CRUEL KEV'S SCUTTELBUTT

2012-05-23T19:57:00.001-05:00

Iowa’s GOP Platform Endorses Birtherism

2012-05-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

The state’s GOP released its platform on Monday, and the document is full of some of the most far-reaching, Tea Party-inspired policy proposals ever introduced into mainstream politics, including a call to investigate the citizenship of any presidential candidate. Here is a round up of the top five most notably far-right ideas from the document:

1. BIRTHERISM: Under the section entitled ‘Elections,’ the Iowa GOP uses non-specific language to hint at the idea that President Obama was not born in the United States. The section reads:

We insist that a candidate prove that he or she meets all requirements for that office prior to being placed in nomination, including proof of United States citizenship.

2. GETTING RID OF GOVERNMENT: The platform proposes the elimination of 16 federal departments and agencies — despite the fact that throughout the rest of the document they call on these particular agencies to enact or repeal certain policies:
We support the elimination of the departments of Agriculture, Education, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Energy, Interior, Labor, and Commerce as well as TSA, FDA, ATF, EPA, National Endowment for the Arts, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
3. INVESTIGATING ACORN: The Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN) came up a lot during the 2008 election, because it was a ‘radical‘ group that ran voter turnout for President Obama. Critics — and apparently the Iowa GOP — believe that Obama ‘stole’ the election using ACORN. Despite the fact that ACORN no longer exists, the Iowa platform calls for an investigation:

We call for a full investigation of the organization formerly known as ACORN and its allied organizations, call for full prosecution of those involved in any illegalities discovered, and call for elimination of government funding of such organizations.

4. AGENDA 21: While most think of Agenda 21 as a global sustainable development campaign, there is a long-running conspiracy theory that the UN effort is actually a plan for world-dominating government entity. The Iowa GOP has included this theory as well:

We demand that the term “sustainable development” be defined, vetted, and controlled by county and state agricultural agencies whose private property it impacts rather than the UN, other international or Agenda 21 agencies, or any federal organization.

5. NULLIFICATION: The platform takes the stance of ‘nullification’– that any state, under the 10th amendment, can choose to side-step federal law because they deem it unconstitutional. The platform also takes the stance that they can ignore Supreme Court rulings under the 10th amendment:

We support constitutional state sovereignty including nullification of federal oversteps. We disagree with Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton as “settled law.” Under the Tenth amendment, these Supreme Court decisions have no authority over the states.

2012-05-20T20:29:00.002-05:00

N.C. Teacher Tells Student He Could Be Arrested for Talking Badly About Obama

2012-05-20T20:17:00.001-05:00

Tax Cut Rally Draws Hundreds To Capitol In The Cold Rain

2012-04-28T18:33:00.000-05:00

A few hundred hardy fiscal conservatives braved a cold, wind-driven rain to hear former presidential candidate Herman Cain and more than a dozen other speakers rip state and federal taxes and spending during the annual Tax Cut Rally on the state Capitol mall on Saturday, April 28. For more than three hours, they cheered as speaker after speaker drove home the same message: cut spending and stop raising taxes. Cain, the folksy former Georgia restaurant executive, praised the drenched crowd for turning out despite the elements. "You are here because you are the real patriots that's going to take back this country," he said. It was a relatively small crowd for the 14th annual anti-tax rally. Previous gatherings have attracted thousands. But given the bad weather, the turnout was "amazing," said Phil Krinkie, president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, which co-sponsored the event with Americans for Prosperity Minnesota. "There are a lot of crazy Minnesotans that are ready to endure anything and everything to come out here and have their voices heard," Krinkie said. Before dropping out of the presidential race in December, Cain captured conservatives' attention with his "9-9-9 plan" to scrap the federal tax code and replace it with 9 percent taxes on individuals, businesses and sales. He reiterated that theme Saturday. "We don't want to hear about reforming the tax code. We want to hear about replacing the tax code," he told the cheering crowd.

Without mentioning Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, he told the disappointed conservatives who backed other candidates to "keep your eye on the mission. The mission is to defeat Barack Obama in November." The rally also was a showcase for three candidates seeking the Republican endorsement to challenge U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar this fall. Afghanistan war veteran Pete Hegseth of Stillwater told the crowd he would lead a charge to bring down the national debt. "It's not time to decrease the increases in spending. It is time to make cuts," he said. "We are heading off of a fiscal cliff, and we have to turn that around. That's why we're here. That's why I'm running." State Rep. Kurt Bills, a Rosemount High School economics teacher, also condemned the spiraling national debt and pledged to fight for free enterprise and the private sector. "I hope you can get behind me and bring Economics 101 to Washington this coming November," he said. Sounding the same theme as Cain, former state Rep. Dan Severson of Sauk Rapids told the crowd, "We need a new tax system." He advocated replacing the federal income tax with a national sales tax called the "fair tax." Severson also said he has signed a pledge to vote against any tax increases, and he challenged his two rivals to do the same.

"If I Wanted America To Fail"

2012-04-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

NJ Administrative Law Judge Says Obama Need Not Prove Eligibility

2012-04-14T19:19:00.005-05:00

In the latest Obama eligibility challenge, an Administrative Law Judge cleared Obama for the New Jersey Democratic Primary. The two men who objected to Obama's nominating petition vowed to appeal. Nick Purpura of Wall Township, Monmouth Co., and Ted Moran of Toms River, Ocean Co., filed their objection Thursday with the New Jersey Board of Elections. Lawyer Mario Apuzzo of Jamesberg, delivered the brief and spoke directly to Robert Giles, Director of Elections. Apuzzo argued Purpura and Moran's case yesterday (Tuesday, April 10) at the Office of Administrative Law in Mercerville. The Elections Division notified the Obama campaign at once, and they sent their own lawyer, Alexandra Hill, to appear. Administrative Law Judge (and Associate Director of the OAL) Jeff S. Masin presided. Purpura and Moran objected to Obama appearing on the June 5 Democratic Primary ballot on two grounds: No one knows exactly who Barack H. Obama is, because he has had three different names in life. Furthermore, he has never furnished a true copy of his birth certificate to the Secretary of State. So no one can be sure that Obama was born in the United States. Obama's father was a British colonial subject. He not only was not a naturalized citizen on the alleged date of Obama's birth, but indeed never sought naturalization. Therefore Obama could never be a natural-born citizen no matter where he was born. Ms. Hill offered no evidence, but spent her time objecting to the entire case, to every witness whom Apuzzo called, and every document he tried to introduce. In every specific case, she said that the documents were neither originals nor certified copies. More generally, she said repeatedly that New Jersey law did not obligate Obama in any way to prove that he was eligible to the office of President. The only grounds for challenging a nominating petition, said Hill, were whether the petitions were in the proper form, all who signed were registered voters, no voter signed more than one petition, whether the campaign gathered enough signatures, etc. Apuzzo countered that the New Jersey Constitution and at least one case on point (Strother, 6 NJ @ 565), obliged the Secretary of State to find affirmatively whether a given candidate was qualified for the office he or she sought, or not.A surprise admission

About two-thirds of the way through the hearing, Hill admitted in open court something that no lawyer for the Obama campaign has ever admitted. Obama never furnished a true copy of his birth certificate to the New Jersey Secretary of State. Furthermore, the PDF file that the White House has served to the Internet since April 27, 2012, is not relevant to the case in any way. Hill conceded this point after Apuzzo tried to call Brian Wilcox, an expert document analyst. He was ready to show that no one could rely on the PDF file as a substitute for a hard-copy long-form birth certificate. But Judge Masin said at once that neither he nor Secretary of State Kim Guadagno had ever seen a birth certificate, whether on paper, as a PDF file, or on the Internet. He told Apuzzo that calling Wilcox would be "premature." Then Masin turned to Hill and asked her directly: Is it your legal position that the document on the Internet is irrelevant to this case? Hill replied, "Yes." Masin then asked: And indeed you concede that Mr. Obama has not produced an alleged birth certificate to the Secretary of State. Hill at first said, "It has been released nationally," but then admitted that she did not know personally that Obama had given any such document to the Secretary of State, nor did she intend giving such a document to the court today. But she also argued, after Judge Masin asked her repeatedly, that Obama need not produce any evidence at all. Apuzzo told this Examiner during a recess in the hearing that this was the most stunning thing that any lawyer for Obama had ever admitted, in an Obama eligibility case or in any other case. When the hearing finally adjourned at 12:30 p.m., Apuzzo was confident of prevailing on this point. He observed that Hill, after objecting to everything that Apuzzo tried to introduce into evidence, offered no evidence on her own behalf and even admitted that the infamous PDF document was legally worthless.A shocking turnabout

But the judge shocked Apuzzo when, at 6:26 p.m., Apuzzo opened his e-mail to find a message from Masin saying that the Obama campaign had prevailed on both points. Said the judge, in so many words: As far as I'm concerned, Obama was born in Hawaii. In fact, the initial decision says that Barack Obama had not failed in any obligation to prove to theSecretary of State that he is qualified to hold the Presidency and that he is a “naturalborn Citizen” of the United States of America, as required by the United StatesConstitution. Apuzzo could not explain how Judge Masin could rule that way, after observing in open court that neither Obama nor his surrogates had shown that he was born in Hawaii. Within two hours, according to a deadline that Masin gave him, Apuzzo filed an exception to Masin's ruling. Apuzzo took exception to the following: Judge Masin ruled that Obama was born in Hawaii with no evidence on record, after acknowledging that fact during the hearing. Judge Masin ruled that Obama need not comply with statute to show that he is eligible, solely because he need not "consent" to someone circulating a nominating petition for him. The judge suggested that Obama might have to show eligibility later. He laid no basis for such a ruling. The judge misread the precedents and gave short shrift to the historical evidence that the Framers of the Constitution defined "natural-born citizen" as one born in-country to two citizen parents. Apuzzo devoted half of his 30-page exception to this analysis alone. Apuzzo plans to appeal directly to the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court. He earlier told this Examiner that he was ready to argue before the State and even United States Supreme Courts if he had to.

Iranian-Backed Terror Groups Expanding Reach In South America, Warns General

2012-04-07T09:41:00.002-05:00

Iranian-backed terror groups are strengthening their ties to transnational criminal groups in South America and are working to expand their influence in the region, according to a top U.S. general. “Iran is very engaged in the region,” Southern Command chief Gen. Douglas Fraser told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Iranian terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah are involved in a number of “illicit activities” likely tied to the regional drug trade, according to Fraser. “We do see evidence of international terrorist groups benefitting from ... illicit trafficking and money laundering” in South America, he said in a written statement to the panel. Specifically, both groups regularly look to South America to finance their operations in the Middle East through “licit avenues such as charitable donations, and illicit means, including trafficking in drugs, counterfeit and pirated goods,” according to Fraser.Iran’s recent diplomatic push into South America could help Hamas and Hezbollah expand their foothold in the region. Iran “sees an opportunity” in South America, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visiting the region six times over the past six years, according to Fraser. Tehran has expanded its network of embassies and cultural centers in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua during that time, he added. Iran’s increased engagement with its South American allies is one way Tehran can get around the raft of economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, the four-star commander said. As Iran grows its official presence in the region, there could be a “natural coming together” of that effort and those led by radical Islamist groups, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) warned.

Minnesota Judge Cancels Child Care Union Election

2012-04-06T13:56:00.003-05:00

A Ramsey County judge has permanently canceled a unionization vote by home-based child care workers that Gov. Mark Dayton tried to call late last year. Judge Dale Lindman ruled Friday that Dayton "exceeded his authority" in trying to set the union vote. Lindman says for a vote to happen, the Legislature must pass a bill allowing a union election for child care providers. He says Dayton violated constitutional separation of powers.Several public employee unions had long pursuing collective bargaining rights for child-care workers who get state subsidies. But Dayton's attempt to order the election prompted a lawsuit from several child care providers opposed to unionization, who were backed by conservative groups. A spokeswoman says Dayton disagrees with Lindman's decision but respects it. She says the administration is reviewing the order.

San Francisco Subways Drop $5 Footlongs

2012-04-03T08:09:00.002-05:00

Hungry San Francisco residents looking to get Subway’s highly-advertised $5 footlong deal are out of luck. San Francisco shops are not participating in the nation-wide promotion of various 12-inch sandwiches for $5 because of the “high cost of doing business,” reports the SF Weekly. In 2003, San Franciscans passed a proposition that forces the city to increase the minimum wage each year. Last year the city became the first in the nation to have an above-$10 minimum wage -- $10.24.One San Francisco Subway manager told FOX Business, “the cost of living here is very high, that’s why we will no longer be offering $5 footlongs.” Calls for comment from the sandwich shop’s corporate headquarters were not immediately returned. There is some light at the end of the tunnel for sandwiches lovers seeking a deal; the SF Weekly reports the “sub of the month” was still being offered for $5 -- you just have to like tuna.

Spaceman-Turned-Politician Can Call Himself 'Astronaut' On Ballot

2012-03-31T20:37:00.003-05:00

Former NASA spaceflyer Jose Hernandez, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Congress out of California this year, can call himself an astronaut on the ballot, a judge ruled Thursday (March 29). Hernandez, a Democrat, flew on the space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission in 2009 but left NASA more than a year ago, in January 2011. California Republicans had argued that Hernandez should not be allowed to list his occupation as "astronaut/scientist/engineer" on the ballot, the Los Angeles Times reported.But Judge Lloyd Connelly disagreed, saying that Hernandez is an astronaut for "more than the time spent riding a rocket," according to the Times. Hernadez is vying to represent California's 10th Congressional District, in the state's agriculture-heavy Central Valley. Hernandez knows the Valley and its leading industry well, having grown up picking fruits and vegetables all over California as the son of migrant farm workers.

Obama Giving Away Parts Of The United States To Russia

2012-03-27T07:52:00.003-05:00

The Obama administration, despite the nation’s economic woes, effectively killed the job-producing Keystone Pipeline last month. The Arab Spring is turning the oil production of Libya and other Arab nations over to the Muslim Brotherhood. Iraq is distancing itself from the U.S. And everyone recognizes that Iran, whose crude supplies are critical to the European economy, will do anything it can to frustrate America’s strategic interests. In the face of all of this, Obama insists on cutting back U.S. oil potential with outrageous restrictions. Part of Obama’s apparent war against U.S. energy independence includes a foreign-aid program that directly threatens my state’s sovereign territory. Obama’s State Department is giving away seven strategic, resource-laden Alaskan islands to the Russians. Yes, to the Putin regime in the Kremlin. The seven endangered islands in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea include one the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The Russians are also to get the tens of thousands of square miles of oil-rich seabeds surrounding the islands. The Department of Interior estimates billions of barrels of oil are at stake. The State Department has undertaken the giveaway in the guise of a maritime boundary agreement between Alaska and Siberia. Astoundingly, our federal government itself drew the line to put these seven Alaskan islands on the Russian side. But as an executive agreement, it could be reversed with the stroke of a pen by President Obama or Secretary Clinton.The agreement was negotiated in total secrecy. The state of Alaska was not allowed to participate in the negotiations, nor was the public given any opportunity for comment. This is despite the fact the Alaska Legislature has passed resolutions of opposition – but the State Department doesn’t seem to care. The imperiled Arctic Ocean islands include Wrangel, Bennett, Jeannette and Henrietta. Wrangel became American in 1881 with the landing of the U.S. Revenue Marine ship Thomas Corwin. The landing party included the famed naturalist John Muir. It is 3,000 square miles in size. Northwest of Wrangel are the DeLong Islands, named for George Washington DeLong, the captain of USS Jeannette. Also in 1881, he discovered and claimed these three islands for the United States. He named them for the voyage co-sponsor, New York City newspaper publisher James Gordon Bennett. The ship’s crew received a hero’s welcome back in Washington, and Congress awarded them gold medals. In the Bering Sea at the far west end of the Aleutian chain are Copper Island, Sea Lion Rock and Sea Otter Rock. They were ceded to the U.S. in Seward’s 1867 treaty with Russia. Now is the time for the Obama administration to stand up for U.S. and Alaskan rights and invaluable resources. The State Department’s maritime agreement is a loser – it gives us nothing in return for giving up Alaska’s sovereign territory and invaluable resources. We won the Cold War and should start acting like it. The Obama administration must stop the giveaway immediately.

Georgia Bill Would Make It Illegal For Illegal Immigrants To Get Sewer Services.

2012-03-26T09:06:00.003-05:00

A bill before the Georgia Legislature could prevent illegal immigrants from being able to get a marriage license or access to water and sewage services in the state. The bill sponsored by Sen. Barry Loudermilk, a Cassville Republican, has gotten a lot of attention because it would also bar illegal immigrants from the state's public colleges, universities and technical schools.But another provision removes foreign passports from a list of identification documents that government agencies can accept for certain transactions. The passports would have to be accompanied by federal immigration documentation proving someone is in the country legally. That would effectively bar illegal immigrants from accessing water service or marriage licenses. Loudermilk said that those were unintended consequences, and that an amendment was likely that would remedy them.

Confirmed: Obama's Birth Certificate Not Authentic!

2012-03-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

Kim Jong-Un Assassination Rumours Flood Internet

2012-02-10T13:39:00.002-06:00

Did social media just prematurely kill off the leader of North Korea? Rumours that Kim Jong-un, the country’s supreme leader, has been assassinated just months after he took power originated on Chinese microblogging service Weibo and have now spread all over Twitter.Others are reporting that Jong-un may be on the run rather than dead, but that some kind of coup is taking place. The rumours remain unsubstantiated, and as Adrian Chen at Gawker wrote, these types of reports crop up often given the furtive nature of North Korea’s government.

Mississippi Bill Changes Name Of 'Gulf Of Mexico' To 'Gulf Of America'

2012-02-09T18:49:00.003-06:00

If a Mississippi lawmaker gets his way, the Gulf of Mexico will become the “Gulf of America.” Mississippi State Rep. Steve Holland, a Democrat, has introduced a bill calling for the part of the Gulf of Mexico that is bordered by Mississippi to be renamed the “Gulf of America.” The measure, known as HB 150 and introduced to the state House Marine Resources Committee, says the body of water will have its new name beginning July 1. The proposed name change has drawn criticism from various groups, including a Latino GOP organization known as Café Con Leche, which sent Holland a letter demanding that he withdraw the bill and calling HB 150 anti-Mexican. “If this bill passes the legislature and is signed into law, perhaps it is time to rename the Mississippi River,” wrote Bob Quasius, Café Con Leche’s president, in the letter. “After all, sharing a name with a state that wants to rewrite maps out of disdain for Mexicans would be a disgrace to the rest of the nation.”“The Lincoln River would be a suitable substitute name, in honor of a great man, don’t you think?” the letter continued. “We call on you to withdraw your bill and spare us all further embarrassment.” A New Orleans website quipped: “Riding upon a chariot of Hummers driven by bald eagles, Mississippi Rep. Steve Holland filed a guns blazing cowboy steak of a bill, proudly waving our nation’s red, white and God-fearing blue to protect our American coastal waters.” The Gulf is bordered by the United States to the north (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas), five Mexican states to the west (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan), and the island of Cuba to the southeast.

Cruel Kev's Scuttelbutt Endorses Rick Santorum

2012-02-05T16:21:00.001-06:00

Reagan Schools Obama In "I Want Your Money"

2012-01-15T19:32:00.000-06:00

US Presidential Hopeful Promises Every American A Pony

2012-01-14T20:20:00.004-06:00

A man with a gumboot on his head and promises of free ponies for all Americans is hoping to take out President Barack Obama in the race to the White House. While Mr Obama is certain to represent the Democrat Party in the Presidential Election later this year, a host of little known politicians are nonetheless competing to get their name on the ballot. The incumbent claimed an overwhelming 82 percent of the vote (48,970 votes) in this week's hardly reported New Hampshire Democrat Party primary - a race which was all but over before it began. After Obama was Republic candidate Ron Paul, whose name was written on ballots by 2273 voters, followed by Ed Cowan, who got just 2 percent of the vote. However close on Mr Cowan's heels was Vermin Supreme, a self-declared "friendly fascist", who reeled in 831 votes. Campaigning before the New Hampshire vote, Mr Supreme promised to enact a mandatory tooth brushing law. "Some people will tell you this mandatory tooth brushing law is about the secret dental police kicking down your door at 3am to make sure you've brushed. Friends, it is not."It's not about the government-issued toothpaste containing an addictive yet harmless substance. No friends, it is not even about DNA gene splicing to create a race of winged monkeys to act as tooth fairies. What this mandatory tooth brushing law is about is strong teeth for a strong America." Mr Supreme, who ran for the Republican Party in 2008, also advocates giving each American a free pony, "one of the most overlooked issues in America today". He says the policy would create jobs and is good for the environment. "And of course the important thing to realise is that it is a federal pony identification program where you will need your pony with you at all times." He also says zombies could be used to turn turbines as an alternative energy supply. "I am a tyrant that you can trust, and you should let me run your life because I do know what is best for you." Supreme's campaigning is reminiscent of the unconventional politics of the now-defunct McGillycuddy Serious Party here in New Zealand, or the Monster Raving Loony Party of Britain. Whether he will be on the ballot standing for the Democrats in November, only time will tell.

2012-01-03T21:07:00.000-06:00

Marine Says He Plugged Gunshot Wounds With Fingers

2012-01-02T10:52:00.003-06:00

A U.S. Marine Corps officer who was shot during a robbery attempt and used his fingers to plug three bullet wounds is being released from a Florida hospital. Doctors said Friday that Lt. Col. Karl Trenker is recovering well from the Dec. 21 attack. Trenker was shot multiple times after meeting two men who supposedly wanted to buy a gold necklace his fiancee advertised on Craigslist.Trenker chased the men on foot after they grabbed the necklace and ran. He says he reacted as any Marine would, even using his fingers to plug bullet holes in his body after the shooting. Trenker served tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is stationed in Miami. The two suspects are both jailed without bail on attempted murder and robbery charges.

'Mischief' Voters Push Paul To Front Of GOP Race

2011-12-27T11:37:00.004-06:00

Ron Paul is surging in the Republican presidential race. Just not among Republicans. The Texas congressman is leading some polls in Iowa and is in a tie for second in New Hampshire. A candidacy once dismissed as sideshow is now being taken very seriously; the front page of Monday's Des Moines Register featured a huge spread under the headline "COULD RON PAUL WIN?" Given Paul's views on the Fed, the gold standard and social issues, not to mention his isolationist foreign policy, the polls have left some politicos wondering whether Republican voters have somehow swerved off the rails. But there's another question that should be asked first: Who are Ron Paul's supporters? Are they, in fact, Republicans? In an analysis accompanying his most recent survey in Iowa, pollster Scott Rasmussen noted, "Romney leads, with Gingrich in second, among those who consider themselves Republicans. Paul has a wide lead among non-Republicans who are likely to participate in the caucus." The same is true in New Hampshire. A poll released Monday by the Boston Globe and the University of New Hampshire shows Paul leading among Democrats and independents who plan to vote in the January 10 primary. But among Republicans, Paul is a distant third -- 33 points behind leader Mitt Romney. In South Carolina, "Paul's support is higher among those who usually don't vote in GOP primary elections," notes David Woodard, who runs the Palmetto Poll at Clemson University. In a hotly-contested Republican race, it appears that only about half of Paul's supporters are Republicans. In Iowa, according to Rasmussen, just 51 percent of Paul supporters consider themselves Republicans. In New Hampshire, the number is 56 percent, according to Andrew Smith, head of the University of New Hampshire poll. The same New Hampshire survey found that 87 percent of the people who support Romney consider themselves Republicans. For Newt Gingrich, it's 85 percent.So who is supporting Paul? In New Hampshire, Paul is the choice of just 13 percent of Republicans, according to the new poll, while he is the favorite of 36 percent of independents and 26 percent of Democrats who intend to vote in the primary. Paul leads in both non-Republican categories. "Paul is doing the best job of getting those people who aren't really Republicans but say they're going to vote in the Republican primary," explains Smith. Among that group are libertarians, dissatisfied independents and Democrats who are "trying to throw a monkey wrench in the campaign by voting for someone who is more philosophically extreme," says Smith. Paul tops the field when pollsters ask Republicans which candidate they are certain not to support. "When you ask people which candidate they are least likely to vote for, Ron Paul is pretty high, because most Republicans here really don't want to vote for him," says Smith. "His support is not coming, by and large, from Republican voters." What's true in New Hampshire is also the case in South Carolina, where Paul is 28 points behind Gingrich in the most recent Palmetto Poll. "The economic positions of libertarians are popular here, but Paul's positions on gay marriage, abortion, illegal immigration, and national defense are all antithetical to South Carolina's conservative culture," says Woodard. "About 13 percent of the GOP primary electorate are military veterans, and they don't want to bring everyone home. We have a strong pro-life network, and it is knit into the Republican Party at its roots, and the amendment declaring marriage to be something between a man and a woman won with over 70 percent of the vote in South Carolina." Non-Republicans are sure to vote in all three early GOP contests. Iowa requires that caucus participants be registered Republicans, but anyone can show up on caucus night, register, and vote. In New Hampshire, so-called "undeclared" voters of any stripe can participate in the GOP primary. And South Carolina's GOP contest is open to all. Wherever Paul's final total, it will reflect lots of non-Republican votes. Of course, next November's general election is open, too, and the Republican nominee will needs significant non-GOP support. But if Paul were the nominee, he would likely lose lots of Republicans, along with independents, and all of the Democrats who cast mischief votes on his behalf. Even his own supporters don't view him as having the best chance to beat Barack Obama. There will be a lot written in coming weeks about Paul's role in the Republican Party. It's important to remember that a large part of his support isn't coming from Republicans.

Tea Party Express Boosts Michele Bachmann

2011-12-27T10:43:00.002-06:00

The Tea Party Express today offered its “support” to Rep. Michele Bachmann, but the leading conservative activist group stopped short of officially endorsing the Minnesotan in her long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The Sacramento, Calif.-based Tea Party Express said in a statement that while it has not endorsed any candidate, it remains committed to backing the conservative candidate best-positioned to beat President Barrack Obama in 2012. The group advocated for a competitive primary, beginning with the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 and including all of the states that follow, to jump-start that process. Therefore, they said they did not want Bachmann, or any other candidates, prematurely pushed out of the primary.“While the Tea Party Express has not endorsed a presidential candidate at this time, Michele Bachmann garners strong Tea Party support because of her work and commitment to restoring fiscal responsibility to Washington, D.C.,” Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer said. “Let’s let the voters in Iowa choose the leading candidates to go forward from the many excellent candidates we have.” Kremer continued, “The Tea Party Express is committed to finding and endorsing the strongest conservative candidate to take on President Barack Obama next year. In order to develop the best candidate, we must allow for a competitive process in Iowa and the early primary and other caucus states. Let’s let the voters in Iowa choose the leading candidates to go forward from the many excellent candidates we have.”

Gingrich, Romney and Climate Policy

2011-12-27T09:58:00.004-06:00

Jay Bookman’s (Atlanta Journal Constitution ) December 4 column “U-turn is GOP pair’s best pal” decries presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich having to recant global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels to satisfy Republican primary voters. Present government policies are to replace our abundant, economical fossil fuels with renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, ethanol from corn, battery-powered cars, etc. All of these energy sources are uneconomical, impractical, and unreliable as shown by recent bankruptcies of companies such as Evergreen Solar, Spectra Watt, Solyndra, Southwest Georgia Ethanol, etc.Present energy policies are adding to the national debt, destroying creation of high-paying jobs, and causing energy inflation. Most Republican voters will not vote for a Republican candidate that allows these policies to continue.

Syrian Protesters

2011-12-20T09:53:00.003-06:00