Women State

Gingrich Maintaining Grip on New Lead

2012-01-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

PRINCETON, NJ -- Republican registered voters nationally continue to prefer Newt Gingrich over Mitt Romney for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, with no sign in Gallup Daily tracking from Jan. 22-26 that Gingrich is giving back any of his recent gains.

The 32% of Republican voters now choosing Gingrich as the candidate they are most likely to support for the nomination is his highest level of support since the 2012 primary voting began in early January. The 24% supporting Romney is his lowest.

Despite the heavy media focus on the two front-runners, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are each holding their own at just under 15%, putting the two men in a statistical tie for third.
Bottom Line

As the Jan. 31 Florida primary nears, Gingrich remains at the top of the GOP field in national Republican preferences for the nomination, and his eight-percentage-point lead over Romney, in second place, is his widest since mid-December. (Continues at Gallup)

Soros May Benefit From Obama's Natural Gas Proposal

2012-01-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

George Soros, a billionaire investor and major backer of President Obama, stands to reap a windfall from legislation promoting natural gas-powered vehicles. The White House unveiled a proposal on Thursday that would do just that.

The proposal would offer incentives for companies to buy and use trucks powered by natural gas. Obama announced the effort at a UPS facility in Las Vegas that received stimulus funding to buy natural gas vehicles and build a fueling station for them.

The proposal is remarkably similar to the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act.

One company that stands to benefit handsomely from the president’s proposal is Westport Innovations. The company converts diesel engines to be fueled by natural gas. Wall Street analysts predicted a boom for the company if the NAT GAS Act were passed. CNBC analyst Jim Cramer said he “expects shares to absolutely explode” in the event the legislation were to pass.

If Westport reaps the predicted windfall, one of the chief beneficiaries will be George Soros, a major Obama donor and supporter. Soros’s hedge fund holds 3,160,063 company shares (as of its last SEC filing). (More)

Reuters kicking itself over hit article about Rubio that yielded five corrections yesterday

2012-01-28T08:07:00.000-05:00

Reuters is still kicking itself over an article about Republican golden boy Senator Marco Rubio that yielded five corrections yesterday and may have warranted more.

One senior staffer at Reuters described the episode to me as a "fiasco," another as a "disgrace."

It was so bad, in fact, that the editors and writer involved have been asked not to talk about it. (I reached out to editors David Lindsey and Eric Walsh, but have not heard back.)

The article, by David Adams, had intended to detail why Rubio was an unlikely pick for Vice President: "Rubio may not be as coveted as Gingrich or Romney would have it appear as they press for votes in Florida, where more than 450,000 Hispanics identify themselves as Republicans," Reuters David Adams wrote. "Despite his reputation as a watchdog over federal spending, Rubio, 40, has had significant financial problems that could keep him from passing any vetting process as a potential vice presidential choice, Republican and Democratic strategists say."

But after pressure from the Rubio staff, Reuters was forced to issue corrections that quickly became a larger talking point than the article itself.

Rubio's staff reached out to the editors and the writer early yesterday, prompting Reuters to issue two corrections. But the Daily Caller's Matt Lewis, who spoke with Rubio's staff as well, wrote an item suggesting that there were at least seven errors or exaggerations that warranted mention, and Reuters ultimately issued three more. (More)

Palin:Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left

2012-01-27T19:40:00.000-05:00

We have witnessed something very disturbing this week. The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the media and the politics of personal destruction to attack an opponent.

We will look back on this week and realize that something changed. I have given numerous interviews wherein I espoused the benefits of thorough vetting during aggressive contested primary elections, but this week’s tactics aren’t what I meant. Those who claim allegiance to Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment should stop and think about where we are today. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, the fathers of the modern conservative movement, would be ashamed of us in this primary. Let me make clear that I have no problem with the routine rough and tumble of a heated campaign. As I said at the first Tea Party convention two years ago, I am in favor of contested primaries and healthy, pointed debate. They help focus candidates and the electorate. I have fought in tough and heated contested primaries myself. But what we have seen in Florida this week is beyond the pale. It was unprecedented in GOP primaries. I’ve seen it before – heck, I lived it before – but not in a GOP primary race.

I am sadly too familiar with these tactics because they were used against the GOP ticket in 2008. The left seeks to single someone out and destroy his or her record and reputation and family using the media as a channel to dump handpicked and half-baked campaign opposition research on the public. The difference in 2008 was that I was largely unknown to the American public, so they had no way of differentiating between the lies and the truth. All of it came at them at once as “facts” about me. But Newt Gingrich is known to us – both the good and the bad.

We know that Newt fought in the trenches during the Reagan Revolution. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out, Newt was among a handful of Republican Congressman who would regularly take to the House floor to defend Reagan at a time when conservatives didn’t have Fox News or talk radio or conservative blogs to give any balance to the liberal mainstream media. Newt actually came at Reagan’s administration “from the right” to remind Americans that freer markets and tougher national defense would win our future. But this week a few handpicked and selectively edited comments which Newt made during his 40-year career were used to claim that Newt was somehow anti-Reagan and isn’t conservative enough to go against the accepted moderate in the primary race. (I know, it makes no sense, and the GOP establishment hopes you won’t stop and think about this nonsense. Mark Levin and others have shown the ridiculousness of this.) To add insult to injury, this “anti-Reagan” claim was made by a candidate who admitted to not even supporting or voting for Reagan. He actually was against the Reagan movement, donated to liberal candidates, and said he didn’t want to go back to the Reagan days. You can’t change history. We know that Newt Gingrich brought the Reagan Revolution into the 1990s. We know it because none other than Nancy Reagan herself announced this when she presented Newt with an award, telling us, “The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive.” As Rush and others pointed out, if Nancy Reagan had ever thought that Newt was in any way an opponent of her beloved husband, she would never have even appeared on a stage with him, let alone presented him with an award and said such kind things about him. Nor would Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, have chosen to endorse Newt in this primary race. There are no two greater keepers of the Reagan legacy than Nancy and Michael Reagan. What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque rewriting of history. It was Alinsky tactics at their worst. (Continues here)

Mitt Romney Backed by Goldman Sachs, Bailout Banks

2012-01-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

The top donor to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs, received over $10 billion in emergency lending and bailouts from the Federal Reserve after the 2008 financial meltdown, according to public sources and published reports.

Goldman backed Obama for election in 2008, and the firm, like many Wall Street institutions, is now backing Mitt Romney for president.

Romney has long had a close relationship with Goldman Sachs. In 1999 Romney purchased initial IPO shares in Goldman that netted him $1.1 million in profits when he sold them in 2010. And The New York Times recently reported that “many of the assets in Romney’s blind trust” are managed by Goldman.

Today, Goldman is Romney’s largest donor. And nine of Romney’s top 20 campaign contributors are big Wall Street Banks like Goldman. But Goldman leads all Romney contributors, having donated $367,200 to his campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And six of those nine top contributors received over $161 billion in taxpayer bailouts, reports ProPublica, the independent, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative organization. (Continues)

Ed Rollins on Gingrich: one of “the most important players and most loyal to Ronald Reagan”:

2012-01-27T17:54:00.002-05:00

As I reported yesterday, at least a few former Reagan administration officials say that, in his campaign comments, Newt Gingrich has rewritten the history of his relationship with Ronald Reagan. Today, a number of counterbalancing voices say those officials — and not Gingrich – are the ones who are shading the facts.

On Fox News, for example, Ed Rollins, Ronald Reagan’s national campaign manager, described Gingrich as one of “the most important players and most loyal to Ronald Reagan”:

At The American Spectator, Jeffrey Lord, former Reagan White House political director, calls out Elliott Abrams, also a former Reagan official, for what Lord characterizes as a disingenuous dissection of a 1986 floor speech by Gingrich:
(Continues here)

Brewer’s book, “Scorpions for Breakfast,” is flying off the bookshelves

2012-01-27T16:45:00.000-05:00

Jan Brewer’s book, “Scorpions for Breakfast,” is flying off the bookshelves just days after the Arizona governor had a tense public exchange on the tarmac with President Barack Obama over her portrayal of him.

On Amazon.com on Friday, the hardcover edition of Brewer’s book was ranked No. 5 on the website’s “Movers & Shakers” list, which ranks books that have seen the most gain in sales over the past 24 hours. As of 2:55 p.m., the book had seen a whopping 522 percent increase in sales in just one day.

It was also ranked No. 9 on Amazon’s bestsellers list, which indicated that the book had only been a top 100 seller for two days. In the politics and social sciences bestsellers category, the book is ranked No. 1, while in the biographies bestsellers list, it is No. 4.

Brewer’s interaction with the president on Wednesday caused a media frenzy when the governor revealed afterwards that Obama had expressed unhappiness about the way she had portrayed their meeting at the White House from the previous summer.
Read more

Gingrich Unleashes Ad Attacking Romney

2012-01-27T16:31:00.000-05:00

Gingrich plans brutal Mitt Romney attack

2012-01-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

The campaign of former House speaker Newt Gingrich put out the transcript for an ad that has yet to air, using former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s words from Thursday night’s debate.

Romney, who had a good night overall, did struggle a bit during Thursday’s debate. This ad targets

Romney on two points of contention: his vote for a Democrat in the 1992 presidential primary and his claim that he hadn’t seen one of his own attack ads.
The transcript:

Governor Huckabee: “If a man’s dishonest to get a job, he’ll be dishonest on the job.” (Source)

Narrator: What kind of man would mislead, distort, and deceive just to win an election?

This man would be Mitt Romney. Romney said he has always voted Republican when he had the opportunity.

But in the 1992 Presidential Primary Romney had the chance to vote for George H.W. Bush or Pat Buchanan but he voted for a liberal Democrat instead. (Source)

Romney said his investments in Fannie and Freddie were in a blind trust.

But as reported in the National Journal, Romney earned tens of thousands of dollars from investments NOT in a blind trust. (Source)

Romney denied seeing a false ad his campaign used to attack Newt Gingrich. But Romney’s own campaign paid for the ad. ... Romney’s own voice is on the ad approving the content. (Source)

If we can’t trust Romney in a debate, how can we trust him in the White House?

(Continues at WaPo)

NYT: Some State of the Union Viewers Tuned Out Fast

2012-01-27T13:26:00.000-05:00

..."according to a new analysis of viewing patterns during the speech, interest was on the decline from the beginning. More than a quarter of the people who started watching on network television at 9 p.m. Eastern tuned out within the first five minutes — before the president even began speaking."

Kantar Media conducted a survey of 100,000 households and examined their behavior in the moments leading up to, during, and after the speech. It found that after 27 percent of network television viewers stopped watching in the first five minutes, many of them flipped the channel to TBS, USA and ESPN, which benefited the most from the drop off in the State of the Union audience.

And after the speech, the Fox News Channel quickly gained viewers, becoming the second-most watched network behind NBC. (Full story here at NYT)

Romney getting heat for 2003 veto he cast against funds for poor Jewish nursing-home residents

2012-01-27T12:38:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON — Let them eat pork!
Mitt Romney is getting heat for a 2003 veto he cast as governor of Massachusetts to reject $600,000 in additional funds for poor Jewish nursing-home residents to get kosher meals.

At the time, Romney said he nixed the funding of about $5 per day because it “unnecessarily” would lead to an “increased rate for nursing facilities” — even as kosher nursing homes were complaining that state-funding-formula changes could force them to close their kitchens.

“I was outraged,” Jeffrey Goldshine, the retired CEO of a company that operated a kosher facility in Massachusetts, told The Post yesterday.

Romney’s spokesman defended his opposition, saying the state was in crisis and the kosher funding veto was needed to head off higher reimbursement rates for Medicaid.

But Brooklyn state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, an Orthodox Jew and Newt Gingrich booster, called the veto insensitive.

“Well, `let them eat pork or let them eat something else’ — if you’re kosher, you’re not eating anything else. It’s just that simple. Why Romney didn’t get it at that particular time is disappointing and quite shocking to me.” Read more

Brewer's book sales go up after confrontation with Obama

2012-01-26T17:07:00.000-05:00

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s tarmac confrontation with President Barack Obama has made her November 2011 book the second-fastest rising title on Amazon’s best-seller list. The book is also now the top seller in Amazon’s “public policy” category.

Brewer’s televised face-off alongside Air Force One ended when Obama walked away as she firmly rejected his claim that her book mischaracterized their 2010 Oval Office meeting.

“He was a little thin-skinned,” she said during a radio interview on News/Talk 92.3 KTAR. “I was a bit taken aback by his stance and his attitude… [and he walked way when] I was trying to make a point that I thought that my book was right and correct.” Read more

Et tu, Obama backed electric battery company?

2012-01-26T16:08:00.002-05:00

“In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries,” Obama said in his SOTU message but:

An Indiana-based energy-storage company, whose subsidiary received a $118.5 million stimulus grant from the Energy Department, filed for bankruptcy Thursday.

Ener1 is asking a federal bankruptcy court in New York to approve a plan to restructure the company’s debt and infuse $81 million in equity funding.

“This was a difficult, but necessary, decision for our company,” Ener1 CEO Alex Sorokin said in a news release. “We are extremely pleased to have the strong support of our primary investors and lenders to substantially reduce the company’s debt.”

The Energy Department in 2009 approved a $118.5 million stimulus grant for EnerDel, a subsidiary of the company that develops lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. The company has so far spent $55 million of the federal funding. (Full story here)

NY Dem officials paid for votes to snatch third-party ballot line

2012-01-25T22:58:00.001-05:00

Two Democratic Party officeholders are on trial in upstate New York for a scam that allegedly involved paying residents of Troy, N.Y. $10 each to register to vote, then forging their absentee ballots.

And there is a witness.

The scheme was apparently concocted to ensure local Democrats would win co-listing under the Working Families Party’s ballot line.

Jermaine Joseph, now attending college in Iowa, told jurors Wednesday that he was approached with an offer of $10 to register to vote. He said he never voted in the 2009 third-party primary, and read aloud the names of Democrats for whom election records say he cast his ballot. Read more

SOTU Averages 37.75 Million Viewers, Down 12% From 2011

2012-01-25T21:02:00.002-05:00

via Nielsen:

38 Million Watch State of the Union Address for 2012

January 25, 2012 – On Tuesday, January 24, 2012 President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address. The address was carried live from 9:00PM to approximately 10:15 PM on 14 networks.* The sum of average audience for those networks was 37,752,613 viewers, with a combined household rating of 24.0. The networks carrying the address were ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, GALA, MSNBC, MUN2 and on tape delay on TEL, TF and UNI. (Continues here)

Great New Ad!

2012-01-25T14:29:00.000-05:00

Latest Newts

2012-01-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

Pelosi's office says she has no new dirt on Newt Gingrich

Rep Dan Burton: Newt Did Not Resign in Disgrace; Never Lobbied

Dan Burton introduced Newt at the Latin American Policy speech this morning. He worked with Newt when he was Speaker and he had this to say:

WH Economic Memo proved Obama Team used budget gimmickry to Hide Real Costs

2012-01-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

A lot of attention has been drawn to the official White memo authored by economist Larry Summers that shows the Obama administration purposely hid costs of Obama’s healthcare legislation and his overall agenda. Ryan Lizza at The New Yorker released the full document.

The Politico

The president prided himself on honesty in his first budget proposal, including the real estimated costs of spending, but Obama later shifted his stance and approved the use of budget gimmickry, according to The New Yorker.
When his aides suggested in late 2009 that he should abandon the honest approach on estimated spending on disaster aid, for example, the president signed off, The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza reports. Obama also approved of fanciful budget numbers on his signature health care legislation. (See full article)

Palin:Christie got his "panties in a wad" after SC

2012-01-23T23:15:00.002-05:00

Sarah Palin, in a pre-recorded interview to air on Fox Business Network tonight, says Chris Christie made a "rookie mistake" by calling Newt Gingrich an "embarassment" to the party, adding that the New Jersey governor got his "panties in a wad" when his favored candidate, Mitt Romney, lost the South Carolina primary.

“I do care to take him to task -- poor Chris," Palin said in an interview to air tonight at 10 p.m. eastern time on Fox Business. "This was a rookie mistake. He played right into the media’s hands. Here’s a host that asked Chris, ‘Does Newt embarrass the party.’ I think he asked him twice, and there Chris played right into it and spewed that about Newt embarrassing the party. Sometimes if your candidate loses in just one step along this path, as was the case when Romney lost to Newt the other night and of course, Romney is Chris Christie’s guy, you kind of get your panties in a wad and you may say things that you regret later. And I think that that’s what Chris Christie did."

Christie made the comments about Gingrich in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
More excerpts from the interview below:

On New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie calling Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich an "an embarrassment" to the Republican Party:

“I do care to take him to task -- poor Chris. This was a rookie mistake. He played right into the media’s hands. Here’s a host that asked Chris, ‘Does Newt embarrass the party.’ I think he asked him twice, and there Chris played right into it and spewed that about Newt embarrassing the party. Sometimes if your candidate loses in just one step along this path, as was the case when Romney lost to Newt the other night and of course, Romney is Chris Christie’s guy, you kind of get your panties in a wad and you may say things that you regret later. And I think that that’s what Chris Christie did. His response to what the media was asking him was reflective of a lack of self-discipline. I’ve learned my lessons all along the way, too, and not responding, not playing into the media’s hands when they’re trying to get you to say something like is this candidate an embarrassment to your party?” (Continues here)

Gingrich Erases Romney's National Lead

2012-01-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

Newt Gingrich has all but erased Mitt Romney's 23-percentage-point lead of a week ago among Republican voters nationally, and the two candidates are now essentially tied, at 29% for Romney and 28% for Gingrich. (Continues here)

Palin helped Newt Gingrich win in South Carolina.

2012-01-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

For those of you who thought that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s October announcement that she wasn’t going to run for president signaled her political death-knell, well, the lady doth not die.

That might be one of the many lessons gleaned from Newt Gingrich’s overwhelming victory Saturday in South Carolina’s Republican primary.

The Gingrich-Palin love-fest began when Todd Palin endorsed Gingrich for the Republican presidential nominee early in January. Then Sarah followed. She didn’t go as far as to endorse Gingrich in the race, but she told Fox's Sean Hannity that if she lived in South Carolina, she would vote for Gingrich.

The former House speaker repaid that endorsement by telling CNN, “I would ask her to consider taking a major role in the next administration if I’m president…”
Gingrich also said Palin's endorsement in the state was a “signal to every conservative that the one conservative vote that’s effective is to Newt Gingrich and that’s very helpful.” (Continues here)

Sarah Palin Trumps Nikki Haley, Chris Christie In South Carolina Primary Influence Game

As former House Speaker Newt Gingrich surged to victory in Saturday's South Carolina primary, there was another clear winner in the Palmetto State: Sarah Palin.

During an appearance Tuesday on Fox News' "Hannity," the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate said that if she were a South Carolinian, she would "vote for Newt." Although it was not a formal endorsement for Gingrich, and she made no campaign stops in support of the former speaker, it may have been an important stamp of approval in a state where 65 percent of primary voters support the Tea Party movement.

Less successful were former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's high-profile endorsers, whose influence was not enough to sway South Carolina voters. Gov. Nikki Haley, who swept into office on a wave of Tea Party support, reportedly shocked her base by backing Romney last month. Exit poll data showed that Tea Party supporters overwhelmingly supported Gingrich in Saturday's primary.
According to Politico reporter Reid Epstein, Haley was not in attendance at Romney's headquarters on Saturday night. (Continues here)

Giffords to step down from Congress, focus on recovery

2012-01-22T18:03:00.000-05:00

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is stepping down from Congress to focus full-time on her recovery from a shooting which left her severely injured, her office announced Sunday.

"I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week," Giffords announced in a video message posted on her website. "I am getting better," she added.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) announced that she would call a special election to fill Giffords's seat.

“Upon the Congresswoman’s office being officially declared vacant, I will call a special Primary and General Election in order to fill the 8th Congressional District vacancy, in accordance with Arizona law," said Brewer in a statement. "The winner will complete the remainder of Congresswoman Giffords’ term, which expires at the end of 2012.” (Continues here)

Breaking! Fox projects Newt winner in South Carolina!

2012-01-21T19:14:00.002-05:00

DEVELOPING ...
Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina Republican primary, Fox News projects.

ORIGINAL STORY ...

Polls have closed in the hard-fought South Carolina Republican presidential primary, after a day of soaking weather in a critical battleground and taunts on the campaign trail between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.

Romney's aides, after reviewing exit polls on Saturday, are downplaying expectations. Gingrich has surged in South Carolina polls in recent days, and exit polling seemed to confirm his advantage among several groups of voters.

Those who made up their minds late were breaking for Gingrich, while those who had decided early mostly were backing Romney. Late deciders outnumbered early deciders, though, 53-46 percent.

Gingrich also had the advantage among voters who viewed the debates as important, while Romney was leading among those who don't put much stock in them. And Gingrich was leading among those who say it's important that a candidate shares their religious beliefs. Romney, a Mormon, was leading among those who care less about a candidate's religious affiliation.

In the second tier, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul appeared to be in a battle for third, but Paul aides told Fox News they are expecting to finish last. (Continues)

Former Obama Staffer Busted for Stealing Iowa Sec. of State’s Identity

2012-01-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama’s 2008 Iowa New Media Director was arrested Friday for attempting to use the identities of Secretary of State Matt Schultz, and/or his brother Thomas, with the intent to falsely implicate the Secretary Schultz in illegal or unethical behavior. Zach Edwards, 29, of Des Moines, currently works for Link Strategies, a Democrat-affiliated organization with ties to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Edwards is the Director of New Media for Link Strategies.

The Secretary of State’s office discovered the alleged crime and reported it to authorities. Edwards turned himself in to the Iowa DCI agents Friday afternoon. He was charged with identity theft, a misdemeanor, and booked into the Polk County jail. Edwards posted $2,000 bail and was released later on Friday. He faces up to two years in prison. (Continues)

RELATED:

Man Charged with Identity Theft after Falsely Implicating Secretary of State in Illegal Activity

Des Moines, IOWA --- Today, Friday, January 20, 2012, Zachary Edwards, age 29, from Des Moines, Iowa, was arrested and criminally charged with Identity Theft, an Aggravated Misdemeanor (Iowa Code 715A.8(2)). Edwards turned himself in to Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents this afternoon at the Polk County Jail. He was then booked into the jail with a set bail of $2,000, cash or surety.

According to the Criminal Complaint, on June 24, 2011, Edwards fraudulently used, or attempted to use, the identity of Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz and/or Secretary Schultz’s brother, Thomas Schultz, with the intent to obtain a benefit, in an alleged scheme to falsely implicate Secretary Schultz in perceived illegal or unethical behavior while in office.

Obama's job approval hits lowest level yet

2012-01-21T11:57:00.002-05:00

Exactly three years after Aretha Franklin's hat launched the Obama administration, the Democrat's annual job approval rating has sunk to his lowest level.

That's not normally a good sign after 1,095 days in office. But who's counting? Heading into reelection years, pols want to be at least at the 50% level. A new Gallup Poll just out reveals that the ex-state senator's job approval for his third full year is 44%.

That's down from 47% in his second year.

That's down from 57% in his first year.

It's also down from the 69% approval he enjoyed on Inauguration Day.
So, the better Americans have come to know the guy and to watch his record, the less they seem to think of him. Of course, what really matters is what they think of him starting with early voting this October and ending the night of Nov. 6.

Gallup's 2012 results are based on about 175,000 adult interviews during the year, showing a brief high for Obama of 53% in May (can you say Navy SEALs' success?) and a low two times of 38% in both August and October.

In terms of historical patterns, Obama's third-year average is the lowest of any modern president except the doomed Democrat Jimmy Carter, who had 37.4%. The highest approval at this stage of a first term was Dwight Eisenhower with 72.1% and George H.W. Bush with just under 70%. (Continues here)

Perry drops out, endorses Gingrich

2012-01-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Texas Gov. Rick Perry ended his campaign for president Thursday morning and endorsed Newt Gingrich.

“I believe Newt is a conservative visionary who can transform this country,” Perry said.

Making what he called a “strategic retreat,” the Texan obliquely referred to Gingrich’s checkered personal life just hours before an interview with the former House speaker’s second wife was to speak out in a TV interview.

“Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?” said Perry.

Citing his Christian faith, Perry said of Gingrich: “I believe in the power of redemption.”

Perry kept an upbeat note as he ended his campaign. He talked about his plan for jobs, his commitment to conservative principles, his time in the Air Force and his roots in Paint Creek, Texas. He thanked his staff, supporters and family throughout the event. Read more

NYT/CBS News poll: independent voters have soured on Obama's presidency

2012-01-19T03:26:00.000-05:00

(Reuters) - Independent voters, who helped propel President Barack Obama to victory in the 2008 election, could be an obstacle in his bid for a second term in the White House, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll published on Wednesday.

A majority of independent voters have soured on Obama's presidency, disapprove of his handling of the economy and do not have a clear idea of what he hopes to accomplish if re-elected, the Times reported.

Only 31 percent of independent voters have a favorable opinion of the president and two-thirds say he has not made real progress in fixing the economy, the newspaper said. (Continues here)

Andrew Sullivan Says He Had An Orgasm When Palin Tweeted About His Newsweek Article

2012-01-17T18:32:00.000-05:00

As NewsBusters reported Tuesday, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin was quite displeased to find out that Trig Truther Andrew Sullivan actually had an article published on the cover of Newsweek with the headline "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?"

During an online chat about the piece Tuesday, Sullivan told participants that he had an orgasm when he saw Palin's tweet (vulgarity warning):

Comment From Mike D: Palin called you a "conspiracy kook" and blasted Newsweek for allowing you a cover. Do you ever worry that your more controversial views will overshadow your other writing?

Andrew : No. Palin's tweet made me come in my pants. I write what I think is true. I don't give a damn about "reputation."

Hispanic GOP group & Four Evangelical Leaders Reaffirm Support for Gingrich

2012-01-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

(CNN) -- Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has received the endorsement of the nation's largest Hispanic Republican group.

Somos Republicans, which says it has a membership of 6,000 people, issued a statement Monday saying the former speaker of the House "knows the importance of the Latino community" and "has been working hard for many years to include American Hispanics in the overall conversation for a better America."

"We believe Speaker Gingrich is the most Hispanic-friendly candidate in the race," Steve Rodriguez, a spokesman for the group, told CNN in a phone interview from Colorado.

Gingrich has made a concerted effort reaching to South Carolina Latinos ahead of Saturday's primary in that state.

Gregg Torrales, an independent voter from Columbia, told CNN he was contacted by the Gingrich camp and says he is also considering voting for him. (Continues)

----------------------------------------------------

NYT 1:04 p.m. | Updated Four Christian conservative leaders who attended a meeting of evangelicals in Texas last week issued a statement Monday reiterating their firm support for Newt Gingrich.

After the meeting ended on Saturday, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, announced that a “supermajority” had coalesced around Rick Santorum in the hope that a more unified evangelical vote could stop Mitt Romney and result in the nomination of a more reliable conservative. He said that participants had voted 85 to 29 to support Mr. Santorum.

But Mr. Gingrich’s supporters called the tally misleading because several pro-Gingrich participants had left before the final vote. While acknowledging that Mr. Santorum had won majority support, they said that initial news accounts of a “consensus” were incorrect.

“It is unfortunate that early press reports incorrectly stated that there was a consensus for Santorum, or that the ’150 leaders endorsed Santorum.’ Such was not the case. Many there were and still are for Newt Gingrich,” said a statement issued Monday by J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman and a leading African-American conservative who is now a consultant; George Barna, a prominent Christian political analyst; the Rev. Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Church in La Mesa, Calif., and a leader of the campaign against same-sex marriage; and Richard Lee, a prominent Baptist pastor in Atlanta. (Continues)

Huntsman Dropping Out of GOP Race

2012-01-15T21:47:00.001-05:00

Jon Huntsman will drop out of the Republican presidential race on Monday, a campaign spokesman told ABC News.

Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller said the former ambassador to China was “proud of the race that he ran” but “did not want to stand in the way” of rival Mitt Romney, the current front-runner for the nomination.

Huntsman plans to endorse Romney at an 11 a.m. press conference Monday in Myrtle Beach.

Related:

Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor who was seen by Democrats months ago as the potential biggest threat to President Obama in a general election, is dropping out of the race tomorrow and will endorse Mitt Romney, a campaign official confirms to POLITICO.

A source said that Huntsman's rationale for backing Romney, who he has criticized for weeks on the campaign trail as lacking a "core," is that he didn't want to block the person best prepared in the field to beat Obama, and then to lead the country and grapple with the economy.

Solyndra agreed to postpone bad news until after midterm elections

2012-01-15T20:56:00.000-05:00

Senior White House officials were warned that solar-panel-maker Solyndra planned to announce layoffs just before the hotly contested November 2010 midterm elections, newly released e-mails show.

The White House also got advance notice that the company had agreed to postpone delivering the politically damaging news, according to the e-mails provided Friday by a government source. Energy Department officials persuaded the company to delay the announcement until after Election Day.

The newly released e-mails show the White House fretting about the bad news that was coming and discussing how to handle media questions about a company the Obama administration had made a showcase of in its effort to use taxpayer funds to create clean-energy jobs.

An Energy Department spokesman said Friday that the department has asked the inspector general to review the delayed announcement. The newly released documents contain no evidence that White House officials directed anyone to request the delay in publicizing that 200 Solyndra workers would lose their jobs.

“Not a good start for the first closed loan guarantee,” one White House climate official wrote of Solyndra on Oct. 29, 2010. (Continues here)

CBS News investigation discovers more government risky investments

2012-01-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

(CBS News) WASHINGTON - Solar panel maker Solyndra received a $528 million Energy Department loan in 2009 - and went bankrupt last year. The government's risky investment strategy didn't stop there, as a CBS News investigation has uncovered a pattern of cases of the government pouring your tax dollars into clean energy.

Take Beacon Power -- a green energy storage company. We were surprised to learn exactly what the Energy Department knew before committing $43 million of your tax dollars.

Documents obtained by CBS News show Standard and Poor's had confidentially given the project a dismal outlook of "CCC-plus."

Read the documents

Asked whether he'd put his personal money into Beacon, economist Peter Morici replied, "Not on purpose."

"It's, it is a junk bond," Morici said. "But it's not even a good junk bond. It's well below investment grade."

Was the Energy Department investing tax dollars in something that's not even a good junk bond? Morici says yes.

"This level of bond has about a 70 percent chance of failing in the long term," he said.

In fact, Beacon did go bankrupt two months ago and it's unclear whether taxpayers will get all their money back. And the feds made other loans when public documents indicate they should have known they could be throwing good money after bad.

It's been four months since the FBI raided bankrupt Solyndra. It received a half-billion in tax dollars and became a political lightning rod, with Republicans claiming it was a politically motivated investment. (Continues here)

Edwards has life-threatening medical condition

2012-01-13T18:46:00.000-05:00

John Edwards has a life-threatening heart condition that requires a medical procedure and his trial has been delayed, according to reports Friday.

In Greensboro, N.C., U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles disclosed that two cardiologists wrote to her that the former presidential contender and senator has a medical procedure scheduled next month, so starting his trial on Jan. 30 would “reduce the chance for success,” WRAL reported.

The doctors said Edwards, 58, is currently on medication for the heart condition, the details of which weren’t discussed.

“The letters from Mr. Edwards’s physicians are pretty clear this is a serious condition,” Eagles said, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. Read more

Another Perry ‘Oops’ moment

2012-01-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

Rick Perry on Friday readily named three federal departments he’d eliminate as president — they just weren’t the same ones he listed during his now-infamous “oops” debate moment.

Asked during a radio interview which departments he would cut, the Texas governor either forgot the third or added a fourth.

“Three right off the bat, you know, commerce, interior and energy are three that you think,” Perry said on WTKS radio in Savannah, Ga., ABC News reported.

He made no mention of the Department of Education, an agency he frequently names on the stump, until the host asked him if he’d axe that one as well. (Continues here)

Gallup: Conservatives outnumber liberals

2012-01-12T18:55:00.000-05:00

Conservatives continue to make up the largest segment of political views in the country, outnumbering liberals nearly two-to-one, according to a new poll Thursday.

The Gallup survey found that 40 percent of Americans consider themselves conservative; 35 percent consider themselves moderate; and 21 percent see themselves as liberal. The figures did not change from 2010.

For the third straight year, conservatives outnumbered both moderates and liberals.

Meanwhile, independents are mostly moderate (41 percent), but skew more toward conservatism (35 percent) than liberalism (20 percent). Read more

O’Keefe video prompts probe by New Hampshire attorney general

2012-01-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

The attorney general in New Hampshire is probing the state’s voting procedures in response to a video released Wednesday by conservative filmmaker James O’Keefe showing how easy it is to vote in the name of someone who is dead.

The Daily Caller first reported on the O’Keefe produced video, which shows his operatives able to obtain ballots under the names of dead voters at polling locations Tuesday by simply asking for them. (WATCH: The video that started it all)

O’Keefe told TheDC that the operation was done to bring attention to fraud since the state does not require identification to vote. Law enforcement seems to be watching.

“That investigation is ongoing,” New Hampshire associate attorney General Richard Head told The

New Hampshire Union-Leader. “Based on the information received on Election Day and the information on the video, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of voting procedures with the Secretary of State.”

Obama’s got sons?

2012-01-12T14:05:00.001-05:00

Breaking news!

President Obama, speaking last night in Chicago at a fundraiser at a private home, unloaded this bombshell:

Obama, according to the White House transcript, talked about “The first bill I signed — a bill that said that we’re going to have equal pay for equal work because I want my daughters treated the same way as my sons.”

Sons? What sons? How many? Where? Names? Do the girls know? (More importantly, does Michelle?) (Continues here)

Laura & W wanted Jeb in 2012

2012-01-12T12:51:00.002-05:00

Sarasota H-T: Former first lady Laura Bush wishes there were one more candidate in the Republican presidential primary: Jeb Bush.

Speaking to a sold-out Sarasota audience on Wednesday, Bush said she had hoped that her brother-in-law and former Florida governor would have jumped into the race this year.
Husband George W. Bush “and I wish he would,” Laura Bush said when asked if Jeb Bush will run for president someday. “We wanted him to this time.”

Full Story

Romney wins New Hampshire primary

2012-01-10T20:49:00.001-05:00

ROCHESTER, N.H.–Mitt Romney captured the nation's first primary election Tuesday, withstanding both stepped-up attacks by his Republican opponents and late slippage among voters.

With 23% of precincts reporting, the former Massachusetts governor had 35% of the vote, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 25% and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman with 17%. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum trailed with 10% each. Texas Gov. Rick Perry lagged with less than 1%.

"Thank you New Hampshire. Tonight we made history,'' Romney told well-wishers, flanked by wife Ann and the couple's sons. "Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we go back to work."

Romney is the first Republican to sweep the first two contests in a competitive race since Iowa gained the lead-off spot in presidential campaigns in 1976. He had finished second here in 2008 to eventual GOP presidential candidate John McCain. This time, the former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist campaigned with the Arizona senator's endorsement, as well as backing from Sen. Kelly Ayotte and numerous other members of the state's Republican establishment. (Continues here)

Republican race makes Palin look even better

2012-01-06T15:24:00.001-05:00

IS THE ONLY Republican with even a remote chance of challenging President Barack Obama this November sitting smugly in her Alaska home watching a primary race that looks more like a donkey basketball game?

Several times over the past six months, I have said that Sarah Palin is looking better and better all the time. But those words were never more prophetic than now.

The GOP just doesn't have a viable candidate in this presidential race. That is becoming more obvious with each passing day.

Every month there seems to be another front-runner who only fades as time passes. Mitt Romney. Rick Perry. Herman Cain. Newt Gingrich. Now the Iowa caucuses have sent Rick Santorum to the forefront--or thereabouts.

Mitt Romney is a nice guy with great hair but the personality of a wet dishrag. Even with his deep pockets he couldn't buy Iowa.

Rick Perry's claim to fame is the fact that his state, Texas, executes more prisoners than any other in America--or most foreign countries.

Newt Gingrich wasn't even organized enough to get his name on the Virginia primary ballot. He hasn't changed much from his days in Congress.

Ron Paul patrols left field and has the endorsement of marijuana advocates and the girls at Nevada's Bunny Ranch brothel (no joke).

As for Rick Santorum, nobody even knew he was running until he stepped out of an Iowa cornfield.

Donald Trump? Well, should we even go there? Herman Cain, who suspended his campaign, is a man with a ton of female baggage who couldn't deliver the pizza and eventually dropped out of the race.

Michele Bachmann, who dropped out after the Iowa caucuses, represents the tea party, from which most mainstream Republicans are distancing themselves. She's way out there in right field.

Let's be realistic.

So, my Republican friends, that is the presidential material you have to choose from. Can you look at those names and honestly tell me that Sarah Palin wouldn't be a more viable GOP candidate than anyone on that list? The knock on Palin, of course, is that she is not very smart. Listen, I think that a woman who has gotten as far as she has must have a lot of savvy.

Besides, during some of the GOP debates last fall, Perry and Cain made her look like a Rhodes Scholar. (Continues here)

Bachman out, Perry back in

2012-01-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- Michele Bachmann ended her bid for the Republican presidential nomination Wednesday, hours after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

The Minnesota congresswoman suspended her campaign, a legal technicality that will allow her to continue to raise and spend campaign funds.

"Last night the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice and so I have decided to stand aside," Bachmann told a crowd of supporters in West Des Moines. But, she added, "I will continue fighting to defeat the president's agenda of socialism."

"It is safe to say we don't see a viable way forward," a Republican source familiar with Bachmann's campaign told CNN before the announcement.

Bachmann's withdrawal is a blow to many die-hard tea party conservatives. The congresswoman, a leading populist conservative in the House of Representatives, has often led the GOP's rhetorical charge against President Barack Obama's agenda. (Continues here)

Perry tweets: 'Here we come South Carolina'

DES MOINES -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry is continuing his presidential campaign, despite a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses.
From Perry's personal Twitter account this morning:

And the next leg of the marathon is the Palmetto State...Here we come South Carolina!!!

Catherine Frazier, a campaign spokeswoman, told the Associated Press that the Republican governor plans to stay in Texas for a few days before joining debates in New Hampshire and heading to South Carolina.

Perry's team confirmed his continued bid for the Republican nomination, even though the governor told Iowa supporters Tuesday night that he was going home to the Lone Star State to reassess his campaign. (Continues)

New Anti-Obama Ad

2012-01-03T17:01:00.001-05:00

No wonder the GOP candidates look so bad

2011-12-31T17:40:00.003-05:00

Over the past five months, the Republican presidential candidates participated in 13 debates where they fielded dozens of penetrating questions on every major issue facing the nation, and some not so major.

The nationally televised and/or Internet-streamed forums each drew an average of 5 million to 6 million viewers, along with breathless wall-to-wall coverage, commentary and criticism from the news media, radio and TV talk shows, Internet blogs and partisan websites.

Indeed, the GOP hopefuls have been thoroughly queried on a laundry list of issues ranging from immigration problems to the faltering economy, Iran’s nuclear program to trade deficits with China, the intricacies of climate change to strategies to combat terrorism, exploding government regulations to skyrocketing public debt, plus some uncomfortable questions about their pasts and their personal lives.

Yet, during all that time, the man they hope to defeat next November has rarely been asked by news reporters about many of these issues. Since August, President Obama has held only one formal White House news conference. That came on Oct. 6, nearly three months ago. It lasted 74 minutes, shorter than any single Republican debate, and the president was asked 17 questions, most of them softballs on the economy and his latest legislative proposals to create jobs.

No questions on immigration, no questions on Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan or Israel or North Korea -- global trouble spots the GOP candidates have been queried about repeatedly. Moreover, he was not asked about what spending cuts he would make to reduce the deficit, nothing about Medicare and Social Security reform or his health care law, all familiar questions for the Republicans seeking his job. (Continues here)

Sears to close 100 to 120 Kmart, Sears stores

2011-12-27T17:02:00.000-05:00

(AP) NEW YORK - Sears Holdings Corp. plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores to raise cash after a weak holiday shopping season for the retailer.
The closings fueled speculation about whether the 125-year-old retailer can turn itself around.

The closings are the latest and most visible in a long series of moves to try to fix a company that has struggled with falling sales and shabby stores as rivals like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. spruced up their looks and turned into one-stop shopping sources. (Continues at CBS News)

Related:

Many Sears, Kmart stores closing, but no list of where or when, corporate offices announce
The company that owns Sears, Kmart and Lands End announced today that it plans to close 100 to 120 of its nearly 2,200 Kmart and Sears full-line stores, a move it expects to generate $140 million to $170 million, according to a statement on its website.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Sears Holdings on Tuesday reported a sharp drop in holiday sales compared to a year ago, and said the results will force it to close 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores.

The stores to be closed have yet to be identified. The company is one of the nation's largest retailers with more than 4,000 stores in the United States and Canada.

Sarah Palin's personal Christmas card

2011-12-23T22:28:00.002-05:00

Sarah Palin's personal Christmas message, as provided on her Facebook page

My family and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I offer this to all because Christmas is a holiday for all, whether you are a Christian believer or not. The message of Christmas is full of hope, peace, joy, and the fellowship of all mankind; so I find it amazing that every year we hear more accounts of a ramped up “war on Christmas.”

How sad and ironic that a handful of grinches are at war with the annual celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, whose coming was prophesied centuries earlier and was then gloriously heralded by the angels with a blessing for “peace on earth” and “good will toward men.”
Even if one doesn’t believe the story, can’t one at least recognize the beauty of the message? Or at the very least, let everyone else enjoy the season without throwing a temper tantrum at the sight of a Nativity scene? People who feel affronted by a baby in a humble Manger display or a few Christmas carols have truly lost all sense of proportion and seem to be most in need of some holiday cheer.

At a time when our country is divided on so many things, Christmas unites us. It’s a beautiful part of our culture, and for many of us it’s a beautiful part of our Faith. In fact, for believers it’s “the main thing.” In today’s tumultuous times we can remember the bible’s record of Three Wise Men from the East who received an angelic message of Jesus’ birth. They may have been unsure of the message, so they sought truth. They trekked to Bethlehem to find out more. There, they found Jesus and they honored Him. The story of the wise men reminds us that today wise men still seek Him. So in this season especially, let’s seek truth.

Let’s celebrate with family and friends. Let’s shout a cheery “Merry Christmas” to everyone we meet. Let’s remember our brave men and women in uniform defending us far from home. And let’s all pray for a peaceful New Year.

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas.

-- Sarah Palin

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

Sarah Palin - Commercial #5 - The Bear

2011-12-22T21:38:00.001-05:00

Palin says it's not too late for more entrants in GOP presidential race

2011-12-20T00:20:00.000-05:00

Full Sarah Palin interview on Follow the Money

And from the NY Post:

Sarah Palin is not convinced the Republican presidential candidate will come from the current pool of hopefuls, saying it was not too late for a new entrant to join the race.

The former Alaska governor told FOX News Radio, "Things can still be shaken up. Things can change in terms of candidates coming and going."

Palin said over the weekend that she was not enthusiastic about anyone in the current GOP field.
"I don't think that the field has to be considered set today -- set and locked up," she said. "Even beyond Iowa I think there is time for more shakeup."

"No one seems to have really grasped, except for Ron Paul, the gravity of our economic situation," she said. "And with Ron Paul, I don't agree with all of his foreign policy decisions."

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said he agreed with Palin's assessment.
"I would not be at all surprised to see one or two more candidates between now and the end of April," Gingrich told FOX News & Commentary. "The clock is running but the clock sure hasn't stopped."

And while Gingrich declined to name names, he did say that Palin could stir up the race.
"If somebody who had her level of popular support jumped in that would stir it up one more time," he said.

Palin said she also had concerns about the lack of focus on "values and character" from the GOP field. "It's not all about politics," she said. "It is all about value and character." (More here)

Supreme Court sets dates to hear Obamacare arguments

2011-12-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on President Obama's healthcare law over a three-day span in late March.

The schedule further confirms the universal expectation that the court will issue a ruling on the healthcare law next June, at the height of the 2012 campaign.

The Supreme Court will begin on March 26 with one hour of arguments on whether it can reach a decision on the reform law before 2014. There is a possibility that a separate federal law will prevent the courts from ruling until the law's individual mandate has taken effect.

On March 27, the justices will hear two hours of arguments on the core question of whether the mandate is unconstitutional. (Continues here)

Kim Jong Il Has Died

2011-12-18T22:46:00.003-05:00

SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has died, North Korean state television said Monday.
Mr. Kim died from fatigue during a train ride on Saturday, a weeping television announcer said.
State TV also announced that Kim Jong Eun will take over as leader. (SOURCE)

(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is dead, North Korean state TV said Monday.
Kim, 69, died at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, state TV said.
A broadcaster reported that Kim died due to "overwork" after "dedicating his life to the people."
South Korean news agency Yonhap -- which based its reporting on its monitoring off North Korean state television -- said that Kim had died during a train trip.
South Korea's military declared an "emergency alert" following Kim's death, according to Yonhap.
The son of Kim Il Song, the founder of the communist nation, Kim Jong Il had been in power since 1994 when his father died of a heart attack at age 82.

Des Moines Register endorses Mitt Romney

2011-12-17T22:56:00.001-05:00

Mitt Romney is making his second bid for Iowans’ support after an unsuccessful run in 2008. We did not endorse him then, but this is a different field, and he has matured as a candidate. Rebuilding the economy is the nation’s top priority, and Romney makes the best case among the Republicans that he could do that.

He stands out in the current field of Republican candidates. He has solid credentials in a career that includes running and starting successful businesses, turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics and working with both political parties as Massachusetts governor to pass important initiatives. He stands out especially among candidates now in the top tier: Newt Gingrich is an undisciplined partisan who would alienate, not unite, if he reverts to mean-spirited attacks on display as House speaker. Ron Paul’s libertarian ideology would lead to economic chaos and isolationism, neither of which this nation can afford.

Romney is accused of being a “flip-flopper.” He has evolved from one-time independent to moderate Republican in liberal Massachusetts to proud conservative today. He does not deny changing his position on some issues, but he will say he has made mistakes and has learned from them. Though Romney has tended to adapt some positions to different times and places, he is hardly unique. It should be possible for a politician to say, “I was wrong, and I have changed my mind.”

But more subtle distinctions apply to Romney on some major issues where he has been accused of flipping or flopping. He helped create health-care reform in Massachusetts that is strikingly similar to the much-derided “Obamacare,” for example. Yet Romney argues reasonably, though not entirely persuasively, that while all states should be free to experiment with their own reforms, it is wrong for the federal government to force a one-size-fits-all plan on the entire nation. (Full story here)

VIEW A PDF OF SUNDAY’S OPINION PAGE WITH THE ENDORSEMENT

Price of Obama’s Annual Hawaiian Holiday Rises

2011-12-17T20:16:00.000-05:00

KAILUA, OAHU - The U.S. Secret Service has arrived, street barricades are in place, and the U.S. Coast Guard has stationed itself in the waters surrounding Kailua, Oahu. That is a sure sign President Barack Obama’s security team is preparing for the first family to arrive in the small beachside community as early as Friday night for what is expected to be a 17-day vacation.

The President and his family are traveling separately to Hawaii because he wants resolve the payroll tax cut issue before leaving Washington – and his wife does not want to wait.

But the advanced trip and the cost that comes with it – as much as $100,000 (flight and security) – adds to an already expensive vacation for the taxpayers.

Hawaii Reporter research shows the total cost for the President’s visit for taxpayers far exceeded $1.5 million in 2010 – but is even more costly this year because he extended his vacation by three days and the cost for Air Force One travel has jumped since last assessed in 2000. In addition, Hawaii Reporter was able to obtain more specifics about the executive expenditures.

The total cost (based on what is known) for the 17-day vacation roundtrip vacation to Hawaii for the President, his family and staff has climbed to more than $4 million. Here's why. (Continues here)

Ban on 100-watt incandescent light bulbs delayed

2011-12-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

In a magnificent gift to the freedom-loving American people, the Republican House majority has successfully negotiated a delay to the implementation of the ill-conceived ban on the legal sale of 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, which was to have gone into effect two weeks from Sunday, January 1, 2012. The new deadline for the ban is now September 30, 2012, just 38 days before the end of the Age of Obama, Deo volente.

This ban, part of a 2007 omnibus national energy and security bill — which, as everyone duly notes, was signed into law by former President George W. Bush — was about more than light bulbs. Far more.
It concerned the inside of every home in the United States of America, from the frailest shack to the most opulent compound. It became as much of a lightning rod as abortion. It touched the hearts and minds of a free people who, unlike Cubans in 2005 and the cowed population of the European Union in 2009, did not want their basic liberty to light their homes to be by a bulb of the government’s choosing.

The fact that the most popular substitute for the traditional light bulb was (is! — it’s still for sale all over the land) filled with toxic mercury, the grotesque “compact fluorescent” bulb of environmentalists’ dreams, hardly helped the cause of its proponents, the all-too-familiar very green lobby.

The one thing the environmental lobby underestimated, and underestimated big time, was this basic fact: human life is part of the environment. (Continues here)

Freddie, Fannie Chiefs Sued by SEC Over Loans

2011-12-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

Daniel Mudd, the former chiefexecutive officer of Fannie Mae, and Richard Syron, ex-CEO ofFreddie Mac, were sued by the U.S. Securities and ExchangeCommission for understating by hundreds of billions of dollarsthe subprime loans held by the agencies.

The lawsuits filed today in Manhattan federal court werefollowed by an SEC statement that it had entered into non-prosecution agreements with each lender. Fannie Mae, thegovernment-sponsored enterprise which issues almost half of allmortgage-backed securities, and Freddie Mac, the McLean,Virginia-based mortgage-finance company, had “agreed to acceptresponsibility” for their conduct, the SEC said.

In the lawsuits, the SEC said Syron, Mudd and othersunderstated the lenders’ exposure to subprime mortgage loans.From 2007 to 2008, Freddie Mac executives said the company’sexposure was between $2 billion and $6 billion when it wasactually as high as $244 billion, according to one SECcomplaint. From 2006 to 2008, Washington-based Fannie Maeexecutives said the firm’s exposure to subprime mortgage andreduced documentation loans was about $4.8 billion when it wasnearly 10 times greater, according to the regulator.

“Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives told the world thattheir subprime exposure was substantially smaller than it reallywas,” Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC’s enforcement division,said today in a statement. “These material misstatementsoccurred during a time of acute investor interest in financialinstitutions’ exposure to subprime loans, and misled the marketabout the amount of risk on the company’s books.” (Continues here)

Men Accused in Palin Case Will Stand Trial

2011-12-15T19:03:00.000-05:00

Two Pennsylvania men accused of harassing Sarah Palin's Alaska lawyers by phone are going to have to stand trial.

Federal Judge Timothy Burgess on Wednesday rejected a plea deal for Shawn Christy and his father, Craig Christy, and instead ordered the McAdoo men to stand trial in early January.

The plea agreement would have let the two avoid prison time and six-figure fines.

Burgess says the plea agreements prosecutors had reached with the Christys were not acceptable to him. The judge cited what he described as a disturbing pattern of threats. (Continues here)

2008 Flashback: Michele Bachmann Gushes Over Newt Gingrich

2011-12-15T16:33:00.001-05:00

Obama campaign asking donors to drive conservative friends nuts

2011-12-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

Do you wish you had more partisan bickering in your family heading into the holidays? The Obama campaign is here to help.

In a fundraising note to supporters, deputy campaign manager Julianna Smoot on Tuesday suggested making a donation “inspired by your favorite conservative friend or relative,” especially if that person is fond of spreading right-wing chatter about the president.

Donors can alert their conservative friends to the contributions, or simply let them know “someone” has given money to Obama on their behalf. “It will drive them nuts!” Smoot wrote.

Twisting the knife further, she suggested supporters should watch their Republican friends go through the primary process and “kindly remind them we have our candidate, and we’re proud of it.”

“If you like this idea, take it to the next level. Tell your conservative friends you’re going to donate $3 to the President’s campaign every time they say something outrageous. It’ll be fun,” Smoot concluded.

Merry Christmas, indeed! See the full e-mail after the jump:

Know someone on Facebook or Twitter who, day after day, populates your feed with the latest right-wing talk-radio chatter? Or your cousin who won’t stop forwarding those chain email hoaxes?
It can be frustrating.

So what do you do about it? You can go round and round in circles arguing with them — or you can have a little fun and make them pay. Literally. (Continues here)

Romney, Gingrich With Slight Edge Over Obama in Swing States

2011-12-13T19:44:00.000-05:00

PRINCETON, NJ -- Registered voters in 12 key swing states give a slight edge to the two leading Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, over Barack Obama as their preference for president in the 2012 election. Nationally, Obama fares somewhat better, essentially tying Romney and leading Gingrich by a six-percentage-point margin.
The "swing state" results are from the second USA Today/Gallup Swing States poll, based on Nov. 30-Dec. 7 Gallup Daily tracking of registered voters in 12 states that will be among the most crucial to winning the 2012 presidential election. The states include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The national results are based on Dec. 6-7 Gallup Daily tracking of registered voters.

These results continue to indicate a largely divided electorate 11 months before the Nov. 6 presidential vote and before the final GOP nominee is determined. But the slight edge for the GOP candidates in the 12 swing states is significant given that President Obama won each of these swing states in 2008 and will need to win a healthy percentage of them again to retain his office for a second term. (Continues here at Gallup)

Sarah Palin: Congress, it's time to stop lining your pockets

2011-12-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

From sweetheart land deals to initial public offering (IPO) stock gifts to insider trading with non-public government information, the methods of unethical wealth accumulation for our permanent political class are endless. The reaction from the Beltway establishment to the revelations concerning insider trading among members of Congress was predictable. First they denied it, then they dismissed the problem as much ado about nothing. Some said there was no need for new laws or action because the Securities and Exchange Commission could prosecute members of Congress under existing laws against insider trading.

But under current law, there is no way the SEC will ever go after a powerful congressman or senator. The SEC never has, even though insider trading prohibitions have existed since the 1930s. Here's why: Congress sets the SEC's budget, and senators approve the head of the SEC. Congress uses its power of the purse strings to threaten federal agencies that get in their way.

For example, in 2006 the FBI got a search warrant from a federal judge to comb former congressman William Jefferson's office. The FBI already had evidence that Jefferson was taking bribes. Congress was furious that the FBI would dare search a fellow member's office. Members claimed the search was unconstitutional. They even threatened to cut the Justice Department's budget in retaliation. All this despite the fact that 86% of Americans supported the FBI raid.

(USA Today, by Sarah Palin) Continues here

Fear of Big Government at Near-Record Level - New!

2011-12-12T16:06:00.001-05:00

Two in three Americans (64%) say big government will be the biggest threat to the country, one percentage point lower than the record high, and more than twice the number who say the same about big business (26%). Democrats have led the recent increase in concerns about big government.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' concerns about the threat of big government continue to dwarf those about big business and big labor, and by an even larger margin now than in March 2009. The 64% of Americans who say big government will be the biggest threat to the country is just one percentage point shy of the record high, while the 26% who say big business is down from the 32% recorded during the recession. Relatively few name big labor as the greatest threat.

Continues here at Gallup

Great new Romney ad!

2011-12-12T13:13:00.002-05:00

Obama Flipflops on Campaign Pledge to Prevent Horse Slaughter

2011-12-10T18:09:00.001-05:00

The Obama-loving media have been paying a lot of attention of late to flipflops made by Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney throughout their respective political careers.
Yet as Politico loosely addressed earlier this month, the current White House resident signed a bill in November that reversed his campaign pledge to prevent the slaughter of horses.

For some background, the elimination of this ban was placed into an appropriations bill that passed the House and the Senate on November 17, and was signed by the President the following day.

What Politico failed to inform its readers is that Obama in a presidential candidacy questionnaire from the Humane Society in 2007 promised to not end this ban.

But Politico wasn't alone. According to LexisNexis, not one major news outlet bothered to report that the bill the President signed on November 18 broke one of his campaign promises.

Full Story Here

New! CBS poll shows bad news for Obama

2011-12-10T11:54:00.001-05:00

Grim economic outlook weighs down Obama approval rating

Just 41 percent of Americans think Mr. Obama has performed his job well enough to be elected to a second term, whereas 54 percent don't think so.

The president's overall approval rating remains in the mid-40's, according to a CBS News poll - lower than the approval ratings of Mr. Obama's four presidential predecessors at this point in their first terms.

Mr. Obama's approval rating is dragged down by his poor marks for his handling of the economy - which, at 33 percent, is the lowest rating of his presidency in CBS News polls.Forty-four percent of Americans approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, and about as many - 46 percent - disapprove.

Views of how he has handled the economy is the obvious drag on the president's ratings:

While just 33 percent approve, 60 percent disapprove. Similarly, just 35 percent approve his his handling of job creation while 58 percent disapprove.Additionally, most Americans do not think the president's priorities for the country are in line with theirs. Fifty-four percent say Mr. Obama doesn't share their priorities, while 41 percent think he does. This is the public's most negative assessment on this question since Mr. Obama assumed office. Again, the public divides along partisan lines: 73 percent of Democrats say he shares their priorities, while 79 percent of Republicans say he does not.

Americans also remain skeptical of one of the major legislative achievements of Mr. Obama's first term as president -- the 2010 health care reform law. Fifty-one percent of Americans disapprove of the law, including a third who strongly disapprove, while just 35 percent approve either somewhat or strongly.

More Americans have disapproved than approved of the law since it was passed in March 2010.Half of all Americans think Mr. Obama should have focused his priorities elsewhere during his first term in office, though 43 percent think he did the right thing in trying to reform the health care system.
(Full story and poll here at CBS News)

Amanpour out?

2011-12-09T13:37:00.001-05:00

Christiane Amanpour may soon be giving up the anchor chair on ABC News’ “This Week.” Sources say network honchos are mulling who might replace the award-winning journalist, who has struggled in the ratings since she jumped from CNN to take the reins of the public affairs show in August 2010.

“There are discussions of Amanpour’s role changing to that of a global affairs anchor,” a source said. Possible names to fill her seat include ABC’s Jonathan Karl, Terry Moran, Matthew Dowd and Jake Tapper. “Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos, who hosted the show for eight years, may take back his role and “pull double duty” by hosting the morning show and the Sunday political talk show. Page Six first reported that Amanpour reconnected with Turner CEO Phil Kent over the summer about returning to CNN to cover international affairs. Sources said she’s been “miserable” at ABC and clashed with network executives. Other sources say the DC bureau never warmed up to Amanpour, who was seen as an outsider, commuting to Washington every week to host the show. An ABC rep said, “Christiane is an incredibly valuable member of ABC News team.” (Source)

UPDATE:Gingrich takes wide leads in NC, CO

2011-12-07T11:38:00.001-05:00

The Newt Gingrich surge has broken out of the early primary states, according to Democratic pollster PPP. The former Speaker now has a 37-point lead over Mitt Romney in North Carolina, a state that broke for Barack Obama in 2008, and now leads in Colorado after having only had 9% of the vote in the last survey in the series:

Newt Gingrich’s momentum in the Republican Presidential race is continuing to build: PPP finds him with large leads in both North Carolina and Colorado. It’s also looking more and more like the GOP contest is down to a two man race, as Gingrich and Mitt Romney are the only candidates in double digits in either of those states.
In North Carolina Gingrich is at 51% to 14% for Romney, 8% for Michele Bachmann, 7% for Ron Paul, 4% for Rick Perry, 3% for Rick Santorum, 1% for Jon Huntsman, and 0% for Gary Johnson.
In Colorado Gingrich is at 37% to 18% for Romney, 9% for Bachmann, 6% for Paul, 4% for Perry and Santorum, 3% for Huntsman, and 1% for Johnson.
5 weeks ago Gingrich was at 22% in North Carolina, so he’s gained 29 points since then. In August Gingrich was at 9% in Colorado, so he’s gained 28 points since our last poll there.

Not surprisingly, considering those numbers, Gingrich now leads in practically every demographic:
(Continues here)

Gingrich 37%, Romney 22% Among GOP Voters Nationwide

2011-12-06T13:31:00.001-05:00

New

December 6, 2011

Newt Gingrich leads Mitt Romney 37% to 22% among Republican registered voters in Gallup's inaugural Daily tracking of the party's 2012 presidential nomination race; all other candidates are in single digits. Gingrich's support has increased 15 points compared with Gallup polling conducted in mid-November. (Full story at Gallup)

Gingrich leads in latest Iowa GOP poll

2011-12-03T21:41:00.001-05:00

(AP)
WASHINGTON - Newt Gingrich has taken the lead in a poll of Republican voters in Iowa, followed by Ron Paul and Mitt Romney.

Former House Speaker Gingrich received support from 25 percent of likely voters in the leadoff Iowa caucus, while Texas congressman Paul had 18 percent and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 16 percent in the Des Moines Register's Iowa Poll released Saturday.

Gingrich's support stood at just 7 percent in the most recent Iowa Poll, conducted in late October. Businessman Herman Cain, who suspended his campaign today amid claims of sexual misconduct, was at 8 percent in the latest poll, down from 23 percent in October. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann was also at 8 percent. (Continues here)

Cain Out But...

2011-12-03T14:28:00.001-05:00

In a long awaited announcement Herman Cain stood with his wife Gloria before a crowd of supporters at his campaign office in north DeKalb County, Georgia to say that he will suspend his campaign due to the continued hurt suffered by his family from “false allegations.”

“So as of today, with a lot of prayer and soul searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign,” he said.

Cain said that while “Plan A” was running for president his “Plan B” is a new policy website called Thecainsolutions.com.

He added that he will be making an endorsement — not President Obama.

Friday night Cain returned to his Georgia home to face his wife for the first time since White’s bombshell revelation of a 13 year affair. The couple walked on stage together hand in hand.
Cain asserted that his wife, who has eschewed the spotlight, remains fully behind him.

Full Story here

Bill Richardson is being investigated by a federal grand jury

2011-12-02T00:34:00.001-05:00

PHOENIX — Bill Richardson, the former governor of New Mexico who ran for president in 2008, is being investigated by a federal grand jury for possible violations of campaign finance laws, according to people with knowledge of the inquiry.

Defense lawyers and others briefed on the investigation said one of the accusations is that Mr. Richardson raised $250,000 from supporters to quiet a woman who had threatened to file a sexual harassment suit against him. Kenneth J. Gonzales, the United States attorney for New Mexico, said in a statement that he could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of any grand jury investigation into alleged criminal conduct” by Mr. Richardson. But others close to the case said that several people with links to Mr. Richardson had testified before a grand jury in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

The Albuquerque Journal first reported on the existence of the investigation on Nov. 16, and The Wall Street Journal followed up Thursday with more details about money paid to a woman who had said she had an affair with the governor. In interviews on Thursday, people with knowledge of the investigation said that a sexual harassment claim might be at the root of the inquiry. (Continues here)

CEO's Open Letter to President Obama

2011-11-30T21:51:00.001-05:00

Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman made public his letter to the President, in which he calls for Obama to end his class warfare rhetoric and appeal to all voters today. Cooperman, below, makes the point that the President’s comments are divisive at a time we can least afford it. The chairman of Omega Advisors was a one-time Goldman Sachs asset management chief.

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
November 28, 2011
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

It is with a great sense of disappointment that I write this. Like many others, I hoped that your election would bring a salutary change of direction to the country, despite what more than a few feared was an overly aggressive social agenda. And I cannot credibly blame you for the economic mess that you inherited, even if the policy response on your watch has been profligate and largely ineffectual. (You did not, after all, invent TARP.) I understand that when surrounded by cries of "the end of the world as we know it is nigh", even the strongest of minds may have a tendency to shoot first and aim later in a well-intended effort to stave off the predicted apocalypse.

But what I can justifiably hold you accountable for is you and your minions' role in setting the tenor of the rancorous debate now roiling us that smacks of what so many have characterized as "class warfare". Whether this reflects your principled belief that the eternal divide between the haves and have-nots is at the root of all the evils that afflict our society or just a cynical, populist appeal to his base by a president struggling in the polls is of little importance. What does matter is that the divisive, polarizing tone of your rhetoric is cleaving a widening gulf, at this point as much visceral as philosophical, between the downtrodden and those best positioned to help them. It is a gulf that is at once counterproductive and freighted with dangerous historical precedents. And it is an approach to governing that owes more to desperate demagoguery than your Administration should feel comfortable with.

Just to be clear, while I have been richly rewarded by a life of hard work (and a great deal of luck), I was not to-the-manor-born. My father was a plumber who practiced his trade in the South Bronx after he and my mother emigrated from Poland. I was the first member of my family to earn a college degree. I benefited from both a good public education system (P.S. 75, Morris High School and Hunter College, all in the Bronx) and my parents' constant prodding. When I joined Goldman Sachs following graduation from Columbia University's business school, I had no money in the bank, a negative net worth, a National Defense Education Act student loan to repay, and a six-month-old child (not to mention his mother, my wife of now 47 years) to support. I had a successful, near-25-year run at Goldman, which I left 20 years ago to start a private investment firm. As a result of my good fortune, I have been able to give away to those less blessed far more than I have spent on myself and my family over a lifetime, and last year I subscribed to Warren Buffet's Giving Pledge to ensure that my money, properly stewarded, continues to do some good after I'm gone.

My story is anything but unique. I know many people who are similarly situated, by both humble family history and hard-won accomplishment, whose greatest joy in life is to use their resources to sustain their communities. Some have achieved a level of wealth where philanthropy is no longer a by-product of their work but its primary impetus. This is as it should be. We feel privileged to be in a position to give back, and we do. My parents would have expected nothing less of me.

I am not, by training or disposition, a policy wonk, polemicist or pamphleteer. I confess admiration for those who, with greater clarity of expression and command of the relevant statistical details, make these same points with more eloquence and authoritativeness than I can hope to muster. For recent examples, I would point you to "Hunting the Rich" (Leaders, The Economist, September 24, 2011), "The Divider vs. the Thinker" (Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2011), "Wall Street Occupiers Misdirect Anger" (Christine Todd Whitman, Bloomberg, October 31, 2011), and "Beyond Occupy" (Bill Keller, The New York Times, October 31, 2011) - all, if you haven't read them, making estimable work of the subject.

But as a taxpaying businessman with a weekly payroll to meet and more than a passing familiarity with the ways of both Wall Street and Washington, I do feel justified in asking you: is the tone of the current debate really constructive?

Gingrich Leads & Romney Hits New Low in Positive Intensity

2011-11-29T19:40:00.001-05:00

PRINCETON, NJ -- Newt Gingrich's most recent Positive Intensity Score of 20 in Gallup tracking conducted Nov. 14-27 is the highest of any Republican candidate, while Mitt Romney's current score of 9 is his lowest of the year by one percentage point.

Gingrich and Romney are essentially tied as the front-runners on Gallup's latest trial-heat ballot measure, but their Positive Intensity Scores this year have followed substantially different patterns.

Romney's highest Positive Intensity Score this year is 20, measured in March, but he has been at or below 16 since late July. Romney's score of 9 for the two-week period of Nov. 14-27 is his lowest of the year.

The trajectory of Gingrich's Positive Intensity Score has shown a substantial drop and then an equally substantial rise over the course of the year. Gingrich's score was 19 in March, but by summer it had plummeted to 1. The former speaker's score then began an upward track, and has now reached 20 for two weeks in a row. This is Gingrich's highest score of the year, is currently higher than the score of any other candidate by an 11-point margin, and leaves Gingrich as the only candidate with a double-digit score. (Continues here)

Sirhan Sirhan innocent?

2011-11-29T02:44:00.001-05:00

LOS ANGELES - Lawyers representing convicted assassin Sirhan Sirhan argue in newly filed court documents that a bullet was switched in evidence at his trial and new forensic details show he is innocent of the 1968 killing of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

In the latest of many appeals filed on behalf of Sirhan, the attorneys are seeking to overturn his conviction. They repeated a previous assertion and presented reports from experts who said Sirhan was programmed through hypnosis to fire shots as a diversion for the real killer.

Prosecutors had no comment, said Lynda Gledhill, a spokeswoman for the California attorney general’s office, which is handling the appeal.

The lawyers, William F. Pepper and Laurie Dusek, also said sophisticated audio tests recently conducted on recordings from the assassination night show 13 shots from multiple guns were fired - five more than Sirhan could have fired from his small pistol.

Authorities have claimed eight bullets were fired, with three hitting Kennedy and the rest flying wildly around the kitchen and striking five other victims who survived.
Paul Schrade, who was struck by gunfire, refused to comment on the new filing, saying he is working on his own new analysis of the assassination.

Pepper and Dusek argue that before Sirhan’s trial, someone switched a bullet before it was placed in evidence because the bullet taken from Kennedy’s neck did not match Sirhan’s gun. The lawyers suggest a second gun was involved in the assassination, but they do not know who fired it.
Pepper said the new evidence outlined in a 62-page federal court brief filed in Los Angeles is sufficient to prove Sirhan is innocent under the law. (Continues here)

Gingrich Gets Big New Hampshire Endorsement

2011-11-27T08:17:00.001-05:00

Former speaker of the U.S. House and current GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has received the coveted endorsement of the highly-influential New Hampshire newspaper "The Manchester Union Leader," an endorsement

Republican rival Mitt Romney has adamantly sought.

The endorsement of the conservative newspapers' editorial board places an exclamation point on Gingrich's impressive surge from has-been GOP contender to front-runner, and sets him apart as the new anti-Romney candidate amongst his competitors.

The New Hampshire Union Leader wrote in Sunday's editions that the former Georgia lawmaker is the choice of the conservative editorial page. The decision was published in a banner headline across the front page of the Sunday edition.

"We don't back candidates based on popularity polls or big-shot backers," the newspaper wrote. "We look for conservatives of courage and conviction who are independent-minded, grounded in their core beliefs about this nation and its people, and best equipped for the job."

The Union Leader has long had great sway in Republican politics in the state and the newspaper used Page One editorials and columns to help Sen. John McCain win the state's primary four years ago and start his path to the GOP's nomination.

Gingrich has now fully reached a pinnacle as a front-runner. He shares this title with Romney, who has established himself as the consistent man to beat by the amorphous GOP field.

The endorsement suggests Gingrich has the potential to beat Romney in the New Hampshire primary. This "first in the nation" primary is considered to be a must-win for Romney. (Continues here)

Pakistan demands US vacate suspected drone base

2011-11-26T21:54:00.001-05:00

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistani government has demanded the U.S. vacate an air base within 15 days that the CIA is suspected of using for unmanned drones.

The government issued the demand Saturday after NATO helicopters and jet fighters allegedly attacked two Pakistan army posts along the Afghan border, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Islamabad outlined the demand in a statement it sent to reporters following an emergency defense committee meeting chaired by Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. (Continues here)