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President 2008 Watch: Conservatives – Looking Past Bush
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
Wall Street Journal: Bush’s Conservative Base Frets Key Issues Are Losing Focus
Social, Economic Backers Increase Their Criticism As War Directs Agenda
Fallout from the war in Iraq, which already has weakened President Bush among the general public and in Congress, now is causing problems with the group that has been his mainstay: social and economic conservatives.
These longtime loyalists, appreciative of Mr. Bush’s record on issues ranging from tax cuts to his veto of federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, also have supported his war policies. But Mr. Bush’s annual State of the Union message Tuesday night aggravated their underlying fear: that the president might become so consumed by the worsening conflict in Iraq — and chastened by Democrats’ takeover of Congress — that he will give up on the issues they care about.
“I think the president left a lot of conservatives shaking their heads” by avoiding the issues atop their agenda, said Bill Lauderback, executive vice president at the American Conservative Union.
Yesterday morning, the weekly meeting of conservatives that is convened by antitax activist Grover Norquist, a White House ally, was marked by “tense exchanges” with administration press secretary Tony Snow over border enforcement and Mr. Bush’s immigration proposals, according to conservative activists.
Conservatives are becoming more openly critical, adding to the president’s woes and emboldening Democrats for battles ahead. Increasingly, they are looking beyond Mr. Bush for a new standard-bearer, though no one in Republicans’ emerging 2008 presidential field has yet captured conservatives.
President Bush has bee a lame duck for over a year. When he refused to enforce the immigration laws and the Mexican illegal aliens were protesting in the streets of Los Angeles conservatives received the message.
When the President nominated Harriet Miers to the United States Supreme court, conservatives heard the message.
After the cataclysmic Congressional election of 2006, Bush sold out Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, conservatives received the message.
Time for conservatives to move on.
Time to reformulate “realistic” policies that can be enacted into law and drop self-destructive minority perpetuating litmus tests.
Has anyone been listening to Newt Gingrich lately?
Technorati Tags: NewtGingrich, Conservatives, GOP
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Iran Nuclear Watch: Bolton – United States Iran Policy FLAWED
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton answers questions during a press conference at Japan’s National Press Club in Tokyo. Bolton said that six-way talks with North Korea had failed and a breakthrough would only come after the collapse of Kim Jong-Il’s regime.
AP: Bolton: U.S. Following Flawed Iran Plan
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton says the United States may not be able to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons because the Bush administration is following a flawed diplomatic strategy.
In an interview with Fox News airing Wednesday night, Bolton said that contrary to administration claims, the U.N. Security Council resolution against Iran that was approved last month is “very weak.”
Bolton stepped down in December after serving as U.N. ambassador for 16 months. He was the point man for the administration in the diplomatic debate over the resolution.
The former envoy said the diplomatic means chosen by the administration to halt Iran’s nuclear program may not achieve the desired ends.
“The disjunction between that objective and the diplomacy we have been pursuing is ultimately going to be a problem for the president,” Bolton said.
He added that the administration placed too high a priority on achieving unity in the council.
“Pursuing the goal of unity detracts from the substantive goal of preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons,” Bolton said.
Not only have the diplomatic efforts towards the Axis of Evil been too weak but United Nations negotiations have also been protracted and allowed Iran and North Korea to more fully develop their nuclear and missile delivery programs.
Mr. President, the “NUCELAR POINT OF NO RETURN” is IMMINENT.
The American people deserve ACTION not “stalled” and “feckless” diplomacy.
Stay tuned…….
Previous:
Iran Nuclear Watch: North Korea Helping Iran With Nuclear Testing
Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Warns Iran – BACK DOWN
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Bars 38 IAEA Inspectors
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Defiant of United Nations Sanctions, Plan Missile War Games
Iran Nuclear Watch: Ahmadiejad – Iran is Ready for Any Possibility
Iran Nuclear Watch: Russian Missiles Delivered to Iran: Ivanov
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran To Install 3,000 Uranium Enrichment Centrifuges
Iran Nuclear Watch: Next Target Tehran?
Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Has No Plan to Strike Iran?
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Arrests a Nuclear Spy
Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Submarine Collides With Japanese Ship
Iran Nuclear Watch: Israel Planning Nuclear Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities?
The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.
Technorati Tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad AliLarijani, IsraelJohnBolton
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Iraq War Senate Resolution Watch: Take the Pledge
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
Hugh Hewitt: Take The Pledge
Take the pledge. This is the temporary site. The full-service site will be up soon.
If you are a blogger who has taken the pledge and linked to the site, please send me a note so I can add your support here.
I interviewed Tony Snow at the top of the program today, and Senator Norm Coleman is scheduled in hour two.
After you have taken the pledge, please call Senator McConnell’s office and urge a filibuster of Senator Biden’s and Senator Warner’s resolutions.
Senator McConnell’s office number is (202) 224-2541. The capitol switchboard is 202-225-3121. Senator McConnell’s e-mail is here.
Yesterday General Petraeus testified that the Biden/Warner resolutions and those like them encourage the enemy.
What does it mean, “to encourage the enemy?”
It means that the enemy gathers will and strength from the prospect of a collapsing political will to seek victory in Iraq and stability in the region.
With that additional strength and will the enemy redoubles and retriples efforts to kill American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
In short, it means that more Americans will die.
Flap took the pledge last night.
But, will take it again……
This is too important an issue. The War TRUMPS Party.
Check out the signatures here.
Stay tuned…….
Others Blogging:
Previous:
Michael Ramirez on the GOP and the Iraq War – Take The Pledge
Technorati Tags: MichaelRamirez, IraqWar, JohnWarner, MitchMcConnell
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CapitolAlert Watch: New Subscription Only Blog From the Sacramento Bee
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
Los Angeles Times: Uh, Nice Tie
There’s a new blog in town. No, it’s not CapitolAlert, the $499 service by the Sacramento Bee, which executive editor Rick Rodriguez said was designed to “capitalize on our brand as a premier provider of information about California politics and policy.” Notice Rodriguez diplomatically said “a” premier provider, not “the” premier provider.
Flap frankly doesn’t see how this business model works for the Sacramento Bee. In the early days of on-line newspaper journalism, readership fell precipitously when newspapers sold subscriptions. But, readership continues to fall for the MSM press so now why not try to recoup some costs?
Somehow I am skeptical – as is Robert Sallady at the Los Angeles Times.
And Flap is surprised that long time blogger Dan Weintraub will now be under the pay to read banner. Perhaps he will have an at home anonymous blog for the rest of the blogosphere?
Technorati Tags: CapitolAlert, SacramentoBee, LosAngelesTimes, DanWeintraub
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Rudy Giuliani Watch: In or Out?
The Politico: Failed 2000 N.Y. Campaign Casts Shadow Over Giuliani’s 2008 Ambition
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is finally scrambling to beat back a crippling perception that his bid for president isn’t quite serious. But even as he begins to hire aides and consultants, many of his New York supporters and critics, as well as neutral observers, see a repeat of his half-hearted, unfinished 2000 campaign for Senate.
“At this moment in history I do not believe he’s running for president; I just don’t believe it,” said Mike Long, chairman of the Conservative Party of New York State. “I don’t know of anyone who’s gotten a call saying, ‘I’m running, I need you to get behind me,’ same as happened before.”
“I’m having a real hard time believing the guy is taking it seriously,” said a former Guiliani aide, who said that he would love to see him become president. “In 2000 there was this feeling that he didn’t have to play by all the rules that little people have to play by, and I see that even more strongly now.
Well, who REALLY knows what lies in a candidate’s heart?
But, the POLITICO wants to get into the arena and why not raise a strawman issue of whether the GOP front-runner will even run?
Flap bets John McCain and Mitt Romney hope Rudy drops out.
You think?
Another point:
The Politico has the right to publish whatever they wish. But, it is a little below the belt to publish a PDF of “STOLEN” campaign documents without redacting some of the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
As a journalist you can leave the names but in today’s world, the amount of SPAM and weird calls/e-mails should be enough to inconvenience/piss-off any donor from ever giving up his/her information in the first place.
Additional Point:
To Hizzoner’s media advisors – work on the Mayor’s eye expressions. Unlike Hillary and Nancy Pelosi it is obvious he has not had any Botox. However, “Bug Eyes” distract from the message.
Stay tuned…….
Update:
Mayor Giuliani will be in South Carolina on February 3rd to speak to the state’s GOP convention. Rudy will be in California the following weekend speaking to the California GOP. It is rumored that California GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be having a photo-op with Hizzoner.
Update #2
Representative Mary Bono, R- Palm Springs (California) endorses Giuliani for President.
Rep. Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs, has already picked her candidate for president in 2008 — former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani is the right man for the job, Bono said, adding that she’s in line with “most of his philosophies.â€
“Most of all, he showed tremendous leadership on Sept. 11 (2001),” she said. “It could not have been planned or staged. It was truly him, the man, rising to the occasion. I admire that.”
Giuliani has not yet formally announced his intention to run for president, but has formed an exploratory committee to examine the possibility. Bono’s campaign is sponsoring a golf event to raise funds for Giuliani’s committee on Tuesday, at the Rancho Mirage home and golf course of Edra Blixseth, Porcupine Creek Golf Club. Information: (310) 500-4284 or by e-mail at events@marybono.com
Previous:
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Iowa Poll Shows Giuliani Leading
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Florida Speech Focuses on LEADERSHIP
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Angus Reid Poll Has Giuliani Beating McCain by 7 Points
Hillary Clinton Watch: Hillary Blog Ads on Center-Right Blogs
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Rasmussen Poll Has Giuliani Leading McCain
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Patrick Ruffini Hired For Giuliani Presidential e-Campaign
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Florida Return for Giuliani This Week
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Angus Reid Poll Has Giuliani Beating Clinton 53-42
Rudy Giuliani Watch: California LIKELY To Move Presidential Primary to February 5
President 2008 Watch: Newsweek Poll – Giuliani and McCain Beating Hillary ET Al?
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Post-ABC Poll Giuliani Leads
Rudy Giuliani Watch: ARG Poll – Giuliani Leads 7 of 8 States Including California
Rudy Giuliani Watch: New Hampshire Events Scheduled Next Week
Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani
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Day By Day by Chris Muir January 24, 2007
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Barack Obama Watch: Barack a MUSLIM – Story Debunked
CNN: CNN debunks false report about ObamaAllegations that Sen. Barack Obama was educated in a radical Muslim school known as a “madrassa” are not accurate, according to CNN reporting.
Insight Magazine, which is owned by the same company as The Washington Times, reported on its Web site last week that associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, had unearthed information the Illinois Democrat and likely presidential candidate attended a Muslim religious school known for teaching the most fundamentalist form of Islam.
Obama lived in Indonesia as a child, from 1967 to 1971, with his mother and stepfather and has acknowledged attending a Muslim school, but an aide said it was not a madrassa.
Video on the story is here.
Well, a first in the beginning of 2008 Presidential media controversies.
It is going to be a long year before the first elections.
Oh, and the lesson learned in all of this?
Barack is not going to allow Hillary, Begala and Carville push him around.
Stay tuned……….
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Barack Obama Watch: Hillary Strikes Back – Barack a MUSLIM But Concealed ITBarack Obama Watch: David Geffen and Hollywood Heavyweights Backing Obama
Barack Obama Watch: Playing on the White Man’s Court . . . by the White Man’s Rules
Hillary Clinton Watch: Barack Obama’s Presidential Candidacy Will Diminish
Hillary Clinton Watch: Clearing the Field
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Giuliani Continues to Lead Clinton, Gore
Hillary Clinton Watch: Iraq War – “Wouldn’t Have Voted That Wayâ€
Technorati Tags: HillaryClinton, BarackObama
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Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Iowa Poll Shows Giuliani Leading
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
Strategic Vision: Poll Results – IA
Below are the results of a three-day poll in the state of Iowa. Results are based on telephone interviews with 600 likely Republican cacus goers and 600 likely Democratic cacus goers, aged 18+, and conducted January 19-21, 2007. The margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.
1. If the 2008 Republican presidential caucus were held today between, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Chuck Hagel, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, George Pataki, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo, and Tommy Thompson for whom would you vote? (Republicans Only; Names Rotated)
Rudy Giuliani 25%
John McCain 21%
Newt Gingrich 13%
Mitt Romney 8%
Chuck Hagel 7%
Tommy Thompson 2%
Tom Tancredo 2%
Sam Brownback 2%
Mike Huckabee 1%
George Pataki 1%
Jim Gilmore 1%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Undecided 16%
Good news for Giuliani to be ahead but due to the uniqueness of the Iowa GOP caucus system, hands-on organization will win the election in Iowa.
But, will Iowa be as relevant if Florida and California change their primary elections to February 5, 2008 – Super Tuesday?
NOPE……
Stay tuned……
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Rudy Giuliani Watch: Florida Speech Focuses on LEADERSHIP
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Angus Reid Poll Has Giuliani Beating McCain by 7 Points
Hillary Clinton Watch: Hillary Blog Ads on Center-Right Blogs
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Rasmussen Poll Has Giuliani Leading McCain
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Patrick Ruffini Hired For Giuliani Presidential e-Campaign
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Florida Return for Giuliani This Week
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Angus Reid Poll Has Giuliani Beating Clinton 53-42
Rudy Giuliani Watch: California LIKELY To Move Presidential Primary to February 5
President 2008 Watch: Newsweek Poll – Giuliani and McCain Beating Hillary ET Al?
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Post-ABC Poll Giuliani Leads
Rudy Giuliani Watch: ARG Poll – Giuliani Leads 7 of 8 States Including California
Rudy Giuliani Watch: New Hampshire Events Scheduled Next Week
Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani
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Rudy Giuliani Watch: Florida Speech Focuses on LEADERSHIP
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
Bradenton Herald: Giuliani leads by principle
After the two terrorist-flown airplanes struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani became known internationally for his effective leadership.
Giuliani was in town Tuesday to talk about that leadership as part of the Town Hall 2007 lecture series presented by the Ringling School Library Association.
He used his book, “Leadership,” which he called a guide to becoming a more effective leader, as the basis for the talk.
Before speaking to the packed house of about 1,600 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, he was asked how he would rate the leadership qualities of President Bush.
“I’m a big supporter of the president,” Giuliani said. “He has the quality of setting goals and sticking to them.”
He said Bush made the biggest decision of his presidency after the attacks, “to go on the offensive against terrorism,” and said going to Iraq was part of that strategy.
“Whether you agree with being in Iraq or not,” said Giuliani, a potential Republican candidate for president, “we’re there now and a precipitous withdrawal would be a terrible victory for terrorism.”
After the State of the Union address by President Bush, the Mayor was on Fox News commenting on the speech:
Rudy Giuliani: “It did what the president had to do, which was to get us kind of beyond Iraq, meaning there are a lot of other things we have to concentrate on. There are a lot of things that are very important to us, including Iraq, and the president spoke mostly about those things.”
On WH ’08: “I’m afraid that 2012 election may start before this one is over. These things are really happening very quickly. You just have to adjust to it, and deal with it. And I’ll make a decision, you know, as quickly as I can about whether it is the right thing to do. But we’re exploring it, we’re putting together people, we’re getting a great deal of support.”
On HRC: “She has the kind of lead on the Democratic side that really no one on the Republican side has. I mean, we’re sort of pretty close together, particularly John McCain and I” (FNC, 1/23).
While in Florida, Hizzoner criticized the United Nations and their failure to act:
Former New York City mayor and potential presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani began an hour-and-a-half-long speech in Sarasota on Tuesday by poking fun at the organization founded to help maintain international law.
He had taken to calling New York “the capital of the world” as he worked his constituency. This, he said, generated letters from other mayors around the country wondering who awarded New York that title. One of them asked if the United Nations had passed a resolution bestowing the honor on the Big Apple.
“This is before we knew the United Nations can’t pass resolutions,” Giuliani told the audience.
During his hour long Florida speech, Giuliani outlined his six principles of becoming a good leader.
“We learn how to be leaders,” he said, explaining how lessons learned during his life helped him run New York City, especially dealing with the personal experience of having prostate cancer.
“You try to relate how to run a business, government or organization with how to deal with a crisis in life,” he said, engaging the audience as he walked around the large stage and emphasized his points with hand gestures.
The first of his principles of good leadership was to have a set of beliefs.
“Too many politicians make decisions based on opinion polls,” said the popular politician. “They do that to reflect what you think.”
He said that was the opposite of leadership. “That’s not a leader,” he said. “That’s an actor.”
Giuliani tenets
The six principles Rudy Giuliani said are necessary to make a good leader:
• You have to have a set of beliefs.
• You have to be an optimist.
• You have to have courage.
• You have to take risks, but prepare for them.
• You have to develop teamwork.
• You have to communicate.
Stay tuned………..
Previous:
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Angus Reid Poll Has Giuliani Beating McCain by 7 Points
Hillary Clinton Watch: Hillary Blog Ads on Center-Right Blogs
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Rasmussen Poll Has Giuliani Leading McCain
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Patrick Ruffini Hired For Giuliani Presidential e-Campaign
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Florida Return for Giuliani This Week
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Angus Reid Poll Has Giuliani Beating Clinton 53-42
Rudy Giuliani Watch: California LIKELY To Move Presidential Primary to February 5
President 2008 Watch: Newsweek Poll – Giuliani and McCain Beating Hillary ET Al?
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Latest Post-ABC Poll Giuliani Leads
Rudy Giuliani Watch: ARG Poll – Giuliani Leads 7 of 8 States Including California
Rudy Giuliani Watch: New Hampshire Events Scheduled Next Week
Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani