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Herman Cain To Deliver Tea Party State of the Union Response
Sacramento, CA – Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest tea party political action committee, is announcing that Herman Cain will be delivering the Tea Party State of the Union response at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on the evening of January 24th, 2012.
Sal Russo, Chief Strategist of the Tea Party Express, said, “We are excited to have Herman Cain deliver the 2nd Tea Party State of the Union response next week. Americans are fed up with the Washington politics that fail to address America’s fiscal woes. The Tea Party Express has called for reducing the size, cost and intrusiveness of the federal government, and we have stood strongly for pro-growth policies to get the economy growing and job creation increased.
“We are enthusiastic that a successful conservative governor like Mitch Daniels of Indiana will be giving the Republican response. I know that both Governor Daniels and Mr. Cain will contribute important ideas for the future of our country.
“Herman Cain has been a steadfast advocate for the values of the Tea Party and the practical solutions needed to solve the problems that face our nation. By following President Obama, Mr. Cain will have an opportunity to square off with the failed policies of the Obama Administration. Whether it is a flat tax, a fair tax or a combination of the two, reforming the tax code must be a priority. Americans want straight talk and honest solutions, and Herman Cain will deliver a pro-growth message strongly and clearly,” Russo concluded.
The Tea Party Express hosted the first ever Tea Party State of the Union Response last year with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Keynesian Catastrophe: Big Money, Big Government & Big Lies
The Cato Institute’s Dan Mitchell explains why Obama’s stimulus was a flop! With Glenn Reynolds.
Rep. Darrell Issa Introduces the OPEN Act to Counter #SOPA & #PIPA
An effective, targeted solution to online copyright infringement
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif, officially introduced H.R. 3782, the Online Protection & Enforcement of Digital Trade Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill delivers stronger intellectual property rights for American artists and innovators while protecting the open, accessible Internet Americans deserve. This bipartisan, bicameral bill protects American artists and innovators through the International Trade Commission (ITC), by applying due process to investigate intellectual property infringement claims against foreign “rogue” websites and cuts off funding to sites found to be willfully and primarily trafficking infringed material. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has introduced the OPEN Act in the U.S. Senate.
“OPEN is a targeted, effective solution to the problem of foreign, rogue websites stealing from American artists and innovators,” said Issa. “Today’s Internet blackout has underscored the flawed approach taken by SOPA and PIPA to the real problem of intellectual property infringement. OPEN is a smarter way to protect taxpayers’ rights while protecting the Internet.”
Issa and Wyden released the draft OPEN Act at www.KeepTheWebOpen.com last year, using the Madison platform to open up the legislative process to taxpayers for the first time. Since then, OPEN has received more than 150 substantive comments and crowdsourced suggested improvements, many of which were included in the formal bill introduction. To date, nearly 300,000 Americans have visited the website.
The legislation is supported by original cosponsors Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Rep. John Campbell (R-CA), Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL), Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
Upon the introduction of the OPEN Act, these original cosponsors offered the following statements:
Rep. Spencer Bachus
“The Government should not be in the business of censoring speech. The Federal Government has no right to censor the Internet.”
Rep. John Campbell
“I strongly support the OPEN Act, as it is legislation that will effectively crack down on rogue foreign websites and protect American consumers, while protecting and preserving the innovative and job-creating engine that is the Internet.”
Rep. Jason Chaffetz
“SOPA threatens our cyber security, undermines freedom of speech, and chills innovation in one of the few sectors of our economy that is actually working. While I understand and appreciate the need to protect intellectual property, SOPA is a massive and inappropriate overreach. Instead, I strongly support the OPEN Act. This bi-partisan legislation addresses the problem of online piracy without causing collateral damage to the Internet as SOPA would.”
Rep. Peter DeFazio
“As written, SOPA and PIPA would jeopardize online freedom and grant corporations and the federal government unprecedented power to censor the Internet. I support the OPEN Act because it targets the people breaking the law without threatening the freedom of every other Internet user.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett
“The threat to an open Internet posed by Rep. Lamar Smith’s SOPA cannot be cleaned up with soap and a wire brush. It should be rejected in favor of a more focused alternative, like the OPEN Act, which addresses legitimate piracy concerns without mandating censorship or blocking websites.”
Rep. Anna Eshoo
“Rogue websites and the pirates behind them represent the hijacking of American genius, and must be stopped. But the Stop Online Piracy Act’s (SOPA) overly broad language will seriously hinder the growth of new businesses, new investments, and new jobs. The economic opportunities and innovation created by the Internet and start-ups could be crushed under the weight of SOPA. Today’s introduction of the OPEN Act provides us with a framework on how to best protect U.S. intellectual property rights, and I’m proud to support it.”
Rep. Blake Farenthold
“An open internet is a marketplace for ideas that encourages innovation and economic growth. A free and open Internet gives everyone an audience for the free flow of ideas, it is the soap box of the 21st Century for political discourse exemplifying the American value of free speech. Social media is a gateway to friends and loved ones and puts new business opportunities at our fingertips. The internet is our newest frontier and must be free from oppressive government regulation.”
Rep. Mike Honda
“Throughout the public debate for the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act, I have often stated that at the heart of this issue are fundamental questions about what the internet and free speech means to Americans, intellectual property rights holders, and our economy; these questions are too important to haphazardly rush through Congress without a full and open debate. No one denies that copyright infringement and piracy are serious problems. What deserves a full debate are the protections that legitimate sites should have and by what method we expose criminals while allowing lawful businesses and people, like the constituents in my District, to continue to innovate in ways that change the way we look at the world. That is why I proudly support the OPEN Act. Not only for how it is crafted, properly targeting and defining rogue actors without putting innovation in danger, but also the way in which it was crafted: in a full open forum that has allowed for robust debate. It is my sincere hope that the introduction of this bill represents a critical turning point in this debate, where diverse groups of stakeholders come together and thoroughly work on a solution.”
Rep. Tim Johnson
“It is the right of every American to be compensated and receive payment for their efforts, whether they are artists, manufacturers, or any other type of business. While the protection of intellectual property in any form is a necessary function of government, these bills do not solve the problem of privacy, do not fully address the issue, and are not supported by the American public or the majority of stake holders in this issue. Simply put, these measures add unnecessary regulators to the federal bureaucracy and in the long-run, don’t solve the problem. The Open Act does.”
Rep. Jim Langevin
“We must act to use existing laws and organizations along with new marketing regimes to crack down on digital pirates while fully leveraging a growing market for online content,” said Langevin, co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus. “Instead of trying to mitigate security, economic, and Internet freedom concerns with broad, over-reaching technical solutions, I support proposals like this one that seek a middle ground for curbing online piracy while protecting American jobs and innovative technologies that have allowed us to remain the world leader online.”
Rep. Zoe Lofgren
Congress doesn’t have to censor the Internet or restrain innovation in order to fight online piracy. The OPEN Act shows there’s a better way. It relies on proven remedies—attacking the profit motive for online infringement—without the collateral damage to the Internet that SOPA and PIPA would cause. The OPEN Act has already benefited from a novel legislative experiment, through the solicitation of public comments and revisions at keepthewebopen.com. After the bill’s introduction, I look forward to hearing additional constructive feedback and ways to incorporate it as the bill moves forward.
Rep. Doris Matsui
“While combating online copyright infringement is a goal we all support, SOPA, as it is currently written, would cause substantial harm to American innovation and the economic opportunities created by the Internet ecosystem. Americans increasingly rely on the Internet in many important ways, from looking for a job to taking online education courses, accessing health care, and so forth. Moreover, small businesses and entrepreneurs rely on an open and free Internet to be able to offer services, and to grow and expand their businesses. That is why I am happy to join my colleagues today in introducing the bipartisan OPEN Act, which will ensure the Internet remains open and free to all Americans and enables our innovators to continue to keep our country competitive.”
Rep. Patrick McHenry
“In a society that values creativity and innovation, it’s important to protect intellectual property and prevent copyright infringement. The OPEN Act targets online piracy from rogue websites while safeguarding First Amendment rights and ensuring the American tradition of due process.”
Rep. George Miller
“SOPA and PIPA are not the right answer for the future of the Internet, and that is why I oppose them. Our bipartisan bill introduced today – the OPEN Act – can achieve what SOPA would not: crack down on foreign websites that willfully violate copyright laws, without going to the dangerous extremes proposed in the other legislation.”
Rep. Jared Polis
“Unlike SOPA and PIPA, the OPEN Act will effectively combat piracy from foreign websites while preserving Internet freedom. By using a ‘follow-the-money’ approach we can shut down foreign sites that steal intellectual property while ensuring that the Internet remains an engine of innovation, information and job creation. Without access to capital, these foreign websites will wither and die while the Internet continues to grow and thrive.”
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner
“As an ardent defender of American intellectual property rights, I am pleased to see the OPEN Act introduced to target rogue sites without destroying Internet infrastructure or crippling legitimate innovation online. Congress must absolutely take the threat of piracy seriously, and this legislation shows we can do so without opening up the floodgates for litigation or limiting freedom of expression.”
Rep. Mike Thompson
“Today, thousands of websites such as Wikipedia and WordPress have gone dark, giving us a glimpse of what it could be like if the overly broad SOPA legislation became law. SOPA would stifle innovation, resulting in fewer new businesses, fewer new investments and fewer new jobs. While online piracy is something we must continually fight, SOPA is the wrong way to do it. That is why I am working with global leaders like Google and Twitter, to instead enact the OPEN Act, which still combats piracy but does so in a way that doesn’t let broad government oversight stifle the innovation and creativity that has been a driving force behind the Internet industry’s economic success.”
ReasonTV: The Foie Gras Fight: Animal Cruelty or Animal Rights Propaganda?
“Ultimately, choice trumps,” says Linnekin. “It should, and it does. Individual rights are the most important things we have as Americans.”
Chicago tried banning it. Now California wants to do the same. But what’s so controversial about foie gras, the fattened liver of a duck or goose that many diners consider a delicacy?
“Foie gras is universally cruel,” says animal rights activist and founder of the Animal Protection and Rescue League Bryan Pease.
Pease led the fight against foie gras in California, which often got ugly and scary, but he feels that it was all worth it now that the ban on the production of the food product will go into effect this summer.
“This isn’t a product that anyone thinks should be consumed, really,” says Pease, “except for a small group of chefs and promoters.”
Mark Pastore, owner of Incanto restaurant in San Francsico, believes that animal activists, who have threatened him and Incanto’s chef Chris Cosentino, bullied their way into a legislative victory through intimidation and inflated rhetoric.
“I believe that the only way to deal with bullying tactics is to stand up to them,” says Pastore, who started serving foie gras after his fellow chef had acid thrown on his car and received a threatening video of his family and notes reading “stop or be stopped” from anti-foie gras activists.
So is the process of force-feeding ducks to produce foie gras cruel, as Pease alleges? Not so, says lawyer and director of the Keep Food Legal Foundation Baylen Linnekin, who helped mount a successful legal challenge against the Chicago ban.
“Foie gras is not the result of cruel practice,” says Linnekin. “It’s a bird that can digest or can swallow a fish whole–a large fish.” He also points out that ducks and geese are migratory birds that gorge themselves on food in nature before a winter migration, which is how foie gras, a dish dating back to ancient Egypt, came about in the first place.
The animal activists seem have won the California foie gras fight for now, but Linnekin says that in the wake of the overturned Chicago ban, he’s still optimistic about the future of food freedom.
Governor Rick Perry Drops Out of Race, Endorses Newt Gingrich
I believe Newt is a Conservative visionary who can transform our country. We’ve had our differences which campaigns will inevitably have, and Newt is not perfect, but who among us is? The fact is, there is forgiveness for those who seek God. And I believe in the power of redemption for it is a central tenant of my Christian faith. I have no question that Newt Gingrich has the heart of a Conservative reformer, the ability to rally and captivate the Conservative movement. The courage to tell those Washington interests to take a hike if that is in the best interest of our country. – Governor Rick Perry
Let’s Help Ozzie deFaria Stop Obama’s Attack Dog, Debbie Wasserman Schultz!
Fellow Patriot,
Barack Obama is not destroying America by himself. He is dependent upon a group of co-conspirators to carry out his radical left wing, socialist agenda.
And his lead co-conspirator is Florida Representative and DNC Chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She is the one most willing to do Obama’s dirty work.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is Nancy Pelosi’s East Coast twin – a liberal, elitist focused on class warfare and gutter politics.
She was handpicked by Obama to Chair the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and here’s why it’s critical conservatives unite to defeat her in 2012:[list type="tick"] [li]
- She will lead Obama’s nasty smear campaign against the Republican nominee for President.
- Obama is counting on her to coordinate the propaganda efforts of the labor unions and Hollywood liberals.
- She is willing to do and say anything to promote Obama’s radical left-wing agenda.
[/li] [/list]
Will you help me end Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Congressional career? Please make a secure online contribution TODAY in the amount of $25, $50, $100, $500, or $1,000.
Consider this…
Debbie Wasserman Schultz attacks Tea Party supporters as racists who sport Nazi swastikas.
When conservative Paul Ryan put forth a plan to solve America’s budget crises, Debbie Wasserman Schultz called it a “death trap.“
She dismisses conservative women, like Sarah Palin, as people who “don’t know anything.”
And Wasserman Schultz uses her position as a Jewish-American leader to defend Obama’s offensive Israel policies, even as the President drove the U.S.-Israeli relationship to its lowest point in decades.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is more radical than Obama.
Let’s review her record…[list type="tick"] [li]
- Attacks Tea Party conservatives as racists.
- Spews sexist and radical feminist rhetoric against Republicans for defending life and the rights of the unborn.
- Claims Republicans want to go “back to Jim Crow laws” and “block access to the polls.”
- Supports amnesty for illegal aliens!
- Frivolously promotes and votes for big government programs like Obamacare that take away our freedoms.
- Rejects responsible plans to curtail government spending and reduce our deficit.
- Strongly supported and still defends Obama’s failed $787 billion “stimulus” program as one that helped our economy.
- Votes for earmark-laden, pork barrel budgets that run up our deficit.
- Pushed hard and voted for Obama’s cap and tax bill that will drive-up energy costs.
[/li] [/list]
That’s why conservative Congressman Allen West called Wasserman Schultz “the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the United States Congress.”
Help me send Obama’s Attack Dog to the Pound!
The only way we can stop liberals like Debbie Wasserman Schultz is to beat them at the ballot box. But, defeating an entrenched incumbent like her is no easy task
I’m up to the challenge, but I can’t do it alone!
Debbie has the backing of the entire, corrupt Obama election machine. I need conservatives like you to stand with me.
My name is Ozzie deFaria. I’m a father, husband, and private sector jobs creator and I am running to unseat the most radical member of the U.S. Congress.
I represent everything that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Barack Obama, and other liberals hate about America. I’m a first generation citizen who has lived the American dream without one government handout.
I worked my way through college, and then climbed the ranks at AT&T to become an executive managing a $1.5 billion portfolio. I left AT&T to serve as the CEO and COO of other firms. Throughout my career, I helped create over 2,000 private sector jobs and added $800 million to our economy. I know what it takes to get this economy going again.
Liberals like Wasserman Schultz and Obama can’t understand how someone succeeds without government handouts and bailouts. That’s why we need to throw them out of office!
If you help me, I promise to protect our Constitution, secure our borders, cut, cap and balance the budget, and stop wasteful government spending. I will work hard to remove government barriers to job creation and push for a fairer, flatter tax code.
Most importantly, I will strongly support our next, conservative President, so we can clean up Obama’s mess.
On the other hand, Debbie Wasserman Schultz will say and do anything to reelect Obama. Her blind allegiance to Obama has no bounds. She even had the audacity to claim Obama has been successful in turning the economy around!
Wasserman Schultz has told so many political lies that even the liberal mainstream media in Florida labeled her a “chump” and “loser of the week.”
I could go on and on about why Debbie Wasserman Schultz is bad for America, but I’ve already taken up enough of your valuable time.
Help me send a loud and clear message to Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Barack Obama.
Let’s tell them that we want our country back!
Sincerely,
Ozzie deFaria
Jobs Creator and Candidate for Congress, FL-20
P.S. As DNC Chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz says her top priority is reelecting Barack Obama. Not only will your $25, $50, $100, $500, or $1,000 donation help me defeat Debbie, it will directly impact her ability to manage Obama’s reelection campaign. So, please contribute today to the defeat of Obama’s attack dog in 2012!
You may also mail your contributions to:
Ozzie for Congress
Dept Code: 3652
304 Indian Trace # 295
Weston, FL 33326-2996
Obama Under Fire For Keystone Rejection
Editorial Pages, Democrats And Unions Are Calling Obama’s Keystone Move ‘A Major Setback For The American Economy,’ Say It ‘Will Cost The U.S. Good Jobs’
EDITORIALS: ‘Obama Made A Decision That Will Cost The U.S. Good Jobs’
THE WASHINGTON POST: “Mr. Obama’s Jobs Council could start by calling out… the Obama administration” (Editorial, “Obama’s Keystone Pipeline Rejection Is Hard To Accept,” The Washington Post, 1/19/12)
· “…on the substance, there should be no question… clearly, constructing the pipeline would still result in job gains during a sluggish economic recovery.” (Editorial, “Obama’s Keystone Pipeline Rejection Is Hard To Accept,” The Washington Post, 1/19/12)
· “Environmentalists should fight for policies that might actually do substantial good instead of tilting against Keystone XL, and President Obama should have the courage to say so.” (Editorial, “Obama’s Keystone Pipeline Rejection Is Hard To Accept,” The Washington Post, 1/19/12)
USA TODAY: “The Obama administration’s kick-the-can decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline… leaves a confusing muddle that exemplifies the continuing fecklessness of U.S. energy policy.” (Editorial, “Editorial: Obama’s Pipeline Decision Delays Energy Security,” USA Today, 1/19/12)
· “The biggest loser in this game of political football is the national interest.” (Editorial, “Editorial: Obama’s Pipeline Decision Delays Energy Security,” USA Today, 1/19/12)
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: “The problem is, Keystone should be approved. This is a good project. It will give us energy and give us jobs. You want stimulus? This is a $7 billion deal to be done with private-sector funding.” (Editorial, “Pipeline Politics: Misguided Obama Blocks Keystone Pipeline,” The Chicago Tribune, 1/19/12)
· “Obama made a decision that will cost the U.S. good jobs. He seems to think those jobs will still be there when he gets around to making a decision on the pipeline. But they may well be gone for good.” (Editorial, “Pipeline Politics: Misguided Obama Blocks Keystone Pipeline,” The Chicago Tribune, 1/19/12)
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “Such green delusions are sad, and Mr. Obama’s pandering is sadder, though everything the country stands to lose is saddest.” (Editorial, “The Anti-Jobs President,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/19/12)
DEMS: ‘Very Disappointed,’ ‘Strongly Disagree’
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): “President Obama’s decision on the Keystone XL pipeline is a major setback for the American economy, American workers and America’s energy independence.” (Sen. Manchin, Statement on Administration’s Decision to Halt Keystone XL Pipeline, 1/18/12)
· “I truly believe any issues surrounding the pipeline could have been resolved if we had chosen to work together, but instead, the Administration has taken a different path… I respectfully urge the President to reconsider this decision.” (Sen. Manchin, Statement On Administration’s Decision To Halt Keystone XL Pipeline, 1/18/12)
SEN. JON TESTER (D-MT): “I am disappointed in the president’s decision. … I will continue to champion Montana’s role in securing America’s energy future…” (“Keystone Decision Hands GOP Ammo,” Roll Call, 1/19/12)
SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK): “disappointing and frustrating” “Begich — Democrat from Alaska — calls Obama’s rejection of Keystone ‘disappointing and frustrating’” (Sen. Begich Statement, Manu Raju Twitter, 1/18/12)
SEN. MARK PRYOR (D-AR): “I strongly disagree with President Obama’s decision to postpone the Keystone pipeline project, which will sustain and create jobs.” (Sen. Pryor Statement, Twitter, 1/18/12)
SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “There is absolutely no reason we cannot start putting Montanans to work on the Keystone XL pipeline right away…” (“Keystone Decision Hands GOP Ammo,” Roll Call, 1/19/12)
· “An aide to powerful Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana said the senator would continue fighting ‘to get this project off the ground.’” (“Moderate Dems Question Keystone Decision,” Politico, 1/18/12)
REP. GENE GREEN (D-TX): “I am very disappointed in the President’s decision today.” (Rep. Gene Green, Press Release, 1/18/12)
REP. JASON ALTMIRE (D-PA): “… a missed opportunity to drastically turn this economy around.” (Rep. Altmire, Press Release, 1/18/12)
UNIONS: ‘Completely And Totally Disappointed’
LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA: “Politics at its worst.” (Laborers’ International Union Of North America, Press Release, 1/18/12)
· “The score is Job-Killers, two; American workers, zero. We are completely and totally disappointed… Blue collar construction workers across the U.S. will not forget this.” (Laborers’ International Union Of North America, Press Release, 1/18/12)
MARK AYERS, AFL-CIO: “… disappointed by an Administration unwilling to take its own words to heart and approve this vital project.” (Mark Ayers, Press Release, 1/18/12)
· “With a national unemployment rate in construction at 16% nationally, it is beyond disappointing that President Obama placed a higher priority on politics rather than our nation’s number one challenge: jobs.” (Mark Ayers, Press Release, 1/18/12)
Governor Mitch Daniels to Deliver Republican Address to the Nation on January 24
Governor Mitch Daniels to Deliver Republican Address to the Nation on January 24
Will immediately follow President Obama’s State of the Union
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that Governor Mitch Daniels (R-IN) will deliver the Republican Address to the Nation following the President’s State of the Union address on January 24, 2012. Governor Daniels, now in his eighth and final year as Indiana’s chief executive, has compiled a solid record of effective government and fiscal responsibility, making him well-suited to outline Republicans’ better solutions to the challenges Americans are facing in this struggling economy.
In his 2012 State of the State Address, Gov. Daniels touted a number of his administration’s accomplishments:
- Indiana has a balanced budget and now enjoys the first AAA credit rating in its history.
- According to CEO Magazine’s rankings of the best states to do business, “Indiana jumped to sixth place from 16th in 2010, giving Hoosiers the third-biggest advance in the rankings in a single year.” The magazine notes that “while at least 35 states raised taxes during the recession, Indiana cut them.”
- Indiana has the fewest state employees per capita in the country. In a national survey, 77 percent of Hoosiers described their state government as “efficient,” the second-highest rating in the nation.
“Mitch Daniels is a fierce advocate for smaller, less costly, and more accountable government, and has the record to prove it,” Speaker Boehner said. “As governor, he has turned deficits into surplus, reformed government from top to bottom, and created a better environment for private-sector job creation. For making tough choices and keeping his promises, Mitch Daniels is the right choice at the right time to deliver the Republican response to President Obama’s address.”
“As Indiana’s governor, Mitch Daniels helped improve his state’s economy by fostering an environment to create jobs. An eloquent spokesman for limited government, Gov. Daniels knows that President Obama’s three-year experiment in big government has made our economy worse and our future more uncertain, and he knows that Americans want a government that’s simpler, streamlined and secure,” said Leader McConnell. “He is a forceful advocate of pro-growth policies like fundamental tax reform, regulatory reform and energy security. And he is the right choice to explain the challenges we face and to outline a hopeful, common-sense vision for moving America forward by growing the economy, not the national debt.”
“It’s an honor to be asked. I hope to do the assignment justice,” said Governor Daniels.
Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. was elected as the 49th Governor of the State of Indiana in 2004, in his first bid for any elected office. He was re-elected in 2008 to a second and final term, receiving more votes than any candidate for any public office in the state’s history. Daniels earned a bachelor’s degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1971 and his law degree from Georgetown University in 1979. More information on Governor Daniels can be found at the following link: http://www.in.gov/gov/2635.htm.
NOTE: The Republican address can be watched live online following the president’s State of the Union at GOP.gov/SOTU.
Democrats Receive More Bain Capital Dollars Than Republicans
NOTE: “They’re going to have a difficult time explaining why they’re padding their war chest with contributions from the same executives that they’re accusing of hurting jobs,” said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
From The Hill:
Democrats have accepted more political donations than Republicans from executives at Bain Capital, complicating the left’s plan to attack Mitt Romney for his record at the private equity firm.
During the last three election cycles, Bain employees have given Democratic candidates and party committees more than $1.2 million. The vast majority of that sum came from senior executives.
Republican candidates and party committees raised over $480,000 from senior Bain executives during that time period.
Recipients include Democratic senators facing tough reelection races this year, such as Jon Tester (Mont.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Bill Nelson (Fla.).
The Hill reviewed contributions made from the 2008, 2010 and 2012 cycles.
Romney has collected more money from Bain Capital employees than any federal candidate since the beginning of 2007, amassing more than $166,000 in contributions. He took more than $84,000 from Bain employees in the first three quarters of 2011.
But President Obama received a sizable share as well. He has accepted more than $80,000 from Bain employees since the beginning of 2007. Bain Capital employees gave $27,500 to Obama during the first three quarters of 2011.
The donations were reported to the Federal Election Commission and culled in a database created by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks federal campaign spending.
Obama does not accept money from lobbyists, but does accept donations from Wall Street executives. Campaign finance records show that Democrats collect more money from Wall Street than does the GOP.
The sums collected by Democrats from managing partners and other senior executives at Bain could hamper the Democratic message that Romney is a corporate raider who does not care about workers, charges based on his record as CEO of Bain.
Democrats could be forced to justify attacking Bain — which specializes in buying companies and boosting profitability, often by laying off workers — while accepting campaign funds from the same executives who made the cost-cutting decisions.
Nelson will be absent for Obama’s visit to Florida
NOTE: A spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee contended that Mr. Nelson has been trying to run away from the president rhetorically for months, despite his voting record strongly in favor of Mr. Obama’s agenda. “In Washington, Sen. Bill Nelson has voted with President Barack Obama over 97 percent of the time, and his absence will not hide the fact that he voted for Obama’s $2.5 trillion health care bill,” said NRSC spokesman Jahan Wilcox.
From the Washington Times:
When President Obama arrives in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday for a quick one-day visit, two-term Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson won’t be among those there to greet him.
As Democrats in tough races in other swing states have done in recent months, Mr. Nelson — facing a tough re-election battle this year — has found a reason to be elsewhere when Mr. Obama comes to town. His office is telling reporters that a previous engagement two hours away in Sarasota will prevent the senator from appearing with the president at Disney World to announce a new plan to boost U.S. travel and tourism.
The White House on Wednesday tried to shrug off Republican jeers that the president’s fellow Democrats were trying to distance themselves — figuratively and literally — from Mr. Obama for fear of what it might mean for them at the ballot box in November.
Asked during the daily White House briefing whether the president was disappointed that Mr. Nelson will not appear with him Thursday, Mr. Carney tersely replied, “I’m not aware of any opinion he’s expressed on that.”
Mr. Carney also denied any political motive behind the president’s trip to the critical re-election battleground state just days before Republicans presidential candidates turn their attention to the state after South Carolina’s primary on Saturday.
“You know, this is obvious, it’s obvious when you’re making a tourism and travel announcement that one of the premier sites of the U.S. tourism industry is Orlando. So, that seems pretty self-evident that you would do that,” he said.
But Republicans said the White House’s nonchalance and Mr. Nelson’s explanation don’t pass the straight-face test.
