In Michigan, Santorum supporters planted hundreds of campaign signs in Shelby Township prior to Mitt Romney’s appearance today.  Some of these signs were planted alongside sidewalks and roadways across from and surrounding the Romney campaign stop.  Approximately two hours before the scheduled event, Romney campaign staffers, including Dennis Lennox of Topinabee, MI, began planting Romney signs in front of the location.  Around the same time, several other people, who refused to identify themselves, began uprooting hundreds of Santorum signs along the roadway leading to the event.  Signs placed at a commercial intersection were also removed.

When asked to explain his actions, Santorum supporters were confronted with obscenities from one person removing signs.  He claimed to be unaffiliated with the Romney campaign.

One officer on the scene, Lou Francis, refused to assist in retrieving stolen campaign signs valued at over $1500.

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When the prospect of a Santorum nomination gives me night-tremors, I console myself that his current poll dominance isn’t so much a surge in support for the failed Senator as it is a continued rejection of the presumptive frontrunner, Mitt Romney. It is simply inconceivable to me that the GOP would decide that what it really needs to defeat Obama is a Big Government, Pro-Labor social conservative whose legislative career was ended by a nearly 20 point loss in a swing state.

I know Santorum portrays himself as a man of conviction and principle–something GOP voters respond to–but a man who actively campaigned for Arlen Specter against Pat Tommey has a loose relationship with political principle. No, Santorum’s recent rise isn’t really about him but a consequence of the fact that GOP voters really don’t want to nominate Mitt Romney.

It’s a puzzle that will be dissected in political science class for years to come. Romney certainly had every advantage going into the contest. He was a successful businessman at a time of economic uncertainty. He had been a Governor, rather than a legislator in Washington. He had the most money and the biggest, most professional organization. He had run before for President and could make a plausible claim to being “next in line,” a powerful position in a GOP primary.

Of course, there was the RomneyCare problem.

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Throughout time politicians and their handlers have been prone to omitting unpleasant facts or manipulating them so as to mold issues to their advantage. This is the concept behind “spin”; a form of propagandizing that crafts an “alternative” interpretation of an issue, organization, person, event or campaign in order to sway the public’s opinion “for” or “against” said issue, organization, person, event or campaign. In fact, the “art of spin” has created an entirely separate category of political animal; the “spin doctor,” many of whom are regularly featured on the many mainstream media news outlets disguised as “political strategists.” But somewhere along the line, the art of employing wit, reason, personality and persuasive rhetoric in order to achieve a political ends gave way to the blatant lie, and never before has it been as evident as it is today.

This political malady is not exclusive to one side of the aisle or the other. Neither is it exclusive to the elected class. In fact, some of the most egregious abusers of truth and honesty come in the form of agendized media operatives. It is an across-the-board problem that comes with the intellectual infections that are the “inside-the-beltway mentality” and the special interest mentality, both of which are shared by the elected class, the media who cover them and the special interest groups who try to sway them both.

In the Republican Primary Elections we have seen a good example of spin, and viciously so. In one of the most negative political cycles in recent times, we have witnessed each of the nominees unleash barrage after barrage of negative attacks ads against whomever they deem the threat of the day. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, although not as blatant about their approval of such tactics, are just as guilty of partaking in the art of spin; in stretching the truth to achieve an ideological goal, as Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney. It can be argued that Mr. Romney is the biggest abuser, but I am sure that Romney supporters will spin that to their advantage.

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We live in The Divided Era of American politics – an Era defined by a roughly equal number of Democrats and Republicans, high partisanship and close Presidential elections.  Independent voters often hold sway and candidates court the middle in order to win.  Close victories, however, come without a mandate – a dynamic usually borne of larger victories.  If the Republican Presidential candidate wants a mandate, something necessary if they expect to carry the Senate and break the log jam in Washington, then that candidate must seek that mandate not just victory.  Fortunately for Republicans, the path to a mandate is the safest path to victory.

The stakes in this election are unusually large.  While calling elections the “most important of our lifetime” has become standard fair, this election will likely decide whether Obamacare will remain the law of the land.  Combined with the challenge posed by an emerging and erratic Iran, and the need for dramatic action on the economy, 2012 will be in an important election.

To be successful in those three quite difficult areas, however, a Republican President will need more than a bear victory – he or she will need a broad consensus – a mandate.  The economy will need bold tax and regulatory reform. Repealing Obamacare, while achievable, won’t lead to a broader consensus unless it is accompanied by a meaningful reform alternative.  As for dealing with Iran, that will require a strong President whose existence is likely dependent on success in the first two areas.

Absent a mandate, or with a victory solely dependent on people turning away from Obama, meaningful success is unlikely for a new Republican President and The Divided Era will continue – as will our problems – not mention a short Republican ascendancy.

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With members of the mainstream media now hurling charges of using racially coded language against GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, Big Government has uncovered a private memorandum written over three decades ago that offers a unique glimpse into Mr. Gingrich’s longstanding attitudes about race.

The private memo, dated July 1, 1980, was written by Mr. Gingrich on his official House of Representatives stationery and was sent to then-candidate Ronald Reagan’s campaign manager, Bill Casey, who would later become President Reagan’s CIA Director.

In the memo, Mr. Gingrich urges Governor Reagan’s campaign to reconsider its decision not to speak to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Convention.

“This is a great opportunity to prove that a conservative Republican can speak to the hearts and pocketbooks of Black Americans,” Gingrich urged in the memo.

The memorandum goes on to explain that a decision not to speak at the NAACP convention would insult African American voters and be a “tragedy” for the nation:

Many middle class Black Americans who would vote for Reagan will be insulted by his non-attendance.  I urge you to schedule the speech and talk about Kemp’s Inner City Jobs Bill, which Kilpatrick and George Will have both endorsed as acceptably conservative.

Failure to attend the NAACP convention will be a tragedy for Gov. Reagan and the country.  Symbolic events are vital.  Thank you for considering this.

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From the Associated Press:

Obama’s election year retreat from legislative fights means this term will end without significant progress on two of his 2008 campaign promises, an immigration overhaul and closing the military prison for terrorist suspects atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Presidential directives probably won’t make a big dent in the nation’s 8.6 percent unemployment rate or lead to significant improvements in the economy. That’s the chief concern for many voters and the issue on which Republican candidates are most likely to criticize Obama.

In focusing on executive actions rather than ambitious legislation, the president risks appearing to be putting election-year strategy ahead of economic action at a time when millions of Americans are still out of work.

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President Barack Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina sent out an official reelection campaign video wherein he said talk of Mr. Obama having a billion dollar campaign war chest is “bullsh*t” because “we don’t take PAC money unlike our opponents. We fund this campaign in contributions of $3 or $5 or whatever you can do to help us.

Mr. Messina’s plea for Obama supporters to chip in “$3 or $5″ leaves the impression of a presidential campaign divorced from big money donors. Furthermore, the claim that Mr. Obama will not accept PAC money leaves the impression that his fundraising efforts are removed from the influence of lobbyists or Wall Street. Nothing could be further from the truth.

From the New York Times:

Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.At least 15 of Mr. Obama’s “bundlers” — supporters who contribute their own money to his campaign and solicit it from others — are involved in lobbying for Washington consulting shops or private companies. They have raised more than $5 million so far for the campaign.

Because the bundlers are not registered as lobbyists with the Senate, the Obama campaign has managed to avoid running afoul of its self-imposed ban on taking money from lobbyists.

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The same man who oversaw MF Global’s $1.2 billion in missing funds, Bradley I. Abelow, is also currently listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website as the current chairman of the EPA’s Financial Advisory Board.

From the Washington Times:

During two days of recent congressional hearings into how as much as $1.2 billion disappeared from MF Global customer accounts, the chief operating officer of the imploding investment firm responded again and again that he did not know.

Yet as the House and Senate interrogated Bradley I. Abelow and other top executives at MF Global Holdings Ltd., lawmakers did not mention Mr. Abelow’s role as a financial adviser for the Environmental Protection Agency, which as of Tuesday listed him as the chairman of its financial advisory board.

Even as he finds himself the public face of a bankruptcy and admitted to lawmakers that he had no idea how client funds disappeared, Congress and the administration have voiced no public concern about Mr. Abelow’s role advising the $8.6 billion government agency on its finances.

Mr. Abelow also served as former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine’s chief of staff before Mr. Corzine went on to become MF Global’s CEO.  Interestingly, current EPA Administrator Lisa Smith also previously served as then-Gov. Corzine’s chief of staff.  Whether the Corzine connection played any role in Mr. Abelow’s appointment to the chairmanship of the EPA’s Financial Advisory Board is as yet unclear.

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From the Associated Press:

Herman Cain told aides Tuesday he is assessing whether the latest allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior against him “create too much of a cloud” for his Republican presidential candidacy to go forward.

Acknowledging the “firestorm” arising from an accusation of infidelity, Cain only committed to keeping his campaign schedule for the next several days, in a conference call with his senior staff.

“If a decision is made, different than to plow ahead, you all will be the first to know,” he said, according to a transcript of the call made by the National Review, which listened to the conversation.

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This week’s defeat of Ohio Senate Bill 5 is just a preview of what can be expected during the 2012 elections, as Ohio voters rejected public union limits.

Big Labor, realizing that it had to protect its public unions, showed its solidarity as it spent almost $30 Million dollars and filled the streets with foot soldiers to ensure Senate Bill 5 was defeated (see Public Unions: Last Hope for Big Labor at America’s Expense!, Off-year Ohio election posts highest turnout in 20 years and Unions Target New Ohio Law). In a foreshadowing of the 2012 elections, the gasping dinosaurs showed they are not going down quietly!

Conversely, it was evident that Governor Kasich and other Ohio republicans were not prepared and did not understand the labor machine or their corporate campaign playbook, and they were subsequently steamrolled by these tactics (as described in Corporate Campaigns: Vehicle to Forced Unionism and Political Payback). Obviously, they did not learn from Wisconsin, where massive changes to collective bargaining laws were successful and, as a result, the state is now headed towards a balanced budget (as seen in A Win in Wisconsin! Next, the Rest of the Country). The difference in these two situations was that Wisconsin’s Governor had a plan and was prepared for Big Labor’s scorched earth attacks. (more…)

From Politico:

After the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent a recent email urging supporters to sign a petition backing the wave of Occupy Wall Street protests, phones at the party committee started ringing.

Banking executives personally called the offices of DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and DCCC Finance Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) last week demanding answers, three financial services lobbyists told POLITICO.

“They were livid,” said one Democratic lobbyist with banking clients.

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While in attendance at Occupy DC, protesters told MRCTV’s Joe Schoffstall that despite President Barack Obama being the number one recipient of Wall Street cash, they still support him. Keep in mind these are people who ‘claim’ they want Wall Street money out of politics and ‘claim’ they are not Democrats or Republicans.

In other news, the ‘Occupy’ protests recently picked up endorsements from both the Communist and Nazi party.

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NewsObserver.com:

Gov. Bev Perdue’s off-the-cuff remark about suspending Congressional elections to focus on the economy went viral. Her aides tried to walk it back, calling it “hyperbole” and suggesting she was joking.

Was she? You decide.

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From The Detroit News:

As part of a campaign featuring “real people” explaining their decision to buy the Blue Oval, a guy named “Chris” says he “wasn’t going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government,” according the text of the ad, launched in early September.

“I was going to buy from a manufacturer that’s standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That’s what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta’ pick yourself up and go back to work.”

That’s what some of America is about, evidently. Because Ford pulled the ad after individuals inside the White House questioned whether the copy was publicly denigrating the controversial bailout policy CEO Alan Mulally repeatedly supported in the dark days of late 2008, in early ‘09 and again when the ad flap arose. And more.

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From Crain’s Chicago Business:

President Barack Obama’s Chicago-based re-election campaign has a hometown problem: the donors and volunteers who have lost interest after launching his run for the White House four years ago.

The glow of the epochal election of the nation’s first African-American president has faded amid a dramatic fall in the president’s popularity, a persistently lousy economy and an administration that has been less transformative than promised.

And among Jewish contributors, a bulwark of his local donor base, some have been turned off by Mr. Obama’s call for Israel to give up part of its territory.

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Sarah Palin arrived to a packed house in the farm-themed “Machine Shed Restaurant” in Urbandale, IA Friday night.  The ever-amassing crowd began arriving at about 6:30 p.m. to congregate and socialize with fellow “Palinistas” from across the country.  Supporters stood around talking and catching up, many long time online-friends were meeting for the first time in person.  The atmosphere was more like a family reunion than a political gathering.  There were children playing, doting parents, young professionals, and the elderly maneuvering through the crowd with the assistance of canes.  I encountered people like myself and my family, who had driven in from Dallas, TX, those who had flown in from Virginia, some who hailed from Florida, Georgia natives, Iowa hometown fans, and even a woman from the president’s neck of the woods, Hawaii.

Sarah Palin at the Restoring America TEA Party - Photo by Chet Nichols

The meet and greet went on for an hour and a half when the front entry way suddenly began to buzz.  When the camera crews darted for the doors, all eyes turned to see that those “Guess who’s coming to dinner” rumors were true…Sarah was in the building.  She had a twinkle in her eye as she greeted those whose lucky positioning had placed them in the right place at the right time.  She shook hands and held mini-conversations with her loyal supporters.  She asked people where they were from and asked about their families…and she waited for the answers.

I spent some time with the Governor, but it was my 4 year old daughter who got Sarah’s attention that day.

When I introduced her to my daughter, Sarah had genuine adoration on her face.  She asked my daughter her name.  She was shy, so I answered, “Etta.”  She said, “Ooh, that’s a pretty name, Etta!  How old are you?”  Etta spoke up then and told her that she was 4.  I told Sarah that Etta had been asking if she could play with “Hyper.”  And with that Sarah laughed, looked at Etta and said, “We call her ‘Hyper Piper’ too!”  We chatted for a moment or two more, before she was beckoned away.

Palin continued to make her way through the crowd to the dining room which was already full.  She worked the room and visited with those who had come out to join together to support her in her endeavors.  Unlike the typical “politician,” Palin held real conversations with those present.

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Cross-Posted: TobyToons.com (Conservative Political Cartoons)

From CNN:

Real estate mogul Donald Trump will not run for the Republican presidential nomination, he said in a statement released Monday.

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In two short years, Barack Obama has wrested the crown for most self-indulgent president from Monica Lewinsky’s ex-boyfriend, Bill Clinton.

Graphic by Freeper paulycy.

Clinton’s most self-indulgent moment came when when he urged Lewinsky to perform oral sex on him while he took a phone call from a Congressman. However, the November 17, 1995 incident occured in private, the Congressman did not suspect anything was amiss and it was not revealed until years later as part of the Starr investigation.

Obama’s most self-indulgent moment was broadcast on national television this week when, in the midst of numerous crises crying out for American leadership, he took time to film his picks for the NCAA basketball tournament brackets for broadcast by the ESPN sports network.

This follows a two-year string of self-indulgences by Obama since he became president that has demonstrated to the world that nothing comes before Obama’s me-time.

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