Buzzfeed is reporting that failed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will use his speech at CPAC today, to apologize to the conservative movement. He just wants to say, he’s sorry.
Friends and former advisers of the failed Republican presidential candidate told BuzzFeed that Romney has come to CPAC as a good-faith effort to renew some measure of goodwill between himself and the conservative movement — many of whom blame him for their party’s current stagnant state.
“I don’t think the governor is concerned about creating a faction in the party; some sort of Romney bloc,” said Robert O’Brien, a longtime friend and adviser who stays in touch with the ex-candidate. “He really doesn’t have a personal political agenda, and he’s not trying to raise his profile.”
While many CPAC speakers — Sarah Palin, Herman Cain — come to the conference in pursuit of political celebrity, Romney’s friends say he has no such ambitions.
“I think he’s going to speak out on issues that are important to him because he cares about this country, as opposed to trying to advance some type of platform in the party,” O’Brien said, adding, “Frankly, I think he enjoys business more than politics.”
One source said Romney hadn’t even considered speaking at CPAC until organizers approached him personally. He accepted, sources said, to thank the conservative conference-goers who were present at every turn of his five-year bid for the presidency, and in hopes of warming the frigid relationship he has with the party’s base.
A person familiar with the speech said his remarks will be more personal in nature, invoking humor and some light self-deprecation, which the governor’s most loyal fans hope will endear him to conservatives.
We’ve seen this story played out many times in the past. If a Republican is not directly affected by something, then they are going to be against it. That was Ohio’s Senator Rob Portman’s position on gay marriage until the gayness came knocking on his door.
Portman’s change of heart came in February 2011 when he found out that his own 21 year old son was gay. “That isn’t how I’ve always felt,” Portman said, acknowledging that he was once against the very idea that two people in love should get married. He revealed to CNN. ““I’ve come to the conclusion that for me, personally, I think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, and to have the joy and stability of marriage that I’ve had for over 26 years. That I want all of my children to have, including our son, who is gay.”
And in an op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch, Portman wrote, “I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married. As a Congressman, and more recently as a Senator, I opposed marriage for same-sex couples. Then something happened that led me to think through my position in a much deeper way.”
So why is Portman coming out now in support of gay marriage? He is directly affected. Portman explains;
“Now it’s different, you know. I hadn’t expected to be in this position. But I do think, you know, having spent a lot of time thinking about it and working through this issue personally that, you know, this is where I am, for reasons that are consistent with my political philosophy, including family values, including being a conservative who believes the family is a building block of society, so I’m comfortable there now.”
John Fugelsang said it best today on the Stephanie Miller Show, when he said that we can’t wait for Portman’s son to come out as the middle class. Maybe then, Portman will be inclined to do more for the jobless and suffering in this country.
Portman was on the short list to be Mitt Romney’s vice presidential candidate. He admitted to telling Romney that he had a gay son. Romney eventually chose Paul Ryan as his VP.
So what’s the latest gossip on Capital Hill on the 2016 elections? Why, Hillary Clinton & Michelle Obama of course! Some democrats are already getting all worked up over the possibility of this political powerhouse of a match-up for the 2016 Presidential ticket. It IS an exciting prospect…
The assault weapons ban was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but is expected to die on the Senate floor because of Republican opposition.
WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee passed an assault weapons ban in a party line vote after an at times angry hearing in which Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., invoked her own experience with gun violence and lectured committee Republicans on the Constitution.
“I saw people shot” said Feinstein who was feet away from the famous 1978 assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and fellow Board of Supervisors member Harvey Milk by another board member. Feinstein rarely speaks of the event, which made her the city’s mayor.
“I cannot get out of my mind walking into a crime scene and seeing brain matter all over,” she said.
The 10-8 vote came on the four month anniversary of the massacre in Newtown.
It may mark the high water mark for the proposal to ban hundreds of semi-automatic weapons opponents argue are meant for military use, not self-defense or recreation.
Committee Republicans unanimously opposed the proposal, and opposition from their party, along with that of some Democrats, is expected to sink the bill in the full Senate.
Last time we checked, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7%, the lowest jobless rate since December of 2008. And now, first time jobless claims are also falling.
First-time jobless claims fell by 10,000 to 332,000 in the week ended March 9, the fewest since mid January, according to data today from the Labor Department in Washington. The median forecast of 49 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an increase to 350,000. The four-week average declined to a five- year low.
Managers are maintaining staffing levels as consumers sustain spending even after a two percentage-point increase in the payroll tax at the start of the year reduced paychecks. Nonetheless, there remains a risk that the recent pickup in employment will be cut short as federal budget cutbacks prompt companies and government agencies to trim payrolls.
“The rate of job destruction is pretty low,” said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates in St. Petersburg, Florida, who projected the number of claims would drop to 338,000. “The labor market is in continued-recovery mode, though there is still a lot of ground to make up.”
The economy is improving, in spite of all the road blocks Washington politicians are putting up.
If Mitt Romney had only kept his big mouth shut, then none of this would have happened. He thought he was in his comfort zone among his millionaire friends, and he felt safe. And that was fine. Scott Prouty, the man who taped Romney’s infamous 47% statement, did not intend to make news when he took his camera and began recording the Republican president nominee. No, Scott just wanted to take a picture with Romney after the event was over.
But some things Romney said to his millionaire friends rubbed Scott the wrong way. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with the recording. He went back and forth in his mind for a couple of weeks trying to figure out his next move.
Romney’s words however, kept ringing in his head. That 47% claim and Romney’s story about travelling to China to buy a factory that employed what we would call, slave labor. Prouty explained these two factors helped him make the decision to share his video.
“I knew where he came from” Prouty said, when asked about his initial feeling to Romney’s 47% comment. “The day-in day-out struggles of everyday Americans, that guy [Romney] has no idea and I don’t think he’ll ever have an idea.”
Prouty explained how he lost sleep for two weeks before deciding that he needed to release the tape so that “as many people hear [Romney’s] words.” He explained how he contacted James Carter through YouTube and Twitter, because of some research that Carter had done for a David Corn story on Mother Jones.
“I wanted the conversation,” Prouty said, explaining that fame was not his intention. “I wanted Mitt Romney’s words to be the absolute center of attention.” David Corn of Mother Jones put out a partial recording showing the 47% comment and the rest of the media picked up on it.
Romney opened his mouth again. Back in September Romney was forced to respond to a reporter’s question about his 47% claim. Romney called the piece a “snippet” suggesting that if the full content of the tape was heard, then his statement would make more sense to the rest of America. Prouty said that hearing Romney’s lame excuse prompted him to release the rest of the tape in its entirety to Mother Jones. “He asked for the full content” Prouty said, “so we I told David Corn to release the tape.”
Prouty, who is an Independent, said he voted for President Obama in the November election and is “proud to call him my president.” And hearing President Obama referenced the 47% in the second Presidential debate was the pinnacle.
“It was the last line of the debate and I think I was sitting at the edge of my couch waiting. I watched the first debate and there was no mention of it. There was certainly a cheer erupted in the room at the time. I was thrilled that he hit him with it when he did. It was well done.”
Then yet again, Romney opened his mouth earlier this month in an interview with Fox News and continued blaming President Obama. That was the moment that Scott Prouty decided to come forward and tell his story. Asked why come forward now, Prouty answered that Romney still doesn’t get it. And in his response, Prouty offered some advise for the Republican Presidential loser;
I think the guy needs to respect the will of the voters. The election wasn’t even that close. I think he needs to take personal responsibility for his campaign, take personal responsibility for the words he said. And move forward. A good start would be to go back to some of those towns that Bain Capitol shipped jobs, you know, closed down plants. If he went back to Freeport Illinois, maybe start a business. Hire some people. Create a product. Build something in America. Do something other than vulture capitalism. Do something for America other than making another million dollars for himself. I would have a lot of respect for him if he went forward that way.
So, the Emperor Michael Bloomberg….Ahem, Excuse me, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has developed a habit of wanting to ban…well, most anything his arrogance can come up with it. He recently sent New Yorkers in a tizzy when he wanted to crack down on those over-sized 32 oz drinks. Maybe he felt they were in direct competition of his over-sized ego?
One will never know.
He has vehemently expressed that banning these 32 oz drinks will help fight obesity. Oh, really? How exactly does this help fight obesity considering the fact I can just run to my local grocery store and buy a 2 liter in a rebellious state of mind?? Or did he miss the part where many fast food places and restaurants provide free unlimited refills on beverages so that you can drink yourself into a sugary stupor??
If you were truly interested in fighting obesity, how about developing some real plans that could actually work.
For example, our youth is the largest it’s ever been due to the ever increasingly dependence upon video games to fulfill their recreational needs. So, why not try implementing mandatory recess time and Physical Education class in order to help keep our kids active and start a mental trend towards a healthier state of mind and body?
Did you know that too many of New York’s public schools have NO recess or as little as 10 minutes time to run around, play, and burn away some calories? Or that qualified Phys. Ed. teachers are being pulled out of the gym to go teach Social Studies?? Yes, this is really happening in the NY public school system.
Or maybe we can spend some of our taxes on creating more accessible recreational centers that offer plentiful exercise equipment at affordable prices. New York has some, but not quite enough.
Fortunately, someone has finally put Bloomberg at a halt. A New York judge has seen right through this Big Gulp facade and has labeled Bloomberg’s banning desire as arbitrary and capricious and put an end to this silly 32 oz drink ban.
But don’t worry folks, Emperor Bloomberg is going to appeal this judgement and waste more time and money on this frivolous matter instead of dealing with bigger issues that comes with running a major metropolitan city. You know, small things like: crime, economy, hunger and homelessness, and the ever crippling real estate issue.
Bloomberg went so far as to say,
“Anytime you adopt a groundbreaking policy, special interests will sue. That’s America.”
Only in Bloomberg’s world is banning a 32 oz drink a groundbreaking policy.
I just hope the rest of America is paying attention to what’s going on in New York because if the mayor decides to run for Presidency in 2016, we should all be worried at the great lengths and tax payers’ dollars he will spend just to get his way.
For us New Yorkers, we have quickly learned that the tale is indeed true —
As the enlivening energy of the Spring Season approaches, we as well as our loved ones and….. not so loved ones will be under the subtle influences of the season’s energetic and enlivening urgings. The Wall Streeters will be affected as will the Occupiers.The Tea Partiers and Gun Enthusiasts as well as the Progressives and Freedom Fighters, everyone in the mental and spiritual wilderness of North America will be under the effects of our nearest Star.
The return to strength of the life affirming effects of our Sun will bless the Oligarchs and the Neo-Cons, the Liberals and the Plutocrats, the Fox Newsers and the MSNBC heads alike, including those of us like Yours truly who appreciates the fact that the left wing and the right wing are simply extensions of the same dirty, dirty bird.
All will be touched by the same planetary rhythm shift.
As the Sun of the Solar system shares light, so shall the ‘Son of Man’. The earths elements, minerals, water and atmospheric ingredients are ours, literally. The physical composition of the planet upon which we reside is our material composition. She is our mother. Physically speaking she is the macrocosm to our microcosm.
As our planet makes her way around the Sun, the 23 degree tilt of the earths axis allows us to experience varying degrees of warmth and cold throughout our calendar year which are our seasons. So there is a time to plant, a time to pick what we’ve planted, a time to sew and a time to reap what you have sown…. these are immutable laws easily observable in the cycles of time.
To make it plain, what goes around comes around.
Once again it’s the time of year for the abundance of life that the spring season brings, as our planet awakens from the hibernation of Winter and life bursts from the earth, so does a new energy and life burst forth from us.
The jewel in this for She/He that cares to observe, is this… The new energy found in the new season is youthful, it is impulsive and childlike. If the more experienced and centered life and energy does not stabilize and guide the youthful, inexperienced new life, then the new energy can lead us to trouble.
‘The ‘Son of Man’ reminds us to seek peace in stillness until the new level of energy is incorporated into our conscious awareness. A new season is also dawning in a bigger arena… the the human consciousness. The thirst for justice and equality is beginning to make its presence felt in the hearts and minds of the people of the world. There are signs all over the world that the human psyche has had its fill of the cold, one sided and unjust rule of the uber-wealthy with all her tricks and lies.
A new energy is engulfing the earth. So to the youth who will inevitably lead the way into a new day, let the lessons of Spring time be learned and be incorporated in your battle plans. You are facing an old, experienced, cunning and wise beast. The new energy of a new day MUST be expressed with consciousness. To She/He who has an ear, let them hear.
More good news for the economy. Reuters is reporting that retail sales rose solidly in February as Americans bought automobiles and other goods even as they paid more for gasoline, suggesting consumer spending this quarter will hold up despite higher taxes.
The Commerce Department said on Wednesday retail sales increased 1.1 percent, the largest rise since September, after a revised 0.2 percent gain in January.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected retail sales to rise 0.5 percent last month after a previously reported 0.1 percent gain in January.
So-called core sales, which strip out automobiles, gasoline and building materials and correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product, rose 0.4 percent after advancing 0.3 percent in January.
U.S. stock index futures erased earlier losses, while prices for Treasury debt fell. The dollar rose against the yen and extended gains versus the euro.
The retail sales data was the latest to suggest momentum in the economy as fiscal policy tightened, marked by the end of a 2 percent payroll tax cut and an increase in tax rates for wealthy Americans on January 1.
Did you miss the big news today? Well fear not, for I am here to bring it to you!
Paul Ryan went on television today to explain his brand new, same old budget. But something happened while he was, once again, promising to repeal ObamaCare. The truth about his budget and what he and his Republican friends are trying to do, slipped out. And Americans heard first hand that Paul Ryan and the Republican party want to “destroy” the healthcare system for the American people.
This actually happened today and these are actually Paul Ryan’s words.
With a plate full of crises already looming in President Obama’s second term – North Korea’s nuclear threats, the Drone Program, domestic gun control and continued GOP obstructions on every front – the latest battle is an oldie and not a goodie. It appears Obamacare has resurfaced with a great wave of ‘pomp and circumstance’.
Over this past weekend, many Republicans have begun their 35th war on ObamaCare, threatening to destroy the very fabric of its existence in the name of Debt Reduction. Now, the wiz kid of the previous election, Vice Presidential Candidate Rep. Paul Ryan has devised a plan (Again) to eliminate ObamaCare and reduce the debt in the same swing. After the fiscal cliff fiasco, Ryan said, “We’re not going to re-fight the past because we know that’s behind us,” but he doesn’t apply that logic to ObamaCare, which he and his fellow Republicans do want to relitigate… again!
Fighting to repeal ObamaCare was “never a doubt” in Republican minds, he said Tuesday.
This is completely ironic, mind you, because if you recall, Obamacare was patterned after the Mitt Romney health care plan he formulated in Massachusetts while he was governor. Also, if you recall, then Vice Presidential candidate Ryan, also formed his own plan. (Do you follow me?) When asked by a reporter what he thought of the Paul’s plan, Romney said, “I’m the one running for president. We’ll go by my plan.”
It appears that Rep. Ryan has no one holding him back now, so here is the brand new same old same old Paul Ryan Plan… again, Part 2.
It’s a 10-year fiscal plan that takes aim at repealing ObamaCare’s 2010 health care overhaul in which Paul projects savings of $4.63 trillion over 10 years, yielding a surplus of $7 billion by fiscal 2023. “Our opponents will shout austerity, but let’s put this in perspective,” Ryan wrote in an op-ed posted to The Wall Street Journal’s website Monday night. “On our current path, we’ll spend $46 trillion over the next 10 years. Under our proposal, we’ll spend $41 trillion. On the current path, spending will increase by 5 percent each year. Under our proposal, it will increase by 3.4 percent.”
But who benefits from this plan and who will be hurt by it?
As always, tax cuts for the wealthiest and the poor will see programs slashed, if not cut completely. The budget would take its heaviest toll on entitlements that support the poor, including Medicaid and food stamps, while holding Social Security harmless. Why the poor and middle class are always targeted by Republican programs has been a mystery to millions of Americans especially when the wealthy seem to not be phased by any loophole they can squirm through.
Do they understand that taking away any program from those that are in need only demoralizes that individual, that family, that community? And does the super rich Congressional Republicans really believe that Americans truly want to live on Food Stamps and Unemployment Benefits? Or have a Medicare program that doesn’t work for them?
Here’s the final analysis Rep. Ryan. During the 2012 election, America did not support your “plan” of action. They came out in record numbers and voted for the President’s approach in November. As a matter of fact, a new McClatchy-Marist poll of registered voters shows that, generally, voters, by 53 to 37 percent, prefer to reduce the deficits by mostly cutting government programs and services rather than mostly by raising taxes..
The White House chimed in on the Ryan plan stating,
“By choosing not to ask for a single dime of deficit reduction from closing tax loopholes for the wealthy and well-connected, this budget identifies deep cuts to investments like education and research – investments critical to creating jobs and growing the middle class. And to save money, this budget would turn Medicare into a voucher program–undercutting the guaranteed benefits that seniors have earned and forcing them to pay thousands more out of their own pockets. We’ve tried this top-down approach before. The President still believes it is the wrong course for America.”
It’s an attempt to make himself and his party look ‘busy,’ the same old, tired attack on Obamacare – a healthcare program that at last count, had the support of 9-GOP Governors over the past 3 weeks. Rep. Ryan and a group within the rank and file Republicans have decided to give it another go. But all of this is just another attempt to tarnish the legacy of President Obama.
Congressional Republicans have not backed the President’s plans or his direction for this country unless they felt cornered. And this is just an addendum or a harbinger of the Republicans wish for the future. Posturing for the 2014 elections? Digging in for the 2016 White House? Yes and Yes. But make no mistake about it, with Americans polling in high numbers that the wealthiest should take on more of the tax burden than the poor, Rep. Ryan and his GOP surrogates have an uphill fight or if you prefer, going up stream, up a creek without a paddle.
Still Out of Touch with America. The good thing is, the longer they stay out of touch with America, the longer they’ll stay Out of the White House. In that case, Stay the Course.
It won’t be enough for a candidate merely to keep his or her distance from [George] W. John McCain and Mitt Romney tried that, and they failed.
“I don’t think there’s any Bush baggage at all,” the former Florida governor said onFox News Sunday. “I love my brother. I’m proud of his accomplishments.” On Meet the Press, he added that “history will be kind to George W. Bush.”
Unfortunately for Jeb, history is written by historians. Three times since 2009, pollsters have asked them to rank American presidents, and in those rankings, W. has come in 36th, 39th, and 31st. Only Millard Fillmore, Warren Harding, William Henry Harrison, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, and James Buchanan rank lower. Ordinary Americans agree. Three times since George W. Bush left office, pollsters have asked the public to rank recent presidents. And three times, W. has ended up second to last, ahead of only Richard Nixon.
Speaking for the majority of Americans in this country, and in agreement with those who took that poll, I think it is safe to say that we’ve had it up to here with the Bushes. We have successfully navigated ourselves out of the Bushes and we don’t plan on going back. The goal is moving forward, not back to the future.
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