The Morning Flap: February 6, 2012

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These are my links for February 3rd through February 6th:

• In Arizona, Obama Approval at 41%

Many Democrats have high hopes for the Southwest in Election 2012 and some even think that President Obama even has a decent shot to move Arizona from Republican to Democrat in the Electoral College column this November. However, the president may have an uphill fight to achieve that goal as most voters in the Grand Canyon State disapprove of the way he’s done his job.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone poll found that just 41% of Likely Voters in Arizona approve of the way President Obama has performed his role. Fifty-six percent (56%) disapprove. Those figures are significantly lower than the president’s national ratings. They include 28% who Strongly Approve and 48% who Strongly Disapprove.

• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: February 6, 2012 – The Morning Drill: February 6, 2012
• CA-26 Video: An Interview with Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks » Flap’s California Blog – CA-26 Video: An Interview with Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks
• Untitled (https://plus.google.com/105353644409523560325/posts/GcAwrS8kw7Q) – Sunday’s Dilbert looks at lunch in a far different way!
• Romney up in Colorado, close race in Minnesota – Last night’s results in Nevada were bad news for Newt Gingrich and PPP’s first day of polling in Colorado and Minnesota indicates things may only get worse for him in the coming days.In Colorado Mitt Romney looks primed for another big Western win to match his one in Nevada. He leads with 40% there to 26% for Rick Santorum, 18% for Gingrich, and 12% for Ron Paul.

  Minnesota looks like a toss up with any of the four candidates having some shot at winning. Santorum holds a small edge there with 29% to 27% for Romney, 22% for Gingrich, and 19% for Paul.

  What both states have in common is that Gingrich has fallen precipitously since our last polls in them. In Colorado Gingrich was in first place with a 19 point lead in early December. His support has declined 19 points since then and his net favorability has dropped 33 points from +41 (64/23) to only +8 (49/41). Gingrich has had a similarly large decline in Minnesota, but there it’s much more abrupt. We polled the state only two weeks ago but in that time he’s dropped 14 points from 36% to 22%, and his favorability has 26 points from +34 (59/25) to +8 (47/39). That after glow from South Carolina has worn off real fast.

• PAYROLL D?J? VU, THE MAX BAUCUS WAY, HOEKSTRA’S AD SUPER-CONTROVERSIAL, PELOSI: BLESSING OR CURSE?, REHBERG UNDER-REPORTS LOBBYIST CASH, PAUL REIMBURSED TWICE FOR FLIGHTS, BACHMANN’S REVOLVING DOOR – POLITICO Huddle – POLITICO.com – PAYROLL D?J? VU, THE MAX BAUCUS WAY, HOEKSTRA’S AD SUPER-CONTROVERSIAL, PELOSI: BLESSING OR CURSE?, REHBERG UNDE…
• Romney tops 50% in final Nevada tally – Mitt Romney won Saturday’s Nevada caucuses with his highest portion of a state’s vote yet, just over 50%, according to certified results released Monday by the Nevada Republican Party.Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich finished in second place with just over 21% of the vote. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas placed third at 18.7%, and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania earned 9.9%.

  Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who also won the state’s GOP caucuses in 2008, received more than twice the votes of his closest opponent.

• Obama: I’m getting ‘better as time goes on’ – During an interview that aired Monday on NBC’s “Today” show, President Obama said that he gets “better as time goes on” at his job and that he believes the grassroots movement that propelled him to victory in 2008 will help him win a second term.”What’s frustrated people is that I’ve not been able to implement every aspect of what I said in 2008. Well, it turns out our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes. But what we have been able to do is move in the right direction,” Obama said.

  “And you know what? One of the things about being president is you get better as time goes on,” he added.

• (500) http://flapsblog.com/2012/02/06/day-by-day-february-6-2012-game-on/ – Day By Day February 6, 2012 – Game On
• House bill bans welfare spending at strip clubs – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs – House bill bans welfare spending at strip clubs –
• News from The Associated Press – Georgia’s top court overturns assisted suicide limits; victory for group that helped cancer patient die: -ldh
• Economic Confidence Highest in D.C., Lowest in W.Va. – Economic Confidence Highest in D.C., Lowest in W.Va… #Gallup
• Most Egyptians Oppose U.S. Economic Aid – Most Egyptians Oppose U.S. Economic Aid… #Gallup
• News from The Associated Press – Obama says U.S. has a “very good estimate” of when Iran could finish making a nuclear weapon: -ldh
• Economic Gains, Questions on Romney Boost Obama’s Prospects for November – ABC News – RT @amyewalter: Winner of GOP primary: Obama. New ABC/WaPo poll shows POTUS approve at 50%, beats Romney by 6 pts.
• Hill Poll: Voters willing to see US attack Iran over nuclear weapons – TheHill.com – The Hill Poll: Voters willing to see US attack Iran over its nuclear weapons #iaea #nuclear #iran
• (500) http://flapsblog.com/2012/02/06/flap-twitter-updates-for-2012-02-06/ – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-02-06
• Red-light cameras boost coffers, rile drivers – Red-light cameras boost coffers, rile drivers
• Neophyte Democratic candidate joins Berman/Sherman race – latimes.com – Neophyte Democratic candidate joins Berman/Sherman race: “If the battle between Democratic Reps. Howard Berman o…
• Rose Ann DeMoro News – The Sacramento Bee – Nurses flex their political muscle in Sacramento and across California: “Rose Ann DeMoro is always ready for ano…
• Giuliani: Romney Changes ‘Give Me Pause’ – Alexandra Jaffe – NationalJournal.com – Giuliani says Romney’s changes ‘give me pause.’
• Face the Nation: Rudy Giuliani on GOP race » The Right Scoop – – Face the Nation: Rudy Giuliani on GOP race:
• Armey: Gingrich a lost cause for tea party base – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs – RT @PoliticalTicker: Armey: Gingrich a lost cause for tea party base –
• Nevada Caucus 2012 Results MAP (REAL-TIME DATA) – Nevada Caucus 2012 Results MAP (REAL-TIME DATA)
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Daily Extraction: February 4, 2012 – The Daily Extraction: February 4, 2012
• Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – RT @DanRiehl: Romney beat McCain 51% to 13% in 2008 with Paul getting 14%
• Nevada Caucus 2012 Results MAP (REAL-TIME DATA) – RT @HuffPostPol: #NVCaucus results map: Romney 42%, Gingrich 26.5%, Paul 18.3%, Santorum 13.2% (w/ 41.3% reporting)
• Iran mass producing anti-ship cruise missile – Iran has begun mass production of an anti-ship cruise missile, state television’s website said on Saturday.The Zafar missile, as it is dubbed in the report, “is a short-range, anti-ship cruise missile capable of destroying small- and medium-sized targets with high precision.”

  It can be mounted on speed boats and other light vessels, can withstand electronic warfare, and is able to fly in low altitudes to avoid detection, the report said.

  Iran has a fleet of speed boats that often challenge US and allied warships in the Gulf.

  The vessels are usually controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards and can be equipped with missiles.

• Newt speaks. “I will be a candidate for President of United States. We will go to Tampa.” #Nevada – RT @guypbenson: Newt speaks. “I will be a candidate for President of United States. We will go to Tampa.” #Nevada
• President 2012: Mitt Romney Wins Nevada Big | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Mitt Romney Wins Nevada Big
• (500) http://flapsblog.com/2012/02/04/day-by-day-february-4-2012-third-base/ – Day By Day February 4, 2012 – Third Base
• Nevada Caucus: Live Election Results – National Journal Staff – NationalJournal.com – RT @nationaljournal: With 6.2% of precincts reporting, see the live results from the Nevada Caucus here:
• (404) http://flapsblog.com/2012/02/04/flap-twitter-updates-for-2012-02-04/ – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-02-04
• Log In – The New York Times – Log In – The New York Times
• Log In – The New York Times – Log In – The New York Times
• Log In – The New York Times – Gingrich’s Deep Ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac #teaparty #tcot
• Nearly half of California jobless workers considered ‘long-term’ – Not only does California have more than 2 million unemployed workers, but nearly half of them have been jobless for 27 weeks or more, according to new data assembled by the state Department of Employment Development.”Between May 2007 and February 2011, the number of people who were jobless 27 weeks or more in California rose an astounding 620 percent,” says the EDD report.

  Those who are called “long-term unemployed” grew from 15.9 percent of the jobless population in late 2007 to 46.8 percent last March, remaining over 46 percent in December.

  “The rapid rise in long-term unemployment can be directly tied to the collapse of the housing bubble in California,” the report continues. “This event had dramatic effects on the construction and finance industries and on the duratio

• Cheer Up Republicans: More States Go RED in 2011 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Cheer Up Republicans: More States Go RED in 2011
• Day By Day February 3, 2012 – Translation | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day February 3, 2012 – Translation
• S&P 500’s Booming Start Brings Back Memories Of 1987 – MarketBeat – WSJ – RT @WSJ: The S&P 500 has jumped 6.9% in 2012, its best start to a year since 1987
• GA-2012 Primary: 45% Gingrich, 32% Romney, 9% Santorum, 8% Paul (SurveyUSA 2/1-2) – RT @pollsterpolls: GA-2012 Primary: 45% Gingrich, 32% Romney, 9% Santorum, 8% Paul (SurveyUSA 2/1-2)
• Why the official 8.3 percent unemployment rate is a phony number—and what it means for Obama’s reelection « The Enterprise Blog – Why that 8.3% unemployment rate is phony — and what it means for Obama’s reelection
• The PJ Tatler » Official Unemployment Went Down, Actual Unemployment Still High – Official Unemployment Went Down, Actual Unemployment Still High #tcot
• American Power: ‘Atlas Shrugged’ Sequel Secures Financing, Production to Start in April – Atlas Shrugged sequel secures funding. Production starts in April!
• Panetta won’t confirm whether he thinks Israel will attack Iran this spring – The Hill’s DEFCON Hill – Panetta staying quiet about report he thinks #Israel could attack #Iran this spring
• Romney up big in Nevada – Public Policy Polling – If you missed our middle of the night release final Nevada numbers are: Romney 50, Gingrich 25, Paul 15, Santorum 8:
• The 15 Worst Housing Markets For The Next Five Years – The 15 Worst Housing Markets For The Next Five Years
• Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month, Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low | ZeroHedge – Jobs are up by 243k, but people not counted in the numbers are up 1.2 million. Yup! MILLION!
• The PJ Tatler » Planned Parenthood’s Actions Proves that It’s Not Really a ‘Pro-Choice’ Organization – Planned Parenthood’s Actions Proves that It’s Not Really a ‘Pro-Choice’ Organization #tcot
• Exclusive: Doctor cheating warnings expand to dermatology – CNN.com – Dermatologists are cheating on medical board exams, CNN exclusive investigation finds.
• Komen Decision Exposes Planned Parenthood, Abortion-Breast Cancer | LifeNews.com – Komen Decision Exposes Planned Parenthood, Abortion-Breast Cancer @gerardmnadalphd @charmaineyoest