hero does not equal presidential - nm
Posted By: Amanda on 2008-11-02
In Reply to: Good thing kids don't get to vote - Kaydie
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Hero of what? Hero to Wright, Rezko, Ayers, and
nm
Interesting regarding equal pay for equal work...
http://www.gop.com/news/NewsRead.aspx?GUID=8b69f23e-3ec7-4e68-b1e0-15fdf136d68c
Two-way street not so equal?
Just my 2 cents... though it is definitely a 2-way street with both conservative and liberal radio talking heads (and others) make these comments about all kinds of stuff, including assassinations of either Bush or Obama... I do see a difference here - in that there are a large number of folks in this country who think Bush should be in prison, impeached, or at the very least, hasn't done our country a big favor with this war...with popularity at an all-time low... NOT that I'm saying he deserves to be assassinated, I'm not!!
But this talk of Obama being in danger - it is not because he has done something wrong, it is not because he is a hugely unpopular person (quite the contrary), and it is not because of his actions.... it is about the color of his skin. Racism. And, fear.
Thanks for listening to my 2 cents...
On the equal pay thing....
the women on McCain's campaign (and there are more women on his staff than on Obama's) make more money than the men do...and the women on Obama's campaign make less than the men do...would be nice if candidate practiced what he preached. Just sayin.
Equal percentage is right, I think....nm
nm
He just wants everyone equal, whether you work
nm
Who looks more presidential?
Calmly and confidently address subjects of vital interest to the nation and runs against his presidential opponent or a robot who stands by silently picking his nails and clinging to the skirt tails of his VP instant reply mouthpiece, taking queues from her as to when to wave to the audience, all the while never uttering one sound on one policy?
Thank you and I have equal respect for your decision. s/m
We can all only vote for what we hope (there's that word HOPE again) that we have made the right decision. I do have FAITH in the American people that all of us will come together and take it in our hands to clean up this country at some point. Neither candidate nor member of Congress is going to look out for "we the people" until we stand up on our hind legs and DEMAND it. That is our right under the Constitution of the United States of American and I HOPE we will do it. We did it on a small scale after 9/11. I say "small scale" because while everyone came together, it didn't last long and we all went back to business as usual. If the prediction of us being in such dire straits as we are "warned" about on a daily basis if Obama is elected, I think we ain't seen nothing yet as how the AMERICAN people will band together and DEMAND change. However, if McCain gets in the White House, as I think he will, we'll continue right on down the garden path just as we have the last 8 years. AND it won't surprise me if before this election is done Bush declares martial law and then we are for sure in a fine fix. Use your noggins for a change instead of just trying to get McCain elected, we ain't rid of George W. Bush YET.
Equal opportunity basher....... sm
I'm an Independent, and have been for years, because I don't uphold the Dem/Pub party process any more. It may have served a real purpose when it was initiated, but those times are long gone. My Daddy was a true-blue Democrat and it wasn't until his later years that he really began looking at the issues and the politicians as a whole rather than through the bipartisan microscope.
My opinion, now that the big event is behind us, is that everyone (at least the ones on this board) voted in their own conscience. Most of the posters here seem to have researched the issues and applied their own opinions as they felt led and I don't think anyone needs to be told "I told you so" or needs to rub in the fact that their man won. As Chele, I believe it was, pointed out, we (collectively speaking) have placed a man in office, and while the future ain't lookin' too rosey right now, we all need to pull together and get through whatever the fallout may be the best we can.
FWIW...I've never been happy with the "solution" to the Kennedy assasination either. I think it was poorly handled yet expertly covered up. Be that as it may, the person(s) that were really behind this have to deal with whatever recompense they have coming.
To paraphrase Hoover, "A crow in every pot and forget about the car!"
However, he did not believe that all citizens are equal under the law. Shame on ...sm
you likening BO to Hitler.
No, because it's still not equal. Human beings should
nm
Equal rights to you people is when
you get YOUR way and to he!! with whatever majority group doesn't like it or doesn't believe in it. That is your idea of equal rights.
Legality does not equal morality.
Many things in this country are legal that God would disapprove of. You cannot serve God and man. I wouldn't go so far as to call this murderer a doctor. Doctor's try to save lives. He was far from a doctor.
When your hero, Reagan,
he apparently made you blind. Remember this when more of our infrastructure (already started with levees in Louisiana) falls apart and you wonder why there are more pot holes and you can't afford basic necessities. Look around, it's already happening.
Poverty Increases as Incomes Decline Under Bush
September 21, 2005
By Gene C. Gerard
The day after Hurricane Katrina hit, exposing much of the public to the tragic conditions of poverty in America, the Census Bureau quietly released its annual report entitled, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. In some respects, it provided a demonstrable backdrop to the pockets of poverty common to New Orleans and other cities. It also explained why, despite President Bush's assertion last month that, Americans have more money in their pockets, many people aren't faring as well as they once did.
The report indicates that in 2004 there was no increase in average annual household incomes for black, white, or Hispanic families. In fact, this marks the first time since the Census Bureau began keeping records that household incomes failed to increase for five consecutive years. Since President Bush took office, the average annual household family income has declined by $2,572, approximately 4.8 percent.
Black families had the lowest average income last year, at $30,134. By comparison, the average income for white families was $48,977. The average pretax family income for all racial groups combined was $44,389, which is the lowest it has been since 1997. The South had the lowest average family income in 2004.
Interestingly enough, as the Economic Policy Institute notes in their analysis of the Census Bureau's report, not all families did poorly last year. Although the portion of the total national income going to the bottom 60 percent of families did not increase last year, the portion going to the wealthiest five percent of families rose by 0.4 percent. And while the average inflation-adjusted family income of middle-class Americans declined by 0.7 percent in 2004, the wealthiest five percent of families enjoyed a 1.7 percent increase.
Earnings also declined last year. This is despite the fact that Americans are working harder. Since 2000, worker output per hour has increased by 15 percent. Yet for men working full-time, their annual incomes declined 2.3 percent in 2004, down to an average of $40,798. This decrease was the largest one-year decline in 14 years for men. Women saw their earnings decrease by 1 percent, with an average income of $31,223, the largest one-year decline for women in nine years.
Women earned only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men last year. Clearly, the gender gap remains real and pervasive. In all major industry sectors, women earned less than men. In the management of companies, women earned 54 cents for every dollar earned by men; 57 cents in finance and industry; and 60 cents in scientific and technical services.
Not surprisingly, the report revealed that poverty increased last year. There were 37 million (12.7 percent) people living in poverty, an increase of 1.1 million people since 2003. This was the fourth consecutive year in which poverty has increased. In fact, since President Bush took office, 5.4 million more people, including 1.4 million children, have found themselves living in poverty. There were 7.9 million families living below the poverty level in 2004, an increase of 300,000 families since 2003.
The average income last year for a poverty-stricken family of four was $19,307; for a family of three it was $15,067, and for a couple it was $12,334. The poverty rate increased for people 18 to 64 last year by 0.5 percent. The South experienced the highest poverty rate of all regions.
The Census Bureau report also demonstrated that health insurance coverage remains elusive for many Americans. Those covered by employer-sponsored health insurance declined from 60.4 percent in 2003 to 59.8 percent in 2004. Approximately 800,000 more workers found themselves without health insurance last year. The percentage of people covered by governmental health programs in 2004 rose to 27.2 percent, in part because as poverty increased, more Americans were forced to seek coverage through Medicaid. The percentage of the public with Medicaid coverage rose by 0.5 percent in 2004.
Last year was the fourth consecutive year in which employer-sponsored health insurance coverage declined. A total of 45.8 million Americans are now without health insurance. The uninsured rate in 2004 was 11.3 percent for whites, 19.7 percent for blacks, and 32.7 percent for Hispanics. Not surprisingly, the South had the highest portion of the uninsured population, at 18.3 percent.
Although we haven't heard President Bush say it much lately, he came into office as a self-professed compassionate conservative. But as the report by the Census Bureau suggests, which was sadly symbolized by the plight of many poor residents of New Orleans, the country hasn't seen much of that compassion in the last five years.
Many Americans are working harder, earning less, and without the benefit of health insurance. It's easy to understand why the report was released a day after the largest natural disaster in a century, when much of the country was distracted.
PK...You are my hero/shero! sm
Coming from another person who finds herself sitting in the middle of the road (seeming sometimes with no place to go :) you speak to the beat of my very heart where politics are concerned, and I'm glad you posted your story because I would have taken you as a hardline liberal. That just goes to show.
I only questioned the wire tapping because it has been an issue that I do not have a stance on. I can see the good in it and the bad that can come along with it, so versus reading an article I wanted to know in your own words what you guys felt about it. I definitely can see why checks and balances are in needed in this program, as with anythng in the justice system. It may take more work, but if there is legitimacy in the tapping then they should be required to get a warrant.
Thank you for sharing your views.
Even the hero of the RWNJ
Rush Limbaugh said Bill-O is the Ted Baxter of Fox news. Falafa, falafa, falafa.
Yes, a true hero (sm)
They gave him full immunity, because they counted on him flipping over on the the administration. So he gets full immunity, and then takes the all the blame unto himself, after shredding thousands of documents under the very noses of the investigators.
Not sure if this part is true, but I guess someone held up a piece of paper as evidence, and asked Oliver North what it was.
His response?
Damn, I must have forgotten to shred that one!!
MCCAIN: NO HERO
How does spending time in a prisoner of war camp make you a hero? You would really rather have had a man who is a "post-traumatic stress disorder" attack waiting to happen, with his hand on the big red button?
If being a POW is heroic, Guantanamo is the LAND OF HEROES.
On this first day of your new hero, you cant stop
nm
Presidential race
Please do not tell any of the following their lives are not DIRECTLY affected by the President:
1. The teachers and students who spend most of their time preparing for NCLB standardized testing while falling behind in basic life skills. This affects EVERY student and EVERY teacher in EVERY public school in the United States.
2. The soldiers who have been to Iraq,as well as their survivors. Their mission was to destroy nonexistent WMDs.
3. The millions of people who cannot afford health insurance or oil to heat their homes. Of course our president does believe "profits" are a good thing; unfortunately they are for corporate America.
I am not advising who to vote for; obviously it is a personal choice. But anyone who says no one person can make a difference, good or bad, is naive.
Presidential candidates
I think MTs should run the country!!! 
Well he's already got his own presidential seal.
He's going to have to use it somewhere, lol.
I think that a presidential inauguration should be serious...
not an excuse to drink a lot in bars. I actually find it tacky. Watch the serious event in our nation's capital and celebrate if you want, but go home to party like a rockstar. Personally, I think it shows a huge amount of disrespect.
So...you are FOR anyone asking a Presidential candidate...
a question be subject to a law enforcement background check and the findings made public? Bye bye civil rights. Unreal.
The Presidential Pooch
Ok........ I'll say at least Michelle Obama said we'd like to "rescue" a dog. But now we've got the AKC involved in 2 Poodles, who are in a Poodle Rescue. I guess Id prefer that, but would prefer going to an actual kill-shelter and adopting, which is what I think Michelle meant in the first place.
Though......... What do you guys think of the hype of having a "Dog" in the White House. It's almost like it's the "designer" thing.
I remember Bill Clinton going and getting "Buddy".... It started with just Socks the cat didn't it?
I mean, all the love to them, for liking dogs and stuff, god knows I'm an animal lover.
But..... Seems weird. Now that I'm president and in the White House, you can have a dog. Not before, but Now you can.
I dont know.
=========================
President-elect Barack Obama has promised his two daughters a new puppy, sparking widespread speculation over the breed of the First Dog-to-be.
Cristina Corbin
FOXNews.com
Thursday, November 06, 2008
To the lucky pup poised to become the next First Dog: Mind your manners.
Barney, President Bush's usually docile Scottish Terrier, once nipped at a White House intern -- now a FOXNews.com reporter -- when she accidentally dug a fingernail into the pooch while holding him.
Bill Clinton's cat, Socks, routinely hissed at the First Dog, Buddy. And Teddy Roosevelt's pit bull once famously ripped the pants of the French ambassador.
In his election victory speech Tuesday night, President-elect Barack Obama promised his two daughters that they'd be moving into the White House with a new puppy. Now the dogosphere is engaged in widespread speculation over the breed of the presidential pooch-to-be.
Or pooches-to-be. The American Kennel Club hopes that the pet will turn out to be a pair of 6-week-old toy poodles, rescued by Flora's Pet Project/Poodle Rescue in Connecticut. First lady-to-be Michelle Obama said in an interview last month that the family was interested in adopting a rescue dog after the election.
The puppies were transported to the AKC's New York offices, where they were to be photographed professionally Thursday in the hopes of catching the Obama family's attention.
"The dogs were in an unfortunate situation and were not being cared for properly," said Marianne Smith, a spokeswoman for the rescue agency. Smith said the puppies were "voluntarily surrendered," but declined to give further details.
In an online presidential dog poll conducted by the AKC in August, the poodle breed was the top dog among 42,000 respondents. Other contenders were the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier and Bichon Frise.
In a Communispace.com survey of 308 people taken after the election, 25 percent of those polled predicted the Obamas will get a golden retriever; 15 percent said a "pound dog," and 14 percent said a Jack Russell terrier.
Promoting her poodles, AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said: "We hope the Obamas consider the survey results.... This poodle is a breed that doesn't always get the respect it deserves, but it is truly an ideal family pet."
"The poodle is a highly versatile breed," she said. "It's extremely intelligent and easily trained. This dog is going to visit many places, and so you want it to have good manners."
One of the Obamas' daughters suffers from allergies, so poodles -- which do not shed -- would be an ideal choice, Peterson said. The breed's obedient temperament and intelligence also make it a perfect candidate, she said.
In a letter to Obama in September, the AKC offered its assistance in choosing the White House dog and urged the Illinois senator to consider the toy poodle if he were elected. The AKC said it didn't send a letter to John McCain, because the Arizona senator already has 24 pets, including four dogs.
From 1960-1982, the poodle was the number one breed in America. Winston Churchill, Grover Cleveland and Richard Nixon all reportedly owned one.
Past White House breeds include George H. W. Bush's Springer Spaniel "Millie," Ronald Reagan's King Charles Cavalier Spaniel "Rex" and Caroline Kennedy's Welsh Terrier "Charlie." President Clinton's dog "Buddy" was a chocolate lab.
PICTURE BELOW:
A pair of six-week-old Toy Poodle puppies rescued by Flora's Pet Project/Poodle Rescue Connecticut visited the American Kennel Club offices in New York Thursday to be photographed in hopes of catching the attention of the Obama family.
Accusation doesn't equal fact
anybody who has a beef against Bush could come out with this...doesn't make it true.
Equal opportunity for all Americans is not a new vision.
Get with the program.
This country needs more love and equal rights, and
It's just a catch-all name for people who feel they have the right to control other people's freedom to live their lives, even when it's none of their business.
Charles Ferguson is a hero!
I finally had time to sit down and watch the movie No End in Sight. Finally! The truth is coming out. I encourage everyone to watch it, and considering I read a recent poll that 40% of Americans think that Sadam was behind 911 and that is why we invaded Iraq, tell everyone you know to watch it too.
Like Whorn, I was riveted. It angers me. President Bush, his administration, and Congress should be held accountable for allowing this nightmare to happen and to continue. President Bush in particular is complicit in destroying Iraq and should be brought out to answer a few questions to say the least. This is all at his feet due to ineptness to lead and putting the wrong people in charge of things they had no business being in charge of and not listening to the advice of those who knew best simply because he didn't want to hear it. I am rather surprised that there are not more protests marching on Washington. I think there may be before he exits the White House.
The most important thing for me is it solidified my belief that we need to pull out of Iraq posthaste. I was on the fence about pulling our troops out. I am no longer on that fence.
I could go on and on, it's a passionate subject. It is predicted that this venture will cost 1.5 trillion dollars. That should shoot the conservatives right up the wazoo. How could anyone possibly justify that? Who the heck is going to pay for it? Think our taxes will go up? I'd bet on it. Oh, probably not, they'll budget cut to cover the blunder and leave more of our children poorly educated. Over 3000 Americans dead, well over a half a million dead Iraqi's, the government won't disclose how many Iraqi are currently being detained. I could scream.
You've got to watch it.
Your hero Hillary's husband had ONLY...
executive experience when he went into the white house. Are you saying he did not function well as president?? As long as you watch the regular media McCain is going to be absent because they are card carrying members of the vote Democrat or die party before everything say whatever youhave to say even if that changes daily crowd.
And if you don't know the Clintons by now your head is further in the sand that mine ever thought about being, and all this yada yada democratic party line mantra....
and as far as her calling hillary a whiner...let me search the internet. I don't think she is the first. Let me also search the internet for what an MSNBC commentator called her during the primaries...didn't see you posting his name here.
Yep, we do agree....sweeetttttt. I am still excited. And will be until its over, and all this hard line party mantra mumbo jumbo is not going to dampen it. And if the ticket loses, I STILL SAY that Hillary Clinton can't carry Sarah Palin's water. Palin has more integrity in her little finger than the Clintons have in their whole bodies. I don't think she has ever committed felony perjury. Wanna talk about travelgate, whitewater...?
Geez. lol. sweeettttt.
Oh, that was classy... not!. McCain was the hero
nm
There are more than one kind of hero in this world,
.
I was just saying to follow the lead of your hero
he lost but he is moving past it, unlike the RRs on this board
You said it - they are the true hero's of the country
Not any message really, just wanted to say the Navy Seals are true hero's. Willing to go into danger and even die saving other people they don't know. Navy Seals, Police, Fire, etc. People who selflessly lay down their lives to protect and rescue the innocent are the true hero's and I hope they are commended for this. - Okay, so I guess I did have a message. :-)
I have the answer to our presidential woes...
It is time for some real serious thinking now.....Take your time with the following report and see if you don't agree!!!
Here we are already discussing the future President of the United States in the Year 2008. Well, I have my own candidate; and I'm sure that once you know who I'm voting for, you will also agree.
For those of you who would like another choice for President, I have the best solution: It is probably time we have a woman as President . My choice, and I hope yours as well, is a very special lady who has all the answers to our problems.
PLEASE give it a thought when you have a moment...
MAXINE FOR PRESIDENT!
Very eloquently put...........don't you think?
Maxine on "Driver Safety" "I can't use the cell phone in the car. I have to keep my hands free for making gestures. ".......
Maxine on "Housework" "I do my housework in the nude. It gives me an incentive to clean the mirrors as quickly as possible."
Maxine on "Lawn Care" "The key to a nice-looking lawn is a good mower. I recommend one who is muscular and shirtless."
Maxine on "The Perfect Man" "All I'm looking for is a guy who'll do what I want, when I want, for as long as I want, and then go away. Or wait nearby, like a Dust Buster, charged up and ready when needed."
Maxine on "Technology Revolution" "My idea of rebooting is kicking somebody in the butt twice."
Maxine on "Aging" "Take every birthday with a grain of salt. This works much better if the salt accompanies a Margarita."
It is hard to believe, isn't it....even in a Presidential election...
only about half of the people vote. I, like you, don't know why anyone would not want to exercise their right to vote.
Huckabee? Not presidential material
Here is Novak's recent article on him. Creepy. Reminds me a little of a wolf in sheep's clothing. I think it is important to get the opinions of those people in the districts politicians serve. Those opinions on Huckabee are not very good.
The False Conservative
by Robert Novak
Posted: 11/26/2007
Who would respond to criticism from the Club for Growth by calling the conservative, free-market campaign organization the "Club for Greed"? That sounds like Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards, all Democrats preaching the class struggle. In fact, the rejoinder comes from Mike Huckabee, who has broken out of the pack of second-tier Republican presidential candidates to become a serious contender -- definitely in Iowa and perhaps nationally.
Huckabee is campaigning as a conservative, but serious Republicans know that he is a high-tax, protectionist, big-government advocate of a strong hand in the Oval Office directing the lives of Americans. Until now, they did not bother to expose the former governor of Arkansas as a false conservative because he seemed an underfunded, unknown nuisance candidate. Now that he has pulled even with Mitt Romney for the Iowa caucuses with the possibility of more progress, the beleaguered Republican Party has a frightening problem on its hands.
The rise of evangelical Christians as the motive force that blasted the GOP out of minority status during the past generation always contained an inherent danger if these new Republican acolytes supported not merely a conventional conservative but one of their own. That has happened now with Huckabee, a former Baptist minister educated at Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The danger is a serious contender for the nomination who passes the litmus test of social conservatives on abortion, gay marriage and gun control but is far removed from the conservative-libertarian model of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.
There is no doubt about Huckabee's record during a decade in Little Rock as governor. He was regarded by fellow Republican governors as a compulsive tax increaser and spender. He increased the Arkansas tax burden by 47 percent, boosting the levies on gasoline and cigarettes. When he decided to lose 100 pounds and pressed his new lifestyle on the American people, he was far from a Goldwater-Reagan libertarian.
As a presidential candidate, Huckabee has sought to counteract his reputation as a taxer by pressing for replacement of the income tax with a sales tax and has more recently signed the no-tax-increase pledge of Americans for Tax Reform. But Huckabee simply does not fit in normal boundaries of economic conservatism, as when he criticized President Bush's veto of a Democratic expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Calling global warming a "moral issue" mandating "a biblical duty" to prevent climate change, he has endorsed the cap-and-trade system that is anathema to the free market.
Huckabee clearly departs from the mainstream of the conservative movement in his confusion of "growth" with "greed." Such ad hominem attacks are part of his intuitive response to criticism from the Club for Growth and the libertarian Cato Institute for his record as governor. On Fox News Sunday Nov. 18, he called the "tactics" of the Club for Growth "some of the most despicable in politics today. It's why I love to call them the Club for Greed because they won't tell you who gave their money." In fact, all contributors to the organization's political action committee (which produces campaign ads) are publicly revealed, as are most donors financing issue ads.
Quin Hillyer, a former Arkansas journalist writing in the conservative American Spectator, called Huckabee "a guy with a thin skin, a nasty vindictive streak." Huckabee's retort was to attack Hillyer's journalistic procedures, fitting a mean-spirited image when he responds to conservative criticism.
Nevertheless, he is getting remarkably warm reviews in the news media as the most humorous, entertaining and interesting GOP presidential hopeful. Contrary to descriptions by old associates, he is now called "jovial" or "good-natured." Any Republican who does not sound much like a Republican is bound to benefit from friendly media support, as Sen. John McCain did in 2000 but not today with his return to being more like a conventional Republican.
An uncompromising foe of abortion can never enjoy full media backing. But Mike Huckabee is getting enough favorable buzz that, when combined with his evangelical base, it makes real conservatives shudder.
it is not very presidential appearing and to me is just weird
she allowed herself to be drawn into that, what else would she do - I mean, she is too wishy-washy for my trust, goes in too many different directions, too scattered, haphazard...these are my opinions about her capabilities as a president, not a personal attack.
not to mention, if the black man did this he would have been gone from candidacy a long time ago.
And you actually think continuing the presidential campaign...
is more important than solving this problem? He has said before that he puts country first and if it costs him an election, so be it. That is integrity. Staying on the campaign trail instead of actually working to fix the problem...sounds a whole lot more chickenesque to me.
According to the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 -
there is an office for the President Elect that the government pays for. You can read the information on the link provided to see what all is paid for - but it seems quite apparent to me that there is an office of the president elect and has been for quite some time - nothing new. Obama may have given it an official title that nobody has used openly before, but it has been established for at least 45 years.
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=24780
The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 -
this authorizes the General Services Administration to certify even before the December electoral college volte who the apparent winner of the president elect is.
I agree especially since Ensign had presidential
Analysis: Ensign affair a shock GOP didn't need
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 17, 6:27 pm ET
WASHINGTON – It's just about the last thing the beleaguered Republican Party needed: a Christian conservative with national aspirations admitting to an extramarital affair with an ex-staffer.
Add Nevada Sen. John Ensign's infidelity admission to an ever-growing list of woes for the out-of-power GOP.
One senator's predicament hardly condemns an entire party. But the episode is an unwelcome distraction as the Republicans, their ranks shrinking, seek a turnaround after disastrous losses in consecutive national elections.
Since President Barack Obama took office, Republicans have struggled to counter his popularity and the Democrats' command of Congress.
The GOP's new national chairman, Michael Steele, got off to a rocky start. Moderate Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter defected to the Democrats. And Democrat AL Franken is favored to eventually be declared the winner of the disputed Minnesota Senate race over incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman.
Now this.
"Last year I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage. It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life," Ensign said Tuesday at a hastily arranged news conference in Sin City itself, Las Vegas.
He didn't name the woman, but Cindy Hampton came forward later to say through an attorney that she regretted Ensign's decision to "air this very personal matter." Federal records showed that she was on his political payroll and received a promotion and a pay raise around the time he said the affair began in late 2007.
There also was a report of a previous affair, in 2002, an indication that the drip, drip of dalliance details may only just be beginning.
On Wednesday, as fellow senators remained mum, Ensign resigned his leadership post. The skilled communicator and proven fundraiser was the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the No. 4 Senate Republican.
Until his admission, Ensign was trying to raise his national profile. Popular in Nevada though virtually unknown elsewhere, he recently flirted with a 2012 presidential run, visiting the early voting state of Iowa and refusing to tamp down speculation of a bid.
Those dreams now seem dead.
Said Scott Reed, a Republican operative in Washington: "It's a setback for the GOP in that Ensign is an attractive Republican politician who has national potential but has probably been sidelined."
There is no shortage of ambitious Republicans angling to be the fresh face of a party that many voters consider stale. Yet, other prospects also seem to be falling out of favor.
Stunting one potential threat, Obama recently named a GOP rising star with White House interest — Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman — as the U.S. ambassador to China. Another Republican hopeful, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, has asked supporters to end efforts to draft him for a presidential run.
The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, seems to be tangled in a new controversy every week. One week, it was an embarrassing high-profile back-and-forth with GOP House and Senate leaders over her attendance at a fundraising dinner. The next, she went after comedian David Letterman.
That said, there are others methodically positioning themselves to lead the GOP — and perhaps be the 2012 nominee. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty opted against running for a third term; confidants believe he'll run for president. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is fundraising for GOP candidates and criticizing Obama in anticipation of another campaign.
But the GOP is having trouble turning the page on the George W. Bush era. Polls show that it's the old-timers touting years-old messages — former Vice President Dick Cheney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — who are identified the most as party leaders.
Since Obama won the White House and Democrats padded their House and Senate majorities last fall, Republicans have struggled to consistently challenge the new president. He's rolled out a bold agenda and is racking up successes. Republicans recently have seized on his sweeping government expansion and giant price tags. But, with fewer numbers in Congress and no singular leader, the GOP's ability to do anything more than gripe is limited.
Then there are the party's structural and philosophical problems. Polls show a dwindling percentage of people consider themselves Republican and the GOP has lost its grip on every part of the country but the South. It's obvious the GOP needs to attract new loyalists. But the party is in the midst of a family feud over whether to return to conservative roots or moderate its pitch to recruit a wider membership.
Sex scandals don't help, particularly for a party that's weathered its share in recent years and that's made up of staunch social conservatives who preach morality. They include Ensign, who is a member of the men's Christian ministry Promise Keepers, which calls itself committed to building strong marriages.
Over the past two years, Senate Republicans watched Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho plead guilty to charges in connection with an airport bathroom sex sting with a male undercover officer and Louisiana Sen. David Vitter apologize for a "very serious sin in my past" after his Washington phone number was discovered among those called by an escort service suspected of prostitution.
Electorally, the GOP's situation in the Senate has been disastrous; Republicans lost no less than a dozen seats in 2006 and 2008, when Ensign was in charge of electing GOP senators. And, 2010 is shaping up to be another tough year, with a wave of open seats Republicans must defend because of retirements.
House Republicans, too, sustained back-to-back shellackings. But the GOP has reasonable expectations of gaining seats there next fall; even Democrats say some of their members are in reliably Republican districts.
The GOP hopes its resurgence begins this fall by retaking governorships in Virginia and New Jersey — and even Democrats say they have a shot.
The party has plenty of revival plans. Barring more unpleasant surprises.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE — Liz Sidoti has covered national politics for The Associated Press since 2003.
Obama is a CHRISTIAN. He supports equal rights...sm
for all people including gay people. I think that the radical Christian right are the gay haters.
Hate speech is an equal opportunity killer.
neither can you.
Government grant does not equal 10 years on welfare
We are talking about those who make a job out of being on welfare.
Welfare in it's ideology was not a bad thing. It's a great concept. Unfortunately, it gets abused BIG TIME.
The concept for grants is that she will take this grant, go to school, in turn get a good job, pay taxes, and through those taxes the grant will be refunded.
What upsets me are the people who have six kids but refuse to get married because the girlfriend will lose the food stamps. Or the woman who lets her boyfriend and his buddies deal drugs out of their home for a cut of the money and they are living on our tax dollars selling those drugs to our children (well, your children, I don't have any yet, because we can't afford it!)
Eugenics and master plans.are equal opportunity
Its all about the source and what their driving agendas may be. Readers who believe in and promote master plan theories based on racial purity would be WAY gullible to be convinced of other conspiracy theories, no matter how idiotic the are. Those of us grounded in reality, not so much.
Scouring the net on the topics you named (especially govt takeovers) speaks for itself. If you cite sources from the whack world, don't expect to be taken too seriously.
Another RICO suit from 911 hero/survivor.sm
William Rodriguez was the last known person out of the North Tower alive, and helped rescue people out of the tower.
Here is his story:
http://www.911forthetruth.com/pages/Rodriguez.htm
Here is the link to the RICO
suit:
http://www.911forthetruth.com/pages/RodriguezComplaint.htm
Ollie North, the 'true hero' - whatever....
Yeah-a real American Hero
He was on The View and he stated he lives in Mexico 9 months out of the year. He loves Mexico. He's against waterboarding and his answers to questions they asked him were way out there as if he hates the country.
He's a real patriot, isn't he...NOT!
Media's Presidential Bias and Decline....sm
Michael Malone is a fourth generation journalist who works for abc.
This column is five pages long, but well worth the time spent reading it.
He talks about the present media bias and how he believes it came to be. Very, very enlightening.
Media's Presidential Bias and Decline
Columnist Michael Malone Looks at Slanted Election Coverage and the Reasons Why
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=6099188&page=1
The Official Web Site of the The U.S. Presidential Transition
FYI.
http://change.gov/
Knowledge is power.
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