-
links for 2011-02-18
-
Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar has been preparing for an intra-party challenge since he was first elected, but recently, questions have popped up about his residency and commitment to Indiana.
Asked if Lugar lived in a hotel when he returned to Indiana, Lugar chief of staff Mark Helmke said, "That's correct."
Lugar owns a farm in the Hoosier State that he's been tending for decades. His siblings own parts of the farm, but he still works on it once a month with his son, even though he doesn't live there.
As for the living conditions on the farm, Helmke joked, "The place is pretty rustic."
Asked how Lugar's team would respond if challenged about his residency, Helmke shot back, "We'll be happy to talk about the farm."
"It's not an issue. They can try to make it an issue. We'll be happy to talk about the farm and what it means to him," Helmke said.
+++++++
Not like Rham Emanuel and Chicago but Lugar really should have a residence in the state he represents.
-
House Republicans and Democrats started Friday morning's debate over whether to defund last year's healthcare law, and as part of this debate sparred over whether members should be allowed to call that law "ObamaCare."
After two House Republicans called it "ObamaCare," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) asked the chairman whether these "disparaging" remarks should be allowed on the House floor.
"That is a disparaging reference to the president of the United States; it is meant as a disparaging reference to the president of the United States, and it is clearly in violation of the House rules against that," she said.
Because Wasserman Schultz only asked if it would be appropriate to curb the use of the term "ObamaCare," the chairman said he would not rule on a hypothetical. But he did urge members to "refrain from engaging in personalities or descriptions about personalities in general."
++++
Well, what should be call it?
Obama's attempt to ruin American medicine?
How's that?
-
-
President 2012 Poll Watch: Is Sarah Palin Showings Signs of Reluctance About a Race for the Presidency?
Poll graphic courtesy of Real Clear PoliticsIt appears so and why not? Sarah Plain needs to protect her brand and her future.After weeks in the shadows with only a flicker of Facebook postings, Sarah Palin emerged Thursday for a lucrative and surprisingly revealing question-and-answer session before the Long Island Association, a business group used to hosting former presidents. During an hour in which she was quizzed in a more probing fashion than is often the norm on Fox News, Palin proved that she can create more headlines from a single luncheon than are possible from six months on the Mitt Romney beat.
Palin tantalized her audience (who paid $300 and up for the privilege, with a backstage photo-op starting at $9,500) by offering her latest proclamation of uncertainty about seeking the presidency: “I’m still thinking about it. Certainly in my mind, I could not make a decision yet.” She turned a warning about inflationary pressures in the economy — including rising milk prices — into a bizarre swipe at the first lady: “It’s no wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody you need to breast-feed your babies.”……
The psychology of whether to run and gamble it all in the cauldron of ambition (Barack Obama) or to play it safe (as such winter-book Democratic contenders as Evan Bayh and Mark Warner did in abandoning their 2008 explorations) is at the mysterious heart of presidential politics.
Sarah is not doing well in the polls – particularly against President Obama, where in a five field candidate race she finishes near the bottom in most every poll. Her favorable vs. unfavorable poll ratings are negative in most state polls.
You have seen most of the polls reported here at Flapsblog.
I said many weeks ago that Sarah Palin could win the GOP nomination, if she wants it. But, what would be the point if she were to lose to President Obama – and lose big. It would then be the end of the line for Sarah politically.
But, by not running, and helping Republicans in races from Congress, to state houses to the Presidency, she helps her political brand and makes friends for a later race. Palin keeps her powder dry for another time, so to speak.
Even if she never runs for office again, Sarah will still be in demand on Fox News, could develop her own television or radio show, write books and might replace Rush Limbaugh when he retires.
Why risk it all?
-
Poll Watch: Ronald Reagan is America’s Greatest President
No shocker here because folks only live 80 years and memories are short.Ahead of Presidents Day 2011, Americans are most likely to say Ronald Reagan was the nation’s greatest president — slightly ahead of Abraham Lincoln and Bill Clinton. Reagan, Lincoln, or John F. Kennedy has been at the top of this “greatest president” list each time this question has been asked in eight surveys over the last 12 years.
In the eight times Gallup has asked this same “greatest president” question over the last 12 years, one of three presidents — Lincoln, Reagan, and Kennedy — has topped the list each time. Reagan was the top vote getter in 2001, 2005, and now 2011. Lincoln won in 1999, in two 2003 surveys, and in 2007. Kennedy was on top in 2000, and tied with Lincoln in November 2003.
Americans as a group have a propensity to mention recent presidents, not surprising given that the average American constantly hears about and from presidents in office during their lifetime, and comparatively little about historical presidents long dead. Four of the five most recent presidents are in the top 10 greatest presidents list this year — Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton, and Reagan.
We need someone like Reagan now – we really do……
-
House Votes to Defund Abortionist Planned Parenthood
Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-Indiana) amendment to defund Planned Parenthood passed 240-185 in the House
The House just approved Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, checking off a hot-button social issue even as it set up a bigger showdown over defunding the health care law.
The vote was 240-185 with 11 Democrats voting for the amendment, and seven Republicans voting against. One member voted present. A group of Republicans on the floor applauded when the vote hit 218.
Pence, of Indiana, touched off a vicious back-and-forth Thursday night in which Republicans insisted the organization is too aggressive about performing abortions and several Democrats charged that the GOP was waging a “war on women.”
Pence said the amendment captures a rough public consensus that they accept legal abortions, but don’t want to pay for them.
He did get House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to weigh in on his side, declaring, “The time has come to respect the wishes of the majority of Americans who adamantly oppose using taxpayer dollars for abortions.”
Although Planned Parenthood did not use these funds for performing abortions, the funds did support the organization in a generic infrastructure sense to perform abortions – and at taxpayer expense.
Planned Parenthood estimates it received a quarter of the $317 million in Title X funds appropriated last year. They use the money for pelvic exams, breast exams, safer-sex counseling and basic infertility counseling, among other things.
Pence took his fight against Planned Parenthood to the next level after the release of a series of videos by the group Live Action –videos that they say show Planned Parenthood employees advising actors posing as pimps on information on how to get abortions, STD testing and birth control for their underage prostitutes.
Cantor said last night that Planned Parenthood had been caught “red-handed.”
Planned Parenthood has been getting by with a wink and a nod for decades (largely supported by the Democratic Party) while being the largest abortion provider in the country. Time to stop the government and the use of my tax dollars to support abortion.
Let Planned Parenthood do it privately – if they can.
-
NM-Sen 2012: Senator Jeff Bingaman to Retire from U.S. Senate
Senate Energy Committee Chairman Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., left, asks a question during a hearing on the BP oil spill on Capitol Hill in Washington
More bad news for the national Democratic Party in retaining the U.S. Senate majority in 2012.Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., will announce on Saturday that he will not seek reelection, Democratic sources confirmed. The news was first reported by the Washington Post.
Bingaman, who was first elected in 1982, will become the fourth Democratic Caucus member and sixth incumbent to announce they will not seek reelection in 2012. Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), and Jim Webb (D-Va.) have previously announced they will not be running in 2012.
Reps. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan will almost certainly be mentioned on the Democratic side as might that of former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.
Former Rep. Heather Wilson has been mentioned as a possible Republican candidate and sources close to Rep. Steve Pearce say he is looking seriously at running.
No matter if the Democrats have a large majority of registered voters in the state, they will need to expend far more resources in New Mexico than if Jeff Bingaman had decided to run for re-election. President Obama remains popular in the state, according to the latest polls, but a mistake by a Democratic nominee for Senate could hurt him.
The White House and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid cannot be too pleased.
-
Day By Day February 18, 2011 – Pictures
Day By Day by Chris MuirMichael Yon gives Americans the photos of war.Afghanistan has been on the back burner for President Obama and everyone has been hoping that General Petraeus and the American military can do the job and then leave. It is not an easy mission when you have a disinterested commander in chief.
Obama has enough problems with the domestic economy and now union turmoil in Wisconsin. What may, however, push his Presidency over the edge towards only one term is Afghanistan.
This may be the straw that breaks American voters’ desire for Hope and Change or Winning the Future.
Previous: