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The Afternoon Flap: December 1, 2011

December 1, 2011 /

These are my links for November 30th through December 1st:

  • Obama vs. Boeing: The War’s Not Over – I wish I could be as happy as James is about the resolution of this Boeing fiasco, but I’m not — not by a long shot. It is infuriating to see the impunity with which the Obama administration persecutes private businesses even when it knows that its actions are probably illegal and stand a good chance of being tossed out of court. And the problem is systemic; in fact, we should thank the Obama administration for demonstrating just how little protection private businesses have from the abuses of the federal government under current law.

    NLRB’s move against Boeing was among the clearest examples yet — a demonstrably illegal action justified to the media with demonstrable falsehoods. Boeing was not transferring production of Dreamliners from pro-union Washington State to right-to-work South Carolina, as NLRB claimed: It was expanding production of Dreamliners in both locations because of soaring demand. And it was the administration, not Boeing, that gave the impression that Boeing was punishing its unions in Washington for previous strikes. The outrage is in the details: Please read Boeing’s letter of complaint to NLRB from back in May. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney’s subsequent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal was a classic of politeness and restraint, given the NLRB action.

    Under the terms of the agreement Boeing reached with its union this week, the company will be allowed to build additional Dreamliners at its new South Carolina plant, so long as it builds future 737 MAX planes in Washington. I can understand why reasonable people are happy about that, but it’s hard to believe that the federal government even had the power to prevent Boeing from opening its new plant there in the first place.

  • National GOP Poll: Gingrich 38% Romney 17% – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has surged to the largest national lead held by any candidate so far in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination.

    A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters finds Gingrich on top with 38% of the vote. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is a distant second at 17%. No other candidate reaches double-digits

  • Harkin: Gingrich as GOP nominee would be “heaven sent” (audio) – U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) held a telephone conference call with reporters this morning.  The topic of Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was raised, and Harkin started swinging (rhetorically).  Here’s the AUDIO.
    “I was in the House with Newt, as a matter of fact, years ago. I can remember him being a bomb thrower at that time. One of those people always lobbing things around. I thought at that time, in his early career in the House, he was irresponsible at that time. I kind of got to know Newt later on, (he’s an) intriguing individual, but perhaps I’ve never met a more undisciplined person in politics in my life and if you’re going to run for president, you have to have discipline. Believe me, I speak from experience on that one and if you’re going to be president you have to have some discipline in how you approach things and how you assess situations.  Newt has never been one to engage mind before opening mouth. He engages mouth before engaging his mind sometimes, most of the time. That doesn’t bode well for him at all. I think there’s some, what I’m picking up around here is there’s a lot of quiet, silent cheering in the Obama Administration and the Obama campaign for Newt to get the nomination. It would be just be heaven-sent if he got the nomination.”
    “…Someone once described the prospect of Newt getting the nomination, saying that, ‘Imagine that you’re standing in front of a door and behind that door all these suitcases are piled and you open the door and all the suitcases come tumbling out.’  Of course, I didn’t know what they were talking about. He said, ‘Baggage, he has a lot of baggage and once he gets up there all that baggage comes tumbling out.’”
  • Mitt Romney preps Newt Gingrich attack – Mitt Romney’s campaign advisers insist they’re no more scared of Newt Gingrich than the candidates who’ve surged before — but they’re already rolling out a playbook that shows they know the latest alarm isn’t a drill.

    They know the stakes are higher with five weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses and a challenger who now poses their most substantial threat. They’re preparing a robust, sustained attack that tags the former House speaker as a Washington insider and serial flip-flopper who can’t be trusted with the nation’s economy.

  • Florida shows perils of Gingrich for GOP – If the Newt surge persists over the next few months the biggest winner is going to be Barack Obama.  We can see that pretty clearly in our newest Florida poll.

    If Mitt Romney’s the Republican nominee, Obama’s in a lot of trouble in the Sunshine State. Obama leads Romney only 45-44, and given that the undecideds skew largely Republican he’d probably lose to Romney if the election was today. Obama being stuck in the mid-4os against Romney is par for the course in our Florida polling. In September Obama led 46-45, in June it was 47-43, and in March it was 46-44.  The dial has barely moved all year.

    But if Newt Gingrich is the Republican nominee it’s a completely different story.  Obama leads him 50-44 in a head to head. To find the last time a GOP Presidential candidate lost Florida by more than that you have to go all the way back to Thomas Dewey in 1948.  Even Barry Goldwater did better in Florida than Gingrich is right now.

  • Harkin Says Obama “Silent Cheering” for Gingrich – Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) held a telephone conference call with reporters and called the prospect of Newt Gingrich winning the Republican nomination as “heaven-sent.”

    Said Harkin: “Newt has never been one to engage mind before opening mouth. He engages mouth before engaging his mind sometimes, most of the time. That doesn’t bode well for him at all. I think there’s some, what I’m picking up around here is there’s a lot of quiet, silent cheering in the Obama Administration and the Obama campaign for Newt to get the nomination. It would be just be heaven-sent if he got the nomination.”

    He elaborated: “Someone once described the prospect of Newt getting the nomination, saying that, ‘Imagine that you’re standing in front of a door and behind that door all these suitcases are piled and you open the door and all the suitcases come tumbling out.’ Of course, I didn’t know what they were talking about. He said, ‘Baggage, he has a lot of baggage and once he gets up there all that baggage comes tumbling out.'”

  • President 2012: Ron Paul Attacks Newt Gingrich for Serial Hypocrisy – But Does it Matter? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Ron Paul Attacks Newt Gingrich for Serial Hypocrisy – But Does it Matter? #tcot #catcot
  • Are Smoking Interventions and Nicotine Replacement Treatments Effective Ways for Smokers to Quit | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Are Smoking Interventions and Nicotine Replacement Treatments Effective Ways for Smokers to Quit
  • Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: December 1, 2011 – The Morning Drill: December 1, 2011
  • Dilbert December 1, 2011 – Say GoodBye » Flap’s California Blog – Dilbert December 1, 2011 – Say GoodBye
  • Occupy Wall Street Protesters Go After Obama | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Occupy Wall Street Protesters Go After Obama #tcot #catcot
  • foursquare :: Gregory Flap @ Chez Cole – The Starbucks is mighty fine this morning! (@ Chez Cole)
  • @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-12-01 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-12-01 #tcot #catcot
  • Lessons of Electoral History? – Talk-show host Michael Medved, for example, apparently thinks the Republicans need a centrist presidential candidate in 2012. He said, “Most political battles are won by seizing the center.” Moreover, he added: “Anyone who believes otherwise ignores the electoral experience of the last 50 years.”

    But just when did Ronald Reagan, with his two landslide election victories, “seize the center”? For that matter, when did Franklin D. Roosevelt, with a record four consecutive presidential-election victories, “seize the center”?

    There have been a long string of Republican presidential candidates who seized the center — and lost elections. Thomas E. Dewey, for example, seized the center against Harry Truman in 1948. Even though Truman was so unpopular at the outset that The New Republic urged him not to run, and polls consistently had Dewey ahead, Truman clearly stood for something — and for months he battled for what he stood for.

  • Gingrich Holds Clear Lead Nationally – President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Gingrich 25% Vs. Romney 17% Vs. Cain 15% Vs. Paul 9%
  • Rep. Elton Gallegly and Friends Operation Toy Drop Deliver to Military Families on Sunday | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Rep. Elton Gallegly and Friends Operation Toy Drop Deliver to Military Families on Sunday #tcot #catcot
  • President 2012: Rick Perry Steps In It Again | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Rick Perry Steps In It Again #tcot #catcot
  • Boeing, Machinists reach sweeping agreement – After secret talks that began in earnest in mid-October, Boeing and the Machinists union have reached a landmark tentative agreement that would ensure the 737MAX is built in Renton and lead to settlement of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) case against the company.

    The deal may also bring more Air Force tanker work to the Puget Sound region.

    A four-year contract extension is also part of the pact, the union said at a news conference Wednesday.

    Members must approve the agreement, and union leaders who’ve endorsed the contract said it will be put to a swift vote next week.

    “The 737 MAX has landed here in the state of Washington,” said Tom Wroblewski, president of local district Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists (IAM). “This is a new day, the start of a new way of doing business.”

    Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Jim Albaugh confirmed the deal in a statement.

  • President 2012 GOP Florida Poll Watch: Gingrich Crushing Romney 47% Vs. 17% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 GOP Florida Poll Watch: Gingrich Crushing Romney 47% Vs. 17% #tcot #catcot
  • Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Study: 1 Out of 20 Dentists in Los Angeles County Will Not Treat HIV Positive Patients – Study: 1 Out of 20 Dentists in Los Angeles County Will Not Treat HIV Positive Patients
  • CA-Sen: Elizabeth Emken Won’t Self-Fund Senate Race Against Senator Dianne Feinstein » Flap’s California Blog – CA-Sen: Elizabeth Emken Won’t Self-Fund Senate Race Against Senator Dianne Feinstein
  • President 2012 Poll Watch: Gingrich 45% Vs. Obama 43% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 Poll Watch: Gingrich 45% Vs. Obama 43% #tcot #catcot
  • Shopping for Dentistry on the Internet? | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Shopping for Dentistry on the Internet?
  • Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Test Post – November 30 – Test Post – November 30
  • Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: November 30, 2011 – The Morning Drill: November 30, 2011
  • (404) http://www.flapsblog.net/2011/11/morning-drill-november-30-2011.html – The Morning Drill: November 30, 2011
  • The Morning Flap: November 30, 2011 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The Morning Flap: November 30, 2011 #tcot #catcot