Defamation and Felony

While a felony can land you in court, slander and libel can get you in legal trouble too.  However, in the dirtiest of political campaigns, defamation is the name of the game.  That is what Obama is running: the dirtiest of political campaigns.    Even still, cries of one’s opponent being a “felon” are usually relegated to the third party shenanigans of an “issues” candidate who has no hope of winning.  Such charges could also be associated with peanut gallery observers and shock personalities like Sean Hannity or Bill Maher.  However, now it is also a tactic of the Obama campaign.

Can Obama sacrifice all credibility and still win?

Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for the Obama campaign, suggested that Mitt Romney is either a liar or a felon and could face criminal prosecution.  Why?  Because either she is a liar, or the Obama administration is incompetent when it comes to corporate structures and SEC filings.

At issue is whether Mitt Romney was running the show at Bain Capital after 1999.  Everyone at Bain Capital, including Democrat Obama supporters, say no.  Everyone at the Olympics say Romney was there.  The only people who think Romney was at Bain after 1999 are in Obama’s campaign.  They blame Romney for everything that happened in Bain up to 2002.  Kind of like how they still are blaming Bush for 8.2% unemployment.

So why do Cutter and Obama think Romney is a felon?  The Boston Globe came out with a story showing that Romney signed SEC documents as the President, Director and CEO of Bain Capital up until 2002.  The Washington Post, Fortune Magazine and Factcheck.org explain this.  Romney left to save the Olympics before any sort of replacement could be found and remained listed as President and CEO until his shares were passed on.

Typically liberal Washington Post embarrasses Obama even more with a follow up fact check story, giving Obama another three Pinocchios.

Obama’s outright false and defamatory Bain attack is designed to get Romney to release more tax returns.  Obama believes he is gaining ground by highlighting the low percentage Romney pays in taxes.  However, another Washington Post factcheck story shows that even this line of attack is dishonest.  In fact, one of the reasons Romney’s tax rate is lower is because he gives as much to charity as he pays in taxes.

Media organizations have not been able to back Obama up on this one.  Even CNN’s John King backed up Romney’s side of the story.

In addition to exposing himself as a liar and a dirty campaigner, Obama has exposed himself to an easy rebuttal from the Romney campaign.  In fact, while Obama’s campaign is cheering any unfair negative press they can get on Romney, the result is Romney sitting in front of CNN, Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC cameras, on their dime, explaining how Obama is wrong and not living up to his promises of running an issues centered campaign.

In fact, as John Sununu pointed out, Obama’s bringing up things like felonies and outsourcing is really a liability for Obama.  Obama can be tied to Tony Rezko, Rod Blagojavich, Bill Ayers, and more recently Eric Holder and the Fast and Furious scandal.  You want to talk about secretive.

Here is my challenge to the Obama campaign.  Bain executives, Olympic executives, and anyone who knew Romney in 1999 knew that he was no more running Bain Capital than Bush was running a timber company in 2004.  So why doesn’t Obama send Eric Holder to arrest Mitt Romney for listing himself as CEO of Bain in 2002?  It wouldn’t be a waste of Holder’s time, he’s busy not turning Fast and Furious documents over to Congress and not enforcing Congress’s vote of contempt against him.  Send Holder to arrest Romney for supposedly committing the felony of being the president of a company he wasn’t running or involved with.  Then we can all have a good belly laugh at Obama and get on with our lives.

Obama has been consistently dishonest in this election season.  Eventually more people than just the political junkies like you and me will figure this out.  When a President lies several times during a campaign, the average joe on the street might miss every instance.  When a President lies continually, eventually every American will experience his dishonesty.  And when not even CNN and the Washington Post can backup Obama, his credibility is gone.  Can Obama win with no credibility?

Too Bad The Debate Won’t Matter

It is way too late in the game for the groundswell of Santorum supporters to turn back and take a gamble on Newt.  At stake is handing the Republican nomination to an establishment Republican with a liberal tax plan, timid economic plan, and nothing more than a strong business reputation to run on.  But after last night’s debate, the choice for the Republican nominee is as clear to me as the day I endorsed him.

I was proud of Newt for making a supremely important point in the debate over contraception.  The issue isn’t a debate between someone who wants to keep birth control pills legal and someone who wants to ban all contraception and chain women to the kitchen sink.  The debate is between someone who voted to make it legal for doctors to kill babies after they are born and the eventual GOP candidate who simply wants to protect religious organizations from having to pay for abortion pills.  The radical here is most definitely Obama and both Newt and Mitt pointed that out.

Santorum struck out more than once.  He came across as arrogant, angry and mean.  He has already taken a great deal of heat for dismissing unprincipled votes as “taking one for the team”.  This is the opposite of what anti-establishment Republicans are looking for.  I will give Santorum one very good mark though for making clear that when he talks about what is wrong with the family in America, he id not proposing that we use the government to solve it.  I mentioned that a couple days ago as something Santorum has not done a good job making clear.

Romney did a poor job connecting.  He has put up a conservative facade, but his opponents consistently poked holes in it.  In the end, he will keep his diehard supporters and establishment Republican allies, but he continues to disappoint.

Ron Paul continues to live in a time machine fantasy world where we supposedly can ignore what Iran is doing because we made them do it in the first place and ignoring them will make them go away.  Ron Paul does not seem to understand that on a scale of rationality, radical Islamic terrorists make the communists and fascists seem like Locke and Des Cartes.  Mutual guaranteed destruction is no great incentive for peace when offered to suicide bombers.

Unfortunately, Newt does not have the ground organization to convince Santorum voters to switch back.  But after last night’s debate, we may be kicking ourselves for a long time for overlooking him in 2012.

Newt the “Great Articulator” wins big in South Carolina

Not since President Ronald Reagan has a Politician stirred the deepest heartfelt passions & spoken to the sense of disillusionment, about every American household’s current struggle & experiences, then former Speaker Gingrich has this past week. “It’s not that I am a good debater,” Gingrich said, “It is that I articulate the deepest-felt values of the American people.” President Reagan may have been known as the “Great Communicator,” I welcome Speaker Gingrich as the average ordinary person’s “Great Articulator.”

Gingrich won 40% to Mr Romney’s 28% in South Carolina, a victory that seemed most unlikely a week ago. It proves that focussing on the issues and being prepared to stand up for traditional American values and speak directly to the people about the real issues, not the sugar coated spin often associated with the media’s interpretation of the issues, is what really appeals to the ordinary person. Other Republican hopefuls, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Texas representative Ron Paul, were trailing badly with 17% and 13% respectively.

In his victory speech Gingrich went out of his way to praise his presidential rivals, getting an especially lively response when he cited Rick Santorum’s “enormous courage” for campaigning, and winning, in Iowa when he had no money, organization, or media coverage.  He was careful to cite the issues the other candidates have championed, as well as offering personal praise. Gingrich also said, ”Obama is the most effective food stamp president in history, I would like to be the best paycheque president in American history.”

Newt Gingrich’s thumping victory last night was based not only on his willingness to stand up against the media bias, which has traditionally attacked Republican candidates. It is also founded in the support base and homes of every American household, it is jobs and shows true people power is still the effective tool in American politics.

Gingrich spoke about a pro-growth strategy similar to the proven policies used when he was Speaker to balance the budget, pay down the debt, and create jobs. Political commentators and the media in general, have grossly underestimated the influence of social networks such at Facebook, Twitter and others have had in this result. The support base are now better informed and more independent then in any previous election, due to their willingness and ability, to undertake their own research on allegations and facts on the internet.

This election is without a doubt a watershed in American history, it will dictate whether America recovers from its slow economic decline over the last decade, and have its American spirit and love of free enterprise restored. The election boils down to the traditional question and bottom line. “Are you better off now then you were four  years ago?”

President Obama who is a very likeable person and rode a wave of public disillusionment in 2008 to win the White House with the message of hope and change, respectfully has proved an ineffective and at times weak leader. The near $5 trillion dollars of spending, and a perceived detachment from how ordinary American’s are feeling, is a world away from the optimism he espoused. American’s sense that their society, and indeed government, have never been as divided before. The ordinary voters haven’t switched off from President Obama the person, they have switched off from his administration’s poor policies, and all too frequent politicking in crucial matters. American’s want jobs and action, not political rhetoric.

Gingrich’s victory, should also send a clear and distinct message to Governor Romney, who has already spent $7 million dollars in Florida on media ads, the message is that dirty personal attacks are not what is going to make him president in this election. Voters want to know what the candidates stand for and what they will do to help them, with a passion.  I still believe Romney will win in Florida due to his spending advantage. However, Romney needs to win over the hearts and minds of the voters. He is coming across as too insincere, too out of touch and too much the professional politician. Fundamentally, people are sick and tired of the personal attack ads he so frequently uses.

Voters don’t want their votes and support taken for granted any longer, and political consultant’s will need to adapt their long held strategies and rule books and recognise, and respect, the reality is the modern voter is better informed and educated on the issues than ever before. Ordinary grass root supporters are also fed up of having a preferred establishment candidate being jammed down their throats, as if their own views and choices don’t matter.

This election is about restoring the American Dream, restoring jobs, rebuilding the education system, rebuilding communities, and above all, restoring the American dream with its unique exceptionalism together with a clear vision about the American future.

People are no longer interested in the trash talking that most of the television networks engage in, while reality T.V. may have made the debates more attractive and appealing to the younger generation. People want to know they can have a secure pay check at the end of each month and are able to meet their commitments and have the personal security that brings. They want a leader who puts America and Americans first, not their party or themselves. Gingrich has a record for delivering large scale improvements and for putting the people first, not the political elite.

The most evoking line that signalled Gingrich’s intent going forward against the GOP establishment and media attackers was, “We want to run, not a Republican campaign, we want to run an American campaign.”

Gingrich is slowly becoming the champion of the American dream and American exceptionalism for its people. More importantly, Gingrich is starting to make the ordinary American believe again in their leadership and country, that with optimism, hard work and some sacrifice, the American Dream can and will shine brightly for generations to come if he is elected.

Welcome Gingrich, the “Great Articulator”.

Newt’s Ex…So What?

Am I crazy?  Maybe.  But I don’t think the Marianne Gingrich affair will end up materially changing this race.  If you remember, I wrote earlier this week about campaign fatigue.  It is January, not last July.  Nobody woke up this morning and discovered that Gingrich is in his third marriage.  So what do voters think when Newt’s bitter ex-wife decides to tell all to the media with the goal of ending his candidacy?

We saw a signal from the audience in the CNN debate when John King decided that was the number one issue Americans are concerned about and made it his top topic for the candidates.

Honestly, serious voters who are going to raise money, go to the polls, get friends out to the polls, are too busy living their own lives to watch the mainstream news media deteriorate to a level previously occupied by TMZ and Inside Edition.  Even CNN admitted that Gingrich won the debate simply based on his response to the first question.  I think even CNN realized just how stupid a question that was.

Oh, and Herman Cain, if you were watching that debate from home…That’s how it’s done.

Romney Attack Ad Pulled Because of CNN’s Objections: See the Ad Here.

   In a previous post, White House 2012 addressed the situation involving an anti-Perry web ad posted on Youtube by Mitt Romney’s campaign.  The ad called “Ready to Lead” used clips of Perry from the recent CNN sponsored debate in Nevada and essentially made Perry look foolish and anything but “Ready to Lead”.

Not long after the ad appeared it was pulled from Romney’s Youtube page without explanation.

Now we learn that White House 2012’s original suggestion that the ad may have been pulled because of an innocent copyright conflict is indeed the reason for why the ad was pulled.   According to CNN,

“CNN did not consent to the use of its copyrighted material for this ad, and CNN objects to the use of its talent in any campaign ad.  We respectfully requested that the Romney campaign not use CNN material in their campaign ads and they complied.”

 According to National Review Online, Andrea Saul of the Romney Camp issued the following statement;

 “While the use of the CNN clips was fully within our rights under the law, we respect and appreciate the role CNN has played as host in debates over the last several months. For this reason, we are honoring their request to remove the video,” said Romney spokesperson

Meanwhile, a script of the pulled ad obtained through AD FACTS, gives us a look at just foolish Romney’s campaign tried to make Perry look, and may ad, that is not a very difficult thing to do.

• CNN’s ANDERSON COOPER: “And welcome to the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian in Las Vegas.”
• CNN’s Anderson Cooper: “And welcome to the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian in Las Vegas.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Las Vegas, NV, 10/19/11)
• CNN’s JOHN KING: “It is Rick Perry’s moment of truth.”
• CNN’s John King: “In presidential politics, it is Rick Perry’s moment of truth.” (CNN’s “John King, USA,” 10/11/11)
• CNN’s GLORIA BORGER: “Republicans need to believe that if they are going to nominate somebody, this person can stand next to Barack Obama on the stage.”
• CNN’s Gloria Borger: “Republicans need to believe that if they are going to nominate somebody, this person can stand next to Barack Obama on the stage and go at him and do well at it.” (CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 10/12/11)
• RICK PERRY: “Was it — was before he was before the social programs, from the standpoint of he was for.”
•  Rick Perry: “Was it — was before he was before the social programs, from the standpoint of he was for standing up for Roe v. Wade before he was against Roe v. Wade?” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Orlando, FL, 9/22/11)
• CNN’s RANDI KAYE: “Do or die for him.”
• CNN’s Randi Kaye: “Some, tonight, say it’s do or die for him.” (CNN’s “Newsroom,” 10/11/11)
• RICK PERRY: “Not whether or not we are going to have this policy or that policy. …We don’t need any plan.”
• Rick Perry: “What we need to be focused on in this country today is not whether or not we are going to have this policy or that policy. … We don’t need any plan to pass Congress.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Hanover, NH, 10/11/11)
• FOX NEWS’ BRIT HUME: “Perry did really throw up all over himself in the debate.”
• Fox News’ Brit Hume: “They’re all — I mean, Perry really did throw up all over himself in the debate at a time when he needed to raise his game.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 9/25/11)
• RICK PERRY: “But the fact is, Americans understand faith.”
• Rick Perry: “But the fact is, Americans understand faith.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, 10/18/11)
• CNN’s CAROL COSTELLO: “Rick Perry plunging in the polls, rolling the dice.”
• CNN’s Carol Costello: “Rick Perry plunging in the polls, rolling the dice with a sharp attack against Mitt Romney and it got ugly and uncomfortable.” (CNN’s “American Morning,” 10/19/11)
• NEVADA GOP CHAIRWOMAN AMY TARKANIAN: “He would just calm down. He seemed very agitated.”
• Nevada GOP Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian: “A lot of people that were sitting by me were hoping that he would just calm down. He seemed very agitated.” (CNN’s “American Morning,” 10/19/11)
• REDSTATE’s ERICK ERICKSON: “Set the benchmark so low at the last debate.”
• RedState.com’s Erick Erickson: “He set such a benchmark so low at the last debate.” (CNN’s “John King, USA,” 10/12/11)
• RICK PERRY: “I mean we’ll wait until tomorrow, and see…”
• Rick Perry: “I mean, we’ll wait until tomorrow and — and — and see which Mitt Romney we’re really talking to tonight.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Orlando, FL, 9/22/11)
• FOX NEWS’ GRETCHEN CARLSON: “He doesn’t have his economic plan yet.”
• Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson: “He doesn’t have his economic plan yet.” (Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” 9/22/11)
• REDSTATE’s ERICK ERICKSON: “All he had to do is show up and smile.”
• RedState.com’s Erick Erickson: “I mean, really, all he had to do is show up and smile at this debate, and the Perry folks would be a little bit feeling at ease this morning.” (CNN’s “John King, USA,” 10/12/11)
• THE WASHINGTON POST’s DANA MILBANK: “He’s just a shadow of his former self.”
• The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank: “He’s just a shadow of his former self.” (MSNBC, 9/23/11)
• CNN’s GLORIA BORGER: “You cannot do that debate with other Republicans he’s going to have a hard time against Barack Obama.”
• CNN’s Gloria Borger: “And if he cannot do that in a debate with his Republican contenders, with the other Republicans, he’s going to have a hard time against Barack Obama. That’s what people are looking for. And he hasn’t shown it yet.” (CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 10/11/11)
• VIDEO TEXT: “Rick Perry, Ready To Lead?”
• VIDEO TEXT: “Coming Soon, www.careerpolitician.com”

And here is a portion of the ad caught on CNN:

 

 

Seven Versus One

The debate is over and there is a clear loser.  Whether by pact or we just got candidates this good, Obama was the only one with a target on his back last night.  Even Pawlenty wouldn’t take the obvious bait to attack front runner Mitt Romney.  The result was a debate of seven on one, and the One wasn’t there to defend himself.

The other loser in last night’s debate was CNN’s John King who amidst annoying grunts failed to turn the candidates on one another.  Even when he tossed Palin’s name out as an easy target for Republicans seeking to moderate, the response came from Tim Pawlenty and it was perfect.  Joe Biden has failed in every aspect as a Vice President, his views on Iraq were completely wrong, and Sarah Palin would be a better president than Biden or Obama.

Can Bachmann break through media created stereotypes?

The candidates handled tough hot button issues amazingly well also.  The shining example here was Michelle Bachmann who deflected an easy gotcha by making it clear that the role of the President and the role of the states in determining the fate of gay marriage is not equal.  She provided a balanced states rights view, while promising to protect the states from the courts if it came to that.  The other good answers on gay marriage were Ron Paul, leave it to the church and get government out, and actually Rick Santorum who explained that a constitutional amendment would require the approval of 75% of the states, something opponents rarely mention.  Cain appeared to struggle the most on the muslim staff question.

While there were no clear winners, I believe this debate showed two classes of candidates.  Michelle Bachmann led her class of fired up TEA Party approved candidates fighting for principled social and fiscal conservatism with unmeasured attacks against Obama and willingness to take heat for their views if deemed controversial.  Cain is included with this group, although he appears now more as a TEA Party candidate who jumped in feet first and now is searching for substance beyond catchphrases and buzz words.  He did not find that moment last night.  Ron Paul’s anti-establishment libertarianism may catch up to him this year when all the Revolution liberals realize that he does not support any federal entitlement programs.  Santorum failed to set himself apart as anything but a sacrificial lamb for 1st term George W. Bush style conservatism.  While they all performed well, Bachmann outshined this group.  Given the TEA Party’s success in 2010 and their conservative appeal, I would not write this group off.

The other group becoming apparent are the “intellectual”, restrained conservatives in Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty.  Their answers would not pass a soundbite test, but they were clear, well thought out, and flawless.  At the same time, these three touted socially conservative views and credentials which should make each one palatable for any Republican voter.  Newt was in a tough place and would need to be the only shining candidate last night to pull his campaign out of the rubble.  His performance was near flawless and enough to start the rebuilding process, but not good enough to bring him in from the dog house.  And while he may be right about ensuring that America is on board with the Paul Ryan plan, he is sure to take more heat for some of his comments last night.

Tim Pawlenty was perhaps the closest thing to a winner last night.  He made a great case for his pro-life record, perhaps settled some social conservatives with his call for his stance on homosexuality, connected with union and blue collar America, and magnanimously skipped a golden opportunity to play John King’s game and trash the front runner.  While the left-wing media rakes Pawlenty over the coals for his choice, conservatives should take a much closer look at a candidate who knows the enemy.

Mitt Romney will remain the front runner after last night.  The campaign has been nearly effortless for him sofar, and he made no mistakes that would cause him to lose his front runner status last night.  But he shouldn’t get too comfortable.  With Huntsman entering the race and with Rick Perry and Rudy Guiliani mulling Presidential runs of their own, the space Romney and Pawlenty occupy could get real crowded real quick.

In the end, the field last night did what they had to do.  They stayed focused on the economy and Obama.  They did not bite on questions obviously designed to turn them against each other and other Republicans.  They agreed with one another publicly and showed that any one of them is better than and can beat Barack Obama in 2012.

Donald Trump Confirms His Presidential Aspirations

Apprentice star and real estate mogul Donald Trump has publicly declared that he is seriously considering perusing the Republican nomination for President. Trump tells CNNs John King that many people have been urging him to go for it.

The Don states that in addition to the economic condition of the nation, his interest in politics has increased because he hates what’s happened to the country,” and what is going on in respect to how the United States is being taken advantage of by entities like OPEC and nations like China as well as other parts of the world.

According to entertainment reporter Jennifer Still, Trump may tie in a potential bid announcement with the season finale of the upcoming season of Celebrity Apprentice which goes on March 6^th. He adds You can’t make a decision until that’s off, otherwise other people will have to be given two hours of prime time television,”

The lighthearted approach that Trump seems to have taken about the possibility of running for President and the prospects of his tying that possibly to the ratings of his scripted reality show leaves one wondering just how serious his public declaration is. It is also leaves one wondering just how serious one can take Donald Trump.

The addition of Donald Trump in to a crowded field of Republicans could prove to break up the monotony of the dialogue that often comes from polished politicians and the money he brings to the table could be the death knell to other serious but lesser known and less well financed candidates.

If Trump is seriously considering a run for President, more power to him. He may just have some refreshingly productive ideas to throw in to the mix and his ability to demonstrate his leadership abilities in the political arena should not be underestimated. However, if he is not serious about his intentions and merely performing for ratings, he would do us all a service by stopping his political performance before actually becoming an official candidate.

There are enough games being played in politics and serious issues deserve serious consideration, not tabloid teasers

Meanwhile America, hold on to your seats, the 2012 election is certainly going to be a bumpy ride. The addition of people like Donald Trump and possibly even Mike Bloomberg will just make it a lot more enjoyable.