(AP) Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Saturday easily coasted to a
second term, winning in a landslide election after failing to attract
any well-known or deep-pocketed opposition.
The 40-year-old Republican overwhelmed nine competitors in the open
primary, where a candidate wins the race outright if he or she receives
more than 50 percent of the vote.
“I will use every day, every hour of these next four years to make
Louisiana the very best that we can be. I don’t believe in resting on
our past accomplishments. I don’t believe in taking time off,” Jindal
told a packed hotel ballroom of supporters in Baton Rouge.
Jindal piled up $15 million in campaign cash from around the nation
and attracted no Democratic challengers with statewide name recognition
or fundraising heft. He’s had consistently high approval ratings since
taking office in 2008.
His win comes amid the virtual collapse of the Democratic Party’s clout
in the state. In the current term, Republicans have gained control of
all seven statewide elected posts and both chambers of the legislature. (Continues here)
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
New! Obama's 11th quarter in office was the worst of his administration.
Obama Job Approval Average Slides to New Low in 11th Quarter Prior low was 45% in his seventh quarter
PRINCETON, NJ -- President Barack Obama's 11th quarter in office was the worst of his administration, based on his quarterly average job approval ratings. His 41% approval average is down six percentage points from his 10th quarter in office, and is nearly four points below his previous low of 45% during his seventh quarter.
These results are based on Gallup Daily tracking from July 20-Oct. 19, 2011. During this time, Obama's approval rating ranged narrowly between 38% and 43% for all but a few days of the quarter. The 38% approval ratings, registered on several occasions, are the lowest of his presidency to date.
The most notable event in Obama's 11th quarter was probably the negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling in late July and early August. Shortly after the agreement was reached, the stock market plummeted after Standard and Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating. Later, the government's jobs report showed no new net jobs were created in August, a sign the economy was still a long way from recovery. The president has been unsuccessful so far in getting Congress to pass the jobs bill he proposed in early September.
Obama's 11th Quarter Weak From Historical Perspective
Only one elected president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, had a lower 11th quarter average than Obama. (Continues here at Gallup)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
A Second Solyndra ?
Car Company Gets U.S. Loan, Builds Cars In Finland
In Billion-Dollar Gamble on Tesla and Fisker, Some Worry About A Second Solyndra
With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work.
Vice President Joseph Biden heralded the Energy Department's $529 million loan to the start-up electric car company called Fisker as a bright new path to thousands of American manufacturing jobs. But two years after the loan was announced, the job of assembling the flashy electric Fisker Karma sports car has been outsourced to Finland.
"There was no contract manufacturer in the U.S. that could actually produce our vehicle," the car company's founder and namesake told ABC News. "They don't exist here."
Henrik Fisker said the U.S. money so far has been spent on engineering and design work that stayed in the U.S., not on the 500 manufacturing jobs that went to a rural Finnish firm, Valmet Automotive.
"We're not in the business of failing; we're in the business of winning. So we make the right decision for the business," Fisker said. "That's why we went to Finland."
The loan to Fisker is part of a $1 billion bet the Energy Department has made in two politically connected California-based electric carmakers producing sporty -- and pricey -- cutting-edge autos. Fisker Automotive, backed by a powerhouse venture capital firm whose partners include former Vice President Al Gore, predicts it will eventually be churning out tens of thousands of electric sports sedans at the shuttered GM factory it bought in Delaware. And Tesla Motors, whose prime backers include PayPal mogul Elon Musk and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, says it will do the same in a massive facility tooling up in Silicon Valley.
An investigation by ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News that will air on "Good Morning America" found that the DOE's bet carries risks for taxpayers, has raised concern among industry observers and government auditors, and adds to questions about the way billions of dollars in loans for smart cars and green energy companies have been awarded. Fisker is more than a year behind rolling out its $97,000 luxury vehicle bankrolled in part with DOE money. While more are promised soon, just 40 of its Karma cars (below) have been manufactured and only two delivered to customers' driveways, including one to movie star Leonardo DiCaprio. Tesla's SEC filings reveal the start-up has lost money every quarter. And while its federal funding is intended to help it mass produce a new $57,400 Model S sedan, the company has no experience in a project so vast. (Continues here)
With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work.
Vice President Joseph Biden heralded the Energy Department's $529 million loan to the start-up electric car company called Fisker as a bright new path to thousands of American manufacturing jobs. But two years after the loan was announced, the job of assembling the flashy electric Fisker Karma sports car has been outsourced to Finland.
"There was no contract manufacturer in the U.S. that could actually produce our vehicle," the car company's founder and namesake told ABC News. "They don't exist here."
Henrik Fisker said the U.S. money so far has been spent on engineering and design work that stayed in the U.S., not on the 500 manufacturing jobs that went to a rural Finnish firm, Valmet Automotive.
"We're not in the business of failing; we're in the business of winning. So we make the right decision for the business," Fisker said. "That's why we went to Finland."
The loan to Fisker is part of a $1 billion bet the Energy Department has made in two politically connected California-based electric carmakers producing sporty -- and pricey -- cutting-edge autos. Fisker Automotive, backed by a powerhouse venture capital firm whose partners include former Vice President Al Gore, predicts it will eventually be churning out tens of thousands of electric sports sedans at the shuttered GM factory it bought in Delaware. And Tesla Motors, whose prime backers include PayPal mogul Elon Musk and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, says it will do the same in a massive facility tooling up in Silicon Valley.
An investigation by ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News that will air on "Good Morning America" found that the DOE's bet carries risks for taxpayers, has raised concern among industry observers and government auditors, and adds to questions about the way billions of dollars in loans for smart cars and green energy companies have been awarded. Fisker is more than a year behind rolling out its $97,000 luxury vehicle bankrolled in part with DOE money. While more are promised soon, just 40 of its Karma cars (below) have been manufactured and only two delivered to customers' driveways, including one to movie star Leonardo DiCaprio. Tesla's SEC filings reveal the start-up has lost money every quarter. And while its federal funding is intended to help it mass produce a new $57,400 Model S sedan, the company has no experience in a project so vast. (Continues here)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Totus Stolen in Richmond
A truck carrying President Barack Obama’s podium, teleprompter and
audio equipment was stolen in Richmond, Va., a local news outlet
reports.
Sources tell WWBT/NBC12 that about $200,000 of presidential equipment was stolen from a Richmond Marriott hotel in advance of Wednesday’s presidential visit to Chesterfield, Va.
There was no indication as to whether equipment was taken from the truck.
“No classified or sensitive information was in the vehicle. We take incidents such as this very seriously and a formal investigation is continuing in coordination with relevant law enforcement agencies,” a Defense Information Systems Agency spokesperson told POLITICO.
Sources tell WWBT/NBC12 that about $200,000 of presidential equipment was stolen from a Richmond Marriott hotel in advance of Wednesday’s presidential visit to Chesterfield, Va.
The vehicle was later recovered Monday afternoon in the
parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express near the airport. Sources tell
WWBT/NBC12 that law enforcement agencies were seen examining a white
truck that was parked there.
There was no indication as to whether equipment was taken from the truck.
“No classified or sensitive information was in the vehicle. We take incidents such as this very seriously and a formal investigation is continuing in coordination with relevant law enforcement agencies,” a Defense Information Systems Agency spokesperson told POLITICO.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Ground Zero Mega-Mosque Developers May Be Facing Eviction
(snip)
According to reports, the mosque’s
developers purportedly owe a large sum of money in back rent. Con
Edison, the primary company that provides electricity to New York City
and its surrounding localities, is giving the developers an ultimatum:
Either pay the $1.7 million they owe in back rent or their lease will be
terminated and the property will be seized.
The developers of the proposed Park51 community center have what the
New York Post calls an “unusual, uneasy alliance” with Con Ed in that
the two parties share ownership of the site on which the worship center
is to be built. The Post explains:The utility owns a former substation on the western half of the property, at 51 Park Place, and the mosque developers own a five-story building on the eastern half. The buildings were connected years ago and used to house a Burlington Coat Factory store.Park51, which leases the substation from Con Ed, wants the two buildings so it can knock both down and build a $100 million, 15-story community center. (Full story here)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Palin changes Facebook profile from 'Republican' to 'Conservative'
She has always been known as a Tea Party darling as well as a staunch Republican.
But now Sarah Palin has nailed her political colours to the mast and changed her Facebook profile from Republican to 'Conservative'.
The move on the 'political views' section of her page has left political commentators struggling to decipher what the the former Alaska governor is trying to say.
One long-time blogger and Palin supporter wrote: 'I suppose one could draw a multitude of conclusions regarding this status change.
'I know that I certainly have. You can be certain that any move Sarah Palin makes has been well thought out and is with purpose.
'Could she possibly be sending a message to the RNC that they need to strengthen the conservative planks of the Republican party.
'Perhaps her promise of 'sudden and relentless reform' as addressed in her Indianola speech and more recently in her October 7th St. Louis speech is a sign that as in the past, neither party is safe from her scrunity.
'One thing is for sure, time will tell.'
The news comes as polls continued to indicate that Republicans aren’t sold on Mitt Romney and they’ve been looking for other presidential candidates.
At least eight other Republicans have seen their standings soar in GOP primary surveys since the beginning of the year. (Continues here)
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