Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

For Heritage, a new cup of tea?
Tea Party group sponsors NASCAR ‘We the People’ truck through 2012
West forms federal ‘Guardian Leadership PAC’
Levin takes on Ron Paul supporters: ‘I promise you his followers are the biggest a-holes of them all’
Budget Talks Sour, Dems Blame Tea Party for Stalemate as Deadline Looms

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:46 AM PDT

By MARIN COGAN & JAKE SHERMAN, Politico

For decades, The Heritage Foundation has relied on an old-fashioned sort of Washington influence — the staid, soft-power prestige that comes from cranking out conservative white papers for Republican staffers and lawmakers to tout.

And in turn, deep-pocketed institutional funders on the right have long directed their philanthropy to Heritage, which has focused on winning the battle of ideas with battalions of senior fellows, congressional testimony and panel discussions for Washington insiders.

But the surge in grass-roots activism linked to the tea party movement has shaken up the conventional order, leading some conservative donors to look beyond Heritage for more activist-oriented groups to which they can write big checks.

Now Heritage is racing to keep up with the times.

Tea Party group sponsors NASCAR ‘We the People’ truck through 2012

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:40 AM PDT

By Steven Nelson, The Daily Caller

Tea Party supporters can now root for their cause on the racetrack. TheTeaParty.net has announced that a NASCAR vehicle will be sponsored by the organization.

Chris Lafferty's #89 truck will be known as "We the People's" through the 2012 election.

Bill Wallace, the coach and general manager of Lafferty Motorsports LLC, wrote in a letter posted on TeaPartyRacing.com that the sponsorship will be funded with donations. Part of the donations made to TeaPartyRacing will go to Lafferty's team, part to TheTeaParty.net.

TeaPartyRacing.com, an affiliate of TheTeaParty.net, states that, "as a dynamic and patriotic race team, TeaPartyRacing.com, attracts fans from all walks of life through participation in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Events."

Todd Cefaretti of TheTeaParty.net said in a statement to The Hill that his organization will make money from the sponsorship.

"Over 50 percent on average of the money that is raised from sponsors for the racing team will be donated to TheTeaParty.net to be used to advance the Tea Party movement even more," according to Cefaretti.

West forms federal ‘Guardian Leadership PAC’

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:36 AM PDT

By George Bennet, Palm Beach Post

He’s already a platinum YouTube star, Internet traffic generator and cable TV mainstay. Now freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, has formed a federal “leadership PAC” that could come in handy if he wants to lift his national profile any higher.

Leadership PACs allow members of Congress – including the three other members of Palm Beach County’s congressional delegation – to raise money at up to $5,000 a pop and distribute contributions to other candidates.

The committees are often used by those with leadership ambitions to curry favor with colleagues. On his way to becoming House speaker, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, used his PAC to hand out $4 million to GOP candidates over the last four election cycles.

The PACs are also useful for officials eyeing higher office. Rookie Illinois Sen. Barack Obama formed his Hopefund PAC a few weeks after taking office in 2005. By the time the 2006 elections were over, Obama’s PAC had raised and spent more than $3.7 million – doling out more than $700,000 to Democratic candidates and party organs around the nation, spending about $200,000 on travel and more than $1 million to build a fund-raising network that would help him win the presidency two years later.

Most leadership PACs operate on a much smaller scale. U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, raised $69,000 and spent about $45,000 through his PAC over four years. U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, raised and spent less than $20,000 with his PAC for the 2010 elections.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, formed Together Electing Democrats PAC (TEDPAC) shortly after winning a special election last year and spent about $32,000 on 2010 races.

Levin takes on Ron Paul supporters: ‘I promise you his followers are the biggest a-holes of them all’

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:27 AM PDT

By Jeff Poor, The Daily Caller

There's no doubt that 2008 Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul of Texas has some dedicated followers, and they're especially ambitious in using the Internet to spread their message.

But that isn't necessarily appealing according to conservative talk host Mark Levin. On his Monday program, Levin said his staff has had some run-ins on his Facebook page and other social networking sites.

"Truth be told, I'm not the administrator of my social sites, but I back the administrator," Levin said. "See, what happens folks is sometimes we get into these little discussions and the word goes out – flood the Facebook site or whatever – through bloggers, through people who think by this kind of mob mentality, they're going to persuade people. They don't persuade anybody of anything. They annoy people and so the administrator has to clean out a bunch of them, particularly when they get into their hate modes. They keep linking back to other sites, which are intending to increase the hits on those other sites."

Those engaging in this "obnoxious" behavior tend to be the followers of Paul, according to Levin.

Budget Talks Sour, Dems Blame Tea Party for Stalemate as Deadline Looms

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:24 AM PDT

By FOXNews.com

The Capitol Hill rhetoric reached new levels of ugliness Tuesday as negotiations over some semblance of a federal budget gave way to finger-pointing, with Democrats blaming Tea Party freshmen for a potential government shutdown and Republicans calling those claims a fantasy.

Over the past few days, Democrats have pounded the argument that Congress would have been able to work out a budget deal long ago if not for the extreme demands of Tea Party-aligned lawmakers.

Congress has until April 8, the expiration date for the current short-term budget, to craft either another stopgap or a more substantive budget that lasts through the end of fiscal 2011, or face a partial Washington shutdown.

Hopes were relatively high last week that such a coming-together could happen, but lawmakers on both sides made clear Tuesday they’ve made scant progress.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Adds His Name to The ObamaCare Repeal Pledge
McCain says he won’t watch HBO adaptation of ‘Game Change’
Spitzer’s former madam ‘probably’ running for New York mayor if Client 9 does
Billionaire Steve Wynn Makes Big Online Poker Bet With PokerStars
Dollar Gains as Signs of Economic Strength May Prompt Fed Change

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Adds His Name to The ObamaCare Repeal Pledge

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:20 AM PDT

From Independent Women’s Voice

Washington, D.C. — Independent Women’s Voice President and CEO Heather Higgins today expressed her thanks and gratitude to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) for fully committing to repeal of ObamaCare and signing The Repeal Pledge.

“Sen. Rand Paul was swept into office on a promise to fight back against the expansion of government power that is endemic to ObamaCare,” said Higgins. “Since his election, Sen. Paul has been a tireless advocate for healthcare freedom and for undoing this government take-over of our healthcare decisions, this nightmare that is ObamaCare. We are thrilled he has added his name to The Repeal Pledge.”

“In signing, Sen. Paul joins 50 other members of Congress who have demonstrated their commitment to doing all they can do to see that ObamaCare is defunded, deauthorized, and ultimately repealed.”

McCain says he won’t watch HBO adaptation of ‘Game Change’

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 07:42 AM PDT

By Laura Donovan, The Daily Caller

Former presidential candidate and Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" he has no plans to watch Ed Harris' depiction of him in HBO's upcoming film "Game Change."

"He's a very fine actor and a great actor," McCain said of Harris. "I obviously haven't read the book, so I don't think I'll be watching the film."

"Game Change," which will be based on a book with the same name on the 2008 presidential election by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, has cast "A Beautiful Mind" actor Harris as McCain and "The Kids Are All Right" star Julianne Moore as McCain's vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin. According to Politico, McCain comes across as a "deeply flawed" candidate in the book.

Spitzer’s former madam ‘probably’ running for New York mayor if Client 9 does

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 07:29 AM PDT

By Steven Nelson – The Daily Caller

Ex-madam and former New York gubernatorial candidate Kristin Davis is considering a run against former New York Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer if he enters the race for mayor of New York City in 2013.

"If Spitzer throws his black socks in the ring I may have to throw in my lacy brassiere," Davis said in a statement sent to The Daily Caller.

Spitzer, who hosts "In the Arena" on CNN, was a prominent customer of Davis' escort business known as "client 9." Public revelation of his patronage forced his resignation from the governorship in 2008.

"I had pretty much decided to focus on the sex trafficking issue and not to run for public office again [after the 2010 gubernatorial election]," said Davis. "Running for Governor was great fun and very educational but I decided to pursue advocacy activity and some entrepreneurial efforts in legal industries."

"The one thing that could probably get me off the bench is a Mayor candidacy by Eliot Spitzer. I'd have to look at it. The opportunity to expose the inequality in our Justice system may be too great," Davis said.

Billionaire Steve Wynn Makes Big Online Poker Bet With PokerStars

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 07:24 AM PDT

By Nathan Vardi, Forbes.com

In a dramatic move that will forever change the online poker landscape, billionaire Steve Wynn has announced he is joining up with PokerStars, the world's biggest online gaming company, to establish a strategic relationship that aims to regulate online poker in the U.S.

"We are convinced that the lack of regulation of Internet gaming within the US must change," said Wynn, chief executive of Las Vegas casino company Wynn Resorts, in a statement. "We must recognize that this activity is occurring and that law enforcement does not have the tools to stop it."

PokerStars and Wynn Resorts plan to work together to secure the passage of federal legislation that will regulate online poker in the U.S. with an eye toward setting up a joint venture, PokerStarsWynn.com, that will offer for-money online poker play in the U.S.

Dollar Gains as Signs of Economic Strength May Prompt Fed Change

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 07:21 AM PDT

By Allison Bennett and Emma Charlton, Bloomberg Businessweek

The dollar strengthened as U.S. consumer spending increased more than forecast in February, and after Federal Reserve official James Bullard said the central bank may consider scaling back its monetary stimulus.

The yen weakened versus most of its 16 major counterparts on signs the global recovery is gaining momentum, boosting appetite for higher-yielding investments. Policy makers should review whether to curtail plans to buy $600 billion in Treasuries because of strong economic data, St. Louis Fed President Bullard said on March 26. The euro depreciated for a second day against the dollar after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition was defeated in a regional election.

"If you take the Fed speak, coupled with positive data surprises, that could certainly support yields and in turn support the dollar against the yen or the euro," said Mark McCormick, a New York-based currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. It's because of the relative shifts in two-year interest rates."

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

US Approaching Insolvency, Fix To Be ‘Painful’: Fisher

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:01 PM PDT

By: Reuters with CNBC.com

The United States is on a fiscal path towards insolvency and policymakers are at a “tipping point,” a Federal Reserve official said on Tuesday.

“If we continue down on the path on which the fiscal authorities put us, we will become insolvent, the question is when,” Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said in a question and answer session after delivering a speech at the University of Frankfurt. “The short-term negotiations are very important, I look at this as a tipping point.”

But he added he was confident in the Americans’ ability to take the right decisions and said the country would avoid insolvency.

“I think we are at the beginning of the process and it’s going to be very painful,” he added.

Fisher earlier said the US economic recovery is gathering momentum, adding that he personally was extremely vigilant on inflation pressures.

“We are all mindful of this phenomenon. Speaking personally, I am concerned and I am going to be extremely vigilant on that front,” Fisher said in an interview with CNBC.

To read more, visit: http://www.cnbc.com/id/42209447

Glenn Beck Contemplates Starting Own Channel

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:57 PM PDT

By BRIAN STELTER, The New York Times

The possibility that Glenn Beck will exit the Fox News Channel at the end of the year has prompted a big question in media circles: if he leaves, how will he bring his considerable audience with him?

Two of the options Mr. Beck has contemplated, according to people who have spoken about it with him, are a partial or wholesale takeover of a cable channel, or an expansion of his subscription video service on the Web.

Reports this week that Joel Cheatwood, a senior Fox News executive, would soon join Mr. Beck's growing media company, Mercury Radio Arts, were the latest indication that Mr. Beck intended to leave Fox, a unit of the News Corporation, when his contract expired at the end of this year.

Notably, Mr. Beck's company has been staffing up — making Web shows, some of which have little or nothing to do with Mr. Beck, and charging a monthly subscription for access to the shows.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Lois Frankel launches bid for Allen West’s congressional seat
Pawlenty Announces Exploratory Committee
GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits
By questioning Afghan war, Barbour could change the GOP debate
Ron Paul to highlight pet themes with US Mint at hearing
Rudy Giuliani and New Hampshire: High stakes and long odds in 2012

Lois Frankel launches bid for Allen West’s congressional seat

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:20 PM PDT

By George Bennett, The Palm Beach Post

Term-limited West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel announced today that she's running for the congressional seat of freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, setting up what could be yet another expensive, nationally watched race in Palm Beach-Broward District 22.

Democrat Frankel said she'll focus on "jobs, jobs, jobs," but declined to outline specific policy stances in an interview today.

Frankel was a fiery liberal Democratic state House member before winning the first of two nonpartisan terms as West Palm Beach mayor in 2003. She lost a bitter 1992 Democratic primary runoff for Congress to eventual U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar.
District 22 includes much of coastal Palm Beach and Broward counties and is fairly evenly split between Republican and Democratic voters. But new boundaries will be drawn before the 2012 elections.

Pawlenty Announces Exploratory Committee

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:15 PM PDT

By Sean Sullivan, National Journal

Promising “we the people of the United States will take back our government,” former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) took the first step toward officially launching a presidential campaign Monday afternoon, announcing the formation of an exploratory committee in a video posted on his Facebook page.

“This is our country. Our founding fathers created it, Americans embraced it, Ronald Reagan personified it and Lincoln stood courageously to protect it. And that’s why today, I’m announcing the formation of an exploratory committee to run for President of the United States,” Pawlenty declares in the two-minute video.

The former governor of Minnesota draws on his upbringing in the video, saying “at a young age, I saw up close the face of challenge, the face of hardship and the face of job loss. Over the last year, I’ve traveled to nearly every state in the country and I know many Americans are feeling that way today. I know that feeling — I lived it,” he continues.

Pawlenty has been steadily moving toward a presidential bid over the last few months, visiting key early states and attracting supporters. His campaign is likely to be based in the Twin Cities, sources said.

GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:00 PM PDT

By GARANCE FRANKE-RUTA, The Atlantic

Nick Baumann of Mother Jones reports that H.R. 3, a bill now gathering steam in the GOP-led House of Representatives, would demand reporting of abortions to Internal Revenue Service auditors:

Under a GOP-backed bill expected to sail through the House of Representatives, the Internal Revenue Service would be forced to police how Americans have paid for their abortions. To ensure that taxpayers complied with the law, IRS agents would have to investigate whether certain terminated pregnancies were the result of rape or incest. And one tax expert says that the measure could even lead to questions on tax forms: Have you had an abortion? Did you keep your receipt?

In testimony to a House taxation subcommittee on Wednesday, Thomas Barthold, the chief of staff of the nonpartisan Joint Tax Committee, confirmed that one consequence of the Republicans’ “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” would be to turn IRS agents into abortion cops–that is, during an audit, they’d have to detemine, from evidence provided by the taxpayer, whether any tax benefit had been inappropriately used to pay for an abortion….

By questioning Afghan war, Barbour could change the GOP debate

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:56 AM PDT

By Shane D’Aprile, The Hill

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) may have set the tone for the foreign policy debate in the Republican presidential nominating contest when he questioned the war in Afghanistan and its costs.

Barbour's comments were quickly met with derision from the neocon wing of the GOP, but some Tea Party-affiliated lawmakers said the governor was taking a strong conservative stand on spending.

The differing reactions illustrate a tough political reality for Republicans in 2012: Even as public opinion increasingly turns against the war in Afghanistan and concern over the deficit intensifies, embracing talk of defense cuts and troop pullouts may still be a bridge too far.

Ron Paul to highlight pet themes with US Mint at hearing

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:52 AM PDT

By Peter Schroeder, The Hill

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) continues to hit his favorite ideas as chairman of a subcommittee overseeing domestic monetary policy, devoting his next hearing to the bullion program at the U.S. Mint.

The House Financial Services Committee announced its April hearing schedule Friday, which included an April 7 hearing by Paul’s subcommittee devoted to the Mint’s program of creating coins out of precious metals.

When Paul won the gavel to lead the House Financial Services Committee’s panel on monetary policy, he said he would use his newfound position to highlight his views. Three months into his term, Paul has lived up to that claim.

In the two hearings Paul has hosted thus far, the Tea Party favorite has set his sights on the Federal Reserve, which he has long criticized as destructive to the nation’s economy and as an institution that should be abolished.

In a Feb. 9 hearing, Paul questioned whether the Fed’s policies can really help create jobs. The Fed’s dual mandate requires it to pursue policies that would maximize employment while controlling inflation — Paul argued the central bank was failing on both fronts.

Rudy Giuliani and New Hampshire: High stakes and long odds in 2012

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:49 AM PDT

By MAGGIE HABERMAN, Politico

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rudy Giuliani, who’s looking at a presidential do-over after falling from first to last in 2008, faces long odds of becoming the Granite State's next "Comeback Kid."

The former New York City mayor, scorched in his presidential campaign in this friendly-to-moderates New England state, remains a draw as a national celebrity and received a standing ovation Friday night when he was introduced to Manchester Republicans as "America's Mayor."

But if he went for a repeat in 2012, he would face a crushing load of amends to make with the state's voters. He’d have to do things "the New Hampshire way" — sitting in strangers' living rooms, eating off their dishes, and holding town hall meetings, over and over again. The 2012 election, a cycle featuring a slew of candidates with prior runs and musty careers, would clearly be Giuliani’s last gasp at a national race, since the space he occupies in the national party may be filled next time by another former prosecutor, Chris Christie.

Yet so far, even some supporters are puzzled about whether he really wants it.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Tea Party Favorite Touts . . . Federal Spending?
Republican senators uneasy with Obama’s nominee for OMB deputy director
As Daniels considers White House run, supporters venerate, critics unload
DeMint won’t back Romney without repudiation of Mass. health law
Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media

Tea Party Favorite Touts . . . Federal Spending?

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 11:38 AM PDT

By Patrick O’Connor, The Wall Street Journal

Republican Rep. Allen West, a tea-party favorite from Florida, railed against earmarks and out-of-control government spending on the campaign trail last fall. But he's happy to claim credit for a little federal largesse.

Rep. Allen West (R., Fla.) speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Mr. West, who unseated an incumbent Democrat last fall, issued a press release this week announcing a $21 million grant to help fund a project to lengthen the second runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

"This runway is long-awaited and much-anticipated," Mr. West said in the release. "At this crucial time for our economy, it is imperative that we encourage this kind of development, which will bring thousand of jobs with it and boost tourism – South Florida's number one economic engine."

But for those on hypocrisy watch, the money did not come through an earmark, but rather a federal grant for airport improvements. The fund –the Airport Improvement Program – is financed through a combination of gas taxes, passenger fees and other levies assessed on air travel.

Republican senators uneasy with Obama’s nominee for OMB deputy director

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 08:54 AM PDT

By Amanda Carey – The Daily Caller

Republicans on the Hill are taking President Obama's nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a sign the White House is not serious about cutting spending.

Heather Higginbottom, a longtime policy advisor to Democratic politicians, was nominated by the president on January 7 to replace acting Deputy Director Rob Nabors.

"I believe it is pretty clear from the opposition that she is seen as a political operative and that members see this as a sign that President Obama has no interest in having a serious discussion about reducing spending," one Republican staffer told The Daily Caller.

Higginbottom's previously served as deputy director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council, where, according to a White House press release, she "played an integral role on issues ranging from education to poverty to food safety."

Before that, she worked on Obama's presidential campaign as policy director, and spent eight years on Capitol Hill with Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, where she rose to the role of legislative director.

As Daniels considers White House run, supporters venerate, critics unload

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 08:50 AM PDT

By Alexis Levinson – The Daily Caller

Mitch Daniels is cheap.

The Indiana governor and former Office of Management and Budget director for President George W. Bush who is now spoken of as the favorite 2012 candidate of the Washington elite used a gardening glove when he first learned to play golf, unwilling to spend the money for a real golf glove.

"He had the same raincoat, which I always thought was too short for him, for about 20 years," a former aide said, recalling another tale of Daniels' frugality.

"He doesn't like to spend his money, and he doesn't like to spend the people's money," Al Hubbard, who headed up the National Economic Council during Bush's second term and is considered part of Daniels' inner circle, explained.

That stinginess, which may seem extreme in his personal life, is what has prompted some to call for Daniels to run for the Republican nomination for president, in the hopes that he will apply that same level of parsimony to the federal budget. Daniels said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he has agreed to "consider" the possibility of a run.

DeMint won’t back Romney without repudiation of Mass. health law

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 08:43 AM PDT

By Michael O’Brien, The Hill

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) “would never consider” endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president again in 2012 unless Romney repudiates the health reforms he sought as governor, a source close to DeMint said Thursday.

A source close to the conservative icon emphasized that, despite comments to The Hill indicating that Romney shouldn’t shoulder all the political blame for the Massachusetts healthcare plan, DeMint wouldn’t endorse Romney again unless he admits the plan was mistaken.

“It’s obvious Jim was just trying to be nice to the guy he backed over McCain, as many conservatives did in 2008,” the source said. “But he would never consider backing Romney again unless he admits that his Massachusetts healthcare plan was a colossal mistake.”

DeMint told The Hill that he hadn’t decided who he would endorse in the 2012 Republican presidential primary and said that Romney wasn’t entirely to blame for the elements of the Massachusetts healthcare plan that conservatives now deplore.

Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 08:39 AM PDT

By Nick Fielding and Ian Cobain, Guardian UK

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.

A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an “online persona management service” that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.

The project has been likened by web experts to China’s attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet. Critics are likely to complain that it will allow the US military to create a false consensus in online conversations, crowd out unwelcome opinions and smother commentaries or reports that do not correspond with its own objectives.

The discovery that the US military is developing false online personalities – known to users of social media as “sock puppets” – could also encourage other governments, private companies and non-government organisations to do the same.

The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations “without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries”.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Jamie Radtke seeks to ride Tea Party wave into the Senate in 2012
Governor pulls health exchange bill after tea party objects
Miami Voters Fire Mayor: A Harbinger of Things to Come?
Jane Corwin Releases First Ad for 26th District Election
Congresswoman proposes new tax bracket for millionaires
Yen Climbs to Record Against Dollar

Jamie Radtke seeks to ride Tea Party wave into the Senate in 2012

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:14 AM PDT

By Matthew Boyle – The Daily Caller

As the 2012 elections season gears up, Virginia is emerging as a clear Senate pickup opportunity for Republicans. With Democratic Sen. Jim Webb's recent announcement that he will not seek reelection, former Republican Sen. George Allen has declared his intention to seek his old seat. But it won't be an uncontested path to the nomination for Allen. Standing in his path is Tea Party-favorite Jamie Radtke.

Seen by some as a rising conservative star, Radtke has never held office before. Though that may be a disadvantage for some, for those in the Tea Party movement, it boosts their appeal. She also has a strong record as an effective political organizer, having built most of the local activism in Virginia's Tea Party movement.

Radtke, who aspires to be like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul or South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, seeks to present herself as Tea Party favorite and paint Allen as part of the establishment. Some influential beltway names are aiding her in shaping this narrative and throwing their support behind her, saying Allen represents the "old establishment." Conservative strategist Richard Viguerie, the chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, told The Daily Caller Radtke is "sharp" and "knows the issues."

Governor pulls health exchange bill after tea party objects

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:09 AM PDT

By Carrie Teegardin and April Hunt, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A last-minute tea party protest prompted Gov. Nathan Deal on Wednesday to shelve legislation that would have planned for a Georgia health insurance exchange.

The new federal health care law gives every state the option of designing its own insurance marketplace, and the legislation would have created a commission to recommend an approach for Georgia. State leaders said it would have allowed them to plan for an exchange while also continuing to fight the federal law in court.

The legislation enjoyed wide support until phone calls started rolling in this week from tea partyers. Deal said Wednesday that he would put the legislation on hold and instead create an advisory committee to study the state’s options for an exchange.

“The governor understands Georgians' suspicions about any legislation associated with Obamacare,” said a statement from Deal’s office. “He shares their opposition to the federal takeover of health care.”

Miami Voters Fire Mayor: A Harbinger of Things to Come?

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:06 AM PDT

By Matt Lewis, The Daily Caller

Tuesday's stunning recall of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez may well be a harbinger of things to come.

At the very least, it is worth paying attention to for a variety of reasons.

First, this was the second-largest recall based on population (only the recall of California Governor Grey Davis was larger).

Second, the margin of victory — 88 percent! — was frankly stunning. What is more, more people voted in the recall election than in the general election.

And third, I'm told by a reliable source that the unions did everything they could to help Alvarez — and that Alvarez's campaign even narrowly outspent the recall effort.

Might this portend what could come in 2012? As NBC's Chuck Todd noted at First Read,

"This recall embodies all of the frustration Americans are feeling right now — over the economy (which is not very good in South Florida) and how government works (Alvarez gave big pay raises to his staff). It's a Petri dish for the country's views on politicians. Everyone's on a very short leash."

Jane Corwin Releases First Ad for 26th District Election

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:02 AM PDT

From WGRZ 2 NBC

BUFFALO, NY- Jane Corwin, Republican candidate for NY’s 26th Congressional District aired her first campaign ad on Facebook tonight.

The ad released Tuesday night is an exclusive for Corwin’s Facebook followers before running on TV stations in Western New York beginning Wednesday

You can watch the TV ad by logging on to www.facebook.com/JaneCorwin.

Congresswoman proposes new tax bracket for millionaires

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:58 AM PDT

By Nicole Thompson, The Daily Herald

WASHINGTON — While Congress is debating federal budget cuts as a way to help solve the nation's deficit crisis, an Illinois representative emerged Wednesday with a different solution.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat, has introduced the Fairness in Taxation Act, which would create new, higher tax brackets for Americans making more than $1 million and $1 billion a year.

Yen Climbs to Record Against Dollar

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:51 AM PDT

BY TOM LAURICELLA AND JONATHAN CHENG, The Wall Street Journal

The Japanese yen rocketed to an all-time high against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday but gave back some ground in Asian trading on Thursday, as markets were buffeted by worries about the nuclear crisis in Japan.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Feds deploy more radiation monitors in western US
U.S. life expectancy continues to rise
GOP populists face rough road ahead
NRC head says U.S. could handle nuclear crisis

Feds deploy more radiation monitors in western US

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Federal environmental regulators say they are adding more radiation monitors in the western United States and Pacific territories as concerns rise over exposure from damaged nuclear plants in Japan.
The Environmental Protection Agency already monitors radiation throughout the area as part of its RadNet system, which measures levels in air, drinking water, milk and rain.

The additional monitors are in response to the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan, where emergency workers are attempting to cool overheated reactors damaged by last week’s magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami.

Officials with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission say they do not expect harmful radiation levels to reach the U.S. from Japan.

U.S. life expectancy continues to rise

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:38 AM PDT

The death rate in the United States fell for the tenth straight year, according to federal statistics released this week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report also showed life expectancy in the United States increased to 78.2 years, up slightly from 78 years in 2008. Life expectancy for males increased two-tenths to 75.7 years and up one-tenth – 80.6 years – in females.

Among the white population, life expectancy increased by two-tenths of a year.

GOP populists face rough road ahead

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:28 AM PDT

By CRAIG SHIRLEY, Politico

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the "country club" candidate for the GOP establishment going into 2012, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

But the outsider poll position is up for grabs. The most likely contenders are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin — all morning line favorites.

Romney polls poorly among the tea party — which is understandable. He has too many cultural and ideological crosses to bear. For example, his continued defense of Romneycare, complete with the individual mandates, is anathema to Obamacare detractors. Plus, he's done little to reach out to the tea party movement.

NRC head says U.S. could handle nuclear crisis

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:10 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, told lawmakers on Wednesday he strongly believes the United States could “mitigate” the impact of a nuclear crisis similar to the one unfolding in Japan.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Utah Considers Return to Gold, Silver Coins

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:56 PM PST

By Stephen Clark, FoxNews.com

It’s been nearly 80 years since the U.S. stopped using gold coins as legal currency, and nearly 40 since the world abandoned the gold standard, but the precious metal could be making a comeback in the United States — beginning in Utah.

The Utah House was to vote as early as Thursday on legislation that would recognize gold and silver coins issued by the federal government as legal currency in the state. The coins would not replace the current paper currency but would be used and accepted voluntarily as an alternative.

The legislation, which has 12 co-sponsors, would let Utahans pay their taxes with gold and also calls for a committee to study alternative currencies for the state. It would also exempt the sale of gold from the state capital gains tax.

The bill cleared a state legislative committee on Wednesday, the first of 13 similar bills in statehouses across the country to do so. If the bill clears the House, it would have to pass the Senate before the governor could sign it into law.

Attorney and Tea Party activist Larry Hilton, author of the original bill, said he doesn’t foresee any roadblocks.

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Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

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Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

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Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

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