven’t read anything on this blog in a long time, so I may as well see what Obots have to say. It didn’t take me long to see that this was no longer the blog I knew from 2008 or even 2010. Something had changed!
- No Quarter

FEDS Unofficially Funding Programs Worth $969B This Year

The Congressional Budget Office has released a report on all unauthorized appropriations and expiring authorizations for fiscal year 2012. The report has been sent to both the House and the Senate. - Patriot Update


Everything The Government Is Unofficially Funding This Year - Business Insider

UNAUTHORIZED APPROPRIATIONS AND EXPIRING AUTHORIZATIONS (SENATE) - Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Schumer and these Democrats like Debbie Wasserman Shultz are pandering to the lowest common denominator of voter who is completely incapable of discerning basic facts from tall tales.

An America divided - Neal Boortz

How can people living in the same country view our state of the union so wildly different? The only explanation is that Americans now lack an understanding of our history and our values, and this is entirely the fault of our government education system. We are no longer a people bound together by our common belief in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are now a country divided between those who embrace our founding principles and those who embrace government as a mechanism to control our lives and the lives of others. We were warned about this. Now is our chance to do something about this.

Ridiculing the president for touting the Gulf lease sales as a “major announcement,” Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee said the Gulf of Mexico area in question was first set to be opened by the Bush administration, so Mr. Obama’s decision to lift the embargo he put in place after the BP oil spill will do nothing to open new areas for exploration.

House Republicans are accusing President Obama of making a sham announcement to open nearly 38 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, arguing that the same lease sale was already in the works before he took office. - Susan Crabtree/Washington Times

Rep. Doc Hastings, a Washington Republican who chairs the panel, said the president has delayed or canceled multiple lease sales, including one off the Virginia Coast which was schedule for 2011 and is now delayed indefinitely.

Mr. Obama’s energy policies, Mr. Hastings said, have destroyed jobs, caused a decline in U.S. oil and natural gas production and harmed local economies.

California passes sweeping auto emission standards

Seeking to influence other states and Washington, California air regulators passed sweeping auto emission standards Friday that include a mandate to have 1.4 million electric and hybrid vehicles on state roads by 2025. - FOX

Trade groups representing auto dealers worried that the new regulations would increase the costs of vehicles for consumers and stifle the industry's growth.

The California New Car Dealers Association and other industry groups representing those who sell cars said the board is overestimating consumer demand for electric vehicles and other so-called "zero-emission vehicles."

Dealers are concerned that the regulations will lead to higher costs in all cars, and say consumers have been slow to warm to electric and other zero-emission vehicles.

Rep Allen West: "Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else"



"This is a battlefield that we must stand upon. And we need to let President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and my dear friend, chairman of the Democrat National Committee, we need to let them know that Florida ain't on the table," West said...

"Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else," he continued. "You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America."

As the audience cheered and many rose to their feet, West added, "Yeah I said 'hell.'"

"This is not about 1 percent or 99 percent. This is about 100 percent. It's about 100 percent America. And I will not stand back and watch anyone defame, degrade or destroy that which my father fought for, my older brother, my father-in-law, myself, my nephew and all my friend still in uniform," he said.

"I will not allow President Obama to take the United States of America and destroy it. If that means I'm the No. 1 target for the Democrat Party, all I got to say is one thing: Bring it on, baby."

What Ever Happened to All Those Gas ‘Price-Gouging’ Investigations by Democrats?

With gas prices now almost double what they were on the first day of President Barack Obama’s presidency, we’re left to wonder: what ever happened to all those “price gouging” investigations Democrats launched four years ago to relieve pain at the pump? - Wynton Hall/Breitbart's Big Government

With petroleum analysts now predicting that the price of a gallon of gas may well reach $4 a gallon by summer, Mr. Obama’s reelection hopes may rest on whether he can make manifest the promises he made four years ago to relieve America’s pain at the pump. If so, he better hurry. Summer gas prices will soon be here–and will further underscore Mr. Obama’s failure to make good on yet another campaign promise.

ACTA Moves Forward In Europe Despite Protests - What It Means For Our Freedom Online

Protesters demonstrate against ACTA (Image by AFP/Getty Images via @daylife)

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) was signed yesterday by the European Commission, leading to protests across Europe but especially in Poland where thousands of citizens took to the streets over concerns of online censorship. - Forbes (image source)
Some EU leaders are unhappy as well. Kader Arif, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for ACTA, resigned over the issue on Friday, saying he had witnessed “never-before-seen manoeuveres” by the officials responsible for crafting the treaty.

In a statement, Arif said: “I condemn the whole process which led to the signature of this agreement: no consultation of the civil society, lack of transparency since the beginning of negotiations, repeated delays of the signature of the text without any explanation given, reject of Parliament’s recommendations as given in several resolutions of our assembly.”
If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA - Forbes
Few people have heard of ACTA, or the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, but the provisions in the agreement appear quite similar to – and more expansive than – anything we saw in SOPA. Worse, the agreement spans virtually all of the countries in the developed world, including all of the EU, the United States, Switzerland and Japan....

The treaty has been secretly negotiated behind the scenes between governments with little or no public input. The Bush administration started the process, but the Obama administration has aggressively pursued it.

Indeed, we signed ACTA in 2011.

According to critics, ACTA bypasses the sovereign laws of participating nations, forcing ISP’s across the globe to act as internet police.

Worse, it appears to go much further than the internet, cracking down on generic drugs and making food patents even more radical than they are by enforcing a global standard on seed patents that threatens local farmers and food independence across the developed world....

Update: An earlier version of this post claimed the act required Senate ratification. Reports are conflicting, but it appears this is not the case. ACTA has been signed as a sole executive agreement, meaning the president’s signature on this is all it takes for it to become law, though Sen. Ron Wyden has questioned the constitutionality of that move on the part of the administration.

How To Protest ACTA - Dave Thier/Forbes
The internet is starting to mobilize against the controversial bill, but ACTA is already moving forward in the European parliament. Protests against it are much less developed than those against SOPA, but they will certainly move quickly. For starters, French digital rights advocacy group La Quadrature has posted a ◼ how-to guide on protesting in seven different languages.

L.L. Bean heiress backs Paul

Linda Bean, an heiress to famed Maine outfitter L.L. Bean, came out in support of Ron Paul on Saturday as the candidate made a campaign swing through the state. - CNN

"I've been for Ron Paul for years," Bean said. "I watched his House races in Texas, and he's just true blue. He doesn't waver from the Constitution and I like that very much."

Bean made her endorsement at the lobster restaurant she owns in Freeport, situated across the road from L.L. Bean’s large flagship store. She singled out Paul's appeal across the political spectrum as a reason for her support.

"He's very electable, he crosses all ideological lines because of his strong message," Bean said. "He's for the gold standard. I think people want stability in this country. He's for helping America domestically, and staying out of aggressive wars. We're just spending ourselves down the drain in these countries year after year with occupation."

Please pray for Bella Santorum and the Santorum family, UPDATED

SANTORUM CAMPAIGN STATEMENT ON THE HEALTH OF BELLA SANTORUM

The Rick Santorum for President campaign has issued the following statement on the admittance of Isabella Santorum to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: "Rick and his wife Karen are admitting their daughter Bella to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia this evening. The campaign will cancel Rick's upcoming Sunday morning Florida campaign schedule. However, Rick intends to return to Florida and resume the campaign schedule as soon as is possible"

Rick Santorum’s daughter hospitalized - HotAir

Take a moment on this Sunday to send your thoughts and prayers for the Santorum family as they deal with this situation in the midst of a hectic presidential campaign. As of this morning, CNN is reporting that the Senator has cancelled all of his Florida events again today and will stay with his family.

Prayers for Bella Santorum - Michelle Malkin

Fuzzy math, Illinois State University's president called it. "Political theater of the worst sort," said the University of Washington's head.

College presidents pan Obama cost-control plan - AP/NY Post

President Barack Obama's new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach.

Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities; they're already frustrated by increasing state budget cuts.... At Washington, President Mike Young said Obama showed he did not understand how the budgets of public universities work.

Young said the total cost to educate college students in his state, which is paid for by both tuition and state government dollars, has gone down because of efficiencies on campus. While universities are tightening costs, the state is cutting their subsidies and authorizing tuition increases to make up for the loss.

"They really should know better," Young said. "This really is political theater of the worst sort."

Cain Endorses Gingrich "Officially and enthusiastically"


Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich for the GOP nomination late on Saturday – at the same time accepting a position as the former House Speaker’s tax reform chairman. - Newsmax

The author of the now-famous 9-9-9 tax plan announced his endorsement in West Palm Beach, Florida, three days ahead of that state’s vital primary. The endorsement is a welcome boost for Gingrich, who has found himself having to defend himself against a vicious onslaught of attacks from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"It is time for conservatives and Republicans to refocus their attention on the ultimate mission of defeating President Obama," Cain said at the Palm Beach County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. "I believe Speaker Gingrich is the bold leader we need to accomplish this mission."

Cain endorses Gingrich - CBS

"I had it in my heart and mind a long time ago" to endorse Gingrich, Cain said in a surprise appearance at the dinner. "Speaker Gingrich is a patriot, Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas, and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is ... going through this sausage grinder. I know what this sausage grinder is all about. I know that he's going through this sausage grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America."

Herman Cain endorses Gingrich - "Officially and enthusiastically" - q13fox.com

Op-Ed: The Islamic Domino Effect

Newt Gingrich has it right. Is anyone listening? - israelnationalnews.com

Recently, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was asked whether he would support a Muslim for President. His answer reflected what many in Western societies do not understand. It may be one of the most important ideas articulated throughout the long and arduous campaign as we approach the 2012 Presidential elections.

Republican candidate Newt Gingrich responding by saying that the answer to that question really depends on whether the candidate was “a modern person who happens to worship Allah” or “a person who belonged to any kind of belief in Sharia, any kind of effort to impose that on the rest of us.”

He concluded by stating that the former would not pose a threat to America or the Western world, while the latter would be a “mortal threat.”

Newt Gingrich is absolutely right in making such a distinction. read the rest

Florida GOP Primary: Romney 44%, Gingrich 28%

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has opened a double-digit lead in Florida as the perception grows among Republican primary voters that he is the strongest general election candidate against President Obama. The state's GOP Primary is on Tuesday. - Rasmussen

Sarah Palin: "Vote Newt"



Hat Tip to Nassau County Federation of Republican Women on Facebook