The State newspaper admitted that in 2008 they had copies of the email between Mark Sanford and his lover in their possession and two weeks ago they learned that the Sanford’s had separated.
They did not move on this story until they had suspected Governor Sanford was with his mistress in Argentina (thus all the questions on the location of the Governor). It was dirty reporting and the timing was meant to maximize drama and attention for the newspaper. In fact, one can accuse The State of misleading readers for the last several days.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
Okay, last post, I promise…
The Calm That I Adore
You have a particular grace
And calm that I adore.
You have a level of sophistication
That so fitting with your beauty.
I could digress — and say that you have
The ability to give magnificent gentle kisses
Or that I love your tan lines
Or that I love the curve of your hips…
The erotic beauty of you holding yourself
(or two magnificent parts of yourself)
in the faded glow of the night’s light -
But hey, that would be going into sexual details …
The Impossible
Hopelessly impossible situation of love…
How in the world this lightening strike snuck up on us
I am still not quite sure.
As I have said to you before
I certainly had a special feeling about you
From the first time we met…
I also suspect I feel a little vulnerable…
This is ground I have never certainly never covered before
If you have pearls of wisdom…
Please let me know…
In the meantime please sleep soundly
My heart cries out for you…
Your voice, your body, the touch of your lips
The touch of your finger tips…
And an even deeper connection to your soul.
A
From the sadly overlooked Andrew Lloyd Webber stage show The Woman In White…
You can get away with anything
It all comes down to style
You’ll have a captive audience
As long as you beguile
Yes you can have your cake and eat it
The love of those whom you betray…
But you can’t get away with anything — If you don’t get away!
I admit that I’m a criminal obsessed with perfect crimes…
But even one as good as I can bungle it sometimes!
Yes even one who is a genius can now and then get in a scrape!
But no endeavor’s a catastrophe as long as you escape!
And we are off! Out that door!
We’ll pack our bags my little friends and leave the scene while we are winners!
And long before the story ends as wealthy unrepentant sinners!
We all have got a spot of farce in us but only some of us are larcenous!
And few still divine the thrill in us that comes from being truly villainous!
You can get away with anything — to prove it is my sport
I live to push the boundaries — to break the rules, in short
One must be something of a bounder
if one intends to play this game
There’s only one thing that one has to have: one has to have no shame!
Yes I can get away with everything because I have no shame!
Earlier today in the comments section, Matthew Miller stated the following:
I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why Barbour appeals to people. He’s not much of a fiscal conservative (if we take the word of fiscal watchdog groups like CATO), he doesn’t seem like a “man the battlements for Christian Civilization” type…what am I missing? As best as I can tell, Pawlenty is more conservative than Barbour on basically every score (except, again, for that silly ethanol). Or does the indescipherable Southern drawl give him defacto credibility with the base?
For the record, I am not a supporter of Haley Barbour, at least at this point. I am not necessarily disagreeing with Matthew, nor am I explicitly defending Governor Barbour from critics whose opinions I hold in high regard (specifically the CATO Institute). It should be pointed out that Mr. Barbour has not exactly been able to govern under normal circumstances. I have not dug deep into the problems or explanations of the grade he garnered…
But it seems that some context needs to be provided and that some in conservative circles need to be reminded of the way Governor Barbour handled leadership in the face of great catastrophe.
Governor Barbour managed his state through the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States, and did so in magnificent fashion. Hurricane Katrina and the way Barbour handled it and its aftermath have not been recognized by those on the right to the level of someone like Guiliani, for example, is because it was viewed as a black eye for the Bush Administration. There were no faces or blame to put on a specific enemy, and it engulfed more than one state, meaning that failures in Louisiana effected the success in dealing with the problems in the other affected states. That is not to compare Barbour to Guiliani because the situations were completely different. However, it is not unfair to say that he handled the crisis in spectacular fashion.
While this is not to excuse what appears to be shortcomings in regards to his fiscal ratings, I think it is possible that the results of those reports may be heavily skewed because he had to manage the state budget during the mentioned crises.
And I really don’t understand the comparisons to Governor Pawlenty, at the moment. That’s not to say that Pawlenty hasn’t had his share of hardships to deal with, because he has (the bridge collapse). However, he never had to deal with a disaster anywhere near the level caused by Katrina nor the level of back and forth politicizing that followed, and that’s why some people (although it remains to be seen just how many) could conceivably be drawn to a Barbour candidacy.
Now, I am not that well informed regarding Tim Pawlenty either, other than what has been written here, and at this point, I really don’t have a favorite candidate. I could be persuaded to support either man, in fact. What troubles me about Pawlenty is that his positions regarding tobacco are downright Huckabee-esque. Hell, I even believe that had Huck not been so far to the left on that issue, he wouldn’t have had near the trouble that he did in his home region in 2008, and would’ve won my home state of TN by a lot more than a couple of points (not to start another Huck war, just my honest opinion on why he didn’t win here by a large margin). That’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s an important issue to a lot of people in these parts (author’s note: Ironically, Barbour has this same problem).
In the end, I may support Haley Barbour, and then again, I may not. There is, however, a void in the “handled themselves in the face of human tragedy with grace” still out there with the absence of Rudy Guiliani and John McCain, and maybe Haley Barbour could be the man to fill that void. A lot stranger things have happened…
I come home from work and find that Mark Sanford is no longer a presidential contender.
Strike one defender of capitalism from the 2012 list. (As well as our only anti-war candidate, thank God.) Wonder if the sane Ron Paul supporters have lost it yet.
How can our politicians be so irresponsible and self-serving? Why do they keep doing this? Why do they keep thinking that they can get away with it? This isn’t the age of FDR, JFK, and MLK. This is the age of Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and the 24-hour news cycle (and not the age of three-letter abbreviations, either!). Globalization and technological innovation have killed secrecy in public life.
Why are so many of our top politicians tainted by adultery? From Rudy Giuliani to John McCain to Bill Clinton to John Edwards, it almost seems like adultery and divorce are the norm, not the exception, amongst powerful men.
In my mind, branching off of what Tommy Oliver noted, there seems to be a connection between raw ambition and that sense of invincibility — that is: feeling like you can get away with anything. It’s utter egomania.
It almost makes me pine for Palin’s down-home lack of pretension.
…Almost.
You know who I’m really longing for as a true defender of capitalism in 2012? The field just keeps on clearing for him. Perfect storm, baby.
Rudy sez: “D’oh, Sanford!”
Pew Research Republican Favorability Ratings
Favorable / Unfavorable (Net)
- Mitt Romney 40% / 28% (+12%)
- Michael Steele 23% / 14% (+9%)
- Sarah Palin 45% / 44% (+1%)
- Newt Gingrich 35% / 38% (-3%)
Among Republicans
- Sarah Palin 73% / 17% (+56%)
- Mitt Romney 57% / 18% (+39%)
- Newt Gingrich 55% / 22% (+33%)
- Michael Steele 28% / 14% (+14%)
Among Independents
- Mitt Romney 44% / 25% (+19%)
- Michael Steele 26% / 13% (+13%)
- Sarah Palin 46% / ~44% (+2%)
- Newt Gingrich 37% / 38% (-1%)
College Graduates+
- Mitt Romney 46% / 36% (+10%)
- Sarah Palin 41% / 52% (-11%)
High School Diploma or Less
- Sarah Palin 48% / 36% (+12%)
- Mitt Romney 33% / 25% (+8%)
Survey of 1,502 adults was conducted June 10-14. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. For the subsample of 401 Republicans, the margin of error is +/- 5.5 percentage points.
Per the Miami Herald:
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford carried on a lively e-mail exchange with his lover in Buenos Aires, praising her “gentle kisses,” her tan lines and the “curve of your hips,” according to copies of the e-mails given to McClatchy’s The State newspaper.
…
He also hinted at the emotional struggle his sexual relationship with the woman was causing him. “This is ground I have never certainly never covered before – so if you have pearls of wisdom on how we figure all this out please let me know,” Sanford wrote. “In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul.”
The relationsship apparently also caused Maria conflicts. “As I told you I shouldn’t have done this trip but I would have felt worst if I wouldn’t have come,” she wrote. “He is a very nice guy, great heart … but unfortunately I am not in love with him … You are my love.”
Sanford’s office did not dispute the authenticity of the e-mails on Wednesday.
After my eyebrows recover from the annoying twitch I developed while reading these wondrous pearls of wisdom that the former contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 bestowed upon his Argentinian damsel, it reminds me of why I don’t like politicians- because they are usually pieces of shit.
They are self-serving, arrogant, narcissistic and motivated by their own inflated self worth. What’s even more amazing is that they seem to think they can get away with it, refusing to learn from the lessons of those that have fallen before them.
Here’s an idea: if you are going to have an extra-marital affair, don’t even think about running for president. Withdraw your name from any sort of speculation. When asked in an interview, state emphatically that you have no desire to run for the highest office in the land… because in all likelihood, you are going to get caught with your pants down, and not only embarrass yourself, but those whom you represent or consider you to be a candidate they feel they could allign themselves behind.
John Ensign and Mark Sanford are prime examples of those who are so out of touch with reality that they deem themselves invincible. The fact that either were considering a run in 2012 is all the proof anyone should need. As technology continues to grow at an astounding rate, the percentage of getting caught in these types of situations probably triples. Speculation is allowed to run rampant, and everyone with a computer can find out rumors and innuendo about any candidate with just the click of a button.
In this day and age, political ambition seems to be nothing more than an addiction, and adultery is hardly it’s only drug. Only one of the sexier.
As it stands, the GOP campaign for the 2012 nomination might possibly be even weaker than it was in 2008, and that does not bode well for a party who has seen its relevency diminish, and yet it pushes these characters who ultimately embarrass themselves and their party.
Rasmussen Florida 2010 Senatorial Survey
- Charlie Crist (R) 50%
- Corrine Brown (D) 29%
- Some other candidate 8%
- Not sure 13%
- Charlie Crist (R) 46%
- Kendrick Meek (D) 28%
- Some other candidate 12%
- Not sure 14%
How would you rate the job Charlie Crist has been doing as Governor?
- Strongly approve 15% (19%)
- Somewhat approve 45% (49%)
- Somewhat disapprove 20% (25%)
- Strongly disapprove 16% (7%)
How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President?
- Strongly approve 32% (35%)
- Somewhat approve 14% (18%)
- Somewhat disapprove 12% (13%)
- Strongly disapprove 38% (34%)
Favorable / Unfavorable [Net]
- Charlie Crist 57% / 36% [+21%]
- Kendrick Meek 37% / 36% [+1%]
- Corrine Brown 36% / 38% [-2%]
Survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted June 22. The margin of error is +/- 4.5 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted April 23 are in parentheses.
Inside the numbers:
Brown carries just over half of the Democratic vote (53%) in a match-up with Crist, while Meek carries 59% of Democrats in a two-man race. Once Democrats agree on a nominee, however, the level of Democratic support is sure to go up.
Crist now has the support of at least 70% of Republicans against either candidate.
1) Mitt Romney – Gov. Romney remains in the best position to win the GOP nomination in 2012. He continues to do everything right; good interviews, smart policy critiques of Obama without the red meat attacks, joining the he National Council for a New America, etc. He gave a wide ranging speech on national defense spending and budgets to the Heritage Foundation, the most convincing sign yet that Romney is all in for 2012. Until someone else emerges clicking on all cylinders, he will remain poised as the undisputed front-runner for 2012.
2) Sarah Palin - The tabloid stories seemed to have quieted down, as Palin’s fans welcomed news of the Governor’s book due out next year. Palin continues to weigh in on national issues, firing off press releases either countering the President’s policies or giving her own opinion on national events. She continues to compile an impressive email list and grassroots network that could make her a juggernaut in the early states. However, until she proves she can take the heat in interviews and debates without self-immolating, she will be on the outside looking in.
3) Mike Huckabee – Huck is staking out a solid anti-establishment position, attacking the GOP rebranding effort led by Rep. Eric Cantor. He had decided to endorse Marco Rubio over Charlie Crist, stoking his anti-establishment cred even further and setting himself up as the top populist in 2012. However, as long as Palin looks likely to run, Huck will likely end up on the losing end of a populist brawl with the former VP nominee.
4) Tim Pawlenty - Minnesota’s governor has the proven ability to win in the bluest of states (even Reagan never won Minnesota) with his blue-collar Republican message. I imagine T-Paw’s Sam’s Club populism could be quite effective in 2012 after years of bailouts and debt. He is also an evangelical, and could give Palin and Huckabee a run for the support of values voters. Governor Pawlenty could appeal to all sectors of the party in ways that the Big Three from 2008(Romney, Huckabee, Palin) have failed to do. Having decided against a third term bid, Pawlenty is now free to build a national organization and shape his message for a GOP primary. With the stumbles and affairs of Jindal, Palin, Ensign, and Sanford, Pawlenty has the chance to become the new face in leading a revival for the GOP.
Well, that’s the end of the guy I was leaning toward. I’ll have to rethink the available candidates now. Palin, Pawlenty and Romney look the most likely to get the coveted Hovic endorsement, but I’ll make them wait a bit.
A couple updates from the comments:
Haley Barbour has taken over the Republican Governors Association now that Sanford has resigned — presumably aiding his (slim, in my opinion) chances at the nomination. (h/t Kristofer)
National Review says that impeachment is likely. (h/t Tommy Boy)
Non-whites hold increasingly negative view of the GOP. Only 11% of Republican Party members are non-white.
And thus, it is imperative that we do everything we can, however faint, to try to halt this. Charlie Crist might be a shoo-in for the Senate, but I don’t particularly care, given that Rubio has a fairly strong chance of winning, himself. Crist’s apostasies are too much for me to swallow when there’s a viable alternative — a viable Hispanic alternative.
Damn right, his race is the key factor for me. Affirmative action in politics is a necessary evil: non-whites like to see non-whites in politics. They think that they’re “represented” better. They’re not, but we work with the world we have, not with the world we’d like to have. And the more Marco Rubios and Michael Williamses we have, the better. We need non-pasty faces touting low taxes, reduced spending, individual liberty, and a robust approach to tackling terrorism.
Additionally, Crist’s apostasies make me uncomfortable: his touting of the stimulus package was unconscionable, and his flip-flopping on energy and environmental matters makes me nervous. These are not small issues: this reveals an entire mindset that is, all things relative in the GOP, hostile towards the free market. Normally, I’m OK with that, you know? It’s good to have moderates in the party to expand the tent. But this isn’t Vermont. This isn’t Maine. This isn’t even Pennsylvania. This is Florida: a state that’s redder than the national average, a state that George Bush won fairly comfortably in 2004, a state where we’re fighting to replace a Republican senator.
There will always be moderates. Only so many viable non-white candidates come along for us. Sorry, Charlie. You’re probably still a shoo-in, but it won’t be in any part, however small, thanks to me.
“Stop Rushing into another government takeover”
————————-
Dear Friend, 
Thanks to the generous support of grassroots Republicans nationwide, the RNC has exceeded our goal of raising over $100,000 to help counter ABC’s upcoming one-sided infomercial for government-run health care. Though the television network has denied requests to air ads counter to President Obama’s government-run health care “reform” plans, they can’t keep us off the air. We are using the grassroots donations we received to spread our message against the one-sided, big government mantra being pushed by the Obama Democrats here in Washington — watch it now! Friend, we’ve made a good start, but we’re still up against the biased mainstream media machine’s effort to help President Obama and the Pelosi-Reid Democrats in Congress end individual health care choice and use your tax dollars to treat only the patients they deem deserving.
That’s why I’m again asking you to support our continuing efforts to get our message past the mainstream media filter. If we don’t stop the Obama Democrats’ disastrous health care takeover now, we’ll all be facing the end of health care choice and endlessly rising taxation very soon. Don’t let that happen — help Americans keep their health care freedom. Make your contribution to the RNC today! Sincerely,
 Michael Steele Chairman, Republican National Committee _____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
|
1. Asians score higher than whites do on standardized tests. This testifies to one of two things: Asians are either harder-working than whites are, on average — or Asians are inherently more intelligent, on average, than whites. Right?
Most people seem to have no problem saying that.
OK, so are whites harder-working (or inherently more intelligent) than blacks?
2. It’s true that blacks are better at basketball than whites are, on average, correct?
Nobody seems to dispute that blacks excel at basketball.
Is there something that anyone can name that whites are better than blacks at?
Anyone?
3. Almost all interracial rape in this country comes about from blacks raping whites.
Is there a cultural problem specifically in the black community that needs addressed?
4. Nearly 70% of black babies are born out of wedlock. Homosexuality is practically taboo within black culture. And yet, black media glorifies the ‘pimp’ and ‘street’ culture. Is there some sort of cultural problem pertaining to sex within the black community?
—
Phew! Too uncomfortable. Better just pretend these questions aren’t worth discussing.
Disclaimer: Andrew Halcro is a media starved politician in Alaska, who manages a car rental dealership. He ran as an independent against Palin in the 2006 gubernatorial election. The defeat he sustained from Palin was the worst of his political career. David A. Patten may be getting ahead of himself with this story.
Via Newsmax:
Beltway tongues are starting to wag that Sarah Palin is likely to opt out of a 2010 bid for re-election as Alaska’s governor, in order to free herself for a presumed run on the national GOP ticket in 2012.
“There is nothing that she has done that leads me to believe she will seek reelection,” a prominent former GOP state legislator, Andrew Halcro, told Politico’s Andy Barr. “If you’re Palin, once you’ve flown first class, you don’t go back to coach. She’s been to the show and certainly seemed to like it there,” he adds.
Politico also quotes a DC-based Democratic strategist who concludes, “We don’t think she’s running.”
If Palin does bow out, it would free up her time to organize a broader campaign for national office. In so doing, she would appear to be following the course set by conservative GOP Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a frequently touted presidential hopeful.
According to the Alaska Public Offices Commission, no candidate, including Palin, has yet to file the paperwork to toss their hat in the political ring for the Alaska governorship.
Politico quotes a former Palin staff member who estimates there’s a 50-50 chance Palin will shoot for another term as governor.
“If Sarah Palin has proven anything in her career, it’s that she is full of surprises,” the source says.
Palin has consistently deflected media inquiries into her future political plans.
Political pundits expect Palin will wait as long as possible – probably until next spring — to announce her intentions.
Palin is considered popular in Alaska, but her opponents frequently slam her as more interested in national office than in running Alaska. Over a dozen ethics complaints have been lodged against her, and to date each has been dismissed as groundless.
The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that a fundraiser for Palin’s legal defense fund netted $100,000 early this week – another sign of her enduring popularity with supporters
Update on the Webathon: The grassroots group, Conservatives4Palin have now raised $122,460 to retire Governor Palin’s legal debt.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
The latest work by Barry Casselman entitled, “Ptarmigan Pie: Elites in the Western World“, definitely falls into that category. Please follow this link and read the whole thing.
Gillibrand Raises Off The Specter Of Pataki
At the annual state Republican Party dinner in April, keynote speaker Newt Gingrich said he felt Pataki (and Rudy Giuliani) had an obligation to run next fall. Pataki said it would likely be “months” before he made a decision about whether to get into the race.
Democrats Size Up Louisiana Senate race Against David Vitter
Even if polls show Vitter, recovering from his sex scandal, having electability problems, a Democrat running for the Senate in the South in 2010 would have his own. Vitter has emerged as the principled opponent of nearly every Obama administration policy so far. He would try to tie Melancon to national Democrats’ quest for a filibuster-proof 60-seat Senate majority.
John Kasich closes gap in Ohio governor race
Former Rep. John Kasich (R-Ohio) trails Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, by just 2 percentage points in a 2010 general election matchup, according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling.
GOPers Eyeing the Governor’s Mansion (MN)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s announcement earlier this month that he will not seek a third term has unleashed a political gold rush among Republican politicians in the state. Minnesota’s current political landscape includes an eye-popping 18 declared and possible gubernatorial contenders. With the list of Democratic contenders also reaching well into double digits, it promises to be one of the most wide-open gubernatorial campaigns in decades.
Lungren Endorses Meg Whitman
“Meg Whitman possesses both the leadership experience and innovative spirit needed to lead California back to prosperity,” Lungren said. “Her strong values and her vision for creating jobs and curing our state’s out-of-control spending give me great confidence in her ability to fix our broken state government and grow our party.”
Ex-Rep. Hunter Touts Iraq War Vets To Revive GOP
Duncan Hunter, a retired Republican who once chaired the Armed Services Committee, has decided that Iraq War veterans are the perfect candidates to revive the Republican Party in 2010.
Thune Proposal on the Right Track
Sen. John Thune has introduced the Government Ownership Exit Plan Act. The act would prohibit government purchases of private firms through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and require the government end its ownership of private businesses (TARP-related) by July 2010.
Climate Bill to Cost Average Consumer $175 a Year: CBO
Climate-change legislation would cost the average household $175 a year by 2020, according to the Congressional Budget Office, far below the figure commonly used by GOP critics of the House bill.
The role of the secessionist movement in the 2010 Texas governor’s race
Governor Rick Perry has locked himself into an ideological battle against Washington over the 10th Amendment (pertaining to federalism and the states’ rights). During the recently concluded 81st legislature in Texas, Rick Perry and many conservative legislators were resistant to terms of stimulus funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Perry and others stood in opposition to the federal government on the basis that they shouldn’t tell Texas how it can spend that money in its own state.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
Marco Rubio For Senate
When someone stands on principles throughout their career in politics, its an easy choice to endorse their candidacy for Senate. Today, I am excited to formally announce my endorsement of Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate.Marco believes in smaller government. He is a firm supporter of life. As the former Florida Speaker he was incredibly effective at bringing new ideas to the table and working to see them passed into law. He is a family man, loyal, compassionate and someone I am proud to call a friend.
I encourage you to watch my video endorsement on my blog here and then share it with friends, family and co-workers by email, Twitter and on Facebook. After you do, please consider making an immediate contribution to Marco’s campaign for Senate at www.MarcoRubio.com.
Last night, his opponent was raising money in Washington, DC. I am told he may have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today, I am hoping that Marco will receive the financial support of tens of thousands of Americans; the sort who make one political contribution a year, to the candidate they believe in with their hearts not just their heads. Because I firmly believe it is these contributions that will make the difference in this race, not the money raised from lobbyists who make a new political contribution each week, betting the “smart money.”
So please watch my endorsement video today and then consider making a contribution directly to Marco’s campaign for Senate.
Standing with Marco,
Mike Huckabee
Rubio and Mike have had a history long before this endorsement, with Rubio being a major supporter in the 2008 primaries of Huckabee’s Campaign. Good luck Marco!
Rasmussen Israel/Palestinian Survey
In terms of Middle Eastern policy, is Barack Obama too supportive of Israel, not supportive enough of Israel, or are his policies about right?
- Too supportive of Israel 10%
- Not supportive enough of Israel 35%
- His policies are about right 48%
As part of a Middle Eastern peace agreement, should Palestinian leaders be required to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state?
- Yes 81%
- No 7%
As part of a Middle Eastern peace agreement, should Israel be required to accept the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes 57%
- No 20%
How likely is it that Palestinian leaders will acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state?
- Likely 27%
- Not Likely 60%
How likely is it that Israel will accept the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Likely 43%
- Not Likely 46%
Survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted June 21-22. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
Inside the numbers:
Sixty-three percent (63%) of Republicans say Obama is not being supportive enough of Israel, but 78% of Democrats say his policy is about right. Unaffiliated voters are much more closely divided between those two positions.
Republicans are far more skeptical than Democrats that Palestinian leaders will recognize Israel’s right to exist. Voters not affiliated with either party share that skepticism.
Rasmussen Reports Hatred in America Survey
A Doctor who performs late term abortions, a soldier at a recruiting station, and a guard at Washington’s Holocaust Museum were recently murdered. Are these isolated incidents or a sign that hate is growing in America?
- Isolated incidents 35%
- A sign that hate is growing in America 50%
Does extreme political rhetoric on Radio, Television, and the Web lead to increased hatred in America?
- Yes 44%
- No 37%
Survey of 1,000 adults was conducted June 16-17. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
Inside the numbers:
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of women see the incidents as a sign that hatred is increasing in this country, while men are more closely divided on the question. Married Americans are similarly divided, but adults who are not married by a 61% to 25% margin think hate is growing.
Again, while 50% of women blame extreme media rhetoric for increasing hatred, men by five points disagree.
Since much of the criticism after the shooting incidents was directed at conservative talk radio and television, it’s not surprising that 52% of Democrats blame radio, TV and Internet rhetoric for increased hatred, while a plurality of Republicans (44%) feel the opposite way. Adults not affiliated with either party are almost evenly divided on the question.
Washington Post/ABC News Political Survey
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?
- Strongly approve 36% (42%)
- Somewhat approve 29% (27%)
- Somewhat disapprove 10% (8%)
- Strongly disapprove 22% (18%)
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling:
The economy
- Strongly approve 28% (31%)
- Somewhat approve 28% (28%)
- Somewhat disapprove 13% (13%)
- Strongly disapprove 27% (25%)
Health care
- Strongly approve 27%
- Somewhat approve 26%
- Somewhat disapprove 10%
- Strongly disapprove 29%
The federal budget deficit
- Strongly approve 22%
- Somewhat approve 26%
- Somewhat disapprove 13%
- Strongly disapprove 35%
Global warming
- Approve 54% (61%)
- Disapprove 28% (23%)
The situation involving the big U.S. automakers
- Approve 45% (41%)
- Disapprove 50% (53%)
International affairs
- Approve 61% (67%)
- Disapprove 32% (27%)
The threat of terrorism
- Approve 57%
- Disapprove 36%
The situation with Iran
- Approve 52%
- Disapprove 36%
So far, do you think the economic stimulus program has helped the national economy, hurt the national economy, or hasn’t made much difference? Is that a great deal or somewhat?
- Helped a great deal 8% (10%)
- Helped somewhat 20% (23%)
- Hurt somewhat 6% (6%)
- Hurt a great deal 13% (10%)
- Hasn’t made much difference 52% (49%)
Do you think the economic stimulus program has helped/will help the national economy, or not?
- Yes 52% (59%)
- No 46% (38%)
Generally speaking, would you say you favor smaller government with fewer services, or larger government with more services?
- Smaller government with fewer services 54%
- Larger government with more services 41%
Which of these statements comes closer to your view: Beneath it all, Obama is an old-style, tax-and-spend Democrat or Obama is a new-style Democrat who will be careful with the public’s money.
- Old style 36%
- New style 58%
How concerned, if at all, are you about the size of the federal budget deficit?
- Very concerned 56% (59%)
- Somewhat concerned 31% (27%)
- Not too concerned 9% (9%)
- Not concerned at all 4% (4%)
Do you think Obama’s policies are making the United States safer from terrorism, less safe, or are they not making much difference in that?
- Safer 32% (32%)
- Less safe 22% (21%)
- Not much difference 44% (43%)
Obama has said that under his administration the United States will not use torture as part of the U.S. campaign against terrorism, no matter what the circumstance. Do you support this position not to use torture, or do you think there are cases in which the United States should consider torture against terrorism suspects?
- Support not using torture 50% (49%)
- There are cases to consider torture 46% (48%)
Do you approve or disapprove of Obama’s decision to close the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, early next year?
- Approve 45%
- Disapprove 50%
Would you approve or disapprove of closing the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay if it meant some of the terrorism suspects now held there were transferred to face trial in your state?
- Approve 37%
- Disapprove 59%
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has spoken on the issue of religion and society. He said in speaking to a Christian audience that their first duty as Americans is to reach out to those who are not saved and that we must recognize that the beginning of wisdom and virtue is subordination to God and that we need a third great awakening in this nation.
To this I say, “Amen and amen.” Notice that Speaker Gingrich did not say that government ought to force anyone to come to Faith. Indeed, were it possible to put the government in charge of converting people to Christianity, I would strongly oppose. Given government’s incompetence at everything else, we’d end up with a nation of Hindus.
But the hope of America lies beyond politics. Government can do very few things that will help our nation and mostly makes problems worse. Our nation is in trouble, facing cultural and moral crisises which will bring us to the ground.
If you think the number of illegitimate births and children growing up without fathers can spiral out of control with no consequences, you are wrong.
If you think American continue to kill a million unborn children every year with impunity, you are wrong.
The break up of the family, the decline of culture, the loss of ethical standards, and the decline of serious thinking in this country are issues that threaten our nation’s survival. Because, as our cultural foundations weaken, our economic strength also weakens, government grows stronger at control our lives but weaker in being able to defend us because we now have a strong portion of politician that believes the Messiah comes riding in from Washington, DC to solve all of their life’s problems.
Cultural rot will destroy our civilization long before Al Qaeda gets the chance and there’s no 3-point government program that can stop it. Robert Bork in his 1990s classic, “Slouching Towards Gomorrah” wrote that America needed a spiritual revival. Mr. Bork was at the time an agnostic who while rightly believing in a spiritual revival was determined that it could go forward without him. While he later converted to Catholicism, the point remains that with no particular religious ax to grind, he recognized the necessity of spiritual revival.
This went along with the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. Benjamin Franklin said at the Constitutional Convention:
I have lived . . . a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice [Mt. 10:29] is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it’ [Ps. 127:1]. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.
George Washington took time in his farewell address to state:
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
Washington even went so far as to question the patriotism of those who would seek to undermine the role of faith in society.
These pillars have been undermined and upon them rests the future of the nation far more than the next election. The minority of Americans who don’t believe in God and despise religion certainly are welcome in the Republican Party. There’s no religious tests, but if you ask that we somehow pretend that America’s most deadly serious culture problems will be solved when we replace Democrats with Republican, or that these cultural problems which will destroy our nation don’t exist, I must respectfully ask you to pound sand.
For those of you who don’t remember, Speaker Gingrich was very pragmatic on social issues during his days as Speaker. I remember seeing him on CNN lecturing religious conservatives about pragmatism and the need to go along with every viewpoint. I think Gingrich has realized the hollowness of it. Whatever one can say of pragmatism, it is but a pyrrhic victory if you lose the country in your attempts to timidly win elections.
Hope remains outside of politics. The first Great Awakening gave us the strength to face the Revolution, the second to face the Civil War, and a third may save our civilization from the self-destructive course it’s on. And it is that which is the hope of our country, and I will not surrender that hope for the sake of any group or any party.
Nor was Sanford
The only thing “missing” is the credibility of the leftist myth that we can’t function as a people without Big Brother government monitoring our every move 24/7 365.
Hence, the Drive-by media’s breathless non-story, aided and abetted by Democrats and big government Republican political opponents, to try and discredit him as “missing” for four days even though the press “reports” that he was missing, included the following:
His communications director, Joel Sawyer, wouldn’t disclose Sanford’s location but said that before the governor left town last week “he let staff know his whereabouts and that he’d be difficult to reach.”
Never thought Foghorn Leghorn would have to translate the word spelled m*i*s*s*i*n*g, but here goes:
I am in my personal residence.There are no witnesses here, but I did tell my paralegal I was going home when last I saw him at 1400 hours.
Feels better knowing that I will not be considered missing and hence, presumed “crazy” since Jonathan Martin can confirm my whereabouts.
Seems like everybody’s sore at S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford these days.
And for good reason – he talks like a crazy man.
Sanford says he doesn’t want to pour money on a fire.
Which is crazy talk. After all, it’s free money. Straight from Washington.
As part of the recovery plan, federal stimuluteers earmarked $700 million for S.C. education. Sanford balked.
Sanford says things like, when you’re in a hole, stop digging.
Which is crazy talk. After all, who cares how deep it gets?
Mark Washburn of The Charlotte Observer gets who is really crazy, as he continues:
But he said more than 10 percent of S.C. taxpayer money goes to debt service. If he took the $700 million, he said, he’d rather spend it on paying down the principal.
Sanford says things like, we ought to put some hay in the barn like farmers do, knowing winter is coming.
Which is crazy talk. After all, winter is far away. And the problem is here now.
Washington, wise in its ways, said take the money. But give it to schools, now.
But he argued that taking the money would just cause more problems. South Carolina would spend the cash over the next two years, then be left with a huge hole in its budget when the windfall ran out.
Sanford says things like, I don’t want to just kick the can down the road for someone else to deal with.
Which is crazy talk. After all, he’d be out of office by then.
Folks went to court and got an order telling him to take the money. After all, they said, we must think of the children. We must pay for education.
Sanford says things like, it will be those children who will pay the money back.
Which is crazy talk. After all, we’ve been sticking our kids with the bill for years. That’s how it works.
Sanford was one of those politicians who said when he was running that he’d be an agent for effective but efficient government. He said he’d make the hard decisions when they came along. He said he’d do the right thing, even if it was unpopular.
Which, as it turns out, isn’t crazy talk.
Which, as it turns out, is exactly what he did.
So, hop in governor. Traffic is pretty light on that road you want to go down. And even though there’s plenty of room in the car, I happen to like where you’re headed.
Gamecock likes where Sanford is headed, too.
Call me crazy, but it seems that what the fears that Sanford could lead a movement that would a lot of big government nanny-state jobs missing from future budgets.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer, Examiner.com and Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Originally published @ Examiner.com, where all verification links may be accessed.
…and he didn’t make an embarrassing mistake, this time.
Huckabee also repeated his comments at an event in Kentucky.
AP:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says the U.S. should respond more strongly in support of political protesters in Iran.
Huckabee told a gathering of Southern Baptist pastors in Louisville, Ky., that the U.S. should push for an investigation of the disputed election in Iran and push to allow media outlets into Iran to report on the unrest.
The ordained Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor says God is hearing the protesters’ voices. He said, “God help us if we do not hear their voices” and stand with them.
After his speech, Huckabee grabbed a guitar and performed a hymn with a band on stage.
The pastors are gathering ahead of a Baptist convention that begins Tuesday.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
From RealClearPolitics:
Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) has invited fellow Senate candidate Gov. Charlie Crist (R) to a series of debates over the next 14 months. In a letter sent to Crist this morning, Rubio admits that he’ll likely face a steep fundraising disadvantage and “have to work twice as hard as you to remain competitive.”
Rubio wants at least 10 debates, with one in each of Florida’s media markets. The televised debates will help Rubio pick up some free media exposure, which he’ll need with Crist surely to blanket the airwaves with ads.
“While we are opponents for the same office, I am also confident we can maintain a cordial and respectful debate that will help our campaigns rise above the typical 30-second commercials, slick slogans and bumper stickers that define too many of our country’s political contests,” Rubio writes.
Rubio and Crist will officially face off August 24, 2010, when Florida primary voters head to the polls.
Here’s to hoping Good Time Charlie accepts. Unfortunately for Rubio, Charlie probably laughed at the suggestion of “at least 10 debates”.
This is the best political compass test I’ve come across on the Internet. It’s the OKCupid Politics Test.
My score? Capitalist.
It’s very specific and very accurate. I love it.
PS — The worst one is the Political Compass. It’s slanted by anti-corporate, anti-globalization nonsense and lots of irrelevant armchair psychology.
This e-mail from Newt just hit my inbox:
Dear Aron,
Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants the U.S. House to vote at the end of this week on the Waxman-Markey National Energy Tax (House Bill 2454) and we need to defeat it.
With gas prices climbing, the last thing we need is a new energy tax that will drive them even higher, nearly double the cost of electricity, and destroy millions of jobs every year for the next 25 years.
Right now, Al Gore and all the anti-energy interest groups are buying television ads and mobilizing their activists to pressure members of Congress to support this job-killing bill.
We must act now. To fight back, we created this TV ad, and we need your help to get it on the air.
To get it on the air, we need to raise $150,000 in the next twenty-four hours.
Can you make a secure donation right now for $15, $25 or whatever you can afford?
With over 110,000 people signing our “Stop the Energy Tax” petition, we’ve already made a big impact towards defeating this massive energy tax–but it’s time to take it to the next level.
With the vote just days away, your urgent contribution of $15, $25 or more will be directly used to put this ad on television and to keep the pressure on Congress.
Here’s the link to contribute:
http://www.americansolutions.com/contribute/index.php?id=70180000000JMYv§ion=energytaxad
Thank you for your generous support.
Your friend,
Newt Gingrich
General Chairman
American Solutions for Winning the FutureP.S. With your generous support, we’re also planning to place newspaper ads, radio promotions, and internet ads in key swing congressional districts to fight back against politicians who would punish the American people with higher energy taxes.
Libertarian Purity Test
Take the test and let us know how well you did. The questions focus on civil law, regulation, economics and foreign policy.
—
0 points: You are not a libertarian by any stretch of the imagination.
1-5 points:You have a few libertarian notions, but overall you’re a statist.
6-15 points: You are starting to have libertarian leanings. Explore them.
16-30 points: You are a soft-core libertarian. With effort, you may harden and become pure.
31-50 points: Your libertarian credentials are obvious.
51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so.
91-130 points: You have entered the heady realm of hard-core libertarianism.
131-159 points: You are nearly a perfect libertarian, with a tiny number of blind spots.
160 points: Perfect!
—-
Update: I am a Minarchist (91-130 points), usually classified as a hard-core libertarian. My deviations are mostly with foreign policy, where I am more in line with neoconservatives. Most Paulites would score in the 131-159 range, which I classify as borderline anarchist.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
As seen through the recent tea party campaign successes, there are a growing number of Americans disillusioned and frightened by the expansion of the size and power of our Federal government. The Obama administration is fast-tracking legislation which would restrict many personal liberties, including the right to smoke on private property, restricting access to firearms and ammunition and expanding mandates on education, health care and infrastructure spending.
The move to expand Federal powers began prior to the Obama administration. Over the last several years, the Federal government has created new and expanded existing entitlement programs and has purposely infringed on the jurisdictional rights of States and Municipalities. Successive White House administrations have used agencies such as the EPA, HHS and the Treasury to blackmail lower level governments into accepting new spending mandates and government regulations. The dissatisfaction of millions of voters seen through the tea party rallies is not a recent phenomenon. The anti-Fed resentment has been slowly growing in the last several years and in 2009 it took a few brave State-level politicians and grassroots organizers to bring this to the attention of the large media outlets and Congressional leadership.
Absent from the recent tea party rallies were the Congressional Republican leadership. Although most have legislatively opposed President Obama’s massive expansion of the Federal government, very few have engaged the grassroots by attending rallies and reaching out to movement leaders. This should be no surprise as many contributed to the growth in our federal government when the Republican Party controlled the strings of power in Washington. Long before the team parties emerged as a political voice in America, Sarah Palin battled the Federal government’s infringement on States rights.
After two years of arguing with the Interior Department (she began the opposition the day after her inauguration), Governor Sarah Palin filed suit against the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Palin not only criticized the Bush administration for using unproven scientific techniques and for capitulating to the environmental lobby, but she scolded the Federal government for disregarding the rights of Alaskan’s by threatening future domestic oil supply and risking the economic security of future generations.
In 2009, Palin continued her defense of States rights, by battling the Obama administration over the draconian spending mandates imposed on States through the stimulus legislation and by filing suit against the federal government for listing beluga whales as an endangered species in Cook Inlet.
Whether it is the 2nd amendment, local control over energy resources, building codes, education standards and formulas, environmental legislation or spending and taxation, Sarah Palin is and always will be the original tea party champion. She has not wavered from her federalist values and her belief in the founding principles of the constitutional relationship between States and the Federal government. Palin believes the relationship must be equal, yet limited in scope.
I continue to have faith that a majority of Americans support Governor Palin’s view of the role of our Federal government, not President Obama’s:
“...when you consider that the federal government is about eleven trillion dollars in debt, and we’re borrowing more to spend more.. it defies any sensible economic policy that any of us ever learned through college. It defies economy practices and principles that tell ya ‘you gotta quit digging that hole when you are in that financial hole…” – Sarah Palin
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
Siena College 2010 New York Gubernatorial Survey
- Rudy Giuliani 57% (59%)
- David Paterson 27% (31%)
Among Democrats
- Rudy Giuliani 44% (47%)
- David Paterson 43% (45%)
Among Independents
- Rudy Giuliani 60% (57%)
- David Paterson 18% (28%)
- Andrew Cuomo 49% (53%)
- Rudy Giuliani 40% (41%)
Among Independents
- Rudy Giuliani 52% (41%)
- Andrew Cuomo 38% (51%)
Among Men
- Rudy Giuliani 47% (43%)
- Andrew Cuomo 42% (52%)
Among Women
- Andrew Cuomo 54% (53%)
- Rudy Giuliani 35% (40%)
Among Whites
- Rudy Giuliani 47% (46%)
- Andrew Cuomo 43% (49%)
Favorable / Unfavorable [Net]
- Andrew Cuomo 71% (66%) / 17% (20%) [+54%]
- Rudy Giuliani 62% (61%) / 33% (35%) [+29%]
- David Paterson 31% (27%) / 57% (60%) [-26%]
Rasmussen Economic Blame Game Survey
Some people say the nation’s current economic problems are due to the recession which began under the Bush Administration. Others say the problems are being caused more by the policies President Obama has put in place since taking office. Which point of view comes closest to your own?
- Economic problems are due to the recession which began under the Bush administration 54% (62%)
- Economic problems are caused more by the policies of President Obama 39% (27%)
Whose judgment do you trust more when it comes to economic issues affecting the nation – yourself or President Obama?
- Yourself 60%
- President Obama 30%
Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted June 17-18. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted May 28-29 are in parentheses.
Inside the numbers:
Sixty percent (60%) of voters now trust their own economic judgment more than the president’s. In early February, 49% had more trust in themselves while 39% trusted the president more.
Younger voters are more likely than their elders to blame the current economic situation on the recession that began under Bush. The majority of middle income voters place more of the blame on Obama’s policies.
Eighty-two percent (82%) of Democrats see the economic problems as ones largely inherited from the previous administration, while 61% of GOP voters point the finger at the actions of the new president. Unaffiliated voters are almost evenly divided on the question.
Men are more likely than women to trust themselves rather than the president when it comes to the economy. Middle-income voters have more confidence in themselves than those who earn more and less.
The partisan split is predictable. Republicans trust themselves more than Obama by a whopping 75% to 19% margin. The findings for voters not affiliated with either major party are virtually identical. But Democrats are much more closely divided, with nearly half trusting the president more.
UPDATE:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 33% of the nation’s voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-four percent (34%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -1. Today is the second straight day the President’s rating has been below zero.
Among those who are politically liberal, 64% Strongly Approve. So do 40% of moderates. However 61% of conservatives Strongly Disapprove.
