FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

Yep, the race for 2012 has already started.

In a reminder of his strength with social conservatives, Mike Huckabee leads his nearest GOP competitor by 10 percentage points, according to a new poll of Alabama Republicans.

Thirty-three percent of Alabama Republicans polled support the former Arkansas governor for the 2012 presidential nomination, while 23 percent said they would back Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee. The next closest Republican to Huckabee and Palin is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who takes 12 percent of the vote.

If Sarah Palin decides to defer a race in 2012, Romney and Huckabee will go toe to toe again. Remember how brutal Iowa was in 2008?

But, should Palin not run, there will be others.

I never have understood why Kay Bailey would give up her Senate seat and make a contested run for this job.
The poll:

2010 Governor: Republican Primary
39% Perry, 28% Hutchison, 24% Medina

(Medina supporters only) Would your second choice for Governor be Kay Bailey Hutchison or Rick Perry?
43% Perry, 39% Hutchison

2010 Governor: Democratic Primary
49% White, 19% Shami, 5% Alvado, 2% Aguado, 1% Glenn

But, Chuck, this is not what you were saying in 2005 when you were supporting the California Governator and voting for his 2005-2006 state budget.

So, the question is:

Is Chuck DeVore a fiscal conservative? Well, not in 2005 when DeVore voted for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s disastrous budget. You remember the 2005-2006 budget that my then State Senator Tom McClintock opposed.

I am sorry to interrupt the chorus of self-congratulations, but I feel compelled to state an obvious fact – that this budget is $6 billion out of balance; that the state’s chronic deficit spending is getting worse, not better; and that the growth of general fund spending is growing and not shrinking.

Nor can I join applauding the “painstaking negotiations” that have produced this document. The fact is, in May the Governor proposed spending $88 billion (General Fund), the Democrats countered at $89 billion, and they have now compromised at $90 billion. I suppose it is a blessing that the negotiations didn’t go on any longer.

Let me run through the vital statistics of this spending plan. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office in June, inflation and population will grow 5 percent and revenue will grow 6 percent. But according to the budget staff analysis, spending will grow by 10 percent. That makes it measurably worse than the plan the Senate rejected on June 15th.

On June 15th, we rejected a $5 billion operating deficit. This budget spends $90 and takes in only $84 — for a SIX BILLION DOLLAR shortfall – THIS YEAR.

On June 15th, we rejected a 9 percent increase in state spending. This budget is a 10 percent increase – averaging 7 ½ percent over the last two years. Spending increases under the Davis administration averaged 7 percent.

Let me repeat: This budget spends $6 billion more than we take in. Last year we spent $2 billion more than we took in. That means that this year’s operating deficit is THREE TIMES bigger than last year’s.

Now, I’m sorry to throw cold water on the celebration, but that is not progress. That is the opposite of progress.

And yet, once again, we’re told that the budget is balanced. But the blunt truth is that it is only balanced with borrowed funds carried over from last year.

And, a budget that the Howard Jarvis TaxPayers Association called overspending:

“Overall, we’re pleased there’s not been any broad increase in taxes,” said Jon Coupal, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and a frequent adviser to the governor. “We do wish the administration would cut spending more but we understand given the makeup of the Legislature, that’s a difficult thing to do.”

So, Tom Campbell is not the only politician in this U.S. Senate race who has problems with fiscal conservative credentials.

Just wondering if California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore and U.S. Senate candidate is supporting his friend, Floyd Brown’s latest endeavor to impeach President Obama.

You remember that DeVore and Brown teamed together during the 2008 Presidential campaign to sink the Obama candidacy and how DeVore gave him money.

Just askin……..

Jennifer Rubin over at Commentary makes the case.

Tom Campbell, who has zipped into the lead in early polls, is quite another story. During his time in the House, Campbell was one of the few Republicans with a consistent anti-Israel voting record. In 1999, he introduced an amendment to cut foreign aid to Israel. This amendment, titled the Campbell Amendment, was defeated overwhelmingly on the House floor by a vote of 13-414. In 1999, Campbell was one of just 24 House members to vote against a resolution expressing congressional opposition to the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. In 1997, Rep. Tom Campbell authored an amendment (also titled the Campbell Amendment) to cut foreign aid to Israel. The resolution failed 9-32 in committee. In 1990, Campbell was one of just 34 House members to vote against a resolution expressing support for Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.  The resolution passed the House 378-34. But Campbell has taken positions on more than just aid that have raised concerns about his views on Israel. As the Los Angeles Times reported in 2000, Campbell, in his losing race against Dianne Feinstein, “told numerous crowds–including Jewish groups–that he believes Palestinians are entitled to a homeland and that Jerusalem can be the capital of more than one nation.”

Watch for Carly Fiorina to emphasize her foreign policy differences with Campbell in the coming weeks.

And, where has Tom Campbell been the past few weeks? Besides having his internet flacks like Mindy Finn and Patrick Ruffini shilling for him on Twitter, he was a no show at the Republican Women’s Conference this past weekend (Fiorina and DeVore both addressed the group) and a no show over at Glenn Beck’s Show on Fox yesterday (both appeared).

One of these days, Tom is going to have to address the fact that he is actually in a race – or is that his strategy – HIDE from his liberal positions and hope name identification carries his candidacy?