Washington, U.S.A. — Democrat Tim Kaine asked his Republican opponent to join him in taking a “balanced” approach to avoiding the looming sequestration cuts. Unfortunately Tim Kaine seems to suffer amnesia on his attempt to implement the same kind of “balanced” approach while he served as Virginia’s Governor. Such an approach included billions of dollars in new and higher taxes.

Kaine called on George Allen to “set aside his Pledge,” and work for a “responsible path forward.”  Translated, what Tim Kaine means is that he’s asking Allen to break his written commitment to Virginia taxpayers and join with him in an approach that raises taxes.

When George Allen signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, he made a promise to Virginia taxpayers to get serious about reining in Washington’s out of control spending. He promised to do this by focusing on spending cuts instead of tax hikes. If Tim Kaine read the Pledge, he would know that.

Unfortunately, Virginians know too-well the dangers of sharing the same tax policy as Tim Kaine. As Governor, he proposed around $4 billion in new or higher taxes. Fortunately for Virginians, Pledge-signers and conservatives in the Virginia state legislature prevented such tax hikes from being enacted.

“As Governor, Tim Kaine proposed billions of dollars in higher taxes. He left Virginia nearly 2 billion dollars in debt. He is now asking for Virginians to forget about his fiscal irresponsibility as Governor and put him in the U.S. Senate to enact what he calls ‘responsible’ policies,” said Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform. “When Tim Kaine suggests that George Allen should set aside his Pledge, he’s really asking George Allen to disregard his conservative principles.”

The recent success of the Virginia economy is largely attributable to the success of conservative pro-growth policies that came out of Richmond once Tim Kaine left. If anyone needs to evolve on the tax policy front, it is certainly Tim Kaine. ”

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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, one of the rising stars of the Republican Party, has been selected as a speaker for the Republican National Convention. This will grant him the possibility to consolidate himself, along with Rick Santorum, as one of the nation’s conservative stars.

The Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who was the former Republican Chairman of Wisconsin, announced during an episode of the Fox News channel program “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren”  that Scott Walker would have a very “prominent role” during the Convention.

Walker is the son of pastor, and grew up in a small Wisconsin town. He attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, and while still in school he worked for IBM. He left school his senior year to work with the American Red Cross.

His political career started in 1993 when he was elected to the State Assembly. In 2002 he was elected for the Milwaukee County Executive, where he spent eight years. During this time he was able to reduce the county’s debt by 30 percent.  He also reduced the county’s workforce by more than 25 percent, and was the author of nine consecutive budgets without raising the property tax levy from the previous year. Milwaukee was one of the counties in the nation that recorded a budget surplus.

On January 3, 2011 Walker became Wisconsin’s 45th governor. During his time in office he has done reforms that have eliminated the state’s $3.6 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. Governor Walker also intends to create 250,000 jobs by 2015. His plan to reduce budget deficit also included drastic measures: like making state workers pay more for health insurance and making payment of union dues voluntary. Because of this Democrats and unions came together to gather nearly 1 million signatures to force a recall election.

But in June, Governor Walker survived the recall election, becoming the first governor in the U.S. history that has survived a recall attempt.With his crucial victory against Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Walker won the right to finish his term, and also proved he had the  support of the voters to fulfill his plan to curb state spending.

His victory on the recall election was easy, and the Republicans saw in him a great leader supported by many in his effort to rein in government spending, so he has been given a protagonist role in the convention.

Walker recently expressed his support and the importance of the Tampa Convention, he stated: “We have seen the power of bold ideas right here in Wisconsin. The American people are demanding bold reform and we need to put a leader in the White House who will fight to turn our country around. The Republican National Convention will be an important rallying point for our country and our party and I look forward to sharing our story of reform and officially nominating Mitt Romney as the next president of the United States.”

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Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has announced five additional speakers which will join the eleven that had already been announced, making the total sixteen. Other additional speakers will be announced in the next days.

The new five speakers that will address the Republican National Convention are:

Riece Priebus has expressed his satisfaction at the talent and leadership each of the speakers announced for the Convention have shown during his or her entire career. Priebus stated,“These five remarkable individuals will bring a diversity of experiences and perspectives to the convention stage in Tampa, where they will voice their support for Governor Mitt Romney. They have each served the public in their own impressive ways, and they all share a dedication to the Republican principles of individual opportunity, responsible government and personal liberty.”

Each of the new speakers has recently criticized President Obama. Pam Bondi chastised him, arguing that the “government take overs coming out of Washington have to stop,” she added that “as an attorney general, we are constantly fighting the federal government back from overreaching and over-regulating – from the EPA to health care.”

Ted Cruz said that with a new President in the White House, they could stop the unnecessary government spending and restore the United States’ Constitution. Luis Fortuño, on the other hand, flattered Mitt Romney for his business experience and said he is the one that could really save the U.S. economy.

Sam Olens stated that “the jobs-killing, unconstitutional policies coming out of Washington, D.C. must be undone.” Most of the speakers have criticized Obama for the way he has handled the economy during his presidency and for the high unemployment rate in the country.

Scott Walker stated that “the American people are demanding bold reform and we need to put a leader in the White House who will fight to turn our country around.” He said he is fully committed to Romney, and will help in everything he can to put him in the White House.

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The Republican National Committee Chairman, Reince Priebus, has described the members of the list of headliners that will address the Republican National Convention as “some of our party’s brightest stars, who have governed and led effectively and admirably in their respective roles. Ours will be a world class convention, worthy of the next president of the United States, and these speakers-and those that will be announced later-will help make it a truly memorable and momentous event.”

Republican National Convention Chief Executive Officer, William Harris, said that “these individuals exemplify the Republican Party’s commitment to economic growth and long-term job creation, and reflect our proud tradition of protecting America’s interests around the world.”

South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, is one of the chosen speakers; Haley is Indian-American and was the first woman in her state elected as Governor. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, explains that “minorities are overwhelmingly behind President Obama at this juncture, so the Republicans want to at least show that the party has minorities in high office.”

Nikki Haley’s is considered to be “one of the strongest fiscal conservatives in state government” and she  has always fought for a smaller and more efficient government. She  is also a fierce critic of the public sector, unnecessary spending and led South Carolina in the fight for accountability and transparency in the legislature she is now in charge of.

Scott Huffmon, a Winthrop University political scientist, says that Haley’s appearance in the Republican National Convention would definitely help her political career  “both nationally and at home.” Although Haley has said she is not interested in the Vice-president candidate post, Huffmon added that “she is a very good public speaker. It’s probably going to raise her recognition and favorability nationally.” The exact date that Haley will give her speech is still unknown.

Haley has already spoken about the importance of the November election, stating: “The future generations of our children and our grandchildren are at stake in this election. While Americans work to build their businesses and create jobs, leaders of the Democratic party have spent more than three years raising taxes, increasing spending and taking away our health care choices. The Republican National Convention will be a time for not just our party, but our country to come together and get behind Mitt Romney as the next president of the United States. I look forward to being a part of this historic event.”

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Tampa, U.S.A. – To welcome guests for the 2012 Republican National Convention (RNC), local artists will apply their own style and creativity, painting 50 identical life-sized dolphin sculptures that will be displayed at Pier 60 Park from August 6 to September 4.  Sponsored by the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, one of the 50 bottlenose dolphins will be painted by two young artists,Emily Harris, age 16, and Alyssa Neuman, age 18.

The art project is sponsored by the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce. The idea was rooted in the worldwide attention inspired by Winter, the dolphin, a local hero who starred in the Warner Brothers picture, ‘Dolphin Tale’.

“We are excited to be part of this project and I still can’t believe we were chosen to paint one of the dolphins,” said Emily Harris. “Our vision is to portray Winter, the dolphin as an artist with a knack for painting.” Complete with a palate, an artistic brush and a classic beret, Harris and Neuman have created a beautifully painted dolphin that captures the lasting memory of the Clearwater Dolphin pod for prosperity.

The young artists were invited to participate on behalf of the Sheraton Sand Key Resort and when the show ends, the dolphin will be relocated to the resort. “We’re in the hospitality business and we all know that our guests are excited to arrive at our beautiful beach. But to be greeted by 50 Dolphins, each with a special personality makes a statement that this beautiful area is all about fun!” says Russ Kimball, Manager of the resort.

While many of the dolphins will be painted by local professional artists, Sheraton Sand Key felt that sharing the experience with young people would set a positive tone consistent with the objectives of the Chamber of Commerce effort.

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Washington, U.S.A. – According to a survey by StrategyOne, U.S. adults disagree with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act. While opinion of the decision is generally polarized by party – 66% of Republicans disagree with the ruling; 71% of Democrats agree – Independents are more aligned with Republicans. Fully 46% of Independents disagree with the ruling, while only 35% agree. Intensity among Independents is also strongly against the ruling, with 35% saying they strongly disagree and just 12% strongly agreeing.

Steve Lombardo, global CEO of StrategyOne, believes negative reaction among Independents could assist Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney come Election Day. According to Lombardo, Independent opposition to the Supreme Court decision “suggests that the Roberts ruling has the potential to move swing voters and the GOP base toward Romney.”

Additionally, a majority (52%) of adults say they are more likely to vote in the presidential election as a result of the decision. The Supreme Court’s actions appear to have a greater impact on Romney supporters. Among those voting for Romney, 49% say they are much more likely to vote because of the SCOTUS ruling, compared to 38% of President Obama’s supporters. Those who disagree with the ruling are also more inclined to say the decision makes them much more likely to vote (43%) compared to those who agree with the ruling (35%).

Lombardo sees this enthusiasm gap between those opposing the ruling and those supporting it also benefiting the GOP in the election. “If the electorate looks more like 2010 than 2008, it will be a big boost for Romney,” added Lombardo.

According to the StrategyOne survey, U.S. adults overall are slightly more likely to agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act than disagree. Fully 48% of respondents agree with the decision, while 41% disagree.

Survey Methodology

StrategyOne conducted a nationwide telephone survey of 1,022 adults, 510 men and 512 women 18 years of age and older, living in the continental United States. All interviews were undertaken using computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technology. A total of 772 interviews were conducted among landline respondents, and 250 interviews were conducted among cell phone respondents. Results are weighted to represent the U.S. population using data from the Current Population Survey on age, gender, race, region, and education from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The overall margin of sampling error for the total N of 1,022 is +/- 3.5.

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Sacramento, U.S.A. — Tobacco interests spent a total of $4.7 million during the first year of the 2011-2012 election cycle to fight Proposition 29 and to influence legislators and policies in California, according to a recent report by the Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing of the American Lung Association in California.

“The numbers in this report are clear, Big Tobacco continues to use its vast financial resources to oppose bills and life-saving ballot initiatives that would benefit public health,” said Jane Warner, President and CEO of the American Lung Association in California. “This fact, though disturbing, further inspires the American Lung Association and millions of Californians to stop Big Tobacco in its tracks. We are committed to preventing children from ever picking up their first cigarette, helping smokers quit and fighting the lung diseases that so often result from smoking. We will not relent until smoking is eradicated in California.”

Tobacco Money in California Politics shows that tobacco interests contributed almost $3.6 million to candidates and members of the California legislature, constitutional officers, and political committees thus far in 2011-2012. Further, the industry and its partners spent $1.1 million on lobbying during this period. This amount includes only the beginnings of the investment Big Tobacco made to defeat Proposition 29 which would have prevented the deaths of more than 100,000 Californians from smoking related illnesses had it passed.

Tobacco Money in California Politics contains full details on which bills were lobbied by tobacco interests, and lists legislators and political committees who accepted contributions from the industry. Highlights include:

• The amount spent this year is more than double the amount spent during the first year of the 2009-2010 election cycle.
• Of the 120 state legislators, tobacco interests made campaign contributions to 55 members, or 45% of the legislature, higher than in previous years.
• More than 70% of the total contributions made during the 2011-2012 election cycle were to political committees who oppose Proposition 29, which was narrowly defeated in the polls on June 5 th.

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