BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ....

John Edwards Walks Free! Elizabeth Is Dead! So Sad! Double Jeopardy! R.I.P. Elizabeth (Videos)

2012-05-31T23:18:00.010-07:00

Edwards cleared of one charge; mistrial declared on other charges

Former presidential candidate John Edwards was found not guilty Thursday on one charge that he accepted illegal campaign contributions, and a federal judge declared a mistrial on five other charges when a jury deadlocked after nine days of deliberations.

A look of relief spread over Edwards' face as he learned that his year-long fight against government prosecutors appeared to be over, and he hugged his lawyers, his daughter Cate and his parents, who sat behind him in the courtroom for most of the trial.

"Thank goodness we live in a country that has the kind of system we have," Edwards said outside the courthouse before heading home.

Federal prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry Edwards on the five charges, but legal experts said it would be unlikely.

"They got almost every evidentiary ruling in this case in their favor (and) the jury instructions (were) in their favor. They couldn't try a better case, and having said all that, this jury was just very divided," said Kieran Shanahan, a Raleigh lawyer and former federal prosecutor who attended most of Edwards' trial. "It just makes very little sense, in my opinion, to try it a second time."

Shanahan noted that some key witnesses will never testify because they're either dead or too frail to appear, and other witnesses aren't credible enough to get a conviction. Also, he said, the evidence is too shaky when dealing with complex campaign finance laws, he said.

"It seems like the government's prosecution was pressing the outer edge of campaign finance law," he said.

Jurors declined to comment as they left the courthouse.

The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated for about 50 hours since May 18, and they told U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles that they had "exhausted every aspect" by late Thursday and couldn't come to an agreement.

Earlier in the afternoon, they sent a note indicating that they had "reached a decision" on all six charges.

When jurors were brought into the courtroom, however, the jury foreman stammered when Eagles asked if they had a unanimous verdict. He said they had one verdict, and the judge stopped him from commenting further.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell immediately asked that Eagles declare a mistrial on the five other charges since jurors were obviously deadlocked. Prosecutors opposed the motion, saying the jury needed to spend more time considering the case before giving up.

Eagles said she didn't want the jurors to feel like prisoners, but she asked them to continue deliberating on the remaining charges.

"It is your duty to agree on a unanimous verdict if you can do so without surrendering (your) conviction," she said. "It is possible you have already done what I am asking you to do."

Jury agrees on one charge

The charge that the jury was able to agree on alleged that Edwards accepted illegal campaign contributions from Virginia heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon in 2008. The charge involved two checks that Mellon routed through a friend to one-time Edwards aide Andrew Young that weren't cashed until after Edwards had dropped out of the 2008 presidential campaign.

The remaining charges involve alleged illegal contributions from Mellon in 2007 and from Texas trial lawyer Fred Baron in 2007 and 2008, filing false campaign finance reports and engaging in a criminal conspiracy.

The government alleged that Edwards, a former U.S. senator, masterminded a scheme to use nearly $1 million in secret payments from Mellon and Baron, his late campaign finance chairman, to hide his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, as he sought the White House.

Defense attorneys argued Edwards had little direct knowledge of the cover-up, which they say was directed by Baron and Young.

Young was the star prosecution witness, and he spent nearly five days on the witness stand – about one-third of the three weeks the government spent to present its case – outlining a sordid tale of politics, sex and money.

But Lowell painted Young as an experienced liar, noting inconsistencies between his testimony and what he had written in his tell-all book about Edwards' affair and failed campaign and said in previous interviews. He also pointed out that Young and his wife spent most of the money on an upscale home they were building near Chapel Hill and other personal expenses.

Young's wife and Mellon's friend, Charlotte interior decorator Bryan Huffman, described the scheme in which checks were funneled from Mellon through Huffman to the Youngs to pay for Hunter's expenses.

A string of former campaign staffers related to jurors stories about Edwards' relationships with Hunter and his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, and his efforts to cultivate Mellon as a donor. Defense attorneys suggested that some staffers were only interested in bringing Edwards down so they could write books about the case.

The defense maintained that any cover-up was aimed at keeping Elizabeth Edwards from knowing that the affair had continued long after John Edwards had told his wife it had ended and after Hunter had stopped working for his campaign. They argued that Mellon and Baron were merely trying to help a friend and would have provided him with money even if he weren't running for president.

Lowell and defense attorneys Allison van Laningham and Alan Duncan focused their three-day defense on the intricacies of federal campaign finance law, offering Edwards' former campaign financial officer and a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who said money from outsiders used to hide a candidate's affair aren't considered campaign contributions.

Edwards didn't testify in his defense, and neither prosecutors nor the defense called Hunter as a witness.

Edwards speaks publicly

After the mistrial was declared, Edwards made his first public statement since a grand jury indictment was announced last June 3.

"While I do not think I did anything illegal or ever thought I was doing anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong," he said. "There is no one else responsible for my sins – none of the people who came to court to testify are responsible, nobody working for the government is responsible. I am responsible."

Edwards also thanked the jurors for their service and thanked his parents, Wallace and Bobbie Edwards, for driving to Greensboro from their home in Robbins every day to support him. He also thanked his eldest daughter, Cate Edwards Upham, for her daily support as well and said he looked forward to spending time with his two other children with his late wife, Emma Claire and Jack.

He choked up when he mentioned the daughter he has with Hunter, proclaiming that he loves "my precious Quinn" more than anyone could imagine and that he was grateful for her.

Edwards concluded by saying he hopes to once again work on the anti-poverty efforts that were the cornerstone of his two campaigns for president.

"I don't think God's through with me. I really believe He thinks there's still some good things I can do," he said. "I want to dedicate my life to being the best dad I can be and to helping those kids who I think deserve help and whom I hope I can help."

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Sources: AP, Extra TV, GQ Magazine, WRAL, Google Maps

George W. Bush & His Texas-Sized White House Portrait (Videos)

2012-05-31T23:03:00.007-07:00

Bush thanks Obama for inviting his "rowdy friends" to portrait hanging

Former President George W. Bush brought a light-hearted tone to the unveiling of his official White House portrait on Thursday, winning over an audience of friends, family and former colleagues with jokes.

Standing beside his portrait after its unveiling in the White House East Room, Mr. Bush chided the cheering audience to quiet down and thanked President Obama "for inviting our rowdy friends to my hanging."

The new portrait "brings an interesting symmetry to the White House collection," the former president said. "It now starts and ends with a George W."

A portrait of former First Lady Laura Bush was also unveiled. Both will become part of the permanent White House collection.

It is a tradition for the sitting U.S. president to host a portrait unveiling for his immediate predecessor, and on Thursday, Mr. Obama had some jokes of his own.
Mr. Obama said he would always remember the kind words Mr. Bush had for him during the transition from one administration to the next. "Plus, you left me a really good TV sports package," the president said to laughs. "I use it."

Mr. Obama and Mr. Bush had only kind remarks for one another, with Mr. Obama noting, "We have our problems politically, but the presidency transcends these differences."

The current president noted that after three and a half years in office, he has "a deeper understanding" of the challenges his predecessor faced. He commended Mr. Bush for "conveying extraordinary strength and resolve" after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and for understanding that issues of national security and economic stability transcend partisan politics.

First Lady Michelle Obama thanked Laura Bush for serving as "a wonderful model of strength and grace" as first lady and as a mother. Mrs. Bush thanked the first family and joked, "Nothing makes a house a home like having portraits of its former occupants staring down at you."

Those in attendance for the unveiling included Vice President Joe Biden, Mr. Bush's daughters Jenna and Barbara, former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, Mr. Bush's former adviser Karl Rove, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The portrait of Mr. Bush shows the former president standing in the center of the Oval Office with his right hand resting on an armchair that was made for the White House in 1818. Over his right shoulder hangs a 1929 western painting, A Charge to Keep, by William H. D. Koerner. Mr. Bush used the same title for his 1999 memoir.

The portrait of Laura Bush shows the former first lady in the White House Green Room, which she helped refurbish in 2007.

The portraits were painted by John Howard Sanden, who received the first John Singer Sargent Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the American Society of Portrait Artists in 1994.

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Sources: CBS News, Google Maps

Mitt Romney Holds Presser In Front Of Solyndra! Romney Might Win In November! Wake Up Democrats!

2012-05-31T22:49:00.011-07:00

On Thursday Pres. Obama's Opponent Mitt Romney held a Secret Press Conference in front of the Closed Solyndra Plant Headquarters.

Dirty but Brilliant!

I can imagine Pres. Obama was probably steaming when he found out about it.

ITS NO LAUGHING MATTER!

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

In case you haven't noticed the GOP is NOT playing!

Now that its Official Romney has the Delegates needed to become the 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate, Wall Street, the Koch Brothers, Art Pope, the Tea Party, Rupert Murdoch & All that Big Republican Party Money will be used to help Romney Win.

And.....

Tea Partiers are going Hard to gain control of the U.S. Senate just as they took Control of the House back in 2010.

So while Democrats are scrambling like Ants to raise Money to remain Politically Relevant, the GOP is laughing all the way to the Bank!

I don't want to sound like a Killjoy but its the Democrats' Fault!

For 3 1/2 Years Democrats didn't do nearly enough to lower the National Unemployment rate or Stop Widespread Employment Discrimination aimed at BLACK & Latinos.

We can't blame the Filibustering GOP for everything because from January 2009 until January 2011 Democrats had Total Control of the House & Senate.

During that time frame Democrats could have done a lot more to focus on Jobs.

Well What about the Stimulus Package you ask?

And??
What about it????

When all the Smoke cleared about the Stimulus Hype, it was later discovered to be Nothing more than a Political Favor Payback Package.

A Political Payback Package which allocated less than 1% of StimulusFunding to Help BLACK-Owned Businesses.

To make matters worse Billions were Wasted by Governors like Bev Perdue (D-NC) who used it to plug up State Budget Deficits, rather than Create and Save Jobs.

Now BLACKS & Latinos who really want to give more to help Pres. Obama's campaign just CAN'T do it like they did it back in 2008.

However instead of Focusing on the Economy, Democrats are spending their time on Social Issues: ABORTION RIGHTS, Gender Selection ABORTION, Gay Marriage, etc.,

NOT Jobs!
NOT helping Small Businesses!
NOT the Economy!

SOCIAL ISSUES!

Who IS Laser-Focused on the Economy & Jobs?

Mitt Romney & his Uber Wealthy GOP Cronies that's Who!!

So how does it look for November 2012?

Let's just be REAL shall we?

Its NOT looking too good!

As it stands Romney & Pres. Obama are currently in a Dead Heat and Romney is gaining ground in Florida.

Pres. Obama's 2008 Campaign's Strategy will NOT work in 2012.

But Romney & his Uber Wealthy GOP Supporters are READY!

Is it still possible for Pres. Obama to Win again?

Its Possible but it doesn't look too good!

NO It doesn't look good at all.

Its also possible that Mitt Romney may Win.

If Romney takes Florida in November, its a Wrap!

Please don't call me Pessimistic because I'm just keeping it REAL.

It doesn't look good at all.

If Democrats want to Win in November they Need to Focus More on the Economy,
Jobs, Small Businesses, Voting Rights & Stopping Widespread Employment Discrimination aimed at BLACKS & Latinos!!

Democrat Leaders Need to get their Heads out of the Clouds!

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Its NO Laughing Matter!

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Sources: CBS News, Google Maps

Donald Trump vs Wolf Blitzer: Wolf Calls Donald "Ridiculous!"

2012-05-29T20:00:00.005-07:00

Blitzer and Trump go at it over Trump's 'birther' claims

Donald Trump did not back down Tuesday from his questioning of President Barack Obama's birthplace, instead arguing heatedly with CNN's Wolf Blitzer that "a lot of people do not think it was an authentic certificate," though he declined to offer names of experts who agree with him.

The issue of Obama's birth - litigated in the 2008 presidential campaign, then settled when the Obama White House released the longform version of the certificate in April 2011 - is being brought to the fore in no small part by Trump, who is also set to fundraise alongside presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney Tuesday evening.

On CNN's "The Situation Room" Tuesday, Trump maintained that Obama's birthplace is a matter of opinion, rather than fact.

"Everybody's entitled to your opinion," he said. "You know my opinion and you know his opinion and that's fine. We're entitled - as he said yesterday in the airplane - we're all entitled to our opinions and he's entitled to have his opinion. I don't happen to share that opinion, it's wonderful."

Blitzer presented Trump with newspaper announcements of Obama's birth from 1961.

Trump interrupted, "Can you stop defending Obama?"

"Donald, you're beginning to sound a little ridiculous, I have to tell you," Blitzer replied.

"You are, Wolf," Trump fired back. "Let me tell you something, I think you sound ridiculous."

Trump then alleged that the practice of filing U.S. birth announcements for an overseas birth was commonplace, though he offered no evidence.

"Many people put those announcements in because they wanted to get the benefits of being so-called born in this country," Trump said. "Many people did it."

Obama's longform birth certificate showed he was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961 and was acknowledged as authentic by state officials. Natural born American citizenship is one of the Constitutional requirements for the presidency.

"Is it the most important thing?" Trump asked in an interview earlier on Tuesday. "In a way it is. You're not allowed to be the president if you're not born in the country."

Trump finds himself at odds with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose spokeswoman pointed out in an email statement that "Governor Romney has said repeatedly that he believes President Obama was born in the United States."

But Romney made no effort to distance himself from the comments, even when presented with the opportunity by reporters on Monday.

"You know, I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in," Romney said when asked about the issue. "But I need to get 50.1% or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people."

Trump said he has not spoken about the birther issue with Romney

"I haven't talked to Mitt Romney about it," he said. "What I speak to Mitt Romney about is jobs. What I speak to Mitt Romney about is China, because he's got a great view on China and how they're taking our jobs and taking our product and manipulating their currency so it makes it almost impossible for our companies to compete."

Trump spoke by phone with Blitzer in the interview from Las Vegas, where he and Romney will fundraise with former GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Obama's campaign released a web video on Tuesday that said the 2008 GOP nominee "John McCain stood up to the voices of extremism in his party… Why won't Mitt Romney do the same?" In the video, McCain is seen addressing a woman who called Obama an "Arab," saying, "He's a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with."

The president's deputy campaign manager suggested Romney's alliance with Trump in light of the tycoon's statements calls into question how he would serve as president.

"Mitt Romney's continued embrace of Donald Trump and refusal to condemn his disgraceful conspiracy theories demonstrates his complete lack of moral leadership," Stephanie Cutter said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. "If Mitt Romney lacks the backbone to stand up to a charlatan like Donald Trump because he's so concerned about lining his campaign's pockets, what does that say about the kind of President he would be?"

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday the White House was forced to address the issue last year, "but not because we chose to, but because it was such a ridiculous distraction from the important business that we should be doing here that the president is committed to doing and Congress should be doing to help the economy grow and help it create jobs."

"We can revisit that but I think the American people are pretty fed up with this kind of nonsense," he said.

As evidence of his claims, Trump pointed to a biographical note published in the 1990s by Obama's literary agent, which said Obama was born in Kenya.

The literary agent recently apologized for the mistake.

Sources: CNN

Mitt Romney Takes Texas & Scores 2012 GOP Presidential Nomination! Its ON Now!

2012-05-29T19:19:00.009-07:00

Its Official!

After winning the Texas Primary this evening, Mitt Romney is now the Official 2012 GOP Presidential Nominee.

Tonight's win allows Romney to clinch the required 1,144 Delegates to become his Party's Nominee.

He just needs to formally accept the Nomination at the GOP Convention this Summer in Tampa, Florida.

Last Week Wall Street Dumped Pres. Obama in Favor of Mitt Romney.

In 2008 Wall Street Dumped Senator John McCain in Favor of Barack Obama.

Now that Romney's Nomination is secure, Its ON between He and Pres. Obama!!

People please Read the Issues.

Investigate Each Candidate's Public Record & Benevolence Records.

Check Out Each Candidate's Proposed Policies.

See You At The Polls In November.

May the Best Candidate Win!

VOTE INTELLIGENTLY!

ITS ON NOW!!!

Romney hits 'magic number' for GOP nomination

Mitt Romney hit his party's "magic number" on Tuesday, unofficially clinching the Republican presidential nomination in a race he entered as the front-runner and has had to himself for weeks.

Romney led the pack when he announced his second run for the White House last June, and he has watched his rivals for the nomination slowly trickle out as their own wins looked increasingly unlikely.

The delegates to put him over the 1,144 necessary for the GOP nomination came in Texas, the lone state to vote this week.

Romney entered the day 78 delegates away from the magic number, and on Tuesday CNN projected he would win the state's GOP presidential primary, where 152 of the state's 155 delegates were at stake.

On Tuesday, Romney said he was humbled to have secured the requisite delegates to become the GOP nominee.

"I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled to have won enough delegates to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee," Romney wrote. "Our party has come together with the goal of putting the failures of the last 3½ years behind us.

I have no illusions about the difficulties of the task before us.

But whatever challenges lie ahead, we will settle for nothing less than getting America back on the path to full employment and prosperity.

On November 6, I am confident that we will unite as a country and begin the hard work of fulfilling the American promise and restoring our country to greatness."

He has been the presumptive nominee for weeks, but will not be the official party nominee until the Republican National Convention, set to be held the week of August 27 in Tampa, Florida.

Romney launched his campaign on a warm day last June, telling his supporters gathered at a New Hampshire farm that "Barack Obama has failed America."

"From my first day in office my No. 1 job will be to see that America once again is No.1 in job creation," he said.

The early primary battleground state would play an important role in his campaign.

He initially invested more in New Hampshire than the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa, which he eventually lost by a small margin to former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.

New England voters have long been familiar with Romney, even before his 2008 presidential bid. He served as governor of Massachusetts between 2003 and 2007.

Texas figured into this presidential race long before the first votes cast on Tuesday.

One of the three factors in Santorum's April decision to end his presidential bid was a decision by Texas Republicans not to change their proportional delegate model to a winner-take-all system, which -- if he had stayed in the race and won the state -- could have given him a boost and held back Romney's delegate accumulation.

Two of Romney's rivals in the once-crowded field are from Texas. Texas Gov. Rick Perry exited the race two days before the mid-January primary in South Carolina after a disappointing fifth-place finish in Iowa and his decision to stop campaigning in the second state to vote, New Hampshire.

Earlier this month, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas said he would no longer actively campaign for the Republican nomination, effectively ending his third run for the Oval Office with 122 delegates.

When Santorum, Paul and others were still in the race, talk of a contested convention swirled and it seemed to some a realistic possibility that Romney might not reach the magic number before the last state voted in June.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich vowed to push his bid onward to the convention unless Romney were to clinch the nomination earlier.

He told reporters in late March that if Romney "does not have a majority [of delegates], I think you'll then have one of the most interesting, open conventions in American history." He suspended his bid in early May, and on Tuesday was to appear with Romney at a fundraiser in Las Vegas.

The earliest contests weeded out Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who won the Iowa straw poll last summer but finished sixth in its January caucuses, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who ended his bid before the South Carolina vote after falling short in New Hampshire.

Others dropped out before the voting began. Businessman Herman Cain's once-unlikely rise ended in December amid allegations of sexual misbehavior.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty dropped out months earlier, in August, after the high stakes Ames, Iowa, straw poll.

Romney, who becomes the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major party, previously sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2008.

He dropped out after Super Tuesday, which allocated 1,020 delegates from 21 states. The Texas primary in early March of that year gave Sen. John McCain of Arizona the necessary delegates to seal up the GOP nomination.

In his 2008 convention speech, Romney spoke about many of the same themes that are prominent in his campaign this cycle, including a call "to rein in government spending, lower taxes, take a weed wacker to excessive regulation and mandates ... pursue every source of energy security, from new efficiencies to renewables, from coal to non-CO2 producing nuclear and for the immediate drilling for more oil off our shores."

President Barack Obama faced no national competition for the Democratic presidential nomination, and CNN projected he accumulated the 2,778 necessary delegates on April 3.

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Sources: CBS News, CNN, PBS News, Youtube, Google Maps

Wall Street "Fat Cats" Heart Romney But Warren Buffet Hearts Obama

2012-05-29T18:51:00.010-07:00

Wall Street ditches Obama, backs Romney

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned -- but what about a Wall Street titan?

Deep-pocketed financiers have abandoned President Obama and are flocking to Mitt Romney in droves, providing more donations to his campaign than any other industry except retired workers. (And that's not really an industry.)

Individuals who work in the securities and investment industry have given the Romney campaign $8.5 million through the end of April, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Over the same time period, Obama has brought in only $3 million from securities and investment workers, and the industry is only the campaign's fifth largest source of funds.

"They have basically ditched Obama," said John Dunbar, the managing editor for politics at the Center for Public Integrity. "Romney is just a much friendlier candidate if you are a banker."

The absence of Wall Street love is a departure from the norm for the Obama campaign. In 2008, then-Senator Obama raised almost $16 million from Wall Street.

John McCain, the Republican nominee, received donations totaling only $9 million.

The shift is evident even within specific firms.

The employees of Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500), who have traditionally given more money to Democratic candidates, have donated more to Romney's campaign than any other firm.

Meanwhile, individuals associated with Goldman have given far less to Obama this cycle, even after he milked the bank for $1 million in 2008 -- or four times McCain's haul.

Goldman isn't an isolated case. The top six spots on Romney's donor list are all financial firms, with Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500), Credit Suisse (CS) and Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) following Goldman.

Of the top 20 organizations and businesses with donors who contributed to the Obama campaign, not one is a bank or investment firm, according to Center for Responsive Politics data.

The dwindling donations underscore intense feelings of dissatisfaction that some on Wall Street feel toward the White House, both in terms of the rhetoric used and the policies pursued by the president.

"Wall Street has taken some of the blame for the financial crisis," said Viveca Novak of the Center for Responsive Politics. "The result of that has been increased oversight and regulation -- two things that are never popular."

Early in his presidency, Obama chastised "fat cat" bankers who took large bonuses during the financial crisis.

He then worked to pass a financial reform law that included restrictions on banks that some in the industry find onerous, especially the so-called Volcker Rule that would limit some types of trading activity.

After a period when it looked like the relationship between big business and the White House was on the mend, new fissures appeared as the president embraced the rhetoric of income inequality.

Obama discussed the growing wealth gap in a series of high-profile speeches, including his most recent State of the Union address.

With the general election campaign now fully underway, Obama has been more specific in his attacks on Romney, and much emphasis has been put on the former governor's career at Bain Capital.

The president's words and the campaign's advertisements have not cast private equity in a flattering light. Vice President Joe Biden said last week that a career in private equity "no more qualifies you to be president than being a plumber."

Dunbar said the escalating rhetoric is a sign that the White House has "made a calculated decision" to "go to war" with Romney over Bain. "They've decided to burn the bridge and go after Wall Street.

They have decided to rely on populism."

The industry, by all accounts, is not enjoying its thrashing from the president.

On the same day that the Obama launched its campaign against Mitt Romney and Bain Capital, the president attended a fundraiser at the Manhattan home of Tony James, the president of private equity firm Blackstone (BX).

Fortune reported that the president didn't specifically mention private equity, and the attendees, who had paid $35,800 per plate, didn't ask.

Two power players who are even closer to the White House, ex-auto czar Steven Rattner and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, have come to the industry's defense, complicating matters for the president.

Asked last week about his campaign's attacks on Bain Capital, Obama walked a fine line, saying that there "are folks who do good work in that area" but "their priority is to maximize profits."

"When you're president, as opposed to the head of a private equity firm, then your job is not simply to maximize profits," Obama said. "Your job is to figure out how everybody in the country has a fair shot."

The breakdown of decorum between Wall Street and the White House sharply reduces the odds that Obama will be able to match Romney's fundraising totals from industry players.

But given the substantial investments the White House has made in its so-called ground game, dwindling funds from Wall Street won't necessarily leave the campaign cash-strapped. Many observers still expect Obama to raise a cool $1 billion by November.

Still, the attacks could push a wealthy donor to make a substantial contribution to a pro-Romney super PAC -- groups that can accept and spend unlimited money.
One pro-Romney super PAC, Restore Our Future, has already raised more than $20 million from individuals and organizations associated with the securities and investment industry.

Obama's super PAC, Priorities USA Action, has received only $218,500 from the same group.

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Sources: CNN, NBC, The Atlantic, Youtube, Google Maps

Toni Morrison Receives Medal Of Freedom Along With 12 Other Great Americans; CONGRATULATIONS!

2012-05-29T18:35:00.005-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

‎2012 Presidential Medal Of Freedom Honorees:

Toni Morrison - Celebrated American novelist

Madeleine Albright - 64th U.S. Secretary of State, the first woman to hold that position

John Doar - Former Justice Department official that led federal efforts to protect and enforce civil rights during the 1960s

Bob Dylan - Influential American musician

William Foege - Physician and epidemiologist that lead the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s

John Glenn - Former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut and United States Senator

Gordon Hirabayashi - He openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II

Dolores Huerta - Notable human right activist and co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962

Jan Karski - Officer in the Polish Underground during World War II and carried among the first eye-witness accounts of the Holocaust to the world

Juliette Gordon Low - Founded the Girl Scouts in 1912

Shimon Peres - Advocate for Israel's security and for peace

John Paul Stevens - Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010

Pat Summitt - All-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history

Remarks by the President at Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Everybody, please have a seat, and welcome to the White House. It is an extraordinary pleasure to be here with all of you to present this year’s Medals of Freedom. And I have to say, just looking around the room, this is a packed house, which is a testament to how cool this group is. (Laughter.) Everybody wanted to check them out.

This is the highest civilian honor this country can bestow, which is ironic, because nobody sets out to win it. No one ever picks up a guitar, or fights a disease, or starts a movement, thinking, “You know what, if I keep this up, in 2012, I could get a medal in the White House from a guy named Barack Obama.” (Laughter.) That wasn’t in the plan.

But that’s exactly what makes this award so special. Every one of today’s honorees is blessed with an extraordinary amount of talent. All of them are driven. But, yes, we could fill this room many times over with people who are talented and driven. What sets these men and women apart is the incredible impact they have had on so many people -- not in short, blinding bursts, but steadily, over the course of a lifetime.

Together, the honorees on this stage, and the ones who couldn’t be here, have moved us with their words; they have inspired us with their actions. They’ve enriched our lives and they’ve changed our lives for the better. Some of them are household names; others have labored quietly out of the public eye. Most of them may never fully appreciate the difference they’ve made or the influence that they’ve had, but that’s where our job comes in. It’s our job to help let them know how extraordinary their impact has been on our lives. And so today we present this amazing group with one more accolade for a life well led, and that’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

So I’m going to take an opportunity -- I hope you guys don’t mind -- to brag about each of you, starting with Madeleine Albright.

Usually, Madeleine does the talking. (Laughter.) Once in a while, she lets her jewelry do the talking. (Laughter.) When Saddam Hussein called her a “snake,” she wore a serpent on her lapel -- (laughter) -- the next time she visited Baghdad. When Slobodan Milosevic referred to her as a “goat,” a new pin appeared in her collection.

As the first woman to serve as America’s top diplomat, Madeleine’s courage and toughness helped bring peace to the Balkans and paved the way for progress in some of the most unstable corners of the world. And as an immigrant herself -- the granddaughter of Holocaust victims who fled her native Czechoslovakia as a child -- Madeleine brought a unique perspective to the job. This is one of my favorite stories. Once, at a naturalization ceremony, an Ethiopian man came up to her and said, “Only in America can a refugee meet the Secretary of State.” And she replied, “Only in America can a refugee become the Secretary of State.” (Laughter.) We’re extraordinarily honored to have Madeleine here. And obviously, I think it’s fair to say I speak for one of your successors who is so appreciative of the work you did and the path that you laid.

It was a scorching hot day in 1963, and Mississippi was on the verge of a massacre. The funeral procession for Medgar Evers had just disbanded, and a group of marchers was throwing rocks at a line of equally defiant and heavily-armed policemen. And suddenly, a white man in shirtsleeves, hands raised, walked towards the protestors and talked them into going home peacefully. And that man was John Doar. He was the face of the Justice Department in the South. He was proof that the federal government was listening. And over the years, John escorted James Meredith to the University of Mississippi. He walked alongside the Selma-to-Montgomery March. He laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the words of John Lewis, “He gave [civil rights workers] a reason not to give up on those in power.” And he did it by never giving up on them. And I think it's fair to say that I might not be here had it not been for his work.

Bob Dylan started out singing other people’s songs. But, as he says, “There came a point where I had to write what I wanted to say, because what I wanted to say, nobody else was writing.” So born in Hibbing, Minnesota -- a town, he says, where “you couldn’t be a rebel -- it was too cold” -- (laughter) -- Bob moved to New York at age 19. By the time he was 23, Bob’s voice, with its weight, its unique, gravelly power was redefining not just what music sounded like, but the message it carried and how it made people feel. Today, everybody from Bruce Springsteen to U2 owes Bob a debt of gratitude. There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music. All these years later, he’s still chasing that sound, still searching for a little bit of truth. And I have to say that I am a really big fan. (Laughter.)

In the 1960s, more than 2 million people died from smallpox every year. Just over a decade later, that number was zero -- 2 million to zero, thanks, in part, to Dr. Bill Foege. As a young medical missionary working in Nigeria, Bill helped develop a vaccination strategy that would later be used to eliminate smallpox from the face of the Earth. And when that war was won, he moved on to other diseases, always trying to figure out what works. In one remote Nigerian village, after vaccinating 2,000 people in a single day, Bill asked the local chief how he had gotten so many people to show up. And the chief explained that he had told everyone to come see -- to “come to the village and see the tallest man in the world.” (Laughter.) Today, that world owes that really tall man a great debt of gratitude.

On the morning that John Glenn blasted off into space, America stood still. And for half an hour, the phones stopped ringing in Chicago police headquarters, and New York subway drivers offered a play-by-play account over the loudspeakers. President Kennedy interrupted a breakfast with congressional leaders and joined 100 million TV viewers to hear the famous

words, “Godspeed, John Glenn.” The first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn became a hero in every sense of the word, but he didn't stop there serving his country. As a senator, he found new ways to make a difference. And on his second trip into space at age 77, he defied the odds once again. But he reminds everybody, don’t tell him he’s lived a historic life. He says, “Are living.” He’ll say, “Don’t put it in the past tense.” He’s still got a lot of stuff going on.

Gordon Hirabayashi knew what it was like to stand alone. As a student at the University of Washington, Gordon was one of only three Japanese Americans to defy the executive order that forced thousands of families to leave their homes, their jobs, and their civil rights behind and move to internment camps during World War II. He took his case all the way to the Supreme Court, and he lost. And it would be another 40 years before that decision was reversed, giving Asian Americans everywhere a small measure of justice. In Gordon’s words, “It takes a crisis to tell us that unless citizens are willing to standup for the [Constitution], it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.” And this country is better off because of citizens like him who are willing to stand up.

Similarly, when Cesar Chavez sat Dolores Huerta down at his kitchen table and told her they should start a union, she thought he was joking. She was a single mother of seven children, so she obviously didn’t have a lot of free time. But Dolores had been an elementary school teacher and remembered seeing children come to school hungry and without shoes. So in the end, she agreed -- and workers everywhere are glad that she did. Without any negotiating experience, Dolores helped lead a worldwide grape boycott that forced growers to agree to some of the country’s first farm worker contracts. And ever since, she has fought to give more people a seat at the table. “Don’t wait to be invited,” she says, “Step in there.” And on a personal note, Dolores was very gracious when I told her I had stolen her slogan, “Si, se puede.” Yes, we can. (Laughter.) Knowing her, I’m pleased that she let me off easy -- (laughter) -- because Dolores does not play. (Laughter.)

For years, Jan Karski’s students at Georgetown University knew he was a great professor; what they didn't realize was he was also a hero. Fluent in four languages, possessed of a photographic memory, Jan served as a courier for the Polish resistance during the darkest days of World War II. Before one trip across enemy lines, resistance fighters told him that Jews were being murdered on a massive scale, and smuggled him into the Warsaw Ghetto and a Polish death camp to see for himself. Jan took that information to President Franklin Roosevelt, giving one of the first accounts of the Holocaust and imploring to the world to take action. It was decades before Jan was ready to tell his story. By then, he said, “I don’t need courage anymore. So I teach compassion.”

Growing up in Georgia in the late 1800s, Juliette Gordon Low was not exactly typical. She flew airplanes. She went swimming. She experimented with electricity for fun. (Laughter.) And she recognized early on that in order to keep up with the changing times, women would have to be prepared. So at age 52, after meeting the founder of the Boy Scouts in England, Juliette came home and called her cousin and said, “I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world. And we’re going to start it tonight!” A century later, almost 60 million Girl Scouts have gained leadership skills and self-confidence through the organization that she founded. They include CEOs, astronauts, my own Secretary of State. And from the very beginning, they have also included girls of different races and faiths and abilities, just the way that Juliette would have wanted it.

Toni Morrison -- she is used to a little distraction. As a single mother working at a publishing company by day, she would carve out a little time in the evening to write, often with her two sons pulling on her hair and tugging at her earrings. Once, a baby spit up on her tablet so she wrote around it. (Laughter.) Circumstances may not have been ideal, but the words that came out were magical. Toni Morrison's prose brings us that kind of moral and emotional intensity that few writers ever attempt. From “Song of Solomon” to “Beloved,” Toni reaches us deeply, using a tone that is lyrical, precise, distinct, and inclusive. She believes that language “arcs toward the place where meaning might lie.” The rest of us are lucky to be following along for the ride.

During oral argument, Justice John Paul Stevens often began his line of questioning with a polite, “May I interrupt?” or “May I ask a question?” You can imagine the lawyers would say, "okay" -- (laughter) -- after which he would, just as politely, force a lawyer to stop dancing around and focus on the most important issues in the case. And that was his signature style: modest, insightful, well-prepared, razor-sharp. He is the third-longest serving Justice in the history of the Court. And Justice Stevens applied, throughout his career, his clear and graceful manner to the defense of individual rights and the rule of law, always favoring a pragmatic solution over an ideological one. Ever humble, he would happily comply when unsuspecting tourists asked him to take their picture in front of the Court. (Laughter.) And at his vacation home in Florida, he was John from Arlington, better known for his world-class bridge game than his world-changing judicial opinions. Even in his final days on the bench, Justice Stevens insisted he was still “learning on the job.” But in the end, we are the ones who have learned from him.

When a doctor first told Pat Summitt she suffered from dementia, she almost punched him. When a second doctor advised her to retire, she responded, “Do you know who you’re dealing with here?” (Laughter.) Obviously, they did not. As Pat says, “I can fix a tractor, mow hay, plow a field, chop tobacco, fire a barn, and call the cows. But what I’m really known for is winning.” In 38 years at Tennessee, she racked up eight national championships and more than 1,000 wins -- understand, this is more than any college coach, male or female, in the history of the NCAA. And more importantly, every player that went through her program has either graduated or is on her way to a degree. That’s why anybody who feels sorry for Pat will find themselves on the receiving end of that famous glare, or she might punch you. (Laughter.) She’s still getting up every day and doing what she does best, which is teaching. “The players,” she says, “are my best medicine.”

Our final honoree is not here -- Shimon Peres, the President of Israel, who has done more for the cause of peace in the Middle East than just about anybody alive. I’ll be hosting President Peres for a dinner here at the White House next month, and we’ll be presenting him with his medal and honoring his incredible contributions to the state of Israel and the world at that time. So I’m looking forward to welcoming him. And if it’s all right with you, I will save my best lines about him for that occasion.

So these are the recipients of the 2012 Medals of Freedom. And just on a personal note, I had a chance to see everybody in the back. What’s wonderful about these events for me is so many of these people are my heroes individually. I know how they impacted my life.

I remember reading “Song of Solomon” when I was a kid and not just trying to figure out how to write, but also how to be and how to think. And I remember in college listening to Bob Dylan and my world opening up because he captured something that -- about this country that was so vital. And I think about Dolores Huerta, reading about her when I was starting off as an organizer.

Everybody on this stage has marked my life in profound ways. And I was telling -- somebody like Pat Summitt -- when I think about my two daughters, who are tall and gifted, and knowing that because of folks like Coach Summitt they’re standing up straight and diving after loose balls and feeling confident and strong, then I understand that the impact that these people have had extends beyond me. It will continue for generations to come. What an extraordinary honor to be able to say thank you to all of them for the great work that they have done on behalf of this country and on behalf of the world.

So it is now my great honor to present them with a small token of our appreciation. (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: Presidential Medal of Freedom citations:

Madeleine Korbel Albright. Madeleine Korbel Albright broke barriers and left an indelible mark on the world as the first female Secretary of State in the United States’ history. Through her consummate diplomacy and steadfast democratic ideals, Secretary Albright advanced peace in the Middle East, nuclear arms control, justice in the Balkans, and human rights around the world. With unwavering leadership and continued engagement with the global community, she continues her noble pursuit of freedom and dignity for all people.

THE PRESIDENT: I think this goes very well with your broach. (Laughter.)

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: John Doar. As African Americans strove for justice, John Doar led federal efforts to defend equality and enforce civil rights. Risking his life to confront the injustices around him, he prevented a violent riot, obtained convictions for the killings of civil rights activists, and stood by the first African American student at the University of Mississippi on his first day of class. During pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement and in the troubled times of the Watergate scandal, John Doar fought to protect the core values of liberty, equality and democracy that have made America a leader among nations.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: Bill Foege.

THE PRESIDENT: He is pretty tall. (Laughter.)

MILITARY AIDE: A distinguished physician and epidemiologist, Bill Foege helped lead a campaign to eradicate smallpox that stands among medicine’s greatest success stories. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Carter Center, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he has taken on humanity’s most intractable public health challenges from infectious diseases to child survival and development. Bill Foege has driven decades of progress to safeguard the well-being of all, and he has inspired a generation of leaders in the fight for a healthier world.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

John Glenn has set a peerless example through his service to our nation. As a Marine Corps pilot and the first American to orbit the Earth, he sparked our passions for ingenuity and adventure and lifted humanity’s ambitions into the expanses of space. In the United States Senate, he worked tirelessly to ensure all Americans had the opportunity to reach for limitless dreams. Whether by advancing legislation to limit the spread of nuclear weapons or by becoming the oldest person ever to visit space, John Glenn’s example has moved us all to look to new horizons with drive and optimism.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

Susan Carnahan, accepting on behalf of her husband Gordon Kiyoshi Hirabayashi. In his open defiance of discrimination against Japanese Americans during World War II, Gordon Kiyoshi Hirabayashi demanded our nation live up to its founding principles. Imprisoned for ignoring curfew and refusing to register for internment camps, he took his case to the Supreme Court, which ruled against him in 1943. Refusing to abandon his belief in an America that stands for fundamental human rights, he pursued justice until his conviction was overturned in 1987. Gordon Hirabayashi's legacy reminds us that patriotism is rooted not in ethnicity, but in our shared ideals. And his example will forever call on us to defend the liberty of all our citizens.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta. One of America's great labor and civil rights icons, Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta has devoted her life to advocating for marginalized communities. Alongside Cesar Chavez, she co-founded the United Farm Workers of America and fought to secure basic rights for migrant workers and their families, helping save thousands from neglect and abuse. Dolores Huerta has never lost faith in the power of community organizing, and through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, she continues to train and mentor new activists to walk the streets into history.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

Adam Daniel Rotfeld, former Polish foreign minister accepting on behalf of Jan Karski. As a young officer in the Polish Underground, Jan Karski was among the first to relay accounts of the Holocaust to the world. A witness to atrocity in the Warsaw Ghetto and the Nazi Izbica transit camp, he repeatedly crossed enemy line to document the face of genocide, and courageously voiced tragic truths all the way to President Roosevelt. Jan Karski illuminated one of the darkest chapters of history, and his heroic intervention on behalf of the innocent will never be forgotten.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

Richard Platt, accepting on behalf of his great aunt, Juliette Gordon Low. An artist, athlete and trailblazer for America's daughters, Juliette Gordon Low founded an organization to teach young women self-reliance and resourcefulness. A century later, during the "Year of the Girl," the Girl Scouts' more than 3 million members are leaders in their communities and are translating new skills into successful careers. Americans of all backgrounds continue to draw inspiration from Juliette Gordon Low's remarkable vision, and we celebrate her dedication to empowering girls everywhere.

(The medal is presented. Applause.)

Toni Morrison. The first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize, Toni Morrison is one of our nation's most distinguished storytellers. She has captivated readers through lyrical prose that depicts the complexities of a people and challenges our concepts of race and gender. Her works are hallmarks of the American literary tradition, and the United States proudly honors her for her nursing of souls and strengthening the character of our union.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

John Paul Stevens. From the Navy to the bench, John Paul Stevens has devoted himself to service to our nation. After earning a Bronze Star in World War II, Stevens returned home to pursue a career in law. As an attorney, he became a leading practitioner of anti-trust law. And as a Supreme Court Justice, he dedicated his long and distinguished tenure to applying our Constitution with fidelity and independence. His integrity, humility, and steadfast commitment to the rule of law have fortified the noble vision of our nation’s founders.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

Pat Summitt. Pat Summitt is an unparalleled figure in collegiate sports. Over 38 seasons, she proudly led the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers to 32 SEC tournament and regular season championships and eight national titles, becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history. On the court, Coach Summitt inspired young women across our country to shoot even higher in pursuit of their dreams. Off the court, she has inspired us all by turning her personal struggle into a public campaign to combat Alzheimer’s disease. Pat Summitt’s strength and character exemplify all that is best about athletics in America.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

Bob Dylan. A modern-day troubadour, Bob Dylan established himself as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. The rich poetry of his lyrics opened up new possibilities for popular song and inspired generations. His melodies have brought ancient traditions into the modern age. More than 50 years after his career began, Bob Dylan remains an eminent voice in our national conversation and around the world.

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Can everybody please stand and give a rousing applause to our Medal of Freedom winners? (Applause.)

Well, we could not be prouder of all of them. We could not be more grateful to all of them. You have had an impact on all of us, and I know that you will continue to have an impact on all of us. So thank you for being here. Thank you for putting yourself through White House ceremonies -- (laughter) -- which are always full of all kinds of protocol.

Fortunately, we also have a reception afterwards. I hear the food around here is pretty good. (Laughter.) So I look forward to all of you having a chance to stay and mingle, and again, thank you again, to all of you. (Applause.)

Sources: AP, MSNBC, White House.gov

Obama's Camp Slams Romney For Refusing To Repudiate Trump's Birther Remarks

2012-05-29T12:28:00.008-07:00

Obama campaign: Why doesn't Romney push back against Trump ‘birther’ questions?

President Barack Obama's campaign is highlighting what they call Mitt Romney's "refusal" to condemn Donald Trump's continued highlighting of the "birther" conspiracy.

The release of a new video by the president's re-election team Tuesday morning comes a few hours after Romney appeared to downplay Trump's comments, and a few hours before Romney teams up with Trump at the business magnate and reality TV star's hotel in Las Vegas for a fundraiser for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Asked on his charter plane Monday night whether Trump's questioning of Obama's birthplace gave him pause, Romney said he was grateful for all his supporters.

"You know, I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in," Romney said. "But I need to get 50.1% or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people."

Romney has said in the past that he firmly believes Obama was born in Hawaii, and is thus constitutionally eligible to be president.

Trump, however, is decidedly less sure. The "Apprentice" host has been a vocal proponent of the "birther" conspiracy going back several years. And early last year, as Trump flirted with his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination, he claimed he had "investigators" looking into Obama's records in Hawaii.

The president released the long-form version of his birth certificate in April 2011, showing he was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.

Soon after it was released, Trump announced he would not make a bid for the GOP nomination.

The new video by the Obama campaign contrasts Romney with Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the last Republican presidential nominee. The video starts by saying "As Republican nominee, John McCain stood up to the voices of extremism in his party."

Then McCain is seen in clips from the 2008 presidential campaign pushing back against supporters’ claims that Obama wasn't an American. In one of the clips, a woman speaking to McCain at a campaign event says, "I have read about him, he's an Arab.” McCain shakes his head and responds "No ma’am, no ma’am. He's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with."

The video then asks, "Why won't Mitt Romney do the same" and proceeds to highlight clips of Trump over the past year questioning whether the president was born in the United States.

Trump will join Romney and former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich for a campaign fund-raiser in Las Vegas on Tuesday evening. Romney's campaign is also raffling a chance to have dinner with the celebrity businessman for supporters who donate $3 to the campaign.

"I want you: Dine with the Donald," a campaign flier proclaims, along with a drawing of Trump in the pose of Uncle Sam.

Trump once again raised questions about Obama's birthplace last week, including in an interview published Friday with The Daily Beast.

"Look, it's very simple," Trump said in the interview. "A book publisher came out three days ago and said that in his written synopsis of his book."

The interview continued, "He said he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. His mother never spent a day in the hospital."

Trump was referring to a literary agency that, in a promotional catalogue from the 1990s, listed Obama has having been born in Kenya. An employee of the agency recently acknowledged that it was her mistake.

But Trump isn't buying it.

"Now they're saying it was a mistake," he told the Daily Beast. "Just like his Kenyan grandmother said he was born in Kenya, and she pointed down the road to the hospital, and after people started screaming at her she said, 'Oh, I mean Hawaii.' Give me a break."

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Sources: CNN, TPM, Youtube, Google Maps

Chris Hayes Criticized & Defended By Right And Left Wing Pundits ("Fallen Soldiers" Comments)

2012-05-29T12:17:00.006-07:00

MSNBC host slammed for comment

After apologizing for questioning whether military casualties could be labeled heroes, the dust is still settling over an MSBC host's comments that quickly set off a firestorm this Memorial Day weekend.

Chris Hayes, who hosts the Sunday program "UP with Chris Hayes," said in a long discussion on military service that he was "uncomfortable" with using the word "heroes" to describe those who die in combat.

"I think it's interesting because it is I think very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words 'heroes'," he said Sunday.

He went on: "And why do I feel so (un)comfortable about the world 'hero'? I feel uncomfortable about the word 'hero' because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war."

His comments followed an interview with Lt. Col. Steve Beck, a former U.S. Marines Casualty Officer whose job was to notify the families of those who died in combat.

Naming his biases, however, Hayes on Sunday conceded he was speaking as a "liberal caricature of someone who doesn't have anyone serving in these wars" and "hasn't been personally affected by the deaths in the wars."

With the remarks coming one day before Memorial Day, the conservative blogosphere quickly lit up with disapproval, spiking the comments as insensitive and evidence of what they described as a liberal agenda to discredit American troops.

Newsbuster's Mark Finkelstein wrote that Hayes was "the human embodiment" of the word "effete." Breitbart's Kurt Schlichter characterized Hayes's views as an "object lesson in what our progressive elites really think about our military. And it's not much."

High-profile, far-right commentators also voiced their opinions, including Ann Coulter, who mockingly tweeted, "Chris Hayes 'Uncomfortable' Calling Fallen Military 'Heroes' - Marines respond by protecting his right to menstruate."

Veterans of Foreign Wars also made headlines when it released a strong statement hitting his comments as "reprehensible" and "disgusting."

"His words reflect his obvious disregard for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have paid the ultimate price while defending our nation.

His insipid statement is particularly callous because it comes at a time when our entire nation pauses to reflect and honor the memory of our nation's fallen heroes," a statement from VFW national commander, Richard DeNoyer, said.

Following the outcry, Hayes issued a statement of apology Monday evening.

"In discussing the uses of the word 'hero' to describe those members of the armed forces who have given their lives, I don't think I lived up to the standards of rigor, respect and empathy for those affected by the issues we discuss that I've set for myself. I am deeply sorry for that," he wrote.

Hayes added that he was attempting on Sunday to delve into the disconnect between those who serve in the military versus civilians who enjoy the benefits of that service - and the apparent disconnect between the two groups on days like Memorial Day, when Americans traditionally take the day off and celebrate with activities like barbecues and cook-outs.

"But in seeking to discuss the civilian-military divide and the social distance between those who fight and those who don't, I ended up reinforcing it, conforming to a stereotype of a removed pundit whose views are not anchored in the very real and very wrenching experience of this long decade of war. And for that I am truly sorry," he stated.

As he noted in his apology, television pundits and hosts have been known to wade into tricky territory when emphatically voicing their opinions in rapid-fire discussions.

Howard Kurtz, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and The Daily Beast and Newsweek's Washington bureau chief, said while Hayes made a big mistake on air, his apology was appropriate.

"If there's a more insensitive comment that a television pundit could make on Memorial Day weekend than that fallen soldiers aren't heroes, I can't think of it. These are people who died in service of their country, even if the military policy was wrong or misguided. Chris Hayes did the right thing by fully apologizing," Kurtz said.

Others, meanwhile, came to Hayes's defense on Tuesday, saying the pundit was not being critical of the troops.

"I'm not sure he was criticizing those young men and women. He was just saying that the word is overused," NBC's Matt Lauer said on the "Today" show in a panel discussion about the controversy.

Conor Friedersdorf, a staff writer at The Atlantic, pointed to the controversy as an example of low-level dialogue about complicated topics on the national stage.

"Our public discourse is such that anyone can find him or herself viciously denounced by complete strangers based on a single sound-byte from which everyone extrapolates wildly.

This controversy is worth highlighting because Hayes' words and the reaction to them helps explain why so few broadcasters forthrightly discuss complicated, controversial subjects. Hayes subsequently issued an apology, but it's his critics who've behaved badly," he wrote.

Sources: CBS News, CNN, MSNBC

Obama's 2012 Re-election Winning Argument: 3 Questions For Voters (His Campaign Theme)

2012-05-29T11:59:00.006-07:00

How Obama Can Win

It's clear enough by now that this election will be a nail-bitingly close one; and that any early triumphalism among the Obamaites is preposterous. Of course he can lose. In that context, John Heilemann's deeply-reported piece on Obama re-election efforts is worth reading in full. Big picture:

[The 2012 campaign] will bear about as much resemblance to 2008 as Romney does to Nicki Minaj. In the campaign prior, any mention of Wright caused a collective coronary in Chicago; this time, it provokes high-fives. In the campaign prior, Team Obama boldly bid to expand the map; this time, it is playing defense.

In the campaign prior, the candidate himself sought support from the widest possible universe of voters; this time, instead of trying to broaden his coalition, he is laboring to deepen it.

Indeed, 2012 is shaping up to be an election that looks more like 2004 than 2008: a race propelled by the mobilization of party fundamentalists rather than the courtship of the center.

The question to me becomes: does the electoral strategy shift the positive message and the unifying brand?

I can see the governing logic: if Obama gets a solid re-election, he is in a much stronger position to negotiate a grand bargain on debt, taxes and spending with the GOP on Bowles-Simpson lines.

A clear victory for him would sober up the GOP. It would recapitalize the president to negotiate our way out of debt and sluggish growth. But if that's the case, it seems to me that that should be the message.

Here's how I'd summarize the argument I think works best for Obama:

"I inherited a financial and economic disaster and two wars that did not end in victory. I have prevented a second Great Depression, restored job growth, saved our auto industry, restored financial stability, ended one war and wound down another, but we need more.

We need investments in infrastructure, reform of immigration, and continuation of my education reforms. And we need a sensible approach to debt elimination.

My policy is to cut entitlements, cut defense and slash tax loopholes and deductions so we can get higher revenues from those who have done extremely well these past three decades.

My opponent refuses to tax the extremely wealthy at the same rates as ordinary folk, and wants to cut the debt solely by cutting entitlements for the old and sick, while increasing defense spending and cutting taxes even further.

We all know we are going to have to retrench. Would you rather do it with me guarding the core of the welfare state or with Romney-Ryan who want to end it with a solution that Newt Gingrich called 'right wing social engineering'"?

I think you have to have this positive contrast to balance the brutal attacks on Romney in advertizing, or risk losing that critical ingredient that made Obama Obama: a sane reminder of the actual policy choices we face, and a reasoned centrist approach to solving them.

Alas, after the heat of a brutal partisan pushback from the GOP from Day One, that positive vision is not so present this time around.

It needs to be brought back.

On the back of an envelope, I'd jot three key arguments a la Carville:

1) Would you rather cut the debt by slashing entitlements alone - or do you favor a balanced approach, with increased taxes on the wealthy, retrenchment of defense and reform of entitlements?

2) Would you rather a president who wants to launch a war against Iran or a president who will do all he can to avoid it?

3) Do you want repeal of a healthcare law that guarantees available private insurance even to those with pre-existing conditions? If you are under 26, and on your parents' health insurance, do you want to lose it?

If those questions dominate the campaign, Obama will win. Waiting for better economic numbers and pummeling Romney's favorables is not, in my view, a superior strategy.

Sources: Barack Obama.com, The Daily Beast, Youtube

Obama & Romney's 2012 Election Armageddon: Electoral vs Popular Votes (Deja Vu' Bush & Gore!)

2012-05-29T11:19:00.012-07:00

How Another Electoral Split Decision Could Divide America

In looking ahead toward the November election, Republican strategists should take proactive steps to avoid a damaging, dangerous conclusion to the presidential race and to prevent the very real chance that Mitt Romney will win the Electoral College even while losing the popular vote badly to Barack Obama.

The problem stems from the lopsided margins President Obama will surely pile up in a few uncontested states with big populations, including California, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

Romney, meanwhile, will likely prevail by comparable margins in only relatively small states: Utah, Idaho, the Dakotas, Alabama, and Alaska.

The big states that offer Romney his most plausible path to Electoral College victory probably will be won by much smaller margins, leaving Obama with a clear popular-vote advantage.

All credible scenarios for a Romney victory with his “swing state” strategy begin with the presumptive GOP nominee holding all 22 states McCain carried, which are worth six additional electoral votes this time because of reapportionment.

From this Republican base, Romney needs to implement a three/two/one trifecta: winning back the three traditionally Republican states (Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia) that Obama carried last time; seizing the two perennial battlegrounds that elected George W. Bush twice (Ohio and Florida); and then winning one more state—even a very small state—(New Hampshire is a likely candidate) to bring him the magic number of 270 electoral votes.

In order to accomplish this feat, Romney needs to add as few as 650,000 votes to McCain’s totals in just six decisive states to get an Electoral College victory with the bare minimum of 270 votes, even though Obama won in 2008 with a near-landslide margin of nearly 9 million votes in the popular total—18 times Al Gore’s popular-vote advantage over Bush.

A more likely outcome would give Romney wider margins of victory in swing states, while carrying a few other hotly contested states in the bargain. For instance, he could prevail in both Nevada and Iowa (where he developed strong local support in the caucuses) for a total of 282 electoral votes to Obama’s 256.

But even assuming that in each of the states mentioned above he won by 20,000 votes (bigger than Obama’s North Carolina margin last time, and large enough to avoid notorious squeakers like Florida’s 528-vote margin in 2000), Romney would still fall far short of a popular-vote victory.

Even without adding to his own vote totals (despite population growth and expansion of the voter rolls), the president would still pile up an advantage of at least 7 million votes—substantially more than Bill Clinton’s comfortable margin of 5 million against George H.W. Bush in 1992.

GOP partisans may blithely dismiss such calculations as meaningless since the Constitution unequivocally declares that the candidate with the most electoral votes becomes the next president, and the national tally of popular votes means nothing in the eyes of the law.

But only once before did a sitting president lose the White House despite winning the popular vote, and Grover Cleveland’s 1888 margin over rival Benjamin Harrison was slender—48.6 percent to 47.9 percent. By contrast, Mr. Obama could prevail by as much as the 7 percent margin that gave him victory last time, while still losing the Electoral College to Romney.

Grover Cleveland quietly vacated the White House without protest, confirming his reputation as a leader of unassailable integrity and profound humility. Would this happen in 2012? Would President Obama attempt to calm angry spirits of his partisans on Nov. 7 were the results to show a “split decision?”

It’s easy to imagine the national levels of rage, and impossible not to envision the president of the United States lending his voice to the angry chorus.

In the five weeks before Dec. 17, the day when electors formally assemble in their respective state capitals, the president could push electors to shift support to him—even if they defied state legislation requiring winner-take-all distribution of electoral votes to the victor in that state and ignored laws of 24 states threatening punishment to “faithless electors.”

The arguments would be fiery and, most likely, somewhat effective: insisting that basic fairness and democratic principle should trump any concern over the creaky, 19th-century relic known as the Electoral College.

Obama might even consider the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

Between 2007 and 2011, eight deeply partisan Democratic states (Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, Vermont, and California) and the District of Columbia enacted legislation demanding that their electors cast their votes for the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of which candidate won the state.

This provision would only take effect if enough states agreed to this compact to represent a majority of all electoral votes; in an emergency, Democrats might attempt to coerce the five wavering states they need to take action in time to make a difference.

Such action would raise a host of constitutional questions, but the Supreme Court might be unable to provide a final settlement of a disputed election as it did in 2000.

For one thing, Obama has already made contempt for the court a hallmark of his presidency—as he did when he used the State of the Union address to openly condemn the Citizens United decision on corporate spending for political advertising.

If the court strikes down key elements of the Affordable Care Act in June, the president will no doubt display additional outrage.

The element of race could give an especially dangerous edge to any protracted battle over a disputed election. How many Republicans would lose heart at the prospect of evicting the nation’s first black president on a “technicality” after a clear majority of his fellow citizens expressed support for renewing his White House lease?

What, then, could responsible politicians do to head off the most dire consequences of an inconclusive election?

For Republicans, the answer is easy: they must campaign vigorously in all large states, even those with no realistic possibility for statewide GOP victory.

Though the Romney campaign will naturally resist investing precious resources on lost-cause states with hugely expensive media markets (California, New York, and Illinois), they should overcome their reluctance.

With no super-heated statewide races in these population centers and no visible Republican drive for statewide victory, conservative voters might feel a natural inclination to stay home—allowing Obama to run up his margins.

If Romney can hold Obama’s margin to 55–45 in some of these heavily Democratic big states, he should win the popular vote; if, however, Democrats run up the score past 60–40, then Obama will win a popular-vote majority even if he loses the Electoral College.

Of course, the ideal way to avoid a national crisis over a disputed electoral outcome would be for Romney to win an unexpectedly comfortable nationwide victory, sweeping to Reagan-like success even in states assumed to be solidly Democratic.

Failing that sort of unanticipated landslide, the best policy would be to compete fiercely in every major population center while recognizing that in this unique election, even popular votes that seem theoretically irrelevant may play a role in averting catastrophe.

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Sources: CNN, C-Span, The Daily Beast, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama's "Kill List" Great Foreign Policy Move For Re-election; Long Term? Not So Much

2012-05-29T10:58:00.008-07:00

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Obama's ‘secret kill list' shows president is final word on terrorist killing missions

When it comes to the "secret kill list"--a regularly updated chart showing the world's most wanted terrorists--President Obama is the "final moral calculation" in the kill or capture debate, according to the third in a series of New York Times articles assessing his record.

And despite his liberal background, Obama has taken an aggressive approach to counterterrorism.

The Times said it interviewed three dozen current and former advisers to Obama for the article, who described his "evolution since taking on the role, without precedent in presidential history, of personally overseeing the shadow war with Al Qaeda":

They describe a paradoxical leader who shunned the legislative deal-making required to close the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, but approves lethal action without hand-wringing. While he was adamant about narrowing the fight and improving relations with the Muslim world, he has followed the metastasizing enemy into new and dangerous lands.

When he applies his lawyering skills to counterterrorism, it is usually to enable, not constrain, his ferocious campaign against Al Qaeda—even when it comes to killing an American cleric in Yemen, a decision that Mr. Obama told colleagues was "an easy one."

Part of Obama's "evolution" on terror apparently began early in his term, when a drone strike resulted in civilian casualties:

Just days after taking office, the president got word that the first strike under his administration had killed a number of innocent Pakistanis. "The president was very sharp on the thing, and said, 'I want to know how this happened,'" a top White House adviser recounted.

In response to his concern, the C.I.A. downsized its munitions for more pinpoint strikes. In addition, the president tightened standards, aides say: If the agency did not have a "near certainty" that a strike would result in zero civilian deaths, Mr. Obama wanted to decide personally whether to go ahead.

"The care that Mr. Obama and his counterterrorism chief take in choosing targets," the Times said, "and their reliance on a precision weapon, the drone, reflect his pledge at the outset of his presidency to reject what he called the Bush administration's 'false choice between our safety and our ideals.'"

And Obama's success limiting civilian deaths in drone strikes is, in part, due to "a disputed method for counting civilian casualties" embraced by Obama. According to the Times, the White House considers "all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants ... unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent."

Obama's personal involvement in counterterrorism operations can be seen in his study of the "baseball card"-like "kill list." For example, in January 2010--four months before he ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden--President Obama questioned the ages of some of the al-Qaeda suspects on it.

"How old are these people?" Obama asked during his regular Tuesday briefing with intelligence officials--dubbed the "Terror Tuesday" meeting--in the White House Situation Room. "If they are starting to use children, we are moving into a whole different phase."

The White House has also struggled with the so-called "Whac-A-Mole" approach to counterterrorism--an al-Qaida leader killed in, say, a drone strike is simply replaced with another.

"One guy gets knocked off, and the guy's driver, who's No. 21, becomes 20?" William M. Daley, Obama's chief of staff in 2011, told the Times. "At what point are you just filling the bucket with numbers?"

Joe Scarborough On Obama 'Kill List': 'I Wonder How This Is Going To Look Ten Years From Now'

Joe Scarborough expressed discomfort on Tuesday with President Obama's newly revealed "kill list" of alleged Al Qaeda suspects.

The New York Times ran a lengthy story about Obama's intimate involvement in personally deciding which people should go on the list of targets for drone strikes. The opening scene of the story showed Obama choosing whether or not to target two teenagers, "including a girl who looked even younger than her 17 years."

On Tuesday's "Morning Joe," Scarborough said that the story made him "flinch." He wondered whether it was right for the president to be so personally implicated in such choices. "Something to me is just not right about taking that into the Oval Office," he said.

The other panelists all seemed to be fine with Obama's participation, saying that it showed a willingness to confront the realities of his decisions.

Scarborough still seemed uneasy:

I just wonder, ten years from now, what we're going to be saying about a president lining up pictures of teenagers in the Oval Office and picking.

I'm not talking the morality of doing it or not doing it, I'm just talking about whether it should be kept away from the president, away from the White House.

And you stack that on top of us launching drone attacks in countries where we haven't even declared war? There are going to be some searing critiques a decade from now about our overreach.

"There could be critiques of a president who was disconnected as well and did not choose to look and did not choose think about every angle, including the moral choice," Brzezinski said. "Don't you think?"

"No," Scarborough replied. "I don't. I think there are a lot of people that are going to spin for Barack Obama ... I think you're going to have a lot of liberal hand-wringing."

Sources: AP, ABC News, AOL, Huffington Post, NY Times, The Daily Beast, Yahoo, White House

Chris Apologizes For Not Recognizing Fallen Soldiers As Heroes; Idiot! He's Never Served In The Military!

2012-05-28T20:42:00.007-07:00

Chris,

This is the first time I consider You to be an Idiot!

Inspite of your Education, only an Idiot would say something so Stupid about America's Fallen Soldiers/ Fallen Heroes= SAME Thing!

My husband served Honorably in the U.S. Army for 23 Years, Including the Vietnam & Desert Storm theaters.

My Father served in World War II. He died in 2003 at the VA Hospital in Columbia, SC.

I have 2 Uncles who also served in the U.S. Military. Of whom one was Badly Injured & had to have part of his leg Amputated.

I have several Cousins who served in the U.S. Military.

And.....

My Youngest Son & his Fiancee' are now Both Serving in the U.S. Army.

My Son's Fiancee' has a Degree in Elementary Education but was unable to secure a Teaching Job in North Carolina due to Budget Cuts.

The Next time you wish to Criticize Fallen Soldiers & Veterans.....

DON'T!!!!

Unless You have ever Served in the U.S. Military, you don't know what you are talking about!

You can't Experience the Life of a Soldier just from reading a Book!

Peace My Brother.

Regards,

Laurel @ Black Political Buzz

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Statement from Chris Hayes

On Sunday, in discussing the uses of the word "hero" to describe those members of the armed forces who have given their lives, I don't think I lived up to the standards of rigor, respect and empathy for those affected by the issues we discuss that I've set for myself. I am deeply sorry for that.

As many have rightly pointed out, it's very easy for me, a TV host, to opine about the people who fight our wars, having never dodged a bullet or guarded a post or walked a mile in their boots.

Of course, that is true of the overwhelming majority of our nation's citizens as a whole.

One of the points made during Sunday's show was just how removed most Americans are from the wars we fight, how small a percentage of our population is asked to shoulder the entire burden and how easy it becomes to never read the names of those who are wounded and fight and die, to not ask questions about the direction of our strategy in Afghanistan, and to assuage our own collective guilt about this disconnect with a pro-forma ritual that we observe briefly before returning to our barbecues.

But in seeking to discuss the civilian-military divide and the social distance between those who fight and those who don't, I ended up reinforcing it, conforming to a stereotype of a removed pundit whose views are not anchored in the very real and very wrenching experience of this long decade of war.

And for that I am truly sorry.

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Sources: MSNBC, NBC, Google Maps

Chris Hayes Denies Fallen Soldiers Are Heroes; What The???

2012-05-28T14:24:00.008-07:00

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CHRIS HAYES UNCOMFORTABLE WITH CALLING TROOPS 'HEROES;' QUITE COMFORTABLE EXERCISING RIGHTS THEY PROTECT

Just in time for Memorial Day, some MSNBC drone named Chris Hayes has lit up the internet with his confession that dead American troops don’t quite measure up to his exacting standards for what qualifies as a “hero.”

Memo to Chris: they are heroes, and you don’t get a vote.

Though he may be shocked to hear it, America’s fighting men and women don’t care whether Chris Hayes considers their fallen comrades heroes or not.

First, there’s the practical matter that almost no one – in uniform or out – watches MSNBC or the roster of progressive meat puppets that fill the short stretches between endless reruns of "Lock Up."

Care about Chris Hayes’s comfort level? They don’t even know this leftist twerp exists.

But on a deeper level, our troops don’t do what they do to impress the likes of Chris Hayes – though he is perfectly willing to make his living in the shadow of their sacrifice. In the scheme of things, Chris Hayes’s views are important only as an object lesson in what our progressive elites really think about our military. And it’s not much.

So what did he say? Mediaite provides a transcript of his weaselly insights:
I feel… uncomfortable, about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war.

Um, and, I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that’s fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism, you know, hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers, and things like that.

But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I’m wrong about that.
No maybe about it, Chris. I love the “rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war” part – he sounds like one of my commie grad students trying to impress credulous freshman girls after a choom session in the quad.

But Chris Hayes seems to cultivate a more hipster vibe – no ponytail for him, but I’ll bet that lurking under his blazer is a really cool tat that signals to the world he’s edgy.

And what’s edgier than taking on our troops? After all, at least until the next election, they are “our” troops. Even most progressives – quite willing to diss our troops before while Bush was president -- are on message these days.

After all, it’s kinda hard to shout about warmongering, baby-killing imperialists when the guy commanding them is your own guy.

I greatly enjoy watching progressives seethe as they are forced, for the sake of appearances, to pretend to support our troops. You know it’s killing them.

But it’s the progressives’ own doing – their sickening performance following the Vietnam War, where they figuratively and literally spit on our troops – so disgusted decent Americans of all political stripes that to do anything but treat our troops with the utmost respect is to draw near-universal contempt and scorn from across the mainstream political spectrum.

So, the real problem for Chris Hayes is that he actually said what he thinks.

He thinks our soldiers are suckers and fools at best, brutal sociopaths at worst.

At a minimum, he feels that honoring those who died for this country might encourage people to see that actually defending our country is a good thing. He’s not quite ready to make that leap; after all, most progressives are ambivalent about this whole “America” concept, if not actively opposed to it.

Patriotism may be the last refuge of a scoundrel, but when progressives attempt it, it’s comedy gold.

So, like so many other useless progressive fops who glide from cocktail party to panel discussion, Chris Hayes continues to push his progressive vision of collectivist serfdom from behind the unbreachable wall of American warriors.

He has not stood with them and, in fact, is unworthy of doing so. He is a parasite taking sustenance from the exertions of better men and women.

And even if those men and women know who Chris Hayes is, they wouldn’t give a half damn about what he thinks. They don’t do it for him.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes says he has trouble calling fallen soldiers 'heroes,’ sparks controversy

An MSNBC host is dodging attacks after arguing he was “uncomfortable” calling fallen soldiers “heroes.”

Chris Hayes made the remark on Sunday, the eve of Memorial Day, on his show, “Up With Chris Hayes.”

“I feel uncomfortable about the word hero because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war,” Hayes said.

He added that “there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism, you know, hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers,” but that “it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic.”

On Monday, a top veterans group called for Hayes to apologize.

“Chris Hayes’ recent remarks on MSNBC regarding our fallen service members are reprehensible and disgusting,” said Richard DeNoyer, National Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars, to FOX News.

“His words reflect his obvious disregard for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have paid the ultimate price while defending our nation. His insipid statement is particularly callous because it comes at a time when our entire nation pauses to reflect and honor the memory of our nations’ fallen heroes.”

Online, critics were no less harsh.

“Memo to Chris: they are heroes, and you don’t get a vote,” wrote Breitbart’s Kurt Schlichter.

Schlichter accused Hayes of making the comment to prove he’s “edgy.”

“And what’s edgier than taking on our troops?”

Political pundit Ann Coulter mocked Hayes on Twitter:

“Chris Hayes ‘Uncomfortable’ Calling Fallen Military ‘Heroes’ – Marines respond by protecting his right to menstruate,” she wrote.

The only defense of Hayes’ comment appeared to come from Hayes himself.

The host took to Twitter to urge followers to watch the entire hour of the show before jumping to conclusions. He also directed them to another one of his show’s segments, in which he discusses how the relationship most Americans have to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is, for the most part, abstract.

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Sources: Breitbart.com, CBS News, MSNBC, NBC, NY Daily News, Google Maps

Whitney Houston Performs "Star Spangled Banner", 1991 Super Bowl (That Voice)

2012-05-28T13:16:00.008-07:00

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Whitney's Super Bowl national anthem was a classic

Among the annals of national anthems as a prelude to sporting events, few have topped the one delivered by Whitney Houston, who died Saturday, before Super Bowl XXV in 1991 in Tampa. Just a woman, her incredible voice and the bare minimum of extraneous notes.

Her rendition came at a particularly patriotic time, just after the onset of the Persian Gulf War, and was released as a single. It was re-released after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Houston donated all proceeds to charity. There was some controversy over whether she had pre-recorded the song, but it still ranks among the best all-time because of the circumstances and ... that voice..

Whitney Houston’s Star-Spangled Secret

It was what turned a star into a superstar: Whitney Houston’s mesmerizing rendition of the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl. Houston’s powerful “Star Spangled Banner” performance came at a poignant, patriotic time — the U.S. had just entered the 1991 Gulf War.

But here’s what you didn’t know: What the Super Bowl audience and hundreds of millions of TV viewers heard was lip-synched.

“The music was pre-recorded, and so was the vocal,” confirmed Rickey Minor, who was Houston’s musical director at the time.

Minor, now the band leader on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,” said that in a crowd that large and loud, it was impossible for Houston to hear herself. Though she did sing, it was her pre-recorded voice that the audience heard.

Here’s another surprise: Minor and Houston changed the national anthem to ensure a better performance.

“The original version is in 3/4 time, which is more like a waltz,” Minor explained. “What we tried to do was to put it in 4/4 meter… We wanted to give her a chance to phrase it in such a way that she would be able to take her time and really express the meaning.”

Minor was nervous that the altered anthem wouldn’t be well received, but that story, at least, has a happy ending: Houston’s performance electrified the stadium and soon after, popular demand prompted Houston’s record label to release a single that hit the top 20 on the Billboard charts.

“I think it might well be the best Super Bowl performance of all time, ” said Billboard Magazine editor Danyel Smith. “It may well be, with the exception of her version of Dolly Parton’s, ‘I Will Always Love You,’ the most remembered thing about her.

I think our grandkids will look at the video for ‘I Will Always Love You’ and they will look at the video of Whitney Houston singing at Super Bowl twenty-five.”

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Sources: AP, ABC News, Washington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama: "Vietnam War Vets Too Often Denigrated & Unappreciated"

2012-05-28T12:42:00.006-07:00

Obama says Vietnam Veterans too often 'Denigrated'

President Barack Obama paid tribute Monday to the men and women who have died defending America, singling out Vietnam veterans as an under-appreciated and sometimes maligned group of war heroes and vowing that "it will not happen again."

"You were sometimes blamed for the misdeeds of a few," Obama said. "You came home and were sometimes denigrated when you should have been celebrated. It was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened."

Marking Memorial Day at both the Vietnam War Memorial and earlier at Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from the capital, Obama noted that for the first time in nine years, "Americans are not fighting and dying in Iraq," and the nation was winding down its role in the conflict in Afghanistan.

"After a decade under the dark cloud of war, we can see the light of the new day on the horizon," Obama said to an audience gathered at the Arlington amphitheater lined with American flags under a warm, brilliant sun.

In this election year, Obama said the nation must remain committed to providing for the families of fallen soldiers and help returning service members seeking a job, higher education or health care benefits.

"As long as I'm president, we will make sure you and your loved ones will receive the benefits you've earned and the respect you deserve," Obama said. "America will be there for you."

Obama said sending troops into harm's way was "the most wrenching decision that I have to make. And I can promise you I will never do so unless it's absolutely necessary."

At the Vietnam War Memorial, Obama said of the veterans of that war served with "just as much patriotism and honor as any before you."

"When you came home, I know many of you put your medals away," he said. "You didn't talk too much about your service. As a consequence, the nation didn't always appreciate the chapter that came next." He said that although many Americans turned their back on Vietnam veterans, "you never turned your back on America."

As he seeks re-election, Obama has reminded audiences about the end of the war in Iraq and the move to bring all troops home from Afghanistan by 2014. And in a campaign ad released last week, he credits U.S. servicemen who helped in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, meantime, promised to maintain an American military "with no comparable power anywhere in the world."

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee appeared with Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the GOP's 2008 presidential candidate, before a crowd in San Diego crowd estimated at 5,000 in what was billed as a Memorial Day service, not a campaign event. But Romney nevertheless drew clear contrasts with Obama.

The former Massachusetts governor warned against shrinking America's military in Europe's image and said the nation must have the world's strongest military to win wars and prevent them.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report in March found that 12.1 percent of U.S. Armed Forces veterans who served on active duty after September 2001 were unemployed in 2011. The unemployment rate for all veterans was 8.3 percent.

Veterans could play a significant role in the 2012 election. Exit polls in 2008 showed that Obama was supported by about 44 percent of voters who said they served in the military, while 54 percent voted for McCain, a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam War.

A poll released Monday by Gallup found that 58 percent of veterans support Romney and 34 percent back Obama. The results were based on a sample of 3,327 veterans who are registered voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Several closely watched states in the election have large blocs of military voters. Florida, home to several military installations, has more than 1.6 million veterans, according to the Veterans Administration.

Pennsylvania has nearly 1 million veterans, while Virginia and North Carolina each have about 800,000 veterans living in their states.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama started the day with a breakfast at the White House for families who have lost loved ones in combat.

Sources: AP, PBS News, Yahoo News, Youtube

Obama Has No Military Experience; Romney Has No Experience; Does It Still Matter?

2012-05-28T12:07:00.005-07:00

Does Military Service still matter for the Presidency?

In every Presidential election since 1992, the candidate with the less distinguished military résumé has triumphed.

Bill Clinton defeated war heroes George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole; National Guard pilot George W. Bush beat Vietnam veterans Al Gore and John Kerry; and Barack Obama was decisively elected over John McCain, who had displayed extraordinary valor during years of captivity as a Navy pilot in North Vietnam.

In 2012, we won’t have the chance to test this trend: For the first time in modern American history, neither major candidate for the presidency has any military experience.

This is a dramatic change. The crucible of combat not only created these United States but has also given us many of our most successful presidents.

Our first president, and still the greatest of all Americans, was a general before he was elected; George Washington’s leadership of the Continental Army proved that he could handle the challenges of a newborn nation. William Henry Harrison’s short presidency was based in no small part on his victory over the Shawnee Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe; with Vice President John Tyler, he won on the slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too.” The presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, though marked by scandal,would never have been but for his steady generalship in America’s bloodiest conflict.

Harry Trumancame to prominence as the commander of a National Guard artillery battery in the First World War in France; his performance in combat powered his rise to the Oval Office. Service in World War II gave the nation not just Dwight D. Eisenhower but also John F. Kennedy, whose heroism as a PT boat skipper in the Pacific was a counterpoint to Eisenhower’s leadership of a great alliance in Europe.

Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush all served in uniform during World War II, while Jimmy Carter, too young for that conflict, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served aboard nuclear submarines during the Cold War.

But today, the connection between service in war and election to the highest office in the land has been severed.

How we got here is difficult to ascertain. The sample size of presidential elections is small, and military service is far from the only factor that voters consider. Yet the 2012 White House hopefuls reflect a broader truth: Even in a country waging what seems to be a forever war, military service is increasingly limited to a small swath of volunteers, widely admired but little known.

Early in our nation’s history, Americans fought to claim a continent both from its native inhabitants and from foreign powers that coveted its riches. Fighting for the country was a regular part of the American experience, and excellence in that service was one way to demonstrate leadership to the nation.

The pool of citizens who were veterans was broadened by the draft during the Civil War and both World Wars, increasing the number of political candidates with military service and the connection voters felt to contenders with whom they had shared the experience of combat. Everyone respected those who had served — and perhaps even looked down a bit on those who had not been a part of America’s battles.

That relationship broke down during the Vietnam War, when not all segments of society were called upon to fight. When Johnson chose not to mobilize the National Guard for combat duty, it became a refuge for the sons of the elite who were avoiding war. James Fallows has written, movingly and guiltily, of how the most privileged Americans found ways to avoid the draft, sending the less fortunate to war in their place.

The long conflict in Southeast Asia tore the United States in two, destroying an effective consensus about the use of American power abroad. The soldier became the symbol of an unpopular war. Presidential candidates who had answered the nation’s call struggled to connect with voters who often hated the war that had helped form them.

Gore played down his service in Vietnam during his bid for the White House, while Kerry’s service became a liability; although he was one of a few candidates to have been wounded in combat, he was “swift boated” by opponents who questioned some details of his service.

No American veteran of any earlier war, let alone another recipient of several Purple Heart medals, would have been treated this way.

But this black mark on America’s treatment of its veterans is fading. In the wake of Vietnam, the country chose to meet its national security needs with a force composed entirely of professionals who had volunteered for duty. This force has proved enormously capable — triumphing in Desert Storm, easily defeating both the Taliban rulers and Saddam Hussein’s army, and demonstrating adaptability when performing counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan.

No one who has served in today’s military would countenance a return to the draft and a force composed at least in part of Americans compelled to serve. The small size of the military relative to the population — well under 1 percent — makes broadening the service base both unnecessary and unlikely.

But there are costs to this all-volunteer military that are not immediately apparent, even on this weekend dedicated to remembering its sacrifices. The disconnect between those who give the orders and those who have no choice but to follow them has never been wider; all Americans salute the same flag, but only a few carry it forward against enemy fire.

The military has become a caste apart from the nation it protects, with many of its fighters the sons and daughters of military leaders — a family business that asks much of a few. Service academy alumni journals are full of photos of multi-generational family reunions in combat zones, while most of us do no more to support the troops than stand, remove our caps and cheer when they present the national colors before a baseball game.

Now, nearly 30 years into this experiment with an all-volunteer force, and more than a decade into America’s longest war, the nation will elect a president who has not known the tender courtesies of a drill sergeant at oh-dark-thirty in the morning. Military service is not the only way to demonstrate dedication to country or capability for high office, of course; Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of our greatest presidents despite never wearing a uniform, although his appointment as assistant secretary of the Navy gave him a useful perspective on the military he would lead with such distinction.

Both President Obama and Mitt Romney have demonstrated impressive leadership in government, education and business. Obama’s bona fides as commander in chief are clear; he has shown his resolve in the pursuit of Osama bin Laden and the effective dismantling of al-Qaeda during his administration. The first lady’s dedication to military families, worn down after years of war, is exemplary.

Still, the choice to take the nation to war is the most important decision a president can make. A commander in chief who has actually served on the battlefield has peerless personal experience and can make that decision with greater empathy.

And after this election, there will be a new generation waiting to enter the political arena, veterans of a tough decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unlike those who fought in Vietnam, the veterans of these wars have been embraced by an American public that supports the troops, even if they oppose the conflicts in which they fought.

The admiration offered to today’s veterans bodes well for the prospects of future political candidates who have known firsthand the burden of carrying out the orders of the president abroad.

Wars have given the United States many of its most important political leaders, and we can expect those who have led this country’s sons and daughters in the sands of Anbar province and the mountains of the Hindu Kush to turn their sights to the highest office in the land in years to come.

When they do, these veterans will lead the nation back to its foundations. Forged in war, they will work to build a better peace.

Sources: AP, CBS News, Washington Post, Youtube

RGA Pours Big Money Into North Carolina For Pat McCrory; Bob McDonnell Endorses

2012-05-28T11:05:00.006-07:00

Republican governors convene, stake claims early on NC

A group of Republican governors and party donors is currently meeting privately in Charlotte.

They are holding a policy summit on the same turf Democrats will use to nominate President Barack Obama for a second term.

The Republican governors did not allow any media access to their meetings Thursday.

When Democratic governors met in Charlotte recently, they locked out the media, too.
But the Republican presence in Charlotte is a clear signal that the city will be ground zero in a tooth-and-nail battle for voters in North Carolina.

The governors were hidden away inside the luxury resort at Ballantyne, but rising star Bob McDonnell, the governor of Virginia and a potential vice-presidential choice, surfaced Thursday afternoon.

When he toured a Coca-Cola plant, it was with Pat McCrory, who was campaigning for governor.

“I’m here today to strongly endorse Pat McCrory for governor because I believe he’ll be a marvelous partner over these next couple of years,” McDonnell said.

Political experts said the endorsement for McCrory is part of a much larger strategy by Republicans to stamp their presence in Charlotte ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

Analyst Michael Bitzer said after losing the presidential race in North Carolina in 2008, it’s “game on” for Republicans.

“They read the tea leaves and they saw what happened when Obama came in with his grassroots and they’re making the claim early on, ‘This is going to be a competitive fight. Get ready for it,’” he said.

McCrory, who even lost his home town during the 2008 swell of support behind Obama, made it clear Thursday that he will not be caught off guard again.
“The fact of the matter is, the Obama machine is going to be very, very powerful in North Carolina and I’m not going to underestimate them,” he said.

Bitzer said voters should get used to the attention from both parties.

“It’s going to be money; it’s going to be resources; it’s going to be appearances. Everything’s going to be coming into this state,” Bitzer said.

Virginia’s governor, who heads the Republican Governor’s Association, promised the party will raise and spend what it takes to help McCrory in a battleground state that will continue to have a high profile through November.

Va. governor: "McCrory's a good bet to take state's top job"

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell became the latest high-profile GOP governor Thursday to boost Pat McCrory’s gubernatorial bid, saying North Carolina is “at the very top of the list” of states where Republicans stand a good chance of taking the governor’s mansion away from Democrats.

McDonnell, who appeared alongside McCrory at a Coca-Cola plant in Charlotte, follows New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. All of them have come to North Carolina to campaign or raise money for the former Charlotte mayor.

Like the others, McDonnell is likely to be considered when presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney picks his running mate.

But unlike the others, McDonnell heads the Republican Governors’ Association, which has already spent more than $800,000 on TV ads linking McCrory’s Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, to unpopular Gov. Bev Perdue.

Surrounded by cases of Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite, McDonnell said the RGA will continue to pour dollars into the state to help McCrory. He leads Dalton in two polls released this week – by 6 percentage points in one (by Public Policy Polling) and by 9 in another (by Rasmussen).

“Whatever we need to do to help Pat win, we will do,” McDonnell told local reporters after he and McCrory got a tour of the soft drink plant. “We rank this as one of the absolute top races in the country.”

Asked how much the RGA was willing to spend in North Carolina, McDonnell answered: “I have an idea, but I can’t tell you. We believe in Pat. We will be in it for the long haul. The climate is right for us to win.”

McCrory, who lost a close race to Perdue in 2008, contrasted Virginia’s 5.6 percent unemployment – the lowest in the Southeast – with North Carolina’s jobless rate of 9.7 percent, one of the highest in the country.

“We need to change the culture of North Carolina government and make it more job-friendly,” McCrory said. “I’m convinced it’s going to take an outsider – someone from outside the (Raleigh) beltline – to fix the state government.”

He pledged to follow the example of next-door neighbor McDonnell by “unleashing the private sector” through tax cuts, a reduction in regulations and a pact with Virginia and South Carolina to develop energy resources off their coasts.

Meanwhile, an advocacy group funded by the Democratic Governors Association, whose vice chair is Perdue, is expected to start helping Dalton some with a $217,000 TV ad buy that will go after McCrory.

In other remarks Thursday, both McCrory and McDonnell acknowledged that their respective states are likely to be among the 10 or so Electoral College battlegrounds in this year’s presidential election.

As to why Thursday’s event was held at a Coke plant, here’s one possible explanation: Republican McCrory will be the honorary starter at this year’s Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The grand marshal will be West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, a Democrat.

“We usually try to have one (Democrat) and one (Republican) – to balance it out,” said Allison Patient, Coca-Cola Consolidated senior director of corporate affairs.

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR AND RGA CHAIRMAN BOB MCDONNELL ENDORSES PAT MCCRORY FOR NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR

Today, Virginia Governor and RGA Chairman Bob McDonnell endorsed Pat McCrory and his bid to be North Carolina’s next Governor.

“I am proud to have Governor McDonnell’s endorsement,” said Pat McCrory. “There’s no better model for economic success and leadership at the state level than our neighbors to the North in Virginia. Under the Governor’s leadership, Virginia has added more than 110,000 net jobs and the unemployment rate has gone down more than 20 percent. That’s the kind of leadership I think we desperately need in North Carolina.“

“There is no gubernatorial race more important to the RGA this cycle than North Carolina,” said Governor McDonnell. “I know that with Pat McCrory’s leadership, North Carolina’s economy can get back on track. As Mayor of Charlotte, Pat saw the city add tens of thousands of jobs and as Governor, I know he will bring that same results-oriented leadership to Raleigh.”

The two leaders toured Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated’s Snyder Production Center in Charlotte before speaking with the press.

When Governor Bob McDonnell was sworn in as the 71st Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia in January 2010, he inherited $6 billion in budget shortfalls. He brought Democrats and Republicans together to close the shortfall without a single tax increase, producing a $400 million surplus in the first fiscal year of his administration.

“Governor McDonnell has proven that government can work,” added Pat McCrory. “Both parties can work together to achieve real reform, promote economic growth while still making investments in key priorities like education.”

“The choice in this election is clear,” said McDonnell. ”North Carolina can elect someone who has been a part of North Carolina’s broken government for 16 years, or they can elect Pat McCrory – a leader who will bring an outsider’s perspective to Raleigh and fix North Carolina’s broken economy.”

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Sources: Facebook, McClatchy Newspapers, Pat McCrory.com, WSOC, Google Maps

Jeb Bush Endorses Pat McCrory For NC Governor; Pat Challenges Dalton Over Negative Ads

2012-05-28T10:32:00.008-07:00

JEB BUSH ENDORSES PAT MCCRORY FOR NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR

On Monday, April 30, Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush endorsed Pat McCrory’s bid for North Carolina Governor at the historic Angus Barn restaurant in Raleigh

TRANSCRIPT:

Pat McCrory: I just want to let you know as I’ve not only got a chance to travel across this state, but I’ve also had the opportunity to meet a lot of Governors throughout the United States of America. There’s no doubt in my mind in observing Governor Christie, Governor Mitch Daniels and Governor Jindal and other Governors throughout the United States, it’s Governors who – I think – who are initiating policy which will help get our nation out of this very, very deep recession.

And North Carolina, of course, is feeling this recession with the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation.

But, another Governor that has actually been a mentor to many of those existing Governors and a mentor of mine is Governor Jeb Bush of Florida. And I have been watching not only his leadership as a Governor but also his leadership since being Governor.

And he clearly understands many areas – especially two. And that is how to create jobs and also how to reform education.

And I am using his advice during this past year and I actually used it as Mayor of Charlotte also in getting his input on ideas on both economic development and education. And Jeb Bush has become very much of an expert in the area of reforming education and not accepting the incredible high dropout rates that we see in states throughout the United States of America.

Both Governor Bush and I clearly understand that we must reform and change education so we can get our kids to learn the basics and then get good quality higher education or vocational education in addition to getting a job. And right now so many of our kids who are graduating aren’t getting jobs and we have over 20% of our children who are clearly not even graduating from our high schools in North Carolina. And this is clearly unacceptable.

And that’s one of the reasons I have a great partnership and I appreciate Governor Bush’s endorsement of our candidacy because we both firmly believe in reforming education. And I’m going to take many ideas that he has initiated in Florida, both as a current Governor and a former Governor and bring them to North Carolina so we can improve the outcomes of our education and our major investments in education.

So with that, I welcome Governor Bush to say a few words and then we’ll answer a few questions. Thank you very much.

Governor Jeb Bush: Thank you, Mayor. It is a joy to be here, to endorse your candidacy, and to provide whatever support I can for that cause. Governor’s lead. It’s amazing to see what goes on in Washington these days, with the gridlock, where people kind of feel, correctly, that nothing can get done, but I can guarantee you that with your leadership here in North Carolina, you’ll hit the ground running, and develop, build on a good business climate, and make it a great one.

And build on an education an education system that should have no tolerance for failure, and sadly in our country we have way to much of it, and thank goodness there are reform minded governors across the country that are prepared to take on the status quo to improve things, and I know you’re one of those and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help you get elected, and as Governor, you count on me to provide whatever support that you need. God bless you and good luck.

Pat McCrory: Thank you very much.

In 2012, NC campaigns heat up earlier than usual

The final weeks of statewide general elections in North Carolina are usually marked by perceived shadowy third-party groups spending big money to soak the airwaves with television commercials and campaigns suing or threatening to sue over an ad that strikes a nerve.

That all got a head start in 2012.

The governor's race didn't let up after the May 8 primary christened Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory as nominees. National governors' groups already have been recognized for more than $1.4 million in TV ads designed to negatively portray the opposing candidate.

McCrory's campaign and political committees favoring Dalton filed competing lawsuits over one commercial last week. McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor, called the ad "garbage." Dalton, while pointing out the ad wasn't produced by his campaign, retorted the commercial "checks out by fact pretty well."

Add the millions of dollars in presidential ads already being dropped on North Carolina and loosened campaign finance restrictions nationwide, and the old political adage that Labor Day marks the beginning of the fall political season sounds old-fashioned.

Make that Memorial Day.

"In the past, there's been a little hiatus after the primaries," said Carter Wrenn, a Republican campaign consultant who worked for years with the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms' political organization. This year, he added, "they just put the pedal to the metal."

The early overall surge in television advertising in North Carolina is attributed to the state being considered competitive again in the presidential race. President Barack Obama narrowly won in North Carolina in 2008, ending a GOP winning streak dating to 1980. Holding the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte highlights Obama's interest in retaining North Carolina's 15 electoral votes.

Wrenn said North Carolina didn't become a battleground state until later in the 2008 election season. This time, he said, "we're kind of at a different status then we've ever been before."

North Carolina TV viewers already are hearing from the campaigns of Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, as well as from a new kind of political action committee. The so-called "super PAC," born following a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, can receive unlimited amounts of money from corporations and individuals.

In May, the Obama campaign launched a $25 million ad buy running in North Carolina and six other states. The GOP-leading super PAC Crossroads GPS, which is advertising against Obama in North Carolina and nine other states, quickly matched that amount. The Romney campaign also said it was spending $1.3 million in four states, including North Carolina, on a TV ad.

The Supreme Court's "Citizens United" ruling will make TVs even more congested with political commercials than they would have been, said Gene Nichol, a professor at the University of North Carolina law school.

"We're all going to become so sick of watching TV and the commercials that spew forth that people will just beg for the election to be over," said Nichol, a former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Colorado.

Eight statewide or congressional primary runoffs set for July 17 will keep politics in the news. Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue's decision not to seek re-election also has intensified the campaign to succeed her.

The Republican Governors Association spent $5.6 million in 2008 working unsuccessfully for McCrory to defeat Perdue, but it didn't start spending that year until September. This year, it got on the air a week after the primary and began to label Dalton as Perdue's "right-hand man."

Two RGA ads have tried to join Dalton and Perdue at the hip and highlight their support for raising the sales tax by three-quarters of a cent. The sales tax revenue would go to public education.

As of last week, the RGA had spent $1.3 million in North Carolina, according to campaign finance reports. More than $1 million was for TV spots, RGA spokesman Mike Schrimpf said.

"North Carolina is one of our most important pickup opportunities," Schrimpf said Friday.

On the day the RGA ran its first ad, the Democratic Governors Association gave $1 million to North Carolina Citizens for Progress. The Raleigh-based independent political group spent more than $430,000 on commercials questioning McCrory's ethics. They suggest McCrory lobbied for Charlotte-based real estate and lending business Tree.com while mayor. McCrory is now on the Tree.com board and has received fees and stock options.

McCrory pounced on N.C. Citizens for Progress last week, and his lawyers sent letters asking TV stations to stop running a commercial they say is false. McCrory has never been a registered lobbyist for Tree.com, but N.C. Citizens for Progress says the ad is factual.

The DGA and N.C. Citizens sued McCrory and his campaign committee and threatened to depose McCrory before November. McCrory's campaign began litigation against DGA and N.C. Citizens.

Bob Hall, executive director of the campaign finance group Democracy North Carolina, said organizations such as the DGA, RGA and N.C. Citizens have more leeway since the Citizens United ruling to directly support or oppose candidates in television ads. They also have a greater pool of donors compared to 2008. The two candidates have no direct way to rein in the outside groups.

Hall said the early influx of ads is an early taste for voters until Election Day: "This is the harbinger of what's to come."

Governor's race heats up with litigation over TV ad

Pat McCrory's campaign and the political committees behind a television commercial McCrory says is false filed competing legal actions that raise the ante in North Carolina's gubernatorial race.

The Democratic Governors Association and the group North Carolina Citizens for Progress filed a complaint in Wake County court asking a judge to rule the commercial about McCrory's connections to a Charlotte-based business as true and constitutionally protected.

The complaint, which names McCrory and his campaign as defendants, was filed Thursday morning, hours before the Pat McCrory Committee initiated civil action against the two groups. It has until mid-June to file its complaint, according to the paperwork.

"I think they were bluffing. We're calling their bluff," Michael Weisel, attorney for N.C. Citizens for Progress, said Friday.

McCrory and his campaign also have been threatening lawsuits against TV stations that air the ad, which started last week, and asked the Federal Communications Commission to get involved. McCrory is most angry about an accusation that he lobbied for real estate and lending business Tree.com while mayor of Charlotte and three years before he joined the company's board.

"It's a total lie and misrepresentation of the facts. It is deceiving, it's deceptive," McCrory said. "We're going to challenge these ads that are unfactual and that are character assassinations."

Weisel suggested that he would seek to question McCrory under oath in the weeks before what's expected to be a competitive election with Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.

"The facts contained within the ad are absolutely accurate. We stand by them," he said. "There's a past history of perhaps making threats of lawsuits and then not actually doing so because it has its desired effect, which is to intimidate the press and your political opponents, their campaigns."

The competing litigation comes less than three weeks since Dalton and McCrory won their respective primaries. The DGA and the Republican Governors Association have spent more than $1.4 million combined on advertising since then.

The RGA began running another ad Friday, seeking to firm up Dalton's policy ties to Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue, who isn't seeking re-election.

Perdue is the vice chairwoman of the DGA and is listed as a likely defendant in the McCrory's campaign lawsuit.

McCrory said he's never been a registered lobbyist for Tree.com. The 2006 letter McCrory wrote as mayor and cited in the ad asked the state commerce secretary to boost state economic incentives to discourage LendingTree, a Tree.com business, from going to South Carolina.

N.C. Citizens for Progress produced the ad but the Democratic Governors Association paid for it. Campaign finance reports show N.C. Citizens have spent more than $430,000 on its ad campaign. The commercial has been airing on Triangle, Triad and Down East television stations.

The group has made some changes to the attack ad, and the latest version clarifies the timeline of events. They said it makes the ad stronger, but the lawsuit still goes on.

McCrory's campaign said Friday the legal matters would be handled by the lawyers and that McCrory is focused on the economy and who is best prepared to be governor.

"We're not going to be sidetracked with a back and forth with a third-party group," campaign spokesman Brian Nick said.

Dalton's campaign lit into McCrory, saying his public pledge Thursday to run fair campaign ads this election rang hollow as the RGA ran another ad accusing Dalton of voting repeatedly for higher taxes while in the state Senate. The RGA has spent more $1 million on running a pair of anti-Dalton ads this month, RGA spokesman Mike Schrimpf said.

"For McCrory to stand before the media and call for a clean campaign on the same day that his political hatchet men launch yet another misleading attack is a new low," Dalton spokesman Ford Dalton said.

Nick said the RGA ads are based on voting records, not attacking someone's character.

Campaign rules prevent third-party groups from coordinating activities with candidate committees.

As the McCrory and Dalton campaigns blast away at each other, Libertarian candidate Barbara Howe planned to quietly launch her gubernatorial campaign on Saturday. The Granville County homemaker has run for governor twice before.

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Sources: ABC News, AIP, Facebook, McClatchy Newspapers, Newsobserver, Pat McCrory.com, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Veterans Suicide Numbers Increase, Yet Congress Ignores This Epidemic: PTSD (Videos)

2012-05-28T10:03:00.011-07:00

The V.A.’s Shameful Betrayal

THE Department of Veterans Affairs, already under enormous strain from the aging of the Vietnam generation, the end of the Iraq war and the continuing return of combat troops from Afghanistan, announced in April that it would increase its mental health staff by about 10 percent. But too many veterans waging a lonely and emotional struggle to resume a normal life continue to find the agency a source of disappointment rather than healing.

The new hiring is intended to address the infuriating delay veterans face in getting appointments. The V.A. says it tries to complete full mental health evaluations within 14 days of an initial screening. But a review by the department’s inspector general found that schedulers were entering misleading information into their computer system. They were recording the next available appointment date as the patient’s desired appointment date. As a result, a veteran who might have had to wait weeks for an appointment would appear in the computer system as having been seen “without a wait.” That allowed the agency to claim that the two-week target was being reached in 95 percent of cases, when the real rate was 49 percent. The rest waited an average of 50 days.

As a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, I found that news maddening. While the schedulers played games with the numbers, veterans were dealing with mental wounds so serious that getting proper attention at the right time might have made the difference between life and death. Even worse was that the V.A. had failed twice before to change; the inspector general found similar problems in 2005 and in 2007. This suggests a systematic misrepresentation of data and an unwillingness to stop it.

Unfortunately, the problem goes even deeper. There are potentially hundreds of thousands of veterans who are struggling with post-combat mental health issues who never ask the V.A. for help. Some, hamstrung by fear of stigma, are too proud or too ashamed to ask for help. Others don’t ask because they’ve heard too many stories from peers who have received poor care or been ignored.

I have close friends who could no longer drive because of their lingering fears of roadside bombs. Others had gone to the V.A. because they had suicidal thoughts, only to receive a preliminary screening, a pat on the back, a prescription for antidepressants — and a follow-up appointment for several months later.

I’ve had my own struggle: in 2001 I was part of the initial force of Marines who landed in Afghanistan, and in 2003 took part in the heavy fighting of the first wave of the invasion of Iraq. Since coming home, I’ve had my mind hijacked by visions of the corpses of children, their eyes blackened, at the side of the road. I recall carrying the coffins of fallen brothers. I remember losing friends who probably knew exactly what was happening to them, as they bled out on the side of a dusty road in Iraq.

And I’ve felt the shame of having suicidal feelings. Like many others, I chose to hide them. Yet, even in the darkest days of my own post-traumatic stress, when I was considering choosing between making my suicide look like an accident or taking a swan dive off some beautiful bridge, I never considered going to the V.A. for help.

My image of the V.A., formed while I was on active duty, was of an ineffective, uncaring institution. Tales circulated among my fellow Marines of its institutional indifference, and those impressions were confirmed when I left Iraq for home. At Camp Pendleton, Calif., a woman with a cold, unfeeling manner assembled us for a PowerPoint presentation and pointed us to brochures — nothing more, no welcoming sign of warmth or empathy for the jumble of emotions we were feeling. Her remoteness spoke volumes to me of what I might expect at home.

To regain veterans’ trust, the V.A. must change its organization and culture, not just hire more people. First, its leadership must be held accountable for employees’ behavior, and anyone caught entering misleading data should be fired. The agency must reach out, with public awareness campaigns and with warmth, to veterans who may be suffering in silence. It must help reduce the social stigma that attaches to the mental health issues the veterans face.

Dedicated V.A. personnel run a suicide-prevention hot line, but it is only a temporary salve for emergencies. One impressive and highly effective alternative to the V.A.’s traditional treatment process is the Wounded Warrior Project’s Combat Stress Recovery Program, which emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships, goal-setting and outdoor, rehabilitative retreats and seeks to avoid the stigma associated with traditional treatment.

What this generation of veterans needs from the V.A. is a recognition that when the color of life has faded to gray, you need to talk to someone about it today, not weeks or months from now. We need America to acknowledge what war does to the young men and women who fight it and to share the message that dragged me out of the darkness: It’s O.K. if you’re not O.K.

U.S. must address suicides by Military Veterans

As we recall those who gave their lives for our freedoms on this Memorial Day, here’s something to consider: More veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have died by their own hand than died from enemy fire.

The shocking statistic comes straight from the Department of Veterans Affairs: 18 military veterans commit suicide every day. The youngest, between the ages of 17 and 24, are four times more likely to kill themselves than older veterans. To make the numbers even more agonizing, the men and women who fight for our freedoms have never been more isolated from their countrymen: less than 1 percent of the population has served in the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It’s an unacceptable state of affairs. “We don’t do a good job of understanding the reality of their lives and connecting them to services they need,” said Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1st Dist.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee. More than half the people who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have been part-time warriors, returning to jobs as teachers, construction workers, police and firefighters.

“You’re plucked from civilian life, go into war zone, then you get a 30-day transition back to your regular job,” Andrews said. “That’s not a lot of time to find out about programs to deal with problems, like stress. We need to figure out better ways to get them plugged into services.”

About 17 percent of homeless people are veterans. Others have returned home and devolved into drug addiction or erupted into violence. You’d think the Veterans Administration would figure out how to deliver the best mental health care to these veterans, and fast.

But just last month, a report by the administration’s inspector general revealed disarray and disorganization in exactly this department: The VA did not provide timely mental health evaluations and existing patients often waited more than two weeks for treatment. VA officials say they are hiring 1,900 more mental health specialists and support staff to strengthen its mental health network.

But local initiatives and outreach are crucial, too. Gov. Chris Christie already has announced that the recently closed Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital will be transformed into a 100-bed transitional facility for homeless veterans. Andrews said county offices in New Jersey, most of which have a veterans office, distribute information at street fairs and other local events. “Stand Downs” — where veterans volunteer to help connect other veterans to drug rehab, jobs and housing — also have been effective. But more needs to be done.

A fitting Memorial Day tribute will be honoring those who died for their country and recommitting ourselves to the well-being of those veterans who, invisibly, struggle quietly among us.

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Sources: AP, CBS News, CNN, NJ.com, NY Times, Russia Today, Youtube, Google Maps

Allen West vs House GOP Leaders On "Obamacare", Keeping The Pre-Existing Conditions Provision

2012-05-28T09:49:00.006-07:00

Are Republicans Bending On ‘Obamacare’?

As the landmark Supreme Court decision looms next month, Republicans have been privately considering a plan to reinstate some popular provisions of “Obamacare” if it’s struck down.

The report sent conservative advocates — who have demanded nothing less than total repeal — into a tizzy, which forced House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to reaffirm his commitment to “repealing Obamacare in its entirety,” declaring that “[a]nything short of that is unacceptable.”

But more evidence is emerging that Republicans believe that’s not tenable.

Rep. Allen West (R-FL), a tea party darling, told ThinkProgress that he supports preserving three popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act — the same three that his party’s leaders are reportedly considering.

“You’ve got to replace it with something,” West said. “If people want to keep their kid on insurance at 26, fine. We’ve got to make sure no American gets turned back for pre-existing conditions, that’s fine. Keep the doughnut hole closed, that’s fine. But what I just talked to you about, you know, maybe 20, 25 pages of legislation.”

This no-win predicament explains why Republicans have no replacement plan years after promising one. If they successfully gut “Obamacare” and leave it at that, they’ll face the blame for snatching away its popular benefits. But if they push to keep parts of the law, they’ll face the wrath of powerful conservative groups, which have repeatedly proven their clout at purging Republican lawmakers who buck the right’s demands.

“We would be very concerned about bills to resurrect parts of Obamacare,” said Dean Clancy, the top health care advocate for the influential conservative group FreedomWorks.

A Republican health care aide said members of his party recognize the dilemma.

“I do think some Republicans are finally starting to realize they could be the dog that caught the car,” the aide said.

The deeper problem with the GOP’s fall-back plan is that guaranteeing coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions is economically infeasible without a requirement, like the Affordable Care Act’s unpopular individual mandate, to bring young and healthy people into the insurance system. The idea is to spread risk and prevent costs from spiraling upward.

Health policy experts overwhelmingly accept this reality. And laws regarding pre-existing conditions without an individual mandate would infuriate the insurance industry. That’s why some of the policy-savvy Republicans recognize that supporting the pre-existing condition guarantee would not jibe with their promise of repeal.

“It’s a terrible idea,” No. 5 Republican Rep. Tom Price (GA) told Politico recently.

A Supreme Court decision on whether the health care law passes constitutional muster is expected by the end of June. If it’s struck down, President Obama and Democrats will face an enormous setback but can run against an activist conservative court in the November elections. For Republicans, the political reality is far trickier if they get what they want.

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Sources: TPM, Think Progress, Youtube, Google Maps

Pres. Obama Lays Wreath At Tomb Of Unknown Soldier & Gives Honor To Fallen Heroes (Video)

2012-05-28T09:12:00.007-07:00

"Today, we honor those who loved their country so much they sacrificed their lives for it. We owe them a debt we can never repay."
Pres. Barack Obama, Memorial Day 2012

Obama Memorial Day Ceremony: President Honors Fallen Troops At Arlington National Cemetery

President Barack Obama paid tribute Monday to the men and women who have died defending America, saying the country must strive "to be a nation worthy of your sacrifice."

He said the war in Iraq has ended after nine years and is "winding down" in Afghanistan. But he conceded that the pain of war lingers for the families of those lost in battle, noting mourners can be seen daily at Arlington National Cemetery daily, not just on Memorial Day.

"These 600 acres are home to Americans from every part of the country who gave their lives in every part of the globe," said the president, speaking under a brilliant sun before a large audience, including many uniformed servicemen and women, at the cemetery, after taking part in the traditional laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The president promised war veterans that "we will be there for you," to ensure that troops returning home from battle get the benefits they deserve.

Preceding Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that "all the men and women who rest here are a constant reminder that freedom is not free." He noted that some 6,400 men and women have died defending America since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Obama was traveling later Monday to the Vietnam War Memorial to give special recognition to the troops who served and died in that war.

In this election year, Obama has been reminding his audiences about the end of the war in Iraq and the move to bring all troops home from Afghanistan by 2014. In a campaign aid released last week, he credits U.S. servicemen who helped in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

With so many troops returning home from their service, Obama says the U.S. needs to return the favor.

"We have to serve them and their families as well as they have served us," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "By making sure that they get the health care and benefits they need; by caring for our wounded warriors and supporting our military families; and by giving veterans the chance to go to college, find a good job and enjoy the freedom that they risked everything to protect."

The White House said the gathering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial War would mark the beginning of a 13-year program to honor those who served during the Vietnam War.

Republican Mitt Romney was scheduled to appear Monday with Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, in San Diego, home to a large number of military personnel and veterans. Romney has made the case that too many veterans are returning home to poor job prospects, casting blame on Obama's economic policies.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report in March found that 12.1 percent of U.S. Armed Forces veterans who served on active duty after September 2001 were unemployed in 2011. The unemployment rate for all veterans was 8.3 percent.

Veterans could play a significant role in the 2012 election. Exit polls in 2008 showed that Obama was supported by about 44 percent of voters who said they served in the military, while 54 percent voted for McCain, a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam War.

A poll released Monday by Gallup found that 58 percent of veterans support Romney and 34 percent back Obama. The results were based on a sample of 3,327 veterans who are registered voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Several closely watched states in the election have large blocs of military voters. Florida, home to several military installations, has more than 1.6 million veterans, according to the Veterans Administration. Pennsylvania has nearly 1 million veterans, while Virginia and North Carolina each have about 800,000 veterans living in their states.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama started the day with a breakfast at the White House for families who have lost loved ones in combat.

Obama lays wreath at Tomb of the Unknowns on Memorial Day

President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in observance of Memorial Day Monday.

The president, joined by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, delivers remarks following the traditional wreath-laying ceremony.

Earlier in the day, Obama hosted a breakfast along with first lady Michelle Obama at the White House in honor of Gold Star families.

The Obamas and Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, will also attend an event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on the National Mall to mark the 50th anniversary of the war.

“This month, we’ll begin to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, a time when, to our shame, our veterans did not always receive the respect and the thanks they deserved — a mistake that must never be repeated," the president said in a statement circulated by the White House.

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Sources: AOL, AP, CBS News, Huffington Post, The Hill, Google Maps

Hispanic Births Now Outnumber Black Births: Wooing The 2012 Hispanic Vote

2012-05-28T08:44:00.009-07:00

Minorities are not looking for "Payback"

You've probably read those articles about how, in the United States, minorities are becoming the majority. That's a polite way of describing what is really going on. Namely, that the U.S. population is becoming more Latino and less white. More than any other group, it is Latinos who are driving demographic changes.

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that, of all the babies born in the United States in 2011, more than half were members of minority groups. Latinos, Asians, African-Americans and other minorities accounted for 50.4% of births last year, marking the first time in U.S. history this has happened.

Immigration is a driving force. So is the fact that Latinos have higher birthrates because they tend to be younger and starting families. According to the report, Latinos have a median age of 27; with whites, it's 42.

When I read these kinds of stories, I wince.

Some people assume that making lawmakers, media and corporations aware of population trends will persuade them to see the value in diversity and cause them to reach out to nonwhite populations. In my experience, it doesn't have that effect at all. People tend to do what they want to do the way they've always done it.

But what you can set your watch by is the backlash to these stories. It's rooted in fear, but also in human nature. No one likes being told they're being displaced or pushed aside, or that they're not going to be as relevant as time goes on.

So when David Bostis, a senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, tells CNN.com as he did recently: "The Republicans' problem is that their voters are white, aging and dying off" and that "there will come a time when (Republicans) suffer catastrophic losses with the realization of the population changes," it is bound to set off shock waves. And it did.

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh saw the CNN story as a threat, and he went ballistic.

"It is clear that this, and other similar stories like this, are meant to serve as a warning to Republicans and conservatives," Limbaugh told his audience of millions.
"And the warning is: You are on the wrong side of history. And you are on the wrong side of demographics. You better do what the coming majority wants right now, or you're gonna suffer the consequences. There is an implied threat in this story.

You're getting older. You're white and you're dying off. Pretty soon you're gonna find out what it's been like to not be you."

"That's the implication of the story," Limbaugh insisted. "You've been the majority for all these decades, all these generations, but your time is coming when you're gonna be the minorities and there's gonna be people with majority power over you. So you better learn right. You better change your ways. You better get with the program so that everybody likes you."

As is often the case when Limbaugh charges into matters of race and ethnicity, he has it all wrong. These aren't threats. These are facts. And they're presented not to pressure people to do "what the coming majority wants right now" as much as to highlight the value of doing the right thing by making our institutions more inclusive.

Stories like this are supposed to enlighten us and give us a heads up about what's coming around the corner, so we can take advantage of the trend and not be overrun by it. Elected officials, media companies and the business communities can put off thinking about the future, but they can't escape it.

Meanwhile, what people like Limbaugh seem to be trying to escape is a reckoning for what happened in the past. As he sees it, all this talk about changing demographics is tied to a larger criticism of the United States as having at times fallen short of its own principles of liberty, fairness and equality.

"Part of it is payback because this evil white majority has arranged things so they get all the spoils," he said. "And then whatever they don't want is what gets handed down. Those days are about over, and the big change is coming."

What needs to change is this kind of thinking. It's total nonsense. In nearly 25 years of writing about politics, race and ethnicity, I've never heard any member of a minority group talk about how they're looking forward to "payback" once they're in the majority. Not one.

What I do hear quite a bit is that people of color believe in the greatness of this country, and they want to help write the next chapter in ways that benefit them and their families. They want a seat at the table, not because they feel entitled but because they feel they have something unique and valuable to offer. And they don't want to get even; they just want to get ahead.

What's wrong with that? Nothing.

In fact, it's in keeping with some of this country's greatest traditions. Have no fear. The face of America is changing. But it's heart and soul never will.

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Sources: Alex Jones Show, CNN, Examiner, Fox News, PBS News, Youtube, Google Maps

60 Minutes Pays Tribute To America's Fallen Heroes: Memorial Day (Video)

2012-05-28T08:38:00.005-07:00

Sources: 60 Minutes, CBS News

Romney Leads Obama Among Veteran Voters: Romney Releases Memorial Day Video

2012-05-28T07:52:00.008-07:00

Veterans Give Romney Big Lead Over Obama

U.S. veterans, about 13% of the adult population and consisting mostly of older men, support Mitt Romney over Barack Obama for president by 58% to 34%, while nonveterans give Obama a four-percentage-point edge.

These data, from an analysis of Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted April 11-May 24, show that 24% of all adult men are veterans, compared with 2% of adult women.

Obama and Romney are tied overall at 46% apiece among all registered voters in this sample. Men give Romney an eight-point edge, while women opt for Obama over Romney by seven points.

It turns out that the male skew for Romney is driven almost entirely by veterans. Romney leads by one point among nonveteran men, contrasted with the 28-point edge Romney receives among male veterans.

The small percentage of female veterans in the U.S., in contrast to their male counterparts, do not differ significantly in their presidential vote choice from the vast majority of women who are not veterans.

The proportion of U.S. men who are armed forces veterans rises dramatically among those who are 60 and older.

The military draft was in force in the U.S. from shortly before the U.S. entry into World War II until the early 1970s. A majority of men now 70 to 89 served in the military, including almost three-quarters of those aged 80 to 89. Less than a fifth of men younger than 50 have served in the military. There is little variation in military service among women across these age groups.

Age makes little substantive difference in the vote preferences of male veterans. Those younger than 50 are roughly as likely to support Romney as are those 60 and older. Male veterans aged 50 to 59 are slightly less skewed toward Romney, but still support him by a 15-point margin.

Bottom Line

Veterans in the U.S. today are mostly male and two-thirds are aged 50 or older. In a population that is currently evenly split in its preferences for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney for president, veterans stand out for their 24-point preference for Romney. About a fourth of men are veterans, and it is their strong skew toward Romney that essentially creates the GOP candidate's leading position among men today. Among nonveteran men, Obama and Romney are essentially tied.

Why veterans are so strong in their preference for the Republican presidential candidate is not clear. Previous Gallup analysis has suggested that two processes may be at work. Men who serve in the military may become socialized into a more conservative orientation to politics as a result of their service. Additionally, men who in the last decades have chosen to enlist in the military may have a more Republican orientation to begin with.

Veterans' strong preference for Romney in this election occurs even though Romney himself is not a military veteran -- though Obama shares this nonveteran status. This will be the first election since World War II in which neither major-party candidate is a veteran.

Barring unforeseen developments such as the re-institution of the military draft, the proportion of the male population in this country that will have served in the armed forces will decrease in the years ahead as the older population dominated by veterans dies off. These data suggest that Democrats could get an overall boost from this demographic phenomenon as these apparently reliable Republican voters become a smaller and smaller proportion of the population.

Poll: Romney leads Obama among Veterans

As Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama take a campaign break to pay tribute on Memorial Day, a poll released Monday indicates the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has a big lead over Obama among veterans.

Fifty-eight percent of veterans support Romney, while 34% back the president, according to a new Gallup survey.

In recent weeks, polls have indicated significant gender gap between Obama and Romney, with woman more favorable to the president and men leaning more towards Romney.

Interestingly, the new poll shows that Romney's male advantage may be attributed to his lead among veterans, given that one in four men in the United States have served in the military. When taking into account only non-veteran men, Obama and Romney are essentially tied, the poll shows.

Among non-veterans overall (both men and women), however, Obama holds a four-percentage point advantage, 48%-44%, over his Republican rival.

Neither Romney nor Obama have military records, making the 2012 election the first race with non-veterans as candidates since the 1944 showdown between Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey.

To commemorate the Memorial holiday, Romney will make an appearance today with Sen. John McCain at the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in San Diego, California, while President Barack Obama attends ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.

Gallup pulled its data from its daily tracking survey between April 11 and May 24, with a random sample of 43,352 adults questioned by telephone. Of the sample, 7,133 were veterans. The poll's sampling error is plus or minus two percentage points.

Sources: CNN, Gallup, Youtube