With New Hampshire secure, Romney became the first Republican non-incumbent presidential candidate to win both Iowa’s and New Hampshire’s primaries.

“Tonight we made history,” Romney told cheering supporters before pivoting to a stinging denunciation of President Barack Obama. “The middle class has been crushed,” in the past three years, he said, “our debt is too high and our opportunities too few” – remarks that made clear he intends to be viewed as the party’s nominee in waiting after only two contests (Associated Press).

New Hampshire was a no-contest, really, as Romney’s ground game and support was too much for any candidate to overcome. Ron Paul and John Huntsman each made hardy efforts in the state but were unable to effectively challenge Romney. Since Huntsman chose New Hampshire to make his stand and finished third, it’s hard to see the wisdom of staying in. If he was unable to convince New Hampshire, there’s no way he can convince the folks in South Carolina. (more…)

From AFP:

Republican US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney unveils his economic plan Tuesday, focusing on lower taxes, less regulation, scrapping the Obama health plan and ending trade “surrender” to countries such as China.

The former front-runner in his party, Romney said President Barack Obama “has had his turn at fixing the American economy” and has failed.

“For my part, I believe America can do better,” Romney writes in the USA Today newspaper ahead of a speech later in the day on his economic plan.

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From The Washington Post:

Sarah Palin tantalized supporters on the eve of her appearance at a tea party rally by telling reporters “there’s room for more” candidates in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. But she gave no hint as to whether she was talking about herself.

The former Alaska governor was mobbed by enthusiastic supporters who chanted, “Run, Sarah, run!” when she arrived at a Des Moines suburb Friday evening. Many had come hundreds or thousands of miles to attend Saturday rally in Indianola and many believe that Palin will become a candidate.

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Of all the political figures in history, Ronald Reagan is the target of the most contempt by people on the left. Reagan, through his personality, vision and actions is the one person who has done more to undermine the flimsy ideas that liberals hold than any other.

Reagan was born in 1911 so 2011 has been a year celebrating the centennial of his birth. Many of the events commemorating the centennial have been held at the Simi Valley California, Reagan Presidential library.

A flagship event at the library for the centennial year is obviously the Republican Presidential debate scheduled for next week. It was revealing that Obama would make a bid to upstage the debate by scheduling his own “urgent” jobs speech to a joint session of congress on the same night. It revealed the Olympian level of contempt that Obama and his democrat cronies have for Reagan’s legacy and memory.

Sure, it is true that Obama may have sought simply to undermine the momentum Rick Perry and others in the GOP field have garnered against him in the last few weeks as the president has suffered political stumbles on myriad issues but there is no way that team Obama was ignorant of the bigger issue surrounding this particular GOP debate which was the specific stage and location it was being held at as well as the specific year it is being held in.

This is not the first time Obama has gone after Reagan’s legacy or family in word and deed.

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From Rasmussen Reports:

Texas Governor Rick Perry, the new face in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, has jumped to a double-digit lead over Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann with the other announced candidates trailing even further behind.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary voters, taken Monday night, finds Perry with 29% support. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, earns 18% of the vote, while Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman who won the high-profile Ames Straw Poll in Iowa on Saturday, picks up 13%.

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Big Government first pointed out the absurd nature of  former Penthouse Pet Tammy Chapman’s allegations against prospective Republican gubernatorial candidate, Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder on Friday. Now, while bragging about all the media attention she is getting from it to her small circle of Facebook friends, it seems when Chapman does talk to the media, she can’t keep her story straight.

Unfortunately, that makes media outlets covering it look less interested in facts, than whatever nonsense Chapman has to say to try and damage a Republican.

Based upon research and exclusive documentation provided to Big Government, it’s believed that dated allegations of sexually aggressive behavior by former Penthouse Pet and stripper Tammy Chapman against prospective Republican gubernatorial candidate, Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, do not hold up under scrutiny. Along with that, it appears steps may have been taken to cover any tracks leading to who is behind the bizarre smear campaign.

On August 9, Chapman told the Riverfront Times she took the innocuous photo she requested of her with Kinder in the restaurant where she was working.

As for that famous photo, she’s mystified as to how it got out. She took it, she says, and she e-mailed it to him before deleting it. Kinder, she says, is the only person she e-mailed it to; she has no idea how it wound up being sent to Riverfront Times.

But that’s not what she told the Kansas City Star a mere two days later. In two short days she went from claiming to have emailed and deleted the photo from her camera, to using Kinder’s to take it. No wonder Kinder calls the claims absurd.

Chapman told The Star that a photo of the two of them was taken with Kinder’s camera and that he had circulated it.

Also, as to the original allegations, she told one media outlet Kinder would visit her where she danced every Monday and Wednesday.

The never-married Kinder started coming to the club every Monday, and then every Monday and every Wednesday.

It was only Mondays when she talked to KSDK and Senate records show Kinder was in attendance working on all but two Mondays during the session in question. Again, Chapman’s story simply doesn’t add up.

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Tonight, eight candidates for the GOP nomination debate in Iowa. Mitt Romney continues to lead all national polls, but the entire field will be shaken up with the expected entry of Gov. Rick Perry this weekend. For many on stage tonight, this will be their last chance to stand out from the crowd. The fun starts at 9pm EDT.

One of the prevailing debates in the GOP these days (if not the only one) is whether or not Governor Sarah Palin will, or should, run for president. Not only should she, she must if the GOP has any hope of having a legitimate nominee whom everyone can support for the 2012 election.

Why? Without Palin in the race a massive segment of the GOP base—Tea Party patriots and other independent conservatives—will find themselves once again with the prospect of choosing from a manipulated field of Next-In-Line GOP establishment liberals.

And make no mistake—that is exactly who will prevail. Despite the desperate and not surprisingly shallow belief by the boys in control of the GOP, Palin cannot be replaced by another woman, or another Tea Party supporter, or another Brunette (no matter how much they think a Stalking Horse will split the Tea Party vote).  Palin’s impact is unique, significant and deep. Her influence rests on background, experience, legitimacy and most important of all—trust. These are the reasons why Palin matters, the same reasons why the GOP machine appropriately sees her, and no one else, as an existential threat to their status quo.

Despite this, if the GOP truly wants to win 2012 (of which I’m not entirely convinced, after all, I hear Jeb Bush would love to beat Obama in 2016) they should be begging Palin to enter the race. Considering their portrayal of her, why not? Look, if you can’t beat Sarah Palin what makes you think you can beat Barack Obama? What are they so afraid of? Do they so not trust the decision-making of the American people they want to make sure you have no choice at all? Those lingering questions would eventually be answered—by an Obama victory on November 6, 2012.

(more…)

Donald J. Trump and Ross Perot are both billionaires- but that’s where the similarity ends. Perot is erratic, cranky and conspiratorial while Trump is outspoken, blunt and charismatic.

Ross Perot actually became a legal candidate for President, withdrew and became a candidate again in 1992. Even with his late re-start and with ballot access laws harsher and more difficult than they are today- after a decade of election law reform-Perot got on all 50 state ballots. Trump flirted with running-took himself out and now is sending signals he may still just jump in.

Talking of running a late Independent campaign for President ,Trump told Fox News,  ”If I’m not happy with what I see, I can very easily change my mind. I’m not happy with what I see, and I will make a determination sometime into the future, absolutely. There is no deadline. If I did it as an independent, I could do it very much better.”

Trump was preparing to show a net worth of $7.5 billion worth with over $350 million cash on hand, in his federal disclosure form. Trump’s companies are privately held. Clearly Trump has both the $5 to $7 milion it would take to get on the ballot in all states and the $200 million for an intense paid TV and Cable and innovative new media campaign.

Trump also had some tough talk for the GOP, saying they are setting themselves up to lose the next election. Trump seemed to be positioning himself for a Independent run.

(more…)

Donald Trump may not be finished in the 2012 Presidential race after all.

Trump has been telling freinds that he would not rule out launching an Independent big for President as late as June of next year if the economy is still sour and no Republican has demonstrated the ability to defeat Obama.

Trump recently teased a possible late blooming candidacy when he sent a hand-written note to MSNBC’s Lawerence O’Donnell, a vitriolic Trump critic that said -”Thanks for all your help–see you in the Spring.”

“Trump’s $60 million contract with NBC would expire in time for him free to lauch a bid June 1 of next year. Clearly Trump has the $5 million to $7 million it would take to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot in all 50 states” one Trump supporter told BIG GOVERNMENT ” Those who think Trump would draw only from Republicans are wrong-blue collar Catholic Democrats would also defect to Trump if gas is $6.00 a gallon and unemployment is still high.”

Trump met yesterday with former Governor Palin for a private 45 minute session in which she told Trump she hadn’t decided yet whether to run for the Republican nomination and Trump told her that many of his supporters are urging him to launch an independent bid next year and thsat he hasn’t ruled it out.

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From The Hill:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said he will consider running for president in 2012.

Perry had previously taken himself out of contention for the Republican nomination but he has been walking back on that in recent days.

His comments on Friday were the strongest to date.

(more…)

Trump is drowning in e-mails, letters and phone calls from disappointed supporters who wanted him to make the 2012 Race.

Trump spent $100K on lawyers and accountants who would prepared the disclosure forms to show Trump is worth $7.5 B and has $350M of cash on hand.

Perot an eccentric businessman got out of the 96 race and back in……..and was on all 50 ballots

Trumps’s deal with NBC leaves him free on June 1 of next year.

Trump spoke to Richard Winger Editor and Publisher of the Ballot Access News–a nerd expert on how to get on the legal ballot in all 50 states.

Winger told Trump a late blooming Independent bid could be begun as late a June 1 and get on the ballot in all 50 States- 5 states are hard but doable and one state, Texas would be resolved by litigation.

(more…)

Today, Tim Pawlenty officials enters the race for President. Yesterday, his campaign released this pre-announcement video. It is very well done.

So, with Mitch Daniels out of the Presidential race, what do we make of the GOP field? Daniels, despite some possible quibbles, had a very compelling argument for his candidacy. First and foremost was his solid record as Governor. He cut government, curtailed the power of public sector unions and, just in the last few weeks, won groundbreaking education reform. Sure, he was a bit boring and something of a technocrat, but after 3+ years of flim-flammy flash and dash, a little adult supervision seemed in order.

A more compelling case, I believed, was where Daniels was from. Indiana sits in that great swath of the industrial heartland of America. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, among many other cities and towns are the bed-rock of America’s industrial might. The West Coast may have the glitz and the East Coast may have the financial power, but neither is possible without the hard toil of the lunchbox crowd in the Midwest. It is the “America that works.” Unfortunately, the Midwest is also the region that has been most battered by the failed policies of the last few decades. Look no further than Detroit to see what happens when progressivism’s “best intentions” crash upon the rocks of economic reality.

It has been a long time since America had a President who knew and understand our industrial heartland. (Yes, I realize Barack Obama is from Illinois, but c’mon…is there any evidence his presidency-as-academic-symposium understands the first thing about how the private sector works?) A candidate from this region would not only have an innate understanding of the proverbial “Joe Six Pack”, he or she would also appreciate how over-taxation and over-regulation can stifle an economic engine. A candidate who has lived among abandoned factories and shuttered steel mills would understand that the policy whims of the mandarins in DC have real-world consequences.

Daniels understood this world. But, he’s out. However, based on growing on-line chatter, someone else from America’s shop-floor may be about to enter the race: Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, from Michigan.

(more…)

From the Associated Press:

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said early Sunday that he won’t run for president because of family considerations, narrowing the field in the race for the GOP nomination.

“In the end, I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one,” Daniels said, disclosing his decision in an e-mail to supporters. “The interests and wishes of my family, is the most important consideration of all. If I have disappointed you, I will always be sorry.”

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Republican Presidential contenders are melting like tourists on the Vegas Strip, without sunscreen, on a 117 degree day in July. Doesn’t anyone in the GOP actually want to run against the worst President in modern American history?

It can’t be Obama’s record that’s scaring Republicans. Obama is overseeing the worst economy since 1929…contributed heavily to the worst sovereign debt crisis in history…presiding over the worst collapse in real estate ever…helping to ensure the highest gas prices in history by refusing to allow oil drilling until recently…the list goes on and on. You’d think the Republican contenders would be licking their lips at running against that record? Instead they are falling by the wayside.

Let’s examine the carnage. This analyst and political pundit predicted Donald Trump’s political career was over three weeks ago when “The Donald” played casino pit boss and F-bombed his way through a Vegas speech. Have you ever heard of multiple F-bombs in a major political speech in by a Presidential contender? Unimaginable.

Forget the birth certificate controversy. Trump was still sitting high in the polls even after Obama released his birth certificate. But there was no escaping using multiple F-bombs on the biggest political stage. Not in a GOP filled with evangelical Christian voters, and parents who wash their children’s mouth out with soap for using that same word. Donald “F-bomb” Trump’s political career ended that day in Vegas.

What about Huckabee? A Presidential frontrunner, this former man of God couldn’t turn down fame and money. Huckabee proves even the Presidency isn’t as lucrative as a TV show on Fox News.

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I’m a Trump cheerleader. After 25 years as a lobbyist for Trump and Chairman of his 2000 Presidential Exploratory Committee, I like the man. I have studied mountains of polling conducted by the Trump casino interests studying the Trump brand for twenty years. I have studied the shocking new polls that show Trump vaulting to a lead over conventional politicians. A new PPP poll for Talking Points memo showed Trump leading the field.

Trump is a middle class phenomena. Middle aged, middle income, middle class voters are Trump’s core. Hispanic voters give him high favorable ratings as do African Americans and poor whites. The higher your level of education the more likely you are to loath Trump. If you are self-made you are 70% more likely to like Trump than if you have inherited money. Small businessmen like Trump, Wall Street Gekkos do not. The Apprentice has enhanced his standing because his short segments show him being cool, tough and decisive, things voters are looking for after the vacillation of Barrack Obama.

Trump appeals to the strivers. Trump lives as they would live if they were rich. Trump’s over the top lifestyle of the biggest and the best appeals to these voters. The Ivy League educated? Not so much. Old Money? Forget it. Trump appeals to the Perot and Buchanan voter suspicious of both parties. The Tea Party is a natural launching pad for Trump.

Now the Club for Growth is bashing Trump for positions he took ten years ago under far different circumstances. Trump favored a tax on the super-rich to kill the deficit. He was willing to pay himself. He is opposed to the idea today. Hard to imagine voters seeking consistency will switch to Mitt Romney who used to be a pro-abortion, pro gay marriage liberal.

Political operatives who come to work for Trump will soon realize he doesn’t need words put in his mouth and has a very clear sense of what he wants to say and do. Trump is soaring in the polls now because he is following his own populist instincts and expressing himself in street language the average person can understand.

It takes stature, money, energy and discipline to be elected President. Trump has the stature and the money, so far he has demonstrated the energy but whether he has the discipline to stay on his core themes and to parry the attacks on him without getting personal remains to be seen. Much of this furor is about the Trump brand. At last weekends Tea Party Tax rally in Boca Raton Trump asked his host if he should take off his trademark pastel tie for his speech. “No,” he was told, “you gotta look like you look on TV.”

There’s been a buzz the last few months about the possibility of Donald Trump running for President. You’d pretty much have to be living under a rock not to know that, or know that polls show there is at least serious curiosity about a Trump candidacy, and genuine interest amongst the GOP. The buzz has been fueled mostly by The Donald himself, but others have helped.

One “helper” is Michael Cohen, an employee of the Trump Organization who ABC News described as “Trump’s ‘pit bull.’” But that “pit bull” runs the risk of biting his master, and Trump would do well to muzzle him.

Cohen is a Democrat, a former supporter of President Obama and clueless to the ways of politics. He told ABC about his role in the Trump Organization:

“It means that if somebody does something Mr. Trump doesn’t like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trump’s benefit. If you do something wrong, I’m going to come at you, grab you by the neck and I’m not going to let you go until I’m finished.”

This interview was this year in a story about his desire that Trump run. While loyalty is to be admired, this is not exactly the smartest choice of words, to say the least.

Being loyal is one thing, being principled is another.

Cohen’s past as a liberal supporter of Obama and other Democrats (he’s donated to Senator Charles Schumer, for example) is not the best, or even a remotely smart way to endear yourself to conservatives.

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If Donald Trump runs for President, he should forgo public finance and federal matching funds not just because, as a mega-wealthy billionaire, he can, but because doing so would allow him to spend in the early primary and caucus state’s without federal limitation. A candidate who accepts matching funds also agrees to observe strict spending limits in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, and all the primary and caucus states. A candidate who self-funds and doesn’t accept Federal matching funds is under no such limitations.

Bypassing public finance, Trump can leverage his wealth to outspend his opponents in the early states, gaining a significant strategic advantage. Sadly, Trump advisor Michael Cohen, a vice president of the Trump organization, doesn’t seem to understand this. City Hall newspaper recently reported “Cohen said that Trump would raise money from average citizens, rather than just funnel his own money into a campaign.”He wants citizens in the country to have skin in the game,” he said.

While there is little doubt that Trump could raise maximum $2,600 contributions from many of his wealthy friends and supporters, it is truly questionable how many low-dollar donors he could muster. Who gives money to a billionaire?

To the extent that Trump’s wealthy friends wish to support him, they would be best off putting their money into a 527 organization, where they can give without limitation, rather than donating the lousy $2,600 they are limited to if they donate to an official Trump For President organization.

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From CNN Politics:

CNN has exclusively learned that Rep. Michele Bachmann will form a presidential exploratory committee. The Minnesota Republican plans to file papers for the committee in early June, with an announcement likely around that same time.

But a source close to the congresswoman said that Bachmann could form the exploratory committee even earlier than June so that she could participate in early Republican presidential debates.

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