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links for 2010-12-28
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Tea party activists are targeting GOP Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana. A longtime lawmaker and former presidential candidate, he has irritated some conservatives of late with his more liberal voting record.
Recently, he voted against an earmark ban that was championed by conservatives and tea party activists and even supported by Indiana's other senator, Democrat Evan Bayh. According to the Evansville Courier, Mr. Lugar defended his vote on the grounds that restricting Congress's ability to finance pet projects back home would give "too much power" to the Obama administration. Last week, Mr. Lugar bucked the party yet again and voted for the Dream Act, which was defeated but would have allowed the children of illegal immigrants to gain citizenship if they attend college or join the military.
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Time to retire Sen. Lugar
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Mrs. Obama’s “eat your veggies” crusade is at once a remarkably shallow response and a remarkably ambitious one: She may know next to nothing about the deeper issues, but she has adamant faith that the transformative quality of political power will allow even the most ignorant politician — or politician’s wife — to ameliorate any problem, even one that has thus far proved “impervious to clinical treatment.” By the same token, Mrs. Palin’s dismissal of that conceit contains more wisdom than is understood by political entrepreneurs of the Obama variety or by their factota in the media. Advantage: Palin.
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Indeed Sarah Palin is correct but a smart POL must pick and choose important issues.
This is probably not a wise choice – even though Palin is correct.
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So as California outlaws the traditional incandescent next week, and the U.S. begins its move down this road a year later, we should ask, will forcing fluorescents on people deter them from getting timed or motion-sensor lights? If so, will the energy savings of this legislation be wiped out?
There are plenty of other unintended consequences related to the lightbulb law that will offset the gains in energy efficiency.
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Of course and to think that government is efficient. -
One key reason for the Tea Party movement is that there has been no real public debate on this most fundamental of topics for at least 30 years. I believe we do not have a common understanding today of where federal intervention in school vending machines stands in relation to political liberty. It’s true Sarah Palin often expresses the more libertarian side of this question with a populist inelegance that may be unhelpful, but that doesn’t mean that the debate is over regarding how much we should let government manage our life choices. That debate must form part of the discussion on conservative economics and morality as we advance toward 2012.
All that said, I concur with Peter’s gentle and well-considered point on mocking Michelle Obama. That’s not the way to introduce this topic. Contrarianism only goes so far: it is generosity of spirit, good humor, and courtesy that will win the day for the aspiring political leader who reclaims these fundamental issues for conservatives.
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Yep -
An index of U.S. consumer confidence declined to 52.5 in December on concerns about jobs in the present and future, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected confidence to rise to 56.9. "Consumers' assessment of the current state of the economy and labor market remains tepid, and their outlook remains cautious," said Lynn Franco, director of Conference Board's consumer research center, in a statement. However, she added that signs suggest a continuation next year of the economy's expansion, "but that the pace of growth will remain moderate."
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Until the Congress reins in Obama's anti-business regulations and attitude, the economy will NOT measurably improve. -
For one thing, nearly one out of three children are overweight or obese. The annual cost of treating obesity and related preventable chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and orthopedic issues constitutes fully 16.5 percent of all U.S. spending on medical care ($168 billion). And if a child is overweight between ages 10 and 15, he or she has a 70 percent chance of still being overweight/obese at 25. Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in America, second only to smoking. So the problem of childhood obesity is real. And there are entirely reasonable steps that can be taken to address it, including (to name just one) banning vending machines from schools. Does that constitute the “nanny state run amok”?
The Journal rightly compares Mrs. Obama’s effort to President Kennedy’s Presidential Fitness Award and Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign on drugs, both of which were successes.
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But, Palin does herself a disservice for attacking everything Obama.
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Gottemeoller admitted that this block of GOP senators, which included Senate leaders Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), John McCain (R-AZ), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), could stay intact if the administration decides to enter into another congressional arms control debate.
"Now, clearly, there are members of the Senate who are not keen on further arms control measures. That's always been the case," she said. "There has always been a block of opponents, historically, to nuclear arms reduction and control in the Senate. That's part of a healthy debate; it's part of a healthy process. I don't see that as a major, major issue."
But it certainly could be a major issue as the 2012 presidential race approaches. The Heritage e-mail notes correctly that prospective GOP candidates Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, John Thune, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin all were opposed to New START.
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A victory for Obama?All spin
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Big Conservative Organizations Leaving CPAC
Mark Steyn and Pamela Geller at CPAC
It was bound to happen by trying to accommodate everyone – from the John Birch Society to GOProud.Two of the nation’s premier moral issues organizations, the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, are refusing to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in February because a homosexual activist group, GOProud, has been invited.
“We’ve been very involved in CPAC for over a decade and have managed a couple of popular sessions. However, we will no longer be involved with CPAC because of the organization’s financial mismanagement and movement away from conservative principles,” said Tom McClusky, senior vice president for FRC Action.
“CWA has decided not to participate in part because of GOProud,” CWA President Penny Nance told WND.
FRC and CWA join the American Principles Project, American Values, Capital Research Center, the Center for Military Readiness, Liberty Counsel, and the National Organization for Marriage in withdrawing from CPAC. In November, APP organized a boycott of CPAC over the participation of GOProud.
Besides social conservatives being upset with the inclusion of GOProud, there is also a financial scandal that is brewing within the CPAC organization.
The non-profit organization responsible for the largest annual conservative gathering in the U.S. is under investigation for embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor money over several years, WND has learned.
The American Conservative Union, headed by David Keene and best known for its organization of the Conservative Political Action Conference each year in the nation’s capital, has been embroiled in controversies in recent years, but this one is shaking the foundations of the Washington institution.
The American Conservative Union reported to the Internal Revenue Service last month a “material diversion of the organization’s assets” totaling over $400,000. The group has an annual operating budget of about $1.5 million.
I never found the desire to travel to D.C. in the middle of winter to cozy up to conservative pundits and leaders who would always come to California anyway. And, besides, the weather is horrendous and why pay for misery?
Also, with the advent of social media, access to the conservative movement is only a tweet or click away.
For convention junkies, there is always WCPAC. where my USC buddy, Jim Lacy is Chairman. There will NOT be a controversy there, I bet.I will probably attend WCPAC this next year.
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Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Warns of Debt and Clarifies Social Issues “Truce” Comment
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (center)
In an interview, Republican Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels talks about America’s debt, the federal government and 2012 Presidential politics. He, also clarifies the “Truce” comment he made regarding social issues and a possible Presidential campaign.Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is weighing a run for president and will make a final decision at the end of April or before. In a year-end interview with NewsChannel 15, he talked presidential politics.
Mellinger: “Do you regret now saying that we should call a truce on social issues in the interest of paying attention to the debt and fiscal matters?”
Daniels: “I never regret saying what I think. I’ve tried to make a practice of being straight and level with people and I accept if people disagree. I think some people misunderstood what I was really saying.”
Mellinger: “What did you mean by a truce?”
Daniels: “I simply meant that I think the nation faces a genuine emergency in the debt we’ve piled up. It could wreck America. It could end the American dream literally if we don’t handle it and handle it soon.”
“It’s just like if there was an army on our border. We would drop other things or we would set them aside for awhile and we would rush to the barricades and defend our country. And all I was saying was [that] if you’re facing a mortal survival threat like that, we’re going to need to get together more than just a bare majority of Americans. When you’re trying to make big change in a state or a nation, the way to do that is to have an unnaturally large consensus. And so we’re going to need people who disagree sincerely about other questions to agree about these changes.”
Mellinger: “This was not you saying ‘I’m not going to work to appoint Supreme Court justices in the Alito or Roberts or Thomas mold.’ It wasn’t anything to alarm social conservatives.”
Daniels: “First of all, it wasn’t directed to them. It was directed as much to people who, for instance, are very aggressively trying to change the definition of marriage… Stand down for awhile. Let’s save America.”
“I’ve had the first and only Indiana Supreme Court opportunity I think I’ll ever get. Anybody looking at the choice [should see] a strict constructionist, very much a person who wants to interpret law, not make law. Of course that’s my view and a very deeply held one.”
Daniels also has some kind words to say about Sarah Palin.
Mellinger: “Do you think Sarah Palin can win the presidency in a general election?”
Daniels: “I don’t know. No one knows right now. “
Mellinger: “Does she represent the best and brightest the Republican Party has to offer in 2012?”
Daniels: “[She] hasn’t been fully tested, you know. Give her a chance. Give her a chance. She’s been heard from lately on some issues for the first time and I thought she wrote about them and spoke about them pretty well.”
If Sarah Palin takes a pass on a 2012 Presidential run, look for a draft Mitch Daniels campaign popping up among establishment conservatves. A proven POL, Daniels, would be a fresh face without the baggage of Romney, Huckabee and Gingrich.
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President 2012 Poll Watch: Huckabee Leads Romney, Palin and Gingrich in GOP Likely Support
Of course, the lede from CNN is: TRENDING: CNN 2012 Poll: Obama and Palin going in different directions?As the start of the next presidential campaign nears, a new national poll suggests that President Barack Obama’s tax-cut compromise with congressional Republicans did not hurt his standing among Democrats, while former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may be dropping in the eyes of Republicans.
But, this is misleading since President Obama has NO real primary opposition and the polling is not Obama Vs any Likely GOP nominee. But, what is important in this poll is how well Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich are doing with Sarah Palin in the field.
In the battle for the GOP presidential nomination, the survey suggests Palin may have some work to do if she throws her hat in the ring. Only 49 percent of Republicans say that they are likely to support Sen. John McCain’s running mate in 2008 for the Republican nomination in 2012.
“That’s a huge 18-point drop since December of 2008, when two-thirds of GOPers said they were likely to support Palin. It also puts her well behind potential rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and a bit behind Newt Gingrich as well,” adds Holland.
Two-thirds of Republicans questioned say they would likely support Huckabee as their nominee in 2012. The former Arkansas governor and 2008 GOP presidential candidate is considering another bid for the White House. So is another candidate from the last election, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans say they would likely support Romney. That number drops to 54 percent for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, who is also contemplating a run for the White House.
This poll is most alarming for Mitt Romney since as the anti-Palin candidate he does not stand out.
If indeed, Sarah Palin does not run in 2012, I am thinking that the other three, Huckabee, Romney, or Gingrich may be slugging it out throughout the primary season – something that the GOP will not want as a prelude to an Obama face off. This may very well open the race for another candidate, backed by Sarah Palin, to run against the establishment field.
Indiana Rep. Mike Pence or Governor Mitch Daniels?
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Day By Day December 28, 2010 – Food for Thought
It is understandable that Sam is obsessing about everything that reminds her of her man, Zed.It is also understandable why President Obama is weighing into African-American pop culture/sports with his outpouring of love for NFL football player and convicted felon, Michael Vick.
On Monday, the buzz was about how the president had weighed in on the redemption of Michael Vick. Obama phoned the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles to praise the team for giving a second chance to the quarterback, who is again a National Football League star 19 months after leaving prison for his role in a horrific dogfighting ring that killed pit bulls by electrocution, hanging and drowning.
The president has not spoken publicly about the call, though aides acknowledged that it took place. But Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told Peter King of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports that during their conversation Obama was passionate about Vick’s comeback.
“He said, ‘So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance,’ ” said Lurie, who did not indicate when the call occurred. “He said, ‘It’s never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail.’ And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall.”
Bill Burton, a White House spokesman, said Obama “of course condemns the crimes that Michael Vick was convicted of, but, as he’s said previously, he does think that individuals who have paid for their crimes should have an opportunity to contribute to society again.”
Burton added that Obama called Lurie in part to discuss plans for the use of alternative energy at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles play.
There are ONLY nine or ten states that will be key battleground ones for the Obama re-election campaign.
- Ohio – 20 (electoral votes): -2 after reapportionment
- Virginia – 13
- Colorado – 9
- Florida -27: +2 after reapportionment
- Nevada – 5: +1 after reapportionment
- Wisconsin -10
- New Hampshire – 4
- Indiana – 11
- North Carolina – 15
And, Obama will need to turn out EVERY African-American and Hispanic voter he can in order to win (African-Americans vote 90% and Hispanics 75% for Democrats). Hence, the President in playing racial pop culture politics is simply shoring up his racial base for his re-election campaign.
Does Obama care for his obvious racial political play?
No, because if he does not overwhelmingly win his base he LOSES re-election.
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