Dean Heller Announces 125 Co-Chairs For The Juntos Con Heller Coalition #NVSen
From DeanHeller.com:
(Las Vegas, NV) – Today Heller for Senate announced 125 Co-Chairs of the Juntos Con Heller Coalition, a group of business leaders and volunteers that have thrown their support behind Dean Heller in the race for the U.S. Senate. These individuals are part of a growing team that is spearheading outreach to the Hispanic community and beyond.
“Today Nevadans are uniting together to unlock the potential that this great state has to offer for our children and grandchildren. Creating jobs, growing our economy, empowering individuals, and providing quality education for our children are just a few of the principles that are bringing us together. I’m thankful to the Co-Chairs of the Juntos Con Heller Coalition and all members of the Juntos Con Heller Coalition for their support. The contributions and hard work of these individuals are absolutely critical to our path to victory in November,” said Dean Heller.
“Dean Heller will be a fantastic Senator. He will worker harder than anyone else to make our lives better. His experience and his knowledge will no doubt benefit all Nevadans,” said Blanca Buonomo, North American Financial.
“Right now, spending is out of control. I am confident that Dean Heller will continue to be fiscally conservative as he stands up for what is best for Nevada in the U.S. Senate. We share values that encourage individuals and communities help take Nevada back and restore our state to better times. We need a conservative like Dean Heller in the Senate,” said Maria Caminero, Cuban House of Culture.
“I support Dean Heller because he wants to help make Nevada a better place to live, no matter who you are, what you do or how you vote. His priorities are in line with what we need here in Nevada—to turn our economy around and help people find jobs. Dean Heller is the best person to serve our state,” said Elizabeth Gallagher, Gallagher Group International.
“Under the Obama Administration, unemployment and foreclosures have hit the Hispanic community harder than any other group. Dean Heller has a strong record fighting to create jobs and give individuals the power to succeed so all of our communities can grow and prosper. Dean Heller is good for the Hispanic community and for all of Nevada,” said Alex Garza, Vice President, Hispanics in Politics.
“Senator Heller is a great supporter of the Hispanic community. He has always been there for us when we’ve needed him,” said Noah Herrera, Platinum Asset Management.
“I’ve worked hard to grow my businesses, but it hasn’t been easy. As a business owner and a franchisor, I support Dean Heller because he fights for policies that will allow businesses to grow and hire more people. He understands the challenges small businesses like mine face and will work hard to help create the jobs that so many people need,” said Reynaldo Robledo, Roberto’s Taco Shops.
Included among the 125 Co-Chairs for the Juntos Con Heller Coalition are leaders from the real estate, restaurant, medical, law enforcement, and retail industries and students.
For more information about Dean Heller and the Juntos Con Heller Coalition, please visit http://deanheller.com/espanol/.
Co-Chairs of the Juntos Con Heller Coalition:[list type="arrow"] [li]
- Stacey Acevedo
- Freddy Aldana
- Noemi Aleman
- Patricia Amunategui
- David Arce
- Clelie Arroyo
- Phil Avila
- Esau Barajas
- Lorenzo Barajas
- Michael Baron
- Douglas Barrera
- Blanca Buonomo
- Joe Caldera
- Maria Caminero
- Rosalinda Carrillo
- Don Chairez
- Marina Chairez
- Adan Chairez
- Jose Chairez
- Daniel Cruz
- Anita Cruz
- Rosalba Cuadra
- Victoria De La Guerra
- Roman Del Pozo
- Laurel Del Pozo
- Jose Del Real
- Jesse Diaz
- Raquel Dittman
- Jose Dominguez
- Saul Dominguez
- Tibi Ellis
- David Espinosa
- Gary Estrada
- Elmer Eubanks
- Jesse Fonseca
- Yamile Gaez
- Elizabeth Gallagher
- Roberto Garcia
- Kathleen Garcia
- Maria Garcia
- Moises Garcia
- Felipe Garcia Mendez
- Alex Garza
- Santiago Gonzalez
- Andres Gonzalez
- Antonio Guitierrez
- Irma Guitierrez
- Salvador Guitierrez
- Jesse Gutierrez
- Flor Hernandez
- Estella Hernandez
- Noah Herrera
- Martha Hiers
- Martha Jarvis
- Mariana Lopez
- Marlon Lopez
- Hector Lopez
- Uriel Lopez
- Armando Lopez
- Francisco Lopez
- Thomas Lopez
- Victor Lopez
- Carmen Mahan
- Juan Manuel
- Gordon Martines
- Manny Martinez
- Juan Martinez
- Patricia Medina Gonzalez
- Patrick Mendez
- Eric Mendoza
- Guadalupe Mendoza
- Aurora Mendoza
- James Miranda
- Elyse Monroy
- Juan Mora
- Eduardo Morales, Jr
- Olga Naccari
- Braulio Nava
- Beatriz Navarro
- Maria Navarro
- Ana Orellana
- Marina Ortiz
- Federico Ortiz
- Silvano Ortiz
- Enrique Padina
- Alfonso Penales
- Miguel Peralta
- Sergio Perez
- Merced Perez
- Maria Perez
- Brenda Perez
- Isabel Pfeifer
- Flora Pinal
- Hector Quiroz
- Jesus Quiroz
- Adriana Ramirez
- Eric Rembos
- Jose Renteria
- Guillermo Retis
- Sonia Rivelli
- Reynaldo Robledo
- Rogelio Robledo
- Rodolfo Robledo
- Tony Rodriguez
- Mario Rodriguez
- Katie Rodriguez
- Mirta Rodriguez
- Jose Rodriguez
- Abraham Rodriguez
- Sabina Rueles
- Jovita Salas
- Robel Salas
- Valerie Sandoval
- Nestor Santamaria
- Johanna Schilling
- Jaime Serrano, Jr
- Melissa Siracusa
- Annette Teijero
- Ernesto Torres
- Elsa Uribe-Patterson
- Luis Velazquez
- Edward Vento
- Eddie Vergara
[/li] [/list]
Why the Next iPhone Won’t Be 16:9

Gizmodo -
Every year it’s the same stupid rumor: “the new iPhone will have a 16:9 display.” It even circulated before the first iPhone came out. And it happens with the iPad too. This year isn’t different. But does it make sense? Would the next iPhone really have a 16:9 screen?
What are the benefits?
This is the main question you should ask yourself. What good would a 16:9 screen bring to you, the user?
First, proponents of the 16:9 iPhone say that this is the “format of the future.” It’s the resolution of HD video, be it 720p or 1080p. TV shows are filmed in 16:9 format. Home video is filmed in 16:9 format. They claim that people want to see all this video without letterboxing—that people hate black bars on the top and bottom of their displays. They argue that a 16:9 format will allow the iPhone to use the whole screen when watching video of this kind. More
Under the Fedora: First Amendment, Local Papers, and Five Fingers Shoes

One of the things I have the most fun with is the sheer shock people have when they see me clean shaven after I’ve had my big grey beard for a few months. It’s almost worth the pain in the neck of shaving every day…
…almost.
I’ve often called Pam Geller and Robert Spencer two of the bravest people on the net for all they do with Jihadists wanting their heads, but anyone who puts themselves out on the net and ventures to fight in the arena of ideas takes a risk. Case in Point:
I also learned by the end of the day that both my wife and I were being suspended from our jobs. It turned out that the President of the company and some of her receptionists were in such complete apprehension that Brett Kimberlin might commit an act of domestic terrorism on their building that they no longer wanted me or my wife to be there as a target. They told us we were suspended without pay until the situation was “resolved”—whatever the hell that meant.
That’s Blogger Aaron Worthing, meanwhile Stacy McCain in a six part series (so far) notes Mr. Kimberlin’s past as a bomber hasn’t slowed down liberal foundations enthusiasm for his activities:
2005
Farview Foundation ………………………….…… $9,000
2006
Tides Foundation …………………………………. $60,000
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift …..…. $45,000
HKH Foundation ……………………………..……. $20,000
Heinz Family Foundation ………….……..…. $20,000
Olive Branch Foundation …………….……… $15,000
Farview Foundation …………………………… $10,000
Barbra Streisand Foundation …………………$5,0002007
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift …..…. $19,000
2008
Threshold Foundation ………………..…..… $20,000
Tides Foundation ………………………….….. $10,000
Nathan Cummings Foundation ………..… $10,000
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift …..…. $20,000
Fred Gellert Family Foundation ……………. $5,000
Silicon Valley Community Foundation ..… $5,000
Barbra Streisand Foundation ……………….. $5,0002009
Schwab Charitable Fund ………………………. $10,000
Silicon Valley Community Foundation .… $10,000
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift …..…. $6,000TOTAL (2005-2009) .……………………………$304,000
Kimberlin’s infamous criminal past could scarcely have been a secret to those who funded his organization. Kimberlin became a national political celebrity during the 1988 presidential campaign because of his claim, made while he was still serving time in federal prison, that he had once sold marijuana to Dan Quayle, who was then the Republican candidate for vice president.
And because of these Biting attacks Stacy McCain has been compelled to flee his home with his family to avoid the wrath of this man supported by the left.
Remember those who are trying people who are trying to soak the taxpayer have making pretty good living off of it. They aren’t going to let your money go without a fight.
Or as was once asked in a congressional hearing? Have you no decency?
——————————–
Speaking of people making a living off somebody else’s dime:
Mankind is draining the earth’s resources so quickly the globe would be bled dry before the end of the century at this rate, a new report shows.
Humans are living outside their means, depleting natural resources like forests, air and water 50% faster than the planet can renew, according to the 2012 World Wildlife Fund’s “Living Planet Report” released this month…
…The report was released ahead of the United Nations conference on sustainable development, called the Rio +20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Next month’s will focus on how to reverse the potentially catestrophic trends found in the study.
Because nothing says: “I care about the sustainability of the earth” more than a bunch of bureaucrats and NCO’s jetting to Rio De Janerio to beat their breasts over the fragility of the earth.
Max Bialostock had nothing on these guys.
BTW nothing against Nathan Lane or Matthew Broderick who are first rate performers but give me Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder anyday.
Yeah I know Mostel was a man of the left but it no more makes his less of a great comedian than Sean Penn’s lunacy makes him less of a great actor.
I’m typing this in the line at the Registry of motor vehicles when I started there were 21 people ahead of me to renew their licenses, it’s down to 16.
————–
Glenn Reynolds took his semi-annual break from blogging for a week, he had some great guest bloggers on board. Together they managed to get more posts up then Glenn normally does in a 24 hour period.
Sometimes I wonder if Glenn every just wants to chuck it, but carries on because so many people depend on him every day.
If you manage a semi regular Instalanche, and Glenn has been very good to my blog, you sometimes wonder what you’re doing wrong in terms of writing if you have a dry spell like I’ve had lately. One does not have a divine right to a ‘lanche but if you find yourself fretting when they are sparse remember this. Charles Johnson has felt like this every day for three years now.
——————
Here is a story for those who don’t believe in the existence of God:
I had a call from a prayerful friend who said he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to send me some cash because I needed it. A few hours later I received an E-Mail from Zilla of the Resistance asking for help for four young children now without parents after a horrible Murder Suicide
Tell me would you risk $20 on a “coincidence” like that?
BTW if you would like to help those children in need here is the mailing address:
The Hayes Children Trust
P.O. Box 644
North Bellmore NY 11710
—-
I talked a bit about the Wisconsin recall last week and the news continues to be fun for conservatives, The DNC has decided to pull funding out of the Wisconsin as the law of Diminishing returns has kicked in and the final nail in the coffin comes from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Scott Walker’s policies are controversial, but arguments over policies – no matter how sharp – aren’t reason enough to end a governor’s term.
A cynical man would suggest they wanted to be on the winning side, but outrage in comments not withstanding the real death knell to the pro-recall forces are stories like this one from the Monroe Times:
Teachers in the Monroe School District will have new health and dental insurance carriers starting in the 2012-13 school year.
The Monroe school board approved Unity Insurance point of service and Delta Dental plans Monday night.
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson said the Unity plan will save the district a little more than $800,000 in premiums compared to the current Wisconsin Education Association Insurance Trust. The total costs to maintain the WEA plan would be 18.3 percent. The district was targeting a 5-percent increase; Olson said the deal with Unity is a 3.2 percent increase.
Olson said the savings will help the board meet and exceed its current budgeted objective.
That story, repeated in town after town was made possible by the collective bargaining law pushed by Scott Walker. That above all spells disaster for the left in Wisconsin.
For a year the MSM has told us that Wisconsin was a bellwether for the nation elections in 2012, expect the national media to change that tune in a hurry come June.
Something lighter? WCRN had its annual Jimmy Fund charity Wiffle ball game vs the Worcester Fire department, with the Worcester Tea Party playing too:
My arm was a bit sore from pitching 5 innings but my legs and feet were pretty good thanks to an interesting pair of shoes called the Vibram five finger shoes. I spotted them at Evans on the Common in Townsend Mass. and shot this video of them
I have more of a dress style pair but they still work on the basepads.
The NAACP has suddenly decided to come out for Gay Marriage. There is nothing like the prospect of the first black president needing cover to get a liberal organization to take a stand.
Speaking of good news for the president the occupods have decided to make trouble at the Chicago NATO summit.
Of course the protesters are incensed over their treatment by police. Take, for example, the case of the guys who were busted for making Molotov Cocktails. It was obviously all a big misunderstanding, because they just had some home beer brewing equipment, right?
For the record, I’ve been a practitioner of home brewing of beer and mead since the Clinton administration. If your recipes involve gasoline and oily rags, I think I’ll pass on stopping by your place for a cold one.
Anything that separates this administration from the occupods is a gift they should be glad to get.
Oh and remember I mentioned Robert Caro’s new book The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power. Finished it around noontime Sunday. My Amazon review is here.
Two word summary: Buy it!
Debt Soars; Democrats Continue to Reject a Budget
It’s been three years since the Democrat-controlled Senate last fulfilled its legal obligation to pass a budget, three years in which our national debt has grown to a staggering $15.7 trillion. Debt of that size will eventually cripple economic growth, yet despite the millions of Americans looking for jobs, Democrats continue to reject the notion of getting our nation’s spending under control. Republicans will continue to fight for a budget to put our nation back on the path to prosperity.
ObamaCare’s Taxpayer Financed Publicity
The Obama Administration Is Spending $20 Million Dollars On A Washington PR Campaign And Sticking Taxpayers With The Tab
SEN. MITCH McCONNELL: “Let me suggest that the President spend a little more time trying to do something about the spending, debt, and gas prices, and a little less time trying to spin the unpopular things he’s already done—it might require a little more work, but it’s what we need.” (Sen. Mitch McConnell, 5/22/12)
$20 Million ‘National Multimedia Education Campaign’
“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has selected Porter Novelli to launch a national multimedia education campaign mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The contract is worth $20 million.” (“Porter Picked By HHS To Conduct $20m Campaign,” PR Week, 5/18/12)
· “The effort will use media outreach and social media as well as TV, print, radio, and online advertising.” (“Porter Picked By HHS To Conduct $20m Campaign,” PR Week, 5/18/12)
72% Think ObamaCare Will Make Things Worse Or Won’t Help
“Americans are less optimistic that the law will improve their family’s healthcare situation in the long run, however. Thirty-eight percent expect the law to make their situation worse, compared with 24% who say better.” (USA Today / Gallup Poll, 2/20-21/12)
· “Now suppose all of the provisions of the healthcare law go into effect in the next few years. In the long run, how do you think the healthcare law would affect your family’s healthcare situation? All Americans: Make better: 24%; Not much difference: 34%; Make worse: 38%.” (USA Today / Gallup Poll, 2/20-21/12)
FLASHBACK
$1.9 Million Online ‘Campaign,’ Including A ‘Big Guerilla Campaign Splash’
“…an estimated $1,908,960 has been spent under the healthcare.gov contract. As such, an estimated $2,089,968 currently remains. Following is a breakdown of the online ads that we’ve purchased each month from October 2010 through February 2011. As you can see, this accounts for $1,435,009 of the monies spent…” (Ogilvy’s Margo Gillman, Email To HHS’s Julia Eisman, 2/10/11)
· HHS OFFICIAL: “My gut is that the ones we’d really want to push for would be the evergreen radio PSAs and the videos, potentially one big guerilla campaign splash in a targeted area.” (HHS’s Jaime Mulligan, Email To HHS Employees, 12/1/10)
$3.66 Million Spent On Misleading Medicare Ads
“The Andy Griffith ad promoting ObamaCare last year cost taxpayers $3.66 million – including $404,000 in production – according to records obtained from HHS in a FOIA request earlier this year.” (“Crossroads GPS Launches Collaborative FOIA Site,” Politico, 3/23/11)
· FACT CHECK: “…the truth is, for millions of seniors, benefits won’t remain the same. As we wrote most recently last December, about 10 million Medicare Advantage recipients could see their extra benefits reduced by an average of $43 per month, according to the Congressional Budget Office.” (“Mayberry Misleads On Medicare,” FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)
· FACT CHECK: “Currently, about 1 in every 4 Medicare beneficiary is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. For many of them, the words in this ad ring hollow, and the promise that ‘benefits will remain the same’ is just as fictional as the town of Mayberry was when Griffith played the local sheriff.” (“Mayberry Misleads On Medicare,” FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)
Chuck Muth: UNPLUGGING FROM THE MATRIX
By Chuck Muth:
Now, before some of you get your feelings hurt, let me explain…
Priorities change.
For me, I made a conscious decision last fall to strategically change directions in my political/public policy work. Here’s the lowdown.
I’m part German and part Irish. As such, believe it or not, I can be a little stubborn and hard-headed sometimes.
No, no…it’s true!
But after running into a brick wall for the last 20 odd years, I’ve finally come to my senses and reached two conclusions:
1.) You can’t take moronic wheel-is-turning-but-the-hamster’s-dead/few-fries-short-of-a-Happy-Meal boobs like Assemblyman Mark Sherwood and turn them into a thinking, sentient elected officials. You have a better chance of slapping the proverbial lipstick on a pig and having the pig win the Miss America pageant.
2.) You can’t take an “electable” moderate candidate and make them into a conservative elected official – especially after the big-money special interests get their claws in them. Exhibit A: Gov. Brian Sandoval.
So the only other option is to help informed, intelligent, principled conservative candidates become more electable because…let’s face it, if you want to change public policy, the only way to really do it is to change public officials.
And no, it’s not enough to simply elect more Republicans regardless of what they believe – as State Sen. Michael Roberson advocates. You have to elect better ones, as well.
As such, I decided to go back to my roots and restart the candidate training programs I was doing all across the country before my first daughter was born in 2000.
In fact, I just finished organizing a full-day candidate training seminar for the Libertarian Party at their national convention in Las Vegas a couple weekends ago…and I’ll be speaking again at the Campaigns & Elections annual conference in Washington, DC next month.
But there was a problem…and something had to give.
Social/electronic media – in my case, primarily Twitter and email – is wonderful. But it can also become addictive. As such, it can eat up hours upon hours upon hours of your time that could otherwise be used for more productive activities or spent with family and friends.
I’m embarrassed to say, I got hooked. And didn’t even realize it was happening.
You know…if it was only an hour or two of wasted time a day – with weekends free – that’d still be bad, but not as bad as I had it. For me, I probably spent at least a good 4-5 hours a day minimum just reading and responding to emails and tweets. Seven days a week.
That’s almost as much time as a full-time job!
Seriously…I’d go to bed and wake up 7 hours later and have 127 emails in my inbox. It was insane!
And not one of them put a dime in my pocket, food on my table or clothes on my kids’ backs.
Thank God they don’t wear shoes! (That’s an inside joke for long-time readers.)
Nor did any of those emails or tweets help make conservative candidates more electable…which is now the goal.
(Pause. Taking a break to take the dog for a morning walk…something else I’ve been neglecting to do for a long, long time.)
(OK, I’m back…)
So two months ago I began to slowly wean myself from the Matrix.
I stopped reading the newspaper cover-to-cover every day.
I began unsubscribing from some email newsletters.
And I “un-followed” some people on Twitter…which caused a bit of a problem here at home. You see, one of the people I stopped “following” was my 9-year-old daughter, Jenna, whose feelings were considerably hurt. So I had to immediately “re-follow” her.
To make a long story short, I attended a 4-day coaching/speaking/marketing seminar this past weekend in Los Angeles and came to the conclusion already reached by the seminar host, James Malinchak, that it was time to go “cold turkey.”
So I “unfollowed” all but three people on Twitter:
(1) My own @CampaignDoctor Twitter account – in case I want to re-tweet something there that I think my general Twitter followers might be interested in.
(2) My daughter Jenna – for the obvious reason!
(3) And Las Vegas Review-Journal political columnist Steve Sebelius.
Steve’s now my political “lifeline.” He doesn’t tweet excessively for ego-boosting gratification the way some other self-absorbed pundits do. And I figure if something happens in Las Vegas, Nevada or Washington that’s important enough for Steve to tweet about, it might be important enough for me to read about.
In any case, if I’ve unsubscribed from your e-newsletter or un-followed you on Twitter, PLEASE don’t take it personally.
It’s not that I don’t value your opinions or want to read about your issues. It’s that there are only so many hours in the day…and I need to spend more of them reading my kids’ essays and homework…as well as e-newsletters on ways to help make conservative candidates more electable.
So I’m no longer waking up every morning and spending hours reading The Hill, the Wall Street Journal Online and Neal Boortz.
Instead I’m reading Dan Kennedy, Kevin Gentry, Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing, Robert Skrob, MaryEllen Tribby, Ryan Deiss, Future Fundraising Now, Bob Bly and Joe Polish.
“Who?” I hear you collectively ask.
Exactly. They’re not conservative activists. They’re not candidates or elected officials. They’re not party or think tank leaders. They’re not political reporters, columnists or bloggers.
But they ARE experts in direct marketing, communications and fundraising…which will help me show conservative candidates how to get more votes, more donations and more volunteers.
So the bottom line is that from this point forward, I may not be writing my e-newsletters on politics and public policy quite as often. And when I do, I might not cover quite as much.
To which I hear a number of you shouting, “Thank heaven!”
Instead, the bulk of my time will be devoted to writing Campaign Hot Tips at www.CampaignDoctor.com (subscribe today!) and finding other ways to show conservative candidates how to get more votes, more donations and more volunteers.
So rest assured, I’m not leaving the battlefield; I’m just taking the fight to a new front.
Onward…
Dodd-Frank Comes to Montana
From the Wall Street Journal:
Senator Jon Tester (D., Mont.) must have known that he would have to defend his vote for ObamaCare in this year’s re-election campaign. But he probably didn’t expect to be playing defense when he voted for the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.
Mr. Tester’s problem is that he helped pass Dodd-Frank a little more than a year before futures broker MF Global collapsed into bankruptcy, leaving an estimated $1.6 billion in missing customer funds. Montana farmers, who use futures contracts to lock in prices for their harvest, are among the angry customers still waiting to be made whole. And they may have to wait a very long time.
The agency that was supposed to be overseeing MF Global is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and you can guess how popular the CFTC and chairman Gary Gensler are in eastern Montana’s farm country. Mr. Tester no doubt spoke for many Montanans during a visit this week with the editorial board of The Billings Gazette. “CFTC was asleep at the switch. They were in the building when all that stuff went on, too. Maybe Gary Gensler needs to go,” said Mr. Tester.
This issue could raise the same question about Mr. Tester. That’s because Dodd-Frank vastly expanded the power of the CFTC. Lawmakers gave Mr. Gensler virtually everything he asked for and, according to Capitol Hill staff, even allowed the CFTC chairman to help write key provisions of the bill.
Mr. Tester may have voted for Dodd-Frank, but between now and November he’ll likely try to put as much daylight as possible between himself and Mr. Gensler’s CFTC.
Byron York: New Allegation from Rev. Wright Deserves Answer
Byron York: “According to Klein, the amount Whitaker offered Wright was $150,000. Later in the interview — Klein, through his public relations representative, allowed me to listen to the whole thing — Wright said Obama never offered him any money. But Wright said that in a private meeting, the presidential candidate also asked Wright to stop speaking publicly until the election was over. Is Wright’s version of the story correct? Did Whitaker actually make the offer Wright says he did? If so, did Obama know about it? And where would the money have come from? All are questions that deserve answers. There’s no doubt Whitaker is close to the president. Whitaker was with Obama during the president’s last Christmas vacation in Hawaii — and the Christmas before that and the Christmas before that and the Christmas before that. Whitaker was also with Obama last summer on Martha’s Vineyard — and the summer before that and the summer before that.”
New allegation from Rev. Wright deserves answer
By Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent, Washington Examiner
There’s a difference of opinion among Republicans about the wisdom of introducing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright issue into the presidential campaign. A lot of top GOP strategists think it’s a bad — a very bad — idea. “Frankly, trying to dredge up Jeremiah Wright … was stupid,” Karl Rove said Sunday on Fox News, referring to reports a GOP ad man had suggested a Wright ad to a pro-Republican super-PAC. “I thought it was very smart for the Romney campaign to immediately go out and denounce the tactic.”
On the other hand, a lot of people in the Republican base still blame John McCain for not using Wright against Barack Obama back in 2008. Now, they would like to see the GOP attack the president over his 20-year relationship with the preacher best known for shouting, “God damn America.”
Thinking practically, it’s hard to see how a new attack ad featuring Rev. Wright would work. Back in ’08, when Sen. Obama was still relatively unknown, a skillfully-done ad linking him to Wright’s angry tirades might have been quite damaging. Now, people have watched Obama as president for three and a half years, and it seems far less likely Rev. Wright would have much effect.
But there is one subject concerning Wright that merits scrutiny. In a nearly three-hour recorded interview with Ed Klein, author of the new book “The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House,” Wright said that back in 2008, when he was at the center of a raging controversy over his sermons, a close friend of Obama’s offered him money to shut up until after the November election.
Budget Chairman “Can’t Recall The Last Time He Talked To The President,” Energy Chairman Says “The President Is Not As Engaged”
President Disengaged With Policymakers
Budget Chairman ‘Can’t Recall The Last Time He Talked To The President,’ Energy Chairman Says ‘The President Is Not As Engaged’
‘He Doesn’t Call. He Doesn’t Write. He Doesn’t Drop By For A Visit.’
“He doesn’t call. He doesn’t write. He doesn’t drop by for a visit. That’s what some of the most senior Democrats in Congress are experiencing from President Barack Obama these days… when it comes to some key policymakers and chairmen in Democratic congressional politics, he’s far less engaged…” (“The Calls That Aren’t Coming,” Politico, 5/22/12)
· “…policy meetings and social gatherings with committee chairmen, ranking members, back bench freshmen and GOP swing voters — all hallmarks of the early part of Obama’s term — have been few and far between with the president these days, lawmakers say.” (“The Calls That Aren’t Coming,” Politico, 5/22/12)
“Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) is the go-to guy on high gas prices, but the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee hasn’t spoken to the president much since the previous Congress. ‘…the president is not as engaged — at least with me.’” (“The Calls That Aren’t Coming,” Politico, 5/22/12)
· 85% Of Americans Want “Immediate Actions” On Gas Prices. (“Gas Prices,” Gallup Poll, 5/22/12)
“Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) is trying to cut a deal on the nation’s fiscal crisis, but he can’t recall the last time he talked to the president.” (“The Calls That Aren’t Coming,” Politico, 5/22/12)
· The national debt is currently $15,712,206,657,211.05. (“The Debt To The Penny And Who Owns It,” U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 5/22/12)
“Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is in charge of one of Obama’s top priorities — preventing a rate increase on student loans — but he hasn’t talked to the president in months.” (“The Calls That Aren’t Coming,” Politico, 5/22/12)
· “…half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed…” (“1 In 2 New Graduates Are Jobless Or Underemployed,” The Associated Press, 4/23/12)
‘When Obama Has Gotten Involved’ — ‘Election-Year Point Scoring,’ Blocking Jobs
“When Obama has gotten involved… He made a series of calls to Democratic senators in March to kill a measure calling for the construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline…” (“The Calls That Aren’t Coming,” Politico, 5/22/12)
JOE SCARBOROUGH: “In fact, Harry Reid has just been one gigantic pocket veto for the president over the past year. Nothing is happening in the Senate, because they don’t want anything to happen that can be used against them on the campaign trail.” MARK HALPERIN: “You’re right.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 4/24/12)
· “…the more partisan strategy opens up the White House to criticisms that it has given up on legislating in favor of election-year point scoring.” (“Senate Dems Carry Obama’s Water On Bills,” Politico, 4/23/12)
#MASen Update: The Controversy Surrounding Elizabeth Warren Continues to Swirl
In Massachusetts, the disarray continues in Professor Elizabeth Warren’s campaign with one local media outlet in the important city of Worcester leading with this headline today – Elizabeth Warren MIA in Central Mass. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is missing in action from Central Mass, and that decision is hurting her campaign. Warren, who has yet to establish a campaign office in Worcester County, is losing the battle for money and votes to incumbent Senator Scott Brown. Brown, who established his MassVictory office in Worcester two months ago, has garnered four times the financial support from Central Mass. voters than Warren. Colin Reed, a spokesman for the Brown campaign credited Brown’s bipartisan efforts for much of his local support.
- Meanwhile, the Lowell Sun covered the forum with veterans that Senator Brown hosted yesterday at the Wilmington Knights of Columbus. Brown, whose campaign for re-election against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren has been heating up, spent about an hour with local veterans in one of numerous veterans’ forums he’s been holding throughout the state. Having served in the Army National Guard for 33 years and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Brown emphasized his military experience and work on behalf of veterans to the gathering of some 30 people.
- But the controversy surrounding Elizabeth Warren continues to swirl and as the Boston Herald reports this morning, until Warren decides to come clean this issue is going to haunt her right up until Election Day. “As a candidate, that’s the worst thing,” said pollster Andrew E. Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Smith said he believes “this will definitely be used by the Brown campaign.” Eventually, Smith said, voters will find out whether Warren really does have Cherokee roots, and decide for themselves whether her claims of minority status played a role in the jobs she landed at two top Ivy League law schools. “Any genealogist worth their salt is trying to investigate this and follow up on it,” he said.
- Finally, you know you have a serious problem on your hands when even an unrepentant liberal like MSNBC’s Ed Schultz implores you to simply come clean. As Shultz said on his show last night: “I think she needs to come out and put this thing to rest once and first of all. she ought to be holding a press conference and don’t take any questions about anything else.”









