Scam: The PACs include those that sound like official party committees but aren’t, including the Republican National Committee Member Senate Fund, the Tea Party Victory PAC, the American Conservative Union Strikeforce and the Black Republican PAC.

◼ Operatives raise cash for Cain, themselves - Washington Times

An independent group raising money in the name of Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has close ties to operatives with a history of enriching themselves by drawing money from conservative donors that goes largely to the fundraisers and not the campaigns.

A collection of political professionals in a downtown Washington suite has perfected the art of aligning itself with Washington outsiders with poorly run campaigns and raising large amounts, which are then paid primarily to direct-mail and consulting firms they control. The donors, most commonly retirees, are often unaware of exactly to whom they are giving.

Now, they are sending solicitations that look like official Herman Cain materials, but which fine print shows to be from an independent group.

“My gosh, he is certainly one of us far more so than Barack Obama. Raised in Hawaii and going to a private school, an expensive private school"

__________________
Herman Cain

Cain is smoking in Iowa — oops, sorry Bob — I meant “polling well so far.”

◼ Bob Schieffer’s Smokin’ Interview with Herman Cain - Michelle Malkin

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the Cain web ad in question:


__________________
Herman Cain

Democrats Charged in 'Massive' Voter Fraud Case

◼ The Fox News Voter Fraud unit first reported the brazen allegations just over a year ago, with reports that absentee ballots and applications were forged to try to stuff the ballot box and steal an election. - FOX

The case involves absentee ballots from the Working Families Party primary in September of 2009 for the Troy City Council and Rensselaer County legislature. It has been alleged the signatures and absentee excuses of unsuspecting voters were forged, all to ensure the Democratic candidates also won the Working Families Party line. Democratic candidates in New York State often run as Working Families Party hopefuls.



◼ Two Democrats indicted in Troy ballot scam case - TimesUnion

County Democratic Chairman Thomas Wade pointed out that in the 2009 elections, when the absentee ballot scandal became public, Democrats took seven of nine City Council seats and unseated five city Republicans on the County Legislature....

The State Police investigation was carried out over the last two years.

The men are accused of systematically forging signatures on absentee ballots at either the county office building or somewhere in the city during the buildup to the Sept. 15, 2009 Working Families Party primary. Many of the questionable ballots were filed under the names of students and some of the city's poorest residents, many who live in Troy Housing Authority apartments.

◼ [Special Prosecutor Trey] Smith even collected DNA samples from the majority of the Troy City Council and others, which were compared to samples taken from absentee ballots and applications. Those swabbed include five City Councilmen, among them the Council President, as well as four other public officials and political operatives. - afpohio

◼ The slowly ticking bombshell involving the alleged forgery of absentee ballots by Democrats detonated Thursday, and could end up taking most of the City Council's majority out in the next several months. - TroyPoliticsBlog (includes more links)

How to Speak Republican

◼ How to Speak Republican - Huffington Post
◼ How To Speak Liberal: 20 Words and Phrases Translated.
- RightWing News and Huffington Post h/t: Ace
◼ Heads I Win, Tails You Lose - ombudizen

"Cash Negative:" In 2005 Democrats Blocked GOP Proposals to Fix Social Security… Today Social Security Is Officially "In the Red"

◼ Special report: Running in the Red: The debt fallout: How Social Security went ‘cash negative’ earlier than expected - Lori Montgomery/Washington Post

Last year, as a debate over the runaway national debt gathered steam in Washington, Social Security passed a treacherous milestone. It went “cash negative.”

For most of its 75-year history, the program had paid its own way through a dedicated stream of payroll taxes, even generating huge surpluses for the past two decades. But in 2010, under the strain of a recession that caused tax revenue to plummet, the cost of benefits outstripped tax collections for the first time since the early 1980s.

Now, Social Security is sucking money out of the Treasury. This year, it will add a projected $46 billion to the nation’s budget problems, according to projections by system trustees. Replacing cash lost to a one-year payroll tax holiday will require an additional $105 billion. If the payroll tax break is expanded next year, as President Obama has proposed, Social Security will need an extra $267 billion to pay promised benefits.

But while talk about fixing the nation’s finances has grown more urgent, fixing Social Security has largely vanished from the conversation....

Social Security is hardly the biggest drain on the budget. But unless Congress acts, its finances will continue to deteriorate as the rising tide of baby boomers begins claiming benefits. The $2.6 trillion Social Security trust fund will provide little relief. The government has borrowed every cent and now must raise taxes, cut spending or borrow more heavily from outside investors to keep benefit checks flowing.

Many Democrats have largely chosen to ignore the shortfall, insisting the program is flush, citing the existence of the trust fund. They argue that fixing Social Security can wait, perhaps for years.

◼ In 2005 Congressional Democrats blocked Republican proposals to save Social Security. Then they wildly cheered their own obstructionism during the State of the Union Address the following year. - Gateway Pundit