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The Morning Flap: November 8, 2011
These are my links for November 7th through November 8th:
- Cain Accuser: ‘SHE IS VERY RELIABLE’ – Herman Cain claims sexual harassment accusations threatening to derail his presidential campaign are a smear campaign. But friends and family of one accuser say she is a principled and dedicated professional who was only trying to right a wrong no woman should suffer in the workplace.
Karen Kraushaar, a 55-year-old former journalist and seasoned government spokeswoman who served on the front lines of the Elian Gonzalez custody battle, is a competitive equestrian and lover of golden retrievers. She has been married for more than two decades.
“She wouldn’t be the type to make false allegations,” brother-in-law Ned Kraushaar, a Georgia software consultant, told The Daily. “This happened [more than] 10 years ago. It’s not like she wanted to try and hurt the Republican Party.”
Karen Kraushaar currently serves as a communications director at the Inspector General’s Office of the Treasury Department, a position she has held since last year. She did not return phone messages left by The Daily.
She is “an extraordinarily good person,” said Jennie Williams, a friend and Atlanta equestrian. “She is very reliable and has lots of integrity. I don’t know what happened. I don’t want to know. Enough is enough. She is quality.”
A former colleague at the National Restaurant Association who asked not to be identified said of Kraushaar, “The woman is a consummate professional. What I saw was an extremely talented woman. A professional, knowledgeable woman and nothing more.”On Oct. 30, Politico first reported that two women had accused Cain, who leads many polls in the Republican presidential race, of inappropriate comments and sexual advances in the 1990s. A fourth woman, Sharon Bialek, came forward yesterday, flanked by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred.
Kraushaar, who lives in Maryland, has no desire to speak publicly about the complaint she filed against Cain, letting her superiors know “about a series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances from the CEO,” her attorney, Joel Bennett, said recently.
- Mitt Romney Winning Fundraising Contest For Bush, McCain Bundlers – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads the crucial race for big-money fundraisers in the Republican presidential primary. Since April, he has received contributions from 204 donors who previously bundled millions of dollars for the campaigns of George W. Bush and John McCain.
Romney is trouncing the rest of the field in winning the support of these influential party insiders. He has raised $798,987 in campaign contributions from the 204 bundlers and their families. His closest competitor in this race is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has raised $231,400 from 59 bundlers and their families.
“People in the Republican Party who are good fundraisers, good bundlers, want someone who can win and someone they can trust,” said Lawrence Finder, a Houston-based partner at the law firm Haynes and Boone who raised more than $500,000 for the McCain campaign and now backs Romney. “I think that’s why they’re gravitating towards Romney.”
Bundlers are donors who raise money for campaigns by tapping their own networks of friends, relations and co-workers. Campaigns routinely offer bundlers incentives for their fundraising, including special access to the campaign and involvement in strategy. But the real prize comes if the candidate wins the White House. Traditionally, a number of plum positions, including ambassadorships, go to supporters who helped raise the most money.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said it’s no surprise that Romney leads the Republican field in this crucial contest.
“This is smart money,” Sabato explained. “These are people who know what they’re doing. They’ve assessed the candidates well. Many of them are in the influence business, and they don’t like backing losers. It hurts their business.”
Bundlers giving to Romney include hotel magnate John Marriott, senior-community owner H. Gary Morse, lobbyist Wayne Berman and Florida lobbyist Brian Ballard, who also serves as Romney’s Florida finance co-chair.
- NJ Gov. Christie heads to NH to campaign for Mitt Romney – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will make his first surrogate campaign appearance for presidential candidate Mitt Romney in New Hampshire on Wednesday.
The Granite Status has learned that Christie will make two public stops in the Granite State before heading to Boston for a debate-watching party at Romney’s national headquarters.
We’ve also learned that Romney has picked up the endorsement of prominent Nashua businessman and former state Republican Party Chairman John Stabile, who will host Christie at a house party.
A week after announcing that he would not be a candidate for President, Christie endorsed Romney on Oct. 11 at Dartmouth College prior to a presidential candidates’ debate.
Wednesday’s visit will be the first time Christie will go on the road for Romney since the announcement. Romney’s campaign emphasized that while Christie will campaign across the country for Romney, his first stop on Romney’s behalf will be in New Hampshire.
Christie will visit Romney’s Manchester campaign headquarters at 361 Elm St., at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. He will then head to Stabile’s home in Nashua for a house party that evening.
Christie will then go to Boston to watch the Michigan debate with the winner of a Romney campaign contest. He is the “special guest” the campaign advertised in soliciting small donations.
Stabile, meanwhile, becomes the fifth former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party to back Romney, joining John H. and Nancy Sununu, Donna Sytek, and Jerry Carmen.
- Former President Bill Clinton headed to Las Vegas to campaign for Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley – Former President Bill Clinton is bringing his political star power to Las Vegas to campaign for Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley.
Clinton is scheduled to headline a fundraiser for Berkley on Jan. 7 in Las Vegas.
Berkley is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Dean Heller in next year’s U.S. Senate race. The contest is considered one of the most important in the nation because it could determine whether Democrats keep control of the Senate.
Clinton is no stranger to Las Vegas. He campaigned here last year for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid, the son of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid lost to Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Berkley is known as a fierce fundraiser. She raised $1.2 million in the last fundraising quarter, compared to Heller’s $675,000 campaign haul.
- 39% Think Cain Allegations True, 24% False – Americans who have heard about the sexual harassment allegations against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, on balance, think they are true rather than false. At the same time, a plurality thinks that recent coverage of Cain has been fair.
Three-quarters of the public say they have heard a lot (51%) or a little (24%) about accusations that Cain harassed several women during his tenure in the late 1990s as president of the National Restaurant Association.
Of those who had heard about the allegations, about four-in-ten (39%) say that, from what they have read and heard, they think the allegations are true. Roughly a quarter (24%) say they think the claims are false, according to the latest weekly survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Nov. 3-6 among 1,005 adults. Another 36% say they do not know (31%) or refuse to answer (5%). The survey was completed before a Chicago woman went public with a new accusation against Cain on Monday.
- Video: Carly Fiorina Speaks at Americans United for Life 40th Anniversary Gala | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Video: Carly Fiorina Speaks at Americans United for Life 40th Anniversary Gala #tcot #catcot
- Day By Day November 8, 2011 – Tech Support | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day November 8, 2011 – Tech Support #tcot #catcot
- Gingrich Gains 21 Points on Obama among Independents | The Weekly Standard – Gingrich Gains 21 Points on Obama among Independents |
- Gingrich Gains 21 Points on Obama among Independents | – Three weeks ago, Rasmussen’s poll of likely voters showed Speaker Newt Gingrich trailing President Barack Obama by a whopping 27 percentage points (51 to 24 percent) among independent voters. Now, Rasmussen shows, Obama’s lead over Gingrich has shrunk to just 6 points (41 to 35 percent) among independents. Obama also leads Gingrich by 6 points (44 to 38 percent) among all likely voters.
- Cain Visits Jimmy Kimmel; Will Address 4th Accuser in Presser Tuesday – In the midst of a barrage sexual harassment allegations, including a fourth accuser speaking out, Herman Cain made an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC.
Kimmel devoted much of his opening monologue Monday to the allegations made by Sharon Bialek, who is the latest woman to accuse Cain of sexual harassment during his tenure at the National Restaurant Association, and the first woman to come forward publicly in a press conference.
“Well all things considered, I’m still alive. It got off to somewhat of a rough start. We had a little surprise show up on TV,” Cain said. - Report: Cain sought dinner date with fifth woman – A former USAID worker claims Herman Cain asked her to set up dinner with a woman who attended a speech he gave in 2002, the Washington Examiner is reporting tonight.
The worker — 40-year-old Donna Donella, of Arlington, Va. — told the paper that the moment came after Cain gave a paid speech in Egypt that year. A woman in the crowd posed a query to Cain during the speech, the Examiner said.
Continue Reading
Donella told them: “And after the seminar was over, Cain came over to me and a colleague and said, ‘Could you put me in touch with that lovely young lady who asked the question, so I can give her a more thorough answer over dinner?’”She was “suspicious of Cain’s motives and delined to set up the date,” the Examiner reporter wrote.
That prompted Cain to reply, “Then you and I can have dinner.” Instead, some of Donella’s co-workers suggested a group outing.
“I couldn’t swear that he had some untoward intentions, but we all thought his tone was suspect and we didn’t feel comfortable putting him in touch with that woman,” Donella, whom the Examiner identified as an independent who voted for President Barack Obama in the last election, was quoted as saying.
She said she didn’t witness any “inappropriate sexual behavior” at the group dinner. But she claimed he asked the waiter for two $400 bottles of wine, and then stiffed the rest of the group when it came time to pay.
- Fifth woman raises questions about Cain’s behavior | – A former employee of the United States Agency for International Development says Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain asked her to help arrange a dinner date for him with a female audience member following a speech he delivered nine years ago.
Donna Donella, 40, of Arlington, said the USAID paid Cain to deliver a speech to businessmen and women in Egypt in 2002, during which an Egyptian businesswoman in her 30s asked Cain a question.
“And after the seminar was over,” Donella told The Washington Examiner, “Cain came over to me and a colleague and said, ‘Could you put me in touch with that lovely young lady who asked the question, so I can give her a more thorough answer over dinner?'”
Donella, who no longer works for USAID, said they were suspicious of Cain’s motives and declined to set up the date. Cain responded, “Then you and I can have dinner.” That’s when two female colleagues intervened and suggested they all go to dinner together, Donella said.
Cain exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior during the dinner, though he did order two $400 bottles of wine and stuck the women with the bill, she said.
The next time the women heard from Cain was Christmas, when he sent them his gospel CD
- (404) http://t.co/nky9qAVH%E2%80%9D – > Indeed congrats Mindy RT @KevinMaddenDC Congrats to @mindyfinn …
- @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-11-08 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-11-08 #tcot #catcot
- President 2012: Congressional Supercommittees – Deal or No Deal? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Congressional Supercommittees – Deal or No Deal? #tcot #catcot
- Cain emails his list: ‘Media obsessed’ with harassment story – Maggie Haberman – POLITICO.com – RT @politico: Herman Cain emails his list, says the media is “obsessed” with the harassment story:
- Intrade – Markets – More Intrade: Romney 70% chance he wins GOP Presidential nomination; Perry 10%, Newt 8% #tcot
- Intrade – Herman Cain to be Republican Presidential Nominee in 2012 is 3.0% probable – FWIW: Intrade has Herman Cain at 3% chance of winning GOP Presidential nomination down almost 55% #tcot
- CA-Sen: Will Rep. Devin Nunes Run Against Senator Dianne Feinstein? » Flap’s California Blog – CA-Sen: Will Rep. Devin Nunes Run Against Senator Dianne Feinstein?
- Federal Judge Blocks Graphic Ads on Cigarette Packages | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Federal Judge Blocks Graphic Ads on Cigarette Packages
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Are Vintage Football Helmets as Protective as Modern Helmets? – Are Vintage Football Helmets as Protective as Modern Helmets?
- Accuser Details Lewd Behavior by Cain – NYTimes.com – Accuser Details Lewd Behavior by Cain – Attorney Says Corroborates Claim
- The Afternoon Flap: November 7, 2011 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The Afternoon Flap: November 7, 2011 #tcot #catcot
- Cain Accuser: ‘SHE IS VERY RELIABLE’ – Herman Cain claims sexual harassment accusations threatening to derail his presidential campaign are a smear campaign. But friends and family of one accuser say she is a principled and dedicated professional who was only trying to right a wrong no woman should suffer in the workplace.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for October 20th on 06:31
These are my links for October 20th from 06:31 to 10:48:
- Cain’s troubles multiply – This time Over Abortion – This is simply bizarre. He’s eloquently described his “pro-life” views as synonymous with the standard pro-choice argument. Santorum leapt, releasing this statement: “Herman Cain said that he believes life begins at conception, but that it’s up to the individual to decide whether or not to terminate that life. And I find it gravely troubling that Herman believes it’s a life, but that he doesn’t consider it a life worth fighting for. As the author of the partial birth abortion ban and other pro-life pieces of legislation, this is the exact mentality myself and other true pro-life advocates fought against. In fact, Herman’s pro-choice position is similar to those held by John Kerry, Barack Obama and many others on the liberal left. No, Herman, it is not ‘whatever they decide,’ this is an innocent human life. It is unconscionable for Herman to run for the nomination of the Party that stands in defense of Life while showing disregard for the sanctity of Life. You cannot be both personally against abortion while condoning it – you can’t have it both ways. We must defend the defenseless, period.”
As with his 9-9-9 plan, it’s not clear Cain understands his own position on abortion. Once again, we have seen, not surprising to many of us, that a total political novice wilts under even mild scrutiny in a presidential race.
Moreover, this one will hurt him badly in Iowa, where his Christian conservative credentials were a major reason many voters supported him. Cain’s stumbles, like those of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, may become one long slide down in the polls. Unfortunately for him, he has neither the money nor the staff to help him correct course.
- Hillary Clinton and Hamid Karzai chuckle over Herman Cain – Secretary of State Clinton and Afghan President Hamid Karzai put international diplomacy aside Thursday during their meeting in Kabul to have a few laughs at Herman Cain’s expense.
According to the Associated Press, the two leaders began their meeting in the Afghanistan capital with a discussion about how the GOP presidential candidate recently responded to how he would handle “gotcha questions” from the media on foreign policy.
“When they ask me who’s the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan, I’m gonna say, ‘You know, I don’t know, do you know?’” Cain responded, raising eyebrows about his lack of foreign policy credentials.
Karzai told Clinton that Cain was talking about “all the ‘stans,” to which Clinton laughed and waved her hands, saying, “All the ‘stans places,” the wire said.
“That wasn’t right, but anyway, that’s how politics are,” Karzai responded.
The two leaders moved on to have a more serious discussion. According to the AP, Clinton called for a new partnership between the U.S., Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight insurgents and described a “fight, talk, build” strategy for the three countries.
- Teacher in famous Christie YouTube video running for N.J. Assembly – Marie Corfield didn’t know what to expect when she confronted Gov. Chris Christie at a town hall in Raritan last year.
The 52-year-old art teacher left Robert Hunter Elementary during her lunch break and walked across the street to the municipal building, where Christie was holding court.
"I said ‘Well, now’s my chance. Better go speak my mind,’" Corfield said.
She did, and the ensuing 10-minute argument would soon become a YouTube sensation for Christie, helping him burnish his national image as a tough talking, no nonsense executive. But it also touched off a groundswell of publicity for Corfield, making her a sort of unofficial spokeswoman for aggrieved New Jersey public school teachers and, eventually, a candidate for Assembly.
The September 2010 confrontation reverberated across the internet after the governor’s staff posted it to his YouTube channel. Corfield took to the mic and ripped into the governor’s cuts to school funding and what she saw as his rhetoric against teachers. - Will Moving Out of a Poor Neighborhood Bring Down the Levels of Obesity and Diabetes? | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Want to avoid Obesity and Diabetes = MOVE:
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: October 20, 2011 – Today's Health and Dentistry Headlines…..:
- Obama struggling in Ohio – Public Policy Polling – RT @ppppolls: Obama can only hope for a Perry resurgence. Perry's fav in Ohio is 21/61! Obama leads him 50-41:
- 40 balloons for my 40th
– YouTube – > Happy Birthday! RT @justin_hart: Family surprised me with a 40-balloon salute: video here: - Flap’s California Morning Collection: October 20, 2011 » Flap’s California Blog – Today's California Headlines……:
- Flap’s Links and Comments for October 19th through October 20th | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Today's sad morning American economic headlines….:
- Cain’s troubles multiply – This time Over Abortion – This is simply bizarre. He’s eloquently described his “pro-life” views as synonymous with the standard pro-choice argument. Santorum leapt, releasing this statement: “Herman Cain said that he believes life begins at conception, but that it’s up to the individual to decide whether or not to terminate that life. And I find it gravely troubling that Herman believes it’s a life, but that he doesn’t consider it a life worth fighting for. As the author of the partial birth abortion ban and other pro-life pieces of legislation, this is the exact mentality myself and other true pro-life advocates fought against. In fact, Herman’s pro-choice position is similar to those held by John Kerry, Barack Obama and many others on the liberal left. No, Herman, it is not ‘whatever they decide,’ this is an innocent human life. It is unconscionable for Herman to run for the nomination of the Party that stands in defense of Life while showing disregard for the sanctity of Life. You cannot be both personally against abortion while condoning it – you can’t have it both ways. We must defend the defenseless, period.”
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Flap’s Links and Comments for May 26th on 10:32
These are my links for May 26th from 10:32 to 11:41:
- Gov. Christie announces N.J. pulling out of regional environmental initiative – In a blow to clean energy advocates throughout the Northeast, Gov. Chris Christie said this morning that the state will pull out of the region’s "gimmicky" cap-and-trade program by the end of the year.
During a Statehouse news conference, Christie acknowledged the effects humans are having on climate change but said the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was doing nothing to solve the problem.
"This program is not effective in reducing greenhouse gases and is unlikely to be in the future," Christie told reporters. "The whole system is not working as it was intended to work. It’s a failure."
- Immigration law: Supreme Court upholds law targeting employers – The Supreme Court on Thursday gave Arizona and other states more authority to take action against illegal immigrants and the companies that hire them, ruling that employers who knowingly hire illegal workers can lose their license to do business.
The 5-3 decision upholds the Legal Arizona Workers Act of 2007 and its so-called business death penalty for employers who are caught repeatedly hiring illegal immigrants. The state law also requires employers to check the federal E-Verify system before hiring new workers, a provision that was also upheld Thursday.
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Read it all.
- Craig Huey on Running for Office as a Libertarian Republican and Salvaging the American Dream #CA36 – Daily Bell: How do you view Obamacare? Are human beings born with a "right" to free healthcare? Can charitable, religious and spiritual organizations be sufficiently relied upon to provide a compassionate hand to fellow members of their local communities?
Craig Huey: We have a God given right to life and liberty. To include healthcare as a "natural" right is a perversion of the concept. Charity and religious organizations have historically in America been there to help those in need. That is now being put in jeopardy by the government. I will fight to change that.
Obamacare is one of my priorities for repeal. It's corrupt and flawed. It's dangerous to our health and freedom. It's an example of how bad the Washington's out-of-control centralized power is. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is an unelected, appointed bureaucrat … the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Right now she is using her power to stifle free speech by forcing insurance companies to be silent about the harm being done. Her 1,968 grants of power will call the shots on which days seniors can access their care. These grants of power set Washington as a dictator on how to dispose drugs at long-term care facilities. Bureaucrats will also delineate how dentists and dental hygienists examine your teeth and much more.
This is not in the Constitution. This is not a function of government. This is not what quality healthcare looks like. Our Constitution specifies that power must be balanced, restrained and never concentrated on one person. This concentration of power can only lead to great harm, abuse and unintended bad consequences. If you've ever been to a government agency, then you know what I mean.
That's just one reason why I believe Obamacare will be found unconstitutional. Already 27 states fall in agreement saying it's unconstitutional. Just the forced individual mandates are completely contrary to a free society. But until the court does find it unconstitutional, I will be committed to defunding Obamacare. I will fight the tax increase. I will fight 6,000 new IRS agents. I will fight the bureaucratic control of doctors and patients.
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- Gov. Christie announces N.J. pulling out of regional environmental initiative – In a blow to clean energy advocates throughout the Northeast, Gov. Chris Christie said this morning that the state will pull out of the region’s "gimmicky" cap-and-trade program by the end of the year.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for May 10th on 08:44
These are my links for May 10th from 08:44 to 08:50:
- President 2012: The Tragedy of Sarah Palin? – From the moment Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech electrified the Republican convention, she was seen as an unbending, hard-charging, red-meat ideologue—to which soon was added “thin-skinned” and “vindictive.” But a look at what Palin did while in office in Alaska—the only record she has—shows a very different politician: one who worked with Democrats to tame Big Oil and solve the great problem at the heart of the state’s politics. That Sarah Palin might have set the nation on a different course. What went wrong?======
An interesting analysis, read it all.
- Chris Christie praises Mitch Daniels, might back him if he runs – As top Republican fundraisers head to New Jersey in the hopes of persuading Chris Christie to leap into the presidential race, the New Jersey governor is heaping praise on Indiana’s chief executive.Continue Reading
In a radio interview on Monday morning, Christie said he’d like to see a governor in the Oval Office.“He’s certainly somebody who I have enormous respect for and would give real consideration to supporting” Christie told talk radio host Chris Stigall, speaking of Mitch Daniels.
“If you look at it, governors have tended to be some of our best presidents. That’s why I would lean in that direction,” he said.
Daniels is weighing a run and is expected to announce his decision soon.
Stigall — who calls himself an “unabashed, gushing” fan of the New Jersey governor — noted the number of likely candidates courting Chrstie’s support in Princeton.
He’s already met with Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, and is set to sit down with Jon Huntsman in the coming week.
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Read it all
A courtesy shout out but would aid Daniels over the early start of Mitt Romney
- President 2012: The Tragedy of Sarah Palin? – From the moment Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech electrified the Republican convention, she was seen as an unbending, hard-charging, red-meat ideologue—to which soon was added “thin-skinned” and “vindictive.” But a look at what Palin did while in office in Alaska—the only record she has—shows a very different politician: one who worked with Democrats to tame Big Oil and solve the great problem at the heart of the state’s politics. That Sarah Palin might have set the nation on a different course. What went wrong?======
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Flap’s Links and Comments for May 9th on 19:00
These are my links for May 9th from 19:00 to 19:04:
- Waiting For Superman? GOP Searching For 2012’s ‘Plan B’ Candidate – What makes Christie unique is the fact that he is the only candidate who can claim both the serious executive ability of a Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney and Mitch Daniels, and the gregarious, straight-talking personality of a Donald Trump or Sarah Palin.Will he get in? First there’s the issue of answering that question countless times the same way: no chance. “I don’t feel ready in my heart to be president. And unless I do, I don’t have any right offering myself to the people of this country,” Christie told ABC’s Diane Sawyer last month. http://abcn.ws/fSKMrY
Then there’s the question of why he’d be more convinced to do it now. Killing Osama bin Laden does not make Obama invincible, but combine that with improving economic numbers and the path to beating the current occupant of the White House looks steeper every day.
If not Christie, then who? Don’t count out former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has been thrust back into the spotlight post-bin Laden and who’s headed later this week to New Hampshire where the latest WMUR-University of New Hampshire poll showed him in third place behind Romney and Trump.
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Read it all.
Mitch Daniels, Rudy Giuliani,Chris Christie = any of those three would make a good GOP nominee.
- President 2012: If Mitch Daniels Runs – With only 23% hard name recognition (16-7 favorable), why would Mitch Daniels be a significant candidate with so many better known men and women in the potential field? There is, of course, his splendid record as governor of Indiana. He has done everything a governor could do. He took a deficit and produced a surplus with no tax increase (although he flirted with one early in his term but dropped the idea). His education choice legislation is the most advanced in the nation and will offer all Indiana children the ability to use state funds to go to the school of their choice after it phases in over three years. He has restricted collective bargaining with public workers a la Wisconsin and sharply limited teacher tenure. His landmark legislation replaces teacher pay based on seniority and advanced degrees with compensation determined by merit and student test scores. It allows school boards, in the event of layoffs, to waive the “last hired first fired” rule in favor of merit as criterion for dismissal. He allows state workers to enroll in Health Savings Accounts with an annual state grant of $2700 for all health care costs and lets the worker keep any unspent portion of the funds. Any medical spending over the flat fee gets a sliding scale of state assistance. Almost two-thirds of state workers have gotten money back at the end of the year. He blocked state funding of Planned Parenthood. With a record like that, he is probably the most successful conservative governor in America today.=====
Read it all.
I say he runs….
- Waiting For Superman? GOP Searching For 2012’s ‘Plan B’ Candidate – What makes Christie unique is the fact that he is the only candidate who can claim both the serious executive ability of a Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney and Mitch Daniels, and the gregarious, straight-talking personality of a Donald Trump or Sarah Palin.Will he get in? First there’s the issue of answering that question countless times the same way: no chance. “I don’t feel ready in my heart to be president. And unless I do, I don’t have any right offering myself to the people of this country,” Christie told ABC’s Diane Sawyer last month. http://abcn.ws/fSKMrY
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Flap’s Links and Comments for May 9th on 15:37
These are my links for May 9th from 15:37 to 15:41:
- The Christie campaign — to get him to change his mind – It’s no secret that Republican voters, donors and operatives are less than thrilled with th current lineup of Republican contenders. It’s also well known that because of that dissatisfaction, many donors are holding back, wishfully awaiting the arrival of a candidate whom they can enthusiastically support. Now comes word that some of the donors are taking matters into their own hands:Some of Iowa’s top Republican campaign contributors, unhappy with their choices in the developing presidential field, are venturing to New Jersey in hopes they can persuade first-term Gov. Chris Christie to run. The entreaty is the latest sign of dissatisfaction within the GOP over the crop of candidates competing for the chance to run against President Barack Obama in 2012.
Bruce Rastetter, an Iowa energy company executive, and a half-dozen other prominent Iowa GOP donors sought the meeting with Christie, the governor’s chief political adviser, Mike DuHaime, told the Associated Press. The get-together is set for the governor’s mansion in Princeton, N.J., on May 31.
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Please note that Michael DuHaime ran Rudy giuliani’s Presidential campaign in 2008 and some of Christie’s staff are Giuliani’s.
So, there is some national experience there.
- Mitch Daniels ‘Would Like To’ Run For President, Top Adviser Says – But Daniels is not moving forward unless and until he is able to do so with the full support of his family. The Daniels adviser who spoke to HuffPost was frank in describing the current state of Daniel’s nascent campaign effort.“There’s no campaign. There’s no candidate,” the adviser said. “There is no structure. There is no anything.”
Nonetheless, Eric Holcomb, the Indiana State GOP chairman and a longtime Daniels aide, is in talks with potential campaign staffers and has them on standby. And fundraising would be much less of a challenge for Daniels –- plugged in as he is to the donor network that propelled George W. Bush to the White House, given that he was Bush’s first budget director –- than for someone like former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or some of the other candidates.
If Daniels does decide to run, he would be a formidable opponent. And he would present a challenge to top-tier candidates such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, given his potential to be competitive in or even win Iowa, which begins the primary process with its caucus early next year.
The conventional wisdom is that Iowa is so dominated by evangelical Christians that only a candidate like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee –- who won it in 2008 -– or Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) can win it. However, there are so many candidates currently competing for that vote – Bachmann, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, and maybe Huckabee – that they might fragment that vote. That would allow someone who is conservative but with a bit broader appeal outside the evangelical enclave to emerge victorious.
The evangelical vote is only about 30 percent of the vote anyway, said a senior Iowa Republican official who asked not to be identified so that he could asses the field more honestly.
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Read it all.
Fish or cut bait sometime within the next 7-10 days.
Cheri Daniels delivers a speech to the Indiana GOP on Thursday night. So, anytime after this.
- The Christie campaign — to get him to change his mind – It’s no secret that Republican voters, donors and operatives are less than thrilled with th current lineup of Republican contenders. It’s also well known that because of that dissatisfaction, many donors are holding back, wishfully awaiting the arrival of a candidate whom they can enthusiastically support. Now comes word that some of the donors are taking matters into their own hands:Some of Iowa’s top Republican campaign contributors, unhappy with their choices in the developing presidential field, are venturing to New Jersey in hopes they can persuade first-term Gov. Chris Christie to run. The entreaty is the latest sign of dissatisfaction within the GOP over the crop of candidates competing for the chance to run against President Barack Obama in 2012.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for March 31st on 18:52
These are my links for March 31st from 18:52 to 18:55:
- Rudy Giuliani Blasts Obama on Libya Action – Rudy Giuliani told Laura Ingraham that "since this whole thing in the Middle East began," the Obama administration "doesn't know what it's doing."
"This is probably the worst handled national security military action I have ever seen. From announcing — when he didn't know what to do — that Gadhafi must go to then making that speech the other night, which was internally contradictory. You cannot say we're there to protect the Libyan people, but we're not going to be for regime change with Gadhafi because the reason we are there to protect the Libyan people is because of Gadhafi."
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Obama does not understand foreign policy and has no experience in it.
- President 2102: Can Obama Lose? – Perhaps – So what combination of factors in this complex system of politics must come together to cause a catastrophe for Obama politically that would result in his defeat?
Only one Democratic president has lost a reelection bid.
I see three, and all have to be in place and reinforce each other for Obama to lose. First, the economy in 2012 has to be either stagnant or in decline in the 10 or so key electoral states (especially the ones in the Midwest) as he heads into the election. This would mean that the economy is creating very few net jobs in 2012 and that prices (including food and gas) are still rising.
Second, no new major international crisis arises that causes people to rally behind Obama because of his competent handling of it. And I emphasize the words “new,” “major,” and “competent.” Afghanistan and Iraq devolving again into a problem will not help Obama, and actually may hurt him because our country has basically moved on from the situation in both places.
Third, a Republican nominee has to emerge who is charismatic; is a very good communicator; is in touch with the country’s economic and social needs; and is a new brand of GOP leader whom many younger voters can connect with. Think of what it took in 1980 to defeat the Democratic incumbent—Ronald Reagan and crises galore.
All three factors must converge for Obama to lose, and two of them are needed to drive his job approval down to a place, as I have written before, that makes it difficult for him to win. As one can see, these three elements don’t include how much money the Democratic National Committee and Obama have at their disposal; how much cash the Republican National Committee or the Republican nominee raises; the quality of each campaign staff; the legislative machinations of Congress; or the use of modern technology in the campaigns (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.). Those are all tactical factors that, ultimately, will have little influence on whether Obama wins or loses.======
It will have to be a new GOP candidate like Mitch Daniels or Chris Christie – not a retread like Huckabee or Romney.
- Rudy Giuliani Blasts Obama on Libya Action – Rudy Giuliani told Laura Ingraham that "since this whole thing in the Middle East began," the Obama administration "doesn't know what it's doing."