Bully Pulpit

Kentucky bridge collapses after being struck by cargo ship

2012-01-27T15:15:00.004-05:00

AURORA, Ky. (Associated Press) – Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on Friday promised speedy work to begin replacing a bridge that partially collapsed when it was struck by a cargo ship too tall to pass beneath the structure.

Two spans of the Eggner Ferry Bridge at US 68 and Kentucky 80 were destroyed Thursday night by the Delta Mariner. No injuries were reported on the bridge or in the boat.

The ship was traveling upriver toward the Kentucky Lock and Dam when it hit the aging steel bridge, which was built in the 1930s and handles about 2,800 vehicles a day.

17-Year-Old Girl Lived on Chicken Nugget Diet for 15 Years, is Rushed to Hospital

2012-01-27T15:12:00.006-05:00

(By Eric Limer, Geekosystem) - 17-year-old Stacey Irvine of Castle Vale, Birmingham was living the dream until just recently; she’d been subsisting on a diet primarily composed of McDonald’s chicken nuggets, sometimes — but rarely — straying from the staple for some KFC or a piece of toast. Just recently, however, it all caught up to her when she had trouble breathing and collapsed. She was taken to the hospital where doctors found swollen blood vessels in her tongue and the prescense of anaemia and promptly loaded her up with vitamins. Considering she has had neither fruit nor vegetable — outside of ketchup, maybe — in 15 years, it’s a small miracle she didn’t also have scurvy.

MSNBC Analyst Compares AZ Governor To Segregation-Era Racist Screaming At Black Kids

2012-01-27T15:06:00.005-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - MSNBC analyst Melissa Harris-Perry appeared on "The Last Word" with Lawrence O'Donnell Thursday night to discuss the confrontation between AZ Governor Jan Brewer and President Barack Obama that occurred Wednesday afternoon.

Not surprisingly, Harris-Perry is sure that racial animus motivated the Governor's behavior.

Howard Coble Will Seek Reelection in Sixth District

2012-01-27T15:00:00.004-05:00

GREENSBORO, NC (WGHP) — U.S. Representative Howard Coble announced Friday he will seek reelection in the 6th district.

Coble, 80, has represented the 6th district since 1985. He will be campaigning for his 15th term in Congress.

President Obama leaves event promoting clean energy in a motorcade of 22 fossil-fueled vehicles

2012-01-27T12:15:00.005-05:00

Fox Nation: Biden Does Fake Indian Accent During Outsourcing Speech?

2012-01-27T12:12:00.010-05:00

BIDEN: Even call centers, even call centers rushed over seas, hundreds of thousands. How many times you get the call, ‘I like to talk to you about your credit card’? Or that ad on TV, what is it? ‘Nancy, this is Nancy, can I talk to a supervisor?’ Right? Ok? Well, it’s a little overdone but the truth of the matter is these jobs now are paying about $19.50 an hour if memory serves me.

While at a jobs event in Rochester, New Hampshire: VP Joe Biden uses an Indian accent to imitate call service employees. (1/26/2012)

Democratic lawmaker likens GOP to terrorists for legislative tactics

2012-01-27T12:06:00.007-05:00

(By NBC's Frank Thorp) - A senior Democratic congressman likened Republican lawmakers to terrorists on Thursday for their insistence on tying approval of construction of a new oil pipeline to must-pass legislation.

California Rep. Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the coauthor of the 2009 cap-and-trade climate change bill, decried efforts by the GOP to force the Obama administration into approving a permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

"They want to use legislation as a way to act like terrorists. They hold things as hostage," Waxman said. "We almost couldn't fund the government because Republicans wanted to hold that idea hostage, we almost couldn't pay our debts because the Republicans wanted to hold that legislation hostage to their extreme agenda, and I wouldn't be surprised if they scuttled this conference by trying to hold us hostage."

Obama: Bush Is the Food Stamp President, Not Me

2012-01-27T12:00:00.017-05:00

President Obama: I Want Second Term 'Badly'

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(By Devin Dwyer, ABC News) - President Barack Obama today signaled an aggressive tact for his early re-election campaign, critiquing his Republican opponents by name and insisting he's ready to "fight with every fiber of my being" for a second term.

"How much do you want it?" ABC News' Diane Sawyer asked Obama during an exclusive interview in Las Vegas.

"Badly," the president said, "because I think the country needs it."

"Whoever wins the Republican primary is going to be a standard bearer for a vision of the country that I don't think reflects who we are," Obama said.

"I'm going to fight as hard as I can with every fiber of my being to make sure that we continue on a path that I think will restore the American dream," he said.

Obama pushed back against what he called Republicans' "rhetorical flourishes," including Newt Gingrich's oft-repeated contention that Obama is the "food stamp president."

"First of all, I don't put people on food stamps," Obama said. "People become eligible for food stamps. Second of all, the initial expansion of food-stamp eligibility happened under my Republican predecessor, not under me. No. 3, when you have a disastrous economic crash that results in 8 million people losing their jobs, more people are going to need more support from government."

Related Material...

(By Jazz Shaw, Hot Air) - Obama: Oh yeah, I’d like a second term “badly”

High School Teacher Refuses To Accept MLK Award From Paul Ryan

2012-01-27T10:00:00.007-05:00

"Paul Ryan has no business at a MLK event."

Hillary: I’m Done With ‘High Wire Of American Politics’

2012-01-27T09:54:00.006-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told State Department employees Thursday that she will not stay on the job if President Obama wins re-election.

Video: Romney vs. Newt on immigration, Santorum vs. Romney on RomneyCare

2012-01-27T09:48:00.027-05:00

(By Allahpundit, Hot Air) - Two highlights of the evening, both via BuzzFeed. Remind me again, what’s the evidence from this interminable debate series that Newt would totally OWN Obama in the debates this fall? He’s had two memorable moments, one attacking Juan Williams and the other attacking John King, neither of whom is actually running for president. All day long we heard about how angry he was on the stump about Romney’s Freddie Mac hypocrisy and his secret bank accounts and his richie-rich richness, and how Newt was spoiling for a fight. So what ended up happening? Romney neutralized him on the big immigration exchange at the beginning, and then it fell to Santorum — for the second debate in a row — to pick Romney apart on his core policy vulnerability. (He did a darned fine job of it too.) If you’re operating under the illusion that the election will turn on the presidential debates in October, kindly explain why Gingrich is somehow superior to Santorum. He wouldn’t even accept Blitzer’s invite to hit Romney on his Swiss bank account even though he’s been criticizing him on the trail for it for days. The hapless moderator/punching bag had to badger him into answering. Mystifying. Didn’t Newt realize that the primary was on the line tonight?

You’ll be pleased to know that Romney is now a 91 percent favorite to win Florida on InTrade as I write this, up from 74 percent earlier today. Stats guru Nate Silver thinks it’s possible that Romney wins by double digits, perhaps by as much as 20 points. And why not? After Santorum’s strong performance tonight, there are bound to be tepid Newt fans and true undecideds who prefer him as the anointed Not Romney and will start peeling away tomorrow. Who could blame them?

Exit question: Did Brett O’Donnell just cinch the nomination for Romney?

Related Material...

(By Byron York, Washington Examiner) - Gingrich blows chance in crucial final debate

Perdue Shocker Creates More Work

2012-01-27T09:45:00.008-05:00

RALEIGH (By John Hood, Carolina Journal Online) – When North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue rocked the political establishment January 26 by announcing her plans not to run for reelection, she made history. Since the state constitution was changed to allow Jim Hunt to seek a second term in 1980, each North Carolina governor has served eight years at a time.

In addition to making history, Perdue’s announcement will make state and national politicians do a bit more work this week than originally planned. Potential rivals for the Democratic nomination will scramble to assess their chances and, if favorable, set up campaigns. Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, whom Perdue narrowly defeated in 2008, will have to reshape his 2012 strategy to account for a different opponent.

Even the groups for and against same-sex marriage will have to refashion their strategies for the May 8 referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment. They were assuming that the primary date would either be a low-turnout affair or, if the Republican presidential campaign remained unsettled, attract a GOP-leaning electorate. Now the prospect of a contested Democratic primary for governor changes the calculation.

Liberal Rep Barney Frank (D-MA) to marry longtime partner

2012-01-26T15:15:00.008-05:00

(NECN) - Congressman Barney Frank's office has confirmed that the retiring 71-year-old Representative is marrying is longtime partner, Jim Ready, in a Massachusetts ceremony. A date has not been set.

In November 2011, Frank announced he would retire from Congress at the conclusion of his current term in 2013.

Frank has served as a U.S. Representative for Massachusetts since 1981, and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the U.S.

36 Obama aides owe $833,000 in back taxes

2012-01-26T15:12:00.008-05:00

(By Andrew Malcolm, Investors.com) - How embarrassing this must be for President Obama, whose major speech theme so far this campaign season has been that every single American, no matter how rich, should pay their "fair share" of taxes.

Because how unfair -- indeed, un-American -- it is for an office worker like, say, Warren Buffet's secretary to dutifully pay her taxes, while some well-to-do people with better educations and higher incomes end up paying a much smaller tax rate.

Or, worse, skipping their taxes altogether.

A new report just out from the Internal Revenue Service reveals that 36 of President Obama's executive office staff owe the country $833,970 in back taxes. These people working for Mr. Fair Share apparently haven't paid any share, let alone their fair share.

Howard Dean, Joe Scarborough trade fire on air

2012-01-26T15:06:00.007-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(By TIM MAK, Politico) - A passionate Joe Scarborough went on an extended rant about education reform Thursday, shouting down former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and accusing him of lying about the role Democrats have played in obstructing progress in the schools.

“The fact of the matter is, the system is broken and it has been the Democratic establishment over the past generation that’s been defending that broken status quo,” said Scarborough on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Despite Unfair Tax Burden, Warren Buffett's Secretary Was Just Able To Buy A Second Home

2012-01-26T15:00:00.005-05:00

(The Smoking Gun) - Despite a heavy tax burden, Warren Buffett’s secretary last year was able to purchase a second home in Arizona, a residence complete with a swimming pool and a “professional PGA putting green,” according to real estate records.

Debra Bosanek, 55, and her husband Gerald bought the 2100-square-foot home in Surprise, a city outside Phoenix. The Bosaneks paid $144,000 for the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath property (the purchase was financed, in part, by a $115,200 mortgage).

The principal Bosanek residence is in Bellevue, Nebraska, several miles from Buffett’s corporate headquarters in Omaha. The couple’s 2568-square-foot home, built in 2000, also has four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. But the modest property, which Sarpy County assessors last year valued at $217,716, offers no outdoor amenities for swimmers or golfers.

Bosanek, who last night attended the State of the Union speech, has become the face of President Barack Obama’s so-called Buffett Rule, which contends that the secretary of a wealthy individual should not pay a higher tax rate than their boss.

Woman Drives on Snow-Covered Median at Highway Speeds: ‘Lights Are on But Nobody’s Home’

2012-01-26T12:15:00.010-05:00

(By Liz Klimas, The Blaze) - Morning rush hour earlier this week in a Pennsylvania township was a bit scary — and confusing — for commuters as the watched a 2009 Kia drive at highway speeds on the I-81 snow-covered median.

Watch the footage shot on a cell phone (Warning: Some strong language):

AZ Gov. Jan Brewer Talks About Heated Argument With Obama: ‘He Didn’t Feel I Had Treated Him Cordially’

2012-01-26T12:12:00.012-05:00

(By Tiffany Gabbay, The Blaze) - Upon deplaning Air Force One for his fifth official visit to Arizona, President Barack Obama was greeted by Governor Jan Brewer.

According to KFYI, Brewer handed the president a handwritten letter, they spoke and at one point she pointed her finger at him. It seemed they were talking over each other, then Obama appeared to walk away from the governor while she was still talking.

Newt Flashback 1988: ‘If Bush Runs As Continuation Of Reaganism He Will Lose’

2012-01-26T12:06:00.004-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - In 1988 Rep. Newt Gingrich offered his expert political analysis of Vice President George H. W. Bush's election strategy.

Despite this prediction, Mr. Bush did run as a continuation of the Reagan years and did ride that strategy to victory over Gov. Michael Dukakis.

Video: Team Gingrich concedes claim on offering ABC “friends” rebutting ex-wife “wrong”

2012-01-26T12:00:00.013-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Better get used to seeing this, because I 'guarantee' you it will come up in tonight’s debate:

After nearly a week on the defensive, CNN’s John King reports tonight that Newt Gingrich’s claim about offering witnesses to ABC News in his defense — to rebut the network’s interview with his second wife, Marianne Gingrich — was not true.

“Tonight, after persistent questioning by our staff, the Gingrich campaign concedes now Speaker Gingrich was wrong — both in his debate answer, and in our interview yesterday,” King said on tonight’s edition of John King USA. “Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond says the only people the Gingrich campaign offered to ABC were his two daughters from his first marriage.”

Al Sharpton Ignores Tea Party Congressman Repeatedly Asking ‘What’s Your Income?’

2012-01-26T10:00:00.005-05:00

(By Frances Martel, Mediaite) - Mitt Romney‘s tax returns provided at least one commentator plenty of fodder to feed his theory that the tax rates are unfair in this country: Al Sharpton, who invited on his program today Tea Party Congressman Rep. Tim Huelskamp for a spirited debate on social justice. It was the sort of debate where short questions were thrown in each other’s general direction but went, as ships passing in the night, equally unanswered. The two main questions: from Rev. Sharpton: “Is it fair?” after a number of statistics on tax rates that Rep. Huelskamp labeled untruths; and from Rep. Huelskamp: “What’s your income?”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Liberal Rep Brad Miller (D-NC) Will Not Seek Re-election

2012-01-26T09:54:00.007-05:00

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — U.S. Rep. Brad Miller says he will not seek re-election this year to the 13th Congressional District seat he's held since 2002.

Miller's office issued a statement Thursday morning saying he wants to avoid running against fellow Democrat David Price in a primary after the Republican-controlled Legislature drew them into the same district.

Miller says he does not have an agreement with Price to step down and run again in two years when Price is expected to retire.

Miller says he will continue to press hard for reform of the banking industry. He says he's also hopeful of getting legislation approved to provide compensation for victims of contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.

Miller planned to meet with reporters later Thursday to discuss his decision.

45k Dogs, Cats Euthanized in Year at Triad Animal Shelters

2012-01-26T09:48:00.001-05:00

STOKES COUNTY, NC (WGHP) — Sarah Johnson and three coworkers at the Stokes County Animal Shelter euthanize pets every day, but they said it never gets easier emotionally.

"I don't think everybody is aware of how big the problem is and the pain it causes," said Johnson, a life-long florist who became an animal control officer at age 54.

Records from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture show Triad shelters put down more than 45,000 dogs and cats in 2010, the latest numbers available. That averages to one animal every 12 minutes.

Report: NC Gov Bev Perdue Will Not Seek Reelection in 2012

2012-01-26T09:45:00.017-05:00

WASHINGTON (WGHP) — North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue is set to announce Thursday that she will not seek reelection in 2012, according to the Washington Post.

Sources told the paper she labored over the decision over the past few months. Perdue, who turned 65 earlier this month, was set for a rematch of her 2008 race with former Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory (R).

Perdue's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the report, names that are likely to be bandied about as possible Democratic replacements include Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Attorney General Roy Cooper, former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx.

Perdue was elected in 2008.

Related Material...

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - NC governor won’t run for second term

In Al Sharpton Promo, MSNBC Lumps Republican Tax Policy With 'Back-of-the-Bus' Racism

2012-01-25T15:15:00.009-05:00

(By Mark Finkelstein, NewsBusters.org) - It's one thing for Al Sharpton to spout racialized politics on his MSNBC show every evening. It's even another when one of his guests attacks Mitt Romney with the lamest of Rosa Parks/racism analogies.

But when MSNBC itself produces a promo featuring Sharpton lumping Republican tax policy with the racism that kept blacks in the back of the bus and denied women the vote, the network has taken a very ugly turn. Yet that's just what the latest "Lean Forward" Sharpton promo does.

Gingrich: Romney lacks concern for the “humanity” of illegal immigrants

2012-01-25T15:12:00.008-05:00

(By Tina Korbe, Hot Air) - Today, at a GOP candidate forum hosted by the Spanish-language television network Univision, Newt Gingrich reiterated his plan to create a path to residency for illegal immigrants who have lived in the country for at least 20 years. He also criticized his competitor, Mitt Romney, who recently suggested illegal immigrants would self-deport for their own benefit. Gingrich painted the suggestion as absurd and claimed Romney lacks concern for the “humanity” of those who’ve lived in the United States. Washington Wire reports the money quote, which also cleverly links Romney to the out-of-touch Barack Obama:

“You have to live to in a world of Swiss bank accounts and Cayman Island accounts and automatic $20 million a year income for no work to have a fantasy this far from reality,” Mr. Gingrich said. “This is an Obama-level fantasy… He certainly shows no concern for the humanity of people who are already here.”

Romney advisor: Come on, ObamaCare won’t ever be repealed in its entirety

2012-01-25T15:06:00.011-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Former Senator Norm Coleman joined the Mitt Romney campaign in September, but hasn’t made an impact until now — and Romney may have wished he hadn’t. In an interview Sunday for BioCentury, a health-industry roundtable forum, Coleman said that ObamaCare won’t ever be repealed “in its entirety,” and that “you can’t whole cloth throw it out.” Truth telling, bad messaging, or both?

Gingrich and Reagan

2012-01-25T15:00:00.006-05:00

In the 1980s, the candidate repeatedly insulted the president.

(By Elliott Abrams, National Review Online) - In the increasingly rough Republican campaign, no candidate has wrapped himself in the mantle of Ronald Reagan more often than Newt Gingrich. “I worked with President Reagan to change things in Washington,” “we helped defeat the Soviet empire,” and “I helped lead the effort to defeat Communism in the Congress” are typical claims by the former speaker of the House.

The claims are misleading at best. As a new member of Congress in the Reagan years — and I was an assistant secretary of state — Mr. Gingrich voted with the president regularly, but equally often spewed insulting rhetoric at Reagan, his top aides, and his policies to defeat Communism. Gingrich was voluble and certain in predicting that Reagan’s policies would fail, and in all of this he was dead wrong.

Thom Tillis, Phil Berger Challenge Gov Bev Perdue to Public Debate on Tax Hikes

2012-01-25T12:15:00.010-05:00

Republican leaders want to debate governor on key election issue in 2012

RALEIGH (By David N. Bass, Carolina Journal Online) — Republican leaders in the General Assembly have challenged Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue to a public debate on her proposal to restore three-fourths of a 1-cent sales tax increase.

“Governor, let’s have a joint appearance, a debate, and let’s give the people of North Carolina the opportunity to hear you articulate rationale for why increasing taxes is the right thing to do at this time,” said Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement released shortly after the press conference, House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, echoed Berger’s call for a debate.

“The governor has a very different vision of the role of government than do Sen. Berger and I, and the citizens of this state deserve an opportunity to clearly see the difference. I look forward to the opportunity to put those differences on display,” Tillis said.

FACT CHECK: Obama pushes plans that flopped before

2012-01-25T12:12:00.005-05:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a wish list, not a to-do list.

President Barack Obama laid out an array of plans in his State of the Union speech as if his hands weren't so tied by political realities. There can be little more than wishful thinking behind his call to end oil industry subsidies — something he could not get through a Democratic Congress, much less today's divided Congress, much less in this election year.

And there was more recycling, in an even more forbidding climate than when the ideas were new: He pushed for an immigration overhaul that he couldn't get past Democrats, permanent college tuition tax credits that he asked for a year ago, and familiar discouragements for companies that move overseas.

A look at Obama's rhetoric Tuesday night and how it fits with the facts and political circumstances...

Newt Gingrich says Nancy Pelosi is living in a fantasy world

2012-01-25T12:06:00.009-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(By Alicia M. Cohn, The Hill) - Newt Gingrich said Nancy Pelosi is living in a fantasy world if she thinks she has dirt on him.

"She lives in a San Francisco environment of very strange fantasies and very strange understandings of reality," Gingrich said Wednesday as he laughed off the notion that the House minority leader could derail his bid for the GOP presidential nomination.

"I have no idea what's in Nancy Pelosi's head," Gingrich said on NBC's "Today" show. "If she knows something, I have a simple challenge: Spit it out."

State of the Union registers at 8th grade reading level

2012-01-25T12:00:00.007-05:00

(By BYRON TAU, POLITICO.com) - President Obama's 2012 State of the Union address again rated at an 8th grade comprehension level on the Flesch-Kincaid readability test — the third lowest score of any State of the Union address since 1934.

The University of Minnesota's Smart Politics conducted an analysis on the last 70 State of the Union addresses and found that President Obama's three addresses have the lowest grade average of any modern president. "Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 predecessors," they conclude.

"The Flesch-Kincaid test is designed to assess the readability level of written text, with a formula that translates the score to a U.S. grade level. Longer sentences and sentences utilizing words with more syllables produce higher scores. Shorter sentences and sentences incorporating more monosyllabic words yield lower scores," the University of Minnesota's Eric Ostermeier explains.

Obama's use of simple language is in part a reflection of his audience: the American voter in an election year. And it's part of a larger trend in simpler State of the Union language as the speech as transitioned from a simple address to Congress into a prime-time televised event.

Nancy Pelosi: Newt Gingrich Will ‘Never’ Be President, ‘There Is Something I Know’

2012-01-25T10:00:00.009-05:00

(By Tiffany Gabbay, The Blaze) - Another bombshell that could, potentially, derail former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s presidential aspirations? That is the newest insinuation made against Gingrich — not by a former spouse or lover, but rather by another former House Speaker.

See Obama‘s ’Spilled Milk’ Joke From the SOTU…and Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s Funny Reaction

2012-01-25T09:54:00.006-05:00

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - It was a lighthearted moment during Tuesday’s State of the Union speech. President Obama, while talking about getting rid of old regulations, cracked a joke over spilled milk. And some are saying it didn’t go over too well.

Charles Krauthammer: Mitch Daniels‘ GOP Response ’One of the Best’

2012-01-25T09:48:00.007-05:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has resorted to “extremism” with stifling, anti-growth policies and continually tries dividing Americans, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said Tuesday in the formal Republican response to the president’s State of the Union address.

Eight months after deciding not pursue a bid for his party’s presidential nomination, Daniels used his nationally televised speech to lash out at Obama and cast the GOP as compassionate and eager to unchain the country’s economic potential.

Video: A SOTU rerun?

2012-01-25T09:45:00.011-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Last night, I tweeted that I would read the State of the Union speech instead of watching it on TV, and give myself two hours of my life that would otherwise have been wasted. It turned out to be an easy read, since for the third year in a row, it was written at the eighth-grade level — but that wasn’t the only aspect of the speech that was oddly familiar. As the RNC shows in this clever video, not only did Barack Obama fail to provide a fresh look at fresh issues, he practically read the same speech from the last two years:

Liberal TX Rep Sheila Jackson Lee’s Voter ID Race Card: GOP Wants Voter ID Laws Only ‘Because We Elected First African-American President’

2012-01-24T15:15:00.008-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives in opposition to voter I.D. laws.

Commitment: Sen. John Kerry Shows Up At Hockey Event With Black Eyes And Broken Nose

2012-01-24T15:12:00.010-05:00

(By Nando Di Fino, Mediaite) - Sen. John Kerry, representing the state of Massachusetts, showed up at an event honoring the Stanley Cup-winning Boston Bruins on Monday sporting two black eyes and a swollen nose. Appropriately, Kerry suffered the injuries while playing the sport being honored:

“He’s totally fine,” Kerry spokeswoman Whitney Smith told ABC News, “Very ironically he busted his nose recently playing ice hockey, so the Bruins can certainly relate.”

Last of the Secret Tapes Revealed: Hear JFK Just Days Before His Assassination

2012-01-24T15:06:00.005-05:00

BOSTON (AP) — President John F. Kennedy’s library is releasing 45 hours of privately recorded meetings and phone calls, providing a window into the final months of his life.

The tapes include discussions of conflict in Vietnam, Soviet relations and the race to space, plans for the 1964 Democratic Convention and re-election strategy. There also are moments with his children.

Newt Gingrich Threatens to Skip Debates if Audiences Can’t Participate

2012-01-24T15:00:00.009-05:00

(NYTimes.com) - Newt Gingrich insists his fans will not be silenced.

Mr. Gingrich, a former House speaker, on Tuesday morning threatened not participate in any future debates with audiences that have been instructed to be silent. That was the case on Monday, when Brian Williams of NBC News asked the audience of about 500 people who assembled for a debate in Tampa to hold their applause until the commercial breaks.

In an interview with the morning show “Fox and Friends,” Mr. Gingrich said NBC’s rules amounted to stifling free speech. In what has become a standard line of attack for his anti-establishment campaign, Mr. Gingrich blamed the media for trying to silence a dissenting point of view.

Warren Buffett’s Burlington Northern Among Winners From Keystone Denial

2012-01-24T12:15:00.016-05:00

(By Jim Efstathiou Jr., Bloomberg) - Warren Buffett’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC is among U.S. and Canadian railroads that stand to benefit from the Obama administration’s decision to reject TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s Keystone XL oil pipeline permit.

With modest expansion, railroads can handle all new oil produced in western Canada through 2030, according to an analysis of the Keystone proposal by the U.S. State Department.

“Whatever people bring to us, we’re ready to haul,” Krista York-Wooley, a spokeswoman for Burlington Northern, a unit of Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said in an interview. If Keystone XL “doesn’t happen, we’re here to haul.”

Related Material...

(POLITICO.com) - Buffett's secretary to join Obama

What happens when a Great Debater loses a lesser debate?

2012-01-24T12:12:00.010-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Call this the Battle of Dueling Disclosures. Newt Gingrich made a lot of political hay in South Carolina by demanding that Mitt Romney release his tax returns, getting Romney to trip up twice in debates last week on the topic. When Romney finally decided to release his tax returns, he issued a demand that Gingrich release his contract with Freddie Mac, which Gingrich promptly did. Who got the better of that exchange? Last night, it was clearly Romney:

Video: It’s been three years, Mr. President

2012-01-24T12:06:00.008-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - 'Are you ready for some … SOTU? A Tuesday night party?' Let’s face it — not even a foot-stomping intro from Hank Williams Jr would make a State of the Union speech interesting, let alone fun. It’s a party, with all of the wit, charm, spontaneity, and booze drained out of it.

Still, it’s a Major Political Event, and it offers a way to gain some perspective on time and performance. The RNC reminds everyone that three years ago, Barack Obama promised to have improved the economy — and that if he didn’t, his presidency would be a “one-term proposition.” The RNC wants to collect:

Mitt Romney tax returns released

2012-01-24T12:00:00.012-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Mitt Romney has released his tax returns for 2010 and 2011 (estimated) today, fulfilling a promise made this week after fumbling the issue last week in two debates. He gave the Washington Post an advance look at the returns yesterday, allowing the media to report the topline numbers before the debate and taking the steam out of the issue by the time Brian Williams first cleared his throat in Florida. The toplines contain no surprises at all:

Mitt Romney offered a partial snapshot of his vast personal fortune late Monday, disclosing income of $21.7 million in 2010 and $20.9 million last year — virtually all of it profits, dividends or interest from investments.

None came from wages, the primary source of income for most Americans. Instead,Romney and his wife, Ann, collected millions in capital gains from a profusion of investments, as well as stock dividends and interest payments. …

For 2011, Romney estimates that he will pay about $3.2 million, for an effective rate of 15.4 percent. That’s in line with his earlier estimates, but sharply lower than the rates paid by President Obama and Romney’s closest Republican rival, Newt Gingrich.

Jay Carney Asked if ‘Saul Alinsky Portrait’ Is Hanging in the White House

2012-01-24T10:00:00.010-05:00

(By Tiffany Gabbay, Mediaite) - During a White House press briefing on Monday, Fox News’ Ed Henry asked Press Secretary Jay Carney if the White House displays a portrait of Saul Alinsky for its staff to look up to. Carney’s answer was less than direct, and would seem to hint that there just 'might' be something to the Alinsky portrait rumors.

“I wonder if you could clear something up,” Henry began.

“Newt Gingrich keeps saying on the campaign trail that the President’s vision comes from Saul Alinsky, the community organizer. I haven’t heard you asked about him but… Is there some kind of portrait of him hanging up in the White House that people look up to or is this BS?”

“Look,” Carney said. “The President’s background as a community organizer is well documented in his own books. His experience in that field contributed to who he is today. But his experiences abroad also included alot of other areas in his life. So I’ll just leave it at that.”

He added, “Have I said how much fun I had as a reporter covering Congress from 1996 to 1998? There was a certain bombast to it at the time. Lots of colorful things to cover.

Bad Weather Driving: Viral Vid Shows Out-of-Control Crashes on Snowy Utah Road

2012-01-24T09:54:00.009-05:00

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, Mediaite) - We already showed you the first bad-weather driving video of the year last week, where drivers in Seattle couldn’t seem to figure out how to navigate a snowy road. There were no accidents in that one. But the one you’re about to see — the second viral bad-weather driving video of the year — has several.

A Utah man captured several cars unsuccessfully trying to drive down a local road. And when snow, icy roads, and cars mix, the result is a cringe-worthy video.

Rush Limbaugh: The Republican Establishment Is In A ‘Full-Blown Panic’ Over Newt Gingrich Win

2012-01-24T09:48:00.008-05:00

(By Jon Bershad, Mediaite) - The conventional wisdom throughout the weekend was that the longer the fight between the GOP candidates goes on, the more it hurts the party. Well, Rush Limbaugh has never been one for conventional wisdom. Today, Limbaugh continued putting forth his feeling that it would be great to see the fight go all the way to the convention. But he noted the worry that many Republicans seemed to have about it, theorizing that they never thought they could beat President Obama, were only trying to get control of both the House and the Senate, and are in a “full-blown panic” now simply because they don’t think a Newt Gingrich nomination can do that for them.

Sarah Palin: Newt Gingrich Got Chris Christie’s ‘Panties In A Wad’

2012-01-24T09:45:00.011-05:00

(By Nando Di Fino, Mediaite) - Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was a guest on Fox Business Network’s 'Follow The Money' with Eric Bolling Monday night, and threw a few demeaning barbs in the direction of New Jersey governor — and Mitt Romney supporter — Chris Christie, classifying his remarks about Newt Gingrich being an embarrassment to the Republican Party as “a rookie mistake.” She then clarified:

“He played right into the media’s hands,” Palin said. “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.”

Mitt Romney Goes Nuclear In First Negative TV Ad, “Newt Gingrich Cashed In” On Freddie Mac

2012-01-23T15:15:00.009-05:00

TAMPA, Florida (BuzzFeed) — Mitt Romney's campaign released it's first negative ad of the cycle, which will begin airing in Florida this week, slamming Newt Gingrich on his ties to Freddie Mac.

Titled "Florida Families," the ad asserts that Gingrich "cashed in" working for Freddie Mac while Floridians struggled after the housing crisis.

Gingrich ended his relationship with the government-backed lender as the housing market was in decline, and Romney is calling on him to return the $1.7 million in fees he took from the company.

It's the first anti-Gingrich campaign ad released by the campaign, though many have been released by the pro-Romney Super PAC "Restore Our Future."

Newt Gingrich ad: Only I can win debates with media, Obama, and beat Obama in general election

2012-01-23T15:12:00.008-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - This isn’t a terribly new ad for Newt Gingrich; in fact, its title is “Decision Time in South Carolina,” but it’s only four days old and contains the Gingrich argument in a nutshell for Florida and the rest of the primary. The Corner calls it a good ad even if one doesn’t agree with the argument, but perhaps that’s, er, 'debatable' too:

There is only one candidate who can debate Barack Obama and win, stand up to the news media and win, and run against Barack Obama and win. His name is Newt.

Videos: 999 days without a budget on the table, 999 days …

2012-01-23T15:06:00.010-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Yesterday was the 39th anniversary of 'Roe v Wade'. Tomorrow is President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, but it’s also an anniversary of sorts, too. It will be 1000 days since the last time the Senate passed a full budget, and what better way to commemorate it than with a couple of videos? Speaker John Boehner’s office and the GOP have this movie-trailer style video, with a warning that the film and subject matter has been rated AA+ … by Standard & Poors:

Steven Tyler Ripped For National Anthem Performance

2012-01-23T15:00:00.009-05:00

FOXBORO (CBS) — Aerosmith lead singer and American Idol judge Steven Tyler isn’t getting much praise for his performance of the National Anthem at the AFC Championship game on Sunday.

The Gillette Stadium crowd roared after he was done, but some online reviews weren’t as sparkling as the Patriots scarf he wore to the game.

Deadspin called it one of the worst anthems of all time.

Radar Online said he got all the words right and that’s about it.

Several others complained on Twitter, including one person who said it sounded like someone putting “a raccoon out of its misery.”

George Will Smacks Down Katrina Vanden Heuvel: When Obama Speaks Against Crony Capitalism Will Slogan Be 'No More Solyndras'?

2012-01-23T12:15:00.014-05:00

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - George Will on ABC's 'This Week' Sunday had a truly epic smack down on the perilously liberal editor of the perilously liberal magazine The Nation.

After Katrina vanden Heuvel waxed rhapsodic about President Obama at next week's State of the Union address laying out "a vision for a different economy, one that is not about crony capitalism, but is about a democratic capitalism that lifts all boats," Will struck back, "His slogan will be, what, 'No More Solyndras?'":

Newt Gingrich Tells David Gregory 'Nobody in the Elite Media Wants to Cover' Obama's Saul Alinsky Roots

2012-01-23T12:12:00.009-05:00

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Sunday told 'Meet the Press' host David Gregory, "Nobody in the elite media wants to cover" Barack Obama's Saul Alinsky roots.

This came in response to Gregory asking the former Speaker of the House if he can "win independent voters in a general election campaign" talking about Obama's ties to Alinsky and other "radical left-wingers":

Which Way Should We Pay?

2012-01-23T12:06:00.008-05:00

On a per-mile basis, North Carolina is in the bottom five states in the nation in funding for highway construction and maintenance.

RALEIGH (By John Hood, Carolina Journal Online) – Among the factors inhibiting economic recovery in major areas of North Carolina is a lack of adequate, uncongested highway service. If policymakers could free up the traffic flow in these areas, they’d be more attractive places to create, relocate, or expand businesses.

But adding lanes, fixing bridges, and building new highways will cost money. There are really only three ways of obtaining the necessary funds: 1) redirect current highway revenues to higher-priority uses, 2) collect additional revenues by direct user fees (tolls), or 3) collect additional revenues by indirect user fees (higher gas and car taxes).

Former NC Gov Mike Easley Moved Around Big Money As He Refused to Pay Campaign Fine

2012-01-23T12:00:00.009-05:00

Ex-gov will get back law license; State Bar says he 'accepted responsibility'

RALEIGH (By Don Carrington, Carolina Journal Online) — Public records show that while former Gov. Mike Easley’s campaign organization has paid only $5,335 toward a $100,000 election law fine issued in October 2009, he has paid off a $494,000 mortgage loan for a Carteret County waterfront lot and borrowed several hundred thousand dollars against his Raleigh home since the fine was levied.

State law did not require Easley to pay the State Board of Elections fine from personal funds, but he publicly has accepted responsibility for filing false campaign reports. He eventually took a felony plea for failure to report aircraft travel donated by his friend, Raleigh businessman McQueen Campbell, and was forced to surrender his law license temporarily.

The State Bar has said it will restore the license at the end of 2012, and will not require Easley to pay any fines associated with his felony plea. It cited Easley’s claim to have accepted responsibility as a reason for letting him resume the practice of law.

Brit Hume: GOP Congress ‘Terrified’ Of Newt Gingrich Nomination

2012-01-23T10:00:00.006-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Brit Hume hypothesized that the GOP members of Congress are "terrified" of Gingrich winning the nomination because of his unfavorable rating in national polls.

NJ Gov. Chris Christie: Newt Gingrich ‘Has Been An Embarrassment To The Party’

2012-01-23T09:54:00.005-05:00

(By Josh Feldman, Mediaite) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appeared on 'Meet the Press' today to do damage control for Mitt Romney and to explain why Newt Gingrich would not be an ideal Republican nominee despite his strong victory in South Carolina last night. He claimed that Gingrich’s past actions have embarrassed the Republican party, and Mitt Romney was more suited to be the nominee because of his record and how he conducted himself in office as opposed to Gingrich.

“We all know the record. He was run out of the speakership of his own party, he was fined $300,000 for ethics violations. This is a guy who’s had a very difficult political career at times and has been an embarrassment to the party… The fact of the matter is I don’t need to regale the country with that entire list again except to say this. I’m not saying he will do it again in the future, but sometimes past is prologue.”

George Will: Mitt Romney’s Problem Is His ‘Romneyness’

2012-01-23T09:48:00.007-05:00

(By Josh Feldman, Mediaite) - One week ago, Mitt Romney was the inevitable GOP nominee, the impossible-to-defeat frontrunner who was going to take three states in a row and end the primary season earlier. As George Stephanopoulos put it, what a difference a week makes. Now Newt Gingrich is back in the spotlight, and many analysts are wondering where Romney could have gone wrong. George Will‘s take? Romney just has too much… Romney in him.

“We all thought going in that the big problem for Romney might be his Mormonism, it might be the Massachusetts health care plan. That’s not it. Mitt Romney’s problem is somehow his Romneyness. That is, the fact that people are just not connecting with him. Not just that he’s the first candidate we’ve ever had from the financial sector, which turns out to be a problem because finance is a, mysterious, and b, disliked, but there’s something about him that is not connecting.”

Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords Announces She Is Resigning From Congress

2012-01-23T09:45:00.006-05:00

(By James Crugnale, Mediaite) - Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords announced in a video posted to her YouTube account that she was resigning from office to focus on her recovery.

“I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week,” Giffords said.

Fox Host Can’t Contain Frustration During Actual Eye-Rolling Interview With Debbie Wasserman Schultz

2012-01-20T15:15:00.009-05:00

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - If you follow politics, you’ve probably seen a lot of interviews where the interviewee refuses to answer the questions and instead spews only talking points. If those interviews frustrate you, get ready to pull out your hair when you see this one with DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

In fact, the interview was so frustrating that interviewer and Fox host Brian Kilmeade was even caught rolling his eyes during it. We would give you some quotes, but all you need to know is this — When Kilmeade or fellow host Steve Doocy would ask a question, Wasserman Schultz either wouldn’t answer, or would respond with an attack on Mitt Romney. And then both proceeded to take some underhanded shots at each other. Really. It was that bad. And at one point it looked like Kilmeade was ready to end the whole thing and walk away.

See for yourself, and try not to scream (it’s safe to say both Republicans and Democrats will find this cringe-worthy):

Rick Santorum: Newt Gingrich’s Grandiose Troubles Are A Pattern

2012-01-20T15:12:00.006-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - After last night's debate Sen. Rick Santorum continued to hammer Newt Gingrich.

Exclusive: Grover Norquist ‘Tear Roosevelt Off Mt. Rushmore,’ Replace With Ronald Reagan

2012-01-20T15:06:00.006-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Grover Norquist sat down with BreitbartTV and gave a summation of the 20th century's problems in two minutes.

Exclusive: Mitt Romney Campaign Calls On Newt Gingrich To Release House Ethics Records

2012-01-20T15:00:00.006-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Governor Sununu called on Gingrich to release his sealed ethics investigation records because, "What Pelosi knows, Obama knows." Sununu claims that if Gingrich doesn't release these records they will be an October Surprise should he win the nomination.

President Obama Sings Al Green at the Apollo Theater

2012-01-20T12:15:00.007-05:00

(By Dashiell Bennett, The Atlantic Wire) - President Obama swung through New York City on a fundraising tour on Thursday that included an impromptu singing performance on the stage of the Apollo Theater. After mentioning that legendary crooner Al Green was in the house, Obama broke into a few quick bars of Green's hit "Let's Stay Together." Granted it was only one line, but politics aside, that's not a bad impression of the Reverend Green. As the president pointed out, he wasn't booed off the stage by the notoriously tough crowd and swept away by the theater's "Sandman."

As for the politics part--Obama reportedly raised more than $3 million for his reelection campaign in just one afternoon and evening. In addition to his Apollo visit, his four Manhattan stops yesterday included a $36,000-per-ticket appearance at the home of director Spike Lee.

The GOP’s Suicide March

2012-01-20T12:12:00.006-05:00

President Obama could not have chosen more self-destructive adversaries.

(By Charles Krauthammer, National Review Online) - ‘Are you better off today than you were $4 trillion ago?” — Former presidential candidate Rick Perry

It’s the campaign line of the year, and while the author won’t be carrying it into the general election, the eventual nominee will.

The charge is straightforward: President Obama’s reckless spending has dangerously increased the national debt while leaving unemployment high and the economy stagnant. Concurrently, he has vastly increased the scope and reach of government with new entitlements and oppressive regulation, with higher taxes to come (to offset the unprecedented spending).

'The Laura Ingraham Show' - Mitt Romney: I expect Newt Gingrich to win a few states

2012-01-20T12:06:00.006-05:00

Video: Mitt Romney heckled for not releasing his tax returns

2012-01-20T12:00:00.015-05:00

(By Allahpundit, Hot Air) - I don’t mind that he hasn’t released them half as much as I mind that his excuses are so feeble. He’s had five years to prepare a principled defense to this question. If, as Ed ably argued this morning, he opposes releasing them because he refuses to play the Democrats’ class-warfare game, just say that. He’ll get plenty of conservative support for telling the media to mind its own business, even though doing so will essentially challenge to them to dig deeper. But that’s not what he says; tonight, for the first time, he actually alluded to releasing returns for more than one year — just not until April, after the primaries will have been substantially decided. I don’t understand that logic at all. Basically he’s saying, “Yes, this is relevant and important enough that I should produce something, but only for general-election voters. Republican voters can go on wondering for another few months.” As it is, we’re left with Newt’s rebuttal: If Romney has nothing to hide and isn’t opposed in principle to releasing them, why not release them now? Does he think class-warfare attacks on his wealth by Gingrich would prove so effective that it would end up tipping the balance of power in the primaries? If that’s true then I 'really' want him to release them. If hating the rich is what the new GOP electorate is all about, let’s find out sooner rather than later.

Exit quotation from Jonah Goldberg: “Romney can’t answer questions about his tax returns at all… He’s terrible at it and he needs to get better, quickly.”

Obama running as unabashed corporatist

2012-01-20T10:00:00.007-05:00

(By Conn Carroll, Washington Examiner) - President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign manager Jim Messina tweeted out this morning: "GM becomes top selling auto maker after POTUS invested in America. Meanwhile, Mitt was investing in the Cayman islands. #leadership?" Expect this to be a major theme of Obama's campaign. Hopefully Mitt Romney and his private equity past at Bain Capital will provide a clear contrast for voters about the future of this country.

Do we want to live in a capitalist country where entrepreneurs own businesses and consumers control them through the free market? Or do we want to live under a corporatist system where entrepreneurs own businesses, governments control the businesses, and corporations control the government. Think we don't live in a corporatist world under Obama already? Consider these headlines.

Video: Rick Santorum unloads on Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich over support for health-care mandates

2012-01-20T09:54:00.015-05:00

(By Allahpundit, Hot Air) - Via Breitbart TV. Great news, guys: It only took 22 debates for someone to launch a full-bore attack on Romney’s biggest vulnerability.

Related Material...

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Rick Santorum goes on offense in SC debate, but too late?

Video: Newt Gingrich rips CNN moderator for asking about his ex-wife, of course

2012-01-20T09:48:00.011-05:00

(By Allahpundit, Hot Air) - Via Mediaite. BuzzFeed cynically titles this exchange, “Gingrich Wins The GOP Debate In The First Five Minutes.” Really? He won a policy debate with the sort of paint-by-numbers media-bashing grandstanding that literally 'everyone' knew was coming? If that’s enough to win a Republican presidential debate these days, we’re in worse shape than I thought.

Let’s face it: The real winner of this debate is Mitt Romney for saying he’s lived in “the real streets of America.” Wait, what?

Iowa should ditch caucuses,or we should ditch Iowa

2012-01-20T09:45:00.008-05:00

(By Philip Klein, Washington Examiner) - Today the Iowa state GOP announced that Rick Santorum beat Mitt Romney in this year's caucuses after all, but that they can't be totally sure because vote totals in eight precincts somehow went missing. Here's to hoping this results in a major rethinking of the caucus process, if not stripping Iowa of its first in the nation status altogether.

I've been a longtime critic of the outsized influence Iowa has in electing a president. Not only does it get showered with attention from candidates who voters in later states won't have a chance to support, but most of its population is apathetic about the process. Just roughly one out of every seven registered Republicans participated in this year's caucuses. And even in 2008, when there were hotly-contested races in both parties and record turnout, only 17 percent of registered Iowa voters took part.

News accounts of campaigning in Iowa provide a distorted picture of what's going on there, because there's a natural bias to quote voters who are knowledgeable and passionate. The reality is, there's a lot of apathy among most Iowans -- you'll even run into those at events who can't remember who they voted for just four years earlier.

Rush Limbaugh: Drudge Forced ABC 'To Move It Up,' 'Messed Them Up' In Timing Of Interview Release

2012-01-19T15:15:00.011-05:00

(By Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr., CNSNews.com) - Today, Rush Limbaugh said that Matt Drudge “messed up” the timing of the release of an ABC interview with Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife, Marianne Gingrich that the executives at the organization were debating to maximize damage to Gingrich.

“If there was any debate at ABC it was over when would be the best time to do it so as to cause the most harm…and I’m going to tell you what I think- I think Drudge, messed them up.”

Rush continued to say that ABC, having attacked Mitt Romney this week with a report on his tax returns, was next going to target the Former Speaker after he won the South Carolina primary.

“I think the objective of ABC was to take Mitt out this week or to just do damage and I think they were saving Marianne Gingrich for Monday after the vote, after Newt wins or, theoretically, wins South Carolina. Then, they run the Marianne interview and that takes Newt out.”

“Drudge, on the 14th anniversary of posting the Lewinsky story, runs his story last night that ABC’S got this Marianne tape and they’re in this big ethical debate over when to run it which forced them to move it up, in my opinion.”

Nancy Pelosi Says Keystone Oil ‘Was Always Destined’ for Overseas Markets; Not So, Says Oil Industry

2012-01-19T15:12:00.005-05:00

(CNSNews.com) – At a news conference on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was asked about President Obama's decision to reject the job-creating Keystone XL pipeline – a move that may prompt Canada to ship its oil to Chinese refineries instead of to those on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Pelosi said the oil to be carried by the Keystone pipeline “was always destined for overseas. It’s just a question of whether it leaves Canada by way of Canada or it leaves Canada by way of the United States. So, without taking a position on the pipeline, I don’t agree to the stipulation that this is oil that’s going to China now instead of the U.S. It was always going overseas,” she said.

“It wasn’t for domestic consumption,” she repeated. “And that’s really an important point because the advertising is quite to the contrary.” Pelosi said the pipeline shouldn’t be built based on the assumption that the oil is staying in the U.S. – “because it isn’t.”

But the American Petroleum Institute, an industry trade group, told CNSNews.com that 90 percent of fuel refined in the United States is used in this country.

Liberal Congresswoman Whose Husband Went to Federal Prison For Tax Evasion Tells Rich: ‘Pay Your Fair Share!’

2012-01-19T15:06:00.005-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), addressing Democrats and Occupiers at the "Occupy the Dream" on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Chicago, demands that the rich pay their fair share. Schakowsky's husband, Robert Creamer, went to federal prison in 2006 on charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. Schakowsky herself allegedly signed the errant tax returns, but was not prosecuted.

After Rick Perry exit, anger at GOP debates

2012-01-19T15:00:00.006-05:00

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (By Byron York, Washington Examiner) - Moments after Rick Perry's exit from the GOP presidential race at a hotel north of Charleston, a key Perry supporter in South Carolina expressed deep anger about the system of debates that contributed to the Texas governor's downfall.

"The Republicans have let this become the reality show of presidential politics," said Katon Dawson, a former chairman of the South Carolina GOP. "We've let it be driven it by people who don't like us. We've had debates with people who don't like us. It's obvious when you see the questions, it's obvious when you see the bent of some of these debates. For that hour and a half of earned media, we have let the drive-by shooting of the liberal media come after our Republican candidates unfettered. And that really is the tale of this election cycle."

Perry entered the race -- here in Charleston -- amid great fanfare in August. To some Republicans, he seemed the perfect GOP candidate: an experienced southern governor with an impressive economic record. After a passable performance in the first debate, Perry turned in a number of poor debate performances that led to a rapid fall in the polls. It all culminated in a debate last November in Michigan in which Perry stumbled while trying to name the three cabinet departments he would eliminate as president. The way he ended what seemed to be an interminable period of trying to remember -- simply declaring "Oops" -- seemed the effective end of his campaign.

Rick Perry Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Newt Gingrich

2012-01-19T12:15:00.006-05:00

(Fox Nation) - Rick Perry dropped out of the presidential race Thursday and endorsed Newt Gingrich, a decision that comes just two days before the South Carolina Republican primary.

"I've always believed the mission is greater than the man," Perry said.

The Texas governor offered a brief but robust endorsement of former House speaker Gingrich on his way out of the race, calling him a "conservative visionary." While Perry is polling only in single digits in South Carolina, his endorsement could make a difference in the tightening contest if his supporters gravitate toward a particular candidate.

"Newt is not perfect, but who among us is? The fact is there is forgiveness for those who seek God. And I believe in the power of redemption," Perry said. "I have no question that Newt Gingrich has the heart of a conservative reformer, the ability to rally and captivate the conservative movement."

Charles Krauthammer Scorches Obama for Killing Keystone Pipeline

2012-01-19T12:12:00.008-05:00

Charles Krauthammer: What I think the president is saying this is not in the national interest was being extremely cynical. That statement he made about Canada and Mexico is the real key here. It's not just that it creates tens of thousands of jobs but that in a world where our sources of oil are unstable and unfriendly, like from the Middle East or other parts of the world like Russia, this would be source from the nearest neighbor and reliable ally.

And that oil would go to China. The Canadian prime minister made it clear when he was here a few months ago that if it doesn't had south it will head west to Alberta, and the Chinese will have access to really important strategic asset.

This idea we heard from Carney about the arbitrary deadline, the president imposed arbitrary deadline or timeline. He had to make a decision at the end of last year and he decided arbitrarily it needed 12 months of study. That number gets past the election. It's all about the election. Not angering his base on the left. It has nothing to do with studies. This is the most studied pipeline in the history of the United States, three years of study that concluded that it would be ecologically safe. This is all about reelection. It's nothing else.

New Obama Ad: President Under Attack by ‘Secretive Oil Billionaires’

2012-01-19T12:06:00.006-05:00

(By Becket Adams, The Blaze) - President Obama’s re-election campaign has released a campaign video that claims, among other things, the president is the target of “secretive oil billionaires:”

Newt Gingrich reportedly sought 'open marriage,' ex-wife claims

2012-01-19T12:00:00.007-05:00

(FoxNews.com) - Newt Gingrich's second ex-wife told ABC News that the Republican presidential candidate sought an "open marriage" and that his campaign positions do not coincide with what she saw during their 18 years of marriage.

Marianne Gingrich, in her first television interview since the couple's 1999 divorce, told ABC News that when Gingrich admitted to a six-year affair with a Congressional aide, he asked her if she would share him with the other woman, Callista, who is now married to Gingrich.

"And I just stared at him and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do,'" Marianne Gingrich told ABC News. "He wanted an open marriage and I refused."

Joe Biden’s Major Gaffe at the Expense of San Francisco 49ers Fans

2012-01-19T10:00:00.009-05:00

(By Dave Urbanski, The Blaze) - Vice President Joe Biden took the handoff and headed for the end zone.

Blockers in front of him, plenty of daylight, and—speaking in the friendly confines of not-so-conservative San Francisco—the VP even had the political home-field advantage.

Then Biden, just inches from paydirt, threw in a last-second juke for style points, shouting out that “the Giants are on their way to the Super Bowl.”

Fumble!

Oh no. Say it ain’t so, Joe.

Fed-Up Rush Limbaugh Unleashes Firestorm: Obama ‘Pretends to Care About the Middle Class but Lives Like a King at the Public Trough’

2012-01-19T09:54:00.008-05:00

(By Becket Adams, The Blaze) - Ever since former governor Mitt Romney made his “about 15 percent” comment Tuesday morning, media outlets have been reporting almost non-stop that a) the GOP candidate is wealthy and b) his effective federal tax rate seems very low.

Apparently, the media’s fascination with the former Massachusetts governor’s comments proved too much for radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. On his show Wednesday, Limbaugh had some “you shoulda’ said” advice for the GOP hopeful.

“When all this kerfuffle starts about Mitt Romney, this 15 percent tax rate, he can say, ‘Look, we live in America, not some failed Soviet satellite. I favor a flat, or fair tax. I want to get rid of the IRS, or most of it. I favor denying big spending Obamacare liberals our income. I favor putting Obama and his reckless spending radicals on a diet, a diet we call private property rights. We call it limited government. We call it taking our country back,’” Limbaugh said.

Jimmy Carter: Israel ‘Pressured’ And Encouraged Christians To Leave Palestine

2012-01-19T09:48:00.004-05:00

"When I first went to Israel about 15% of the Palestinians were Christians... Now they've almost been removed from Palestine because of some pressures and encouragement from the Israelis."

Breaking: CNN reports Rick Perry to drop out today, will endorse Newt Gingrich

2012-01-19T09:45:00.008-05:00

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - CNN reports that Rick Perry will withdraw from the Republican presidential race today, based on information from two sources in the campaign. No one who followed the polling can be surprised by this decision. Perry has not come out of the mid-single digits in South Carolina for weeks, and his debate performance on Monday was good but no game changer. The question for Perry was why he bothered to continue at all after his expensive poor showing in Iowa and his non-entity status in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Politico reports that Perry will endorse Newt Gingrich for the nomination on his way out:

Rick Perry is expected to drop out later this morning at an 11 a.m. press conference and endorse Newt Gingrich, two sources confirmed to POLITICO.

Rush Limbaugh: Media Ignored John Kerry's Wealth, but Hyperventilate over Mitt Romney's

2012-01-18T15:15:00.006-05:00

(Fox Nation) - Rush took the mainstream media to task today over their scrutiny of Mitt Romney's wealth citing a Reuters story that suggested the 2012 candidate was "one of the wealthest people to run for President".

RUSH: "Remember how Reuters said that about John Kerry who served in Vietnam? Do you remember that? John Kerry almost certainly the richest man to run for President. And we never heard a word about it!"

Tennis Player Goes Ballistic at Aussie Open, Destroys Four Rackets

2012-01-18T15:12:00.007-05:00

(Fox Nation) - Marcos Baghdatis takes his frustration out on four of his tennis rackets at the Australian Open. Baghdatis lost his match to Stanislas Wawrinka.

Jimmy Carter: Newt Gingrich Has "That Subtlety Of Racism"

2012-01-18T15:06:00.005-05:00

(Real Clear Politics) - Former President Jimmy Carter says Newt Gingrich knows exactly what he is doing when he uses phrases like "food stamp president" and talks about the poor learning a work ethic. Carter says this rhetoric is "appealing to the wrong element in South Carolina."

"Newt Gingrich is probably as enlightened as I am about being gratified that we’re in the desegregation years in the South," Carter said to CNN's Piers Morgan.

"When you emphasize, over and over, welfare, food stamps, and ‘Why don’t the black people get jobs," and if I’m president, I’ll make sure they turn toward a work ethic, rather than an ethic of welfare and food stamps, that’s appealing to the wrong element in South Carolina," the former President said on CNN.

Rick Perry: Are "You Better Off Today Than You Were $4 Trillion Ago?"

2012-01-18T15:00:00.005-05:00

(Real Clear Politics) - "People are very frightened, not just about current conditions, but the future of this country for their children, grandchildren and the $15 trillion worth of debt. I ask people if you were better off today than you were $4 trillion ago … and people get it," Rick Perry said on FOX News.

“We can’t fire the nominee in September, because by then it will be too late,” he said, adding, “If we’ve got a flawed candidate that’s going forward and someone who is gonna get eaten alive, either because of business practices or because of their taxes or the system that there set up, we need to talk about it now. This is not a personal attack at all.”

Rick Perry: ‘Travesty’ That U.S. Energy Security Is ‘Tied to a Nation That Hates Us’

2012-01-18T12:15:00.006-05:00

Columbia, SC (CNSNews.com) – Iran’s threat to close a strategic waterway highlights the need for America to boost its domestic energy exploration, said Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican presidential hopeful.

As president, Perry said he would expand exploration, but also said he favored getting rid of special subsides for the energy industry, preferring a free-market approach.

“Through a series of executive orders and actions, I want to open up energy exploration on federal lands and federal waters,” Perry said Tuesday at a presidential candidate forum sponsored by the South Carolina Business and Industrial Political Education Committee.

“It is a travesty, as Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, that our energy and economic security is so tied to a nation that hates us, that will do us harm,” Perry said.

"Special Report" Panel On Rick Santorum/Newt Gingrich Fight

2012-01-18T12:12:00.008-05:00

(Real Clear Politics) - The panel discusses the fight between Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum to be the alternative to Mitt Romney.

Liberal Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee: Newt Gingrich Using 'Fuel, Matches and Fire' to Explode America

2012-01-18T12:06:00.006-05:00

(Fox Nation) - Speaking on the House floor today, Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D - TX) commented on Newt Gingrich's Obama is the 'foodstamp president' attack.

"But yet we find candidates like Newt Gingrich who want to throw fuel and matches and fire to develop sort of an explosiveness in this country that is unnecessary. To suggest President Obama is the food stamp president has underlying suggestions..."

FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Tells Joke About Democrats

2012-01-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

Video: Jay Carney dodges question about Obama’s college transcript

2012-01-18T10:00:00.007-05:00

(By Tina Korbe, Hot Air) - Forget birth certificates and tax returns: What 'really' qualifies a person for president is straight As in college. No? Never mind, then. But wait — as long as we’re fixating on documents that, in the end, have no effect whatsoever on job creation or economic growth, why 'can’t' we see Barack Obama’s college transcripts? As it turns out, Jay Carney didn’t say we can’t; he just referred Fox reporter Ed Henry to the Obama campaign. (Incidentally, I love how jaunty Henry is in this video. Why can’t more reporters be like that?)

Venue for Obama's convention speech draws criticism

2012-01-18T09:54:00.006-05:00

(By NBC's Michael Isikoff) - The Democratic Party's decision to move President Obama's acceptance speech to the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte has surprised some party activists -- and stirred criticism -- over the use of a venue named for a company that has been at the center of the financial crisis.

"God almighty, I can't believe it." said one top Democratic fundraiser when he learned of the decision to move the speech to Bank of America stadium, where the NFL Carolina Panthers play their football games. "This is an amateur’s mistake."

Convention officials vigorously defended the decision today, saying the use of the open-air 74,000 seat stadium would help excite supporters and enable far more people to see the speech, "That allows for greater participation by Americans from all walks of life," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

But party officials privately confirmed that the move can help with fundraising despite what one called "an obvious optics" problem. And the use of a stadium -- whose naming rights belong to a bank that has been engulfed in controversies over foreclosures, bank fees and bailouts -- was denounced by some watchdog groups.

Websites going black to protest anti-piracy bills in Congres

2012-01-18T09:48:00.007-05:00

In the first strike of its kind, hundreds of popular Internet sites such as Wikipedia are to temporarily shut down Wednesday to protest anti-piracy bills they say essentially amount to censorship.

(By Andrea Chang and Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times) - What would the world be like without the Internet? Fire up your browser and see what you can't do.

In the first strike of its kind, hundreds of popular sites such as Wikipedia, Reddit and Boing Boing were scheduled to temporarily shut down Wednesday to protest a pair of anti-piracy bills that they say essentially amount to censorship of the Internet.

The prospect of a day without the websites set off a frenzy in the hours leading up to the strike, which was slated to begin Tuesday night, with parents urging their children to do their homework early and tech-savvy users posting instructions for how to access cached Wikipedia pages during the blackout.

Charles Krauthammer: Mitt Romney Simply Doesn’t Have Capacity To Explain Conservative Ideas

2012-01-18T09:45:00.009-05:00

(By James Crugnale, Mediaite) - Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer sat down with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly and opined that Newt Gingrich won last night’s debate — in fact, he “won big.” Krauthammer criticized Mitt Romney‘s mediocre debate performance and was incredulous at how the former Massachusetts Governor wasn’t prepared for a question on his tax returns. “How could he not have prepared a nice short succinct humane answer about what he did at Bain?” Krauthammer perplexedly exclaimed. “He didn’t really have that — he kind of stumbled around.”

Harry Reid asked how no Senate budget in 1,000 days helps Obama’s do-nothing Congress campaign

2012-01-17T15:15:00.008-05:00

(The Right Scoop) - I love this question from the Washington Times, asking Harry Reid how his refusal to create a budget in almost 1,000 days now will help Obama and his campaign against the so-called ‘do nothing Congress’. Reid’s response is for the most part a complete dodge, but goes on to say that they are going to start working on one soon. He’s not really sure though when they will have a budget.

The truth is they don’t want America to see how much they are spending, especially in election years, which is why they’ve refused to do a budget in the first place.

Reid is then asked about companies in the energy sector that aren’t doing very well, like Solyndra and namely Nevada Geothermal, that are getting taxpayer investment and Reid’s only answer is to say they are doing well, which absolutely isn’t true, and that we need to invest in renewable energy for the sake of energy independence.

What a joke.

SC Dem Slams GOP For MLK Day Debate; Dems Held Same Event In 2008

2012-01-17T15:12:00.007-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Chairman of the SC Democratic Party, Dick Harpootlian, takes issue with GOP debate coinciding with MLK's birthday. Fox News' Bill O'Reilly points out that his party held a debate on the same day in 2008. Oops.

Newt Gingrich: Votes For Rick Santorum, Rick Perry Help Mitt Romney

2012-01-17T15:06:00.007-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Newt Gingrich spoke to Laura Ingraham this morning about the current state of the South Carolina primary.

Mitt Romney Reveals Personal Tax Rate Is 15%

2012-01-17T15:00:00.005-05:00

(Breitbart.tv) - Mitt Romney, under increasing pressure over his tax records, revealed to reporters today that his effective tax rate is 15%.