• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 19th on 07:16

    These are my links for May 19th from 07:16 to 08:31:

    • Iowa Straw Poll Could Offer Another Glimpse of Daniels’ Presidential Leanings – The Republican Party of Iowa holds its first meeting to discuss ground rules for the closely-watched Ames Straw Poll in August. Even potential campaigns have been invited to send representatives, but the Iowa party hasn't said whether Daniels is doing so.

      A Daniels delegation might be the clearest sign yet the Indiana governor plans to run. But Southern Illinois University's David Yepsen. who covered seven presidential campaigns for the Des Moines Register, says it's not critical that members of his team attend.

      "I don't think they need to have an operative there, because there'll be so many people who do have people there," Yepsen says." There is a past tradition and practices; even if Mitch Daniels doesn't have someone in the room, anything that protects the integrity of the process would be something that would benefit him."

      A more significant deadline is July 23. That's when the Iowa G-O-P will finalize the ballot for the August 13 straw poll.

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      Read it all.

      Yeah, but I wouldn't expect anyone from the Daniels camp to be there.

    • Moderate Jon Huntsman, possible 2012 candidate, tests the waters in today’s GOP – At issue is Huntsman’s support for Obama’s economic stimulus package, which he said wasn’t large enough; for the Wall Street bailout; and for cap-and-trade climate legislation, which he has since backed away from, saying recently that it is a flawed approach.

      “He’s going to have to answer policy questions, and that’s a bigger challenge, but there is plenty of room in New Hampshire for another candidate,” said Fergus Cullen, former chairman of the Republican Party in the Granite State. “All of the candidates are putting their energy and focus into the so-called tea party activists, and nobody is campaigning for the broad mainstream of primary voters.”

      =====

      Puff piece profile of Jon Huntsman who really is running for the future and not 2012.

    • Who will be the John McCain of 2012? – Jon Huntsman: There is only one candidate in today’s prospective Republican field with the record, rhetoric, and staff to be the 2012 John McCain. That is former-Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.

      Not only has Huntsman served as President Obama’s ambassador to China, he also has also supported cap and trade, Obama’s economic stimulus, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and same-sex marriage civil unions.

      He’s been endorsed by no less a far-left liberal than former-President Jimmy Carter, and he has called Obama “a remarkable leader” who provides a “brilliant analysis of world events.”

      Like clockwork, the media elite are doing their part. Time Magazine has an article this week titled: “Jon Huntsman: The Potential Republican Presidential Candidate Democrats Most Fear.”

      No they don’t. Democrats would love a Huntsman run. But the story line is an old favorite of former-McCain strategist and current-Huntsman aid John Weaver. It is the same story he planted numerous time during the 2000 primary campaign.

      Weaver is not the only McCain veteran on Huntsman’s staff. Longtime Weaver ally and television ad consultant Fred Davis, communications adviser Matt David, spokesman Tim Miller, and media buyer Kyle Roberts are also McCain alums now working for Huntsman.

      President Ronald Reagan said “personnel is policy.” That makes Huntsman the 2012 McCain winner hands down.

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      Yeah not Mitch Daniels but Huntsman.

    • Flap’s Links and Comments for May 19th on 07:13 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links and Comments for May 19th on 07:13 #tcot #catcot
  • Mitch Daniels,  President 2012

    President 2012 Video: Mitch Daniels at the Ripon Society

    First Half of Governor Mitch Daniels’ Address to The Ripon Society on June 10. 2009.

    Jennifer Rubin over at the Washington Post has the hatchet out yet again for Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. This time it is over a speech delivered in 2009.

    This devastating clip from a Ripon Society speech demonstrates why conservatives mistrust Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels:

    Here is the clip which is part two of Daniel’s speech delivered almost two years ago (and note before the 2010 midterm elections when the GOP won back the House):

    Second half of Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels’ address to The Ripon Society, June 10, 2009

    It is very noteworthy that Jennifer does not date the video or mention the date anywhere in the text of her post. Doesn’t that lead the reader to believe that it was delivered recently?

    When Daniels says the GOP should avoid “wedge” issues, that means the entire debate must conform to what the Democrats will tolerate: “The whole concept of a wedge issue should be foreign to us if we really want to come back.” That is not what the party’s base wants to hear. They want to set the agenda, not capitulate before beginning the bargaining. More than any single issue, it is this attitude that will be an anathema to the Republican primary electorate. Daniels is also, not to be too indelicate, boring.

    Well, we all know that Rubin, the former California Labor attorney, turned pundit, is pushing Paul Ryan and Chris Christie to run for the Presidency. But, she shouldn’t let her preferences to cloud or obfuscate Daniel’s record.

    Listen to Daniel’s speech – all of it and let me know if this is a “devastating clip?”

    Perhaps, I am being “moderate” or naive but I thought one of the first tenants of elected politics is to NOT alienate voters. I think that is what Mitch is saying here. The RIGHT Ideas and issues are what determines your success at the polls.

    Since I have run and held office in California and Rubin hasn’t, perhaps Mitch and I understand this just a little more.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 19th on 07:13

    These are my links for May 19th from 07:13 to 07:14:

    • Boeing-busting union admits: PAC $ buys access to politicians – The Machinists Union lodge in the Puget Sound — the guys whose complaint led to the National Labor Relations Board's decision that could force Boeing to shrink back from its expansion into South Carolina — has a new newsletter out asking members to allow a payroll deduction to the union's political action committee.

      The union explicitly states that such campaign contributions buy access. Here's the relevant passage:

      Q) What difference will my small contribution make when it takes so much money to elect a candidate?

      A) STRENGTH IN NUMBERS – By itself, your contribution does not mean much.  But then, your voice alone would not mean much in improving your wages, hours, and working conditions.

      When we pool our MNPL dollars, like we pool our strength in collective bargaining, we are strong. Collectively, MNPL money gains your Union access to officials, which is critical to get our issues addressed and ensure our input is heard.

      This is nothing scandalous. It's just unusually honest.

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      Read it all

      This is how the unions roll….

    • Charles Koch: Economic freedom key to improving society – Our government made a point of reforming its welfare policies for individuals but not for corporations. Cap-and-trade proposals, the health care bill, federal bailouts and "green" subsidies all favor a few businesses (usually large ones) at the expense of consumers, taxpayers and most other companies.

      Unfair programs that favor certain companies — such as the current well-intentioned but misguided suggestion that the natural-gas industry should receive enormous new subsidies — don't just happen. They are promoted, in large part, by those seeking to profit politically, rather than by competing in a market where consumers vote with their wallets.

      By contrast, we lobby against regulations or policies that would increase our profits at the expense of consumers. We believe in satisfying customers by competing on equal terms, rather than the government picking winners and losers.

      For example, because ethanol use is mandated, we were compelled to be in that business, so we chose to be in it in the most competitive way we could. We still oppose ethanol subsidies and mandates, even though some of our businesses would benefit from them.

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      Read it all

  • Michele Bachmann,  Mike Huckabee,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin

    President 2012: The Pros and Cons of Mitch Daniels

    Jennifer Rubin over at the Washington Post makes the case or not on a Mitch Daniels Presidential run.  

    On the positive side, he’s been a successful governor, implemented health-care reform that doesn’t rely on forcing people to buy insurance they don’t want, has a strong education plan and has won two statewide elections. In other words, his track record is nearly as good as Tim Pawlenty’s. He is smart, articulate, good with facts and figures, and is, by any measure, a serious candidate. In his gubernatorial runs he proved to be a very effective, down-to-earth candidate that could relate to relatively non-ideological, middle-class voters, the very ones who will be up for grabs in 2012. He is solidly grounded in a limited-government perspective. He has been an outspoken opponent of cap-and-trade.

    On the downside, he seems to have gone out of his way to needlessly antagonize social conservatives with his “truce” talk and anger hawks, by embracing defense cuts and suggesting America should do less in the world. He appears overly eager to seek the advice of and incur the approval of non-conservative elites. The prospect of Secretary of State Dick Lugar sends chills up the spine of many conservatives. According to many former Bush officials, he does not take input from anyone — subordinates, colleagues and certainly not critics. (The conviction that one is the “smartest man in the room” leads one to ignore important criticism and pile the miscues.) He has indicated his receptivity to a value-added tax. His tenure as George W. Bush’s OMB director may be a liability not a strength in this election. And finally, his tunnel vision on debt control, if adhered to in office, would wind up lacking focus on economic growth andsacrificing many other issues important to conservatives (e.g. judges,right-to-work).

    But, Jennifer, who has never been a Daniels fan and who favors a run by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, looks at Daniels in a vacuum. The primary election will be a face off between Daniels (if and when he decides to run) and Mitt Romney.

    With Mike Huckabee out, there will be a vacuum on the RIGHT which either Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin or both will fill. Paul Ryan and Chris Christie will NOT be running and it is doubtful that they will enter the race with these four candidates, plus Ron Paul and Tim Pawlenty in the race. Jennifer gives a hopeful, but flawed analysis.

    These (Daniels Vs. Romney and Palin Vs. Bachmann) will be the semi-final races going into Super Tuesday and beyond.

    So, Jennifer, who would you support Daniels or Romney? Who would be the better candidate against President Obama?

    I would submit a ticket of Romney-Daniels or Daniels-Bachmann would make a very interesting team going into the summer of 2012.

  • Craig Huey,  Debra Bowen,  Janice Hahn

    CA-36 Update: Craig Huey Upsets Democrat Debra Bowen and Faces Janice Hahn in Run Off in July

    Republican Craig Huey on election night, May 18, 2011

    There continue to be around 9,800 uncounted ballots but here are the results so far:

    Here is the link to the Los Angeles County Clerk’s office, where you can watch the updated totals.

    Democrat Janice Hahn appears headed to a second round of balloting for the vacant 36th Congressional District seat, though her challenger for the July 12 runoff is yet to be determined.

    Hahn, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, was the top vote-getter in yesterday’s special election to replace Democratic Rep. Jane Harman, who retired in late February. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Hahn led the field of 16 candidates with 24.66 percent of the vote.

    Hahn’s chief Democratic rival, Secretary of State Debra Bowen, trailed conservative website publisher Craig Huey for the No. 2 spot by roughly 200 votes. Huey, who lent his campaign $500,000, posted an edge of less than one percentage point over the Marina Del Rey Democrat, leading 21.87 percent to 21.48 percent.

    Stay tuned…..

  • Day By Day,  Michele Bachmann,  Mike Huckabee,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin

    Day By Day May 17, 2011 – The Real Individual Mandate

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Chris, I have for months downplayed the notion that Sarah Palin will run for the 2012 Presidency. Now, I am not so sure.

    With Mike Huckabee out, there is a vacuum for social conservatives on the RIGHT. Michele Bachmann is ramping up her campaign and she has the conservative cred but she cannot ignite a crowd like Sarah Palin.

    Ultimately, it may be a Mitch Daniels Vs. Mitt Romney contest for the moderate candidate and Bachmann Vs. Palin for the conservative. This will be the semi-final contest and we may have to wait until late next spring to see who wins – maybe even the convention itself.

    It will be a bumpy ride for the GOP and exciting at the same time.

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    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 18th on 18:36

    These are my links for May 18th from 18:36 to 21:13: