Newark, U.S.A. – Today’s Presidential primary election is meaningless for citizens living in New Jersey, California, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota. “This creates an alienated and cynical electorate that is becoming more disenfranchised with every election cycle,” says Jim Lynch, author of “The 2020 Players: A Futuristic View of the 2020 Presidential Election.”

Lynch asks, “Can you blame Americans for tuning out? This is not democracy; in fact, it just may be as bad as the backroom politics back in the old days of bosses and political machines.”

“As a result, millions of Americans had absolutely no voice in the Presidential selection process. Let’s face it; the primary system is broken,” says Lynch.

After today’s vote, which involves some 299 uncontested electoral votes, only Utah has yet to weigh in and they’ll hold off until June 26.

“Voting in America should be cherished as a sacred right, as a meaningful experience to every American. But voting has become totally meaningless for almost a third of the states participating in 2012 Republican primary balloting,” says Lynch.

“This flawed process is a ringing endorsement of the reform proposal to have a National One Day Primary on the same day in all 50 states for all presidential candidates. The single day primary would bring an end to local pandering to voters – like Newt Gingrich telling the people in Cape Canaveral ‘We should build a moon base’ – and to months of negative campaigning on TV and radio, one harmful and nauseating attack after another, without end.  And it would be far easier for both parties to unite behind the winners who emerge from the one day balloting,” says Lynch.

Lynch believes Americans must overhaul the political process and the insidious role that media advocacy plays in this process. “In my novel, The 2020 Players, I also advocate a viable three-party system, a single six-year term for President, and a ban on any political campaigning while in office.”

Jim Lynch is a native New Yorker, married with eight children and four grandchildren. His parents worked for the FBI. He spent eight years as an investigator and was an executive for AT&T. Lynch is a full time novelist.

Image Courtesy of  Jim Lynch

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The economic crisis batters a great part of the world. Countries that used to live the “American dream” now witness how the extensive wave of revelry and happiness has come to an end. Spain is one of the many countries that lived above their possibilities. The Spanish downturn has given rise to an excessive increase of unemployment and has been the perfect excuse for politicians to pull out their scissors and begin cutting public spending from their welfare state.

The Spanish people, who watch how the youth unemployment is more than 50 percent, have not taken long to point their fingers at the politicians. Spanish citizens accuse politicians of being responsible for the country’s irreversible state, which they believe is inevitable as a result of the electoral system, where only two teams play.

It is quite the opposite in the United States. Criticisms about the political ‘duel’ have not yet arrived. As a matter of fact, some citizens are proud of it. They say that in the United States, presidential elections gather the many political and social aspects that characterize this country. However, critics against the electoral system, such as Occupy Wall Street, have indeed begun to be heard and could amplify if the situation worsens.

Since George Washington set the foundations, the United States has visibly favored a two-party system, made up of two blocks in Congress. Supporters of this system see it as a way to preserve the democratic health of the country. Perhaps they may be right, but it is also true that reducing the possibilities to solely black and white might not be the best example of a democracy.

It is inarguable that in the elections more than two candidates are represented. However, these dissidents are hardly given any voice in comparison to the two giants. As if that were not enough, their campaigns seem ridiculous when judged against the big parties’ greatly funded campaigns.

In previous elections, most of the media hardly had any say about third party candidates, such as McKinney, who was parliamentary of the United States for many years, or Nader, the activist who presented himself as independent and who ended up being attacked about his credibility and pride.

The media should try to balance the budgetary instability of the current plutocratic regime and avoid instructing anyone with phrases like, “Voting for a candidate that is not a Democrat or Republican is a waste of your vote.” Let us remember that democracy is not a political calculation, but simply a way of expressing one’s support for a leader. Journalists, who are guarantors of freedom, should attempt to treat all parties fairly.

Image Courtesy of  Pete Souza (Source; Story) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Things are starting to look dim for Republican candidates Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum as Super Tuesday’s results revealed that Mitt Romney is definitively the front runner for the GOP spot for the election this coming November. But the real question is whether he will be able to beat out President Barack Obama for the presidential term of 2012 to 2016.

Romney was victorious in six of the ten states on Tuesday including Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia, Alaska, Idaho and Vermont. Santorum followed with three wins in the states of North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Gingrich trailed with only one win in Georgia and Ron Paul still has not won a single state’s primary or caucus.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, easily won the state’s vote with a turnout of approximately 72% voters in his favor. Surprisingly though, only about 20% of all registered Republican and Independent voters showed up to the polls to cast their ballots on Tuesday, according to Brian McNiff, who is the spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin. This is a significant drop from all presidential primaries in 2008 where about 45% of registered voters cast their ballots for both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Massachusetts State Representative George Peterson is positive that there will be a much higher turn out for the general election in November. Peterson stated, “People feel very strongly about this race and they are not happy where this country is headed.” Peterson also added that he sees, “a 60% percent turnout in the presidential race, and having Romney and Senator Brown on the ballot will be extremely helpful to all Republicans in the Legislature.”

In order for any presidential candidate to make it to November, one thing is important above all: Monday. And Romney has that. Massachusetts Party Chairman John Walsh claims that over the past seven years, Romney and his supporters have spent over $200 million in order for Romney to receive the Republican Party’s nomination. While Romney might have the money to get there, it’s going to be hard for the people of the state of Massachusetts to forget that the state ranked third lowest in the country as job creation and manufacturing declined over twice the national average during the time that Romney served as Governor there.

Despite Romney’s wins, none of the other Republican candidates have dropped out of the race — yet. The next state Romney must tackle is Kansas on Sunday and then Mississippi and Alabama on Tuesday. However, strategists believe that Santorum has a good chance of winning those states because he has strong supporters there. Santorum could be the only thing standing in the way of Romney being the Republican candidate for the presidency. Based on polls, Santorum is favored by those making less than $100,000 a year, non-graduates, independents, and people under the age of 65.

In the long run, Romney is looking to be the Republican nominee up against current President Obama in November, but before then, it looks as if he is going to have to beat out his Republican rivals. For Romney, it could be a long and drawn-out race until April, when the states of Maryland, Delaware, and Connecticut get to vote, as well as the District of Columbia. At that time, things will be much clearer as to who will go up against Obama in November.

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It’s Mitt Romney. No, it’s Rick Santorum. No it’s Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul. Who really is the front-runner most likely to be the GOP candidate for the U.S. Election for 2012?

Current Republican front-runner Mitt Romney continues to target Obama about his views and promises of what is to come for the United States if the Republicans take office. Romney has been reflecting on all the things Obama didn’t do or did wrong for the U.S. since his election in 2008.

In the same vein, Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul has been knocking on his Republican rivals. Paul has been ridiculing Santorum and Romney, calling Romney a “flip-flopper” in an advertisement. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is doing the same by speaking poorly of his Republican rivals and President Obama equally, by saying, “They all have poor visions for our country.” But some would argue that ridiculing and criticizing Republican Rivals and President Obama is not the way to win over Republican voters. Former Senator Rick Santorum is one of them.

Santorum is taking a very different approach in his appearances, reminding Americans that we should focus on ideas, and “not attack Obama,” while he was campaigning in Georgia. Santorum made a statement, saying how in the past, “one candidate has been able to win the race, by serially destroying their opponent.” He continued that, “it is not a winning formula in the general election. A winning formula is having better ideas and motivating the Republican Party.”

Ron Paul is currently the only Republican candidate yet to win a single primary or caucus. He is hopeful to win over the state of Washington and has publicly announced that he will remain in the race until this year’s Republican Convention.

So far, Romney has won six states with Santorum following second winning four states, as Gingrich trails behind with one. Although Paul is hopeful to win Washington, his chances of winning are about 16% according to a survey taken by the Public Policy Polling. He is expecting that young adults and independents, who have seemed to gravitate toward Paul, will increase his odds of winning what would be his first victory.

As ‘Super Tuesday’ approaches, Republican candidates are making as many appearances as possible to win the primaries and caucuses where Americans will vote in ten states. Primaries will be held in seven states including Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. Caucuses will be held in Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota.

Considering those states comprise one-fifth of the country’s states, this day could be a huge turning point that could change everything for the Republican candidates toward their race to the presidency.

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With tsunamis, earthquakes and financial concerns dominating the headlines over the past year, National Geographic Channel and Kelton Research on February 7 released the results of a survey gauging Americans’ preparedness levels and mind-set related to a potential “Doomsday” scenario.

Most Americans are fearful of catastrophes, yet are poorly prepared, according to the new survey.  Eighty-five percent of the nation is not ready for a devastating event, blame the recession for their unpreparedness and are more fearful of a man-made catastrophe if a Republican wins the presidential election.

This comes as NGC launches its new series Doomsday Preppers focusing on Americans with an unshakable certainty that America soon faces tougher times – when grocery stores are empty, water is in short supply and electricity is unavailable – and are stockpiling for survival.

In the survey of more than 1,000 men and women conducted online from January 3 to January 10 with a 3.1 percent margin of error, the question was asked, “Which of the following, if any, do you think might happen in the United States in the next 25 years?”  Earthquakes (64%), hurricanes (63%) and terrorism (55%) are the most feared, followed by financial collapse (51%), significant blackout (37%), a pandemic (29%) and nuclear fallout (14%).

Regardless of the incident, more than 62 percent Americans think the world will experience a major catastrophe in less than 20 years.  And nearly three out of every four people (71%) envision a major disaster in their lifetime as an act of God, not man.  Nearly one-third (27%) believe that the Mayan calendar’s prediction about a calamitous event in December 2012 will be at least “somewhat true.”

“The results demonstrate that in a disastrous scenario most people are unprepared,” says Scott Hunt, co-owner and engineer with Practical Preppers, a firm specializing in emergency preparedness.  “You need to take a practical approach to preparedness so that in a crisis situation you are not part of the problem, but the solution.  I hope more people feel compelled to start looking at this seriously and take solid steps to be ready.”

With the presidential election this November, politics also factored into the results, with more than half of the nation (52%) believing that if Mitt Romney or one of his Republican counterparts overtake Barack Obama, a man-made catastrophe is more likely.

Among those who feel unprepared, 40 percent cite the lasting effects of the recession as the reason for their unpreparedness.  But the same number (40%) is saying “to hell with a 401(k)” to save money for catastrophe arrangements.  Nearly half (49%) of Americans would forgo new high-end appliances in a new home if it had a safe room or bomb shelter instead.

Dr. Berger, senior lecturer on modern apocalyptic narratives at Yale University, expands on why Americans are straying away from such items for their homes:  ”If large numbers of people are to be protected from some natural or social disaster, there must be some public mechanisms put in place – for evacuations, food, water, medicine, etc., as well as proper infrastructure that will mitigate damage.”

While one in four Americans have done nothing to prepare, among those who have prepared, actions they have taken are very basic: 60 percent have stored canned food; 58 percent drinking water; and 56 percent batteries.  However, only 12 percent of the population has practiced drills, and 39 percent have learned basic survival skills.

Were “doomsday to arrive,” nearly four in 10 (39%) don’t think they would last two weeks based on the supplies they have on hand.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s leading Muslim civil liberties organization, has condemned “inaccurate and offensive” remarks by GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, who said that the concept of equality “doesn’t come from Islam” or “Eastern religions.” He claimed equality comes from “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:

“The Quran, Islam’s revealed text, is the best refutation of Mr. Santorum’s inaccurate and offensive remarks, which are unbecoming of anyone who hopes to hold our nation’s highest office. Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God and share religious traditions that promote justice and equality.

“God states in the Quran: ‘Say ye: ‘We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.’ (The Holy Quran, 2:136)

“The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stress racial and gender equality. The Prophet said: ‘All people are equal as the teeth of a comb.’

“As the Prophet said in his last sermon: ‘All humankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Also, a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does someone who is black have any superiority over someone who is white — except by piety and good action.’

“The Prophet once told a companion: ‘You are not better than people (of other races) unless you excel them in piety.’ (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1361)

“Islam’s holy text also promotes gender equality when it states: ‘So their Lord answers their prayers, saying: ‘I will never let the (good) work of any of you, whether male or female, be wasted. You are members one of another.’ (The Holy Quran, 3:195) The Quran also states: ‘The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another.’ (Quran 9:71)

“The Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Whoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive (a pre-Islamic practice forbidden by Islam), does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise.’

“We suggest that Mr. Santorum educate himself about Islam and the American Muslim community by reading the Quran that we will send to his campaign headquarters next week.”

[NOTE: CAIR has an initiative designed to send free copies of the Quran to the nation's opinion leaders and policy-makers. The Qurans are sponsored and distributed through CAIR's ongoing "Explore the Quran" campaign.

Hooper noted that CAIR recently called on Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and other GOP representatives to reaffirm their support of an American republic that treats citizens of all faiths as equals after Gingrich told a South Carolina town hall that he would only support a Muslim for the presidency if that person would "commit in public to give up Sharia [Islamic principles].”

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ConservativeHQ.com Chairman Richard Viguerie announced the first group of conservative leaders to join him in endorsing former Senator Rick Santorum for President:

“…Some 150 conservative leaders gathered at Nancy and Paul Pressler’s ranch in Texas to discuss the Republican presidential campaign”.  There was an overwhelming 75 percent consensus to support Rick Santorum for President. ”The group of conservative leaders named…includes Dr. James Dobson, Gary Bauer, Joseph Farah,Foster Friess, Elaine Donnelly, and many others representing all four segments of the new conservative coalition who are coalescing behind Rick Santorum’s candidacy.

“I’m pleased that, so quickly after Rick Perry suspended his campaign, I was able to announce the firstbloc of conservative leaders who have come forward to endorse Rick Santorum. ”This list of endorsers demonstrates that Rick Santorum is the best candidate to bring together social conservatives, national defense conservatives, economic conservatives, and the newly energized constitutional conservatives of the Tea Party.

“Rick Santorum is the only reliable conservative left in the race.  He has a long involvement in the conservative movement, and he has demonstrated his commitment to hiring conservatives on his Senate staff and in his campaign.  On the issues of vital importance to conservatives, such as the right to life, the pro-family agenda, national security, and fighting the growth of government, he has walked with us even when the path was hard.

“If conservatives want a conservative, not just another establishment Republican, nominated in Tampa and elected in November, it is time for us to start concentrating on consolidating that winning four-part coalition behind one candidate.  The candidate who best appeals to all four segments of the winning 2010 coalition, with the fewest negatives, is Rick Santorum.

“This is an encouraging sign that movement conservatives are finding their natural home in the Santorum campaign and are in fact coalescing behind Rick’s candidacy.”

The text of the endorsement and the list of endorsers released today follows:

“Conservatives are the largest ideological bloc in the American electorate.  In this election cycle, a number of candidates with legitimate claims to conservative support have considered or sought the Republican nomination for President, but this has left the conservative vote divided, empowering those who do not share our views and values.

To defeat Barack Obama, now is the time for conservatives to rally behind the most electable conservative candidate, and we believe that candidate is former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

“In recognition of Rick Santorum’s character, judgment, and especially his commitment to institute an administration that will govern according to conservative principles, we the undersigned endorse former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum for President of the United States and pledge to advance his candidacy.”

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Even as presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, readies for the South Carolina primary after soundly winning the New Hampshire primary, both the Obama reelection campaign and the Occupy Wall Street crowd he hopes to capitalize on are sharpening the knives of wealth envy.

As the 2011 year closed, the media remained obsessed with the Occupy Wall Street protests. Not a day went by without video of the protesters camping out, clashing with police, or some soft-peddled story on the merits of the protests. Absent are all the admonitions hurled toward the Tea Party for loudly denouncing the Obama Care Law or the president’s insistence on spending more and more money in debt to somehow magically create a positive economy.

Make no mistake, however, just as the Tea Party galvanized opposition against the policies of the Obama administration from fiscal conservatives, so too, does the president hope to utilize the Occupy movement in a similar fashion in the 2012 presidential election. The contrast between the two movements is stark.

There were hundreds of Tea Party rallies, marches, and protests throughout the country in 2010. Yet, not a single venue was trashed, the streets, avenues, and parks were left in pristine condition, and the only reported police arrest occurred in the beginning of the movement, when three white Union members attacked an African-American male in a wheelchair.

Occupy Wall Street, however, has had rapes, shootings, drug use, assaults, and have pretty much used the parks as their own private bathrooms. There has been violence in every city in which an Occupy movement has occurred, and the only word from the mainstream media has been the talking point of not unfairly assessing the Occupiers through the actions of a few bad apples. The hypocrisy is larger than the increase in the national debt, but is not even the worse problem.

There is no single overwhelming theme or idea from Occupy Wall Street, but the one thing they do seem to hate is what they consider to be income inequality. That they are the 99 percent versus the 1 percent has become the mantra, and the 1 percent are not paying their fair share. There is a call for a more even distribution of income and assets.

The ideas for this range from higher taxes to socialism and to out-right communism. What I find annoying is the idea that there should be income equality to begin with and the underlying idea that the rich have an unfair advantage. The reality, of course, is that life is not fair. We are not all given the same or equal attributes.

Some people are born ugly and others beautiful. Some people are born smart, others have average intelligence, and some people are just born dumb. Some are tall; some are small. And yes, some people are born rich, and some are born poor. It is a fact of life. What is also a fact, however, is that the vast majority of people in the top one percent of income earners were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

In the 1920′s, well over 80 percent of the wealth in the country was gained through inheritance. A person was born, and if they hit the cosmic lottery, their parents were a Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, or a Kennedy. In 2010, the percentage of wealth gained through inheritance is two percent. The vast majority of the people in the top income and asset brackets were not born that way. They earned it in their lifetimes.

They did this through opening businesses or obtaining professional degrees, like becoming doctors (doctors make up most of people in the top one percent), or by savvy and patient investment. Any way you cut it, they were not handed their incomes and wealth through some lotto ticket. However, the occupiers, which are more like ‘whiners’, act as if someone handed these millionaires and billionaires their money.

They never stop and ask themselves whether they are willing to do the things, make the sacrifices, risk their capital, their health, and or their marriage in pursuit of a business or profession that leads to wealth. The answer to that question is clearly no. If they were willing to do those things, they would not be camped out in a park, defecating in the street, and bitching about someone else’s money.

Yet, it is obvious from the calls for “income equality” that these people want the money that the one percent have. Thus far, none have given a single logical reason why they deserve it. Sure, the general idea of fairness can make many people sympathize with the protesters. After all, no one feels sorry for a billionaire.

However, what is fair about someone working 70 hours a week to start a business that takes ten years to build, having to shell over their money to a twenty-something or thirty-something year old that does not want to make the same sacrifices?  If you use a sports analogy, why would an NFL team with the worse record deserve a part of the Super Bowl trophy? We all know the answer is a that they do not deserve it. Yet, many are duped into thinking that they have some divine right to the fruits of someone else’s labors.

It is unimportant that the top 1 percent owns upwards of 25 percent of the wealth in the country. They deserve it, and they own it because when you “own” as opposed to being a worker bee, your wealth and income are magnified. The beauty of America is that if you do not like what you earn, you can do things to earn more. Nowhere else in this world is it so easy to move up in both income and class without the right political or social connections.

Can you do that in China, Cuba, Russia, or India? No! In America, you can, and the proof of that is the people who make up the one percent. Go back 10 or 15 years, and the people there today were not there back then.

If you are part of the 99 percent, then the question is, “What have you done today, this week, this month, and this year to increase your wealth? What have you done to affect your income level?” If the answer is nothing, then Herman Cain is right, and you are poor because of yourself. It is no one’s fault, but your own.

As we have seen over the last few years, personal accountability has become a lost value for many in this country, especially for the spoiled children of baby boomers who expected the world to give them a silver spoon- even if it means taking it by force from someone else.

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The Occupy Wall Street movement tapped into anger about bank bailouts, crony capitalism and corporate welfare, but it turns out that most Americans are mad at the federal government and not their banks. A new Reason-Rupe Poll finds 76 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of their banks and just 15 percent view them unfavorably.

In contrast, only 32 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the federal government. Sixty-two percent of voters rate the federal government unfavorably.

Forty-nine percent of Americans approve of the job President Obama is doing, with 47 percent disapproving. Only 13 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, 80 percent disapprove.

Fifty-four percent of Americans also say they are more worried that the federal government will do something to make the economy worse, while 40 percent are more worried that the government will fail to take action on the economy.

State governments are more popular than the feds, but only half of all Americans view them positively. As you get closer to home, 58 percent of Americans have positive views of their local governments, and the same number look upon their local school districts favorably.

The survey finds people feel a lot better about private businesses. For example, 88 percent of Americans have a positive view of their grocery stores; 73 percent look favorably upon their cell phone makers; and 69 percent say they view their Internet service providers favorably.

If Ron Paul does not win the Republican presidential nomination, he is the best positioned candidate to make a third-party or independent run, according to the Reason-Rupe poll. Thirty-four percent of Americans say they would consider voting for Paul if he ran as an independent or third-party presidential candidate.

A similar number, 31 percent, say they would consider voting for New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, if he made an independent run for the White House in 2012.

Sarah Palin said it is “not too late for folks to jump in” to the presidential race. If Palin left the Republican Party and ran as an independent, 27 percent of voters say they might vote for her. The problem for Palin: 67 percent of Americans would not consider voting for her in that scenario.

It has been reported that former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is considering running as the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate. Twenty-one percent of voters say they’d consider voting for Johnson, while 29 percent say they do not know enough about him yet.

In terms of the 2012 presidential election, 29 percent of Americans say they will definitely vote for President Obama next November and 44 percent say they will not vote for him.

In a memorable Republican presidential debate moment last month, Texas Governor Rick Perry could not remember the third government agency he would eliminate if elected president.  And another GOP candidate, Ron Paul, says if he is elected he will get rid of five federal agencies: Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior.

So which federal agencies are the American people most willing to eliminate or consolidate? Forty-five percent of Americans are ready to eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 41 percent would eliminate the Department of Energy.

The Department of Education was on both Paul’s and Perry’s lists to cut, but 61 percent of Americans want to keep the Department of Education and just 34 percent say eliminate it.

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Herman Cain informed his aides on Tuesday that he was going to reassess his campaign for presidency after yet another woman stepped forward with allegations of improper sexual conduct. Cain said that the accusations created too much of a cloud around his campaign. He has acknowledged the turmoil the allegations have caused and will only stay on schedule for the next few days.

“If a decision is made, different than to plow ahead, you all will be the first to know,” Cain stated. This is the first time since accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct began that Cain has reconsidered being a part of the presidential race. On Tuesday morning, however, a spokesperson for the campaign explicitly said that Cain would not drop out of the race.

Ginger White, a Georgian woman, came forward with allegations of a 13 year extramarital affair with Cain. The potential presidential candidate denied this, just like he had denied previous accusations of sexual harassment from other women. “It was just a friendship relationship,” he claimed.

“That being said, obviously, this is a cause for reassessment.” Cain continued, “With this latest one, we have to do an assessment as to whether or not this is going to create too much of a cloud, in some people’s minds, as to whether or not they would be able to support us going forth.”

Claiming the firestorm caused by this episode has taken a toll on Cain and his family, he told his aides that the people will have to make a decision about whether or not to believe him or the women speaking out against him. Even though the fundraising for his campaign has begun to fall, as the public’s opinion of him has, Cain was still determined to continue with his bid for presidency.

However, in a conference call, he only said he would keep certain, imminent commitments. This includes delivering a speech regarding foreign policy at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Cain did cancel one previously planned event and withdrew from a party where he would meet with journalists, Matt Lauer and Barbara Walters.

Representative Scott Plakon, one of Cain’s Florida campaign chairmen, said the woman accusing him of having an affair should produce more evidence. Plakon said that if Cain did have an affair, Republican voters would be turned off. “That would be very problematic,” Plakon stated. “There’s the affair itself, and then there’s the truthful factor. He’s been so outspoken in these denials.”

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Herman Cain, the Republican presidential candidate, said he would no longer answer any questions regarding the sexual harassment accusations towards him that deal with events from about ten years ago and he placed blame on the media for the claims that have followed his campaign.

When the reporters asked Cain questions about the harassment allegations during a debate with Newt Gingrich, he became angry and told them the questions they were asking were unethical. The reporters then asked him if he would never answer questions about the accusations, to which he vehemently replied, “You got it.”

The alleged incidents have created much doubt in regards to his candidacy. On Friday, a lawyer for one of his alleged victims said that his client filed a complaint “in good faith” during the 1990s. In the complaint, she accused him of “several instances of sexual harassment” for which she received a financial settlement.

Attorney Joel Bennett believes that Cain is not telling the truth about the incidents, though he has denied them repeatedly. Cain insists he respects women and has never sexually harassed anybody. His campaign said that it wants to “put this issue behind us”.

During the debate in Houston with Gingrich, Cain was given the opportunity to discuss the accusations brought against him and was asked what has surprised him during his run for president. Cain responded, “The nit-pickiness of the media. It is the actions and behavior of the media that have been the biggest surprise.

There are too many people in the media who are downright dishonest. They do a disservice to the American people.” His comments brought the room to their feet. Gingrich cannot gain anything by bringing up the allegations against Cain. He has been divorced three times and is now married to a woman with whom he had an affair during his previous marriage.

Cain blamed the media for letting the alleged incidents come to light. “If I were running this campaign the way the pundits thought I ought to be running this campaign, I would have dropped out in August. When people get on the Cain train, they don’t get off,’’ he said.

A Washington Post-ABC News survey showed that seven in ten Republicans do not care about the reported allegations when it comes down to choosing a presidential candidate. Republican women, however, have said they were less likely to support Cain because of the allegations. The questions about the alleged sexual harassment show no signs of ceasing.

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Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain has come under fire by allegations that his campaign tried to conceal the role of one of his campaign staffers.

The issue revolves around Scott Toomey; he served as treasurer of Cain’s political action committee and is one on Cain’s top senior political advisors. It was revealed that Toomey was released from his former position of treasurer at Madison Pride Board because of financial discrepancies — he was released in 2008 after Madison Pride became aware that bills from an event they hosted in 2007 had not been paid.

It was also revealed that Toomey is the leader of a gay pride group in Wisconsin, an issue that is viewed negatively in conservative circles. Cain has previously stated that his belief is that homosexuality is a choice and following through with that choice is to commit a sin.

With Toomey on staff, an openly gay man in an influential position, charges of hypocrisy would run rampant and diminish Cain’s chances of becoming president. Thus, the need to cover up the situation presented itself, and aides were brought on board to ensure a harmonious story was told if anyone asked about Toomey.

These alleged actions only became public knowledge after Kevin Hall, Cain’s former Iowa straw poll coordinator, applied for unemployment benefits and in his testimony revealed the situation. Hall applied for resignation only after Cain’s campaign tried to get him involved in the alleged cover up.

In Hall’s testimony he stated, “That on June 9 his second day on the job, campaign spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael told the staff that Toomey was no longer involved in the campaign in any capacity and they should tell that to anyone who asked.

Hall said he learned weeks later that Toomey was still very much involved as an outside consultant despite what he and others had been telling the media and supporters.” Hall also testified that, “Campaign manager Mark Block told him June 29 the campaign would conceal Toomey’s continued employment by paying his newly-formed consulting firm so his name would not show up in disclosure filings.”

Filings with the Federal Election Commission show Toomey, of Chicago, received his last salary from the campaign on June 13. The Soarin’ Group, which Hall testified was Toomey’s firm, started receiving payments the same month. Hall’s allegations can be partially confirmed by Steve Starkey, a Madison gay rights activist who knew Toomey.

Starkey has been quoted for saying, “It was in the papers that he [Toomey] was the person responsible for that financial mess.” Starkly goes on to say “Toomey moved to Florida and went underground after the scandal. My research later found that Toomey’s promotional company also had been accused in court of not paying vendors.”

Court records show that Toomey filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and reported more than $20,000 in pending legal judgments against him from companies and a credit union.

With the hiring of Toomey, Cain may have taken several missteps that will damage his chances of the republican presidential nomination — not because of Toomey’s questionable financial past or sexual orientation, but because of Cain’s alleged involvement in covering up Toomey’s association with his campaign. During the hearing, a lawyer for Cain’s campaign did not dispute any of the allegations set forth by Hall.

Without dispute, this allowed Judge Bonny Hendricksmeyer to award unemployment benefits to Hall, ruling that Hall only resigned after being approached to participate in the cover up.

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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Paul, who recently moved up as one of the leading GOP presidential candidates of the 2012 election, has had previous experience with the roller coaster of campaigning in his run in 2008.

Paul has the same views he did four years ago, but they are attracting attention this time around and setting his campaign apart from other candidates.

Paul could have an advantage in the race, because he knows what to expect during his early stages of campaigning. He knows what the people want because many of the issues he built his campaign on in 2008 are more crucial from four years ago and are vital in the 2012 election.

He stated in Iowa, “I believe there are literally millions of more people now concerned about the very things I talked about four years ago. The excessive spending, the entitlement system, the foreign policy, as well as the monetary system.”

People who are fed up with the government’s excessive spending and involvement in our daily lives will most likely turn to a candidate who promotes more freedom and small government along with other libertarian views. Paul is answering the tough questions that some other candidates haven’t focused much attention on, which may be beneficial in the end.

Taking second place in the Ames straw poll may have been because of his bold statements that set him apart from other candidates.

In one response he stated, “I believe in a very limited role for government. But the prime reason that government exists in a free society is to protect liberty, but also to protect life. And I mean all life.”

In response to the second place win at the straw poll, Ron Paul’s campaign chairman Jesse Benton stated, “Our message was the same in 2007 as it is now in 2011, but this time we have quadrupled our support. That means our message is spreading, our support is surging and people are taking notice.”

Paul is gaining support from college students, libertarians, as well as other conservatives that have seen many of his predictions become realities.  He is sparking a new movement and attracting not just followers, but dedicated supporters who believe in his vision.

Even though Ron Paul’s ideology is not always the most mainstream or agreeable, such as his views on military spending and the federal reserve, he has been a candidate who has stayed true to his remarks. He has had a continuous message that has resonated not only in this election but also for the past four years since his campaign in 2008.

It will be interesting to see if Paul’s libertarian ideals will continue to gain support, or if they will distract voters into voting for a more mainstream candidate such as Bachmann, Perry, or Romney.

Image Courtesy of  R. DeYoung [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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Rock Hill, S.C. – Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s new jobs plan:

“It’s the middle of August and today the President announced he’ll give a speech ‘sometime’ in September on jobs. I have a jobs strategy for the President: Plan your own exit into a new job in the private sector in January 2013. Mr. President, it’s time to stop speaking and time to start listening to the American people.

“Mr. President, America is ready for a plan to solve our economic problems and create jobs, not another speech. Every time the President thinks the economy is dragging down his chances for re-election he gives another speech. The President has already given two speeches on jobs, but the Congressional Budget Office can’t score a speech. The President’s only plan is for more government spending, more government bureaucracy and higher taxes. It’s time that the President admits that government can’t create jobs. It’s time he enact pro-growth policies that will turn our economy around and put Americans back to work. I have a plan to grow our economy through lower taxes on job creators, decreased government spending, and getting rid of job killing regulations.”

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While the nation is in disarray over the debt ceiling, the Republican Party in particular is in shambles. The Tea Party is warning the Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders to “hold the line,” while elders in the Republican Party and Republican business donors are urging the party to raise the debt ceiling to prevent an economic downfall.

The Tea Party and American Grassroots Coalition organized a rally on Wednesday in the capital. Seventy-five supporters and featured GOP Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), and Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).  The supporters at the rally want the Republican leadership to bring back the “Cut, Cap and Balance” bill that the House passed, but failed in the Senate. The Act would raise the debt ceiling before August 2^nd deadline.

The Tea Party and many GOP lawmakers do not support Speaker Boehner’s plan, criticizing that it cuts too little. Boehner reportedly held a closed-door meeting on Wednesday and told Republicans to “get your ass in line.”

“This is the bill,” Boehner stated. “I can’t do this job unless you’re behind me.”

Boehner’s plan would temporarily raise the debt ceiling until the end of the year. The plan would also make spending cuts, although not as deep as many in the party would like.  Credit raters along with Bank of America have described the Speaker’s plan as insufficient and would not prevent an economic fallout.

The normally Republican-leaning National Association of Manufacturers is insisting that Congress raise the debt ceiling, again. In part, the statement read:

During the current uncertain economic times, Americans desperately need jobs. It is unreasonable for our government to stand by idly and allow interest rates to increase for families and businesses. Doing nothing also will result in a decrease in foreign investments in the United States and a general hit on the economy.

This is the time for leadership in Washington. The White House and Congress must act to raise the debt ceiling to ensure our country’s fiscal and economic well-being. To do otherwise is wholly irresponsible and ignores grave consequences and fiscal responsibility.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) criticized the tea party republicans on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “What is really amazing about this is that some members are believing that we can pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in this body with its present representation — and that is foolish,” said McCain on the Senate floor, according to The Hill.

“That is worse than foolish. That is deceiving many of our constituents.” The Arizona senator regarded the situation unfolding as “unfair” and “bizarre.”

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House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) addressed the nation in a televised speech following the president’s remarks on the debt ceiling. Boehner accused Obama of creating a “crisis atmosphere.” He asked the president to sign the newly unveiled GOP plan that would temporary increase the debt ceiling.

“Obviously, I expect that bill can and will pass the Senate and be sent to the president for a signature,” Boehner said. “If the president signs it, the crisis atmosphere he has created will simply disappear.”

“You see, there’s no stalemate in Congress,” Boehner argued. “The House passed a bill to raise the debt limit with bipartisan support, and this week while the Senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and Washington gimmicks, we’re going to pass another bill, one developed in support of the Washington leadership of the U.S. Senate.”

John Boehner is referring to the “Cut, Cap and Balance” Act that would require deep cuts in Medicare and Social Security. The legislation is highly unlikely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate and Obama has already stated that he would veto the proposal.

“The sad truth is the president wanted a blank check six months ago and wants a blank check today,” Boehner added. “That is just not going to happen.”

John Boehner said in his remarks that “the United States cannot default on its debt obligations,” agreeing with President Obama and Democrats’ insistence that the debt limit be raised. But he stated that the Democrats are unwilling to compromise by passing the House GOP legislation, saying “the president would not take yes for an answer.”

“Even when we thought we might be close on an agreement, the president’s demands changed,” Boehner said, a likely reference to Obama’s call for greater revenues as part of a “grand bargain” deal that would have reduced the deficit by up to $4 trillion. Boehner walked away from that effort Friday.

The new Republican plan that was released earlier on Monday would require immediate cuts in discretionary spending, touted as saving $1.2 trillion over a decade. In exchange, the debt ceiling would be raised by less than $1 trillion, a six month temporary plan. The GOP plan would also create a “Joint Committee of Congress” that would identify $1.6 to $1.8 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade.

Democrats call the House Republican plan a “non-starter” because it would require another debt limit fight before the end of next year. “Does anyone think it would be a good idea to do this all over again in six months?” Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said Monday.

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Michele Bachmann is a fun candidate to watch. She will likely implode as quickly as Newt Gingrich and the fall out will be far-reaching and messy. Despite her non-existent record in Congress and her propensity for lying, she is being taken seriously as a presidential contender so far by the mainstream media.  So, it makes sense that people are beginning to look more closely at Bachmann’s husband and his “counseling practice.”

Bachmann’s husband runs a Christian counseling center in Minnesota. According to former patients, the center utilizes controversial therapy methods, known as reparative therapy, to try to “convert” gay patients into heterosexuals. Truth Wins Out, a gay advocacy group, recently released an undercover video that displays footage apparently showing a counselor offering to help the activist overcome his homosexual urges. In the video, a counselor is seen saying that sessions could help build up the patient’s desire for women.

“I believe twice over the course of the first session he made reference to his belief that we are all created heterosexual, and that some of us just have different challenges with that,” the activist, John Becker said in an interview with The Associated Press. “God created us all for heterosexuality — he said that twice.”

Both Bachmann and her husband have refused to answer any questions about the video and the therapy. Bachmann campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart said such matters are protected by patient-client confidentiality. “The Bachmann’s are in no position ethically, legally, or morally to discuss specific courses of treatment concerning the clinic’s patients.

The clinic honors and respects all people for whatever issue they come in for and if there is a conflict, they refer elsewhere,” said a written statement from Stewart.

This could potentially be a big issue for the Bachmann campaign. And it should be. The American Psychological Association issued a resolution in 2009 about reparative therapy. The APA pointed that there is no evidence that individuals can change their sexual orientation and to suggest otherwise can induce depression and suicidal thoughts.

There is also the problem of hypocrisy. Bachmann rallies against big government and social programs while her husband has collected $137,000 in Medicaid dollars utilizing a harmful therapy.

Bachmann has recently signed a controversial pledge that was put forth by the “The Family Leader,” an Iowa-based conservative group. One section of the vow that Bachmann signed promises to stand behind a “federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which protects the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.”

According to Matt Taibbi’s profile of Michele Bachmann in “Rolling Stone,” Bachmann and her husband have always focused on being “change agents” who would bring law in line with biblical morality. She won her first state senate race by challenging a moderate Republican over gay rights.  And apparently, she is going to continue with that route.

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The Republicans argument over the debt ceiling is becoming increasingly ridiculous. And apparently, asking for millionaires to share some of the sacrifice is pathetic, at least according to Sen. Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama.

The top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee called the idea “pathetic” after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) proposed a measure. The non-binding resolution states: “It is the sense of the Senate that any agreement to reduce the budget deficit should require that those earning $1,000,000 or more per year make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit reduction effort.”

Reid’s measure includes how the income gap continues to grow. He cited statistics that state the median income of S&P 500 companies chief financial officers jumped $2.9 million last year alone, even though the “median family income has declined by more than $2,500″ in the last 10 years. The resolution also notes that 20 percent all income goes to the top 1 percent, and 80 percent of the nation’s income growth over the last quarter century has also gone to the top 1 percent.

Sessions and his colleagues did not express any interest in the growing income disparity in the United States, stating only delays getting around to major cuts. “It’s a sense of the Senate,” Sessions scoffed. “We’re supposed to have legislation in place by Aug. 2 to deal with raising the debt limit — and that’s got to be real numbers and real figures.”

“So I guess we can say we’re beginning to talk about something with this rather pathetic response from the majority leader,” he said. “I’m not happy about that.”

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn) was also not impressed with the resolution, but suggested it was a sign Democrats were getting ready to listen to the GOP. “While today, obviously, we’re not going to have anything really serious to talk about — it’s just a sense of the Senate — my sense is that very quickly we’re going to have something before us that actually is real,” Corker said.

Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson commented on the GOP statements: “Apparently, nothing irritates Republicans more than the prospect that millionaires and billionaires might be asked to share in the burden of deficit reduction.”

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Florida governor Rick Scott quietly put his plans to drug test all state workers on hold. He sent a memo to agency heads on June 10 announcing the decision; however it was not made public. Last week, the ACLU of Florida posted the memo on its website.

Scott issued the executive order March 22, ordering that all state employees be drug tested at their expense. The ACLU of Florida responded immediately by filing a lawsuit alleging the order violated the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure provisions. The ACLU acted on behalf of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents some 50,000 state workers and 200,000 city and county workers in the Sunshine State.

Scott’s memo states that he is “confident that the drug testing called for in the order is consistent with the Constitution,” but acknowledges that “while the case is pending, it not does not make sense to move forward with the logistical issues involved in instituting the new policy.”

ACLU was pleased with the news. “This is nothing less than a massive and embarrassing retreat on the part of Governor Scott,” said Florida ACLU director Howard Simon. “Despite his continuing rhetoric, he must now realize that Floridians won’t simply roll over but will stand up and defend our constitutional rights.”

Governor Scott now enjoys the title of being the most unpopular governor in the entire country with an approval rating at a staggering 29 percent. Only six months after he took the office of Governor in Florida, Rick Scott has fewer fans in the state than attend a Tampa Bay Rays game. The Quinnipiac University poll found that 54 percent of voters say the budget is “unfair” to someone like them, while 29 percent favor it.”The data on the perceived fairness of the governor’s budget is crucial. When voters by almost 2-1 say his approach is unfair to them, that’s a giant flashing political warning sign for Scott,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “When voters don’t think they are being treated fairly, they tend to react negatively.”

Voters are even more fed up with the economy, perhaps the biggest drag on Scott or any other political leader in the nation. In Florida, 61 percent say they’re dissatisfied in general.

When asked about his low poll numbers, Scott seemed unconcerned.  ”My job is to get our state back to work. My job is to make sure this is the state that’s most likely to succeed,” he said on the Sid Rosenberg Show on WQAM radio in South Florida.

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Barack Obama has been challenged this week. John Boehner, leader of the House of Representatives, wrote to the dear leader claiming that under the 1973 War Powers Act, his decision to authorize US military action in Libya without consulting congress was illegal under US law. The White House swiftly replied, stating that military action in Libya was not sufficiently serious that it necessitated congressional approval.

There is much to say merely on this footnote of the story. We might well debate the separation of powers, or the rights of the commander-in-chief, deep into the night. However, there is a much more important point to make, and one that Boehner’s challenge conveniently prompts. The war in Libya is undoubtedly illegal, regardless of US law.

Let’s begin with a little recent history. On March 18^th 2011, President Obama delivered a speech announcing a NATO military operation in Libya, and the imposition of a no-fly zone. The media was almost unilaterally supportive, as it has remained ever since. Later that same day, Mark Mardell (BBC North America correspondent) sycophantically praised this new “Obama doctrine”, which entailed “acting within limits, leading only as a first among equals”.

“Barack Obama has been morbidly belligerent from the very first day he took power.”

To argue that Mardell’s assessment proved to be mistaken would be to miss the point, because even the limited measures announced on March 18^th were transparently illegal (UN Security Council resolution 1973 authorized an internationally organized no-fly zone, not a NATO imposed one), and there was absolutely nothing ‘new’ about this facet of Obama foreign policy. Barack Obama has been morbidly belligerent from the very first day he took power. Within 12 hours of stepping into the elliptic office, he opted to order unmanned drone strikes in Pakistan – a precedent he has continued. George Bush authorized drone attacks in Pakistan a total of 45 times in his whole second term; just within Obama’s first year, he sent 53. The drone attacks themselves constitute a serious war crime, having killed at least 1,500 civilians and a mere handful of supposed ‘militants’. Obama has been carrying out an illegal bombing campaign in Yemen for the past two years, and still maintains the war in Afghanistan.

The White House response to Boehner openly claimed that the Libyan operation was not a war, but a mission to remove Muammar Gaddafi from power. Sickeningly, this script has become familiar to the point of tediousness. The US, UK or NATO announce ‘an intervention’, or a ‘humanitarian campaign’. The campaign, it is said, will be completely different from all previous wars. Strikes will be ‘targeted’, ‘collateral damage’ will be negligible, and of course just as the British government said in 1914, it will be so swift that it’ll all be over in a couple of months. Then the mission changes. A campaign that was authorized by UNSC resolution 1973 only to protect civilians in Benghazi by stopping Gaddafi’s airforce becomes a NATO “mission to remove Muammar Gaddafi from power”. According to any interpretation of Just War theory, this alone flagrantly disregards international law. Furthermore, the repeated air strikes on Gaddafi’s compound (and home) have made it absolutely clear that NATO are attempting to kill him. Whatever one thinks of the ‘intervention’ in Libya, we must accept that it is yet another illegal war.

Where does it go from here? On June 15^th UK armed forces chief General Sir David Richards spoke to relieve fears that Britain would be unable to maintain its part in the war: “We can sustain this operation as long as we choose to” he confirmed, “I am absolutely clear on that”. His statement will no doubt come as a salve to British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has stated that the UK is in Libya “for the long haul”.

This is revealing in itself. Regardless of what happens, or of what the current Libyan leadership does, NATO has confirmed that it will be there “for the long haul”. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi announced on the 16^th of June that his father Muammar was willing to hold elections in Libya (monitored by the international community). NATO, I’m sure, will ignore this statement. The goal was never the promotion of democracy in Libya, or the protection of civilians, nor was it – I suspect – even “regime change”. The goal is simply ‘to be’ in Libya. Another oil rich Arab nation; another illegal war.

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Although not even running against each yet and certainly past high school, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are apparently feuding. Let the cat fighting sexist comments commence. The battle began when Bachmann’s campaign grabbed Ed Rollins to be manager of her increasingly likely presidential campaign.

Last Tuesday, Rollins disparaged Palin in a radio interview. “Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years,” Rollins said. “She got the vice presidential thing handed to her. She didn’t go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance. She gave up her governorship.” In an interview with Politico, Rollins made the point again. Bachmann will “be so much more substantive. People are going to say, ‘I gotta make a choice and go with the intelligent woman who’s every bit as attractive.’ ”

Not to be outdone, Michael Glassner, Palin’s chief of staff, responded on Wednesday with a statement of his own: “Beltway political strategist Ed Rollins has a long, long track record of taking high profile jobs and promptly sticking his foot in his mouth.”

Rollins admitted that he talks before he thinks sometimes. He told CNN on Wednesday that he needs to adjust from “being a political analyst back to being a strategist.”

“I don’t think Palin runs, and if she does, we will deal with it. There obviously is a trend in the media to link them,” he added. “In the long run we want Palin and her people as our allies.”

Of course, let’s get some things straight. When the fight started, neither of these potential Republican candidates have admitted that they are running for the presidential nomination. Rep. Bachmann, from Minnesota, may be closer than Palin and insiders suggest that she will formally announce her campaign in Iowa, where she spent some time as a child, later this month or sooner as it turned out.  Palin is still leaving everyone guessing, taking a secret bus tour of the United States to visit historical spots but continuing her position as a paid commentator on Fox News.  So, maybe that is why Rollins believes she hasn’t been serious.  She hasn’t even seriously declared her candidacy.  But, either way, the little fighting is fun to watch. It will be an entertaining election season if nothing else.

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Sarah Palin just cannot give the media any indication of what the future holds for the former Alaska governor.  Just when it seemed she was not going to run for president, she embarks on a strange journey across the country in what some may seem is a presidential tour.  Her “One Nation” bus tour is leading her through historical sites in the United States.

During this strange tour, Palin appeared at the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally on last week in a chaotic event that generated little press.  Even odder is Palin’s sudden interest in the “lamestream” media where she has been, gasp, friendly to other news outlet.  No itinerary of her tour was provided to the media, but convenient “leaks” have reached the media in time for Palin to be bombarded at most stops.  Is an announcement imminent?  She has taken questions from the media 17 different times over the course of four days. While Romney was announcing his candidacy in New Hampshire, Palin also stopped off in the state.  She attended a clambake along the coast in Seabrook and chatted with reporters from outlets such as CNN, NBC, CBS, Time, and Bloomberg.

Palin’s tour began last Sunday in Washington D.C., making stops at various locations including Philadelphia and New York City. The tour has been marked by speculation that she is contemplating a presidential run but she has said that her decision on whether or not to run is “still weeks away.”

She feels she can influence the race whether she runs or not though.”I know that you can make a difference as an individual. I think I’ve proven that and I hope I can inspire others to know you don’t need a title, you don’t need to be in office to affect positive change,” Palin said on Fox News, where she remains a paid contributor.  “So whether I’m a candidate at some point or just a supporter of the right candidate, I look forward to seeing what these coming days, weeks, months bring.”

Asked about the reason for launching the tour, Palin said it was to celebrate American history.”The whole purpose of this tour is to showcase America’s foundation, to talk about our constitution, to hand-out copies of our constitution, as we go along looking at the historical sites on this East coast, it is so beautiful so rich in history,” she said.  “It’s so important that we be in touch with our nation’s history, with our past so that we can learn from it and so that we can move forward in these very heavy days in front of us successfully. We can only do that by learning more about our past.”

But, history is not Palin’s strong suit.  One of the stops on the “One Nation” tour was at the house of Paul Revere.  Revere is most famous for his late night and dawn ride on horseback, the “Midnight Run of Paul Revere,” in which he famously warned people in towns north of Boston of advancing British troops. Palin tried to pay tribute to the hero but she got her American history a little wrong. Describing Paul Revere’s midnight ride, she said:

“He who warned the British that they weren’t gonna be taking away our arms by ringing those bells and making sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells.”

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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The underwhelming field of the GOP possible presidential candidate keeps getting, well, more underwhelming.  Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s pizza, announced his presidential bid last week. On Monday, Cain told Hotline on Call that “compromise is killing the country.”

Cain, long suspected to launch a presidential campaign, made the bid official over the weekend in Atlanta.  “The past several months I have been able to meet with people across this country,” says Cain in a message posted on his website. “One thing is clear: America craves for real solutions to the problems we face. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.”

Cain has some very conservative views.  He believes in a strong national defense, opposes abortion, and backs a national sales tax over the income tax. Cain has said that President Barack Obama “threw Israel under the bus” because Obama suggested that Israel return to pre-1967 borders.

Cain, always outspoken in his opinions, was no different to Hotline.  “Compromise is killing this country,” he told Hotline on Call. “Compromise is killing this economy.”

Cain suggested that the way to achieve legislative success is not by meeting in the middle, but rather by taking “solutions to the people so they can put the pressure on their members of Congress.”

During this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, Cain stated that “stupid people are ruining America.”

“It’s sad,” he said at the event. “The objective of the liberals is to destroy this country. The objective of the liberals is to make America mediocre.”

Cain made headlines at the first GOP presidential primary debate earlier this month.  Although Cain is not leading the wide open field for the Republican, the race is still anyone’s game.  Cain won a straw poll conducted at a national Tea Party summit held in Arizona back in February.

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Another Republican candidate has officially stepped into the ring.  Former Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty is expected to announce his candidacy on Monday in Iowa according to the Associated Press.  The announcement or the location of the announcement should come as no surprise to anyone.  The first state of the primary season, Iowa is a crucial win for Republican candidates.

Advisers admit that Pawlenty must win or at least have a strong showing in Iowa to have any chance at becoming the Republican candidate that will challenge President Barack Obama next November.  After the announcement on Monday, Pawlenty is expected to head to Florida, New Hampshire, New York and Washington, D.C.

Pawlenty has been long expected to enter the race.  He has been working in some form on his campaign since he was passed over for the 2008 vice presidential nominee by John McCain.  Pawlenty has been attempting to increase his national profile, hired a staff, traveled the country, and started to fundraise.  He resigned as governor in January and set up an exploratory committee in March.

Pawlenty has struggled to attract much attention or increase his standings in the polls.  Republican voters seem to gravitate toward big names such as Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee, who both since have stated they will not run.

Even though the Republican field is still wide open, Pawlenty may have some difficulty.   He is super boring and nearly unrecognizable to casual voters.  He will be running against some much more well known candidates such as Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.  And that is against the known candidates.  Include Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann and Pawlenty is even in more trouble.  Pawlenty may be wasting his money for this bid.  Or maybe he is secretly hoping for a vice president nomination.  Either way, he doesn’t have a chance.

Not everyone is counting out Pawlenty though.  He does have a fan base, especially in his home state of Minnesota.

“He is doing the soft sell and the soft sell works in the long run,” said Andy Brehm, a Republican strategist in Minnesota. “This is an entirely self-made guy. I don’t think you could ask for a better spokesman for the free market ideas. He’s worked himself up really from nothing.”

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The GOP playing field is wide open.  There is plenty of speculation and many Republicans have provided hints or expressed the possibility of running against Barack Obama in 2012, but no one has officially made any type of announcement yet.  In Part I, we discussed possible candidates, Palin, Bachmann, Gingrich, and Huckabee.  Here are some more of the potential candidates.

The beltway press has speculated that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour would run for president days after Obama was sworn in.  And Barbour has never denied his ambitions.  In March, Barbour’s political action committee made an important hire– former RNC communications director Jim Dyke.  Dyke will serve in an adviser role on communications for the PAC and many experts believe this hire is a clear intention of Barbour’s ambition.  Barbour has also long told reporters to judge his political ambitions by his weight.  Unsure of exactly what that means, it is interesting to note that Barbour appears to be losing weight.  Good or bad, I am not sure.  Barbour has made some controversial remarks about growing up during the civil rights era, which he described as “not that bad.”  Although most minorities don’t vote for Republicans, his comments still could pose a problem.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has also been flirting with the idea of a potential presidential run.  Daniels has stated he is considering a bid for the GOP presidential nomination and will announce his decision before the end of April unless he has to call the Indiana General Assembly back for a special session.  A poll of “political insiders” has suggested that Daniels is the frontrunner.  Maybe the insiders think he is awesome, but many people in his own state want him out.  Thousands of workers have gathered at the Indiana capital to protest Indiana’s version of a union busting bill, chanting catchy slogans like “Ditch Mitch.”  Does anyone really believe this man has a shot at the White House?

Finally, we have Jon Huntsman—the man you have likely never heard of.  Huntsman, a former Utah governor and current U.S. ambassador to China, is leaving his ambassador role on April 30^th.  Huntsman has hinted about a possible presidential bid earlier in the year and many feel he could be a strong challenger to Obama if he got past the primaries.  Of course, Huntsman would have a huge uphill climb if he were to mount a presidential bid.  He served under the enemy—the Obama administration.  President Obama has also sung Huntsman’s praises, which would not look good to the hard core right.  And Obama knows that.  “I’m sure that him having worked so well with me will be a great asset in any Republican primary,” Obama joked in January during a joint news conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

We still have more.  Check out the next part in our series for even more possible Republican challengers.

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The standoff in Wisconsin continues.  Into the third week, the Democrat state senators are still outside of Wisconsin. Protesters are still in front of the capital.  And Governor Scott Walker still insists he is right.  Even though the Republicans’ widely unpopular idea of limiting collective bargaining rights has, shockingly, become even more unpopular—there is no signs of backing down from the state lawmakers.

However, Walker is getting some support from other Republicans.  In a press conference on Tuesday, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) not only defended Walker, he used some pretty strong words to make his defense.

“It’s not just Wisconsin. It’s Ohio. It’s Indiana. You’re going to see these types of actions taken in a lot of states because the states are broke and over the last couple of years the Obama administration, the Democrat controlled Congress bailed out the states where they could avoid making the tough decisions. Well, there are no more bailouts coming from Washington. We’re broke. We’re broke! We don’t have money to dish out to the states so all these Governors are trying to find ways to balance their budgets, which they’re required to do. In some of these states you’ve got collective bargaining laws that are so weighted in favor of the public employees that there’s almost no bargaining. We’ve given them a machine gun and put it right at the heads of the local officials and they really have their hands tied. And I think what you’re seeing in these states is they’re trying to bring some balance to these negotiations that when you look at the pay of public employees today and you look at their retirement benefits they are way out of line with many other working Americans.”

Really?  Only six months after the shooting that left six people dead in Tucson, Arizona and critically injured U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Boehner is going to use that analogy. Boehner’s spokesman insists that the speaker’s violent comparison was just part of the political language.   “It’s a common metaphor, similar to when Sen. [Chuck] Schumer refers to a ‘dagger’ or when Sen. [Dick] Durbin said last week that ending the Washington spending binge would be ‘job-killing,’” said Michael Steel.

Maybe that is true.  But, it seemed particularly violent and specific.  And I don’t understand why any politician with any sense would back the lunatic Scott Walker and his really failing attempt at union busting.  No matter what poll you look at, a large majority of Americans support unions and are against what Walker is trying to do.

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Without the boisterous protests of Wisconsin, legislation in Ohio that would severely curb collective bargaining is speeding toward passage.  The Ohio bill narrowly passed in the state senate on Wednesday by a margin of 17-16.  Although protests have been held daily at Ohio’s capital for the past two weeks, the numbers have been nowhere near as large as the numbers in Wisconsin.

Ohio’s bill could go to House committee hearings as early as next week. The measure is likely to receive strong support from the full chamber and Republican Gov. John Kasich.  The legislation is even more damaging to unions than the proposed measure in Wisconsin.  It would restrict the bargaining rights of roughly 350,000 teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees. They would no longer be able to negotiate health care benefits or certain working conditions, and they would be barred from striking.  The bill would also eliminate all paid sick days for teachers.  Whereas in Wisconsin the limits on collective bargaining would not apply to firefighters and police officers, in Ohio—there is no exemptions.  The attack on the middle class is not hidden anymore, but plainly obvious.

Protesters and union members were surprised at the speed in which the bill was pushed through in Ohio.  Democrats are far outnumbered in the state and were helpless to try to stop the bill.  “For as far-reaching this thing is and how many lives it will affect, I can’t believe how fast it moved,” said Columbus Police Sgt. Shaun Laird.

Like in Wisconsin, the government claims that they need to limit collective bargaining to fix a budget shortfall.  What is not well-reported is that Ohio has done all sorts of idiotic things that do the opposite of saving money.  For starters, they eliminated corporate income tax a couple of years ago.  Hey, that might have something to do with your budget shortfall, dudes.  Now, the state, under Kasich, is trying to repeal the estate tax.  Another money saving idea.  These people are brilliant.  Kasich, a multi-millionaire who raised money on Fox News where he used to work, also has rejected a $400 million federal grant to upgrade the state’s passenger rail system, which would have created at least a thousand direct jobs and thousands more indirectly, along with a jump in state tax revenue.  Kasich meanwhile gave a huge raise to his chief of staff paying him $40,000 more than the chief of staff of his predecessor.  He has hired at least four commissioners to sit on a “job creation” panel with annual salaries of roughly $150,000 each.   The commission has been structured to operate without formal accountability to the legislature or taxpayers of the state. After he was elected governor, Kasich refused to live in the governor’s house in Bexley and instead maintained residence in Westerville. This cost taxpayers a few million dollars in security overhauls for his own personal house, plus transportation costs.  He also rented the 30th floor of the Riffe Center for his primary office, not in the Statehouse, which would be free.

And, yes, this complete idiot and his cronies in the state GOP have the nerve to ask firefighters, teachers, and police officers to sacrifice.  They do not know the first thing about sacrifice.  I, along with many others in America, can talk about difficult choices, crushing debt, and overdue bills.  Kasich obviously has no clue what that is like.  It would seem to be that either Republicans are brain dead morons – a distinct possibility – or Kasich is hiding these public numbers pretty good.  Unless you are in the top .1 percent of earners in Ohio, I haven’t got a clue why this attack on the middle class is justifiable.  It is time for a recall.  No one should get away with this complete abuse of power in the name of austerity.

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