• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 14th through March 15th

    These are my links for March 14th through March 15th:

    • LA Marathon: Nutrition – Tips from Jeff Galloway – Tips from Jeff
      Pre Race Dietary Countdown
      Rules:
      1. Don't try anything new.
      2. Go through the same schedule and foods that worked for you in training.
      3. If you hear sloshing in your stomach, you don't have to drink for the next 30 minutes.
      24 hours and before: Normal balanced meals. Plenty of liquids all day long, especialy electrolyte fluids (I drink Accelerade). Before marathons you can eat extra carbohydrates.
      18 hours before race: Start eating small meals, every 2-3 hours. Keep drinking fluids. After lunch, cut out red meat, fried foods, dairy products, fats, nuts, and roughage.
      12 hours before race: Don't overeat. Only light, digestible foods like energy bars, bread, small sandwiches, which you've tried before long runs and races. Keep drinking water and electrolyte fluids. Avoid salty foods.
      4 hours and less: Water mostly, with some electrolyte fluid, in small, regular amounts. Cold water is absorbed quicker. I recommend 6 oz. every hour, 8 oz. on hot days. If you want Vitamin C, take it two hours or more before the race.
      During race: Drink a cup at every water station – especially the early ones, unless you hear the sound of water sloshing in your stomach.
      Recent research has shown that consuming a snack that is 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein helps deliver energy to the muscle during exercise and restocks the energy stores afterwards. I use the products "Accelerde" during exercise and "R4" afterwards.

      ======

      Read it all

    • Arizona-style “E-Verify” Mandate in Trouble? – At Volokh Conspiracy, Stewart Baker notes that the “E-Verify” program,” which “electronically checks to make sure a … newly hired employee’s name matches his social security number, is one of the few interior immigration enforcement measures that works, does so humanely, and has significant bipartisan support.” Expanding E-Verify is one of the likelier areas of immigration legislation in the current Congressional session.  And three states have mandated E-Verify for all businesses (see map).

      But those state mandates are in trouble in the Supreme Court–which is another way of saying they are in trouble with swing Justice Anthony Kennedy, according to Baker:

      ======

      Read all of the piece.

      Congress should pass legislation making it clear that E-Verify can be mandated by the states.

      I am not worried like a resurgence of the DREAM Act in the legislation, like Mickey.

      But, an Obama veto is likely. But, then again, so is an override in an election year.

    • President 2012: Haley Barbour Spokesman Steps Down After Making Japan Joke – The press secretary for Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a potential GOP presidential candidate, has resigned following off-color jokes he made in an e-mail Friday, Barbour’s office said Monday.
      Dan Turner compiled morning roundups for Barbour’s staff and “allies,” and Friday’s e-mail made light of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and poked fun at former Attorney General Janet Reno, Politico reported Monday.
      Under the section that noted historic events that fell on March 11, Turner wrote that in 1968, “Otis Redding posthumously received a gold record for his single, ‘(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay’. (Not a big hit in Japan right now.)”
      He also wrote: “In 1993: Janet Reno was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the first female attorney general. (It took longer to confirm her gender than to confirm her law license.)”
      It was not the first time that Turner made such jokes in the morning e-mail, Politico reported.
      The former journalist was a communications director and district representative for Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.), who did not run for re-election in 2008. Turner was named Barbour’s press secretary in December 2008.

      =======

      Guess this guy failed Communications 101.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 10th on 14:35

    These are my links for March 10th from 14:35 to 14:47:

    • President 2012: Presidential candidates staffing up in Iowa – Eric Woolson, Mike Huckabee's key organizer in Iowa in 2008, has joined Tim Pawlenty's team. The Des Moines Register reports:

      The top Iowa adviser to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday he will support former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty should Pawlenty seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

      Eric Woolson, a 52-year-old veteran campaign press operative and media strategist, said he did not know whether Huckabee would run again. Woolson managed Huckabee's winning 2008 Iowa caucuses campaign.

      Woolson said he likes Pawlenty's record, style and profile as a governor. And Woolson worries that Huckabee's summer time frame for deciding whether to run again may be too long.

      This tells us a few things. First, either by intention or by tardiness, Huckabee is taking himself out of the race….

      ======

      Iowa is not that important in that it is a caucus and not a primary state.

      John McCain ignored Iowa twice and won the nomination the second time.

      Tim Pawlenty has no choice but to compete since his name recognition is very low.

      I am positive Haley Barbour will be in there soon but who knows aobut Mitch Daniels – if Daniels is even running.

      And, Huckabee – he ain't running.

    • So unfav? Sarah Palin’s poll plunge – Bloomberg Poll is Crap – Sarah Palin’s unfavorable rating is off the charts.
      Continue Reading

      The former Alaska governor’s numbers are astonishingly upside-down, according to a new Bloomberg poll showing a 32 percentage point spread between those who have an unfavorable rating of Palin and those who view her favorably.

      Of the 60 percent in the poll who have an unfavorable opinion of Palin, more than half of them – 38 percent among the whole survey – said they have a “very” unfavorable view of Palin.

      Her “very” unfavorable rating is higher than the total favorability ratings of Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump and Chris Christie.

      The new poll is a dip from a December Bloomberg poll showing Palin with a net favorable rating of 33 percent and a net unfavorable rating of 57 percent.

      The survey is just one more indicator that if Palin were to run, she'd face a very strong headwind whenever trying to reach out to voters beyond her hardcore supporters.

      More people surveyed had an opinion of Palin than any other politician surveyed except for Barack Obama, indicating that her numbers are not likely to swing wildly one way or the other.

      The poll of 1,001 adults was conducted March 4-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

      =======

      There are other polls which are MORE alarming from this poll which is full of crap. Look at the Favorable of public employees and unions and Obama.

      Major sampling errors – so move on.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 9th on 17:13

    These are my links for March 9th from 17:13 to 18:25:

    • President 2012: Gov Haley Barbour adds online communications aide – James Richardson – Haley Barbour's political operation, steadily ramping up toward a full presidential campaign, has hired a communications adviser to handle its online outreach, a Barbour aide confirmed this evening.

      James Richardson, who was online communications manager for the RNC in the 2008 cycle, joins a team that already includes former 2004 RNC communications director Jim Dyke.

      Richardson has more recently been a consultant to Senator Dan Coats and to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He's also a blogger who's written quite a bit at RedState and elsewhere.

      ========

      Congrats James

    • Breaking: Without Democrats Present, Wisconsin Senate Voting on Largely-Intact Budget Repair Bill (UPDATED) | The Weekly Standard – Without Democrats Present, Wisconsin Senate Voting on Largely-Intact Budget Repair Bill
    • Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s Statement on Budget Vote | The Weekly Standard – Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald's Statement on Budget Vote
    • Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s Statement on Budget Vote – Wisconsin state senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald issued the following statement on the senate's vote on the budget repair bill tonight without Democrats present:

      “Before the election, the Democrats promised “adult leadership” in Madison. Then a month and a half into session, the Senate Democrats fled the state instead of doing their job.

       

      “In doing so, they have tarnished the very institution of the Wisconsin state Senate.  This is unacceptable.

       

      “This afternoon, following a week and a half of line-by-line negotiation, Sen. Miller sent me a letter that offered three options: 1) keep collective bargaining as is with no changes, 2) take our counter-offer, which would keep collective bargaining as is with no changes, 3) or stop talking altogether.

       

      “With that letter, I realized that we’re dealing with someone who is stalling indefinitely, and doesn’t have a plan or an intention to return.  His idea of compromise is “give me everything I want,” and the only negotiating he’s doing is through the media.

       

      “Enough is enough.

       

      “The people of Wisconsin elected us to do a job.  They elected us to stand up to the broken status quo, stop the constant expansion of government, balance the budget, create jobs and improve the economy.  The longer the Democrats keep up this childish stunt, the longer the majority can’t act on our agenda.

  • Chris Christie,  Haley Barbour,  Jon Huntsman,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  President 2012,  Tim Pawlenty

    President 2012: Republicans Looking for the Anti-Romney Presidential Candidate?

    Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at the Values Voter Summit on Sept. 17, 2010, in Washington

    Such astute punditry from the Los Angeles Times this morning – NOT.

    Isn’t it obvious?

    1. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
    2. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour
    3. Former Utah Gov. and departing ambassador to China Jon Huntsman
    4. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
    5. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty
  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 2nd from 10:11 to 10:52

    These are my links for March 2nd from 10:11 to 10:52:

    • Should public employees have collective bargaining? California’s Collective Bargaining Laws – California collective bargaining laws

      (Meyers-Milias-Brown, 1968) provides collective bargaining rights for public agency employees including firefighters, police officers and emergency medial personnel employed by cities, counties and some districts.

      SB60 (Rodda, 1975) granted collective bargaining rights to employees of K-12 schools and community colleges.

      SB839 (Dills, 1977) extended collective bargaining rights to most state employees, excluding higher-education employees.

      AB1091 (Berman, 1978) extended collective bargaining rights to employees of the University of California, the California State University and Hastings College of the Law.

      +++++++

      A good summary

    • Poll Watch: American Voters Split On Government Shutdown, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Democrats, Republicans Divided On Gov’t Worker Pay – American voters are split as 46 percent say it would be a good thing and 44 percent say it would be a bad thing if the U.S. government shut down because of disagreement in Washington over federal spending, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

      Looking at the controversy over pay for government workers, 35 percent say the pay is "about right," while 15 percent say it is too little and 42 percent say it is too much.

      To reduce state budget deficits, collective bargaining for public employees should be limited, 45 percent of American voters tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll, while 42 percent oppose limits on collective bargaining. But voters say 63 – 31 percent that government workers should pay more for benefits and retirement programs.

      Efforts by governors to limit collective bargaining rights are motivated by a desire to reduce government costs rather than to weaken unions, voters say 47 – 41 percent.

      If the federal government is forced to shut down because of the impasse over spending, voters say by an overwhelming 78 – 18 percent neither President Barack Obama nor members of Congress should be paid for that period. Voters would blame Republicans more than President Obama 47 – 38 percent if the government shuts down.

      +++++++

      This poll certainly is different than CBS poll. It is difficult to poll labor issues since most folks unless they are in a union understand what is collective bargaining.

    • Barbour to Obama: Why don’t you let federal employees collectively bargain? – Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said he stands behind fellow Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin in his battle against public sector unions, and knocked President Obama for supporting the protests while presiding over millions of federal workers who cannot collectively bargain.

      Obama recently voiced support for state workers and labor groups in Wisconsin, who have been protesting a bill that would would force them to pay more into their pensions and for health care, and end collective bargaining for public workers.

      Barbour, a potential 2012 presidential contender who met with the president this week at a White House governors meeting, didn’t call Obama a hypocrite outright, but he came close.

      “The fact of the matter is, the president told us at the White House that he had unilaterally frozen spending for federal employees. Federal employees don’t have collective bargaining rights,” Barbour told reporters during an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Wednesday. “The idea you guys have given the country is it’s just like there’s some constitutional right to collective bargaining. About half the states either don’t have it at all – my state does not have collective bargaining – or they limit it. The federal employees are not allowed to have collective bargaining for pay, for pensions, for health care.”

      While labor unions that represent federal workers do have some collective bargaining rights, provisions in the Civil Service Reform Act passed under President Carter in 1978 restrict federal employees from using it for pay or pensions and federal workers cannot be forced into a union or required to pay dues.

      +++++++++

      And, this misinformation about public employee collective bargaining is reflected in the polls.

  • Haley Barbour,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  Sarah Palin

    GOP Insiders: Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels LESS Likely to Run for President

    Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., left, and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels speak about Indiana’s fiscal health as the two meet in the governor’s office at the Statehouse in Indianapolis, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011

    But, why did Daniels invite political operatives and fundraising folks to Indianapolis?

    GOP insiders say Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is appearing LESS likely to run for president, based in part on a slowing in the parade of fundraisers and policy gurus to Indianapolis. One prediction: Daniels will endorse his friend Haley Barbour, who shows every sign of RAMPING UP, including meeting with potential consultants and staff.

    –But Daniels will keep us guessing. Gridiron Club President Susan Page e-mails members: “The Republican speaker for the Gridiron Dinner [on March 12] will be … Daniels, [who] has been a guest of the Gridiron since his days as White House political director for President Reagan … Gov. Daniels has both a long political resume and a wry sense of humor. Republican Skit Producer Clark Hoyt and deputy Robin Sproul are now in the market for songs about Indiana (On the Banks of the Wabash Far Away?) and/or rhymes with Mitch Daniels (Stitched sandals? Rich spaniels?). As a native Kansan, I’m proud that our dinner will have a certain Midwestern cast. Former Kansas governor and current HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius already has been announced as our Democratic speaker, not to mention the former Illinois senator [POTUS!] who will close the evening. However, Menu Chairman (and native Missourian) Kathy Lewis has vetoed my proposal that we honor that heritage by serving lime jello with shredded carrots suspended in it as our salad course.”

    Mitch Daniels will have to start fundraising soon to fight off Mitt Romney’s self-funding, if he has any interest in running. He cannot afford to wait, like Sarah Palin.

    But, running for Vice President will not entail too much more additional effort.

    As far as Haley Barbour goes, forget about it. Barbour will not gain any traction for President or Vice President.