If you’ve got the IRS operating in anything less than a neutral and nonpartisan way, then that is outrageous. It is contradictory to our traditions, and people have to be held accountable.President Obama • Commenting on an admission that the IRS targeted conservative groups, many associated with the tea party, during the 2012 election cycle, following an apology from an IRS official on Friday and this morning’s leak of the Inspector General’s report to ABC News. President Obama’s comments came during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, who’s currently visiting Washington D.C. to discuss the war in Syria. source
“With the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend. As a grocer’s daughter who rose to become Britain’s first female prime minister, she stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered. As prime minister, she helped restore the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its best. And as an unapologetic supporter of our transatlantic alliance, she knew that with strength and resolve we could win the Cold War and extend freedom’s promise.
Here in America, many of us will never forget her standing shoulder to shoulder with President Reagan, reminding the world that we are not simply carried along by the currents of history—we can shape them with moral conviction, unyielding courage and iron will. Michelle and I send our thoughts to the Thatcher family and all the British people as we carry on the work to which she dedicated her life—free peoples standing together, determined to write our own destiny.”
What was your opinion on the Iron Lady’s work?
The 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) kicks off in five days and has shaped up to be a who’s who of Republican conservatives. Here are our top 5 young GOPers to watch. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Reuters; Phil Sears/AP)
While we wouldn’t discount up-and-comers like Mia Love and Will Weatherford, CPAC does have a rather prominent PR problem at the moment that can’t help but hurt, politically speaking, with younger generations — its repeat refusal to permit gay conservative group GOPROUD to act as a sponsor. It was just a few years ago that GOPROUD was sponsoring CPAC, which drew the bigoted ire of this guy. Protip for future CPAC organizers — in a war of words between gay conservatives ardently committed to joining your coalition, and this guy, maybe roll with the former.
Bring it on, Karl baby. Bring it on, doughboy. Bring on your little whiteboard.Leading conservative Mark Levin on fellow leading conservative Karl Rove. The remark is emblematic of the civil war brewing in the GOP: On the one side are pragmatists like Rove, who believe the Republican Party needs to nominate more moderate candidates in order to win elections; on the other side are idealists like Levin, who would rather see radical right-wingers lose elections than moderate Republicans win ‘em. The Tea Party contingent of the GOP is outraged at Rove’s newly-unveiled Conservative Victory Project, which seeks to intervene in Republican primaries to make sure that would-be Todd Akins don’t wind up with the nomination. source
Today in Fox News contributors getting beat up on camera: Steven Crowder, described on his Web site as “Fox News’ brightest, funniest young Conservative mind,” found himself in the middle of a crowd full of union folks (understandably upset over the passage of the Right to Work law in Michigan earlier today) who were in the midst of tearing down a tent put up by Americans for Prosperity. Crowder was there asking questions conservative in tone. There appears to be some tight edits in the clip, so we don’t know exactly what provoked it, but this much is clear: A union guy who had enough of Crowder’s you-know-what started punching him in the head.
EDIT: The raw video, which actually aired on Fox News, appears to show an interesting detail.
The question of why poor people vote Republican is not simply an issue of income but primarily race and partly region and gender. Poor people may be more likely to vote Democrat; poor white people are not. In 2008 McCain won a slim majority (51%) of white Americans who earn less than $50,000 (this is just below the national median income which is not poor but the only figure available from exit polls that breaks down votes down by race and income), while Obama won a whopping majority of non-whites in the same category (86%). Asked in May which candidate would do more to advance their family’s economic interests middle-class white voters who say they are struggling to maintain their financial positions gave Romney a 26 point lead over Obama.
But that support is less pronounced among white women than white men and is not uniform across the country. In Mississippi 84% of whites who earn below $50,000 backed McCain: in Vermont 70% in the same category voted for Obama. Of the nine states that backed Obama in 2008 in three less affluent whites went for McCain, in five they backed Obama and one was a tie. In all of them non-whites voted Democrat.
The Guardian’s Gary Younge takes a closer look at what he believes to be the driving forces behind poor and working class Americans’ ballot decisions.
— Scott @ ShortFormBlog
Loud booing erupted after the Republican presidential candidate promised to repeal President Obama’s signature healthcare legislation. Romney was forced to pause by the rejection of his statement, and also faced loud booing when he insisted that the President is incapable of solving our economic problems. “If I am president, job one for me will be creating jobs. I have no hidden agenda,” said Romney, adding, “If you want a president who will make things better in the African-American community, you are looking at him.” (Photo via Reuters) source
Met Romney last week. Tough O Chicago pros will be hard to beat unless he drops old friends from team and hires some real pros. Doubtful.Rupert Murdoch • Tweeting yesterday about meeting Mitt Romney, a tweet that is bad for Mitt in three ways: 1) Romney met with a guy who is facing scrutiny in the UK over his cozy relationships with politicians; 2) A powerful conservative just ripped Romney and his staff; and 3) Romney will be stuck trying to put out this fire for like a week. While Murdoch later claimed he supports Romney (though hasn’t donated to his campaign), the tweets look bad for Romney.
I can’t add much to what’s already been (and will be) ...
One of the perks of being an early employee...
Over the last 90 days, the Digg...
#FMMDI (at 30 Rockefeller Plaza)
Thanks. I guess my thoughts are as follows:
1. I think...
You might’ve heard about this situation with this reporter for this Web site called The Daily Caller earlier today. But as Wonkette correctly points out, it’s only the second-most-entertaining thing the conservative outlet has done today. The first is this column, “Bryce Harper, conservative hero,” in which Mark Judge opines on why the Washington Nationals rookie (who recently went viral by saying “That’s a clown question, bro” to a reporter who asked a stupid question) is an awesome baseball player but also a metaphor for conservatives. As we point out above, the first comment is the best.
When women need more stress: Jay Townsend is a conservative consultant and the current spokesman for Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York. He suggested that we “hurl some acid on female democratic Senators who won’t abide the mandates they want to impose on the private sector.” Yeah, you read that correctly. Hurl some acid. Are those words acceptable to be used by a spokesman of anything? While Hayworth’s campaign manager played off the playing-up of the comment as an attack from the media, let’s be clear: As people shouldn’t suggest we place gay men and lesbian women behind an electric fence until they die out, they can’t suggest we throw acid on women. Either learn how to make better “jokes” or butt out. — Sami @ SFB
I have decided to resign from the Romney campaign as the Foreign Policy and National Security Spokesman. While I welcomed the challenge to confront President Obama’s foreign policy failures and weak leadership on the world stage, my ability to speak clearly and forcefully on the issues has been greatly diminished by the hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues that sometimes comes from a presidential campaign. I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team.
An unnecessary turn of events, seemingly caused by the disapproval of the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer. Grenell, who served as President Bush’s UN communications director for eight years, was hired by Romney less than two weeks ago. During his brief tenure, he did make a few headlines over several deleted tweets referencing Newt and Callista Gingrich.
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