• Sarah Palin

    Sarah Palin’s Got Bigger Problems Than Charles Krauthammer

    • "But Palin has bigger problems than Krauthammer. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that 60 percent of registered voters said they would “definitely not consider” voting for Palin for president and that she would lose to President Obama in a head-to-head match-up by a margin of 53-40 percent.
    • Palin’s popularity among Republicans continues to be high, and she will be a formidable contender for the GOP nomination if, as appears likely, she runs. But her appeal is limited to those who already share her views. Palin’s resentment of the Washington establishment and perhaps even of such intellectual gatekeepers of the conservative movement as Krauthammer may resonate with many conservative voters, but her attitude (which is the opposite of conservative icon Ronald Reagan’s genial responses to hostile media) alienates everyone else.

    • Everything she does and says lately seems geared toward reinforcing the negative opinion of that 60 percent already convinced that she isn’t qualified to be the commander in chief. And there’s simply no way that a person that six out of 10 voters wouldn’t vote for under any circumstances can be elected president.

    • So, rather than taunting people like Krauthammer, who merely said aloud what so many others are thinking about her unpresidential demeanor, maybe Sarah Palin ought to be waking up to the fact that she is simply unelectable."


    Read all of the piece re: The Factor appearance last night.

    Sarah Palin will be formidable in a multi-way GOP primary election and most probably will be able to beat Mitt Romney or Mitch Daniels for the nomination (Mike Huckabee would not run if Palin does).

    However, I don’t think she would be able to beat Obama – at least if the election were held today.

    As I have said, better for her to keep her Fox News job and run for Alaska Senate in 2014 if she wants to hold elective office again.

    Sarah is young and needs more experience in the policy arena before voters will trust her with the Presidency.

    tags: Sarah_Palin

    The rest of my favorite links are here.

  • California

    Reapportionment Preview: Mapping Out States “On the Bubble”

    • "On Tuesday, the Census Bureau will fulfill its constitutional mandate and release its highly anticipated official state population totals and the resulting allotment of House seats and Electoral College votes for the next decade.

    • For some states, there isn’t much suspense. Georgia, Nevada, and Utah are all but certain to gain an additional seat in the House, while Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are all but certain to lose a seat and Ohio is all but certain to lose two seats.

    • However, much like NCAA basketball teams anticipate Selection Sunday, some states are “on the bubble” and won’t know how many seats they will have until Tuesday. According to population estimates released by Election Data Services’ Kimball Brace, the ten states in contention for the “last five” seats in the House (in order of likelihood to make the cut) are South Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, Washington, Texas, New York, California, Arizona, North Carolina, and Illinois.

    • While South Carolina, Washington, California, and North Carolina are all in the running for one additional seat, Minnesota and Illinois are fighting just to preserve their current totals. The big winner, Texas, will gain either three or four new seats. Florida and Arizona will either gain one or two new seats. And New York will lose either one or two of its current seats. What’s at stake in the reapportionment release for these “bubble” states in 2012 and beyond?"

      tags: California Reapportionment

    Read the rest.

    This reapportionment undoubtedly help the GOP in its Presidential ambitions for 2012 as most gains are in already predominate "Red States."

    Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

  • Unemployment Rate

    Obamanomics: Ventura County California Unemployment Rate Rises to 10.8%

    The economy is not good in Ventura County, California.

    Ventura County’s unemployment rate rose to 10.8 percent in November from a revised 10.5 percent in October, state officials said today.

    California’s unemployment rate remains unchanged at 12.4 percent while the nation’s unemployment rate has edged up to 9.8 percent after three months rooted at 9.6 percent.

    Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger put out a statement this morning urging Gov.-elect Jerry Brown and the Legislature to focus on California’s employers.

    At least the President has just signed a continuation of the Bush-Era Tax Cuts and Rates. But, more has to be done to cut spending, regulation and taxes.

  • START

    START Treaty Whip Count Says NO Ratification?


    Political Cartoon by Michael Ramirez

    The latest GOP whip count has the START Treaty failing ratification (needs 2/3 of Senate in the affirmative for ratification).

    Watching the floor debate in the Senate today, Senator McCain looks like a no on New START, and Sen. Corker — who voted the treaty out of committee — appears increasingly sore over Reid’s decision to bring votes on DREAM and DADT alongside New START. The scuttlebutt from Hill staffers is that Senator Graham might be leaning no as well. Isakson, who also voted with the Democrats to pass START out of committe, will prove key. If all four are going to oppose New START, it probably can’t pass.

  • Sarah Palin,  START

    Sarah Palin Urges Senate Republicans to Vote NO on New START Treaty

    Here is her post over at National Review.

    The proposed New START agreement should be evaluated by the only criteria that matters for a treaty: Is it in America’s interest?  I am convinced this treaty is not.  It should not be rammed through in the lame duck session using behind the scenes deal-making reminiscent of the tactics used in the health care debate.

    New START actually requires the U.S. to reduce our nuclear weapons and allows the Russians to increase theirs.  This is one-sided and makes no strategic sense.  New START’s verification regime is weaker than the treaty it replaces, making it harder for us to detect Russian cheating.  Since we now know Russia has not complied with many arms control agreements currently in force, this is a serious matter. 

    Read it all.

    It is probably best to table the treaty and have the next Senate review and/or amend it. There really is NO hurry to rush the debate.

  • Dream Act

    The DREAM Act Senate Vote is Tomorrow: Melt the Phones

    telephoneoperators57762 The DREAM Act is BACK   Melt The Phones to Stop the DREAM Act

    Melt the Phones, Patriots

    The DREAM Act vote WILL be tomorrow in the U.S. Senate.

    Sen. Reid’s change of plans was announced suddenly Thursday evening.

    Does that mean he thinks he has the 60 votes to pass this amnesty? Not necessarily. Our NumbersUSA whip count says he doesn’t have the votes. But votes could change over the next 24 hours under the barrage of last-minute personal appeals from poster-child illegal-alien students and groups of local clergy all saying the amnesty is a moral requirement. Pres. Obama put out an appeal for clergy to help him round up the last votes needed.

    So, the moment of truth is upon every one of us. Will we rise to the occasion and help our allies in the Senate defeat this amnesty?

    So, melt the phones to these 12 Senators and urge them to vote NO on the DREAM Act.

    Florida
    George LeMieux (R)

    Washington, DC ph: 202-224-3041 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 205100001
    Coral Gables, FL ph: 305-418-8553 adr: 8669 NW 36th St.,, Coral Gables, FL 33166
    Jacksonville, FL ph: 904-398-8586 adr: 1650 Prudential Drive,, Jacksonville, FL 32207
    Pensacola, FL ph: 850-433-2603 adr: 1 N. Palafox St., Pensacola, FL 32502
    Tampa, FL ph: 813-977-6450 adr: 3802 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612

    Kansas
    Sam Brownback (R)

    Washington, DC ph: 202-224-6521 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 205100001
    Topeka, KS ph: 785-233-2503 adr: 612 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS 66603
    Garden City, KS ph: 620-275-1124 adr: 811 North Main St., Garden City, KS 67846
    Overland Park, KS ph: 913-492-6378 adr: 11111 West 95th – Suite 245, Overland Park, KS 66214
    Wichita, KS ph: 316-264-8066 adr: 245 N. Waco, Wichita, KS 67202
    Pittsburgh, KS ph: 620-231-6040 adr: 1001-C N. Broadway, Pittsburgh, KS 66762

    MAINE

    Susan Collins (R)
    Washington, DC: ph: 202-224-2523 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
    Augusta: ph: 207-622-8414 adr: 68 Seawall Street, Augusta, ME 04330
    Bangor: ph: 207-945-0417 adr: 202 Harlow Street – Room 204, Bangor, ME 04401
    Biddeford: ph: 207-283-1101 adr: 160 Main Street, Biddeford, ME 04005
    Caribou: ph: 207-493-7873 adr: 25 Sweden Street – Suite A, Caribou, ME 04736
    Lewiston: ph: 207-784-6969 adr: 11 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME 04240
    Portland: ph: 207-780-3575 adr: 1 City Center, Portland, ME 04101

    Olympia Snowe (R)

    Washington, DC: ph: 202-224-5344 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
    Auburn: ph: 207-786-2451 adr: Two Great Falls Plaza, Auburn, ME 04210
    Augusta: ph: 207-622-8292 adr: 68 Sewall Street – Suite 101C, Augusta, ME 04330
    Bangor: ph: 207-945-0432 adr: 1 Cumberland Place, Bangor, ME 04401
    Biddeford: ph: 207-282-4144 adr: 231 Main Street, Suite 2, Biddeford, ME 04005
    Lewiston: ph: 207-784-6969 adr: 11 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME 04240
    Portland: ph: 207-874-0883 adr: 3 Canal Plaza – Suite 601, Portland, ME 04112
    Presque Isle: ph: 207-764-5124 adr: 169 Academy Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769

    MONTANA

    Max Baucus (D)
    Washington, DC ph: 202-224-2651 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
    Billings: ph: 406-657-6790 adr: 202 Fratt Building, Billings, MT 59101
    Bozeman: ph: 406-586-6104 adr: Federal Building, Bozeman, MT 59715
    Butte: ph: 406-782-8700 adr: Silver Bow Center, Butte, MT 59701
    Great Falls: ph: 406-761-1574 adr: 18 5th Street South, Great Falls, MT 59401
    Helena: ph: 406-449-5480 adr: 225 Cruse Avenue – Suite D, Helena, MT 59601
    Missoula: ph: 406-329-3123 adr: 211 North Higgins – Room 102, Missoula, MT 59802

    Jon Tester (D)
    Washington, DC: ph: 202-224-2644 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 205100001
    Billings: ph: 406-252-0550 adr: 222 North 32nd Street, Billings, MT 59101
    Helena: ph: 406-449-5401 adr: 208 North Montana Avenue, Helena, MT 59601
    Missoula, MT ph: 406-728-3003 adr: 116 West Front Street, Missoula, MT 59802
    Butte, MT ph: 406-723-3277 adr: 125 West Granite, Butte, MT 59701
    Great Falls, MT ph: 406-452-9585 adr: 321 First Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401
    Kalispell, MT ph: 406-257-3360 adr: 1845 Highway 93 South, Kalispell, MT 59901

    NORTH CAROLINA
    Kay Hagan (D)

    Washington, DC: ph: 202-224-6342 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
    Greensboro: ph: 336-333-5311 adr: 701 Green Valley Rd, Greensboro, NC 27408
    Raleigh: ph: 919-856-4630 adr: 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27601

    NORTH DAKOTA
    Kent Conrad (D)

    Washington, DC: ph: 202-224-2043 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
    Bismarck: ph: 701-258-4648 adr: Federal Building, Bismarck, ND 58501
    Fargo: ph: 701-232-8030 adr: Federal Building, Fargo, ND 58102
    Grand Forks: ph: 701-775-9601 adr: Federal Building, Grand Forks, ND 58203
    Minot: ph: 701-852-0703 adr: 100 First Street SW, Suite 105, Minot, ND 58701

    OHIO
    George Voinovich (R)

    Washington, DC ph: 202-224-3353 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 205100001
    Nelsonville, OH ph: 740-441-6410 adr: 78 West Washington Street, Nelsonville, OH 45764
    Columbus, OH ph: 614-469-6697 adr: 37 West Broad Street – Room 310, Columbus, OH 43215
    Toledo, OH ph: 419-259-3895 adr: 420 Madison Avenue – Room 1210, Toledo, OH 43604
    Cincinnati, OH ph: 513-684-3265 adr: 36 East 7th Street – Room 2615, Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Cleveland, OH ph: 216-522-7095 adr: 1240 East 9th Street – Suite 2955, Cleveland, OH 44199

    TEXAS
    Kay Bailey Hutchison (R)

    Washington, DC ph: 202-224-5922 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 205100001
    Harlingen, TX ph: 956-412-1468 adr: 222 East Van Buren Street, Harlingen, TX 78550
    Dallas, TX ph: 214-361-3500 adr: 10440 North Central Expressway – Suite 1160, LB 606, Dallas, TX 75231
    Houston, TX ph: 713-653-3456 adr: 1919 Smith Street – Suite 800, Houston, TX 77002
    Austin, TX ph: 512-916-5834 adr: Federal Building, Austin, TX 78701
    San Antonio, TX ph: 210-340-2885 adr: 145 Duncan Drive, San Antonio, TX 78226
    Abilene, TX ph: 325-676-2839 adr: 500 Chestnut Street – Suite 1570, Abilene, TX 79602

    WEST VIRGINIA
    Joe Manchin (D)

    Washington, DC
    ph: 202-224-3954 adr: 311 Hart Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510

    NEW HAMPSHIRE
    Judd Gregg (R)

    Washington, DC ph: 202-224-3324 adr: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 205100001
    Berlin, AL ph: 603-752-2604 adr: 60 Pleasant Street, Berlin, AL 03570
    Portsmouth, NH ph: 603-431-2171 adr: 16 Pease Blvd., Portsmouth, NH 03801
    Manchester, NH ph: 603-622-7979 adr: 41 Hooksett Street, Manchester, NH 03104
    Concord, NH ph: 603-225-7115 adr: 125 North Main Street, Concord, NH 03301

  • Sarah Palin

    President 2012 Poll Watch: 59 Per Cent Will NOT Vote for Sarah Palin


     

    These are tough poll results for Sarah Palin.

    59 percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll flatly rule out voting for Palin for president — substantially more than say there’s no way they’d vote for Obama, or, for that matter, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. And Obama leads Palin by a wide margin in current vote preferences, factoring Bloomberg in or out.

    It’s too early in the 2012 presidential election cycle to make too much of the horse-race results in this poll, produced byLanger Research Associates for ABC News. But the numbers of Americans who say they wouldn’t even consider voting for Palin — and the even larger number who see her as unqualified for the presidency (67 percent in an ABC/Post poll in October) — indicate serious obstacles in her path, even if not of the antlered variety
    The trends, moreover, are not in Palin’s favor. Just over a year ago 53 percent said they wouldn’t consider her for president. That’s risen, as noted, to 59 percent now, and includes significant chunks of the GOP base, such as 27 percent of John McCain voters, nearly three in 10 Republicans, four in 10 conservatives and four in 10 evangelical white Protestants. About equal numbers of men (58 percent) and women (60 percent) rule Palin out.

    Just eight percent of Americans say they’d “definitely” vote for Palin were she to run for president; an additional 31 percent say they’d consider it. But that adds up to just 39 percent who’d even give her a look (41 percent if you count the undecideds) — well short of what it customarily takes to win the White House, absent an unusually strong third-party candidate.

    At this point, I do not believe Sarah Palin would run.

    As I have said, she will have to assess her poll match up results against President Obama in the Spring. I do believe she can win the GOP nomination. But, this will be a pretty hollow victory when she can make $ millions as a pundit and preserve her political viability by not running and keeping her powder dry, so to speak.

    Then, there is an Alaska U.S. Senate seat which is held by a Democrat (Mark Begich) that comes up in 2014.

  • California Budget,  Jerry Brown

    Jerry Brown’s California Doomsday Strategy Very Risky

    “Gov.-elect Jerry Brown appears poised to ask voters next year to raise taxes, or at least continue some temporary taxes that will soon expire, or see vital public programs, such as the schools, suffer irreparable harm.

    Ever since his election last month, the once and future governor has been hinting that he’ll ask voters for additional state revenues to partially close a whopping budget deficit, now approaching $30 billion during the next 18 months.

    As Brown staged the second of his public budget talk fests Tuesday, this one at UCLA and devoted to education, his doomsday strategy became clearer, although one had to interpret his characteristically elliptical allegories to see it.

    Brown said he’ll propose a budget in January that will be so shocking that those affected should read about it while sitting down and hopes to conclude a deal in the Legislature within 60 days.

    That’s clearly aimed at having a special election in May or June to give voters the choice of absorbing drastic cuts in education and other major state programs or reducing the impact, perhaps by half, by increasing taxes.”

    Jerry Brown will NEVER cut public services unless he is faced with certain insolvency. He would much rather campaign for tax increases and this is what he will do.

    But, the question is: How will unemployed citizens pay the taxes? And, how much can you push the public when there is so much uncertainty in the economy and they are not working.

    California is broken and only dramatic, permanet cuts in its budget will restore some semblence of fiscal soundness.

    tags: California California_Budget Jerry_Brown

    Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Arnold Schwarzenegger: Hasta La Vista, FAILURE

    Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses the fiscal emergency he declared during a Capitol news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 6, 2010. Schwarzenegger asked lawmakers to meet in a special session to close an immediate $6 billion deficit

    After the disastrous California Governor Gray Davis and his recall some seven years ago, how could anything else go wrong?

    Well, it did and Arnold Schwarzenegger was it – a colossal failure.

    In his headier and hunkier days, Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke boldly about how “failure is not an option.” This kind of bravado worked well in the gym–and in a remarkable career that saw an inarticulate Austrian body-builder rise to the apex of Hollywood and California politics.

    But Schwarzenegger’s soon-to-be-ended seven-year reign as California’s governor can be best described in just that one simple world: failure.

    Read all of the piece.

    Arnold never was able to shake off the Hollywood persona and make believe. He has damaged California and the California Republican Party beyond belief.

    Good bye Arnold and don’t let the door hit you in the ass as you leave – Hasta La Vista, Baby.

    Good riddance.