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Political calculations from the left prove they need a new calculator. And other news from the day

Political calculations from the left prove they need a new calculator. And other news from the day

The big news of the day is obviously Rick Santorum’s decision to suspend his Presidential campaign following his 3-year old daughter’s most recent bout with pneumonia which landed her in the hospital over the weekend. This sudden turn of events brings two big questions on everyone’s mind: Where will Santorum supporters go, and will he ultimately make an endorsement?

While everyone is left to ponder that, there have been other goings on in the political arena today.

Zimmerman’s lawyers withdraw from case after Zimmerman reportedly contacted the special prosecutor.

The “Buffet Rule” is clearly nothing more than a political calculation by the Obama Administration. Its effect on the national deficit is almost non-existent.

Oops… The Affordable Care Act isn’t so affordable.

Have Newt and Romney discussed the possibility of teaming up, or is Newt looking for the nearest tattoo parlor? (After the day’s events, I’d put my money on the tattoo parlor)

Conservative women are tired of the left’s manufactured “right-wing war on women.” Several female groups have fired back with videos aimed at setting the record straight.

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Comments

The “Buffet Rule” is about pwning the gullible. Nothing more.

Zimmerman did some cardinally wrong things WRT his attorneys. THE quickest way to end an attorney-client relationship is to…

1. cut contact, and

2. ignore good advice

Of course, that has nothing to do with his guilt or innocence.

    Milhouse in reply to Ragspierre. | April 10, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    Of course it has nothing to do with his guilt or innocence. But it has a lot to do with the stress he’s been under, living in hiding, in fear for his life, and now in fear of what a political prosecutor might do to him; he’s acting irrationally, and it’s the fault of all the bloodthirsty animals who have been hounding him. And that includes the President.

      zazz in reply to Milhouse. | April 11, 2012 at 5:12 am

      I would think that having killed a kid, whether or not the kid jumped him, would add to his stress, too.

        Uncle Samuel in reply to zazz. | April 11, 2012 at 6:21 am

        Yes it did…he wept for days.
        Zimmerman was trying to do the right thing, mentoring black kids, working hard to help the black community, taking up for the homeless black man beaten by the cop’s son…look how the Obama/Holder/Sharpton/Panther racist machine turned against him.

        The Sharpton/Jackson/Panther a$$e$ have been suspiciously quiet for a bunch of attention hogs – maybe they already got Zimmerman.

Where will Santorum supporters go[?]

The petulant ones will join Gingrich supporters in going home… stomping their feet all along the way.

Romney is the nominee, and a whole lot of folks have to decide if their temper-tantrum is more important than one, two, and possibly three Supreme Court Justices.

    Kenshu Ani in reply to bains. | April 10, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    “The petulant ones will join Gingrich supporters in going home… stomping their feet all along the way.”

    Great way to win support for your cause. Calling people childish if they don’t agree with you is always a good idea.

    Don’t get me wrong, I think that Obama must go, even if it means having Romney as President.

      bains in reply to Kenshu Ani. | April 10, 2012 at 8:07 pm

      My cause??? If you search these archives, you will find my ’cause’, my candidate of choice has always been Michele Bachmann. I voted for Santorum in the CO caucus.

      No, what I have spoken against is the belief that one candidate is beyond reproach. This site has championed Newt’s bid, but has conveniently ignored all the baggage that he has. In fact, this site has arguably enacted the same scorched earth rhetoric that Bill so detested that primarily Ron Paul, and to a much lesser extent, Mitt Romney used in re-acquainting Gingrich to Iowa primary caucus participants.

      I have no allusions that Romney is the best candidate. I also harbor no illusions that someone else wouldn’t have caused as much fright within the uninterested ‘independents’ that glean world news from Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart, and who tend to decide elections.

        Kenshu Ani in reply to bains. | April 10, 2012 at 8:29 pm

        My mistake, I thought you were trying to rally people around Romney over Obama, just in an inept way.

        I myself was not a Newt supporter. I was an Anybody But Romney for the primary, Anybody But Obama for the general voter. So, I can’t say that seeing the best chance for a brokered convention slip away has been good news for me.

        I apologize for mistaking your trolling as a serious Romney support; instead of frustration because this site didn’t support Bachman.

    gs in reply to bains. | April 10, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    I hope you don’t express the Romney campaign’s attitude.

    Mitt to conservativews(?): Support me or be petulant, stamp your feet, throw temper tantrums, and lose three seats on the Supreme Court.

    Yeah, that’ll work.

      bains in reply to gs. | April 10, 2012 at 8:36 pm

      Mitt to conservativews(?): Support me or be petulant, stamp your feet, throw temper tantrums, and lose three seats on the Supreme Court.

      Nope, that was me, a Bachmann supporter to all the hold-out Gingrich supporters that populate this sites comment pages. And from the tone of your comment, it sounds as if you are expecting the political equivalent of sexual favors before you would even consider walking into the polling station come November 6th.

      This race will be likely be decided in the margins. Yet if the base decides to take their ball home because they dont like the captain, well that is where the next one to three Supreme Court Justices will come from. Being petulant means the uninformed independents dont matter…

      Standing guard over a losing battle may be important to some…

        WoodnWorld in reply to bains. | April 10, 2012 at 8:46 pm

        And from the tone of your comment, it sounds as if you are expecting the political equivalent of sexual favors before you would even consider walking into the polling station come November 6th.

        THE line of the night.

        gs in reply to bains. | April 10, 2012 at 9:36 pm

        1. Nope, that was me, a Bachmann supporter to all the hold-out Gingrich supporters that populate this sites comment pages.

        The blog owner has endorsed Gingrich.

        Had I not considered Bachmann discredited before the campaign, his posts about her would have discredited her. Iirc she has played sleazy politics against Romney’s opponents, perhaps with an eye of Romney’s VP slot. Your post is consistent with that aim.

        2. ‘bains’ sounds like ‘Bain’.

        3. And from the tone of your comment, it sounds as if you are expecting the political equivalent of sexual favors before you would even consider walking into the polling station come November 6th.

        What’s with the gratuitous sex reference? Andrew Sullivan, is that you?

      Uncle Samuel in reply to gs. | April 10, 2012 at 8:56 pm

      Romney does NOT have a good record on judicial appointments – at all.

Now that Zimmerman has gone missing, I notice several “news sites” are posting a current photograph of him.

Conservative women are tired of the left’s manufactured “right-wing war on women.” Several female groups have fired back with videos aimed at setting the record straight.

The Left is waving the race and gender cards to try to distract from Obama’s record, especially on the economy. The mantra I keep posting: every day the focus is not on the economy is a good day for the Democrats.

IMHO the correct response is not to change the subject to the economy; among other things, the MSM will go all-out to undercut such efforts. No, IMHO the best response is to link the Left’s issues to the economy.

Minority discontent is understandable—given Obama’s economy.

Women lack choices—because of Obama’s economy.

The young face dim futures—because of Obama’s economy.

The safety net is fraying—because of Obama’s economy.

America is a great country. Americans are generous people, committed to a fair and just society. But old scars are not fading, old wounds are not healing, new wounds are being created—because of Obama’s economy.

Etc.

BannedbytheGuardian | April 10, 2012 at 7:58 pm

I saw Uhrig being interviewed. It was my assessment that he was not much chop.

Hopefully GZ gets some $$$ & gets a better set of lawyers.

Midwest Rhino | April 10, 2012 at 8:43 pm

Zimmerman is missing … maybe the Black Panthers have him … is that bounty still offered, or has it been paid for Zimmerman’s scalp?

I guess Holder figures it is efficient to have help on cases like this. And national media faking evidence to prove he is guilty helps … and congress critters declaring Zimmerman hunted down Martin like a rabid dawg.

Yeah, this portrays our current media/Democrat status … stir up a mob with 100 lies … never back down.

The “Buffet Rule” .. err high-tax on the wealthy was debunked during the Clinton Admin.

Its all about class-warfare…

Here’s the math:
Federal Revenue’s increased by only about $8 Billion
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/research_memorandum_11.htm

Frankly, I am stunned by Santorum’s “logic.” He can’t run for President because his daughter who was born with a terrible medical condition and not expected to survive this long is sick?

If that is the case he was never serious about the race and has been stringing us along. I suspect this is all a lame excuse to duck out of the race that he now realizes he can’t win.

The GOP has the candidates it deserves. The GOP is racing toward irrelevance. Good luck to them all.

I’ll be supporting the Constitution Party candidate this November because the GOP continues to put party over nation, year after year after year…

Honestly, when was the last decent presidential candidate fielded by either major party? There is no way in the world that these awful choices are the best we can do as a nation!

    Uncle Samuel in reply to WarEagle82. | April 10, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    Do you think his family was threatened? Two close friend/workers of the Clintons were killed suddenly during the 2008 election.

      WarEagle82 in reply to Uncle Samuel. | April 10, 2012 at 9:11 pm

      Are you suggesting Obama’s thugs threatened Santorum to get him to exit the race now rather than fighting to the end and possibly weakening the eventual GOP nominee? What am I missing in this narrative?

    SmokeVanThorn in reply to WarEagle82. | April 10, 2012 at 11:39 pm

    wareagle, your comment is despicable.

      WarEagle82 in reply to SmokeVanThorn. | April 11, 2012 at 6:50 pm

      So should Lincoln have resigned from the presidency when his son died in 1862? Surely that was a sore trial for the president? How about Kennedy when his son died in 1963?

      If Santorum were somehow to secure the nomination, should Santorum drop out of the race if his daughter got sick again after the convention?

      Will Santorum’s departure from the race materially alter the health issues or prognosis for his daughter?

      What are you suggesting is despicable about my comment?

Advise all tattoo artists to ask for cash up front; Newt’s $500 check to get on the Utah ballot bounced…

Left Coast Red | April 10, 2012 at 10:13 pm

BREITBART LIVES. Only though you — without he is truly only a vague memory.

Today I stopped a thread on this battlefield: http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/04/noaa-climate-march-weird-weather-heat-wave

If you look at the other past threads under ‘Blue Marble’on this Leftist thought-leader site, you can see what a pitched battle it is.

C’mon, this is the battle that so animated Andrew Breitbart:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”

alwaysfiredup | April 10, 2012 at 10:54 pm

I’m with Newt: Press Romney the whole way. Never, ever let him take the Right for granted. Because if we let him, he will.

BannedbytheGuardian | April 10, 2012 at 11:00 pm

The Budget -or distinct lack of.

Obama’s were defeated 414-0 in the House & another version 97-0 in the Senate.

Ryans Budget was passed in the Senate & tabled in the Senate . (ie no vote )

Thus no budget for 1000 days which I have read allows the admin to renew the last budget allocations. (bit hazy here but they are getting $$$ from somewhere).

Compare this.

Australia was founded in 1901 on a system a mix of British Parliament (House of Reps ) & A US Senate (equal state numbers )..

The house is the government & the senate a house of Review.

If a Budget/finance supply bill is presented to the Senate & rejected twice then the Governor General can dissolve the whole thing & call elections. immediately. They funked & the people get to re decide.

Hence there is always a budget & authority for spending.

Seems to me Washington has gone completely awry – it is close to treason to the American people.

Besides the severely poor state of journalism this is my other unfathomable of America today.

Left Coast Red | April 10, 2012 at 11:26 pm

Perhaps conservatives really only play along Marquesse of Queensbury Rules. When we all get our grilles kicked in AGAIN, well, maybe it could’ve been different…..

Remember when Obama said, ‘Get in their face….bring a gun to a knifefight….?

Right….better to lose(your Country)gracefully.

Santorum suspends and the inevitable has finally become inevitable.

Romney had best draw a clear line between his vision of this country vs Obama’s vision of this country.

Hopefully, the’re not even close.

Zimmerman essentially fired his attorneys if he contacted the prosecutor outside of their knowledge. I presume the prosecutor notified his attorneys of record of that contact – her office could not speak to him without a new waiver anyway.

My guess is that she won’t speak to him until he has new counsel, if that is his desire. It’s entirely too risky to the case to do that. Without a charge and arraignment, he can’t be granted the right to proceed pro se by the Court, which would give the prosecutor cover.

*****

In the end, most Santorum supporters weren’t really so much for Santorum as for a “more viable conservative than Romney.” Rick’s been around two decades, he wasn’t a new unknown face on the scene, but he was the last person conservatives looking for an alternative went. Nearly everyone else in the race had the national lead before he did: Trump, Bachmann, Perry, Cain, and Gingrich.

A lot of those people really dislike Romney, but most will recognize the only remaining alternative is Obama and finishing the job he began of destroying America. As sick as conservatives are of holding our noses and voting for the nominee, we realize that in the end that’s the only way a political party can ever work.

Those who refuse to rally behind the nominee should ask themselves what they would say if their favorite conservative had won the nomination and Romney voters threatened to sit out the election.

Romney supporters still think he can beat Obama. That’s so cute. He barely beat Santorum – about as awful a candidate as one could conjure.

Then there is this gem:

“Romney had best draw a clear line between his vision of this country vs Obama’s vision of this country. Hopefully, they’re not even close.”

On global warming and healthcare, they even share the same staff! We could not have chosen a Republican nominee more similar to Obama on policy. I think even Lincoln Chafee is to Romney’s right.

Someone has to be the asshole here with the obvious Santorum comment, so it might as well be me.

As mentioned above, Bella’s trip to the hospital was not the first during this campaign, but something else has changed – Saint Ricky is projected to lose his home state nomination to the Mittster.

Please understand that this is not an attack on a sick child, this is an attack on an habitual liar, her father.

33 comments so far, interesting break down: 20 about Santorum, Mitt, Newt (fair enough, big story of the day), 7 about Zimmerman, but only 2 on the Buffet rule and 1 about the mythical GOP war on women.

The Buffet rule and war on women… Very little comment, but those two alone should be seen as sign posts as to what the road before us will be like.

But the main reason I wanted to write a post is the portion highlighted “teaming up”. I went to the link and read the article… What is this about a secret meeting between Newt and Mitt which took place in New Orleans last month? Is there more to the story?

Granted, I am living outside the states, and have limited acess to much of the communication channels the rest of you have, so if this is “old news”, forgive me.

But then again, I am still wondering if there is more to the story. I also wonder about how the author of the article alluded to how Mitt wasn’t surprised and then implies there might be reason why.

Professor, can you perhaps drop a small post on just this? Would be very curious to see what others either know or say.

DocWahala, knows LI is a great blog, and also thinks the community is just as interesting. The links they include in their posts are another reason I visit LI multiple times through the day.

    Kenshu Ani in reply to DocWahala. | April 11, 2012 at 7:40 am

    Usually these types of meetings are about offering concessions to get an opponent to back down. I’m guessing that there was likely an agreement made between the two candidates on how to operate should they be the last two standing (Ron Paul doesn’t really count).

    Likely Newt was offered a position in the administration should Romney win, maybe even the VP ticket. In return, should Santorum bow out (as he has) then Newt probably will back down from attacks on Romney but will stay in the primary until the convention to save face. This way, Romney will be able to stop spending money on defeating Republicans and save it to spend on defeating Obama.

    In other words, the GOP establishment, which Newt is part of, has just decided who the nominee will be; making every state that hasn’t had a primary yet little more than a show.

    The Buffett Rule and the supposed War on Women is a Democratic tactic to distract independants from Obama’s failure at being president. I think the appropriate response to those topics is, as gs put it, “to link the Left’s issues to the economy.”

I don’t see how Gingrich is supposed to keep Romney’s feet to the fire if he’s basically packing it in, too. Foster Friess no longer backing Santorum is jumping to Romney. Why not Gingrich? Gingrich’s campaign is $4.5 million in the hole, but if Adelson wanted to cut a check, he could. Romney has had big money all along, but without money, there’s no holding Romney to anything.

Not all of Santorum’s delegates want to back Romney.

Santorum dropping out should be an opportunity opportunity for Gingrich.

Foster Friess, Santorum’s millionaire backer, swings to Romney
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75000.html#ixzz1riuJtFE2

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
Obama and Romney won’t state this basic fact
By: Rick Santorum
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/jerusalem-capital-israel-article-1.1057517#ixzz1rivKfakU

=======================
It will be interesting to see who Santorum endorses.

Uncle Samuel | April 11, 2012 at 6:26 am

Santorum may have received threats against his family. That is a very real possibility with these people…on both sides.

During the 2008 campaign – two of the Clinton’s good friends were suddenly dead. That is when the Clintons stopped the birther issues and their investigation into Obama’s past.

    Uncle Samuel in reply to Uncle Samuel. | April 11, 2012 at 6:30 am

    Romney is a pretty face, outwardly clean – but very ruthless and dirty.
    We know from the Toulouse incident, exactly how ruthless and barbaric Obama and his Islamic bros are.

    The Bushes are not nice, simple home folks either. In 1933, GHW’s father supported Hitler and tried to overthrow the US government with the help of some tycoons, in order to set up a socialist regime.

Uncle Samuel | April 11, 2012 at 6:39 am

As for the tattoo – Newt, don’t do anything rash when a simple button or badge will do the job: http://www.badgeaminit.com/

“On To TAMPA!” in Red, White and Blue.