The Sean Hannity Show - Elections

White House 'Web Police' to Do Battle in 2012?

Fri, 27 May 2011 12:01:48 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 26, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: It is a move that seems to signify that team Obama is preparing to do battle in 2012. The administration has created a new post devoted to combating Internet smears against "The Anointed One."

Yes, the White House now has his very own minister of Internet propaganda. So, I wonder how they overlooked Robert Gibbs for this job.

But, anyway, an internal White House memo that was obtained by The Huffington Post reads, quote, "This week, Jesse Lee will move from the New Media Department into a role in the Communications Department as director of Progressive Media & Online Response."

Now, it turns out, Jesse Lee has an interesting background in quote, "progressive media." He's married to Nita Chaudhary, a high level MoveOn.org staffer who played a very key role in creating this ad, dubbing general David Petraeus as "General Betray Us," remember that ad back in 2007? The ad accused the general of cooking the books for the White House with regard to the surge in Iraq. Ms. Chaudhary had no shame about her role in circulating that ad.

Now shortly after its release, she spoke to C-SPAN in a telephone interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM DEC. 10, 2007)

NITA CHAUDHARY, MOVEON.ORG (on the phone): MoveOn took out the ad in New York Times today because it is unconscionable that our troops are dying in an unwinnable civil war in Iraq. And today's testimony of General Petraeus before Congress was you know, widely anticipated. Where he would be presenting cherry-picked facts and misleading data to sell Congress on the idea that the surge was working, when the reality is, that it is not. Today, he again told Congress that there was progress in Iraq. And there hasn't been progress. There has been no political progress. And as I just said, violence is getting worse and not better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: So, one has to wonder what General Petraeus who slated to become President Obama's CIA director in the fall, what does the president think of this most recent move?

Joining me now with reaction is the author of "Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World," the one and only Andrew Breitbart is here, and Democratic media consultant Steve Murphy.

You know, what can you say?

ANDREW BREITBART, AUTHOR, "RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION": Like oh my God, she was so against the war before she got into this position of power and then she married this guy who was against the war. And this Jesse Lee character actually was behind this attempt to create a mean called "dickenbush" (ph). "Dickenbush," pretty funny stuff, right? Oh my God. I get it, do you get it?

HANNITY: Yes, you know, look, these certain things, you can disagree with the policy about the surge, about Iraq. Legitimate arguments could be made, and you were actually on this program making them. When you go after a general, who is risking his life for his country and following orders. You know, it is pretty despicable. And one has to wonder, General Petraeus is now coming onboard with the administration.

STEVE MURPHY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Let me make two points about this, Sean. First, the attack on General Petraeus by MoveOn.org was despicable. At the time, we were approached by a group, not MoveOn.org, but another group about doing some advertising that would be supportive of this campaign. And we first of all, we told them it is going to backfire. It is very stupid. And then secondly, we said we wouldn't do it.

So, with that said, and I don't think that somebody that was a big part of that effort would make a good choice for the administration to do anything. But, this is the guy's wife. A wife isn't a separate individual. Now, I know a lot of cultural conservatives think a wife is attached to the husband and it is all one entity, but it is not. The woman has her own life.

HANNITY: OK.

BREITBART: Jesse Lee was at the forefront of the anti-war blogging movement, a point in time in which the same media that is out there, you know, saying that you can't criticize the president, Barack Obama were out there saying dissent is patriotic. And so, Jesse was protected by the media. Now, he wants to go after Fox News, a.m. talk radio, Andrew Breitbart. And what he's doing is adding an extra protective layer to George Soros, all the media that he's buying out and Media Matters, which is a --

MURPHY: This is the "Hannity" show, not Beck. Just stay away from Soros.

BREITBART: $15 million a year operation to try and shut up dissent, this is exactly what they do in totalitarian leftist nations like Venezuela. They try to shut people up.

MURPHY: That is ridiculous! That is ludicrous! It is a press operative. You are always saying, you know, the mainstream media is all screwed up. Maybe they think that they want to reach out a little bit to the new media too. There is nothing wrong with that at all. And there's nothing wrong with being against the war.

BREITBART: He is a hit artist.

MURPHY: So are you!

BREITBART: Well, I'm out there telling the truths that the mainstream media won't do. We are the minority out there.

MURPHY: And they are going to do the same thing.

BREITBART On the taxpayer dollar right now, they're actually...

MURPHY: You know, the truth is not an objective reality on political issues. People have different opinions.

BREITBART: I'll quote you on that one.

HANNITY: Let me move on to another topic here which is, that of NBC host Ed Schultz. And these are the comments that he made on his radio show. And he's now since been suspended from NBC News, and this is the comments he made about talk show host Laura Ingraham.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP FROM "THE ED SCHULTZ SHOW")

ED SCHULTZ, HOST: And what are the Republicans thinking about? They are not thinking about their next door neighbor. They are just thinking about how much this is going to cost. President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday, but you know what they are talking about? Like this right-wing slut, what's her name, Laura Ingraham? Yes, she's a talk slut. You see, she was back in the day, praising President Ronald Reagan when he was drinking a beer overseas. But now that Obama is doing it, they're working him over.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. Since apologized, was suspended, apparently Laura Ingraham has accepted this guy's apology. If this were a conservative -- I want to get into this. I don't want anyone fired. I don't call for firings, I don't call for boycotts. There's a cottage industry out there, people in their underwear in a basement somewhere monitoring everything you say, I say, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Fox News says, for the very purpose that they can silence speech in this country. And they do it either by A, demanding conservatives be fired. They don't get a chance to apologize, they don't get to a chance to revise or extent their remarks. They go after their advertisers. Conservatives don't do that. I'm not calling for his firing. I don't think he should be fired. I don't think people -- I think people are allowed to make mistakes, his apology seems sincere to me. Why can't liberals do the same thing when a conservative misspeaks?

MURPHY: In what case are you talking about?

HANNITY: Every case.

MURPHY: I've done that on numerous occasions. I've never called for you to be fired or for Glenn Beck to be fired.

HANNITY: Well, but there's been a campaign to shutdown a lot of conservatives including going over their advertisers.

BREITBART: What about me?

HANNITY: Hang on a second. I went after, who?

Thursday May 26 2011

Fri, 27 May 2011 05:13:19 -0800

Rand Paul,

Cain: Solving America's Problems 'Not Rocket Science'

Tue, 24 May 2011 12:45:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 23, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN, BUSINESSMAN: I'm running for president of the United States and I'm not running for second! I'm not running for second!

But when we wake up and they declare the presidential results, and Herman Cain is in the White House, we'll all be able to say, free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, this nation is free at last, again!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: That was businessman and former radio talk show host, Herman Cain officially announcing his bid for the White House on Saturday. And as you saw, well, he left his teleprompter at home. He spoke directly to a crowd of thousands in his home state of Georgia. And tonight, Herman Cain joins us live from our nation's -- where are the glasses? I like those shades.

CAIN: They are transition glasses, Sean. So, I forgot that I was going to be in the sun and they turned dark. So tonight you get to see my eyes.

HANNITY: I want a pair of those. Those are nice.

CAIN: Thanks, Sean.

HANNITY: But I think they look better on you.

CAIN: Thank you.

HANNITY: You know, it's very interesting because you are getting a lot of attention. We had the first debate and we did the Frank Luntz focus group afterwards. You did the best out of everybody. Did you see that focus group?

CAIN: Yes, I did. I saw it right after I came off that stage. And I'd be honest with you, Sean. I was stunned when Frank was doing the results. And especially when he was talking to you and basically getting the people to respond. So, yes, I did see it. But quite, frankly, I was stunned in a positive way.

HANNITY: All right. I know your success on the radio because I'm in the radio business.

CAIN: Yes.

HANNITY: You were the CEO of Godfather's Pizza. I believe it was within about a year or 14 months you brought it out of the red and into profitability. So you have that background. You were asked a question, well, you don't have any political experience. And your answer was, well all these other guys do, how is that working out for you? Why did you think your lack of political experience is a plus?

CAIN: It is the plus for the following reasons, Sean. No matter what business venture I took over or what situation I took over, the approach to problem solving was the same. And I happen to believe that this approach to problem solving would work in government. Number one, make sure you are working on the right problem. Number two, make sure you set the right priorities. And in government, that means that you put the money where you want priorities to be. Number three, surround yourself with the right people. Number four, if you do that, you're going to be able to put together the right plans. Then you execute.

The problem in Washington, D.C. is that they don't do that. It is most reactive rather than proactive in terms of solving problems. Americans want problems to be solved. And here is the good news, it is not rocket science. People are looking for common sense solutions. And that's what I have been talking about. And that's what is resonating with so many people across this country.

HANNITY: All right. You support the fair tax, and we've gone over some of these issues. And when we do our half hour with you as we're doing with all the other candidates, we'll go into this little more deeply. I was watching you with Chris Wallace this weekend. There's been a lot of internet buzz and bit of controversy that has emerged over this exchange. Let's roll the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "FOX NEWS SUNDAY")

CAIN: It is Israel's decision, not President Obama's decision as to where those borderlines ought to be.

CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: Where do you stand on the right of return?

CAIN: The right of return? The right of return?

WALLACE: The Palestinian right of return?

CAIN: That's something that should be negotiated. That's something that should be negotiated.

WALLACE, HOST: But do you think the Palestinian refugees, the people who were kicked out in the land in 1948 should be able or should have any right to return to Israeli land?

CAIN: Yes, but not under Palestinian conditions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: A lot of people think you didn't understand the right of return.

CAIN: They are exactly right, Sean. Chris caught me off guard. I didn't understand the right of return. That came out of left field. And of all the questions that I anticipated him asking me, I didn't even conceive of him asking me about the right of return. I now know what that is. The thing that you're going to learn about Herman Cain, if he doesn't know something, he's not going to try and fake it or give an answer that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Now, here's the thing about that right of return that I have learned since Sunday. It wasn't that they were kicked out of Israel by the Jews, no. Their Arab leaders asked him to leave, because they thought they were going to annihilate what was left and then they could go back. So yes, I still stick by my answer, it is the responsibility and the decision to be made by Israel.

HANNITY: Do you understand -- have you gone over for example, the U.N. partition plan and '48, '67, six day war, the Yom Kippur War in '73. And you think the return to '67 borders is?

CAIN: I think the return -- I think that just the way Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, that is -- that's not something that he wants to give in on. And I would agree with him. It is not the president's responsibility or authority to be able to dictate to Israel where those borders ought to be, that's Israel's decision.

HANNITY: All right. Who do you think is your toughest competitor in this GOP field?

CAIN: Well, if you look at it from the traditional top down model, it would be Mitt Romney. Because he has a very high name ID and he has a lot of money. Now, Sean, I know this may shock you, but I did not become a cajillionaire when I left Godfather's. I don't have the money that a Mitt Romney has. So, the fact that he can buy an organization, put it in place in the various places around the country, especially the early primary states, he has an advantage because of resources. On the other hand, my strategy is not top down, it is bottoms up. The difference is, you don't need millions of dollars to get your campaign going. We were able to get my campaign going with hundreds of thousands of dollars. And most importantly, we have a lot more volunteers that's propelling this campaign.

HANNITY: All right. We'll talk very much hopefully often in the future, thanks Herman Cain for being with us. Appreciate your time.

CAIN: Thank you, Sean. Thank you.

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Rove on current GOP presidential hopeful candidates

Mon, 23 May 2011 18:00:13 -0800

Former White House Chief-of-Staff Karl Rove stopped by the show to give his perspective on the ever changing GOP Presidential nominee race.

“Remember Bill Clinton got into the race just 13 months before the race,” reminded Rove, “Things move faster but there’s plenty of time but as long as a candidate gets into the race before mid-July they’ll be fine.” Karl Rove recently started an interesting project on his website, rove.com, where he’ll be tracking the polls and explaining what they mean for President Obama’s future.

When pressed to pick a dark horse in the race, Rove laughingly responded, “There’s one man who has a lot of room to grow and that’s Sean Hannity.” Perhaps Karl knows something we don’t?

Friday May 20 2011

Fri, 20 May 2011 08:03:09 -0800

Herman Cain,

Rick Santorum

Thu, 19 May 2011 10:08:03 -0800

Santorum: McCain Doesn't Understand Interrogation

Thu, 19 May 2011 09:57:22 -0800

Likely presidential candidate Rick Santorum today said he was trying to discuss U.S. policy and not Sen. John McCain's personal experience when he said yesterday that the former POW doesn't understand the effectiveness of waterboarding and other tough interrogation techniques. Santorum found himself in hot water after his comments started a firestorm of controversy.

Former longtime McCain adviser Mark Salter fired back at Santorum via Facebook, writing, “Ron Paul may be the wackiest candidate in the GOP field. But for pure, blind stupidity, nobody beats Santorum. In my 20 years in the Senate, I never met a dumber member, which he reminded me of today," Salter wrote.

Santorum, who called in to speak with Sean via the NewsMaker Hotline, offered an apology to McCain. “No one understands torture, or interrogation better than John McCain. I was not talking obviously about his experience but on a policy disagreement. McCain believes enhanced interrogation does not get to usef ul information and I believe it does.”

Sarah Palin 'Still Seriously Considering' Presidential Run

Thu, 19 May 2011 09:24:05 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 18, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: A lot of attention is being paid to some Republicans who have yet to throw their hat into the race. It is believed that Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels are just weeks if not days away from revealing their intentions for 2012.

And as they weigh the possibility of a run for the White House, there's word that Texas Governor Rick Perry, well, he is also testing the waters.

Now this news comes after both Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee announced that they will not challenge President Obama next year. But one name that is still very much on the radar when it comes to 2012, is that on my next guest. She is former Alaska Governor, FoxNews contributor Sarah Palin.

Governor, welcome back to the program. Thanks for being with us.

SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Thank you Sean, it is my pleasure.

HANNITY: You know, as I was watching the speaker on "Meet the Press" this weekend, former Speaker Gingrich. My thoughts went to you. Because it was a lot of gotcha. And a lot of these things, "In 1993 you said this, today you said -- the other day you said this." I don't know if you had a chance to see the whole interview. But I was just comparing that to 2008. Is there going to be a different standard?

PALIN: There's got to be the preparation on all the candidates' parts for those gotchas. That's what the lamestream media's known for now a days, it's the gotcha trip up questions and you just have to be prepared for it and overcome it.

HANNITY: What did you think about the term right-wing social engineering and then his apology to Paul Ryan, does that put that to rest in your mind?

PALIN: I don't know why politicians feel that they have to apologize for something that they've said just because they've gone through a 24 hour cycle of the lamestream media given them a hard time for something that they said. A politician either believes in what they just said in an interview or they don't believe in what they just said. And if Newt Gingrich believes that it is right-wing social engineering to undo Obamacare and reform Medicare to make sure that we provide a safety net for our seniors who are going to need health care coverage, then, say so. But don't apologize later just because the media has dinged you on what it is that you said.

I do believe that Newt Gingrich is terribly wrong on his assessment of Representative Ryan's plan. It is good fiscally sound and courageous plan. And it's not all just about Medicare, we have to make sure that we are understanding that Ryan's budget is a big difference as opposed to the Obama budget, which of course have has us on the road to bankruptcy. Paul Ryan's plan saved us $1.2 billion every single day over a decade, as compared to Obama's big spending government overreach more indebtedness plan that he's got us on.

HANNITY: I'm not sure if he was apologizing because the media was attacking him as much as he said, because I did interview him Monday, and I talk to him about it. And he said, well, what I'm saying is we need to take that plan and we've got to make sure the American people are onboard, maybe find ways to improve it. But he definitely sees the need and has called for the need to reform Medicare. I mean, that's something that he said for a number of years. And I'm not putting up a defense for him. But if he apologizes because he didn't articulate it the way he wanted to and people are offended by it, is an apology appropriate at that point?

PALIN: No, I'm saying that we should ignore the lamestream leftist media's criticism of what it is that we say in an interview if we believe what it is that we say. Don't let them in a 24 hour news cycle make us change our positions, and it sounded pretty clear to me that Newt Gingrich's position, because he articulated this, was that Paul Ryan's plan would be social engineering, and he didn't like it.

So, I believe that he made the apology because the media dinged him on it. Would he have made the apology otherwise? I don't know. I'm just saying, come on fiscal conservatives, let's stay strong, and principled and not disappoint the electorate so that they have a true choice coming into this election, who would it that they're going to choose to allow to surface to lead this great nation. Don't let the mainstream media dictate what the debate is going to be about.

HANNITY: All right. This is a great thing. I think people apologize for too often. I'm going to agree with you. And I think they're pressured to do it. And I think they do it for expediency. I'm not sure what happened in this case. My take is, is that Paul Ryan is a friend to his, he misspoke, he wanted to explain it. You know, it's like in the Congress, they have the ability to revise and extend their remarks. In the media, you don't have that ability.

But let me give you one example of what I think is gotcha. And where the media I think really, they never ask tough questions I think in 2008 against Barack Obama. And I think these are the types of questions that Republican candidates will face and you if you get in this race.

Here is David Gregory with Newt Gingrich.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "MEET THE PRESS"/NBC MAY 15)

DAVID GREGORY: You gave a speech in Georgia with language a lot of people think could be coded racially-tinged language calling the president, first black president a food stamp president.

NEWT GINGRICH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, come on, David.

GREGORY: What did you mean and what was the point?

GINGRICH: That's bizarre, this kind of automatic reference to racism. This is the president of the United States, president of the United States has to be held accountable. Now, the idea that, and what I said is factually true. Forty seven million Americans are on food stamps. One out of every six Americans is on food stamps. And to hide behind the charge of racism, I have never said anything about President Obama which is racist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And that number is up by millions. How do you respond to that? What advice would you give candidates?

PALIN: Well, talk about racism, that was a racist tinged question from David Gregory. He made it sound like if you're black, you are on food stamps and the president is referring to you as being on food stamps. I think that's racist.

And, you know, enough is enough of this calling out, this racism, this false charges. Obviously, it is done just to end the conversation. Just to distract, divert attention from what the real substance is, and stop the conversation. Here again, enough is enough. Why do we let the press, the media personalities get away with such? Let's call them out on them and let's start concentrating on what the real issue is. The real issue is, we have 40 some million Americans on food stamps, you know, why? Because we don't have a robust economy, allowing the private sector to grow and thrive, and have jobs provided via the private sector because government has overreached, overtaxed and over spent and got us in debt. And there is isn't enough private sector money out there creating jobs.

That needs to be the focus. Not allowing David Gregory to falsely charge Newt Gingrich as being a racist because he's making a statement, a fact about how many people are on food stamps.

HANNITY: You know, it's interesting you say that. Because there was an NBC host that said something to the effect, and I'm paraphrasing that, oh we know that you are not talking about white people when you are referring to food stamps. We know that you are talking about black people, that this is a code. I agree with you. The premise, that's their assumption, that's their bigotry and that's their bias and prejudice.

And interestingly, you know, it seems to me that the media that ignored a guy, part of a group that bombed the Pentagon, the capital, New York City Police headquarters -- one question about Bill Ayers, and he got away with "just a guy in the neighborhood," sat on boards with, give speeches with.

This is a big issue here about how the Republicans will be treated versus how President Obama was in 2008. And I think it is much harder for the Republicans.

So, is there something that they should do when they find themselves in that moment?

PALIN: Well, I think to start with, we ignore some of these reporters and their requests for us to comment and be interviewed. We know going into what they are going to do to us, to a conservative. So, why participate in their game?

Instead, candidates need to get their message out via the news social media, be a fair and balanced reporters who will just allow the facts to get out there. Don't even participate in that goofy game that has been played now for too many years with the leftist lamestream media trying to twist the candidates' words and intent and content of their statements.

HANNITY: All right. Governor, stay right there. We're going to have more with Governor Palin, is she thinking about to run for the presidency?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." Continuing to join us tonight, former Alaska Governor, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin.

Governor, a lot of people, last time I spoke to you, I was asking, you know, where are you in this process of making your decision? And you said you wanted to assess the field. The field change quite a bit. Where are you today?

PALIN: Still assessing the field because I know it is still going to change, the line-up. People are going to come and go before that legal deadline is imposed on us to have to make the decision. So, I'm still not ready to make an announcement.

HANNITY: Yes. Where are you in your thought process if you could bring us inside a little bit? I'm not looking to reveal anything, but where are you in your thought process?

Bachmann contemplates presidential run

Wed, 18 May 2011 10:14:04 -0800

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann stopped by the show to give her thoughts about a Presidential run. “I would think with Huckabee getting out of the race I see a natural constituency there,” began Hannity, “but why are you seriously considering making this run.” Congresswoman Bachmann quickly replied, “People are, for the first time, feeling that their children might not do as well as they have.” Hannity pressed, “There are people on the left who really despise you and they’re looking for anything to attack you with.”

Bachmann laughed and said, “The left has always seen themselves as the party of women and they’re very threatened to find that a woman can be a leader and coming from the conservative party.” While Congresswoman Bachmann hasn’t officially announced her candidacy, she earlier told Sean that she’d announce in June but mentioned today that she may need to make her decision earlier.

Republican Presidential Contenders Jockey for Position

Wed, 18 May 2011 10:10:12 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 17, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST:Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee shook up the GOP field in recent days, but it looks like Republicans may already be in for more surprises.

Now sources close to Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann said earlier today that she will make an announcement about her candidacy by the end of this month.

And lots of GOP chatter is also buzzing around Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels whose announcement about his 2012 intentions is also expected in the coming weeks.

And within the current field, the Republican contenders are already jockeying for position. Now, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney raised a whopping $10.25 million yesterday, and that was at a fundraiser in Vegas where he brought together many of his high profile donors.

And former Minnesota Governor, Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty is also attracting his own group of major donors. And he joins me now with his analysis of the GOP field.

Governor, welcome back, thanks for being with us.

TIM PAWLENTY, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Glad to be with you, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Trump out, Huckabee out. Looks like fellow Minnesotan Michele Bachmann is going to get in. Looks more likely Daniels gets in and maybe John Huntsman. What do you make of the new field?

PAWLENTY: Well, I think the field will settle in and, you know, I think it will be a great debate. There's a lot to pick from there. But I think when people look at these candidates, look who has had the executive experience, who's delivered on reducing spending, and taxes, and government reform in a blue state and who can market conservative principle across the country and win the election. I think that road leads to my campaign. So, we feel really good about that.

HANNITY: What are the issues that you think? How do you differentiate yourself from the Republican candidates? I would argue all the candidates want to cut taxes, they'll all want more drilling in America, the energy independence, stronger national security. You know, where do you think you are going to show a difference? How are you different from these other candidates?

PAWLENTY: That's a great question. And I think a lot of Republican candidates will sound similar. They're all going to stay there for cutting taxes, reducing spending, reforming schools, with accountability and choice, market-based health care, being tough on terrorism, public employee reform, pension and benefit reform and the like.

The real question Sean isn't so much wide differences in those issues, there will be some, but probably not wild differences. The real question is going to be is. Do you have the fortitude to actually do it or you just flapping your jaw like another politician? Have you done it? And have you done it in a way that attracts people in and allows us to accomplish it and govern? In Minnesota, I did in probably one of the most liberal states in the country as a movement conservative and the Cato Institute gave me an A grade, one of only four governors in the country to get that grade. The other three aren't running.

HANNITY: If you said that -- if you want the loudest candidate, it's not me. If you want somebody's bombastic, it's not going to be me. Maybe, subtly, you were referring to anybody in particular at that moment?

PAWLENTY: No. But I want to share with you this. Look, the country is facing big and serious trouble. So, if somebody wants an entertainer in chief or somebody who's going to be the biggest or most bombastic candidate, that is not me. But I don't think that person is going to get put in the Oval Office and given the responsibility to be commander in chief and leader of the free world and president of the United States. They are looking for somebody who has a record of accomplishment, and seasoned steady hand on the throttle, and somebody who's got the courage and the fortitude to actually do this stuff. I had the first government shutdown in my state in 150 years, set a record for vetoes, unallotted using the executive powers, more money out of my budget in my time as governor than all the other governors combined in my state. The next president is going to have to do tough things and he or she is going to have to demonstrate an executive experience with a record, I did.

HANNITY: One of the toughest positions I think you are now taking is interesting to me. On the 2011 budget, you thought the Republicans probably when the details came out should have shutdown the government. You are saying now that you would not support raising the debt ceiling. We were told today was supposed to be doomsday. We'll have more on this later in the program. But guess what, we survived the first day after having reached our debt limit. You are saying you wouldn't raise the debt limit.

So, I want you to explain both those things and how if you were president, you would handle these things?

PAWLENTY: Sure, well, President Obama has set up a false choice between America defaulting on its outside obligations which we simply can't do or shouldn't do and raising the debt ceiling. But that's not really our choice. Many months ago I wrote an op-ed, I think the first one published by a national voice saying there is enough cash flow and money coming in for at least a good while of extended period of time to pay all of our outside debts. And then in the meantime, roll up our sleeves and do what the real work of entitlement and spending reform that's real, meaningful and permanent. And they told us, well, the sky was going to fall here in mid May. Well, guess what? It is mid May. And now they are saying, well, it is August. And beyond August, they may have even more time, but in that time, before they raise the debt ceiling, and they shouldn't, fix the problem. And the underlining problem is, they are spending too much.

HANNITY: Yes. Well, Ryan is now proposing dollar for dollar. Do you think that is a good proposal or is that not go far enough? Do you have to deal with the entitlements? Do you have to deal with them now?

PAWLENTY: Yes. You can't look at a chart, federal outlays with the numbers and conclude that you can fix this long term or really without tackling entitlements, it is not easy to do but it must be done. And if we are not willing to say it specifically, then we all just wasting our time. And I think for the raising the debt ceiling question, the Republicans should be putting on the table permanent changes. Like a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, U.S. constitutional amendment or permanent caps on spending with specific reforms in entitlements. If they don't get something like that, Sean, then we just continue this drift. And America, the hour is late. And this country is in trouble. And we need to act now.

HANNITY: Well, it could take a long time for that constitutional amendment, as you know, the process is arduous, it's difficult, got to get the states in the end for that to happen. So, in the short term, you are saying that if they don't get spending caps built into this bill, you would urge Republicans not to support it?

PAWLENTY: It would depend what kind of caps. You know, if they're real caps with real targets and specifics around it and they're really enforceable that would be good, it's not ideal. But we know from the past when they put in these congressionally mandated caps, they can be congressionally removed. I think the real answer is, can you get some significant permanent entitlement and spending reform. And not just some amorphous caps that, you know, may kick in three or four years from now that are non-specific and kind of aspirational.

HANNITY: There were 204 brand new Obamacare waivers that were granted in April. Thirty eight of those 204 or 20 percent came from let's see, Nancy Pelosi's district. What does that tell you about first of all, all the companies wanting waivers, some companies granted waivers, a lot of unions have been granted waivers, and then Nancy Pelosi's district is one of the biggest beneficiaries of waivers for health care? What is your reaction to that?

PAWLENTY: Well, it tells us what we already know, that this is one of the most misguided pieces of legislation in the modern history of the country. It is heavy handed. It's going to further corrode our economy as we've already mentioned. I met a person the other day in Arizona who told me he is moving his whole company out of the country. He's got about 300 jobs there, 300 employees, just because of Obamacare. He can't afford the mandates. So, that story repeats itself.

HANNITY: Why does the word corrupt come to my mind when I hear that there's any waivers for any person anywhere? I mean, you know, I understand why McDonald's wanted a waiver, I understand why some companies want it. But, you know, the idea that some people are going to be subjected to this law, you know, it seems like this may even hit the equal protection clause by the time this is all said and done.

PAWLENTY: Another example of really crony politics or crony capitalism, if you got the right connections, the right lobbyists, the right interest group, you get your special deal, and the rest of us get our wallet out, and that's in the tax code, it's in earmarking, and now you see it in Obamacare. And I don't blame people for trying to get out from underneath it, that it is an awful law. But when you have that many needs for exemptions, it tells you that the law, it is a warning sign that the law is broken and doesn't work.

HANNITY: All right. Governor, good to see you. We'll talk to you often throughout the campaign, I appreciate you being with us.

PAWLENTY: Thank you.

Wednesday May 18 2011

Wed, 18 May 2011 10:03:19 -0800

Rick Santorum,

Tuesday May 17 2011

Tue, 17 May 2011 12:25:19 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum,

GOP Presidential Field: Who Can Win and Who Doesn't Have a Chance?

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:52:07 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 12, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The GOP field for the 2012 presidential race is now beginning to take shape with several Republican candidates on the brink of announcing their intention to make a run for the nomination.

Now, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, he threw his hat in the ring last night right here on "Hannity." But it was former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who made big news today in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he addressed what may be his biggest challenge to securing the GOP nomination, Romneycare. Now, he also took on the president's health care bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FMR. GOV. MITT ROMNEY, R-MASS.: If I were lucky enough to be in the White House in the position of leadership. On the first day, I would issue an executive order paving the way for Obamacare waivers to be given to all 50 states. And then I would go to work with Congress to make sure that we could repeal Obamacare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, the Wall Street Journal editorial board, they don't buy it. They wrote the quote, "The health reform that Mr. Romney passed in 2006 as Massachusetts governor was the prototype for President Obama's version and gave national health care a huge political boost.

"Mr. Romney now claims that Obamacare should be repealed but his failure to explain his own role or admit any errors suggests serious flaws both in his candidacy and as a potential president."

Meanwhile, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is expected to make his big announcement tomorrow. And former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, he alerted his supporters that a big announcement is coming at an upcoming rally in Atlanta on May the 21st.

Joining me now with analysis to the emerging GOP field is international best-selling author, syndicated columnist, the one and only Mark Steyn. Mr. Steyn, welcome back, sir.

MARK STEYN, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Hey, great to be with you Sean, great to be with you to discuss this rollicking field.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: All right. But why don't we go through the strengths and weaknesses, really quick of all the candidates. And just get your take, Newt Gingrich was here last night. He made his announcement. Strengths, weaknesses, how do you think he could do?

STEYN: Newt isn't going to be president. I assume he's in this campaign for the kind of reason Alan Keyes used to get into it 10 years ago, that it's a way of boosting his speaking frees and other gigs. But Newt Gingrich is not going to be president, and I didn't see the rationale for his candidacy.

HANNITY: Well, I think he might do better than you think. I'll give my opinion a little bit here. I think he will perform very well in debates. And depending on who gets in, who doesn't, I think it is too early to say, that's my take.

Mitt Romney, how did he do today and what are his strengths and weaknesses?

STEYN: Well, obviously, his big weakness is Romneycare. And he's come up with an argument that sounds too clever by heart. That he now wants a federal approach to health care. So that you could -- 50 different flowers can bloom across the land. The problem is that the flower he planted in Massachusetts is toxic. And I think the rationale for his candidacy last time man was that this a technocrat. This is a guy who knows how to get things done. The problem is, is that what happened in Massachusetts after he got things done is really the tragedy of the United States in a nutshell. That he passed this big technocratic solution to the problem and then the massive bureaucracy and opportunistic legislative class destroyed all the accomplishments and made the situation worse. And really, Romneycare is what has happened to America in a nutshell. He's not going to be able to cool up from under that.

HANNITY: So, you don't think he could survive that?

STEYN: Well, I think, if you look at the title of his book, "No Apologies," basically, that acknowledges that he's on the defensive right from the word go.

HANNITY: I think that's his biggest difficulty.

STEYN: I don't think people are going to go with that.

HANNITY: I think if he can overcome that, somehow and come up with an explanation, he certainly, I think could do better than people think. But that's his biggest challenge, there's no doubt. All right. Let me ask you about Donald Trump, any chance?

STEYN: Well, you know, what people like about Donald Trump, I think they just like the way he came out swinging and decided to basically sock the president in the jaw. And I think there was a sort of sense of relief that somebody was just prepared to do that.

I don't think Donald Trump is a conservative. I think Donald Trump's line on China for example, that he's going to talk tough to China. China didn't create Social Security, China didn't create Medicare, China isn't spending a fifth of a billion dollars every hour that it doesn't have. We are the source of our problems not mysterious sinister foreigners overseas.

But what I liked about Donald Trump and I think what people responded to is that, he didn't buy the media narrative.

HANNITY: People like to fight. And I hope -- if nothing else because that fight would probably continue for a long time and be interesting and fun to cover.

STEYN: Absolutely.

HANNITY:Tim Pawlenty, serious contender?

STEYN: Well, I've got a soft spot there for Pawlenty. But I think the last time I saw him was when he and I were on your show together a couple of weeks ago. And I think actually, this is the kind of guy who is more likely to wind up with the nomination. He hasn't got an albatross like Obamacare and he hasn't got the personal baggage that Newt Gingrich has. He's got a good record that is flawed. But everybody is flawed. But I think he's closer to someone who is at ease with himself, is authentic and he's conservative enough. And I think someone like Tim Pawlenty could be the last guy standing.

HANNITY: It's interesting. I thought it's maybe a contrast because he dealt with the cap-and-tax issue which he once supported, it took it head on and said sorry, I made a mistake which I think was actually, I thought it smart to handle. What do you think about Mitch Daniels potential candidacy?

STEYN: Well, you know, I like Mitch Daniels on the fiscal conservative issues. I disagree with him on this idea that social issues, you take off the table.

And I do that for two reasons. One, because I think the fiscal issues in a sense are a symptom of a lot of the deeper cultural issues in America. So, I don't think they are as disconnected as he thinks.

And secondly, I just think, in this particular campaign season, it is absurd to concede half the turf right away and actually say, we're going to fight on -- only on what the media are approve as the ground that's safe and responsible to fight on.

HANNITY: Yes. What about two people that we have no idea are going to get in or not, that would be Mike Huckabee and Governor Palin?

STEYN: I think I would caution against either of them getting in. I think Governor Palin actually can do a much better job as a kingmaker.

And I would -- and again, with Mike Huckabee, I mean, Mike Huckabee has a great show on Fox. And I think he's actually carved out a niche for himself there. I'm not sure he could withstand the scrutiny, and I think if you look at for example, his success in Iowa last time around and then the big deflation in New Hampshire a couple of weeks later. He's not going to be any more appealing to New Hampshire this time around.

HANNITY: All right. So, we have this other tier of candidates that are either flirting with it or kind on the verge of denouncing, that would be Michele Bachmann, Senator Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and then we have our two libertarians Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. Any of them have the possibility of breaking through?

STEYN: Well, you know, Ron Paul, a lot of people thought Ron Paul was just a nut four years ago. But actually, Ron Paul's crazy talk about the Federal Reserve actually makes a lot more sense these days. Right now at the moment, every -- all this debt that's being issued by the United States, the people assumes the Chinese are buying, no, the Chinese don't want any more American debt.

HANNITY: Yes, I don't know if you heard what he said --

STEYN: Seventy percent of American debt is being brought by the Federal Reserve. Ron Paul has a point there.

Friday May 13 2011

Fri, 13 May 2011 06:45:53 -0800

Michael Barone, Brent Bozell, Stephen Smith,

Thursday May 12 2011

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:23:54 -0800

Marco Rubio, Newt Gingrich,

Tim Pawlenty Reacts to First 2012 Republican Presidential Debate

Fri, 06 May 2011 15:54:31 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 5, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: We turn now to the candidates themselves. All eyes on former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, one of the front-runners for the 2012 GOP nomination. Here's a look at his performance from earlier tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY, R-MINN.: There is a group of individuals who are radical jihadists. We need to call them by name. They believe it is OK to kill people in the name of their religion. It is not all of Islam. It is not all Muslims. But there is a subgroup who believe it is OK. In fact, it is their plan and design to kill people.

The people and the mindset that killed 3,000 of our fellow citizens on September 11 2001, would have killed not 3,000, but 300,000 if they could have or 3 million or 30 million. We need to do everything we can within our value systems and legal structures to make sure that doesn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Joining me is former Minnesota governor Pawlenty. Good to see you. How did it feel the first debate?

FULL COVERAGE: GOP Presidential Debate

PAWLENTY: It is great. I appreciate Fox News for doing it. It's an important discussion. Fox was first to have it. I was glad to be here to take the case to President Obama.

HANNITY: This focus group was angry some of the other candidates weren't there. Do you think there are legitimate reasons as of this early date they are not here?

PAWLENTY: I think some are undecided whether they want to have an exploratory committee. So if they're not decided I suppose that is a fair excuse. But it is already May. We have a country that is $5 a gallon gas, $4 a gallon gas, we got unbearable unemployment and a federal government that is out of control. We have to take back this country and we've got to get off the sidelines and take it to President Obama.

HANNITY: I wanted clarification as I was watching the debate tonight. The question came up two years ago and the issue of waterboarding. You were against it two years ago? I wasn't really clear on --

PAWLENTY: I was listening carefully to the clip that Chris played. I don't think it said I was against it. I said you have to balance factors when you use it. So of course you have to balance the factors. I do support enhanced interrogation techniques. Obviously their value is shining through with respect to the bin Laden killing.

HANNITY: You had a really big applause line when you say the first job of the federal government is to protect the people in this country. When you look at all we are learning about this, enhanced interrogation, rendition, black sites, tough interrogation, sleep deprivation, all these methods are used, the very policies President Obama opposed, if they were not used we would not have gotten bin Laden Sunday. What does that tell you about the president and his mindset?

PAWLENTY: I think when the dust settles on this somebody should ask the president we the record is established, as to whether those things -- I think they did lead or contribute significantly to finding bin Laden. Go back to the president and say you opposed your campaign, exploited it to the detriment of Senator McCain or President Bush, he was very critical of President Bush. Ask him now, do you regret those statements? Did you change your position? Would you support those techniques now? I think the president owes the American people that explanation or clarification.

HANNITY: At least give President Bush some of the credit about these issues. Because we are not going to have this success in the future otherwise.

PAWLENTY: I met with President Bush once in the White House towards the end of his term. The race was unsettled between Senator McCain and Senator Obama at the time. President Bush said, "I don't care who gets in here. When they know what I know, they will do about what I did. "

HANNITY: What do you think as you look at the weaknesses -- I thought this was an interesting point. Where are the greatest weaknesses, if you were to win the nomination, that you see with President Obama and how would he be defeated?

PAWLENTY: His economic policies are a disaster and his worldview about the role of government as it relates to job providers and growing jobs in this country is ridiculous. The number one thing I hear around this country, I talk to people about what it would take to provide more jobs, they say get the government off my back. This president is putting more of the government on their back and they're discouraged. It is too expensive, too slow, and the like.

HANNITY: As we move forward on economic issues, you support tax cuts.

PAWLENTY: Yes, I do.

HANNITY: How would you balance the budget for the federal government and begin the process of paying off $14 trillion plus in debt which is going to be higher soon?

PAWLENTY: There are many things we have to do. I governed a very liberal state. I had the first government shutdown in 150 years. I set a record for vetoes. I un-allotted more money using executive authority in my eight years than all the other 140-some odd years of governors combined. You've got to draw lines in the sand. It does lead substantially to reforming entitlement programs. We have to look the people in the eye, tell them what we are going to do.

And it includes this -- we have to raise the retirement age for Social Security for new entrants into the program. Don't scare the people who are already on the program. Anybody who is not yet contributing to Social Security. So, people coming into the workforce at age 16, 17, 18, that retirement age will raise gradually over time. We have to means test, for example Sean, not the whole program, so if you are wealthy you are not going to get as big adjustment in the future if you are middle income or lower income. We have to get into the meat of this, it is urgent. There are similar answers for Medicaid and Medicare but those are examples of proposals we can get a majority of the country to support. We need to fix this problem and use this debt ceiling debate as an opportunity to force the issue.

HANNITY: Let me go an issue that concerns me, and it's about what I describe as the hypersensitivity of the White House as it relates to Islamic extremists. They didn't use the words "war on terror" for a long time. Mirandizing enemy combatants is another issue that I take issue with. Do you think they should A, release the photos? You said yes tonight.

B, what did you think of the funeral that took place? We are told that bin Laden is not a Muslim, he represents a perversion, hijacking of Islam. Yet he got full Islamic custom, buried within 24 hours, body washed, put in a shroud, 40 minute ceremony on a warship. And it was even interpreted into Arabic. Was that a mistake?

PAWLENTY: Keep in mind when you are dealing with terrorists and rogue actors, we are not dealing with the armies in uniform of established nations in battle. These are folks who are rogue terrorists outside of the bounds of even normal battle. To suggest we have to extend them all these additional courtesies, is something I think --

HANNITY: Do you think it is naive by the administration?

PAWLENTY: I think it was appropriate. I think they did the right thing in terms of sensitivies to say we are going to make a good faith effort to bury him or put him to rest in a way that is appropriate.

HANNITY: But isn't he one of the radical Islamists you were talking about tonight and he doesn't represent mainstream Islam?

PAWLENTY: Absolutely. But you have to think about what is our strategic or tactical goal here? And what we want to do is try and minimize other people like him becoming inflamed or operationalizing against the United States. If we would have buried him in a way that inflamed them or was disrespectful or inappropriate that could have intentionally put our men and women and citizens in harm's way.

HANNITY: Governor, great to see you. It was great to get the ball rolling tonight. Hopefully we'll be seeing you a lot on the road. Thanks for being with us.

PAWLENTY: Absolutely, it's time. Thank you.

Friday May 06 2011

Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:36 -0800

Scott Rasmussen, Michael Barone, Jay Sekulow,

Thursday May 05 2011

Thu, 05 May 2011 14:17:02 -0800

Juan Williams, Brent Bozell, Oliver North,

Meet The 'Seal Team 6', The Bad-Asses Who Killed Osama Bin Laden

Wed, 04 May 2011 11:09:13 -0800

Robert W. Johnson / businessinsider.com

The military team that killed Osama Bin Laden is an elite special forces group unofficially called Seal Team 6.

Officially, the team's name is classified and not available to the public, technically there is no team 6. A Tier-One counter-terrorism force similar to the Army's elusive Delta group, Team 6's mission rarely make it to paper much less the newspaper.

It shows how important the publicity about Bin Laden's killing is to the U.S. that this morning, Team 6 is front-page news.

The members of Team 6 are all "black" operatives. They exist outside military protocol, engage in operations that are at the highest level of classification and often outside the boundaries of international law. To maintain plausible deniability in case they are caught, records of black operations are rarely, if ever, kept.

The development of SEAL Team 6 was in direct response to the 1980 attempt to rescue the American hostages held in Iran. The mission was a terrific failure that fell apart at many points and illustrated the need for a dedicated counter-terrorist team capable of operating with the utmost secrecy.

The Team was labeled 6 at the time to confuse Soviet intelligence about the number of SEAL teams in operation at the time. There were only two others.

Team 6 poached the top operatives from other SEAL units and trained them even more intensely from there. Even among proven SEAL's the attrition rate for Team 6 is reported to be nearly half.

There are no names available for current Team 6 members, but the CIA does recruit heavily from their numbers for their Special Operations Group, so it makes sense that they were chosen to work with the CIA on this mission.

Team 6 is normally devoted to missions with maritime authority: ship rescues, oil rigs, naval bases or land bases accessible by water. There are no waterways near Bin Laden's compound.

When a former Navy SEAL was called for a comment about this article all he could say was: "You know I'd love to help you man, but I can't say a word about Team 6. There is no Team 6."

Inside the Capture of Osama Bin Laden

Mon, 02 May 2011 11:46:35 -0800

Helicopters descended out of darkness on the most important counterterrorism mission in U.S. history. It was an operation so secret, only a select few U.S. officials knew what was about to happen.

The location was a fortified compound in an affluent Pakistani town two hours outside Islamabad. The target was Usama bin Laden.

Intelligence officials discovered the compound in August while monitoring an Al Qaeda courier. The CIA had been hunting that courier for years, ever since detainees told interrogators that the courier was so trusted by bin Laden that he might very well be living with the Al Qaeda leader.

Nestled in an affluent neighborhood, the compound was surrounded by walls as high as 18 feet, topped with barbed wire. Two security gates guarded the only way in. A third-floor terrace was shielded by a seven-foot privacy wall. No phone lines or Internet cables ran to the property. The residents burned their garbage rather than put it out for collection. Intelligence officials believed the million-dollar compound was built five years ago to protect a major terrorist figure. The question was, who?

The CIA asked itself again and again who might be living behind those walls. Each time, they concluded it was almost certainly bin Laden.

President Barack Obama described the operation in broad strokes Sunday night. Details were provided in interviews with counterterrorism and intelligence authorities, senior administration officials and other U.S. officials. All spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation.

By mid-February, intelligence from multiple sources was clear enough that Obama wanted to "pursue an aggressive course of action," a senior administration official said. Over the next two and a half months, Obama led five meetings of the National Security Council focused solely on whether bin Laden was in that compound and, if so, how to get him, the official said.

Normally, the U.S. shares its counterterrorism intelligence widely with trusted allies in Britain, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. And the U.S. normally does not carry out ground operations inside Pakistan without collaboration with Pakistani intelligence. But this mission was too important and too secretive.

On April 29, Obama approved an operation to kill bin Laden. It was a mission that required surgical accuracy, even more precision than could be delivered by the government's sophisticated Predator drones. To execute it, Obama tapped a small contingent of the Navy's elite SEAL Team Six and put them under the command of CIA Director Leon Panetta, whose analysts monitored the compound from afar.

Panetta was directly in charge of the team, a U.S. official said, and his conference room was transformed into a command center.

Details of exactly how the raid unfolded remain murky. But the Al Qaeda courier, his brother and one of bin Laden's sons were killed. No Americans were injured. Senior administration officials will only say that bin Laden "resisted." And then the man behind the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil died from an American bullet to his head.

It was mid-afternoon in Virginia when Panetta and his team received word that bin Laden was dead. Cheers and applause broke out across the conference room.

Friday April 29 2011

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:03:12 -0800

Scott Rasmussen,

Right Direction or Wrong Track

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:27:30 -0800

Twenty-one percent (21%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 24. It's the fourth week in a row that the measurement has gone down, with confidence in the nation's course now reaching the lowest point of the Obama presidency.

Prior to this past week, the number saying the country is headed in the right direction has ranged from a low of 22% to a high of 35% since President Obama's inauguration in January 2009.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of voters now say the country is heading down the wrong track. Since January 2009, pessimism about the country's direction has ranged from 57% to 72%.

Leading up to Obama's inauguration, the number of voters who felt the country was heading in the right direction remained below 20%. The week of his inauguration, voter confidence rose to 27% and climbed into the low to mid-30s until mid-May of that year. Since then, belief that the country is heading in the right direction has been trending lower.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of black voters now say the country is heading in the right direction. Just 17% of white voters and 19% of voters of other races agree.

Most Republicans (91%) and voters not affiliated with either major political party (74%) believe the United States is heading down the wrong track. But now only 37% of Democrats think the country is heading in the right direction, while 51% say it's heading down the wrong track.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Political Class voters still believe the country is heading in the right direction. Eighty-two percent (82%) of Mainstream voters disagree.

The Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes have moved up slightly from the low for the year reached on Monday.

Article continues here

Fox News Poll: Romney, Huckabee Top GOP 2012 Contenders for President

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:46:16 -0800

FoxNews.com

With the Republican field for the 2012 presidential nomination still in flux, the two major candidates who ran for president in 2008 -- Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee -- receive the most backing among GOP voters nationally.

Romney garners the support of 19 percent of Republicans and Huckabee 17 percent, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday. The next group of candidates is bunched together: Sarah Palin at nine percent, Donald Trump at eight percent, and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul receive seven percent a piece.

Earlier this month, Huckabee was at 15 percent among Republican voters, Romney 14 percent, Palin 12 percent, Trump 11 percent and Gingrich 7 percent (April 3-5).

Among voters who consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement, Huckabee (19 percent) and Romney (17 percent) are still the top two choices, followed by Palin (10 percent) and Trump (10 percent). No other contenders receive double-digit support.

Click here for full poll results.

Overall, voters have mixed feelings about Trump’s entrance on the political stage. Setting aside whether they would support Trump in an election, 47 percent like his straight talk and the message he sends to the world, while the same amount -- 47 percent -- don’t like his style. Among Republicans, 66 percent like Trump’s straight talk; that increases to 80 percent among Tea Partiers.

By a wide 24 percentage-point margin, more voters have a negative than a positive view of Trump (33 percent favorable and 57 percent unfavorable). Republicans, however, are more likely to have a favorable (46 percent) than an unfavorable (41percent) opinion of Trump. Some 53 percent of voters have a favorable view of Barack Obama, and 44 percent unfavorable.

Would voters be proud to have the outspoken businessman and reality television star in the White House? In a word, no. While 33 percent would be at least somewhat proud if Trump were their president, most -- 62 percent -- would not. By comparison, the results are almost the exact opposite for Obama: 65 percent are proud to have him as their president and 33 percent aren’t.

Nearly half of voters would feel proud to have a President Huckabee (47 percent proud, 38 percent not) or a President Romney (46 percent proud, 39 percent not).

After raising questions about Obama’s birth certificate and hiring investigators to look into it, Trump is taking credit for Obama releasing a copy of his “long-form” birth certificate Wednesday. The poll asked voters, setting aside how they felt about where Obama was born, has the president been trying to hide something about his upbringing and his past? Some 33 percent say yes, Obama is trying to hide something, while a 61 percent majority says no, he isn’t.

The poll was taken Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, so some interviews were conducted before and some were after the president released his birth certificate.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cell phone interviews with 911 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from April 25 to April 27. For the total sample, it has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Mike Huckabee is the host of “Huckabee” on Fox News Channel, and Sarah Palin is a Fox News contributor.

Romney and Huckabee

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:42:49 -0800

Obama's Controversial Pastor...No, not Wright or Pfleger!

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:21:24 -0800

Where did the President spend his Easter? Before the star studded event on the White House lawn he attended the Shiloh Baptist Church. The Church’s Pastor, Dr. Wallace Charles Smith has a reputation of preaching about race. FoxNews.com uncovered a speech last year at Eastern University during which he made some very shocking statements including a comparison of Rush Limbaugh to the KKK: Watch video.

Is the President running out of his pastor problem 9 lives? The media seems to have helped him narrowly escape the relations with Reverend Wright and Father Pfleger, but President Obama, you are making it increasingly difficult for the media to defend you and ignore what’s being said in the pews you sit in.

Listen to Sean discuss and debate the issue with Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor Bob Beckel, and Media Research Center’s Brent Bozell here.

Wednesday April 27 2011

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:12:47 -0800

Jim DeMint, Angela McGlowan,

2012 Candidate Series: Gov Gary Johnson

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:09:43 -0800

Gary Johnson for President
In Sean’s continuing effort to inform listeners of the 2012 Presidential field, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was invited on the program to discuss his candidacy. “You’re more of a libertarian than a Conservative,” quizzed Hannity, “On issues involving the legalization of marijuana you’d be more on the libertarian side.” Johnson tried to defend himself by saying, “We have the highest incarceration rates of any country in the world and this is the country of liberty, freedom and personal responsibility?” Hannity shot back, “I don’t want people to get the impression that this is something you’re running and in your defense you cut over 1200 jobs in New Mexico as Governor without firing anyone and you really did do a good job.”

Gov Gary Johnson

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:05:23 -0800

Tuesday April 26 2011

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:25:54 -0800

Bob Beckel, Brent Bozell, Donald Trump,

'Behind the BIas': How Media's Hostility Towards GOP Began

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:36:14 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 22, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And welcome to this special edition of Hannity, "Behind the Bias," a close-up look at the Obama-mania media's liberal bias.

Now, it is common knowledge that the mainstream media from the major television networks to the country's most influential newspapers are biased against the GOP. Tonight, we'll examine some of the major scandals that resulted from this bias, and the victims that it has left in its wake.

But first, how and why this bias began?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC ANCHOR, FEB. 12, 2008: I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often.

BRYANT GUMBLE, FORMER "TODAY" CO-ANCHOR, JULY 17, 1989: Largely, as a result of the policies and priorities of the Reagan administration, more people are becoming poor and staying poor in this country than at any time since World War II.

CHARLES KURALT, FORMER CBS ANCHOR, MAY 4, 1994: It is liberalism, whether people like it or not which is animated, all the years of my life. What on earth did conservatism ever accomplished for our country?

HANNITY (voice-over): Republicans may have learned to live with media bias and even to fight against it. But to many the roots of this bias remains a mystery. The media's hostility towards the GOP first emerged as a bizarre tendency to apologize for America's enemies.

JERRY KING, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT, APRIL 6, 1992: Under the communists, women in the workplace were glorified.

HANNITY: And as Republicans gained power, the media turned its sights on them, portraying the GOP's most influential figures as he either evil or stupid.

This bias goes all the way back to the 1930s when New York Times reporter Walter Durante traveled to Stalin's Soviet Union. Now, during the Ukrainian famine that killed millions, he told his readers that quote, "Any report of a famine in Russia is today an exaggeration or malignant propaganda." In a socialist utopia like the Soviet Union, Durante argued, quote, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

BRENT BOZELL, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER: The New York Times sends a reporter over there who goes back and says, he's seen the future and it works.

GERARD ALEXANDER, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSITUTE: To have a fundamentally conflicted attitude about not just the United States, but whether the United States is a constructive force in the world, that is something that I think really does separates a lot of liberals and conservatives.

HANNITY: The media have been apologizing for America's enemies from the Cold War through the war on terror.

MIKE WALLACE, FORMER CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT, FEB. 11, 1990: Many soviets viewing the current chaos and nationalist unrest under Gorbachev, look back almost longingly to the era of brutal order under Stalin.

BERT QUINT, FORMER CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT, MAY 9, 1990: Communism is being swept away, but so too is the social safety net it provided.

BARBARA WALTERS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR, OCT. 11, 2002: For Castro, freedom starts with education. And if literacy alone were the yardstick, Cuba would rank as one of the freest nations on earth.

BOZELL: There was an element on the left, particularly in the news media that saw the Soviet Union as a wonderful experiment. They were just simply blind to the tens of millions who were massacred.

ALEXANDER: They tend to think of the United States as having had influences on the world that are at times quite destructive. I think, for example, they found it easy, liberal journalists to develop a posture whereby they weren't American journalists, their job was to be neutral, not just about any given story that they were covering, but even about the United States.

HANNITY: This left wing biased emerged in the mid 20th century when liberals dominated most of American intellectual and public life, that dominant shaped, the media's portrayal of the GOP.

ALEXANDER: That long liberal dominance over intellectual life, over government life, over parliament, you know, legislative majorities in Congress, that bred a complacency and self-righteousness that I think really affected media coverage, including especially the conservatives in their rising years, and is still with us today.

HANNITY: This liberal dominance also affected the media's attitude towards conservative policies and ideas.

ALEXANDER: Liberalism is treated as the natural default. Its conservatism that needs to be explained. It's conservatism that needs narratives.

HANNITY: Ironically, it was the emergence of a muscular conservative movement in the mid-1950s led by William F. Buckley and his National Review magazine that bred hostility towards conservatives on the part of the mainstream media.

ALEXANDER: It was very threatening for them when conservative voices began to rise in 1950s, 60s and 70s, challenging their interpretations of a great number of things.

JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: That ability to puncture a lot of liberal myths is in the court of Bill Buckley and later people like Irving Kristol, you know, that people were coming along and saying, hey, wait a second, there isn't just one way of thinking in America.

ALEXANDER: Their rising confidence and the reach of their voices did provoke a backlash.

HANNITY: That backlash lead to a simplistic portrayal of conservatives in the media. Many are depicted as evil, from Ronald Reagan...

HOWELL RAINES, FORMER NEW YORK TIMES EXECUTIVE EDITOR, NOV. 17, 2003: The Reagan years depressed me because of the callousness and the greed and the hard-hearted attitude towards people have very little in this society.

HANNITY: To Dick Cheney...

DAVID GREGORY, NBC NEWS ANCHOR, SEPT. 1, 2004: He has become a dark figure.

HANNITY: And of course, Karl Rove...

WALTER CRONKITE, FORMER CBS NEWS ANCHOR, OCT. 29, 2004: He probably set up bin Laden to this thing.

BOZELL: They would not allow that conservatives might be wrong but are driven by noble intentions, they won't even allow that. Conservatives have to be described as being wrong and being evil at the same time.

ALEXANDER: There is a self-righteous streak that runs through a great deal of liberal and progressive policy making from the New Deal through the 1960s and 1970s in which they were convinced that they really had the solutions to problems. In which case, if you disagreed with them, you probably didn't want to solve that problem and for some reason you were uncaring

HANNITY: And if conservatives aren't evil and heartless, then they are just stupid.

TOM FRIEDMAN, NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST, MARCH 14, 1999: When I listen to the Republicans in Congress on foreign policy, there is such an I'm stupid and proud of it attitude.

KATIE COURIC, FORMER "TODAY" CO-ANCHOR, SEPT. 27, 1999: Good morning, the Gipper was an airhead.

Monday April 25 2011

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:39:57 -0800

Juan Williams,

Friday April 22 2011

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:16:17 -0800

Ann Coulter,

Sarah Palin Defends Donald Trump, Talks 2012

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:33:23 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 19, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The names Trump and Palin have been the two most talked about people in politics in recent weeks. The duo pulled no punches in separate Tea Party speeches over the weekend, as they harshly criticized the President Barack Obama's handling of both foreign and domestic issues alike.

And in a moment I will be joined live by Governor Sarah Palin. But first, earlier today, Donald Trump appeared on "Good Morning America" and once again, raised questions about President Obama's birth certificate.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLI FROM "GOOD MORNING AMERICA")

DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: There's a real question about the birth certificate. There's a real question about the -- his own citizenship.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: There is -- there is no question. He's got a certificate of live birth that is recognized by the State Department.

TRUMP: George, George, I know exactly what you're getting at.

STEPHANOPOULOS: The facts!

TRUMP: But for some reason -- no, they're not the facts. He doesn't have a birth certificate or he hasn't provided. He's given a certificate of live birth. It's a much different instrument.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A certificate of live birth meets the standard in the State Department for anyone's citizenship.

TRUMP: George--

STEPHANOPOULOS: There were contemporaneous reports in two Hawaiian newspapers.

TRUMP: George, they have co-opted you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Given the --- no, those are the facts sir.

TRUMP: George, they've co-opted you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Who's they?

TRUMP: It's not- --obviously, Obama and his minions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, Mr. Trump also appeared on the "Today Show" this morning and had some kind words about my next guest. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "TODAY")

TRUMP: I really respect her a lot. She's got a tremendous energy and a tremendous following. I think that she has been very unfairly treated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, could a Palin-Trump and alliance be forming? Here to answer that question and much more, Fox News contributor, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Governor, out there in the warm weather, thanks for being with us.

SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, thank you. And Happy Easter week, Sean.

HANNITY: And Happy Easter week to you.

Well, first of all, I think his characterization was 100 percent rate when he said he respects you a lot. You have tremendous energy, a great following and you've been unfairly treated. You guys are sort of, you've been going back and forth, you had some kind words to say about him and the legitimacy of this question that he's raising. What do you think about the issue in general?

PALIN: Well, first, I do have respect for Donald Trump and for his candidness. I think people are craving that today in the world of political speak that were coming out of the White House. And the confusing messages that come from so many of our politicos, we appreciate that Donald Trump is so candid.

Donald Trump is the one being really treated unfairly, I would say though in the press. When they are hammering him about the one issue that he has brought up and not been shy about, and that's the birth certificate. He's merely answering reporters' questions about his view on the birth certificate. And then reporters turn that around and saying, that's all he's got. He's always running on a birth certificate issue, when that's not the case. Donald Trump is running on the issue, bottom line, that President Obama is so far over his head. He has gotten us on the road to bankruptcy and insolvency and a less secure nation. And Trump and so many of us want to do something about that.

HANNITY: Yes. I watched the interview, and it was interesting to me because Donald Trump kept saying, I don't want to talk about this, I'm dealing with China, I'm dealing with trade imbalances, oil dependency issues and all of this. And you keep asking me about it. And it was interesting to watch Stephanopoulos interrupt him no fewer than seven times. And in all the time that Barack Obama ran for president, he was asked one question about Bill Ayers. Gave speeches with him, sat onboard with him, started a campaign in his house.

You've experienced this double standard. You think it is going to continue through 2012?

PALIN: Well, it certainly will continue if candidates allow it to continue. Candidates need to remember that they have control over the message. Especially thank God, in this day and age of the social media and fair and balanced reporters who are out there wanting to just inform the public. You can talk to them. And you don't have to give the time of day to those who are so obviously biased.

Yes, I was thinking back to on some of those interviews that Obama had given back when he was a candidate. The inconsistencies that he spewed back then, and reporters didn't follow up. Remember, he told Charlie Gibson back in '08 that he would increase capital gains taxes even if it didn't results in more revenue coming into the Feds, just in order to be more fair to taxpayers.

An issue like that, that is so relevant today as we see Obama and now starting to flirt with this idea of increasing taxes on everybody, should have been followed up back then as a candidate. Certainly now, he as our president, he needs to be asked these tough questions.

HANNITY: I watched your speech over the weekend. And then I re-read the transcript. And I thought this was one of the most hard-hitting speeches you gave, more than anything else, against the Republicans. And you went through their promise when they were running in 2010 was, hey, elect us, $100 billions we are going to cut. That got prorated to 61. The deal came out to 38, they said, 38.5 then it was 28.5. And then, you rightly pointed out in the end, we are told according to those that actually, you know, fact checked it, it was only $345 billion, not even a trillion -- I'm sorry $352 million, not a billion.

PALIN: Three fifty two, right.

HANNITY: Yes. So, the question is, and then you went on to say, that that's not courage, that's capitulation. And you said, we didn't elect you just to rearrange the deck chairs on a sinking titanic. Pretty strong words for a fellow Republicans.

PALIN: Right, and I say, with all due respect to those Republicans, who, they got elected with them that promise set they would rein in government growth on the over reach and the over borrowing and the over spending that President Obama has so embraced. We can't just -- we can't afford to have any of the GOP in there, or the Blue Dogs Democrats, the Reagan Democrats, be a part of Obama's very radical agenda which as I say is putting us on the road to bankruptcy. We are flat broke. It makes absolutely no sense to capitulate, and say OK, we'll throw in cowboy poetry and pretty monuments and more museums and maybe some road projects that we don't need.

Certainly some services provided by the Feds that maybe states could be providing. And so many things that are thrown into this budget. And yet, we feel that we need to what, strike a deal with the losing party? The party just lost in 2010.

Romney: Obama playing "chicken" with the US economy

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:14:11 -0800

Former Massachusetts Governor and potential Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has formed an exploratory committee but has not yet announced his candidacy. Most polls show him as one of the clear front-runners of the GOP potentials.

Romney immediately gives his intentions by stating “this president is playing chicken with the US economy. I’m looking at this race because I have a 25 year career in the private sector I know how jobs come and how they go and I want to create for jobs for the American people and get our economy back on track.”

When asked what he thought of the budget deal struck at the last minute to not shut down the government, he said “step by step we’ll have as much spending reduction and budget reduction as possible.” But for now Obama “needs to stop putting out ‘pseudo cures.”

Sean brings up Obamacare and the healthcare plan Romney helped to pass in Massachusetts. “I think this is going to be a big campaign issue. People always bring up the issue of the healthcare plan you passed in Massachusetts…the president has even gone as far as to say I modeled this after Mitt Romney. If you get the nomination and Obama says you’re the architect of Obamacare how do you answer that?”

A confident Romney replies “I’d love to have the opportunity because I’d turn to him and say ‘OK Mr. President then why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you pick up the phone and say Mitt you carried out an experiment in Massachusetts and some of it worked well and some of it didn’t …’ Because I’d a told him Obamacare would be trillions of dollars of new spending in a government that can afford it right now, that it’s gonna make a mess of the U.S. healthcare system, that it’s bad policy, that it’s unconstitutional and the American people in the final analysis are going to reject it.”

Sean then turns to foreign policy. Romney says the “Lack of foreign policy by this president has an enormous cost…right now with the Middle East in turmoil, Egypt, Libya, Syria...for this president not to know which way to hit is frightening and dangerous… It’s almost as if he does not have a compass.”

Lastly Romney gives us insight into the most important lesson he learned for his last presidential run and what he plans on doing differently if he runs again in 2012.

Boston Tea Party of 2011

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:22:54 -0800

Since the election of Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) all eyes have been on Massachusetts. An historically Democratic state and home to the most liberal politicians of the Kennedy family.

Sean interviews Jeff Katz of Boston’s WXKS Morning show to get the latest directly from the belly of the Boston Tea Party Friday April 15th. “We have Massachusetts Republicans which a lot of other places would be called Democrats,” but they “put their money where their mouth was” Katz says of the ‘Tea Party’ patrons who came out in droves.

Sean asked what was their reaction to the budget deal made in DC just one week before to which Katz replied “It’s like a boyfriend or a girlfriend who left for something better,” and notes the concern that Republicans fear they will get blamed for everything which stunts their motivation to go after what the people who voted them in office want.

Sean mentions the stunning election victories for the Republicans and Tea Party candidates in 2011 and admits “if anyone gets the credit it’s the people you’re with today.” Katz responds “they’re regular folks, no a part of the establishment, many have never been involved in politics. They work really hard and like to do the right thing. They are passionate because they understand this debate is about their kids and their grandkids.”

Friday April 15 2011

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:37:45 -0800

Juan Williams,

Rick Santorum: Is he running?

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:32:31 -0800

Sean welcomed former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum to the program to discuss his potential candidacy for president in 2012. Santorum inched closer to making a bid for the White House with the announcement he has launched a presidential exploratory committee. ”Now, the only test for me is whether we can raise the money that's necessary," the two-term Republican senator said.

"We're going to determine over the next few weeks as to whether the resources are going to be there," he added. The launch of the committee is an important fund-raising tool that often signals an upcoming run. The 52-year-old has trailed his potential opponents in most surveys, but on Saturday he won a straw poll taken at the Greenville County Republican convention in South Carolina - an important, early nomination state.

He's also been making the rounds to the key voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. “It's time for America to be America again -- an America that rewards innovation and hard work, that stands by our allies instead of our enemies, that protects even the most vulnerable of our society, and an America that says every life is to be cherished," said Santorum.

"That's what I believe in and that's why I'm taking this next step in a possible run for president."

Donald Trump

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:16:23 -0800

Exclusive: Donald Trump Talks 2012, Calls Obama the 'Worst President Ever'

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:13:28 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 14, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And tonight, the road to 2012 takes us to one of the most famous buildings in all of New York City, Trump Tower.

Now earlier I sat down with the man who has been skyrocketing in the poll poles. And appears to be inching closer and closer to challenging President Barack Obama in 2012, the one and only Donald Trump.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, Newsmax, you do an interview with them. And you say, you will announce that you are going to run right after "Celebrity Apprentice" on the last night of the show, you will do what?

DONALD TRUMP, TRUMP ORGANIZATION CEO: Well, I will be announcing as to whether or not I'll run sometime prior to June, I've been saying that for a long time. Newsmax actually took a little of liberty when they said I will be running. I'm not going to be running. I will announce what I will be doing sometime prior to June.

VIDEO: Trump: 'I Know How to Solve the Problem'

HANNITY: OK.

TRUMP: Which I've been consistently saying.

HANNITY: Where are you now in the decision-making process?

VIDEO: Trump Sounds Off on President's Foreign Policy

TRUMP: Well, I'll tell you, we just had the polls and the polls are, as you know, because I watched you the other day, you're the first one that told me because I'm watching your television show. And I'm saying gee- whiz, I'm number one. But the polls have been really amazing. CNN came out with a poll which was phenomenal. I'm in first place with Governor Huckabee, who is a good guy, by the way. Who I have gotten to know wisely and I think really is a terrific guy. And it's always bad. You know, you are supposed to compete against people you -- I do much better when I don't like the people. But I happen to like him. And I like a couple of the other candidates.

HANNITY: Well, we talk about that in a second.

You said you are Barack Obama's worst nightmare, why?

TRUMP: Well, I understand him. I understand what is going on. I understand the mindset. They do not want to run against me. I get it. And he doesn't get it. And I watched that speech yesterday, I thought it was an outrage. That wasn't a speech on deficit. That was a political speech. That means he's running and that was his first speech. I thought it was ridiculous. Raising taxes and really not doing anything having to do with the deficit, I thought it was an outrage.

And look, he's been horrible president. I always said the worst president was Jimmy Carter. Guess what? Jimmy Carter goes to second place. Barack Obama has been the worst president ever. The history of this country, Barack Obama is number one. And he had this little minion go on television.

HANNITY: David Plouffe.

TRUMP: And say -- David, whoever. Nobody knows how to pronounce his name.

HANNITY: Yes.

TRUMP: He ought to make that clear. But he had this person go on television, and make a statement like oh, gee, we certainly --

HANNITY: He said you have zero chance you would get hired by the American people.

TRUMP: And yet I just won the recent CNN poll, the independent vote. And I was the one that was tied, statistically tied with Obama, the only Republican that was statistically tied with Obama. And I haven't even done anything. You know, I haven't said I'm running.

So, and you know, the poles, one of the pollsters actually said that one of the reasons I don't go even higher is a lot of people don't think I'm running. They think I'm having a good time talking to people like you. You've become my friend for a month but I've watched you so much. I consider you like a friend for a long time.

HANNITY: Right.

TRUMP: But the fact is, a lot of people in the polls don't vote for me, because they think I'm just having a good time. They think that I'm promoting "Celebrity Apprentice" which I'm absolutely not. And you just told me how good the ratings are in "Celebrity Apprentice." I don't need this --

HANNITY: Let's look at these polls. CNN poll. There's a Newsmax online poll over half a million people.

TRUMP: That was the best of all.

HANNITY: That was the best of all. You're second in New Hampshire in a poll that came out, Mitt Romney first, you're second.

TRUMP: And he lives there.

HANNITY: Yes. OK. So, he's from Massachusetts.

So, the question is, why do you think your message is resonating? What do you think it is about you at this moment that all of a sudden, you come out of nowhere, you say I'm thinking about running for president and these poll numbers go up? What do you think is happening?

TRUMP: Well, I think I'm known as a really good business man. And I am. And by the way, if I run, I will have to disclose my opinion finances, and my finances are phenomenal. Much better than anyone knows. You know, they know I'm rich. But I've done a great job. I've made a lot of great decisions. And that will be disclosed if and when I decide to run. And I actually look forward to that. It will be I think a very positive thing.

HANNITY: All right. Let me ask you about the nomination. So, you are running for the Republican nomination, if you run.

TRUMP: Yes.

HANNITY: OK.

TRUMP: Correct

HANNITY: You describe yourself politically as a conservative?

TRUMP: I'm a very conservative person.

HANNITY: Very conservative person, but...

TRUMP: With a big heart. I'm actually a conservative with a big heart.

Thursday April 14 2011

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:17:24 -0800

Karl Rove, Rick Santorum, Pat Buchanan,

Boehner: "I fought like a dog"

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:03:24 -0800

After an intense countdown to a near Government shutdown, many are wondering what happened last Friday with Washington insiders. Many Conservatives feel as though the Republican caucus did not hold out and not back down to achieve a greater number of budget cuts. Others are glad there was any spending cuts at all and find it beneficial to the American people that a government shutdown did not occur.

Sean interviewed Boehner yesterday, who seemed eager to defend what he says he fought for behind closed doors. “Are you aware of how much criticism there is among the base about the deal?” Sean begins like a pistol. “I’ve heard a lot of inaccurate information out there, that’s why I’m on your show” replied a defensive Boehner.

He goes on to express that this agreement will cut 78.5 billion, and that had Republicans not won last November, 78.5 billion more would have been spent. However, he did admit “you haven’t seen my celebrating this because it’s a small step, but it’s a worthwhile step.”

While Sean expresses the opinion that many believe Republicans should have allowed a government shutdown instead of giving in to a small debt reduction, Boehner is glad it did not come to a government shutdown. He is proud that “there’s not one earmark in this bill” although admits “big entitlement programs are the issues that have to be addressed.”

When asked how contentious negotiations were behind closed doors with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama, Boehner said “polite but firm. I gave everything I had to get as much as I could for our team.”

Congress freshmen on their first 100 days

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:11:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 12, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: It has been almost 100 days since the 112th Congress reconvened with a new GOP-controlled House. And here to help us examine what has been accomplished, what still needs to get done, are the lawmakers themselves.

And joining us live tonight from Washington, D.C. with the focus group of freshmen Republican congressmen and women is the author of the best seller "Win," the president of the Word Doctors, the one and only Dr. Luntz. How are you sir?

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER: Sean, actually, I'm not the worst dressed person here for the first time of my life

HANNITY: Wow, ouch!

LUNTZ: These 19 people here have been here for 98 days to be exact. And we had most of you here 98 days ago to ask you, could you really change the culture of Washington? So, here's the question, by a show of hands, how many believe that you have already changed the culture of Washington? Changed it.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Changing.

LUNTZ: Changing. Tell me how?

REP. CORY GARDNER, R-COLO.: We moved it from a conversation about to whether or not to cut spending to how much we can and how much we should cut. We are going to cut more.

REP. SANDY ADAMS, R-FLA.: I think we've made it more transparent. We are giving people an opportunity to really know the truth.

LUNTZ: And you are their freshmen class president?

REP. AUSTIN SCOTT, R-GA.: Yes, sir.

LUNTZ: How would you characterize what your class has done to change the culture of Washington?

SCOTT: I'd say, it's 87 independent leaders with the focus on the next generation not the next election.

LUNTZ: You are one of the people who voted against the CR?

REP. TREY GOWDY, R-S.C.: Yes, sir.

LUNTZ: Has the culture of Washington changed, in your mind?

GOWDY: I think it has. And I did vote against the CR because I'm blessed to represent a people who are prepared to reshape and resize government at a little quicker pace. But I can tell you this. I have respect for my colleagues in the freshmen class who cast a different vote. And I don't question their commitment to cutting one iota.

LUNTZ: You also voted against the CR?

REP. SCOTT RIGELL , R-VA.: Yes. I didn't quite buy into the logic of taking it down to $61 billion from 100. So, as I saw it, we were at 39 percent of really where we need to be. And I know as an entrepreneur that reducing deficit, reducing the deficit is in itself, and act of job creation. And the sense of urgency, this Congress this year addressing the deficit.

LUNTZ: So, I want to ask you, how specifically has the culture changed? Because there are millions of people quite literally watching tonight that aren't quite sure. How have you actually changed it?

REP. MICHAEL GRIMM, R-N.Y.: Well, the fact that we are no longer speaking about how much we are spending and what we are cutting. What I think you are hearing, several on the same page. But we have different tactics. And I respect my colleagues that have different tactics. But at the end of the day, our goals are exactly the same. And that's to dramatically reduce spending and get our fiscal house in order.

REP. MIKE POMPEO, R-KAN.: Yes. I think another big change has been that we don't spend much time talking about how we got here, whether it was Democrats or Republicans that dug this hole. We spent a lot of time thinking about, what are the facts? How do we get out of this what is the path forward? I think that's a big shift.

LUNTZ: Sean, you wouldn't have seen it, but we filmed just before we were here, a segment that is going to air this weekend. We had 14, 15 average Americans going back and forth with these 19 freshmen. And it would have made you feel really good, the interaction that they had, the comments that they were making. This is real frustration with Washington among the American people but it feels like they get it.

HANNITY: Let me give credit where credit is due. I believe they have changed the debate. I am encouraged by that. I do sense from everybody that is speaking there that there is a sense of urgency. I just want to ask this, because I think I speak for a lot of people. When we have a $3.6 trillion budget this year, $1.65 trillion deficit and we can't get $61 billion cut, the prorated rate from $100 billion and it comes out to $28 billion, I know I speak for a lot of people in saying, we are disappointed. And I want to get their reaction.

LUNTZ: Go ahead.

REP. ADAM KINZINGER, R-ILL.: You know, what? That's a great question. Ask Harry Reid. We would have cut even more than $61 billion if we could. But we've got to deal with a Democratic controlled Senate, we'll dealing with democrat president. Ask Harry Reid why it is extreme to cut just a small percentage of the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And it comes down to tactics, I mean, there are some in this freshmen class, that have said, you know, we are not going to cut this until it gets to the $100 billion mark. And there are others like myself, say, I will cut as much as I can every chance we get until we get to the debt ceiling. Because it's all about the debt ceiling.

REP. ANNA MARIE BUERKLE, R-N.Y.: And, you know, the truth of the matter is, we are disappointed too. We started out, we wanted $100 billion, that was the goal. But we've got to be realistic. And we are only one half of one-third of this government.

GARDNER: But this week we start moving from billions of dollars to trillions of dollars. That's where we start this week, real cuts of trillions and dollars.

LUNTZ: So, I've got to ask you with a show of hands. Sean, raising legitimate points, have you been successful in cutting wasteful Washington spending, yes or no?

(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)

REP. JAMIE HERRERA BEUTLER, R-WAS.: Here's the thing, we've cut more than any Congress, four times more than any Congress since World War II and we've been here for four months. It is a step. If we were saying we are stopping here by all means, be disappointed. But this is one step, and we are going to keep walking. Baby, I voted for that cut, I'm proud of it. It was the right step. And we're going to keep putting one foot in front of the other until we get this fiscal house in order.

LUNTZ: Sean, they talked about the $38-and-a-half billion dollar cut. And it was the most. And in the conversations that we were having before we went on the air, to them, it is a step-by-step approach.

HANNITY: Well, can I just respond? I didn't know who that was the last speaker. But what she said is encouraging to me. What others have been saying there is encouraging to me. Because I just feel like if we are really spitting in the ocean with $61 billion. I think $6.2 trillion which Paul Ryan proposes is great. For example, how do we get the next level of cuts in? Are they willing to vote against raising the debt ceiling for example?

LUNTZ: OK. Let's do it.

BEUTLER: I think, I am no closer today -- and I'm Jamie Herrera Beutler, Washington State. I'm no closer today to voting to increase the debt ceiling than I was what, 90, 100 days ago. Because I haven't seen anything that would cause me to do that. We are here to make a change, and that's what we're going to do.

ADAMS: Neither am I. No closer today than I was when we first got here. We haven't seen the reforms that we need to even begin the discussion on raising the debt ceiling.

LUNTZ: Last one.

President Obama

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:09:35 -0800

Bachmann: "This was a lost opportunity"

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:22:29 -0800

In an interview with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann yesterday Sean said “If I was in the congress I would not have supported this deal. Twenty-eight people agree with me and you’re one of them.” In a battle over the deficit and where to make budget cuts, the Congress made an agreement just shy of midnight Friday night, at which point there would have been a government shutdown.

Many on the right, including Michele Bachmann and Sean think the GOP did not get a large enough cut in the deficit including ending funding for programs like Obamacare and Planned Parenthood.

Bachmann was disappointed because “voters wanted to dramatically cut funding and defund Obamacare.” Although many GOP demands were not met, Bachmann does say “we’re in a very powerful position. Obama doesn’t give us a dime unless we give it to him” but laments that, “if we wailed on it harder we could have gotten a lot further.”

Sean asks Bachmann point blank “what happened?” Part of Bachmann’s explanation is that Congress “didn’t make it clear what they were fighting for.” In essence they “didn’t’ blow [the issues] up and make it a big issue to get backing” from public opinion. They kept focusing on cuts but not the finite details as to where the cuts should be made.

“We didn’t let people know what we were fighting for. I was fighting to defund Planned Parenthood and defund Obamacare.”

Hannity vs Sharpton Debate (4/7/11)

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:22:16 -0800

Thursday April 07 2011

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:13:29 -0800

Dick Morris, Donald Trump, Karl Rove,

Can Obama Buy Another Term?

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:07:09 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 4, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: "The Anointed One" officially launched his 2012 re-election bid today. Now, many predict it will be the first billion dollar campaign in presidential race history. And he kicked us all off with this online video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: There are so many things that are still on the table that need to be addressed. And we want them to be addressed by President Obama.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I had the assumption that politics was all show, it's all sound bites. But politics is how we govern ourselves. That's what politics is. It's not the grass roots level. It is individuals talking to other individuals and making a difference.

GRAPHIC: It begins with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. Now, isn't it odd that the president's supporters did not cite anything he has actually accomplished? I do however agree with the nice lady who said that there are a lot of things on the table that still need to be addressed. You know, like the federal deficit which is skyrocketed to a projected $1.65 trillion this year alone. Hey, maybe the president can contribute the billion dollars that he raises on the campaign trail, and we can start paying that debt down. After all, we know that none of his policies are going to accomplish this.

And joining me now with analysis is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Revolt," the one and only former Clinton Adviser Dick Morris. Dick, welcome back.

DICK MORRIS, FORMER CLINTON ADVISER: Thank you.

HANNITY: Look, you follow history. Can you name a single time, single incident, either somebody running for the Senate, governor or the presidency where somebody could buy an election? Don't you have to be elected on your record, re-elected on your records, your success?

MORRIS: I would say relax about that, Sean. Money is very important when you are running de novo for president, when you are a new candidate and you're trying to get the nomination and you're trying to win the election.

But for a president running for re-election, money is almost irrelevant. It makes you feel good to spend it. He's probably trying to intimidate people out of running against him in the primary. But the media coverage is so intense and the free media coverage on this station and every other is so major, that ads really don't have very much to do with that. I don't think it matters whether Obama raises $100 million or $2 billion, I don't think it's going to increase or decrease his chances any one way or the other.

HANNITY: Well, let me see if I can ask you another way. But look, doesn't he need to do a good job? If he did a good job, like for example, watching this video, nobody is citing any great success he's had.

MORRIS: Right.

HANNITY: You know, Reagan had an incredible record after four years. Look, even your buddy Bill Clinton. The era of big government was over, things changed, Republicans helped him, but things were better. You know, pick any president, if they are doing well, the economy is doing well, National Security, they feel secured, they'll elect him.

MORRIS: Yes. I think that he's in very bad shape. I think he is going to be in worse shape, I think we are going to beat him in 2012. But we need to beat him this week in Congress by not caving in on the continuing resolution that is on fire right now.

HANNITY: Yes. Well, if you look at the numbers for example, I'll get into this in more details in just a moment here. But on the economy, Dick, your polls is your business -- 78 percent of independents, feel he give him a disapproval rate on the economy. Now, if you look for example, National Security, 71 percent disapprove of his handling of those issues.

MORRIS: Sure. And when you get a president who has a job approval in the 40s, but approval on the issues in the low 30s and the high 20s, the issues of the lead indicator and his overall popularity in both chairs is going to fall dramatically.

But can we talk about the budget? Because to me that is the crucial thing here. To pretend that the Republicans in the House are saying that they are going to give in over -- insisting on $61 billion of cuts, which is 100 prorated. And that in a budget of $700 billion of nondefense discretionary, $3.7 trillion total, you can't come up with $61 billion of cuts, is outrageous. It's almost obscene.

And Boehner is pushing a false choice. He's playing Harry Reid's game, of either you make these cuts -- I'm sorry, either you compromise on these cuts or you shut the whole government down, that's ridiculous. You don't have to do that. Do a targeted government shutdown. Go for the agencies you want to zero fund and zero fund them. Zero fund PBS.

HANNITY: I agree with you.

MORRIS: -- zero fund arts and humanities, zero fund foreign aid, zero fund new road construction. And then, if the Senate doesn't pass that, who cares it is zero funded anyway. And then if the Senate says, I'm going to zero fund everything else in protest against what you've done, hey, be my guest, shut the government down to keep $740 million a year flowing to Kenya. Shut it all down for foreign aid.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I read your column. And we discuss this a little bit last week. I think you are dead right. There's a simple way to do this. Reassure Americans, the government that their Social Security checks, the Medicare, and Medicaid is handled, that are defense is taken care of. I think there's a way to do it.

A lot of people, including myself, got nervous when John Boehner said, John Boehner said last week, we control one half of one-third of the government, we are going to fight for the largest spending cuts we can.

Now, there was a report last week and we heard it all weekend, that the number is going to be $33 billion. Again, about half of what they promise.

MORRIS: Yes. This is kind of split the difference politics is just wrong.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Hang on. Now, we said today that is not the number, he hasn't agreed to it. And I think this false choice maybe dawning on him, that if they do this, they're going to lose the support of the people that recently hired them.

MORRIS: Yes. I beg all of your listeners -- on my website at dickmorris.com, I have this column outlining it. I beg you, pick up the phone, and call your Republican congressman and tell him, you're going to vote against him in a primary unless he goes ahead and votes for the$ 61 billion of cuts and accepts no compromise.

HANNITY: Yes.

MORRIS: 202-224-3121, that's the phone number.

HANNITY: All right. Let me ask you this, you know, if you look at Obama, it was all about hope and change, people fainting. You know, he was the messiah. The earth was literally going to be healed. The tides would be literally rise or stop rising in reaction to him.

MORRIS: Stop rising, global warming.

HANNITY: Yes, exactly. But what do you make of Eric Holder announcing that the Department of Justice is giving up the idea of trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? And, you know, one of his biggest promises.

MORRIS: I think he's buying himself a heck of a primary fight from Kucinich. I think he figures as long as he moves to the right, Hillary can't run against him, because she is to the right. But he's opening himself up to a big left wing primary. But by the way, Sean, before we go, I just would hate myself if I didn't say this on your show. Tomorrow, in Wisconsin, there is an election for Judge Presser, who is the swing vote on the state Supreme Court on the Walker education reforms, the union reforms. It is vital that this guy get re-elected. If you are watching this program and in Wisconsin, do everything you can to get your friends and your neighbors out. We will never improve education in America, unless we can limit the power of these unions. And if Walker's reforms are thrown out by the Supreme Court, we never will.

HANNITY: All right. Dick Morris, it was good to see you, I appreciate it.

Tuesday April 05 2011

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:54:13 -0800

Stuart Varney, Juan Williams,

Sessions, Jeff

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:13:33 -0800

Jeff Sessions was born in Selma, Alabama on December 24, 1946, and grew up in Hybart (pronounced Hib-ert), the son of a country store owner. Growing up in the country, Sessions was instilled with the core values – honesty, hard work, belief in God and parental respect – that define him today. In 1964 he Jeff Sessions became an Eagle Scout and has received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. After attending school in nearby Camden, Sessions worked his way through Huntingdon College in Montgomery, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Alabama in 1973. Sessions served in the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to1986 ultimately attaining the rank of Captain. He still considers that period to be one of the most rewarding chapters of his life.

Sessions’ interest in the law led to a distinguished legal career, first as a practicing attorney in Russellville, Alabama, and then in Mobile, which he now calls home. Following a two-year stint as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1975-1977), Sessions was nominated by President Reagan in 1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabama’s Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. Sessions was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1995, serving as the state’s chief legal officer until 1997, when he entered the United States Senate.

As a United States Senator, Sessions has focused his energies on maintaining a strong military, upholding the rule of law, limiting the role of government, and providing tax relief to stimulate economic growth and empower Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.

Dubbed a “budget hawk” by the Alabama press, Sen. Sessions was selected to serve as the Ranking Member on the Senate Budget Committee to restrain the growth of federal spending and make permanent tax cuts that benefit American families. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions is a leading advocate of confirming federal judges who follow the law and do not legislate from the bench. He serves as chairman of the Judiciary Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee.

Pence: “We need to change the status quo runaway spending”

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:27:00 -0800

What is going on in our nation’s capitol? Politicians are so incapable of working together and getting anything done they are actually threatening to shut government down?

U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) gives us some insider info as to what the heck is going on. Pence laments that the “typical political games that get played by the establishment in DC” is to blame, “there is no deal, there’s no agreement on numbers. We’re in the fight and we’re demanding they step up and embrace our commitment to take spending to pre-stimulus levels.”

Sean questions if Republicans fear that they will be blamed for the government shutdown, even when Sen Chuck Schumer was caught on tape saying “Boehner’s in a box. But if he supports the tea party there’s inevitably going to be a shut-down” and Howard Dean was on tape saying he was “quietly rooting for a shutdown cause I know who’s gonna get blamed.”

Pence believes that even though a 61 billion cut is not enough, “the sixty-one billion dollar fight matters because it will set the stage for the bigger battles that lie ahead,” that “it’s a defining moment…this is a moment where Republicans have to take a stand and demonstrate the courage of our convictions. If Lib’s want to play political games and shut down the government then I say shut it down!”

Speaker Boehner and Rep Pence

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:22:16 -0800

Bachmann Sets Timetable for Presidential Decision

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:48:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 31, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: My next guest hasn't officially thrown her hat in the 2012 presidential race yet, but with several reason trips to early primary states, she certainly appears to be leaning in that direction. And a final decision could be mere months away.

In the meantime, she is staying busy in Washington fighting to keep the government from shutting down in just eight days. And I sat down earlier with Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman n to get her reaction to the countdown to the shutdown plus more on her possible presidential plans.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Congresswoman, welcome back. Good to see you.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: Sean, good to see you again too. Thank you.

HANNITY: All right. So, this is getting serious. You're contemplating a run for the presidency. Probably had some good reaction when you were in Iowa. What is the status?

BACHMANN: We had a great reaction when I was in Iowa. I met with a lot of people from different walks of life. Just a tremendous response, and we has said that if I do make a decision to throw my hat in, we'll make it probably in early summer because in Iowa the straw poll is in August and there needs to be a little bit a lead time to get ready for something like that. So, if I do decide to jump in, it will be in early summer.

HANNITY: What are the considerations that are running through your mind right now? Obviously, it's a big decision. But are you looking at the other candidates? Do you want to see who gets in? Are there one, two or three people that if they get in, maybe you will say OK, I'm content that there are good people in the race?

BACHMANN: It really isn't about other people or what their decision will be. Because I already think that there are a lot of great people out there. What I'm looking at is whether or not I think this is the right thing that I need to do with the message that I'm bringing forth. And whether the people that are in Iowa and other states see me as someone that they want to get behind and support.

HANNITY: All right. Steny Hoyer said earlier this week that the odds of a government shutdown now are increasing. There are articles how Democrats are trying to calculate how to best benefit from a government shutdown. There was this conference call with Senator Schumer and reporters, he didn't know he was being recorded and listened to. And I want to play to you what he said and I want to get your reaction.

BACHMANN: Sure.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y.: The main thrust is basically that we want to negotiate and we want to come up with a compromise but the Tea Party is pulling Boehner to far over to the right, and so far over that they're not -- there's no more fruitful negotiations. And the subtext at this is the only way we can avoid to shutdown is for Boehner to come up with the reasonable compromise and not just listen to what the Tea Party wants. Because the Tea Party wants to stick to HR1, with its draconian extreme, I always use the word extreme, that's what the caucus instructed me to do the other week, extreme cuts and all these riders. And Boehner's in a box.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, he's instructing his fellow Democratic senators, these are what you say to reporters, use the word extreme, tie Boehner to the Tea Party, they are not reasonable, they've got to extricate themselves somehow from the Tea Party Movement. First of all, I think this is a strategy that we are going to see a lot of in the next few years. So, it's very revealing, but what are your thoughts when you hear that?

BACHMANN: Well, I think it is clear that Chuck Schumer and the liberals that he's surrounded with are seeing this more as a play, and as a political move. That's not how we are seeing this, the conservatives in Congress.

This is real. This is people's lives. And Sean, if there is anything that I've seen especially in this last week, people feel a sense of urgency. They want the country to work again. It is not working. And Chuck Schumer is talking about political advantage for liberals. That is not what conservatives want. We want to cut spending. And we also want to defund Obamacare. So, we are trying to figure out a way that we can get to yes. We're trying to work on behalf of the American people and actually get something done that they want us to do. And unfortunately, Chuck Schumer and the liberals are just trying to make political points.

HANNITY: You know, if anything, it is interesting. Because it seems with the two previous continuing resolutions, and the Republicans did extracted, I think it was $10 billion in cuts -- that you wanted more. And you and Mike Pence are saying, look, we are headed for a showdown, we might as well pick this fight now, because the type of cuts were needed, the Democrats were saying, they might agree with $20 billion more in cuts. But the reality is, if you have a $3.7 trillion budget, $1.65 trillion deficit this year, you know, $20 billion is peanuts.

So, it seems that if anything, you're trying to get the leadership to be more aggressive and fight this battle now and maybe there's been some resistance, am I reading that right?

BACHMANN: We've been working on this for some time, Congressman Steve King of Iowa, Louie Gohmert of Texas. We have been adamant about this, that it is time for the conservatives and Congress to change the arch of history. And the way that we do that as we pulled back this money that was hidden in plain sight in the Obamacare bill, you had it on your show, $105 billion, 464 million, that no one discussed prior to the vote on the bill. That needs to come back.

HANNITY: All right. So, if the Republicans want $61 billion, Democrats are only willing to give $20 billion. Republicans are promising because I interviewed Paul Ryan, that their budget is going to deal with entitlements and go back to 2008 spending levels.

So, my question is, you know, is there any movement on this where they say way, wait a minute, we need to take out the prefunding of Obamacare as well as the $61 billion. Is anyone in the leadership saying that is a good idea?

BACHMANN: That is a discussion that's going on here at the Capitol right now and I think that it is a very fruitful discussion. We heard from Chuck Schumer, they aren't planning on negotiating at all. In other words, they want what they want, they aren't planning on moving off of square one.

Why should the conservatives constantly be givin into the liberals? That happens over and over and over again. And I think that's where a lot of people across the country are saying, we sent to you Washington, D.C., to fight, now is the time to fight. I'm one of those, Steve King is one of those, Louie Gohmert is one of those. We have a lot of other members here now those agree with that. And that's what we intend to do, we intend to fight.

HANNITY: Congresswoman Bachmann. Good to see you. We'll be watching your movements in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina. And I appreciate your time. Thanks for being with us.

BACHMANN: We'll stay in touch. Thanks, Sean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Obama BIllboard

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:45:20 -0800

Gotta Love This Billboard

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:44:41 -0800

Will Libya Hurt Obama's Re-Election Chances?

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:29:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 30, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: "The Anointed One's" epic fall from grace continues tonight as the Obama White House struggles to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Now concerns over America's economic situation and fears over the growing crisis in the Mideast have now pushed President Barack Obama's approval rating to an all-time low. Now according to a brand-new Quinnipiac University poll, voters now disapprove of the job that the president is doing, 48 to 42 percent.

And with his support across the political spectrum crumbling, there is no question that 2012 is officially in play for the Republican Party. Now take a look at this. Fifty percent of those polled say the president does not deserve a second term, and that nine-point gap is the largest it has been since he took office in January of 2009. Additionally, if the election were held today, an unnamed Republican challenger would defeat our incumbent president by one percentage point.

But what's even more alarming is that more Americans disapprove than approve of the president's handling of the following situations -- Libya, the budget and deficit, the economy, foreign policy in general, health care, Afghanistan and energy. And keep in mind that is every single individual issue that was included in this particular poll.

And here to help break down all of these numbers, Fox News political analyst Juan Williams, the host of "Varney and Company" on the Fox Business Network, Stuart Varney. Guys, good to see you.

STUART VARNEY, FOX BUSINESS: Good to be with you.

HANNITY: Appreciate you being here. All right, well, Juan, not looking good poll-wise for the president.

JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I don't understand sometimes how you put numbers together. This is the most ridiculous thing I ever saw.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIAMS: This is the lowest -- Quinnipiac has the lowest numbers of any poll. Fox News/Dynamic has him up 47 to 49...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: ... Rasmussen has him down.

WILLIAMS: Ras -- OK, so you got to -- you want to go to the bottom...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: You want to keep going?

WILLIAMS: ... in order to distort the story...

HANNITY: The very bottom.

WILLIAMS: ... and make it fit your Obama-bashing agenda.

HANNITY: Hang on!

WILLIAMS: Let me tell you something -- you hang on! RealClearPolitics -- what is the average of Obama's approval? Forty-seven percent.

HANNITY: Oh!

WILLIAMS: That puts him above Ronald Reagan at this point in Reagan's term, puts him above Bill Clinton.

HANNITY: Hey, Juan, I loved Ronald Reagan.

WILLIAMS: Did they get second terms?

HANNITY: I followed Ronald Reagan. He's no Ronald Reagan Reagan.

WILLIAMS: Oh -- oh, that -- you just don't want to talk about the numbers because the numbers...

HANNITY: Look...

WILLIAMS: ... show a different story.

HANNITY: ... on every issue, Mr. Varney...

VARNEY: Thank you.

HANNITY: Yes, sir?

VARNEY: Can I get a word in edgewise (INAUDIBLE)

HANNITY: Yes, you can, sir.

WILLIAMS: Any time.

VARNEY: Thank you very much indeed!

(LAUGHTER)

VARNEY: Face reality, Juan. Face reality, please. This administration has a terrible case of policy paralysis and zero leadership and no solutions to the grave problems we face! Let me just go through the list for one second, and then you can understand the numbers that you're facing here. Energy at $4 dollar gas. The president makes a speech today, does nothing about this problem in the immediate future! The budget and the debt -- the president's budget adds $7 trillion to the debt! And he's sniping, playing political games from the sidelines! He's not leading!

Health care -- yes, there is a policy, and it is unraveling and it's going to bankrupt the country! And four, housing -- we're heading for another dip down. The president's policy has totally failed! There is an absence of leadership, and that's why you've got the numbers. Face reality, Juan.

Thursday March 24 2011

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:50:46 -0800

Michele Bachmann,

Newt: "There are a series of Obama excuses"

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:13:57 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 22, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: As the allied attacks rage on, some are beginning to ask just who are the Libyan rebels that America is supporting in this war? And the answer is frightening. A series of reports indicates that the anti-Qaddafi rebels have direct ties to Al Qaeda.

Now, Andy McCarthy at National Review online cites a French report that has Libyan rebels shouting, quote, "Now, the time of Jihad has arrived." Rolling Stone cites a West Point analysis of Al Qaeda records which indicate that Libya's rebel groups may have facilitated the murder of American soldiers in Iraq. Quote, "nearly 20 percent of foreign fighters in Iraq were Libyans on a per capital basis, Libya nearly doubled Saudi Arabia as the top source of foreign fighters."

So I think it's pretty safe to say these are not the people America should be supporting abroad. And on the home front, the president is facing a growing outcry for not seeking permission from Congress before authorizing these attacks. Now, in 2007, he told the Boston globe, quote, "The president does not have the power under the constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

And that is a far cry from what the president said at our press conference yesterday. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The core principle that has to be upheld here is that when the entire international community, almost unanimously, says that there is a potential humanitarian crisis about to take place, that a leader who has lost his legitimacy decides to turn his military on his own people, then we can't simply stand by with empty words, that we have to take some sort of action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So I guess when the international community is onboard, Congressional approval is not required. Joining me now with analysis, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. By the way, you can check out his website, his new website, at NewtExplore2012.com, and yes, I will be asking question about that coming up.

All right. Mr. Speaker, these are serious significant times we are living in here. When -- I don't know what to make of this. Is this now the Obama doctrine? That if there is a potential humanitarian crisis about to take place and the international community is onboard, that we can't standby with empty words, we have to take some action. Does that apply to Mugabe, Sudan, taking him out? Does that apply to, you know, Syria, Lebanon? You know, where do we take this? Is it Bahrain? Saudi Arabia? What does that mean?

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Well, I don't think there is an Obama doctrine. I think there are a series of Obama excuses. I disagree profoundly with what he said yesterday. First of all, there is no international community that has any authority. So, the idea that the president of the United States isn't responsible to Congress and the American people, but he's responsible to some vague organization called the international community, is profoundly wrong.

Second, Qaddafi never had legitimacy. Qaddafi is a dictator, he's been a dictator since 1969. This idea that dictators lose legitimacy. Mugabe has no legitimacy. Castro has no legitimacy. We have to understand that dictators don't have legitimacy. They may have power. But they don't have legitimacy.

Third, if humanitarian is the standard, you pointed out correctly, then Sudan's does instruction in Darfur has to rank as one of the great disasters. There are several places in West Africa that are disasters. Mugabe in Zimbabwe is a disaster. Kim Jong-il in North Korea is a disaster. I mean, President Obama, the president has going to have to answer questions because his current policy is so incoherent and so confused that it is literally indefensible.

HANNITY: Well, you had four very specific questions that you want answers to. Then one of them was, what is the Obama standard now for deciding to intervene? You know, how do we define success? You say, you know, what are we prepared to do to achieve that success? And how is the president going to pay for it? I might also add, what is an exit strategy?

GINGRICH: Look, let me just say, first of all, that you have, I think two very different moments. Prior to March 3rd, the United States should have taken a quiet, careful, indirect route that would have gotten rid of Qaddafi but without using American force and without using overt American action. There are ways you can do that.

After March 3rd, when President Obama himself said, this is his own words, "Qaddafi must go." Well, if the president of the United States says that, and he said it by the way long before the international community said anything, and he said it without this support of the international community. And they have now changed his mission, from getting rid of Qaddafi to some kind of humanitarian intervention which makes no sense.

The only rational purpose for the United States to be engaged right now because of the president's own words are to get rid of Qaddafi and replace his government. But for us to try go in on some kind of a sees fire, in a tribal war. George Will has written two remarkable columns in which he has outlined the kind of questions we should be asking and has been raising the kind of troubling facts about the nature of Libya that people should be aware of. There is no Libya nation. Secretary Clinton was describing the Libyan nation. There is no Libyan nation. It is a collection of tribes. It is a society which is pre-national in its organizational structure. And we ought to be much more realistic about what we are dealing with.

HANNITY: You know, this is where I think the country has a media crisis. You know, it's sort of like the suck-up to Obama, I want another interview media is what I call it when you think about it. Because this is what he said. He said, it is not acceptable for Qaddafi to stay in power. He said, he needs to go. Then all weekend long, he sent out members of his own administration, military leaders contradicting that. Then today, now we went back to he has to go. And fundamentally, I'm having a hard time understanding. First of all, I don't think the president wanted to do this. And how to you confuse the issue in four days to this extent?

GINGRICH: Well, an effective American administration ought to speak with one voice. It ought to have one policy. They actually should agree on the policy before the first press conference. They shouldn't hold a press conference and then start planning.

But beyond that, if we are going to be in a coalition, the coalition should have one leadership. The very fact that from day one, the French have been doing one set of things and we've been doing something fundamentally different, should trouble every American. It violates everything we learned after World War I about how to have an effective coalition. And we spent a long time building a great capability and coalition warfare and we are now throwing it away and allowing that whole capability to collapse by having each country runoff and do whatever it wants to. This is as badly executed, I think as any policy we've seen since World War II. And it will become a case study for how not to engage in this kind of activity.

HANNITY: All right. When we come back, I want to ask you about, should he have sought the approval of Congress? We'll also talk about these reports that the rebels we are supporting may in fact be members of Al Qaeda, it is now all over the media, we'll get to that and we will have more with Speaker Gingrich coming up in just a moment. Also, is he running for president?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And we continue our coverage on the allied attacks on Muammar Qaddafi's regime in Libya. And for more on that, we are joined once again by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Mr. Speaker, Time Magazine, administration knows no-fly zone may help Al Qaeda, quote, an aide has quoted saying, "It is a huge gamble, the administration knows that Al Qaeda which has active cells in Libya will try to exploit the power vacuum that exists. Hillary's own state department recognizes the Libyan rebels have an Al Qaeda affiliate." In other words, the Libyan Islamic fighting group is considered an Al Qaeda affiliate. Rolling Stone, "U.S. bombs helping jihadists," question marks. Andy McCarthy -- Sky News, AP, the U.K. Telegraph. Is there a chance they didn't know or that they didn't think about who we may ultimately be helping in this?

GINGRICH: Well, I think it is very likely that they didn't know and didn't think through who they were helping. I think that the lack of sophisticated planning, the lack of professionalism. We really miss General Jones as the National Security adviser because he brought a level of pure professionalism to the White House that is now I think totally gone in National Security matters. And the fact is that you really need a much larger strategic view than we have right now. And I think that's probably a topic for a different day.

Whether you are talking about Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, we need a much deeper and much more serious view than we've had. And I'm in the process of asking the Congress, both the House and Senate to really organize a unique working group to look at 10 years after 9/11 and try to assess whether in fact, we are in worse shape in a deeper trouble with more enemies than we had 10 years ago. Because I'm afraid that's the case.

HANNITY: Let me talk to you about, and get your thoughts on what we call mission creep here. Because again, the word, Qaddafi has to go. All weekend long we heard, no, we are not going after Qaddafi. Now, this has evolved into a Washington Examiner report that says, Mr. Speaker, that Obama spoke to the prime minister, "We will install democracy in Libya." He finally notified congress three days later. And Dennis Kucinich is introducing a bill to defund it. And Ralph Nader wants him impeached.

So, did he make a mistake by not seeking Congress's authorization? And did you view that as a violation of the War Powers Act?

GINGRICH: Well, no, the war powers act technically gives him 45 days. But it is a violation of common sense. Here's the problem I think they're into. I don't think they knew what they were doing. So I don't think they were in a position to advise the Congress and seek counsel. In the years when I was the Republican whip under President George H. W. Bush, and then the first years of the Clinton administration and the years I was speaker, I went through lots and lots of briefings with the executive branch, both of the Republican president and with the Democratic president, looking at Somalia, looking at the Balkans, looking at Iraq.

And I think it is very important for any president to recognize you need to have the congressional leadership in the room. You need to listen to them. You need to give them honest briefings. You need to have your senior team go up and brief them.

But remember, all the evidence we have right now is the secretary of defense was opposed to doing this. The secretary of state was in favor of doing it. So, how do you send them up to a meeting?

I think this has been so badly organized and so badly planned that they have now burned a lot of bridges in Congress. And I think that they can't with a straight face, claim to have seriously consulted the Congress. And that's a huge mistake. Presidents have to have some kind of support from the Congress if they are going to sustain a national security or foreign policy.

HANNITY: Well, FoxNews is reporting late tonight, just as we are coming on the air, that the command will likely transition to French or British control by this time next week. And would be based in Naples, Italy. And so, in other words, it seems like the president reluctantly went in with a conflicting message and looking to hightail it out as quick as he can. I don't know what's worse.

GINGRICH: But what does that mean? Does that mean we are still going to supply tankers, so their aircraft can reach Libya?

HANNITY: I don't know what it means.

GINGRICH: Does it mean we are going to provide aircraft overhead in order to watch

the missiles?

HANNITY: I don't suck up to Obama, he won't give me an interview. I wish I knew.

GINGRICH: Yes. Well, I'm not sure he knows what it means.

HANNITY: I agree.

Wednesday March 23 2011

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:01:25 -0800

Pat Buchanan,

Obama's Hamlet Complex

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:24:27 -0800

To Be or Not To Be? To Do or Not To Do? That is the internal struggle Obama deals with daily. Our Commander-in-Chief is sounding a lot like Hamlet! Sean brings to light that Obama wants “the United States to be a nation among nations, and not a leader of nations.”

His recent actions of not getting involved with Libya when chaos initially erupted and leaving the future of Libya and our American soldiers’ security in the hands of allies is yet another example of one very confused, weak, or at the very least, uncertain President. He has said our military will not push Qaddafi out, but that we’d still push him out some other way. Exactly what way is that Mr. President?

But Sean warns us that there is an inexorable danger in Obama’s actions. He does not believe in American exceptionalism and “doesn’t feel we should lead the world because we’re too morally imperfect.” Who then, if not the U.S., will Obama entrust to lead the world?

Qaddafi and Libyan Civil War

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:53:29 -0800

President Mike Pence?

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:21:31 -0800

Indiana Congressman Mike Pence joined Sean to discuss his political future. “So, are you running for Governor,” hit Sean, “So you’re definitely out for a run for the Presidency.”

“We were flattered by those who said we should jump into the national race,” acknowledged Pence, “We concluded that our calling was closer to home so we’re looking to see if we can provide a service closer to home.”

Congressman Mike Pence’s constant pressure on politicians in Washington to control spending and bring government back to the people has led him to be among the most popular leaders in America.

It’s clear that Congressman Pence loves his home state and seems awfully dedicated to its success. The White House could use similar leadership these days.

Obama and Israel: Friend or Foe?

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:58:16 -0800

By ISI LEIBLER

Despite the president’s positive remarks to 50 representatives of the Conference of Presidents last week, it seems he remains committed to a policy of applying one-sided pressure to make further unilateral concessions.

The “closed” meeting between President Barack Obama and 50 representatives of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations last week was hailed by the chairman Alan Solow and executive vice chairman Malcolm Hoenlein as an “extraordinary session,” providing “open lines of communication with President Obama and his administration” and an “opportunity to articulate the views of American Jews on issues that face the country.”

In a similar vein, the White House said the meeting reaffirmed “America’s unshakable support for Israel’s security, opposition to any effort to delegitimize or single it out for criticism, and a commitment to achieve a peace that will secure the future for Arabs and Israelis alike.”

In contrast to the 2009 meeting, J Street was not invited.

From all reports, Obama went out of his way to persuade participants that he was committed to Israel. More importantly, he unequivocally reaffirmed his commitment to maintain US military aid at the current record levels.

However, despite his positive remarks, it would appear that he remains committed to a policy of applying one-sided pressure to make further unilateral concessions.

Participants thanked the president for having exercised the US veto at the UN Security Council. But in response to expressions of regret at the harsh anti-Israeli statements made by US representatives before and after the vote, Obama stated that White House officials consider it imperative for the US “to do something to show balance” in view of the delicacy of Arab public opinion during these “sensitive” times.

It was also disconcerting to learn that despite the recent tsunamis in the Arab world, Obama still sees a linkage between the turmoil – including the threat from Iran – and the need for concessions to the Palestinians.

This distortion of reality is accentuated when viewed in conjunction with recent US statements downplaying radical Islamic fundamentalist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which the State Department now describes as “moderate,” despite its clear objectives of creating a Shari’a state and destroying Israel.

EVEN MORE alarming was a JTA report quoting Obama making a patronizing call to the Jewish leaders to speak to their friends and colleagues in Israel, and to “search your souls” as to whether its government is serious about making peace.

Rabbi Steven Wernick, executive vice president and CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, observed that Obama “did talk about the fact that Israel is the stronger party here, militarily, culturally and politically. And Israel needs to create the context for it to happen.”

The president was obviously implying that it bears primary responsibility for advancing the peace process.

Obama also reaffirmed his long-standing view that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is a moderate peace partner, but said “the Palestinians don’t feel confident that the Netanyahu government is serious about territorial concessions.”

In stark contrast to his efforts to understand what motivated Abbas, Obama failed to credit the unprecedented concessions offered by our democratically elected prime minister, whose policies are supported by the vast majority of the people.

Indeed, if the opposition held the reins of government, its approach would barely differ.

Binyamin Netanyahu was the first prime minister to introduce a 10-month freeze on settlement construction, in response to US pressure. Nevertheless, throughout this period, Abbas refused to negotiate with him.

Thus, when Obama urged further concessions, insisting that “both sides” make a “greater effort,” it would have been appropriate for a Jewish representative to ask him whether he saw parallels between the corrupt and duplicitous leadership of Abbas and Hosni Mubarak, whom he recently disowned.

What further concessions can be made to appease the Palestinians, who still refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, reject demilitarization and doggedly insist on the ‘right’ of all refugees and their descendants to reside in Israel? Should Netanyahu agree to return to the indefensible 1948 armistice lines? These lines (although erroneously referred to as 1967 borders) were described by Abba Eban as the “Auschwitz borders” and were never intended to be permanent.

Should Netanyahu disregard UN Security Council Resolution 242, which understood that those borders would need to be adjusted? Does Obama expect Israel to unilaterally withdraw? We have seen the results of Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal from Gaza – the empowerment of Hamas and the intensification of rockets and terrorism, culminating in the Gaza war.

ISRAEL’S LONG-TERM viability remains highly dependent on US support – more so today than at any period since the creation of the state. It is highly gratifying that the American public and Congress are strongly supportive. But in the White House, we have a president whose priority is to appease the Islamic states, and even engage with radical Islamists, which inevitably conflicts with support for the Jewish state. Thus the burden of responsibility for Israel advocacy and resistance to sacrificing it on the altar of expediency now rests with our American Jewish supporters.

Obama seeks to be reelected, and has displayed a willingness to forgo ideology in pursuit of this objective.

Jews represent a small but important strategic group in US politics. They have considerable leverage, but if in a meeting with the president representative leaders fail to respond to bizarre and patronizing remarks, they will cease to have any impact.

Strategizing a policy under such circumstances is no easy task.

Jewish community leaders must carefully weigh responses to government policies they consider to be contrary to Jewish interests. Speaking up may jeopardize future access, but responsible leaders must never refrain from respectfully doing so.

The awful legacy of Rabbi Stephen Wise, whose blind adulation of Franklin Roosevelt during the Holocaust resulted in one of the darkest pages in American Jewish history, has been internalized by a postwar generation of proud American Jewish leaders prepared to stand up and be counted. Yet given American Jewry’s long association with the Democratic Party, standing up to a president like Obama represents a formidable challenge.

However, their response will undoubtedly have an historic impact on the future of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.

A Newt Gingrich Presidency

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:09:03 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 4, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was the talk of the political world this week as rumors swirled that a major announcement was imminent. And on Thursday, in Atlanta, Georgia, Speaker Gingrich revealed that he's one step closer to challenging "The Anointed One" in the year 2012 and it is forming a presidential exploratory website. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We will look at this very seriously. And we will very methodically layout the framework of what we'll do next. And we think that the key is, to have citizens who understand this is going to take a lot of us for a long time, working together. There will be many more chances to have conversations. I simply want to give you that. And I think you will have more than enough to write about in the near future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now the former speaker was a bit cryptic about his future in politics yesterday. But tonight, we've got the man himself right here in our studio to help set the record straight. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Mr. Speaker.

GINGRICH: Good to be here.

HANNITY: Mr. President?

GINGRICH: Well, that's up to God and the American people. But Callista and I were grateful yesterday because we had Governor Deal, and we had the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House, all three with us. And all three supportive of what we are doing. And I think, at this point we have an exploratory website NewtExplore2012.com. And we're getting a lot of responses on it. And my expectation is by the end of this exploratory process, they will have an announcement and we'll be in the race. And I think it is very daunting, but it's also very exciting.

HANNITY: All right. So, there are reasons why you took this step rather than an exploratory committee. Can you talk a little bit about that?

GINGRICH: Well, first of all, technically under the Federal Election Commission, it doesn't matter. It's exploratory process whether you have a committee or not. We are still in the process of wrapping up several things in our businesses. And for example, I'm -- this is the first time in I think 10 years I've been here as a guest and not as an analyst.

HANNITY: I think that is true.

GINGRICH: Because Fox News said, got it, you're not here anymore.

HANNITY: Right.

GINGRICH: The American Enterprise Institute very similarly, I've been a senior scholar there, and as of yesterday I'm not senior scholar there. So, there are things like that we are working through. We also wanted to have an ability to listen to the whole country. That's why we are using a website approach. Because we want people anywhere who want to be part of this to let us know and to be engaged with it. And I think that there's a real hunger for an articulate expression of American exceptionalism of how free enterprise creates jobs, of what we need to do to balance the budget once again as we did when I was speaker, to get power out of Washington and back home to the states and the people thereof and implement the 10th Amendment. And so, and frankly to protect us in foreign policy and the national security. So, I think the potential for a positive, solutions-oriented alternative to Obama, is very, very real. And that's where we're going to start outlining on Monday when I'm in Iowa.

HANNITY: Right. In Iowa, then New Hampshire and South Carolina?

GINGRICH: Absolutely.

HANNITY: But this is an important question, you started your political career back in 1958, that's when you began.

GINGRICH: That's right.

HANNITY: OK. You worked your way all the way up to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. And as I was reading the articles as the news was coming out this week, you know, you've been out of power in Washington, what, 17 years now.

GINGRICH: Well, 12 years since I left the speakership.

HANNITY: But 17 years when you became a speaker. That's my math.

GINGRICH: That's right.

HANNITY: What's the difference, because a lot of people saying, all right, well, does Newt still bring some -- you know, we are going to go back 12, 14, 15, 16 years and every article raises well, can Newt overcome the past in terms of the fact that you were, quote, "deemed" by the media a controversial speaker. What do you...

GINGRICH: Well, I think, first of all, if you think it is controversial to balance the federal budget for four straight years and pay off $400 billion, to have the first tax cut in 16 years and what Arthur Laffer called the largest capital gains tax cut in American history, to see unemployment go down from 5.4 percent to four percent while I was speaker. To strengthen defense, to have the largest entitlement reform in history, welfare reform -- two out of three people went to work or went to school. If those things are controversial, then it was controversial.

But I think the biggest advantage of the 12 years that I had at the American Enterprise Institute, at the Center for Health Transformation, developing ideas, making movies with Callista, writing books, I had time to think about, and frankly thanks to the Bush administration allowing me to be a volunteer adviser in defense, in intelligence, at the State Department, in health care, I had a chance to see the executive branch from the inside.

And I think I have a much deeper and more fundamental understanding today of the changes we need to be successful. You know, I'm in the Reagan tradition, I think our best years are ahead of us, not behind us. I think we have a chance to break out and have an extraordinary 20 or 30-year run, leave China and the others way behind, and be the most dynamic, you know, most prosperous and safest country in the world. That requires the kind of changes -- I don't know coming out of the speakership that I would have had anything like the depth of understanding I have now about how big the changes have to be, and how you could actually get it done.

HANNITY: Yes. What I'm hearing is, if you win the primary, what you're setting up is really compare and contrast. Two very distinct, different visions. Barack Obama wants to transform America. And you are in many ways saying you want to transform America.

GINGRICH: Well, I think President Obama wants to change America into a different country. I want to renew the American dream that all of us are endowed by our creator with certain alienable rights, that we have the right to pursue happiness. He wants to redistribute wealth. I want to make sure everybody has a chance to create wealth. You know, if somebody hasn't created it, you can't redistribute it.

I saw him today talking about how no school is going to fail. The sad fact is, his administration backs things like the New York City union, which wants to fire the 5,000 most newest, most aggressive, most energetic, most dedicated teachers on behalf of mediocrity. And I think that we ought to be clear about this. If you want people not to fail, then you better have a standard of measuring success. You better have a standard of encouraging people to do their best. And the president unfortunately actually backs bureaucracies that guarantee we are not going to succeed.

HANNITY: What do you think, for example, when you have a $14 trillion debt -- by the time the next president gets in the office, it will probably be somewhere around $18 trillion -- how do you -- with the numbers so big and so massive, how do you get to a balanced budget and then start paying down that debt?

GINGRICH: Well, first of all, when I became speaker, people thought you couldn't balance the budget at all. It was common wisdom among all of our elites.

HANNITY: What was the deficit then? What was the debt then?

GINGRICH: Debt, a couple of hundred billion dollars. The deficit was probably a third of what it is now. But here's my point. It is just a question of scale. We actually got to a balanced budget in three years. Now, there were a couple of things you would do immediately. First is, you'd pass very dramatic tax cuts to create economic growth, because if you go from nine percent unemployment down to four and five percent of the American people go back to work, they come off Medicaid, they come off food stamps, they come off unemployment, they start paying taxes because they have a job. That's step number one to a balanced budget.

Second, quit spending. I mean, this new budget the president sent in is a joke. He ought to call Governor Cuomo and Governor Brown, who are Democrats, and ask their advice because both of them are trying to get to a balanced budget because they have to. And his budget is a disaster. See, just stop spending.

Senator Manchin, who as the Democratic conservative governor of West Virginia, with a $4 billion dollar state budget, had $1 billion rainy day fund. He said, the first thing he did when he became governor is he stopped hiring. He said, there's about a 10 percent turnover in a year, and if you just stop hiring, within two years, you have a dramatically smaller government. So, you can -- my message is simple. I have done it with the help of a lot of people, John Kasich among others. We can do it again. A balanced budget is possible. And that should be one of our goals.

HANNITY: All right. We're going to take a break. More with the former Speaker of the House coming up right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." We continue now, joining me in studio, former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. I just -- one little point on this. So, you have this website, NewtExplore2012

Haley , Nikki

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:05:58 -0800

Nikki Randhawa Haley was elected the 116th Governor of South Carolina on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

One of the strongest fiscal conservatives in state government, Nikki was first elected to represent the 87th District in Lexington County in 2004, when, as a virtual unknown, she beat the longest serving state legislator in a Republican primary. In 2008, Representative Haley was sent back to the Statehouse with 83 percent of the vote - the highest percentage earned by any lawmaker facing a contested South Carolina election that year. She won the Republican Party nomination for governor on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.

Her time in Columbia has been marked by conservative leadership and an unwavering commitment to the taxpayers’ bottom line. She has fought wasteful spending at every turn, pushed for smaller, more efficient government, and led the fight for accountability and transparency that, before her arrival, was sorely lacking in the Legislature.

For her efforts to cut taxes and slow the growth of government spending, Nikki was named “Friend of the Taxpayer” (2009) by the S.C. Association of Taxpayers and a “Taxpayer Hero” (2005) by Gov. Mark Sanford. She has lifetime “A” ratings from the South Carolina Club for Growth, the Palmetto Family Council, and the National Rifle Association. Nikki has also received the Palmetto Leadership Award from the S.C. Policy Council for her expertise on policy matters and the Strom Thurmond Excellence in Public Service and Government Award from the S.C. Federation of Republican Women for the outstanding constituent service she provided to her district.

Born in Bamberg, S.C., the daughter of Indian immigrants, Nikki’s first job was keeping the books for her family’s clothing store - at the age of 13. She went on to graduate from Clemson University with a B.S. degree in accounting and, following her graduation, worked as Accounting Supervisor for the Charlotte, N.C. based corporation FCR, Inc. and five of its subsidiaries. Nikki then went back to the family business where she helped oversee its growth into a multi-million dollar operation.

Obama's Energy Dependence!

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:36:05 -0800

Sean played a clip of a congressional hearing where Dan Burton (R-IN), grills Hilary Clinton on the concept of energy independence, saying we are continuing and increasingly dependent on foreign energy, impeding the United States’ ability to become energy independent.

In true Hilary fashion, she doesn’t back down…”There is a lot that can be done right now that will make us energy efficient and I think some of the short term decisions that are being made by the Congress undermine our march for energy independence.” Really Hilary, placing blame on Congress? The Congress that has been in office for just barely two full months?

Sean notes that it is Obama who has banned drilling everywhere he can. He promised he’d build new nuclear energy plants…nope…instead he’s allocated billions to phony green energy products which are useless and have accomplished nothing.

The political instability in the Middle East is just the latest scary realization come to life that if we do not gain energy independence their turmoil will blow up in our face and gas prices will spike.

Since Obama has been inaugurated and joined forces with the left’s environmental extremists the price of oil has now tripled. That dependence is the single greatest national security issue we have.

Sean tramples on the assumption the “Obama mania media” has put forth that the uprisings are to blame for gas prices rising saying “it shouldn’t matter! The single biggest cause for oil prices is refusal of this president and recent congress to develop our own energy sources. Period.”

Diane Russell on Wisconsin Chaos

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 05:13:56 -0800

Sean was joined by Maine State Representative Diane Russell, the state legislator who’s making headlines by leaving Maine to join the protestors in Wisconsin. Kate Obenshain, the Vice President of the Young America’s Foundation, joined in the debate to discuss union battle that’s being waged in The Badger State. “This is a matter of realizing that Wisconsin is broke and all this screaming and running away from their responsibilities and it’s high time that the voters realize that, for fifty years, the unions have been determining their own benefits and as a consequence the tax payers have been getting a bum deal.”

Russell countered, “The unions have agreed to all the budget concessions and they want to have a seat at the table.” An angry Hannity fought back, “What you’re missing Diane, this foundation where unions take union member money and donates to democrats to get sweetheart deals that taxpaye rs have to pay for and kicking the can down the road isn’t working anymore.”

That, in the end, is the real issue that nearly every state is facing. States like California, New York, Wisconsin and others are collapsing under the weight of their own size and politicians have turned the other way for many years because they’ve been carried to re-election on the backs of the very labor unions they now can’t pay for.

Troopers sent to absent senators' homes

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:02:30 -0800

www.jsonline.com/blogs

By Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel

Feb. 24, 2011

State troopers were dispatched early this morning to the homes of all 14 Democratic state senators, who fled the Capitol a week ago to stall debate on a bill to restrict public worker bargaining rights.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said he took the move because he'd had reports some of the senators were going home nights and driving in the morning to Chicago. The Democrats have said they left Wisconsin to avoid being compelled to return to the Capitol and face a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

"Troopers aren't going to arrest anybody," Fitzgerald said. He hopes the Democrats if confronted by a trooper and a Senate page will comply with Senate tradition and rules and return to the Capitol.

As of 9 a.m., though, Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for Fitzgerald, said that so far no Democratic senators have been found.

It would only take one of the 14 Democrats to give majority Republicans a quorum so the budget bill can be voted on.

Fitzgerald said he would not immediately bring up the budget bill for debate as soon as one of the absent Democrats can be brought back to the Capitol

He said the Democrats' tactic of leaving town was "absolutely trashing the decorum of the Senate."

Paul Sperry and David Kupelian

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:34:00 -0800

Award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and managing editor of online news giant WorldNetDaily.com David Kupelian spoke with Sean about the chaos in the Middle East.

“What you’re seeing are the flames of Islamic rage – the whole area, the whole region of the Muslim world is on fire. These people live in fear and anger and intimidation. They have a lousy, corrupt evil government and they are just in fear and in rage all of the time. They’re like a forest fire that is waiting for a match to come along.

So they see Egypt where people are expressing their rage and their hope of freedom and these feelings are spreading throughout the region. And the reason this is spreading is because we have a weak president. We’re seeing a repeat of 1979 where a weak Jimmy Carter gave up the shah to the evil Iatola Komani who lead his barbaric reign of terror,” said Kupelian.

Paul Sperry, a Washington-based investigative journalist and Hoover Institution media fellow, joined the program with Kupelian and agreed. “The Islamic Brotherhood is taking advantage of all of this. The people are hoping for an Islamic revival and [The Islamic Brotherhood’s] message is resonating.” To listen Sean’s complete radio interview with Paul Sperry and David Kupelian please click here.

Huckabee: A 2012 Presidential Candidate?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:24:16 -0800

Former Arkansas Governor and 2008 Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee has released his ninth book, A Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need from Washington (and a Trillion That We Don’t). Does the Governor’s book allude to twelve reasons why he may run for President? Sean makes sure to press him.

Since the 2008 Presidential Elections, Governor Mike Huckabee teamed up with Fox News Channel for a hit TV show. There is great speculation that the former Governor will once again run for the Presidency, which looks particularly promising according to a Public Policy Polling survey.

BOOK: Pick up a copy of "A Simple Government" by clicking right here.

The survey has Huckabee with a clear lead of 24 percent ahead of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, the ex-governor of Massachussetts, who are tied at 14 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich comes in third with 11 percent, followed by Tim Pawlenty, the ex-governor of Minnesota, with 8 percent.

Each of the twelve things we need from Washington are their own chapter in the book-

The Most Important Form of Government Is a Father, Mother, and Children: We Need a Return to Family Values

The Further you drift from Shore, the More Likely You Are to be Lost at Sea: We Need to Return to local Government

You Can’t Spend What You Don’t Have; You Can’t Borrow What You Can’t Pay Back: We Need to Control Spending and Debt

If you Drain the Lake, All the Fish Will Die: We Need a Simple and Fair Taxation System

Once Humpty Dumpty Falls, It’s Hard to Put Him Back Together: We Need a Responsible Approach to Health and Health Care

If You Don’t Hear the School Bell Ring, Class Never Starts: We Need an Education System That Values All Students

Leave Your Campsite in Better Shape Than You Found It: We Need to Take Responsibility for the Environment

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. We Need Immigration Reform That Works

Bullies in the Playground Understand Only One Thing: We Need a Strong Approach to Terrorism

When the Bullets Are Real, There Aren’t Any Toy Soldiers: We Need an Effective Military Policy and Strategy

With Enemies Like This, Who Needs Friends? We Need to Strengthen America’s Position on the World Stage

Hope Is More Than Just the Name of My Hometown: We Need to Have Fiath in the Future, No Matter How Big Our Present Problems Are.

A Miracle In Massachusetts

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:58:10 -0800

The election of the Republican Junior Senator from Massachusetts shocked the nation and is credited with starting the tea party title-wave. The GOP Senator was elected in a 2010 special election to serve the remainder of arguably the most Liberal Senator Ted Kennedy’s term when he died after a long struggle with a brain tumor.

Considered an epic upset in the most Liberal state, Brown defeated Democratic candidate and Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, 53% to 46% . The upset was particularly embarrassing to the White House after Obama had personally traveled to Boston to try to ‘save’ the once favored Coakley. The loss was also devastating to the Liberals in support of healthcare overhaul, who feared another vote for the GOP would halt passage in the Senate.

Brown’s win was just the first of a GOP landslide when gubernatorial, senate and congressional candidates swept their Democratic opponents in the 2010 November elections. Since taking office, however, Senator Brown has been accused of flip-flopping, and caucusing with the Democrats instead of Republicans on important issues such as Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

In his new book “Against All Odds,” Senator Brown gives the reader an in-depth behind the scenes of the man who shook Massachusetts to the core, from his shameful and hidden childhood to his rise to the United States Senate. And Sean presses him on the issues the people want to know the most such as his thoughts on Obama, the direction of the country, healthcare and his future aspirations.

Listen to Sean’s Radio Interview {HERE}

Watch Senator Brown on ‘Hannity’ {HERE}

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 21, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown burst on to the political scene back in 2010 when he was unexpectedly elected to fill the seat of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. And now in a brand-new book, he details his life struggles and how they have helped shape him into the person that he is today.

And joining me now is the man himself. His book, "Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances" is now in stores.

Senator, how are you? Welcome back to the program, I appreciate you being here.

SEN. SCOTT BROWN, R-MASS.: Great, Sean. Good to be on again. Thank you.

HANNITY: I read this book. I got to tell you, you grew up poor, broken family. I mean, really broken family. You talked about, "I remember the days when the largest thing we had in our refrigerator were milk and blocks of yellow government-issued cheese."

BROWN: Yes. Good old days.

HANNITY: Not exactly, right? Pretty tough.

BROWN: It was tough. But, you know, throughout all that, the one thing that my mom did instill on us is hard work. She usually had two or three jobs. And she was just battling to, not only battling, literally sometimes with her husbands, but also, you know, battling to keep a roof over our heads. And that really was conveyed to me.

HANNITY: And you even stole food, because you were hungry.

BROWN: Yes.

HANNITY: And you got busted when you were 14-years-old.

BROWN: Yes. I stole food. I was playing basketball and running around and was growing leaps and bounds at that point at a young age. I think at 12, I was 5'11, I would just grow, grow, grow like a sprout. And, yes, I was always hungry.

HANNITY: Well, I will get to that in a second, how basketball and a coach and a social studies teacher really saved your life. You, and this got a lot of news -- you revealed in the book that you were sexually abused by a 13-year-old kid when were you seven.

BROWN: Right.

HANNITY: And when you were 14 and went away to a Christian camp, of all places.

BROWN: I was 10 actually.

HANNITY: You were 10 at that point, OK. And in the first case, you took a rock and hit the kid in the head.

BROWN: Yes.

HANNITY: How -- first of all, when you're writing this book and you're going through all of this, you know, it had to be tough to remember it all. I'm sure you tried to forget it. And why did you think it was important to put in the book?

BROWN: You don't forget at all. You don't forget. So no, it wasn't hard to recall.

HANNITY: I didn't mean it that way.

BROWN: What was difficult was obviously was bringing it public and talking about it. My family, my mom didn't know, my dad -- my wife had a sense that something was going on, just little things I did with the girls. "Hey girls, stranger danger, you know, you go to a camp and if anyone is touching you a little weird, just be aware, make sure you tell mom or dad. We won't be mad, you know, don't be embarrassed." Little things like that. So, after she read the book, she is like, oh, OK, I get it. It's allowed us to really talk things through, the same with my mom and dad. And my daughter Ayla just read it, she said, dad, I get it now, I understand why you are so protective.

HANNITY: One of your daughters, by the way, was on "American Idol," she has done very well for herself.

BROWN: Right.

HANNITY: What -- as all of this was going on in your life you had some people when you finally got to 8th grade that really, because you had, how many men came into your life through your mother -- a lot?

BROWN: My mom and dad were married four times each. My mom is happily divorced. My dad is happily married. And yes, I had some good coaches and teachers who just took me under their wing and said, "Here, here is a basketball, here, you have a lot of potential, here." And they directed me, and quite frankly, but not for that, I probably wouldn't be -- definitely wouldn't be here talking to you. That's for sure.

HANNITY: But every relationship that your mom had when she brought men into the house seemed to become an abusive one.

BROWN: Yes. Two out of four were. My dad -- obviously my dad -- they were just too young. And after that, it was pretty intense.

HANNITY: And you say, you focused all your energy in basketball. You were angry all the time and that was your outlet.

BROWN: Yes.

HANNITY: Sports.

BROWN: Yes, sports. You know, like I said, but not for that, it channeled me. I mean, I remember the coach saying, "Hey, Brown! Why don't you guys play like Brown?"

HANNITY: Because you were playing with intensity.

BROWN: "Brown, whatever you have, you keep it up. Why can't you guys be like Brown?" I'm like, what are you talking about? If they only knew.

HANNITY: Yes. Well, let's move on to politics a little bit here.

BROWN: Sure.

HANNITY: There are some members of the Tea Party that have gotten angry with you. And they've even used the term Benedict Brown. You mentioned the Tea Party, as far as I caught in the book that I was reading through most of it, is I think one time. And I think the Tea Party Movement feels, hey, wait a minute, we helped elect you. You know, why not give more praise to them.

BROWN: First of all, I do, I give great praise to not only the Tea Party but every other political party and individual group that helped me. It wasn't just one group. To think that is not really accurate.

HANNITY: You consider yourself a Tea Party member?

BROWN: No, I'm a Republican from Massachusetts. I'm not a Tea Party member. But, what is a Tea Party member, somebody is concerned about the fiscal and financial future of our country? That's me. They're concerned about the over taxation and over spending in our national security, that's me. So, I agree with what they stand for.

HANNITY: I'll give you the examples where people are mad at you, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," financial reform, START Treaty, and the jobs and highways bill.

BROWN: Well, the jobs and highways -- let's start with the jobs and highways bill. A $15 billion bill that could that, if it went through, and remember, we only had 41, I moved for cloture immediately because there was $100 billion of amendments. So, I look at it as I saved $100 billion. And it hit the parameters, did it increase taxes, increase the deficit, good for Massachusetts, good for the country, and create jobs. And it hit all those five parameters.

HANNITY: Right.

BROWN: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I'm in the military, I'm still serving. I'm a lieutenant colonel. There are gays in the military, and when they come home injured or dead, I don't ask if they are gay or straight.

HANNITY: What about the military personnel or leaders that say this is not good for morale?

BROWN: All the leaders said -- and I spoke with every one of them, and I spoke over a thousand people. They said our concern is about the implementation during wartime, and I agree with that, and so do they.

And they are very cognizant of trying to do it during that period. So that issue obviously stands on its own merits. With regard to the finreg, as you know, that bill was about as big as this building and because I got involved we made it about as big as this table. When Congress gets done with this, it is going to be this big. And that was very important.

HANNITY: Here are the headlines. You've seen them. "Brown helps Democrats break GOP filibuster." "Scott Brown under pressure from left, votes for regulatory bill," I'm giving you the media. "HDH in Boston," "Scott Brown defends voting with Democrats." In that sense, "Harry Reid woos Scott Brown on jobs bill."

BROWN: You know, there is no wooing. Bottom line is --

HANNITY: He didn't woo you? He didn't court you? He didn't call you? He didn't meet with you?

BROWN: He asked me to look at the bill, which I would have done anyway. But if you look at each and every bill in an independent manner, I'm not sure what the mystery was. As I said, I went down there to be an independent voter and thinker.

I'm not going to be in lockstep with any particular party. I'm going to look at what is best for hitting those five parameters. And bottom line is we are in deep trouble right now, and we need people who are going to work to move our country forward and attack the very things that are holding us back.

I'm looking forward to tackling the debt and the deficit when we get back into session. As I said, when I went down there, $11.95 trillion, up to 14 -- over 14 trillion and rising. Absolutely no effort to reel in our spending and our debt and get our economy moving again. We spent very little time talking about jobs, and I'm going to continue to work to do that.

HANNITY: When we come back, I'll get your thoughts on President Obama and much more we will have with Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: As we continue now with Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown. His brand-new book, "Against All Odds" is in stores right now.

I consider myself a Reagan conservative. What that means, you know, a constitutionally principled limited government, more freedom, strong national defense conservative. You say you are a Scott Brown Republican.

BROWN: A Reagan Republican.

HANNITY: Are you a Reagan Republican?

BROWN: I absolutely feel very strongly about Ronald Reagan. I'm actually giving the keynote speech out at the Reagan library in a couple of nights per Mrs. Reagan's request. I have a lot of love and respect for President Reagan and what he did for our country.

HANNITY: Yes, all right, let me ask you. What do you think of President Obama?

BROWN: As I said it before, he's got a lot of challenges. You know, he's got a good heart and he has a couple of kids like I do. But in terms of tackling the very real fiscal issues that we're facing right now, I think he could do a lot better.

HANNITY: Did he -- did he punt, did he wimp out? Did he, you know, show a lack of leadership with, for example, his budget? Because it was only about a month ago he was talking about if we really want to deal with the budget, we have to deal with entitlement reform. He presents the budget and he doesn't deal with any of that.

BROWN: As you saw in the State of the Union, there was hopeful conversation about tackling a lot of things. So everyone was expecting them -- him to actually lead on those issues. I'm hopeful that through the numbers we now have in the House and the message we send with that budget, and then dealing with the opportunities facing with the CR and also some of the debt ceiling issues -- not only can we tackle those, but there will be some leadership when it deals with entitlements.

HANNITY: You say he faces big challenges, nobody disagrees with that. But this president by the end of this fiscal year will have accumulated nearly $5 trillion in new Obama debt. The stimulus has failed. The deficit has never been larger. If we project out, the deficit is even going to be higher.

BROWN: Listen, I don't support the budget in its present form.

HANNITY: No, I got it. But can you say that he failed? His economic policies--

BROWN: It is a work in progress. Certainly, we can all do better. I mean, we need leadership not only from the House, but from the president and the Senate. We need to come together.

HANNITY: Did he show leadership on that bill?

BROWN: On the budget? Listen, he could have done better. I think everybody knows that. You know, everybody is saying that he could have done better.

HANNITY: You seem -- I don't know. I'm trying to understand your reluctance --

BROWN: You're trying to have me hammer somebody, and where I can work with the president, I'm going to do it. It is not certainly productive for me as a senator to go out hammering anybody, whether they're Democrat or Republican.

HANNITY: How about just honest, truthful criticism?

BROWN: I've said right from the beginning that I'm disappointed in the budget and he should have shown leadership when it comes to working with entitlement reform and focusing on jobs and the economy.

I've been beating that drum for the last year. When they are talking about everything but the economy, I'm talking about jobs and moving our country forward.

HANNITY: Go back to when he said if we don't pass the stimulus, we face a catastrophe.

BROWN: I would have voted against that.

HANNITY: OK, fair enough.

BROWN: He hasn't create one new net job, that's been a failure, yes.

HANNITY: All right, health care passes, a brand new entitlement.

BROWN: They rammed it down our throats.

HANNITY: CBO says it going to lose 800,000 jobs, and the president, again, nearly $5 trillion in new debt. I think his economic plan has been a failure. And I'm just -- you say he has a tough job.

BROWN: It speaks for itself. I mean, we are in deep trouble. We have to work together collectively. It is not going to be one man. His leadership is critically important to send a message throughout the world that we are ready for business, that we are going to get our fiscal house in order.

I'm hopeful that he will do that. I know what I'm going to do. I'm talking about jobs. I've offered many alternatives to the spending that we are doing, paying for things with money in the system versus using the credit card.

Listen, I'm beating that drum and every other senator I know is beating that drum. We need some leadership from the majority party and the president to do the very same thing.

HANNITY: Are you happy the way he handled Egypt? Are you happy the way he's handling his foreign policy? Did you think he's given enough support to the dissident voices for example in Iran?

BROWN: Listen, I think that I'm very hopeful about what's happening over there, but I'm very concerned about obviously the way the protesters are being treated. I think everybody worldwide got caught off guard with what happened in Egypt.

I would have liked them to be on the same message, secretary of state, president, vice president, et cetera -- they weren't. With regard to Libya, and obviously what is happening in Iran, I'm hopeful they will continue to allow -- give the tools and resources to these people who want to seek freedom to in fact do so and be there behind them.

But we also need to make sure when we actually have a change that there's no void. We have groups like the Muslim Brotherhood come in. We need an orderly transition. Sometimes the United States needs to just step back and let these countries feel their way out and get some young rising stars in those countries to step forth and say, "You know what? I'll take it. I'll run with that mantle and let them go out and have a free and fair election."

HANNITY: Last question, as it relates to Wisconsin and the protesting, and the governor, Governor Walker's position about collective bargaining. Do you think the governor is right?

BROWN: I think the governor was elected to do a job and he's going to send his budget to the legislature so they can do their job. I encourage the senators to come back into the state and start tackling these very real issues realistically --

HANNITY: Do you agree with the governor? Do you think the governor is right?

BROWN: I agree that everything is on the table right now in this tough fiscal times.

HANNITY: Yes, but he's saying get rid of collective bargaining.

BROWN: I think he's the governor, and whatever he and the people of Wisconsin want, we should support.

HANNITY: You are ducking that question.

BROWN: Hey, listen. It's true. I'm not from Wisconsin. If I was there--

HANNITY: I got it, but -- it's a big union state in Massachusetts, right?

BROWN: It's a big union state and certainly there's a place for unions, but also there's a place to also come together to solve the real problems of each and every state. While everyone is tightening their belts, so do unions and other groups need to tighten their belts and contribute to the --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Senator, I'm glad under tremendous difficulties growing up, in that sense it is an inspiring story that people can overcome a very hard past. Thanks for being with us.

BROWN: It's great to see you, too.

HANNITY: All right, thanks.

Anti-government protestors in Yemen

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:12:12 -0800

The Danger of the Muslim Brotherhood

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:19:01 -0800

by Irfan Al-Alawi
February 11, 2011

http://www.hudson-ny.org/1883/muslim-brotherhood-danger

Hosni Mubarak has come to a wretched pass, and it is impossible not to sympathise with crowds of ordinary people demanding democratic change. But Westerners are being led by their ignorance and good-hearted idealism to believe in a "reasonable" transformation of the Muslim Brotherhood [MB] and, as a consequence, the alleged standing of the MB as an appropriate participant in the democratisation of the Islamic lands. The MB has always believed that the West could be swindled into assisting the rise of the Brotherhood to power, and the recent effort to convince America and Western Europe that the MB represents a "tame" form of radical ideology has gone on for several years. Moderate Muslims are not fooled, and Westerners should not let themselves be gulled into promoting an outcome in Egypt that would open the way to a Muslim Brotherhood state there.

Western media coverage and political commentary on the Egyptian events frequently leaves Muslim moderates dismayed. It is shocking to observe the wide success of the MB's campaign to present itself as an acceptable option for the government of Egypt.

At the beginning of February, for example, a five-word rumour spread among British Muslims: "Kamal al-Helbawy has left London." Al-Helbawy, since his arrival in Britain in 1994, has served as the main representative of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West. He was officially designated the MB's spokesperson from 1995 to 1997.

Al-Helbawy leaving Britain would mean only one thing: that the MB is preparing to take power in Egypt, and that al-Helbawy will enjoy a prominent role in the process. Still, during the Egyptian crisis, al-Helbawy has stayed in London, giving interviews to Western media claiming that the MB is now faultlessly democratic in its ideology and does not seek domination over Egypt or the establishment of an ideological Islamist state there. Both in Egypt and outside the country, the MB is patient, and biding its time.

Moderate Muslims, however, are repelled and alarmed by the blandishments of al-Helbawy and other MB agitators. Al-Helbawy, while in the UK, became a master of ambiguous discourse, even equating the radicalism of the MB with the conservatism of Margaret Thatcher. But those facing the threat of fundamentalist infiltration in the British Muslim community, as well as the influence of extremism in American Islam; in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in Turkey no less than in Egypt, see through the masquerade.

The MB is too well-organized and powerful to be ignored or suppressed, or its possible future hegemony wished away, in the Egyptian crisis. If Egypt is to become democratic, the MB must be politically defeated. Notwithstanding its current democratic camouflage, the MB remains a movement based in takfir: accusations of apostasy from Islam, based on differences in religious interpretation and observance, as a pretext for violence against Muslims with whom they disagree. In this, the MB is allied with the Saudi Wahhabis, who inspired Osama bin Laden; the Afghan and Pakistani Deobandis, from whom came the Taliban, and the Pakistani Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and its satellites, now busy sowing bloodshed in South Asia. For takfiris, apostasy from Islam includes refusal of the illegitimate calls by radicals for 'jihad' against non-Muslims. Yet, in denying the sinful nature of their terrorism against the moderates, Sufis, Shias, and others who dissent from them, as well as of their incitement against non-Muslims, the takfiris have taken themselves out of traditional Islam.

Along with their devotion to violence against the living, takfiri groups including the MB, Wahhabi fanatics, Taliban, and South Asian jihadis are most infamous for their vandalism against the cultural legacies of Muslim societies. A mob attack on the Egyptian Museum in Cairo during the current upheaval resulted in the beheading of two Pharaonic mummies. Western media commentators on this despicable event have treated it as the common mischief of a mob, but moderate Muslims see parallels between this act and the long history of devastation of the Islamic heritage of Arabia by the Saudi Wahhabis, the destruction of the Bamian Buddha effigies by the Taliban, and the recent wave of bomb attacks on Sufi spiritual shrines in Pakistan and India.

If Egypt leaps into a political void allowing the MB to gain power, it is likely that the despoliation of the country's national museum will be no more than a harbinger of widespread cultural loss, social disorder, and Pakistan-style carnage. Egypt is a land known for its Sufi shrines and other Islamic monuments, in addition to its pre-Islamic heritage. All would be at risk if the MB gains the upper hand. The soothing words of MB advocate al-Helbawy must be judged against the background of his own personal history as the first executive director of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) in 1982. WAMY, as an arm of the Muslim World League (MWL), has been a leading agency in the global spread of Wahhabism and stands accused by various governments of financing terrorism. While Saudi King Abdullah has sought to rein in the extremist activities of MWL and WAMY, a career including high responsibility in WAMY is not a recommendation for al-Helbawy. In the US, the head of the WAMY office in 2002 was listed as Abdula bin Laden, younger brother of Osama, the terrorist chief.

One of the most outrageous defenders of the MB to Westerners – much more effective, one must fear, than al-Helbawy – has been a British Muslim named Ed Husain. The author of a memoir, The Islamist, and formerly a leading personality in a British anti-Islamist think-tank, Quilliam (previously known as the Quilliam Foundation), Husain migrated to the US where he was honoured with a post as senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR). Few Americans seemed to recognize, or care, that in his book Husain effusively praised Hamza Yusuf Hanson, who claims to be one of the world's outstanding Islamic teachers but who cooperates with Saudi Wahhabis and other Islamist radicals, supposedly because Hanson is deeply moved by concern for Muslim unity. Ed Husain has also, incredibly, praised the role of Deobandi preachers in potentially countering extremism among British Muslim youth, even though the Deobandis are associated with the Taliban and the commission of horrible atrocities in South Asia.

In a CFR conference call on February 2, Ed Husain outdid himself by his fulsome arguments in defence of the MB in Egypt. According to Husain, the MB has been demonized'" in Western media, which leads to its being "lionised" among Muslims. This attempt at a clever justification for the MB's role in Egypt is absurd. The MB has built up its network of Egyptian supporters by agitation in mosques, schools, neighbourhoods, and professional associations, backed with Saudi Wahhabi funding, not because it has been discussed in the West. Husain sought to deny the history of the MB's attraction to European fascism, as well as its goal of an Islamist state, and even claimed falsely that "for the last 40 years" the Brotherhood has been "committed to a process of nonviolence."

The Muslim Brotherhood remains dangerous to Egypt and the world.

Why the Muslim Brotherhood Will Win

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:17:10 -0800

With President Hosni Mubarak vowing to stay in power through the transition of government, the central question facing the Obama administration, and indeed the world, is what will happen when Mubarak does indeed leave and Egypt transitions to Democratic elections and a new government.

President Obama dramatically understated the level of support the Muslim Brotherhood has garnered in Egypt in his Super Bowl interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, and is most likely wrong to have asserted that the Brothers and their allies do not command majority support in the country.

While the Brotherhood now says that they don't plan to contest the presidential elections directly, that can always change. And the data suggests strongly that any candidate they back directly or indirectly would have a potentially decisive advantage. Moreover, there is every reason to believe they would win a decisive, if not dominant role, in Parliament and would be the key actors in selecting the next prime minister as well as setting the legislative agenda.

While very recent public opinion polling from Egypt is not currently available, a number of clear inferences about what is likely to happen can be drawn from prior surveys and prior election results.

The bottom line: there is at least a 50 percent chance, if not more, that a candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood or a party with a generally similar approach and orientation will win the next presidential election.

Democracy protests bring down Egypt's Mubarak

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:51:27 -0800

CAIRO – Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with joy and tears of relief after pro-democracy protesters brought down President Hosni Mubarak with a momentous march on his palaces and state TV. Mubarak, who until the end seemed unable to grasp the depth of resentment over his three decades of authoritarian rule, finally resigned Friday and handed power to the military.

"The people ousted the regime," rang out chants from crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in Cairo's central Tahrir, or Liberation, Square and outside Mubarak's main palace several miles away in a northern district of the capital.

The crowds in Cairo, the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and other cities around the country erupted into a pandemonium of cheers and waving flags. They danced, hugged and raised their hands in prayer after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall. Some fell to kiss the ground, and others chanted, "Goodbye, goodbye" and "put your heads up high, you're Egyptian."

"Finally we are free," said Safwan Abou Stat, a 60-year-old protester. "From now on anyone who is going to rule will know that these people are great."

Article continues here

Friday February 11 2011

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:32:41 -0800

Doug Schoen, John Bolton, Mike Ghouse,

Michele Bachmann

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:06:51 -0800

Bachmann: 2012 goal is making Obama one-term president

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:03:35 -0800

The audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington cheered and drowned out the Minnesota lawmaker as she said: "The all-important must have for 2012 is making Barack Obama a one-term president."

Bachmann has been making trips to Iowa, home of the nation's first presidential caucuses, to test the waters for a potential 2012 White House bid. She is among 10 potential candidates "running" on CPAC's presidential straw poll.

SHARE OPINION: Share your thoughts about a possible presidential run for Bachmann on the Hannity Forums here

Our preview of the presidential candidates at CPAC can be found in this On Politics post.

Bachmann, a third-term lawmaker and favorite of the Tea Party movement, hit familiar themes with the GOP as she urged thousands of activists to help Congress repeal the nation's health care law, reduce budget deficits and curb long-term debt.

"Obamacare is the never ending gift that keeps on giving to liberalism," she said, adding that repealing the health care law "is the driving motivation of my life."

As keynote speaker of the conference's opening sesson, Bachmann was at times the party's head cheerleader as she rallied the crowd over the GOP's successes in the 2010 elections in Congress, governorships and state legislatures.

Using a baseball reference, Bachmann said her hope for 2012 was that Republicans would go for the political equivalent of a triple crown.

Building the GOP's majority in the U.S. House and electing a "conservative" Senate with more Tea Party favorites such as Kentucky's Rand Paul are Bachmann's first two pieces of the political crown. And the third?

Article continues here

Obama says change must start now, as Egypt's prez vows to step aside

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:18:25 -0800

Washingtonpost.com

CAIRO -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced today he would step down at the next election -- a statement welcomed by US President Barack Obama, who said he believed a transition to a new Egyptian government must begin straight away, but stopped short of publicly calling for Mubarak to resign immediately.

Speaking at the White House Tuesday evening, Obama said that while "it's not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders," it was his belief "that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now."

“Furthermore, the process must include a broad spectrum of Egyptian voices and opposition parties. It should lead to elections that are free and fair. And it should result in a government that's not only grounded in democratic principles, but is also responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people.”

Obama also praised the Egyptian military for allowing protests there to continue and added that the US would continue to stand up for democracy across the world.

The remarks followed a 30-minute telephone conversation he had with Mubarak, in which Obama said the embattled leader "recognized that the status quo is not sustainable."

A White House official told Fox News Channel the president informed Mubarak that an orderly transition could not be prolonged and that the Egyptian leader may have to step down sooner rather than later.

In a taped, five-minute speech earlier Tuesday, Mubarak said he would not seek re-election when his term ends in September. The 82-year-old ruler, who has led the country for 29 years, said he will remain in office to preside over an orderly transition of power.

"I never want to run for president again. I say it clearly -- I will stay until the end of this term," he said on state TV, pledging amendments to Egypt's constitution that would make it easier for opposition groups to field candidates in September's election.

"I am now very determined to make sure that whatever I do, I carry out my duty by keeping the peace in Egypt. I will work during my remaining months as president to ensure that steps are taken to ensure the peaceful transition of power."

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters had rallied Tuesday in central Cairo's Tahrir Square in the biggest push yet to oust the autocrat.

The crowds in Tahrir Square roared as Mubarak spoke, greeting his declaration with chants of "leave, leave, leave." But given his decision to cling to power until September it looked likely the mass demonstrations, already in their second week, would rumble on.

AFP estimated that 500,000 people protested in the capital Cairo and at least 400,000 turned out in Alexandria, citing a security source.

As night fell, the square remained packed with protesters who ignored a government-imposed curfew. Reports likened the atmosphere to that of a rock festival, with protesters singing and chanting for an end to Mubarak's three decades in power.

Mubarak's decision not to fall on his sword immediately angered his Egyptian political opponents, with Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring immediately afterward that "no one is satisfied" and that the protests would continue.

In comments aired earlier Tuesday, key opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei insisted Mubarak should go by Friday to avoid further bloodshed.

"I hope President Mubarak goes before this and leaves the country after 30 years of rule ... I don't think he wants to see more blood," ElBaradei told the Al Arabiya satellite channel.

A committee of opposition groups, including ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood, also pledged there would be no negotiations with the regime until Mubarak leaves, a statement said.

The United Nations said Tuesday that as many as 300 people, according to unconfirmed reports, had died since the unrest began, more than doubling the widely reported estimate of 140 fatalities.

The US Department of State, meanwhile, ordered the departure of all non-emergency government personnel and their families from Egypt Tuesday.

"The Department of State will continue to facilitate the evacuation of US citizens who require assistance," State Department spokesman P.J.Crowley said.

Foreign tourists and workers continued to swarm to Cairo's airport in a scramble for flights out of Egypt, as other countries and corporations mounted evacuation operations.

Hundreds of people waited under a large white tent pitched for the passengers-in-waiting who failed to squeeze their way into the overcrowded airport halls, AFP reported.

The turmoil appeared to spread across the Middle East to Jordan, where King Abdullah II dismissed the government Tuesday after weeks of opposition protests demanding change. A new prime minister was charged with forming a government.

Meanwhile a Syrian online activist group called for a peaceful "2011 Syrian revolution," beginning after prayers on Friday and inspired by the protests in Egypt and Tunisia, to end what its members claim is corruption and tyranny.

Addressing President Bashar al Asad, the group said, "We are not against you as a person but against 'monocracy,' corruption and tyranny and the fact that your family and friends have grabbed riches.

Monday January 24 2011

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:53:36 -0800

Pat Caddell, Ann Coulter, Michael Barone, Scott Rasmussen,

Court orders Emanuel off mayoral ballot

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:45:34 -0800

By Kristen Mack
Chicago Tribune reporter

Rahm Emanuel should not appear on the Feb. 22 mayoral ballot, according to a ruling issued by a state appellate court today.

Emanuel told a news conference he would appeal the decision to the Illinois Supreme Court and would ask for an injunction so his name will appear on the mayoral ballot.

“We’ll now go to the next level to get clarity,” Emanuel said.

In a 2-1 ruling, the appellate panel said Emanuel does not meet the residency requirement of having lived in Chicago for a year prior to the election. The judges reversed a decision by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, which had unanimously agreed that Emanuel was eligible to run for mayor.

"We conclude that the candidate neither meets the Municipal Code's requirement that he have 'resided in' Chicago for the year preceding the election in which he seeks to participate nor falls within any exception to the requirement," the majority judges wrote.

"Accordingly, we disagree with the Board's conclusion that he is eligible to run for the office of Mayor of the City of Chicago. We reverse the circuit court's judgment confirming the Board's decision, set aside the Board's decision and ... order that the candidate's name be excluded (or, if necessary, removed) from the ballot."

The majority opinion was written by Appellate Justice Thomas E. Hoffman and concurred with by Presiding Appellate Justice Shelvin Louise Marie Hall.
Appellate Justice Bertina E. Lampkin wrote a dissenting opinion.

"I disagree with the majority's contrary conclusion that the candidate is not eligible to be on the ballot because that conclusion is based on an analysis of two issues --- establishing residency and a statutory exemption to the residency requirement --- that are not relevant to the resolution of this case."

Emanuel's campaign has not commented on the ruling, but previously both sides in the case said they planned to appeal the case all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Time is of the essence, however. Early voting starts a week from today on Jan. 31.

The appellate court judges heard the case last week.

Opponents say Emanuel doesn't meet the one-year residency requirement because he was in Washington serving as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff.

Before today, Emanuel had won rulings by the election board and in Cook County Circuit Court. Today’s ruling seems certain to be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Jerry Brown's budget for California is 'honest' and 'very painful'

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:56:21 -0800

The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

By Dan Wood, Staff writer

Gov. Jerry Brown released a balanced state budget Monday that cuts $12.5 billion in spending, raises billions in taxes, includes an 8 to 10 percent cut in pay for most state employees, and proposes a restructuring of government that purports to “return the power to localities.”

During his gubernatorial campaign Mr. Brown promised straight talk and no smoke and mirrors, reiterating those promises several times in recent weeks.

He also spoke of the need for the state to make excruciating choices. By most accounts, the budget he proposed Monday has delivered just that.

“It is an adult budget. … There are no games, no smoke and mirrors, which is what he promised, and it is very painful,” says Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for Study of Politics and Media at California State University, Sacramento.

There is no shifting of funds with the prospect of future payback when the economy recovers, she says, and no borrowing, methods which were used in recent budgets by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration to at least get the state to appear solvent on paper.

'Tough budget for tough times'

Governor Brown called the spending plan “a tough budget for tough times” that will close the state’s structural deficit and provide a “strong and stable foundation” to meet future needs.

“Without decisive action, the state’s severe budget problems will persist, threatening economic recovery, job growth, public education and the quality of life in California,” he said. “The adoption of this budget will position the state to lead the country as it slowly recovers from the Great Recession.”

To eliminate a budget shortfall estimated at $25.4 billion, Brown’s budget proposes $12.5 billion in spending cuts, $12 billion in increased tax revenues, and $1.9 billion in unspecified “other solutions” to close the gap and provide for a $1 billion reserve.

“Everyday Californians should understand that there is something here for everyone to hate, little for anyone to like … a tough budget for a tough economy,” says Jessica Levinson, political reform director for the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. “Democrats will scream at the top of their lungs about the cuts in this and Republicans will abhor the tax increases.”

In order for Brown’s budget to be adopted, California’s Legislature will have to push through changes to certain current laws by March, while other ballot measures will have to be approved by voters in a special vote in June.

'Realignment' will a tough sell

According to analysts, a major challenge to Brown’s ability to sell his plan to voters and local governments is the portion of the plan known as “realignment,” which shifts responsibility for the administration and funding of some state programs to local government.

“Renewed talk of realignment makes those of us in local government very nervous,” write Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina in a dual-bylined piece in Monday’s Los Angeles Times. “While realignment sounds great in theory, the devil is in the details.”

The piece recounted a scheme approved in 1991 by then-Gov. Pete Wilson and the state Legislature, which shifted $1.7 billion in state program costs to the counties. State appropriations for local governments were replaced in part with funding from vehicle license fees. The net result seemed to benefit local governments at first, but over time, as subsequent legislatures reduced the license fee rate, counties found themselves in fiscal trouble.

“Brown will need to sell voters on whether or not to shift power to the counties, and that’s a big ‘if,’ ” says Ms. O’Connor. “They have real, legitimate concerns and have been burned in the past.”

Steve Levy, director and senior economist at the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, says that Brown has done exactly what he needed to do by facing directly what previous governors have refused to.

At least on paper, the new budget is “sensitive and balanced and honest in the sense that the math works,” Mr. Levy says, emphasizing the he is an economist, not a politician. “I’m impressed with the very direct way he has handled this without assessing blame or pointing fingers but literally dealing with what needs to be done. These are going to be painful cuts, but that’s what comes with honesty.”

'Competitive disadvantage'

Others worry that Brown’s proposals will severely injure California in the long run.

“California is going to be put at a competitive disadvantage relative to other states if it adopts what Brown is proposing, which amounts to the largest tax increase in American history,” says Jon Coupal, spokesman for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “California is struggling to come out of the recession, but the imposition of these taxes, coupled with California’s hostile regulatory climate, does not bode well for the state’s future.”

As he promised voters when he said there will be no tax increases without voter approval, the revenue component of Brown’s budget proposal will be voted on in June. Voters will be asked to maintain current personal income and sales taxes that were set to expire at current levels and approve the Vehicle License Fee rate for five years.

Some analysts say that the pain of instituting budget cuts may give Brown’s idea leverage with voters, because implicit in their disapproval of the tax measures would simply be a return to the prospect of more cuts.

Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA)

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:55:14 -0800

Allen West Joins Black Caucus

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:46:35 -0800

Posted by DaveWade on Jan 6th, 2011

Dailypolitical.com

Representative Allen West becomes the first Republican member of the all-Democratic Congressional Black Caucus in fourteen years. The last Republican member of the black lawmakers’ group is Representative Gary A. Franks of Connecticut, who left office in 1997.

Representative Allen West is a former Army lieutenant and represents Florida’s southeast coast. He stated that there were 42 blacks that ran on the Republican ticket this year and fourteen went through the general election. Only two of them were elected to join the House of Representatives. Representative Timothy E. Scott of South Carolina was also elected into office last November but he refused to join the group.

Democrat Representative Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri was sworn in as the black caucus chairman. During his inaugural speech, he said that the caucus is still relevant in this day and age. In the 112th Congress, the group has 43 members.

Both Representatives West and Scott were virtual unknowns two years ago but they rose in the Republican ranks. Their campaigns were all about the denouncement of everything the Democrats supported or accomplished, with no other than former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin endorsing them. They got little support from the black voters but managed to win a Congressional seat. People are expecting Representative West’s relationship with the other members of the Black Caucus to be shaky.

Wednesday January 05 2011

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:15:18 -0800

Mike Pence, Doug Schoen,

Speaker John Boehner

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:44:39 -0800

Speaker Boehner

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:39:52 -0800

The House has elected Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) as the 61st Speaker of the House.

Boehner is the first Speaker from Ohio since Nick Longworth in the 1920s, for whom the Longworth House Office Building is named.

The vote was 241 to 173.

Nineteen Democrats defected from their party and voted for other candidates or voted present.

Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), who challenged Pelosi for Minority Leader, received 11 votes.

Also receiving votes were Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Jim Cooper (D-TN), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and John Lewis (GA).

Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) voted present.

This was the largest number of defections for any formal candidate for Speaker since January, 1997. That year, nine Republicans voted against House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA). Four voted for another member and five members voted present.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) was absent and did not vote.

DeFazio office did not immediately respond to questions why he was not present.

112th Congress convenes: Nancy Pelosi and Democrats to relinquish control to John Boehner, GOP

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:28:01 -0800

Goodbye Pelosi, hello Boehner.

The Republicans will officially take control of the House on Wednesday, ending two years of Democratic dominance and ushering a new era as 87 new Republican House members are sworn in.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi will hand over her speaker of the House gavel to GOP Rep. John Boehner.

Republican leaders in the House say they plan to undo as much of the President's agenda as possible before President Obama delivers his annual State of the Union address later this month.

A vote to repeal health care reform is expected on Friday. The GOP is also likely propose tens of billions of dollars in spending cuts and square off with Democrats to ease government regulations.

Many argue the votes are more symbolic. While some measures may pass in the House, the Democrats will still control the Senate (although the Democrats majority there will be down from 60 votes two years ago to 53).

But even with the GOP-dominated House, the Republicans don't have the two-thirds required to override a presidential veto.

Boehner, 61, who is expected to discuss the need to create jobs, cut spending and repeal health care reform today, remains optimistic.

Busloads will watch John Boehner sworn in as Speaker of the House

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:31:56 -0800

John Boehner would have a sizeable crowd in Washington Wednesday to watch him be sworn in as the 61st Speaker of the House if it were only his blood relatives coming.

Boehner is the second oldest of the 12 children of the late Earl and Mary Ann Boehner of Reading; and 10 of his siblings and their families are going to Washington for the swearing-in.

But hundreds of others are coming as well, by plane, automobile and buses - cousins, family friends, campaign volunteers, Republican Party officials from all over Ohio, and tea party activists who supported the West Chester congressman's "Pledge to America'' campaign that led to the GOP taking over the House in the November election.

"There are a whole lot of us here who want to pay tribute to John's accomplishments," said David Kern, a Liberty Township trustee who is chairman of the Butler County Republican Party.

"It's something we are very proud of - that the speaker of the House comes from Butler County, Ohio," said Kern, who will fly to Washington Tuesday for the Boehner swearing-in and festivities. "That's something to celebrate."

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:13:27 -0800

GOP Steel(e)s For An Ugly RNC Race

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:20:32 -0800

On paper, Michael Steele should be a shoo-in for reelection as chairman of the Republican National Committee. He presided over the Party's return from political Siberia as President Obama entered the White House in early 2009 to massive victories in the 2010 midterm elections. Under Steele, the GOP first won gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia at the end of 2009 and then, a year later, a 63-seat sweep in the U.S. House – gaining the majority -- a six-seat gain in the Senate, a six state gain in governors mansions and 680 state legislature seats. So why did his surprise announcement last night that he would seek a second term throw the Grand Old Party into chaos?

In practice, Steele's tenure has been rocky at best. The RNC is $15 million in debt and his fundraising has been spotty. He has a habit of becoming the story with his frequent gaffes: from calling Afghanistan a “war of Obama's choosing” to calling Rush Limbaugh's language “incendiary” and “ugly” to saying abortion is “an individual choice.” And he sometimes has a political tin ear: his swanky book tour angered many RNC members who accused him of using his office for personal gain. “Tonight I come to my bosses with a record that only you can judge, based upon directions you made clear to me from the very beginning,” Steele told committee members on a 40-minute call last night announcing his reelection bid, according to Politico. “Yes, I have stumbled along the way, but have always accounted to you for such shortcomings. No excuses. No lies. No hidden agenda. Going forward, I ask for your support and your vote for a second term. Our work is not done; and my commitment has not ended."

Steele also spent time defending the debt and explaining why investments weren't made in certain states – some governors have said Steele's mismanagement cost them several seats that could have been had with the right targeted funds. Many establishment Republicans have privately argued that the GOP's successes have come in spite, not because, of Steele. Still, Steele made the case that he built a unique, unprecedented grassroots organization. "My style is a little bit different than most conventional Republican Party chairmen. My style is more grassroots-oriented. I'm much more of a street guy," Steele last night told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News, where he was once a commentator before becoming RNC chair. "The job is fun."

And the first African American GOP chairman also added on the call: “Who you elect as our next Chairman will speak volumes about our willingness to truly be the party of Lincoln.”

Michael Steele’s In, But Can He Win?

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:17:01 -0800

Even as they stood by over the last month and watched five other candidates jump in the race for chairman of the Republican National Committee, the staunchest backers of current chair, Michael Steele, insisted that reports of his political demise were greatly exaggerated. On Monday night, they were partially vindicated.

Steele’s announcement that he was seeking a second term, despite the fact that he had “stumbled along the way” -- his own words -- during his tumultuous two-year term as chairman, took many inside and outside the GOP by surprise.

VIDEO: Steele Will Run Again

Of course, when the 168 members of the RNC vote for chairman next month, Steele could still go down in flames. The vote is a notoriously unpredictable process, and as one long-time RNC insider put it, only half-jokingly, the 168 members will head into the January vote having offered 336 pledges of support.

While other candidates may bring their own baggage, it’s already clear that Steele is going to have to spend most of his time over the next month defending his record as chairman. In an interview last night on Greta Van Susteren’s Fox News show, Steele took pains to defend the fact that the RNC has far less money in the bank now than it did when he took the reins of leadership in 2009. (The Committee is ending the year with millions of dollars in unpaid bills.) http://abcn.ws/heh2ji

“We spent a lot of money,” in the last election cycle, he told Van Susteren. “You can’t look at it in terms of where you begin and where you end. We’re talking two different periods.”

If those questions seemed to throw Steele off his game somewhat, they are child’s play compared to the kinds of critiques he is about to receive (and already has) from members of the committee and rival candidates.

Already one of those candidates, Maria Cino, a veteran of the Bush administration who ran the 2008 Republican National Convention, lashed out last night at the party’s “massive debt, outdated technology, diminished donor support, and a non-existent voter registration program,” saying that the RNC needs a leader who can “raise and responsibly manage the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to win in 2012.”

Others in the running include Saul Anuzis, the former chairman of the Michigan GOP; Ann Wagner, former head of the Missouri Republican Party; Reince Priebus, chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party and the RNC’s former general counsel; and Gentry Collins, the RNC’s former political director.

Article continues here

Pelosi survives Democratic revolt

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:38:41 -0800

Democrats elected Nancy Pelosi as their minority leader on Wednesday, but only after a brutal two days of arguing behind closed doors and a 150-43 vote that revealed a bloc of disgruntled Democrats to be firmly in the anti-Pelosi camp.
Pelosi’s win as Democratic leader was expected, but the bumpy ride was perhaps the greatest challenge to her authority since she claimed the speaker’s gavel four years ago. Pelosi defeated conservative North Carolina Democrat Heath Shuler, who ran for minority leader saying, “We need to include others in leadership.”
Pelosi’s victory all but assures that the Democratic leadership team will remain intact despite a historic loss of at least 61 seats in the Nov. 2 election. Several moderate lawmakers in the anti-Pelosi camp used two days of private meetings to vent their frustrations, and in some cases blame Pelosi for the heavy Democratic losses.
Separately, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who declined to challenge Pelosi for minority leader, was elected minority whip by acclamation on a quick voice vote.

Article continues here

Why Dems Don't Dump Pelosi

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:28:28 -0800

By: Jonathan Allen and John F. Harris

To the outside world, what House Democrats are poised to do later this morning seems to defy logic: Why would politicians who supposedly care above all about public opinion and their own hides stick with an unpopular leader who just carried them through one of the worst election drubbings in decades?

Talk to lawmakers privately, and many will freely acknowledge that from a public relations perspective it makes little sense for Nancy Pelosi — who made history as speaker and is now fighting hard to be minority leader — to remain the face of Democrats.

But many of those same lawmakers will cast their votes for Pelosi in this morning's closed door Democratic caucus meeting — and the embattled San Franciscan will almost certainly win the validation she seeks.
It's a vivid illustration of how congressional leadership elections are decided by factors often barely visible to the naked eye. It does not matter much what the pundits think, where the polls stand, or who can be easily demonized by the opposition.

Here are five reasons why what may look like a self-defeating move by Democrats actually makes perfect sense to lawmakers gathered in the spacious caucus room of the Cannon House Office Building this morning.

Article continues here

Tuesday November 16 2010

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:02:12 -0800

Mike Ghouse, Mitch McConnell, Jay Sekulow,

KTUU: Murkowski pulls ahead in Senate race

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:54:40 -0800

KTUU: Murkowski pulls ahead in Senate race

by Ted Land / 4:24 PM AKST, November 15, 2010

JUNEAU, Alaska

Lisa Murkowski has officially pulled ahead in the race to be Alaska's next senator.

The latest numbers from Juneau show Joe Miller with 90,458 votes. That includes 10 write-ins credited to him.

The Division of Elections has counted 91,517 votes to Lisa Murkowski.

That number includes 7,549 votes challenged by the Miller campaign.

Ballot counting is finished for Monday.

Elections workers and volunteers will return Tuesday and continue to pore over ballots. Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell says that could continue likely until the end of the week.

Absentee votes represent the last big batch of outstanding ballots from the Nov. 2 election.

The campaigns hope those will provide an indication of where the race is headed -- whether a candidate is on track to declare victory or the race winds up in court.

“If there’s more votes for Lisa Murkowski through that process it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to continue on with some legal fight if all you’re going to do is go to court to hope to lose by less,” said Kevin Sweeney with the Murkowski campaign.

“As long as there are those ballots that we feel have not reached the legal requirement of being as it is on her declaration of candidacy or her last name, we’ll go forward,” said Randy DeSoto, with Miller’s campaign.

As for a lawsuit filed by the Miller campaign seeking voter rolls, Campbell says the state fully intends to provide that information to the campaign, but says the Division of Elections only has so many staff to compile the lists, and right now they're busy counting votes.

He says he'll likely ask for an extension and provide the information after staffers are done counting.

Contact Ted Land at tland@ktuu.com

Congressional Approval at 17% After Elections

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:20:26 -0800

by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -- Congress' approval is at 17% in November, down slightly from 21% before the midterm elections. Historical patterns from 1994 and 2006 suggest that congressional approval will remain relatively stable at these low levels until January, when Republicans can be expected to become more positive as their party takes control of the House.

Americans' approval of Congress has remained relatively stable throughout 2010, ranging from a high of 24% in January to a low of 16% in March. The current 17% congressional approval rating, measured in Gallup's Nov. 4-7 post-election survey, reflects a slight drop from two readings in October, but is little changed from the 18% and 19% ratings measured in September and August, respectively. The all-time low for congressional approval was 14% in July 2008.

Democrats have consistently given Congress higher ratings than either Republicans or independents since President Obama and the then-newly elected Congress took office in February 2009. That pattern continues, although Democrats' approval of Congress has now dropped to its lowest point since March, most likely in response to the Republican gains in the midterm elections.

Article continues here

Democrats Pressing Pelosi to Step Aside

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:23:14 -0800

WASHINGTON -- In a fresh sign of turmoil among defeated Democrats, a growing number of the rank and file say they won't support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a politically symbolic roll call when the new Congress meets in January.

"The reality is that she is politically toxic," said Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, one of several Democrats who are trying to pressure Pelosi to step aside as her party's leader in the wake of historic election losses to Republicans last week.

Pelosi startled many Democrats with a quick postelection announcement that she would run for minority leader. She has yet to draw an opponent for the post. Party elections are scheduled for next week, although a postponement is possible.

In the interim, Pelosi's critics have become more vocal in their efforts to retire her from the party leadership.

There's "starting to be a sense that this may not be as much of a done deal as people might have thought," Rep. Jason Altmire said of Pelosi's quest to remain the top Democrat.

Article continues here

Thursday November 11 2010

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:01:10 -0800

Karl Rove, Ed Rendell,

Tuesday November 09 2010

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:24:00 -0800

Newt Gingrich, George W. Bush,

George W. Bush

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:04:23 -0800

Bush, George W.

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:01:53 -0800

George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States (2001-2009), born July 6, 1946, in New Haven Connecticut. George was the oldest of six children of George Bush who served as the 41st president of the United States (1989-1993) and Barbara Bush. George W. Bush received a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University in 1968 and received his M.B.A. from Harvard in 1975. In 1977 he married Laura Welch, a teacher and librarian, in Midland, Texas. Bush was a businessman and served as governor of Texas from 1995-2000.

Monday November 08 2010

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:12:33 -0800

Joe Miller, Stuart Varney,

Thursday November 04 2010

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:15:22 -0800

Pat Caddell, Doug Schoen, Brigitte Gabriel, Mike Ghouse,

Wednesday November 03 2010

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:28:00 -0800

J.C. Watts, Michael Barone, Scott Rasmussen,

Cantor and Boehner

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:21:03 -0800

How the Rout Was Won: Careful Plans, Timely Wave

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:19:11 -0800

By GERALD F. SEIB And NAFTALI BENDAVID
WASHINGTON—In early 2009, Rep. Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the House, acquired a bottle of good wine and carried it to a retreat that House Republicans were holding at the Homestead resort in Virginia. There, he had his top deputies sign the bottle.

The signing was a pact: They wouldn't uncork the wine until they took control of the House.

It began in late January 2009, when Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a quick vote on an economic-stimulus package and Mr. Cantor helped engineer a unanimous Republican "no" vote. Republicans felt Democrats had excluded them from crafting the bill, while Democrats said the GOP had refused to work with them. Either way, the unified vote signaled to previously rattled Republicans that they didn't have to go along with the big Democratic majority and the highly popular new president.

The bottle represented a strange bit of optimism at a dark hour for Republicans, when President Barack Obama was soaring in popularity and many thought the GOP might be relegated to minority status for years. Although few realized it at the time, Mr. Cantor just days earlier had helped sow the seeds of a comeback—one that culminated Tuesday with the party recapturing the House.
It began in late January 2009, when Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a quick vote on an economic-stimulus package and Mr. Cantor helped engineer a unanimous Republican "no" vote. Republicans felt Democrats had excluded them from crafting the bill, while Democrats said the GOP had refused to work with them. Either way, the unified vote signaled to previously rattled Republicans that they didn't have to go along with the big Democratic majority and the highly popular new president.

The vote also set a pattern that would be repeated time and again over the next two years, with House Republicans solidly opposing one Democratic initiative after another. The strategy infuriated the White House and ran the risk Republicans would be damaged by the "party of no" label Democrats soon attached. But, crucially, it allowed Republicans to avoid a share of the blame when voters grew angry that Democratic policies failed to bring a quick economic turnaround.
Many of the woes Democrats suffered weren't a direct result of this Republican strategy, but rather the product of a wave of unhappiness with their ambitious agenda, intensified by a sour economy and stubbornly high unemployment.

Article continues here

Once again, the electorate demanded a new start

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:02:42 -0800

By Karen Tumulty Washington Post Staff Writer

There is no blunter way for voters to send a message. For the third election in a row, Americans kicked a political party out of power.

So you would think that, by now, politicians in Washington would have gotten the message: They must be doing something wrong.

From the moment they lift their right hands to take the oath of office, lawmakers are now on notice that their hard-won power may be short-lived.

"Let's start right now by recognizing this is not a time for celebration," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), the presumed speaker-to-be, declared in his victory speech. "This is a time to roll up our sleeves and go to work."

In 2006, both chambers of Congress changed hands, from Republican to Democratic. In 2008, control of the White House followed, and this year, the GOP has won back the House.

Incumbency is no longer the protection it once was, particularly in districts where the balance between the two parties is close. Among the hardest-hit in Tuesday's election were first- and second-term House Democrats whose elections two and four years ago were heralded as the beginning of a new era for the party.

Such rapid reversals, particularly in the House, are relatively new in modern U.S. politics. It took four decades of Democratic control before voters turned over the House to Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and his band of Republican revolutionaries in 1994. A mere 12 years after that, Democrats won back control. And now, just four years later, Republicans have seized it again.

Article continues here

House party for triumphant GOP

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 04:52:58 -0800

By GEOFF EARLE, Post Correspondent

WASHINGTON -- Republicans rode a wave of voter anger and frustration last night to wrest the House from Democratic control in a historic landslide -- and deal a body blow to President Obama's agenda.

With election returns confirming predictions of a rebellious electorate, House Democratic incumbents fell like dominoes across the country -- including many who came to power on Obama's coattails in his historic win just two years ago.

Republicans needed a net gain of 39 seats to regain control of the chamber, a number they easily topped last night.

Reports early this morning indicated it was a record-shattering GOP victory that would surpass the 52 seats gained in the "Newt Gingrich uprising" of 1994. But the GOP came up short of the 10 seats needed to gain control of the Senate, still trimming the Democrats' majority by picking up at least five seats.

With returns still pouring in this morning, Republicans had seized 66 House seats, according to projections by NBC News. The magic number for control of the chamber is 218.

The results toppled Democrat Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House after four years in the top leadership job. John Boehner (R- Ohio) is likely to succeed her with a solid GOP majority.

Boehner last night called the election "a repudiation of Washington, a repudiation of big government, and a repudiation of politicians who refuse to listen to the American people."

Among the first to go last night was longtime Indiana Rep. Baron Hill, a Democrat, who lost to Republican Todd Young, a lawyer from Bloomington in the 9th District.

Indiana Republican Larry Bucshon picked up a seat that had been held by Democrat Brad Ellsworth, who lost his Senate bid last night.

A bloodbath among Democratic incumbents followed.

In Virginia -- a state that, like Indiana, Obama carried in 2008, Republican Robert Hurt knocked off first-term Rep. Tom Perriello, who backed key elements of Obama's agenda and got a last-ditch visit by the president in the election's final days.

"Now is our time to go to work," Hurt told his supporters. "I've given it everything that I've got," said Perriello.

Democratic Reps. Glenn Nye, who voted against Obama's health plan, and Rick Boucher were also overtaken.

Many of the victims were conservative "blue dogs," like Florida Democrat Allen Boyd, who got knocked off by Republican funeral director Steve Southerland.

Along with heavy losses among the ranks of the classes of 2006 and 2008 were several longtime Dems who fell, including Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton, the Armed Services Committee Chairman, and John Spratt, the Budget Committee chairman from South Carolina.

Article continues here

Tuesday November 02 2010

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:58:56 -0800

Dick Morris, Scott Rasmussen, John Zogby,

Monday November 01 2010

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:58:57 -0800

Sharron Angle, Michele Bachmann, Marco Rubio,

Election 2010: Senate Balance Of Power

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:29:55 -0800

New polling in Connecticut has now moved that senate race from Solid Democrat to Leans Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Balance of Power rankings.

Recent polling in New Hampshire has now moved that senate race from Leans Republican to Solid Republican.

Current projections suggest that the Democrats would hold 48 seats after Election Day while the Republicans would hold 45. Seven states are in the Toss-Up category (California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia). All seven Toss-Ups are seats currently held by Democrats.

Republicans have the edge in three Democratic-held Senate seats--Arkansas, Indiana, and North Dakota.

At the moment, no Republican-held seats appear headed for the Democratic column.

Click here to view how each state is leaning.

Friday October 29 2010

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:08:25 -0800

Christine O'Donnell, Scott Rasmussen,

65% Favor Getting Rid of Entire Congress and Starting Over

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:39:07 -0800

Let’s face it: Most Americans don’t have much use for either of the major political parties and think it would be better to dump the entire Congress on Election Day.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters say if they had the option next week, they would vote to get rid of the entire Congress and start all over again. Only 20% would opt to keep the entire Congress instead. Fifteen percent (15%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here .)

Of course, the Political Class strongly disagrees. While 84% of Mainstream voters would opt to get rid of the entire Congress, 64% of the Political Class would vote instead to keep them all.

Article continues here

Critics Slam Vanity Fair's 'Disgusting' GOP 'Beefcake' Calendar

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:24:59 -0800

By Hollie McKay

Published October 27, 2010 | FoxNews.com

Just in time for Tuesday's midterm elections, VanityFair.com has released a racy 2011 “beefcake” calendar whose "pinup boys" -- their heads digitally mounted on the provocatively posed bodies of male models -- are some of the top names in the Republican Party.

Among the GOP power players portrayed in the calendar: 2008 presidential candidate John McCain and Kentucky Senate-hopeful Rand Paul, both goofily covering their crotches; Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, naked and in a creature-like pose with clawed hands and a ditzy, childish expression; Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, shirtless and holding his nipples in a sailor get-up; and House Minority Leader John Boehner, stroking his neck in a tiny pink Speedo.

In addition to the images, the calendar has descriptions for each individual, including their “turn-ons” (in the case of “Mr. March” John McCain, it “varies with each election cycle”) and their “turn-offs” – with McCain’s listed as “plucky brunettes who favor rimless glasses and folksy aphorisms.”

So is this funny? Or is it a blatantly disrespectful attack on conservatives?

Article continues here

Wednesday October 27 2010

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:06:45 -0800

Michael Barone, Pat Caddell,

Alex Sink Debate

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:58:14 -0800

Alex Sink, Florida Gov. Candidate, Accused of "Cheating" in Debate

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:54:43 -0800

Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, a Democrat, was caught violating the terms of a debate with Republican opponent Rick Scott on Monday, after she was seen reading a text message sent by an aide.

CNN reports that the incident took place during a debate hosted by themselves and St. Petersburg Times, during which "no notes and no props on stage" were permitted, per a written agreement both candidates had signed.

But during a commercial break, Sink's makeup artist showed the candidate a two-sentence message on a Droid cell phone, sent from an adviser, directing her on a point of conversation.

"The attorney who [w]on the Sykes suit said alex sink [sic] did nothing wrong. Tell not to let him keep talking about her," the message said.

Scott, who spotted the violation, brought it up when the debate resumed.

Article continues here

Monday October 25 2010

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:29:12 -0800

Don Imus,

Clint Eastwood "not a fan" of President Obama

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:11:42 -0800

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The former mayor of Carmel is "not a fan" of the current president.

Clint Eastwood told Katie Couric during a CBSNews.com interview that President Barack Obama is doing what he can to stay in his job, but that he's not actually "governing."

Eastwood supported Obama's Republican challenger John McCain two years ago, but the politically active actor is no right winger. He backed California Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, for example, during the recall campaign that eventually led to Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger being elected.

Nevertheless, publicly coming out against Obama -- less than two weeks before mid-term elections -- definitely puts Eastwood in the minority in famously liberal Hollywood.

Eastwood, though, is laying low compared to others in Hollywood who don't support Obama. Kelsey Grammer recently launched RightNetwork, for example, and Jon Voight has been speaking at Tea Party rallies.

And then there's Clint Howard, Ron's brother, who stars in two online commercials: one that trashes Obama's tax policies, and a newer one from writer-director David Zucker that goofs on Sen. Barbara Boxer's famous "I-worked-so-hard-to get that-title" comment.

Friday October 22 2010

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:24:14 -0800

Juan Williams, Dick Morris,

Thursday October 21 2010

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 05:04:37 -0800

Mike Ghouse,

Pat Toomey

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:59:19 -0800

Key Senate Races Tighten

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:57:11 -0800

By NAFTALI BENDAVID

Key Senate races are tightening as candidates on both sides make unexpected gains, suggesting that the final days in the battle for control of the chamber could be as volatile as any in recent memory.

Democrats who were all but written off, including Rep. Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania and Sen. Michael Bennet in Colorado, have revived and are pulling even with their Republican opponents in some polls.

Meanwhile, Republican challengers, including Dino Rossi in Washington and Carly Fiorina in California, who polls showed had slipped behind two Democratic incumbents, have drawn even.

The trend could mean that party loyalists, who may have been undecided at the campaign's outset, are coming home to their candidates as election day nears. The seesaw poll numbers also reflect activists' counter-reaction whenever the other side starts to build a lead.

"The further it starts to move in one direction, the more it energizes the opposite party," said Lara Brown, a political scientist at Villanova University near Philadelphia.

If Republicans win the Senate, they could more easily control the agenda by sending President Barack Obama legislation he would have to sign or veto. Democratic control of the Senate would provide a tie-breaker of sorts between a Democratic White House and a House that Republicans are expected to win.

Republicans need to capture 10 seats now held by Democrats to win a 51-49 Senate majority. Eleven Democratic seats are in play. Three are likely GOP pickups and the rest are too close to call. Democrats are within striking distance of one Republican-held seat, in Kentucky.

Article continues here

Wednesday October 20 2010

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:57:21 -0800

WBCM, Baltimore Appearance Videos

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:22:43 -0800

Sean appeared before a sell-out crowd of WBCM Baltimore, MD listeners. Check out some great videos filmed by Frank Marchant:

Sean is introduced to a sell-out crowd! {WATCH}

Sean confronts Tyler the liberal {WATCH}

Frank Luber talks with Sean {WATCH}

Sean is asked about a woman president in 2012? {WATCH}

Carl Paladino

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:11:21 -0800

Frank's BF Heckles Sean Bielat

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:49:09 -0800

Upon exiting the most recent debate with Barney Frank, located at WGBH studios in Boston, MA, Republican Congressional candidate, Sean Bielat, gets heckled by a Barney Frank "supporter" while talking to the media. Guess who was doing the heckling? Non other than Barney Frank's boyfriend, James Ready.

Watch the video here!

Monday October 18 2010

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:13:25 -0800

Newt Gingrich, Ed Rendell, Rand Paul,

Obama at MTV Townhall

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:54:16 -0800

Thursday October 14 2010

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:02:07 -0800

Christine O'Donnell, Meg Whitman,

Forget VP: Clinton world eyes 2016

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:18:39 -0800

By: Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman
October 6, 2010 04:23 PM EDT

The new round of speculation that Hillary Clinton could replace Joe Biden as President Barack Obama’s running mate in 2012 misses the point.

Clinton doesn’t want to be vice president. But, her old advisers say, she may still want to be president.

And all the denials of author Bob Woodward’s hint at a Clinton-Obama ticket in 2012, the latest in a string of similar notions floated by pundits, miss another point: that speculation about Clinton’s future is likely to be an on-going cross to bear for the Obama administration, fanned by a retinue of former Clinton aides and friends who may not be happy until another Clinton is in the White House. (See: Woodward: VP Hillary 'on the table')

Clinton’s political team, many of them still in exile from the Obama White House, whether in the private sector or in other government posts, remains on standby. They are also the most invested in her prospects: Their relevance depends, to a degree, on hers. One, Ann Lewis, maintains an organization based on Clinton’s massive email list. It’s called NoLimits.org. Another, pollster Mark Penn, conducted a public survey for The Hill this week that included a pot-stirring match-up of Clinton and Obama in 2012.

These advisers and supporters remain, to varying degrees, on the outside, but many still talk to Clinton or to her husband. Clinton recently finished paying off the debts her 2008 campaign owed Penn – a mark of their continued relationship.

Article continues here

Hillary and Obama

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:17:10 -0800

Charlie Crist

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:06:13 -0800

Gloves Come Off in Florida Senate Debate

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:02:35 -0800

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The three-way race for the Senate became a discussion of extremes during a debate Wednesday night -- radical-right, far-left and all over the place.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who's running as an independent, and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek teamed up to call Republican Marco Rubio a radical conservative. Crist and Rubio said Meek was far-left, and Rubio and Meek said Crist changed his positions to suit his political needs.

In the hour-long exchange, the candidates often talked over each other in heated exchanges as Crist and Meek sought to make up ground against front-runner Rubio, a favorite of the tea party movement. Rubio has called the health care and domestic spending policies of President Barack Obama a disaster.

Crist repeatedly mocked the tea party movement while attacking Rubio, calling him an extremist for wanting to outlaw abortion.

"You haven't been drinking the Kool-Aid, my friend, you've been drinking too much tea and it's just wrong," Crist told Rubio.

Article continues here

Wednesday October 06 2010

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:18:31 -0800

Ann Coulter,

Miller, Joe

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:29:56 -0800

Miller is the Republican Nominee for the United States Senate in Alaska, running against Democrat Scott McAdams and GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski who announced her write-in campaign.

After graduating from law school, Miller accepted a position at a prestigious law firm in Anchorage. Just three years later, at the age of 30, he was appointed as a State Magistrate (the youngest then serving in Alaska) as well as a Superior Court Master for the Fourth Judicial District. Further honors followed four years later when Miller was appointed an Acting State District Court Judge and, shortly thereafter, U.S. Magistrate Judge in Fairbanks. Again, he had the distinction of being the youngest then serving in that federal position, not only in the state, but also in the entire nation. He was also the only judge in the United States, at that time, serving at both the federal and state levels simultaneously.

In 2004, Miller stepped down from the bench to run for State Representative. He overwhelmingly won the contested Republican primary and nearly pulled off an upset in the general election receiving over 48% of the vote against the Democratic incumbent in a traditionally Democratic district: the closest re-election campaign the officeholder has ever faced. Joe returned to the successful full time practice of law at his own firm. He has represented clients (including local government as both a part-time employee and on contract) in a wide variety of cases, a number of which have gone all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court.

Prior to becoming an attorney and a judge, Miller served as an officer in the United States Army. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his leadership in combat during the First Gulf War. He received his commission from West Point, where he graduated with honors. Joe is also a graduate of Yale Law School and holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Alaska.

Whitman, Meg

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:15:53 -0800

Margaret Cushing "Meg" Whitman (born August 4, 1956) is an American businesswoman and Republican candidate for Governor of California. Whitman was Chief Executive Officer and President of eBay from 1998 to 2008.
Whitman has served as an executive in numerous large companies, including The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks, Procter & Gamble, and Hasbro, in addition to eBay.
A native of Long Island, New York, Whitman is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School.
In February 2009 she announced her candidacy for Governor of California. She won the Republican primary on June 8, 2010. She will face ex-governor Jerry Brown in the November election. If successful, Whitman will be the first woman to serve as governor of California.
She is the fourth wealthiest woman in the state of California with a net worth of $1.3 billion in 2010.

HOW THEY VOTED

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:47:09 -0800

Learn how your incumbents voted on the most important issues:

PERCENTAGES OF HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES WHO VOTED WITH PELOSI/DEMOCRATS: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/111/house/party-voters/

HEALTHCARE

H.R. 3590 (PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT)Final Health Care Overhaul HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll165.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00396H.R. 4872

Reconciliation Act of 2010: Final Health Care Overhaul

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll167.xml

SENATE http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00105

H.R. 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act (included public option):

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll887.xml

STIMULUS/SPENDING

H.R.1 Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year ending 2009

BILL TITLE: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

HOUSE http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll070.xml

SENATE http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00061

H.R. 1105 Omnibus Spending FY09

BILL TITLE: Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll086.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00096

H.R. 3288 Omnibus Spending FY10:

BILL TITLE: Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, HUD, and related agencies for FY 2010

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll949.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00287

S CON RES 13 BILL TITLE: Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2010:

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll216.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00173

HR 1424 TARP Bailout (110):

BILL TITLE: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

HOUSE http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml

SENATE http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00213

H.R. 2454 Cap-and-Trade:

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll477.xml

Friday October 01 2010

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:44:41 -0800

Carl Paladino

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:03:38 -0800

Paladino, Carl

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:00:23 -0800

Carl Paladino (born August 24, 1946) is an American businessman, politician, and former Chief Executive Officer of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. Paladino won the 2010 Republican nomination as the party's candidate for governor of New York. His candidacy has been supported by the Tea Party movement. Paladino's campaign platform emphasizes fiscal reform in Albany and improvement of the state's educational system.

Thursday September 30 2010

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:24:41 -0800

Sarah Palin, Karl Rove,

Wednesday September 29 2010

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:41:30 -0800

Dick Morris,

Tuesday September 28 2010

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:25:49 -0800

Michael Smith, Daniel Hannan,

Poll: Rocky road seen ahead for Obama

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:45:35 -0800

A significant majority of voters are considering voting against President Barack Obama in the 2012 election, expressing sour views of his new health care law and deep skepticism about his ability to create jobs and grow the sluggish economy, according to the latest POLITICO / George Washington University Battleground Poll.

Only 38 percent of respondents said Obama deserves to be reelected, even though a majority of voters hold a favorable view of him on a personal level. Forty-four percent said they will vote to oust him, and 13 percent said they will consider voting for someone else.

Friday September 24 2010

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:50:05 -0800

John Zogby, Newt Gingrich,

More House Democrats stressing independence from Pelosi, Obama

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:51:06 -0800

By Paul Kane and Karen Tumulty

Washington Post Staff Writers

MCGREGOR, TEXAS - Little more than two years after she touted him for the vice presidential nomination, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cannot count on the support of Rep. Chet Edwards.

Edwards, a conservative Democrat trying win an 11th term representing this area southwest of Dallas, said he has not made up his mind whether he would support Pelosi (D-Calif.) for another term as speaker, as he comes under fire back home for his close ties to the Democratic leader.

"No, I've made no commitments for speaker. Until we see the outcome of this election, I don't even know who will be running for speaker," Edwards said in an interview while campaigning Saturday in this small town of 5,000 southwest of Waco.

Democrats from a number of states, including Texas, Ohio and North Carolina, are running away from Pelosi in a harsh political climate. Distancing one's self from the speaker is nothing new for many Democrats, including Edwards, but the number of incumbents criticizing the party House leader is larger than it has been in past election cycles - and the volume of their criticism is louder.

Article continues here

Thursday September 16 2010

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:26:46 -0800

Dick Morris,

Tea Party Republican has big lead in Florida

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:29:30 -0800

By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON | Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:27pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican candidate Marco Rubio has opened a clear lead in a Florida Senate race, becoming the latest Tea Party favorite to benefit from voter anger at Washington, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Wednesday.
Six weeks before November 2 congressional elections, Rubio leads state Governor Charlie Crist, an independent, by 40 percent to 26 percent among likely voters, the poll found. Democrat Kendrick Meek trails at 21 percent.
The conservative Tea Party roiled Republican politics when a little-known candidate backed by the movement beat a veteran lawmaker in Delaware on Tuesday in the race to decide the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in November.
The Tea Party is a loose-knit group of mostly Republicans that has been attracting anti-Washington voters upset at government spending, taxes and deficits. They are strong critics of President Barack Obama.
Tea Party-backed candidates have ousted Republican establishment politicians in Nevada, Colorado, Kentucky and Connecticut. Crist fled the Republican Party earlier this year to run as an independent when it seemed clear he would lose to the conservative Rubio in the state's primary vote.

Article continues here

Wednesday September 15 2010

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:35:18 -0800

Jim DeMint, Michael Steele, Christine O'Donnell,

PM Tony Blair Interview 9/13

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:23:31 -0800

Elisha and Romeo get their picture taken with Tony Blair

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:20:54 -0800

Sean and Tony Blair share a laugh in studio after his interview

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:17:23 -0800

Sean Hannity and Great Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:15:08 -0800

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair joins Sean in his radio studio

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:12:24 -0800

Paladino Sends Lazio to Sidelines

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:48:09 -0800

By JACOB GERSHMAN

Carl Paladino toppled his party's favored candidate to win the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, in an unexpected landslide that clears the way for what he promised would be a bare-knuckled contest to try to derail front-runner Andrew Cuomo in November's general election.

With 88% precincts reporting, the deep-pocketed insurgent claimed 63% of the vote against Rick Lazio, a former Long Island congressman whose poorly financed candidacy fell victim to a surge of Tea Party dissent.

"Andrew Cuomo should strap himself into the seat with an extra seat-belt because it's going to be one hell of a ride for him," Mr. Paladino said in an interview Tuesday before delivering a victory speech in Buffalo.

Mr. Paladino's victory was a striking upset for a political novice unknown to most voters six months ago and dismissed by leading party figures as a fringe phenomenon whose candidacy would not be taken seriously by the wider GOP electorate.

The Republican drama was the starkest sign of voter unrest in a primary election that overwhelmingly favored legislative incumbents in Albany. In one of the few competitive legislative races, Pedro Espada, a legally embattled state senator from the Bronx, was trounced by Gustavo Rivera, a 34-year-old Democratic political organizer who portrayed Mr. Espada as a poster child of state government gone awry.

Article continues here

Christine O'Donnell

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:16:50 -0800

In Delaware, Tea Party Gains Newest Star

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:14:37 -0800

By NEIL KING JR.

Delaware's Republican establishment dismissed Christine O'Donnell as a gadfly with a flimsy resume and shallow roots in the state.

But on Tuesday, the tea party activist beat the state's best-known Republican in her campaign for Vice President Joe Biden's old Senate seat, becoming another rising star in one of the most volatile political seasons in decades.

A freelance marketer and Philadelphia native who moved to Delaware seven years ago, Ms. O'Donnell knocked off Rep. Mike Castle, whose 44-year political career included stints in the state legislature, eight years as Delaware governor and nine terms as the state's lone congressman.

She polled 53.1% of the votes in the race, with Mr. Castle getting 46.9%. Ms. O'Donnell now will face Democrat Chris Coons in November for the seat vacated by Mr. Biden after he was elected vice president.

She pulled off the upset on a shoestring budget—running the campaign out of her small townhouse in Wilmington—and in the face of vigorous attacks from the Delaware Republican Party and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Article continues here

Wednesday September 08 2010

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:58:24 -0800

Newt Gingrich,

Tuesday September 07 2010

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:19:19 -0800

Jay Sekulow, John Zogby, Mike Ghouse,

As economy struggles, confidence in Obama wanes

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:37:49 -0800

CHICAGO (CBS): If there is any place President Obama is going to get the benefit of the doubt, it's here in his hometown. Yet public opinion polls show that even here, confidence has slipped. Though they're a bit hesitant to talk about it.

When one resident was asked how Mr. Obama was doing, the answer was not very convincing.

"Don't ask me that question."

On Monday the president was just 90 miles away in Milwaukee, unveiling yet another $50 billion infrastructure improvement package. That's in addition to what's already underway in Chicago and around the nation.

"Our infrastructure's pathetic; especially the railroads," said Chicagoan Paul Keck, adding the money would be well spent to improve things like roads, bridges and railways.

Tonight CBS 2 spoke with people power shopping the Magnificent Mile, relaxing in Bucktown and stocking up at a South Side supermarket.

"You have to consider where we were," Chicagoan T'oni Gray said, "He walked into an office that was already messed up."

Article continues here

Unlikely battleground of Wisconsin reflects Democrats' vulnerability in midterm elections

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:15:48 -0800

By Karen Tumulty

MILWAUKEE - Democrats in Congress are no longer asking themselves whether this is going to be a bad election year for them and their party. They are asking whether it is going to be a disaster.

The answer will probably be found in states such as Wisconsin, one of a growing number of spots on the map where Democrats accustomed to winning reelection with ease - including Sen. Russell Feingold - are unexpectedly in trouble.

The GOP pushed deep into Democratic-held territory over the summer, to the point where the party is well within range of picking up the 39 seats it would need to take control of the House. Overall, as many as 80 House seats could be at risk, and fewer than a dozen of these are held by Republicans.

Political handicappers now say it is conceivable that the Republicans could also win the 10 seats they need to take back the Senate. Not since 1930 has the House changed hands without the Senate following suit.

"Given the races in play - six for Republicans and 13 for Democrats - a plausible case can now be made that those 10 seats are within their reach," the nonpartisan Cook Political Report wrote last week. But it predicted that the GOP's gain will fall just short of that, at seven to nine seats.

Even if Republicans do not win enough seats to wrest control of Congress, they appear poised to increase their numbers enough to block Democratic bills and all but halt President Obama's agenda.

This political turmoil is on full display in Wisconsin. There are at least two Democratic House seats at stake and also a close race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

But the real surprise here is that Feingold, whose reelection to a fourth term had once been considered a lock, is in a tight race. He is one of three Democratic senators unexpectedly in that predicament, and in large part because of the hostile political climate nationally. Barbara Boxer in California and Patty Murray in Washington are also struggling to keep their seats.

Midterm elections have often been an early indicator of larger turns in the direction of the country - and a (sometimes spotty) predictor of presidential contests that follow two years later. In 2010, Democrats are burdened with a bad economy for which they are at least partially blamed, an increasingly unpopular president whose policies they backed and a turbocharged opposition that won't let voters forget, either.

"I don't think there's been a door more open for an opposition party to do well - certainly better than 1994," the last time the Republicans took control of both houses, said David Winston, a pollster who advises the House Republican leadership.

The White House is rushing to put together a package of tax cuts that would encourage businesses to step up hiring. Also on the agenda is a congressional debate over whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans - a fight that leaders of both parties insist would work in their favor.

But Democrats know they have little chance of seeing what would help them most: a dramatic improvement in the economy before November. And public support has not materialized as they had hoped it would for their signature achievement, an overhaul of the health-care system. So they are trying to convince skeptical voters that Democratic economic policies, such as the $814 billion stimulus package, are working, although not as fast as anyone would like; to blame the Republicans for having caused the problem in the first place; and to warn of the consequences of a return to those policies.

If voters are dismissive of Democrats, polls show that they aren't exactly sold on Republicans, either, given memories of how the party governed the last time it was in power.

In coming weeks, House Republican leader John A. Boehner (Ohio), the speaker in waiting, plans to unveil a blueprint of what his party would do if it regains a majority. But it is not clear whether that message will have much impact, or even whether Republican candidates will want to line up behind it. Many GOP campaign consultants are advising their candidates simply to stay on the attack and avoid getting tripped up by deep discussions of issues and policy.

Although the parties are trying to set the broad themes of this election, it is also a collection of unique contests: for all 435 House seats, as well as for 37 governorships and 36 Senate seats.

"There's a big wave coming," said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman. "The question is, are individual candidates building high enough walls to protect themselves from that wave?"

Wisconsin was not a place where Democrats had anticipated a breach. Obama carried the state by 14 points in 2008, and it has sent only Democrats to the Senate since Feingold's first election, in 1992. The senator is also known for his independence from his party. He opposed Obama's decision to send more troops to Iraq and a financial regulatory bill that he said did not go far enough.

But Wisconsin has traditionally been closely divided political territory, Feingold said; he is in trouble in large part because voters associate him with their frustration about the economy and the mess in Washington. "It's a classic purple state," Feingold said. "It will always be affected by national trends either way."

Feingold's probable Republican challenger, who jumped into the race in May and is favored to win the party primary on Sept. 14, seems well cast for a year in which claims of political inexperience are often an asset.

"Sixteen weeks ago, I was you. I am you," business executive Ron Johnson told a few dozen Rotary Club members last week in the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon.

This particular everyman, however, is a multimillionaire plastics manufacturer who already has spent $4 million on television advertising, nearly three times more than Feingold has.

Yet for all that is going against the Democrats this year, they have some advantages.

One difference from 1994 is that this time they saw early on what was coming. Feingold has built a formidable campaign operation, with 16 field offices and a vast network of workers.

This year's Democrats also are, by and large, better financed than their Republican opponents - and most of that campaign money has yet to be spent.

But with so many seats in play, there won't be enough money for Democrats to defend themselves across the map, or for Republicans and their allies to take advantage of every opportunity. Ultimately, some candidates, including incumbents, will have to be left for dead so that the parties can spend where it might still make a difference.

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced plans to reserve television ad time in 41 districts, all but one currently represented by Democrats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has dibs on time in 60 districts - 90 percent of which are held by Democrats.

Count on those ads to be even more brutal than usual, as evidenced by what both sides have done so far. Where candidates' early ads are usually upbeat, the spots this year have been almost 60 percent negative, said Evan Tracey, who tracks ads for the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Even as Johnson brands Feingold an "out-of-touch Washington insider," the senator has attacked his opponent over revelations that Johnson's company took low-interest government loans.

For voters, "this is going to be a decision between two people," Feingold said. "But it's also based on what's going on in the country."

In the tense weeks ahead, Feingold and his endangered colleagues will be doing everything they can to make that decision much more about the first than the second.

Tuesday August 31 2010

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:23:08 -0800

David Horowitz, Dick Morris,

Tidal wave? 10-point edge for GOP

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:53:58 -0800

By Jonathan Allen & Richard E. Cohen | 8/30/10

Democrats thought things couldn't get much worse on the electoral front — and then they went home to campaign.

A new Gallup poll released Monday shows Republicans with a record 10-point edge over Democrats on the "generic ballot" test — the question of whether voters prefer a Democratic or Republican congressional candidate. It’s the largest GOP polling edge at this stage in the 68 years of the generic ballot poll.

While party optimists say Democrats may cling to a small majority after the November election, an increasing number of Democratic strategists now say privately that they fear the House is already lost.

The Gallup poll, coming at the end of a brutal August for Democrats and President Barack Obama, reinforces the rapidly forming prevailing view that the horizon is as bleak for Democrats as it ever has been.

Indeed, the Republicans' 51 percent to 41 percent for Democrats on the generic ballot poll represents the largest Republican edge heading into a midterm election since the poll was first conducted in the 1942 election cycle, giving them greater reason for optimism than in the weeks leading up to their 1952 and 1994 House takeovers. It also represents a stunning reversal from the 6-point lead Democrats posted in the poll mid-July.

Worse for Democrats, the news comes after they've spent most of the last month on the campaign trail, touting their accomplishments for local communities and trying to remind voters of what life was like when George W. Bush was president.

The message that things are better than they could be hasn’t exactly been a winner with voters.

"You have millions of Americans worried about the economy, jobs, deficits, their children's future, and we're out there talking about what — Bush, Iraq?" said Chris Kofinis, a longtime Democratic strategist. "Our message needs to be more positive, more hopeful, more focused, and we need [to] talk to the economic reality of everyday Americans and their families. There is time to pivot, but we're just not there yet."

The generic ballot poll is not necessarily an indicator of how House races will go district by district, but more an indicator of the national mood of the electorate. Yet, the ominous poll numbers suggest that the strategy of Democratic leaders to stay below the radar during the August recess has been a failure. That strategy has been driven by a desire to limit the connection between vulnerable House Democrats and their party leaders in the nation’s capital, said a House Democratic leadership aide.

Although top Democrats have visited the districts of some of their vulnerable members during the past month, they typically have limited both national and local press coverage of those contacts. Day by day, more rank-and-file Democrats are taking potshots at their congressional leaders in an effort to distance themselves from them on policy — and sometimes personally.

Rep. Bobby Bright of Alabama even mused that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might lose her job by death rather than party defeat.

"Never cross a bridge until you come to it," Bright said when asked whether he would vote for Pelosi for speaker if he's reelected. "She may get beat, she may step away, she may get sick and die." The local paper reported the comments as lighthearted.

Article continues here

Friday August 27 2010

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:20:06 -0800

Mary Matalin, Karl Rove, Stuart Varney,

Wednesday August 25 2010

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:07:24 -0800

Sen. Murkowski Trails Tea Party-Backed Candidate in Alaska Primary

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:40:47 -0800

A decorated Gulf War veteran was holding a narrow lead over Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Alaska Republican Senate primary, as ballots continued to be counted Wednesday in what could shape up to be a stunning political upset.

Polls taken before primary day had shown Murkowski, a two-term senator from an Alaska political dynasty, leading handily against the first-time candidate. But challenger Joe Miller insisted all along that the state's polling was unreliable -- as of Wednesday morning, Miller held a 2,000-vote lead.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, he had 51 percent and Murkowski had 49 percent. The number of uncounted absentee ballots, though, exceeded the number of votes separating the candidates.

The Alaska race marked the second surprise from a Tea Party-backed candidate in Tuesday's elections. Health care executive Rick Scott earlier defeated Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum for that state's GOP gubernatorial nomination after polls also showed McCollum pulling away from Scott.

Miller had the added help of an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has a history with the Murkowski family. Palin defeated Murkowski's father Frank in the 2006 gubernatorial primary. Though there was speculation over whether she might challenge Murkowski for her seat, Palin instead endorsed Miller after leaving the governor's office.

Article continues here

Tuesday August 24 2010

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:45:23 -0800

Ann Coulter, Dick Morris,

Money Flows, Mud Flies in Florida Race

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:31:29 -0800

MIAMI—Voters go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether a long-time legislator or a billionaire newcomer will be the Democratic nominee in one of the most closely watched and unusual U.S. Senate primaries in the nation.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek is a political scion from Miami. Both President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton stumped for him last week. Jeff Greene is an entrepreneur who made his fortune partly by betting that the subprime mortgage bubble would burst, and who has spent an estimated $24 million of his own money blanketing the state with TV ads.

Meek, who is leading Greene by seven points in a Quinnipiac poll out last week, has gained momentum in the polls as he has described Greene as a meltdown mogul who is cozy with troubled professional boxer Mike Tyson, the best man at Greene's lavish wedding. Greene said he believed in redemption and even drove Tyson to rehab, which he also paid for.

Freedom Concerts 2010 - Dallas

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:24:57 -0800

Freedom Concerts 2010 - Tulsa

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:28:26 -0800

Freedom Concerts 2010 - Orlando 8/14

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:45:54 -0800

Freedom Concerts 2010 - Cincinnati

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:40:07 -0800

92 Days to Decide: GOP Leaders Add Rangel Charges to Campaign Arsenal; Focus on Jobs

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:28:19 -0800

Republican leaders on Sunday sought to gain the moral high ground in the wake of ethics charges against Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, but with Republicans handling ethical problems of their own, the leaders tried to keep the focus on jobs and the economy.

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said November will, more than anything, be about spending and the Democrats' "job-killing" agenda. They made clear that the economy would continue to play a lead role in the GOP campaign message as members fan out across the country for the August recess.

"The Democrats' biggest problem is they're spending too much, taxing too much, borrowing too much, and their job-killing programs are what's on the mind of the American people," McConnell said on "Fox News Sunday." "And I think that's what will determine the outcome of the election this fall."

Boehner said the central theme he wants his members hammering as they return to their home districts is to explain why voters should trust them to address their concerns over taxes, spending and jobs creation.

"We've been listening to the American people. It's pretty clear they want change," he told "Fox News Sunday."

Obama Approval Drops To Lowest Point Ever

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:13:22 -0800

A year after President Barack Obama's political honeymoon ended, his job approval rating has dropped to a negative 44 - 48 percent, his worst net score ever, and American voters say by a narrow 39 - 36 percent margin that they would vote for an unnamed Republican rather than President Obama in 2012, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
This compares to a 48 - 43 percent approval for Obama in a May 26 national poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University and a 57 - 33 percent approval last July, just before the political firestorm created by opposition to his health care plan galvanized political opponents and turned independent voters against him.
In this latest survey of more than 2,000 voters, independent voters disapprove of Obama 52 - 38 percent and say 37 - 27 percent they would vote for a Republican contender in 2012.
American voters also say 48 - 40 percent Obama does not deserve reelection in 2012.
Anti-incumbent sentiment slams both parties as voters disapprove 59 - 31 percent of the job Democrats are doing, and disapprove 59 - 29 percent of Republicans in Congress. But voters say 43 - 38 percent they would vote for a Republican in a generic Congressional race.
American voters say 42 - 32 percent that Obama has been a better president than George W. Bush, similar to the 43 - 30 percent who felt that way in January of 2010.

Friday July 16 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:18:57 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Stephen Smith,

Thursday July 15 2010

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:01:46 -0800

Michelle Malkin, Juan Williams,

Tuesday July 13 2010

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:09:27 -0800

John Zogby, Doug Schoen,

The GOP's Growth Agenda

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:38:49 -0800

By KARL ROVE

During the last week, President Barack Obama doubled down on a losing political bet, further cementing the Democratic Party's reputation as the champion of bigger deficits, higher spending and more government. He did so just as the public is crying out for lower deficits, less spending and less government.

In his Saturday radio address, Mr. Obama attacked Republican opposition to additional stimulus spending, saying they "just don't get it." Maybe they do get it. The first, $862 billion stimulus bill of 17 months ago has after all failed to work the president's promised magic.

Last Thursday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the president in his bad bet by offering up the economic gem that extension of unemployment benefits "creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name." Really? Faster than, say, cutting personal income tax cuts or slashing the corporate tax rate?

Rank-and-file congressional Democrats do not seem eager to follow Mr. Obama and Mrs. Pelosi down this road. For example, the House barely passed its $127 billion "Stimulus II" spending bill in late May by a vote of 215 to 204, with 34 Democrats joining all but one Republican in voting no. At least 20 of those Democrats come from districts at risk this fall. Democrats who represent swing districts are increasingly wary of supporting higher spending, taxes and deficits, or ceding greater power to the federal government. These issues are driving independents and other swing voters into the GOP column.

Article continues here

Wednesday June 23 2010

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:50:50 -0800

Bob Beckel,

Nikki Haley

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:39:59 -0800

Haley, Scott Make History in South Carolina Primary Runoff Victories

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:29:52 -0800

Nikki Haley, an Indian-American woman, and Tim Scott, an African American, broke barriers in South Carolina politics Tuesday by winning their bids for the Republican nominations for governor and a U.S. House seat in November's midterm election.

Haley, a state representative, is the first South Carolina woman to lead a major party ticket and will face Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen to succeed term-limited Gov. Mark Sanford.

“South Carolina just showed the rest of the country what we’re made of,” Haley told supporters in her victory speech.

"This is a great night for the thousands of people across this state who believed in this underdog campaign and the message of reform," she said.

She added that her campaign and supporters have a clear message to take to the general election: “We want a conservative government, and we want a government that is accountable to the people.”

Wednesday June 09 2010

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:58:10 -0800

Jan Brewer,

With Tea Party Support , Angle Scores in Nevada GOP Senate Primary

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:41:22 -0800

The Tea Party movement flexed its muscle Tuesday, powering former Nevada state lawmaker Sharron Angle to victory in the state's Republican U.S. Senate primary and launching her into a high-stakes November showdown against Democrat Harry Reid, the vulnerable Senate majority leader.

With 59 of precincts reporting, Angle won 39 percent of the vote. Her Republican challengers, former state lawmaker Sue Lowden and real estate owner Danny Tarkanian, secured 28 and 23 percent of the vote, respectively.

"We have completed the first step to taking back our U.S. senate seat," Angle told supported, stressing the word "our." "We need to say to Harry Reid, you have failed and you are fired."
The three Republican candidates had competed for backing of the anti-incumbent Tea Party movement to give their candidacies a boost in Nevada, where Reid's approval rating has plummeted to 35 percent, according to a recent poll.

The Tea Party Express, one of the most visible factions of the grassroots conservative movement, officially endorsed Angle on April 15. The group, sponsored by the California-based Our Country Deserves Better PAC, has so far spent $550,000 promoting Angle's candidacy -- catapulting her approval rating from a mere 5 percent in early April to double digits.

Article continues here

Sharron Angle

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:39:51 -0800

Paul, Rand

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:18:19 -0800

Randal Howard "Rand" Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American ophthalmologist and politician who describes himself as a "constitutional conservative". He is the third child of Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. Paul is the chairman and founder of Kentucky Taxpayers United.

In August 2009, Paul officially announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat held by retiring Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky. Paul, a lifelong Republican, won the party's primary election on May 18, 2010. He then defeated Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Tuesday June 08 2010

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:13:40 -0800

Rand Paul,

June 8th Primaries

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:47:10 -0800

Another round of key primaries will be held on Tuesday and incumbents are finding their seats challenged by political newcomers as well as local and state candidates in a political season marked by an anti-Washington mood.

ARKANSAS, Senate Runoff
SENATE - Blanche Lincoln (D) v. John Boozman (R)
Bill Halter (D)

HOUSE CD 01 OPEN Tim Wooldridge (D) v. Rick Crawford (R)
Chad Causey (D)
CD 02 OPEN Joyce Elliot (D) v. Tim Griffen (R)
Robbie Wills (D)

CALIFORNIA, Senate, Gubernatorial, House
SENATE- Barbara Boxer (D) v. Tom Campbell (R)
Mickey Kaus (D) Carly Fiorina (R)
Brian Quintana (D) Chuck DeVore (R)

GUBERNATORIAL – OPEN Jerry Brown (D) v. Meg Whitman (R)
Steve Poizner (R)

HOUSE – CD 03 Ami Bera (D) v. Dan Lungren (R)

CD 11 Jerry McNerney (D) v. David Harmer (R)
Elizabeth Emkin (R)
Brad Goehring (R)

CD 44 Bill Hedrick (D) v. Ken Calvert (R)

CD 45 Steve Pougnet (D) v. Mary Bono Mack (R)

IOWA, Senate, Gubernatorial, House
SENATE- Roxanne Conlin (D) v. Chuck Grassley (R)
Bob Krause (D)
Tom Fiegen (D)

GUBERNATORIAL - Chet Culver (D) v. Terry Branstad (R)
Bob Vander Platts (R)

HOUSE – CD 03 Leonard Boswell (D) v. Jim Gibbons (R)
Brad Zaun (R)
David Funk (R)

MAINE, Gubernatorial, House
GUBERNATORIAL- OPEN Libby Mitchell (D) v. Steve Abbott (R) v. Eliot Cutler (I)
Steve Rowe (D) Peter Mills (R)
Patrick McGowan (D) Bruce Poliquin (R)
Rosa Scarcelli (D) Les Otten (R)
Paul LePage (R)

HOUSE - 2 seats up, none considered vulnerable

MONTANA, House
HOUSE – 1 seat up, not considered vulnerable.

NEVADA, Senate, Gubernatorial, House
SENATE - Harry Reid (D) v. Sue Lowden (R) v. Scott Ashjian (I)
Danny Tarkanian (R)
Sharron Angle (R)
John Chachas (R)

GUBERNATORIAL - Rory Reid (D) v. Jim Gibbons (R)
Fred Conquest (D) Brian Sandoval (R)
Mike Montandon (R)

HOUSE - CD 03 Dina Titus (D) v. Joe Heck (R)

NEW JERSEY, House
HOUSE – CD 03 John Adler (D) v. Jon Runyan (R)

NORTH DAKOTA, Senate, House
SENATE – OPEN Tracy Arlen Potter(D) v. John Hoeven (R)
HOUSE - A-L Earl Pomeroy (D) v. Rick Berg (R)

SOUTH CAROLINA, Senate, Gubernatorial, House
SENATE - Alfred “Vic” Rawl (D) v. Jim DeMint (R)
GUBERNATORIAL – OPEN Robert Ford (D) v. Gresham Barrett (R)
Vincent Sheheen (D) Andre Bauer (R)
Jim Rex (D) Henry McMaster (R)
Nikki Haley (R)

HOUSE - CD 01 OPEN Robert Burton (D) v. Carroll Campbell, Jr. (R)
Tim Scott (R)
Paul Thurmond (R)
Clark Parker (R)

CD 02 Rob Miller (D) v. Addison “Joe” Wilson (R)

CD 03 OPEN Jane Dyer (D) v. Joe Grimaud (R)
Brian Doyle (R) Rex Rice (R)
Jeff Duncan (R)
Richard Cash (R)

CD 04 Paul Corden (D) v. Bob Inglis (R)
Trey Gowdy (R)
David Thomas (R)

CD 05 John Spratt, Jr. (D) v. Michael “ Mick” Mulvaney (R)

SOUTH DAKOTA, Senate, Gubernatorial, House
SENATE – Kurt Evans (I) v. John Thune (R)

GUBERNATORIAL – OPEN Scott Heidepriem (D) v. Dennis Daugaard (R)
Dave Knudson (R)
Scott Munsterman (R)
Gordon Howie (R)
Ken Knuppe (R)

HOUSE – A-L Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) v. Blake Curd (R)
Chris Nelson (R)
Kristi Noem (R)

VIRGINIA, House
HOUSE – CD 02 Glenn Nye (D) v. Scott Rigell (R)
Ben Loyola (R)
Scott Taylor (R)
Bert Mizusawa (R)

CD 05 Tom Perriello (D) v. Robert Hurt (R)
Mike McPadden (R)
Ken Boyd (R)
Jim McKelvey (R)

CD 09 Frederick “Rick” Boucher (D) v. Morgan Griffith (R)

Monday June 07 2010

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:20:14 -0800

White House asked Clinton to talk to Sestak about Senate run

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:14:18 -0800

Senior White House advisers asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Joe Sestak about whether he was serious about running for Senate, and to feel out whether he'd be open to other alternatives, according to sources familiar with the situation.

But the White House maintains that the Clinton-Sestak discussions were informal, according to the sources. The White House, under pressure to divulge the specifics of its interactions with Sestak, will release a formal statement later today outlining their version of events, including Clinton's involvement.

According to the sources, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked Clinton and his longtime adviser, lawyer Doug Band, to talk to Sestak about the race. It's unclear right now whether the White House will say that Clinton was asked to suggest specific administration positions for Sestak, whether Clinton floated positions on his own, whether Clinton discussed other options not related to the adminstration, or whether employment even came up at all in the talks.

But the news that Clinton is at the center of this whole story is noteworthy on its own because of the former president's stature, and underscores how heavily invested the White House was in dissuading Sestak from running. The White House sent Clinton to talk to Sestak because Arlen Specter, constituting the 60th Dem vote in the Senate, was viewed as key to enacting Obama's agenda.

The White House maintains that Clinton's overtures to Sestak merely constituted an effort to gauge his seriousness about the race, the sources say, adding that Clinton was informally discussing the range of options open to Sestak as part of a larger conversation meant to ascertain Sestak's thinking.

I've been unable to ascertain precisely what Clinton discussed with Sestak in terms of his future options, but the release of the White House's formal response will clear that up.
By Greg Sargent | May 28, 2010; 9:49 AM ET

WashingtonPost.com

Joe Sestak

Tue, 25 May 2010 10:01:19 -0800

Axelrod: No evidence that Sestak is telling the truth

Tue, 25 May 2010 09:57:10 -0800

via HotAir.com

The White House attempted to push back against allegations that Barack Obama or his staff attempted to bribe Joe Sestak into withdrawing from the Democratic Senate primary by offering him a job, but they may be creating bigger headaches with their defense.

Axelrod tells CNN’s John King that there is “no evidence” that the bribe attempt ever happened, even while he acknowledges that it would have been “a serious breach of the law.” In order to believe that there is “no evidence,” though, one has to discount the repeated direct testimony of Sestak himself.

Witness testimony does qualify as evidence, however, and Sestak has insisted on multiple occasions that the bribe attempt happened. Either Sestak is lying, or Sestak is telling the truth. If it’s the latter, then someone in the Obama administration committed a felony, and perhaps more than one, by Axelrod’s own admission. If it didn’t happen, then Joe Sestak is lying. In order to defend itself, the White House has been put in the position of having to call its party’s nominee for the US Senate a liar.

Article continues here

Rep. Joe Sestak

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:14:13 -0800

Will Sestak Embrace the White House?

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:01:50 -0800

Rep. Joe Sestak, the newly crowned Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, faces a major decision: Will he embrace the White House after he accused it of trying to bribe him into dropping out of his primary race against Sen. Arlen Specter?

The Sestak campaign told FoxNews.com on Wednesday that it would gladly accept President Obama's seal of approval. But critics were decrying the prospect of such an alliance.

"It would be incredibly disingenuous and reek of political payback" for Sestak "to accept any support from the Obama administration to become the next senator of Pennsylvania while knowingly protecting the very White House that tried to bribe him," said Kurt Bardella, a spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who has been pressing for more information on the charge Sestak made during the primary campaign.

While it's not clear whether Obama will stump for Sestak, Vice President Biden said Wednesday he's ready to hit the campaign trail for him.

"I spoke to Joe Sestak last night and congratulated him on his impressive victory," Biden said in a written statement. "He will make a great candidate in the fall, and a wonderful United States senator. I look forward to campaigning for him in Pennsylvania and celebrating his victory in November."

Article continues here

Wednesday May 19 2010

Wed, 19 May 2010 06:41:26 -0800

Oliver North, Jan Brewer,

Arlen Specter

Wed, 19 May 2010 05:52:20 -0800

Sestak Defeats Specter in Pennsylvania Democratic Primary

Wed, 19 May 2010 05:50:20 -0800

Rep. Joe Sestak sent Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter into retirement Tuesday with a stunning come-from-behind victory in the Democratic primary.

Specter becomes the third incumbent member of Congress in two weeks to lose his job, after Republican Sen. Bob Bennett lost the GOP nomination at the party's Utah convention and Democratic Rep. Alan Mollohan lost a primary in West Virginia.

In November, Sestak will face Pat Toomey, who won the Republican nomination.

Specter, after calling Sestak to congratulate him, delivered a concession speech in which he thanked his campaign and his supporters.

"It's been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania," Specter said to a round of applause. "And it's been a great privilege to be in the United States Senate, and I'll be working very hard for the people of the commonwealth in the coming months."

Specter switched parties last year in what he thought would be an easier path to another nomination. But Sestak proved to be a hurdle too high for the five-term senator.

Sestak took 54 percent of the vote to Specter's 46 percent with nearly all precincts reporting. Sestak told Fox News on Wednesday that voters wanted a change.

Article Continues Here

Voter Frustration

Mon, 17 May 2010 11:15:26 -0800

Cruising the struggling rural communities of eastern Arkansas, Earnestine Weaver, the local justice of the peace and longtime Democratic committeewoman, senses a tide building in advance of Tuesday's primary.

"People are saying: 'Let's make a change. Let's get rid of all the people in office now,' " she says.
In state after state, as campaigns ramp up for this year's congressional elections, voter anger threatens to capsize the careers of lawmakers previously considered untouchable. Party affiliation is not the issue.

"It's a bad year to be an incumbent," says Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat.

Primary elections Tuesday in Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Kentucky will provide the next test of the electorate's sour mood. In those states, veteran officeholders who have the backing of their party leaders are threatened by upstart candidates who barely registered in the polls a few months ago.

In Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter, embraced by President Obama after Specter switched parties in the face of a tough GOP primary, may not survive his first Democratic one.

In Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's choice to replace retiring Sen. Jim Bunning may not survive a Republican primary challenge from Rand Paul, the son of ex-presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Article continues here

Thompson, Fred

Mon, 17 May 2010 09:27:20 -0800

Fred Dalton Thompson (born Freddie Dalton Thompson on August 19, 1942), is an American politician, actor, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, and radio host. He served as a Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1994 through 2003.

Thompson served as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board at the United States Department of State, was a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence.

As an actor, Thompson has appeared in a large number of movies and television shows. He has frequently portrayed governmental figures. In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch.

In May 2007 he took a break from acting in order to run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. In 2009 he returned to acting with a guest appearance on the ABC television series Life on Mars; launched a radio show, The Fred Thompson Show, on Westwood One, co-hosted by his wife, Jeri; and is co-starring with Brian Dennehy in the movie Alleged, about the Scopes Monkey Trial.

Monday May 10 2010

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:41:43 -0800

Wednesday April 21 2010

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:26:26 -0800

Pat Caddell, David Horowitz,

Tuesday April 20 2010

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:51:29 -0800

Mark Levin,

Tuesday April 13 2010

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:38:30 -0800

John Zogby,

Thursday April 08 2010

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:40:56 -0800

Juan Williams, Stuart Varney, Andrew Breitbart, Lynne Cheney,

Wednesday April 07 2010

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:12:49 -0800

Michele Bachmann,

Tuesday April 06 2010

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:12:13 -0800

Rudy Giuliani, Pat Buchanan,

Friday April 02 2010

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:20:00 -0800

Sean smiles at the audience at Reagan Library (3/30/10)

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:27:18 -0800

Conservative Victory Tour - Reagan Library

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:23:58 -0800

The first stop on Sean's Conservative Victory Tour was the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA.

Wednesday March 31 2010

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:47:23 -0800

Dick Morris, Bob Beckel, Brent Bozell,

Tuesday March 30 2010

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:02:30 -0800

Michael Reagan, Stuart Varney, Juan Williams,

Monday March 29 2010

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:41:24 -0800

Pat Caddell, Doug Schoen,

Friday March 26 2010

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:38:48 -0800

Stuart Varney, Juan Williams,

Thursday March 25 2010

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:09:14 -0800

Ann Coulter,

Sean's Appearance at NRCC in Washington, DC

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:03:51 -0800

Sean's Speech in Washington, DC at the NRCC

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:40:36 -0800

On Tuesday, March 23rd Sean Hannity spent the day in Washington, DC to be the keynote speaker for the annual National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) March Dinner. Sean addressed a crowd of nearly 2,000 people in DC's pristine National Building Museum with a forty minute speech that hammered home the need for a new Conservative Party to take back Washington, cut earmark spending, fire Nancy Pelosi and make Obama a one-term president.

Sean questioned the crowd as to whether they could have ever imagined the election of a president who started their political career inside the home of a domestic terrorist, a president who thought there are fifty-seven states or whose wife was finally proud of her country for the first time after which members of the crowd shouted back "No!"

The NRCC's Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) released a statement saying "I'm pleased to announce that we have raised over $7 million to help Republicans retire Nancy Pelosi in November" and that "this outstanding fundraising effort is proof that voters are ready for new leadership in Washington."

Watch The Video Of The Entire Speech Here

View Photos From The Event Here

Wednesday March 24 2010

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:09:46 -0800

Mitch McConnell, Michael Steele,

Tuesday March 16 2010

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:15:04 -0800

John Bolton, Michele Bachmann,

Monday March 15 2010

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:29:28 -0800

Marco Rubio,

Friday March 12 2010

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:30:16 -0800

Dick Morris,

Schoen, Doug

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:21:42 -0800

Doug Schoen was named Pollster of the Year in 1996 by the American Association of Political Consultants

Dr. Schoen was President William Jefferson Clinton's research and strategic consultant during the 1996 reelection, and has been widely credited with creating and effectively communicating the message that turned around the President's political fortunes between 1994 and 1996.

For more than twenty years Dr. Schoen has created winning messages and provided strategic advice to numerous political clients in the United States and to heads of state in countries around the world, including Greece, Turkey, Israel, the Philippines, Korea, the Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Yugoslavia.

Doug Shoen

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:20:03 -0800

Thursday March 11 2010

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:50:11 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Doug Schoen,

Wednesday March 10 2010

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:05:22 -0800

Ed Rendell,

Tuesday March 09 2010

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:03:50 -0800

Karl Rove,

Monday March 08 2010

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:07:34 -0800

Friday March 05 2010

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:12:57 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Pat Caddell, Ann Coulter,

Thursday March 04 2010

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:55:06 -0800

Wednesday March 03 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:11:39 -0800

Jim Bunning, Peter King,

Friday February 26 2010

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:44:40 -0800

Sarah Palin, Lamar Alexander,

Wednesday February 24 2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:08:30 -0800

Tuesday February 23 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:21:30 -0800

Stuart Varney, Karl Rove,

Monday February 22 2010

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:57:05 -0800

Newt Gingrich, Betsy McCaughey,

Friday February 19 2010

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:37:55 -0800

Pat Caddell, Ann Coulter,

Thursday February 18 2010

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:11:06 -0800

John Zogby, Michael Steele,

Wurzelbacher, Joe

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:33:28 -0800

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (born December 3, 1973), famously dubbed Joe the Plumber, is a resident of Ohio, United States who gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election. As an employee of a plumbing contractor, he was given the moniker "Joe the Plumber" after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small business tax policy during a campaign stop in Ohio. The Republican McCain-Palin campaign later applied "Joe the Plumber" as a metaphor for middle-class Americans. He subsequently published a book about his experiences, and has appeared as a motivational speaker and commentator.

Wednesday February 17 2010

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:27:09 -0800

Stuart Varney, Joe Wurzelbacher,

Tuesday February 16 2010

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:48:32 -0800

Monday February 15 2010

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:38:10 -0800

Thursday February 11 2010

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:09:19 -0800

Tuesday February 09 2010

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:08:27 -0800

Stuart Varney,

Friday February 05 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:24:55 -0800

Pat Buchanan, Dick Morris,

Thursday February 04 2010

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:02:02 -0800

Jim DeMint, Newt Gingrich,

Wednesday February 03 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:17:53 -0800

Juan Williams, Stuart Varney, Marco Rubio,

Tuesday February 02 2010

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:58:27 -0800

Thursday January 28 2010

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:46:33 -0800

Juan Williams, Stuart Varney, Sarah Palin,

Tuesday January 26 2010

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:27:31 -0800

Monday January 25 2010

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:53:24 -0800

Candidates, How Would You Have Voted?

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:40:30 -0800

Candidates, we know where the incumbents stand on the issues, but where do you stand?

How would you have voted on the following issues:

1.) Cap and Tax

2.) Stimulus

3.) Health Care

CANDIDATES, PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR FEC FILING NUMBER OR YOUR RESPONSES WILL NOT BE USED.

E-mail your responses to candidate-answers@hannity.com

Friday January 22 2010

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:42:59 -0800

Jay Feely,

Thursday January 21 2010

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:45:26 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin,

Scott Brown Victory

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:55:00 -0800

BOSTON - JANUARY 19: Balloons and confetti fall as U.S. Senator-elect, Republican Scott Brown celebrates winning the Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat January 19, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts. Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election to fill the seat of late U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy. (Photo by Robert Spencer/Getty Images)

Scott Brown Wins In Massachusetts

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:52:37 -0800

From Politico.com:

Scott Brown has turned this town upside down.

Usually, the tendency among political reporters and operatives alike is to overreact and overinterpret elections. And there are caveats to the stunner in Massachusetts. Yes, this was a special election, which often produces unusual results. Yes, Democrat Martha Coakley ran a timid, sometimes terrible, campaign for Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat. And it’s true that Massachusetts is not as liberal as many people assumed.

Continue Story Here

Wednesday January 20 2010

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:12:29 -0800

Juan Williams, Stuart Varney, Dick Morris,

Tuesday January 19 2010

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:31:41 -0800

Karl Rove, Pat Caddell, Ann Coulter, Ed Rendell, Rudy Giuliani,

Monday January 18 2010

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:08:04 -0800

John Zogby,

Friday January 15 2010

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:38:37 -0800

Jake Tapper,

Thursday January 14 2010

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:11:37 -0800

Newt Gingrich,

Barone, Michael

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:38:00 -0800

Michael Barone is senior Political Analyst for the Washington Examiner. A resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, he is also a Fox News Channel contributor and co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.

Michael Barone

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:36:34 -0800

Wednesday January 13 2010

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:26:19 -0800

Michael Barone, Pat Buchanan,

Tuesday January 12 2010

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:19:47 -0800

Sue Lowden, Stephen Smith, Niger Innis,

Monday January 11 2010

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:10:38 -0800

Wednesday January 06 2010

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:28:44 -0800

Sarah Palin, Vern Buchanan,

Tuesday January 05 2010

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:53:54 -0800

Scott Brown,

Wednesday December 30 2009

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:28:08 -0800

McCain, John

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:19:23 -0800

John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.

Thursday December 10 2009

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:14:56 -0800

Wednesday December 09 2009

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:51:29 -0800

Stephen Smith, Dick Morris,

Joe Lieberman

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:17:53 -0800

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) speaks to the media prior to the weekly policy committee luncheon December 8, 2009 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Key members for the Senate version of the Health Care Reform Bill are still goi

Tuesday December 08 2009

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:48:27 -0800

Michael Steele,

Buchanan, Pat

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:01:07 -0800

Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan (born November 2, 1938) is an American conservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior advisor to American presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1992 and 1996. He ran on the Reform Party ticket in the 2000 presidential election.

Michael Steele

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:44:51 -0800