Jay Carney led the daily White House briefing. Most questions were related to President Obama's request to Congress for a joint session on September 7, 2011, to talk about his jobs plan, and his overall economic agenda.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Which Mitt? Romney Shifting on Climate Change
Mitt Romney lately has found himself taking hits from both Republicans and Democrats Friday over his position on climate change, which both sides say has changed over the past few months.
On Thursday, the former Massachusetts governor told voters at a campaign event in Pittsburgh that he didn't know what was causing climate change.
"My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet," Romney said. "And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us."
Romney's opponents quickly noted that his stance seems to have changed, using comments Romney had made in the past to support the notion he was flip-flopping on the issue.
Perry's campaign and the Democratic National Committee highlighted a statement Romney made when speaking to voters in New Hampshire in June, when he said "I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that."
In a statement, Perry's spokesman said the comments reflected a substantial change in position.
The DNC produced a web video using a similar criticism, punctuated with the question, "Which Mitt?"
Romney's campaign said that the governor's full quote provided more context.
"I don't speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world's getting warmer," Romney said in June. "I can't prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two; I believe that humans contribute to that. I don't know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you're seeing."
Between the comments in June and his comments Thursday, Romney has taken a skeptical approach to climate change. On Aug. 8, Romney told a group in Nashua, New Hampshire, "I'm not a scientist. I think the Earth is probably getting warmer, but I'm not sure how much we contribute to it."
A few weeks later, on Aug. 24, Romney's expressed similar skepticism at an event in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
"Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is," he said. "I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans."
He continued, "What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to."
On Thursday, the former Massachusetts governor told voters at a campaign event in Pittsburgh that he didn't know what was causing climate change.
"My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet," Romney said. "And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us."
Romney's opponents quickly noted that his stance seems to have changed, using comments Romney had made in the past to support the notion he was flip-flopping on the issue.
Perry's campaign and the Democratic National Committee highlighted a statement Romney made when speaking to voters in New Hampshire in June, when he said "I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that."
In a statement, Perry's spokesman said the comments reflected a substantial change in position.
The DNC produced a web video using a similar criticism, punctuated with the question, "Which Mitt?"
Romney's campaign said that the governor's full quote provided more context.
"I don't speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world's getting warmer," Romney said in June. "I can't prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two; I believe that humans contribute to that. I don't know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you're seeing."
Between the comments in June and his comments Thursday, Romney has taken a skeptical approach to climate change. On Aug. 8, Romney told a group in Nashua, New Hampshire, "I'm not a scientist. I think the Earth is probably getting warmer, but I'm not sure how much we contribute to it."
A few weeks later, on Aug. 24, Romney's expressed similar skepticism at an event in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
"Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is," he said. "I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans."
He continued, "What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to."
White House Daily Breifing (December13, 2010)
Robert Gibbs spoke to reporters and answered questions on a number of issues including the ruling by a federal judge that portions of the health care reform act was unconstitutional, Senate consideration of the new START, and congressional consideration of a deal to extend tax cuts and unemployment benefits.
Create Jobs for USA Intiative
Mark Pinsky talked about Starbucks Coffee Company teaming up with Opportunity Finance Network to launch Create Jobs for USA. Create Jobs for USA will pool donations from Starbucks customers, partners (employees) and concerned citizens into a nationwide fund for community business lending.
Iowa Still Anybodys Race to Win
Just two months before the GOP nomination voting begins, Iowa's presidential caucuses are any Republican candidate's to win. Republicans aren't really leaning toward former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney even though he's essentially been running for president since losing in the state in 2008. This time, none of his opponents have emerged as the consensus candidate of conservatives, however that could soon change.
Sensing an opening, Romney is stepping up his Iowa campaign and talking about winning the state after months of taking a more low-key approach. He probably will return to Iowa in November and hold a conference call with thousands of Iowa GOP caucus-goers.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, casting himself as the conservative option, is starting to confront Romney. With $15 million in the bank, Perry started running a TV ad last week that, without mentioning Romney challenges Romney's efforts to portray himself as the strongest candidate on the economy.
"I'll create at least 2 1/2 million new jobs, and I know something about that," Perry says in the ad that highlights Texas job creation.
Businessman Herman Cain, a political outsider enjoying a burst of momentum, has begun to focus more on Iowa, adding staff and visiting the state recently for the first time in 10 weeks. He's popular for his business background and plain-spoken speaking style. However he's far behind in building an Iowa campaign and he's under attack by conservatives for referring recently to abortion as a choice. But he trails both Romney and Perry in fundraising by the millions.
The up-for-grabs nature of the Iowa race matters nationally because the outcome on Jan. 3 will shape what happens in the states that vote next -- New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida -- and beyond.
As it stands now, Iowa reflects the Republican Party's lack of clarity when it comes to the crowded GOP field and its increasingly urgent search for a candidate who can defeat Democratic President Barack Obama next fall.
Large numbers of Iowa Republicans are undecided and just starting to tune into the race in earnest. Fewer than 20 of Iowa's 76 Republican legislators have publicly declared their support for a candidate, and no single candidate has a clear edge among those who have picked sides. At this point four years ago, nearly all lawmakers had endorsed someone. Critical groups of activists also are waiting to rally behind a candidate, too.
Iowa's evangelical pastors, influential among a part of the GOP base, are divided. So are home-school advocates.
Most of the 2012 candidates, but not Romney, courted Christian conservatives at a forum on values last weekend. The all-out effort to court social conservative is partly why Romney is recalibrating his approach toward Iowa, where he's only made three visits this year. He has been reached out quietly to past supporters and working to cast himself as the candidate with the strongest economic credentials. Unlike in 2008, he's not overtly competing for the love of social conservatives. These voters, a potent bloc in the caucuses, have had doubts about his Mormon faith and his reversals on several social issues.
Romney is the only major candidate who hasn't committed to appearing in Iowa at Tuesday's forum on manufacturing hosted by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in Pella or the state GOP dinner Friday in Des Moines.
He has little choice given that he's lagging in state polls, facing challenges from the right and fighting with rivals for the backing of social conservatives. The former Texas agriculture commissioner and Air Force officer is trying to broad his appeal, reaching out to veterans and farmers as he looks to cobble together a winning coalition and stop Romney.
Sensing an opening, Romney is stepping up his Iowa campaign and talking about winning the state after months of taking a more low-key approach. He probably will return to Iowa in November and hold a conference call with thousands of Iowa GOP caucus-goers.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, casting himself as the conservative option, is starting to confront Romney. With $15 million in the bank, Perry started running a TV ad last week that, without mentioning Romney challenges Romney's efforts to portray himself as the strongest candidate on the economy.
"I'll create at least 2 1/2 million new jobs, and I know something about that," Perry says in the ad that highlights Texas job creation.
Businessman Herman Cain, a political outsider enjoying a burst of momentum, has begun to focus more on Iowa, adding staff and visiting the state recently for the first time in 10 weeks. He's popular for his business background and plain-spoken speaking style. However he's far behind in building an Iowa campaign and he's under attack by conservatives for referring recently to abortion as a choice. But he trails both Romney and Perry in fundraising by the millions.
The up-for-grabs nature of the Iowa race matters nationally because the outcome on Jan. 3 will shape what happens in the states that vote next -- New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida -- and beyond.
As it stands now, Iowa reflects the Republican Party's lack of clarity when it comes to the crowded GOP field and its increasingly urgent search for a candidate who can defeat Democratic President Barack Obama next fall.
Iowa's evangelical pastors, influential among a part of the GOP base, are divided. So are home-school advocates.
Most of the 2012 candidates, but not Romney, courted Christian conservatives at a forum on values last weekend. The all-out effort to court social conservative is partly why Romney is recalibrating his approach toward Iowa, where he's only made three visits this year. He has been reached out quietly to past supporters and working to cast himself as the candidate with the strongest economic credentials. Unlike in 2008, he's not overtly competing for the love of social conservatives. These voters, a potent bloc in the caucuses, have had doubts about his Mormon faith and his reversals on several social issues.
Romney is the only major candidate who hasn't committed to appearing in Iowa at Tuesday's forum on manufacturing hosted by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in Pella or the state GOP dinner Friday in Des Moines.
He has little choice given that he's lagging in state polls, facing challenges from the right and fighting with rivals for the backing of social conservatives. The former Texas agriculture commissioner and Air Force officer is trying to broad his appeal, reaching out to veterans and farmers as he looks to cobble together a winning coalition and stop Romney.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Republican Leadership Conference
The 2011 Republican Leadership Conference held its 3-day conference in New Orleans, which brought 2,000 Republicans from around the country to listen to conservative officials, candidates, and activists, speak about new initiatives of the GOP.
Perry Set to Unveil Flat Tax Plan Sometime Next WeeK
Wanting to reinvigorate his Republican presidential campaign, GOP hopeful Texas Gov. Rick Perry is set to reveal his plan to simplify the federal tax code with a flat income tax rate. This is a proposal that has energized conservatives in the past but failed to gain mainstream support.
Perry entered the presidential race as the expected frontrunner in August but has stumbled in his first few debates. He is hoping his plan will recapture that early momentum his campaign had early on, much in the same way that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan helped position him to the front of the GOP field. Lately however, Cain’s plan has come under intense scrutiny and intense criticism, forcing the former pizza executive to redefine the plan to make it fairer for the poor.
Perry campaign aides have yet to unveil details of his plan yet but Perry said this week his plan will be "flatter and fairer" than Cain's. Sarah Palin endorsed the plan, telling Fox News it’s “going to gain momentum.” But liberal groups have quickly criticized Perry's plan, saying it would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income Americans while giving breaks to the wealthiest.
While many variations exist, the main idea is to replace the current stair-step range of income tax rates with one rate, paid by everyone. Advocates typically call for eliminating some or all of the existing tax deductions, such as those allowed for mortgage interest payments, gifts to charity and some medical costs.
Perry's plan will differ from Herman Cain's so-called 9-9-9 plan because it will not call for a national sales tax. Cain, whose presidential bid has prospered lately, wants a 9 percent flat tax on personal and corporate income, as well as a 9 percent national sales tax. Criticisms of a flat tax focus on its full or partial elimination of the progressive nature of the current tax code. In a progressive system, higher earners pay higher tax rates on their income.
Under a pure flat tax, with no exemptions or deductions, individuals who earns $200,000 a year would pay exactly 10 times the amount of tax paid by someone who earns $20,000 a year. All income would be subject to one flat rate. Under a progressive system, even if there were no exemptions or deductions to help poorer people, the $200,000 earner would pay more than 10 times the amount of tax paid by the $20,000 earner. That's because he pays higher rates on the upper portions of his income.
Supporters of progressive income tax systems say the feature is important to social fairness because other taxes tend to be regressive. For instance, a 5 percent state sales tax hits lower-income people proportionately harder than high earners because they must spend a larger portion of their income on necessities. That leaves them less able to save, invest or otherwise protect their income from the sales tax. Payroll taxes, gasoline levies and other taxes also tend to be regressive because they essentially are flat.
Perry entered the presidential race as the expected frontrunner in August but has stumbled in his first few debates. He is hoping his plan will recapture that early momentum his campaign had early on, much in the same way that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan helped position him to the front of the GOP field. Lately however, Cain’s plan has come under intense scrutiny and intense criticism, forcing the former pizza executive to redefine the plan to make it fairer for the poor.
Perry campaign aides have yet to unveil details of his plan yet but Perry said this week his plan will be "flatter and fairer" than Cain's. Sarah Palin endorsed the plan, telling Fox News it’s “going to gain momentum.” But liberal groups have quickly criticized Perry's plan, saying it would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income Americans while giving breaks to the wealthiest.
While many variations exist, the main idea is to replace the current stair-step range of income tax rates with one rate, paid by everyone. Advocates typically call for eliminating some or all of the existing tax deductions, such as those allowed for mortgage interest payments, gifts to charity and some medical costs.
Perry's plan will differ from Herman Cain's so-called 9-9-9 plan because it will not call for a national sales tax. Cain, whose presidential bid has prospered lately, wants a 9 percent flat tax on personal and corporate income, as well as a 9 percent national sales tax. Criticisms of a flat tax focus on its full or partial elimination of the progressive nature of the current tax code. In a progressive system, higher earners pay higher tax rates on their income.
Under a pure flat tax, with no exemptions or deductions, individuals who earns $200,000 a year would pay exactly 10 times the amount of tax paid by someone who earns $20,000 a year. All income would be subject to one flat rate. Under a progressive system, even if there were no exemptions or deductions to help poorer people, the $200,000 earner would pay more than 10 times the amount of tax paid by the $20,000 earner. That's because he pays higher rates on the upper portions of his income.Supporters of progressive income tax systems say the feature is important to social fairness because other taxes tend to be regressive. For instance, a 5 percent state sales tax hits lower-income people proportionately harder than high earners because they must spend a larger portion of their income on necessities. That leaves them less able to save, invest or otherwise protect their income from the sales tax. Payroll taxes, gasoline levies and other taxes also tend to be regressive because they essentially are flat.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Mitt Romney Town Hall Meeting Part 2
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a town hall meeting at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. During this clip Romney discusses changes to the tax code and reform.
Mitt Romney Town Hall Meeting
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a town hall meeting at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. During the event, he said the Republican Party needed to do a better job in delivering its message to younger voters and Hispanics and other minorities in 2012 to elect a Republican president.
Obama’s Foreign Policy Victories May Not Matter in 2012
With the death of former Libya dictator Mommar Qaddafi, and the announcement that the Iraq War is coming to end, President Obama has been on a roll with foreign policy over the last six months since the takedown of Osama bin Laden. And while Obama is likely to play up his foreign policy accomplishments on the campaign trail, a struggling economy still heavily looms over his re-election bid.
But this hasn’t prevented Obama’s campaign from trying to find ways to maximize his foreign policy success. One approach is to contrast them with Congress' partisan-driven gridlock on taxes, the deficit and other domestic issues.
The Democrats hope that the American people will see a bold and more than capable president in Obama who keeps his promises when Republicans don't create roadblocks. They note that he green-lighted a daring nighttime raid to kill bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1; approved policies that led to last month's drone-missile killing of American-born terror advocate Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen; backed allied actions that led to Libyan leader Qaddafi's ouster and death; and is officially ending U.S. involvement in Iraq on schedule.
The list of achievements, contrasted with President George W. Bush's erroneous claims about Iraq's weaponry in the first place, should help Democrats shake their image of being the weaker party on national security. Translating that claim into votes for Obama 13 months from now may be difficult, however. The latest Associated Press poll confirmed that Americans still place a far greater emphasis on domestic issues, especially the economy, than on foreign matters, including the war on terrorism.
The poll found that Obama's overall approval rating is at an all-time low, 46 percent, for the second straight month, even though 64 percent of adults approved of his handling of terrorism. Only about 40 percent approved of his handling of the economy.
Ninety-three percent of those questioned said the economy was an extremely or very important issue. By comparison, 73 percent put the same emphasis on terrorism.
Democratic officials believe Obama's foreign policy record will look even better when the Republican presidential candidates hold a debate on that topic Nov. 15. Leading contenders Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are current or former governors, while Herman Cain has never held public office. So none of the GOP candidates have any extensive foreign policy experience if at all.
Voters routinely accept that, however. In recent presidential elections they have chosen governors from Georgia, California, Arkansas and Texas, plus a first-term senator, Obama.
On Friday, Romney and Perry criticized Obama's handling of Iraq. "President Obama's astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women," Romney said.
Perry said in a statement: "I'm deeply concerned that President Obama is putting political expediency ahead of sound military and security judgment by announcing an end to troop level negotiations and a withdrawal from Iraq by year's end."
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said Obama "kept his pledge to the nation to end the war in Iraq in a responsible way, he has promoted our security in Afghanistan, and eliminated key Al Qaeda leaders while strengthening American leadership around the world."
Long-time Republican strategist Rich Galen said the economy clearly will dominate the 2012 election, and it might undo Obama. As for Obama's foreign record, however, Galen said, "they're doing exactly the right thing" by highlighting every success they can.
But this hasn’t prevented Obama’s campaign from trying to find ways to maximize his foreign policy success. One approach is to contrast them with Congress' partisan-driven gridlock on taxes, the deficit and other domestic issues.
The Democrats hope that the American people will see a bold and more than capable president in Obama who keeps his promises when Republicans don't create roadblocks. They note that he green-lighted a daring nighttime raid to kill bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1; approved policies that led to last month's drone-missile killing of American-born terror advocate Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen; backed allied actions that led to Libyan leader Qaddafi's ouster and death; and is officially ending U.S. involvement in Iraq on schedule.The list of achievements, contrasted with President George W. Bush's erroneous claims about Iraq's weaponry in the first place, should help Democrats shake their image of being the weaker party on national security. Translating that claim into votes for Obama 13 months from now may be difficult, however. The latest Associated Press poll confirmed that Americans still place a far greater emphasis on domestic issues, especially the economy, than on foreign matters, including the war on terrorism.
The poll found that Obama's overall approval rating is at an all-time low, 46 percent, for the second straight month, even though 64 percent of adults approved of his handling of terrorism. Only about 40 percent approved of his handling of the economy.
Ninety-three percent of those questioned said the economy was an extremely or very important issue. By comparison, 73 percent put the same emphasis on terrorism.
Democratic officials believe Obama's foreign policy record will look even better when the Republican presidential candidates hold a debate on that topic Nov. 15. Leading contenders Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are current or former governors, while Herman Cain has never held public office. So none of the GOP candidates have any extensive foreign policy experience if at all.
Voters routinely accept that, however. In recent presidential elections they have chosen governors from Georgia, California, Arkansas and Texas, plus a first-term senator, Obama.
On Friday, Romney and Perry criticized Obama's handling of Iraq. "President Obama's astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women," Romney said.
Perry said in a statement: "I'm deeply concerned that President Obama is putting political expediency ahead of sound military and security judgment by announcing an end to troop level negotiations and a withdrawal from Iraq by year's end."
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said Obama "kept his pledge to the nation to end the war in Iraq in a responsible way, he has promoted our security in Afghanistan, and eliminated key Al Qaeda leaders while strengthening American leadership around the world."
Long-time Republican strategist Rich Galen said the economy clearly will dominate the 2012 election, and it might undo Obama. As for Obama's foreign record, however, Galen said, "they're doing exactly the right thing" by highlighting every success they can.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Florida and the 2012 RNC
Lenny Curry discussed Florida's position as a key battleground state in the 2012 presidential election as well as the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL.
Obama Raises A Whopping $42 Million in Third Quarter, Laughs all the Way to the Bank.
Surpassing the expectations by members of his own party, the Obama re-election campaign raised $42.8 million in the period running from July through the end of September, an Obama campaign aide told CNN. The campaign announced publicly Thursday that along with the Democratic National Committee it brought in more than $70 million in the third quarter of fundraising.
Some Democratic sources had said they expected the combined total to be around $55 million.
Some Democratic sources had said they expected the combined total to be around $55 million.
The $42 million figure likely will be close to, or exceed the total raised by all of the Republican presidential candidates together for this quarter.
Campaigns have to report their amounts to the Federal Election Commission by Saturday. The Obama campaign and the DNC raised a record breaking $86 million in the last fundraising quarter that ended in June.
During the most recent quarter the Obama team had to deal with questions about whether key constituencies of the Democratic party base were fully supportive of President Obama, especially after a nasty confrontation over raising the nation's debt ceiling which resulted in an agreement that upset many in the progressive movement. The unstable economy has made it more difficult for all of the campaigns to raise funds during this time.
The president has had to cancel several fundraising events to stay in Washington due to the debt ceiling fight. Obama unveiled his jobs proposal last month and displayed an aggressive stance toward congressional Republicans - moves that were applauded by many Democratic activists.
From July to September the Obama team reported that 606,000 people donated to the campaign - more than in the second fundraising quarter between April and June when it set a record for the number of donors. And it said of the 766,000 donations, 98% were $250 or less – a key figure as it tries to keep attracting the small donors who were a major driver for the 2008 campaign. One of the ways the campaign tried to woo small donors was to sponsor a contest with the prize being a dinner with Obama.
Overall, the campaign said since the president announced his re-election bid this spring, almost 983,000 individuals made donations, with 258,000 of them making their first contribution.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised $14.16 million in the 3rd quarter, and has $14.65 million on hand, according to financial numbers released today by the former Massachusetts governor's presidential campaign. Overall, Romney has raised a total of $32 million for the GOP presidential primary.
The total represents only primary contributions as the campaign did not raise general election funds, the campaign emphasizes. By comparison in 2007, Romney collected $10 million for the third quarter reporting period. Texas governor and GOP rival for the nomination Rick Perry raised $17 million in the same quarter-- his first full fundraising period as a presidential candidate. "Seems like they spend a lot of money and have little to show for it," tweaked Mark Miner, a Perry spokesman.
Battleground States and Campaign 2012
David Parker talked from Charlotte, North Carolina, about Democratic Party strategy in the key battleground state of North Carolina in 2012. Charlotte is the site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Third Party Presidential Bid
Elliot Ackerman talked about his new group, Americans Elect, that is hoping to secure ballot access in all fifty states for a third party 2012 presidential candidate. The group plans to run a national online nominating .
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Cain the Center of Attention at Tuesday Debate
There was one clear winner from Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, based on the metrics of name recognition alone: businessman Herman Cain's "9-9-9 Plan." Cain, the latest Republican presidential candidate to surge to the top of the polls, found himself in the hot seat Tuesday night at a debate in New Hampshire centered on the economy.
Nearly all the candidates at the debate table had something to say about Cain's plan to replace the tax code with three, flat nine-percent federal taxes on consumption, business and income. Cain, once delegated to the remote wings of the debate stage, has of late, enjoyed a surge in the polls since he won the straw poll in Orlando, Fla., last month, and at the first debate since he joined former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the top tier, Cain and his policy proposals took up more of the debate's time than the ideas floated by any other candidate. Of course, this isn't to say that any of them praised Cain's idea. Everyone who had an opportunity took shots at the plan.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney suggested that the 9-9-9 scheme would be "inadequate" to solve the nation's problems. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, sharply questioned Cain's economic credentials. Bachmann said the plan would do little to create jobs and would simply offer the government a new way to collect tax revenue. Cain defended his plan as a fresh solution. "Therein lies the difference between me, the non-politician, and all of the politicians," he said. "They want to pass what they think they can get passed rather than what we need, which is a bold solution." Texas Rep. Ron Paul also attacked Cain for naming former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan as the kind of person he would appoint to the Fed if elected.
But none of his detractors were able to stop Cain from repeating the line all night. Perhaps not anticipating that the candidates would spend their own time discussing Cain's proposal, the moderators ran a pre-arranged clip of Cain touting it a few weeks ago and asked all the candidates to comment on it. Again. So they did, and the "9-9-9 Plan" got a fresh dose of airtime. It was as if every time the candidates mentioned those words--"9-9-9"--Cain got a little more powerful.
Separately, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney defended the 2008 bailout of Wall Street banks, saying it was essential to preserving the nation's currency and financial system from collapse. Asked about his own 59-point plan, Romney said that while simplicity like the 9-9-9 plan are often helpful, they're also frequently incomplete. He noted that he wants to target a middle-class tax cut because the rich will survive and the poor have a safety net. As for his own economic plan, Perry said he is introducing it shortly, but the government must open the way for more production of domestic energy.
Hours before the candidates met, Romney picked up New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's endorsement, which he hopes will help cement his support among the GOP establishment and nurture an image that he's the party's inevitable nominee. But at least for tonight, everyone's talking about the 9-9-9 plan, and Cain couldn't have asked for a better gift from his opponents.
Nearly all the candidates at the debate table had something to say about Cain's plan to replace the tax code with three, flat nine-percent federal taxes on consumption, business and income. Cain, once delegated to the remote wings of the debate stage, has of late, enjoyed a surge in the polls since he won the straw poll in Orlando, Fla., last month, and at the first debate since he joined former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the top tier, Cain and his policy proposals took up more of the debate's time than the ideas floated by any other candidate. Of course, this isn't to say that any of them praised Cain's idea. Everyone who had an opportunity took shots at the plan.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney suggested that the 9-9-9 scheme would be "inadequate" to solve the nation's problems. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, sharply questioned Cain's economic credentials. Bachmann said the plan would do little to create jobs and would simply offer the government a new way to collect tax revenue. Cain defended his plan as a fresh solution. "Therein lies the difference between me, the non-politician, and all of the politicians," he said. "They want to pass what they think they can get passed rather than what we need, which is a bold solution." Texas Rep. Ron Paul also attacked Cain for naming former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan as the kind of person he would appoint to the Fed if elected.
But none of his detractors were able to stop Cain from repeating the line all night. Perhaps not anticipating that the candidates would spend their own time discussing Cain's proposal, the moderators ran a pre-arranged clip of Cain touting it a few weeks ago and asked all the candidates to comment on it. Again. So they did, and the "9-9-9 Plan" got a fresh dose of airtime. It was as if every time the candidates mentioned those words--"9-9-9"--Cain got a little more powerful.
Separately, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney defended the 2008 bailout of Wall Street banks, saying it was essential to preserving the nation's currency and financial system from collapse. Asked about his own 59-point plan, Romney said that while simplicity like the 9-9-9 plan are often helpful, they're also frequently incomplete. He noted that he wants to target a middle-class tax cut because the rich will survive and the poor have a safety net. As for his own economic plan, Perry said he is introducing it shortly, but the government must open the way for more production of domestic energy.
Hours before the candidates met, Romney picked up New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's endorsement, which he hopes will help cement his support among the GOP establishment and nurture an image that he's the party's inevitable nominee. But at least for tonight, everyone's talking about the 9-9-9 plan, and Cain couldn't have asked for a better gift from his opponents.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Van Jones Remarks on the Progressive Movement (Cont'd)
Former Obama administration Green Jobs Adviser Van Jones called on progressives to learn from the successes of the tea party movement. He warned that the progressive movement must be tied to "principles and not a person." Mr. Jones' speech was part of a Campaign for America's Future conference grassroots organizing, the progressive movement, and helping the middle class in a slow economy.
Van Jones Remarks on the Progressive Movement
Former Obama administration Green Jobs Adviser Van Jones called on progressives to learn from the successes of the tea party movement. Mr. Jones' speech was part of a Campaign for America's Future conference grassroots organizing, the progressive movement, and helping the middle class in a slow economy.
Obama's Best Bet for Reelection: Social Networking?
President Obama may be struggling in polls and losing support amongst his core supporters, but when it comes to the ability of identifying, connecting with and mobilizing voters, as well as integrating voter information with the complex workings of a national campaign, his team is way ahead of the Republican pack.Alone among the major candidates running for president, Obama not only has a Facebook page with 23 million "likes,” he has a Facebook app that is scooping up all kinds of facts about his supporters. Users of the Obama 2012 AreYouIn? app are not only giving the campaign personal data like their name, gender, birthday, current city, religion and political views, they are sharing their list of friends and information those friends share, like their birthday, current city, religion and political views.
According to a report by CNN, the Obama operation staff members are using a powerful social networking tool called NationalField, which enables everyone to share what they are working on. Modeled on Facebook, the tool connects all levels of staff to the information they are gathering as they work on tasks like signing up volunteers, knocking on doors, identifying likely voters and dealing with problems. Managers can set goals for field organizers like the number of calls made, the number of doors knocked, and see how people are doing against all kinds of metrics.
In addition to all the hard data, users can share qualitative information: what points or themes worked for them in a one-on-one conversation with voters, for example. "Ups," "Downs" and "Solutions" are color-coded, so people can see where successes are happening or challenges brewing.
For a campaign that tapped the volunteer energies of millions of people in 2008 and appears to need all the help it can get in 2012, these kinds of fine-grained technologies could make a key difference. While the Republican field has been focused on how their candidates are doing with social networking, Obama's campaign operatives are devising a new kind of social intelligence that will help drive campaign resources where they are most needed.
It all sounds like common sense, but actually, connecting and synchronizing the data a campaign collects from its field operation, fundraising operation and Web operation isn't a trivial task. Most political campaigns tend to rely on consultants to carry out part or all of these functions, resulting in even greater obstacles to sharing information.
But how powerful can this data driven politics be? By the end of the 2008 election, it had amassed 13 million supporter e-mail addresses, collected nearly 4 million individual donations and tallied about 2 million registered users on my.BarackObama.com, the campaign's social networking platform. Seventy thousand members have used the site to conduct their own personalized fundraising campaigns.
Since 2008, enthusiasm for Obama has waned, but his online presence hasn't. His base on Facebook has soared nearly six times from the 4 million he had on Election Day, and his following on Twitter now stands at 10 million, dwarfing the Republican field. So even if Obama isn't drawing millions of people off their sofas to rally to his side on their own in 2012, his team has a huge amount of raw data to work with as they build his re-election machine.
Perry in a Heap of Trouble after Pastor Remarks
These days on the campaign trail poor Rick Perry just can’t seem to catch a break. The presidential hopeful spoke at the Values Voter Summit, a social gathering of hundreds of conservatives in Washington, on Friday, however the evangelical pastor who introduced him stole the show, sparking a controversy in the process. The Texas pastor introduced Rick Perry at the major conference of Christian conservatives as “a genuine follower of Jesus Christ” and then walked outside and attacked Mitt Romney’s religion, calling the Mormon Church a cult and stating that Mr. Romney “is not a Christian.”
Jeffress praised Rick Perry for defunding Planned Parenthood in Texas, calling the provider of women’s health and abortion services, “that slaughterhouse for the unborn.” He also lauded Perry’s “strong commitment to biblical values.”
Jeffress’ comments and his backing of Perry threaten to inject some tension into what has been a relatively quiet year for religion on the campaign trail and the Perry campaign sought to ease the growing uproar.
This raised immediate suspicions that the attack might have been a way for surrogates or supporters of Mr. Perry, the Texas governor, who has stumbled in recent weeks, to gain ground by raising religious concerns about Mr. Romney. The campaign’s official comment on Jeffress changed quickly on Friday afternoon. When initially asked by ABC News whether Gov. Perry agreed that Mormonism is a cult, Perry spokesman Mark Miner said: “The governor doesn’t judge what is in the heart and soul of others. He leaves that to God.”
Back in 2007, Jeffress had this to say about Romney: “Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult.” In 2008, Jeffress asserted that Mormons worship ”false” god and said: “I believe we should always support a Christian over a non-Christian.”
The Perry campaign sought to put some space between Mr. Perry and Mr. Jeffress, stating that the governor “does not believe Mormonism is a cult” and that Mr. Jeffress was chosen to speak by the organizers of the event, the Values Voter Summit, which was put on by the Family Research Council, the American Family Association and other evangelical Christian groups. A Romney spokesman declined to comment on Mr. Jeffress’ remarks.
While refuting that his comments were coordinated with the Perry campaign, Mr. Jeffress said he emphatically believed that Mr. Romney’s faith would spell trouble for him with many Republican voters and make it hard for him to win in Iowa, as well as South Carolina and other Bible Belt states.
He also said that he believed Mr. Romney is a “good, moral person,” and that he would endorse him over the president. If it comes to that, he said, “I’m going to instruct, I’m going to advise people that it is much better to vote for a non-Christian who embraces biblical values than to vote for a professing Christian like Barack Obama who embraces un-biblical values.” Looks like things are starting to heat up as the year winds to a close. These next few weeks on the campaign trail should be very interesting to say the least.
Jeffress praised Rick Perry for defunding Planned Parenthood in Texas, calling the provider of women’s health and abortion services, “that slaughterhouse for the unborn.” He also lauded Perry’s “strong commitment to biblical values.”
Jeffress’ comments and his backing of Perry threaten to inject some tension into what has been a relatively quiet year for religion on the campaign trail and the Perry campaign sought to ease the growing uproar.
This raised immediate suspicions that the attack might have been a way for surrogates or supporters of Mr. Perry, the Texas governor, who has stumbled in recent weeks, to gain ground by raising religious concerns about Mr. Romney. The campaign’s official comment on Jeffress changed quickly on Friday afternoon. When initially asked by ABC News whether Gov. Perry agreed that Mormonism is a cult, Perry spokesman Mark Miner said: “The governor doesn’t judge what is in the heart and soul of others. He leaves that to God.”
Back in 2007, Jeffress had this to say about Romney: “Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult.” In 2008, Jeffress asserted that Mormons worship ”false” god and said: “I believe we should always support a Christian over a non-Christian.”
The Perry campaign sought to put some space between Mr. Perry and Mr. Jeffress, stating that the governor “does not believe Mormonism is a cult” and that Mr. Jeffress was chosen to speak by the organizers of the event, the Values Voter Summit, which was put on by the Family Research Council, the American Family Association and other evangelical Christian groups. A Romney spokesman declined to comment on Mr. Jeffress’ remarks.
While refuting that his comments were coordinated with the Perry campaign, Mr. Jeffress said he emphatically believed that Mr. Romney’s faith would spell trouble for him with many Republican voters and make it hard for him to win in Iowa, as well as South Carolina and other Bible Belt states.
He also said that he believed Mr. Romney is a “good, moral person,” and that he would endorse him over the president. If it comes to that, he said, “I’m going to instruct, I’m going to advise people that it is much better to vote for a non-Christian who embraces biblical values than to vote for a professing Christian like Barack Obama who embraces un-biblical values.” Looks like things are starting to heat up as the year winds to a close. These next few weeks on the campaign trail should be very interesting to say the least.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
2010 Elections and the Democratic Party
Former Governor Kaine spoke about Democratic Party prospects in the 2010 midterm elections and the party's efforts to register and motivate voter turnout.
Christie Set to Run?
After months of avoiding the issue, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is finally giving some serious thought to the idea of throwing his hat into the ring for a GOP presidential run; and could make his decision next week, The Post has reported. The announcement may come as early as Monday, said sources familiar with Christie’s thinking. The renewed consideration about a White House run came after prodding this week from some Republicans he idolizes, as well as a Republican field that has been struggling to put forward a clear front-runner, creating an opening.Only the pugnacious, popular Christie could pull off such a complete 180 from his blustering denial of interest less than a year ago. Republican insiders familiar with Christie's thinking about a presidential bid are now putting the odds of him running at 50-50, telling CBS News there's a "decent chance" he will get in. If Christie rules it out, as one insider said, it's because he will see too many potential roadblocks in his path to the Republican nomination.
Insiders say Christie is ready to put a presidential campaign together “pretty fast.”
And he’d have to, since filing deadlines for key primary ballots are just weeks off.
Months ago, his top advisers roughed out a finance plan that could be put into play immediately, insiders said. The heightened buzz has Washington Republicans worked up too. If Christie decides to run he would be a formidable force in uniting the base of the GOP and winning over independents. His candidacy may not be a lock on the White House, but his positive effect on the race
It may be too late for Christie to make a competitive run. Running an effective campaign for president takes years of preparation and planning and is difficult to create this late in the game. Raising the money needed would also be a daunting task for Christie. The filing deadline for the Florida primary is the end of next month, and Christie would need to put together a campaign team and fund raising
apparatus within a matter of weeks if he decides to get in. And he could have a hard time keeping up with Mitt Romney and Rick Perry in fund raising when he does get in, since he'll have to focus on developing a national platform and prepare for debates and interviews.
It's also unknown how rank-and-file Republicans will respond to Christie, who holds moderate views on bedrock conservative issues like gun control, civil unions, and immigration that will make it hard for him to compete in the first-in-the-nation voting state of Iowa. But Christie would also enter the race with serious advantages, including the strong support of wealthy northeastern donors and a brash, confrontational style that makes many Republicans swoon.
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