Yesterday, BarelyPolitical(of ObamaGirl fame) introduced a new Pro-Military music video, filled with military spouses and a pretty neat soundtrack and featuring rapper Mims. It is worth checking out. Proceeds from the video will benefit “Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.”
Each member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had seven minutes to question Petraeus and Crocker about the Iraq War. Obama used about six minutes of his time to lecture Petraeus and Crocker that the surge is of modest success given the cost and the Iraq central government is ineffectual — points he has been making in speeches and debates. As Obama was wrapping up, he said, “That, of course, now leaves me very little time to ask questions, and that’s unfortunate.”
“That’s true, Senator,” piped up Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the committee chairman and a rival for the Democratic nomination.
Petraeus never got to answer Obama’s 266-word question. Rushed at the end, Obama asked about benchmarks not met. Crocker said, “Senator, I described for Senator Sununu a little bit ago some of the things that I think are going to be very important as we move ahead.”
Obama tossed a softball: “Can you repeat those?
Biden asked Crocker to summarize and racing the clock, Crocker got in 215 words before Obama’s time was up.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) followed Obama. He told Petraeus and Crocker, “As you have found, our hearings are more about listening to ourselves than listening to our witnesses.”
For the first time in five years, South Carolina has beat Georgia, and for one of the few times in history–at Sanford Stadium.
Despite the fact the Georgia Bulldogs came into the Saturday’s game against South Carolina ranked No. 11 in the country, USC coach Steve Spurrier refused to call the 16-12 win a shocker.
“This was not a shock to us to win this game,” Spurrier said. “This was two even teams. We made all our field goals and kept them out the end zone.”
It feels good to be a Gamecock tonight.
C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A GOOOO COCKS!
Mitt Romney is now up on TV in South Carolina, according to the New York Times’ Caucus Blog.
Mitt Romney is set to hit the airwaves tomorrow in South Carolina, where he has so far been struggling in the polls, in his first significant advertising push in the early voting state.The move will come on the same day that Mr. Romney will debut yet another new advertisement in Iowa and New Hampshire….
In South Carolina, however, Mr. Romney has spent only about $200,000 in a small run of ads that were broadcast in March. He also made a light cable news buy in the state in June. Some have wondered whether Mr. Romney would seriously compete in the southern state, where his background as a former governor from Massachusetts and a Mormon is problematic to many Republican primary voters.
But a review of Mr. Romney’s first and second quarter spending shows that he has invested significant resources in his efforts there, pouring in some $464,000 for consulting, direct mail and other expenditures. Many Republican leaders in the state also say that Mr. Romney has the most elaborate ground operation of all of the candidates there. He made his 12th trip to the state, a two-day swing, last week.
There are two cuts of the ad that will be shown. First, the ad of Mitt Romney running will be featured. In two weeks, a new cut of the same advertisement, with a voice over taken from an Ann Romney speech, will be unveiled.
According to Marc Ambinder, Hillary Clinton is now on TV in Iowa, and is the last major candidate to advertise.
Clinton says in the ad:
“As I travel around America, I hear from so many people who feel like they are invisible to their government,” Clinton says in the ad. “If you have a family that’s struggling… you are invisible to this president…You’re not invisible to me….You won’t be invisible to the next president of the United States.”
Chalk this up as the 5th election where Democrats have run against George W. Bush. I like to vote for a candidate for what they stand on. I want a candidate who presents optimism and makes me want to vote for them, and not against someone else(who isn’t even in the race.) There is a difference in saying “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” than saying that the current president is “invisible.” I guess President Bush couldn’t see the people who are “struggling” because he was too busy blowing up the World Trade Towers, blowing up the New Orleans Levees, and blowing up the Minnesota Bridge.
Democrats: run on your beliefs–it seems to work better for you.
This week the center of the GOP political world is Ames, Iowa, which plays host to the Iowa GOP’s annual straw poll. The Ames Straw Poll will bring an onslaught of candidates, news media, barbecue, speeches, entertainment to an estimated 40,000 Iowans who will cast ballots to declare which presidential candidate they plan to support in Iowa’s upcoming “First in the Nation” caucus.
Candidates spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure votes from Iowans through food, fun and festivities. They bring celebrities to their tents to help garner votes—and Saturday’s straw poll certainly has its’ own dignitaries.
Senator Sam Brownback is billing his session “an afternoon of prayer and celebration” and has announced that his party plans at the straw poll venue will feature:
Lou Engle, founder of “The Call”
Fr. Frank Pavone, Pro-Life Leader
Bobby Schindler, Brother of Terry Schiavo
Steve McEveety, Producer of the Passion of the Christ
Eduardo Verostegul, Mexican Actor
Norma McCorvey is “Jane Roe” of the Roe v. Wade case. Although there are many questions surrounding her role in the controversial case, she is the reason that abortion is legal in the United States. For 22 years she lived with her life partner, Connie Gonzales and on August 10, 1995, became a self-described “Pro-Life Activist” and recently petitioned the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
I raise Ms. McCorvey’s involvement in Mr. Brownback’s festivities for one reason— Sam Brownback has been viciously attacking Mitt Romney for changing his views on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life, but prominently features “Jane Roe” who also recently changed her views from pro-choice to pro-life. Sam Brownback can’t have it both ways. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, Senator.
h/t Campaigns and Elections Magazine
Mitt Romney announced today that his campaign was providing a “Surge of Support” for our troops serving overseas. On his website, he unveiled links to seven organizations who provide different types of support to American’s serving overseas. One of those on the list, Operation Thank You, is based out of Columbia.
[Alex Stroman]
Sen. Jim DeMint has been on the forefront of ethics disclosure in the Upper Chamber of the US Congress–just ask Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and President Pro-Tempore Robert Byrd (D-WV).
From a DeMint Press release:
There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in the new ethics bill, but upon a close look its obvious that earmark transparency reforms have been eviscerated. Senator Reid has given himself and a few committee chairmen the authority to determine whether congressional earmarks have been properly disclosed to the public. My office has confirmed this with the Senate Parliamentarian. Under this bill, the American people would be forced to trust Senator Reid and Senator Byrd – two of the biggest earmarkers in the Senate – to certify earmark disclosure. This bill allows the fox to guard the henhouse and makes a joke of ethics reform.”
So, if Robert Byrd wanted to have pet projects in West Virginia, he could not disclose them, but then could force Lindsey Graham to disclose his projects for SC? How about disclose ALL of them?
First we had “Immigration Reform” and now “Ethics Reform.” I thought the word “reform” meant to change things for the better. Maybe when the Democrats won by the Congress, they won the rights to Mirriam Webster’s Dictionary as well…
[Alex Stroman]
In a recent interview with the Washington Post online, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn(D-SC6) suggested that House Democrats wait until after General Petraeus’ September progress report before charting their next moves on their plan for Iraq.
Clyburn noted that Petraeus carries significant weight among the 47 members of the Blue Dog caucus in the House, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats. Without their support, he said, Democratic leaders would find it virtually impossible to pass legislation setting a timetable for withdrawal.
“I think there would be enough support in that group to want to stay the course and if the Republicans were to stay united as they have been, then it would be a problem for us,” Clyburn said. “We, by and large, would be wise to wait on the report.”
Looks like Jim Clyburn (of all people) is a voice of reason in the Democratic Party.
Sam Brownback is quickly rolling out the coalitions and press releases. We believe this one guarantees a win at Ames for Brownback.
DES MOINES - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, Republican candidate for president, will host a dinner with Vietnamese community leaders and activists Saturday to announce an Iowa Vietnamese for Brownback Coalition.
Brownback will emphasize his views on human rights and religious liberty around the world. Several members of the Vietnamese Coalition will also speak to discuss why they are supporting Brownback.