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These are my links for February 25th from 06:52 to 06:54:

• Ride Along with Mitch – The Defnitive Profile of Mitch Daniels – When Mitch Daniels ran for governor of Indiana in 2004, a friend and videographer got the idea of filming the candidate in vidéo vérité style as he traveled around the state in his Indiana-made RV. In both his campaigns for governor—in 2004, when he won a close race, and in 2008, when he won reelection against the Obama tide in an 18-point landslide—Daniels visited each of Indiana’s 92 counties at least three times, appearing in places that hadn’t seen a statewide candidate in generations, or ever. If he wasn’t riding the RV, he came to town on his custom-built Harley Davidson, a solitary aide trailing behind.

  He insisted on spending every night on the road in the home of a local family. Nearly all the families were strangers to him. He slept in guest rooms, family rooms, dens, and children’s bedrooms, on bunks and foldout couches, with pictures of pop stars staring from the walls and an occasional Disney mobile dangling overhead, proving to the people of his state that he could sleep anywhere. He was bit by a pig and, later, a farm dog. For his website he wrote a day-by-day account of the places he went and people he met. He paid special attention to the quality of pork tenderloin sandwiches he found in the local bars and diners. Pork tenderloin sandwiches, the size of a platter, are unavoidable in Indiana, no matter how hard you try, and Daniels made it clear he didn’t want to try. Food became a theme of the campaign. The best dessert he’d discovered, he said, was a Snickers Bar dunked in pancake batter and, this being Indiana, deep-fried.

  +++++++

  Read it all

• Run Mitch, Run – NYTimes.com – On Feb. 11, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana met with a group of college students. According to The Yale Daily News, he told them that there is an “excellent chance” he will not run for president. Then he mounted the podium at the Conservative Political Action Conference and delivered one of the best Republican speeches in recent decades.

  This is the G.O.P. quandary. The man who would be the party’s strongest candidate for the presidency is seriously thinking about not running. The country could use a serious, competent manager, which Governor Daniels has been, and still he’s thinking about not running. The historic moment calls for someone who can restrain debt while still helping government efficiently perform its duties. Daniels has spent his whole career preparing for this kind of moment, and still he’s thinking about not running.

  The country also needs a substantive debate about the role of government. That’s exactly what an Obama-Daniels contest would provide. Yet because Daniels is a normal person who doesn’t have an insatiable desire for higher office, he’s thinking about not running.

  ++++++++++

  I am not positive an endorsement from David Brooks is what Mitch Daniels needs at the present time.

  Do I think Daniels will run – yep.

These are my links for February 24th from 20:31 to 20:41:

• California Little Hoover Commission’s plan rolls back California Public-Employee pensions for current workers – The bipartisan Little Hoover Commission recommended today that California state and local governments roll back pensions for existing employees, dump guaranteed retirement payouts and put more of the pension burden on workers.

  Although any attempt to reduce pensions for current workers would prompt a legal battle, the commission says that public pension funds are in such dire financial straits that they'll never right themselves by reducing benefits for new hires. The recommendation would not affect current retirees. Click here to read the commission's 106-page report.

  The most controversial Hoover proposal would allow state and local governments to freeze existing employee pension benefits and then lower them for future years worked.

  Courts have ruled that pensions are legally protected property and that government has a contractual obligation to follow through with them.

  The Hoover idea echoes a similar plan that the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility has said it hopes to put to a public statewide vote next year.

  Such a measure, if approved by voters, would undoubtedly trigger lawsuits that would test government's ability to alter pension promises prospectively. The foundation believes that its ballot measure would hold up in court.

  ++++++

  Will be tied up in the courts for years.

  Reform has to begin with current new workers and quickly implemented.

• Groups officially begin recall process for seven Wisconsin lawmakers – The clock is now running for groups trying to collect enough signatures to trigger recall elections against seven Democratic senators, state officials said today.

  Reid Magney, spokesman for the Government Accountability Board, said local groups have officially registered recall committees with his agency to try to recall Sen. Bob Wirch of Kenosha and Jim Holperin of Eagle River.

  In addition, a Utah group, American Recall Coalition, has registered electronically to set up recall committees against Wirch and five other Senate Democrats – Lena Taylor of Milwaukee, Mark Miller of Monona, Julie Lassa of Stevens Point, Fred Risser of Madison and Dave Hansen of Green Bay.

  Magney said his office is still waiting to receive paper registrations from American Recall Coalition but that the out-of-state group may begin collecting signatures for the recall elections in those districts.

  "We thought we were going to have a quiet time after the election," Magney said. "Apparently not."

  The only Democratic senator who is not currently the subject of a recall bid is Spencer Coggs of Milwaukee.

  The groups need about 16,000 signatures to force a recall election for a senator, Magney said. The exact number will vary from 11,000 to 21,000 signatures, he said, depending on how many votes were cast in the 2010 governor's race in the targeted district.

  ++++++

  Recall all of the Fleebaggers

These are my links for February 24th from 20:05 to 20:13:

• Walk-outs illegal for California state legislators – Just in Case You Were Wondering – Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana have more in common than great college football and basketball teams.  Each has recently seen an out-of-state exodus of state lawmakers in order to stall or foil legislation that they don't want to see passed. Or that they don't want to be responsible for.

       Though I would have rather seen the in-state USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl than the out-of-state Wisconsin Badgers, I've wondered if the fleeing of Democrat lawmakers from those various Midwestern states, to duck tough votes, might have any precedent in California for Republican lawmakers that might otherwise want to avoid their responsibilities in Sacramento.

       I did consult with some esteemed co-counsel, and here is what I found out: in California, legislators are prohibited by state law from accepting payments for work related to the performance of their legislative functions.  Gov. Code 8920(b)(4) and Legislative Joint Rule 44.   Accepting payments that conflict with their work during the legislative session is illegal.   Accepting payments for lodging, meals, etc., for an "out-of-state travel" (i.e., a "walkout") to avoid performance of legislative duties (which is “work related to performance of legislative functions”) would be prohibited by law. 

       The only exception is receipt of travel payments for a bona fide out-of-state speech, and that is regulated by the FPPC.  Under a specific statute, receipt of a payment for travel outside the state to avoid legislative duties is not allowed.  Government Code Section 8922

  ++++++

  Looks like Wisconsin and Indiana need some tightening up of their legislative rules.

• Glenn Beck doesn’t speak for mainstream conservatives? – Each time I write a post critical of Fox News host Glenn Beck, scores of conservatives e-mail and comment here at Right Turn that he's "not as bad" as the left portrays him and that, besides, there are worse figures on the left.

  The "left is worse" argument doesn't fly. Listen, I am never shy about pointing out hypocrisy by the left — as I did in response to an anti-Beck letter organized by Jewish Funds for Justice. But the argument that "the other side is worse" is not an argument that justifies Beck's conduct.

  So what should thoughtful conservatives do? I've said it before, but it is especially relevant here: Police their own side. Rather than reflexively rising to his defense when questioned about Beck, why don't conservatives call him out and explain that he doesn't represent the views of mainstream conservatives? Conservative groups and candidates should be forewarned: If they host, appear with or defend him they should be prepared to have his extremist views affixed to them.

  Fox News has every right to have whomever it wants on the air, but, likewise, conservatives have every right to and, indeed, should disassociate themselves from his brand of rhetoric.

  +++++

  Perhaps not but does William Kristol, Jennifer Rubin and Ron Paul?

  Everyone has a role – good or bad.

• Glenn Beck: The Most Disturbing Personality on Cable Television – In the past few weeks Glenn Beck has spoken about the coming caliphate that he believes is about to envelope most of the world. He then dilated on the anti-Christ with a man who says he has “new prophetic understanding into the end times.” In 2009, this self-proclaimed prophet wrote a column titled “What Obama and the Anti-Christ Have in Common.” Then, on a recent show, the discussion focused on the coming Islamic anti-Christ. And earlier this week, an irate, bellicose Beck spoke about the “perfect storm” America faces. “I can’t honestly believe we’re finally here,” he said in praising his own prescience. In his version of events, Beck is the solitary Voice of Truth willing to expose the New World Order (complete with references to Van Jones and Code Pink).

  It’s hard to tell how much of what Beck says is sincere and how much is for show. Whatever the case, and even taking into account the entire MSNBC lineup, Glenn Beck has become the most disturbing personality on cable television

  +++++++

  Sorry, but I do not agree.

  Glenn Beck has a role on the RIGHT just as Ron Paul does – and George W. Bush for that matter

As I have said before Mike Huckabee will NOT be a candidate for President in 2012. But, this time it is the Christian Science Monitor saying it.

Huckabee was making the case for waiting as long as possible before quitting his day job to launch a campaign. He says he doesn’t want to walk away any sooner than he has to, because he doesn’t have much savings.

“In order to run for president the last time, I cashed in my life insurance, my annuities,” he said. “You know, I pretty much went through everything that I ever had as an asset that I thought I might one day live on. One thing I committed to myself, my wife, and to God was that if I do this, I’m going to hopefully be in a position where I’m not so completely destitute at the end of it that I have no idea what to do if I get sick, or if I retire, or if I’m retired earlier, have a disability.”

This is a man who was not born rich (like, say, Mr. Romney) and may feel he’s earned a few luxuries in life. Huckabee was invited to be a speaker on a Christian cruise around Alaska from June 5 to 12, and so he and his wife are going. That’s right around when he might be announcing for president – so does that mean he’s really leaning against running? Who knows.

In other interviews this week, Huckabee appeared to psych himself out of running, only to change his tune the next day. On Monday, he told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that Obama will be “tough to beat.” He continued: “This race is going to be like climbing a ladder pointing toward you, because Barack Obama is going to start this race with a billion dollars.”

There’s the money thing again.

But on Tuesday, Huckabee told Sean Hannity on Fox that he thinks Obama “can be beat.” Still, he added, “it’s the process of getting to that nomination that’s tough.”

Ultimately, it may be a question of having the fire in the belly. Does Huckabee have it? Hard to tell. And if it’s hard to tell, doesn’t that point to “no”? After all, we’re not hearing the other nonindependently wealthy candidates ruminate about possibly draining their assets to run. They’re just out there getting ready for a campaign.

Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney have personal wealth and/or a group of die hard followers that will fund a GOP primary campaign. They would bury Huckabee after the Iowa Caucuses.

Mike is smart. He will stay on Fox News, build his house in Florida and go on those Christian cruises.

A much better life anyway.