Thad McCotter enters race to be U.S. president

◼ Vowing to "restructure the government," Congressman Thad McCotter formally announced his candidacy for president at a festival in his home state of Michigan Saturday. - CNN
◼ McCotter launches campaign for GOP presidential nomination

Thaddeus McCotter, a Livonia congressman, announced to a Michigan rock festival crowd Saturday he's seeking the Republican nomination for president, saying the future of the country is not big government but self government.

Joined on stage with his wife and two children (a third was at work — something, he said, all Americans should have the opportunity to do), McCotter laid out his principles of liberty, sovereignty, security and prosperity to a festival crowd of more than 400 people who were unsure about his presidential chances.

"While it is a hard road ahead, we will have better days and we will start now," McCotter said....

Immediately after the speech, McCotter picked up his American flag themed guitar and jammed with the band for a song.
McCotter, a lawyer and author who is serving his fifth term in Congress, is considered a long shot in the GOP nomination. He faces serious challenges in fundraising and national name recognition, compared to challengers like Michigan native, Mitt Romney, and tea party darling Michele Bachmann.

But supporters say it will be his message of small government will resonate and his Michigan roots and manufacturing support will change the dialog in the campaign.

◼ 10 facts about Thaddeus McCotter and his run for president - Alaska Dispatch
◼ Guitar-Playing Congressman Officially Announces White House Run - FOX
◼ Thaddeus McCotter on Facebook

Fourth of July activities:

◼ The North Coast celebrates Independence Day - Times Standard
EUREKA
Eureka's annual Fourth of July festival features vendor booths, music on two stages, a rock wall and mechanical bull provided by North Coast Adventure Centers, a petting zoo, fire trucks, classic cars and motorcycles. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Second Street in Old Town Eureka. This year the Johnston Amusement carnival will return to the foot of “D” Street.
Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. For more information call 442-9054.

Stop by our booth - register to vote or participate in our PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL!

ARCATA
The Fourth of July Jubilee Festival on the Arcata Plaza begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
Impressive Full Schedule at the link

FORTUNA
Concurrent with the Scotia Band's performance are a baseball game, a barbecue, and a pie eating contest. (more details at the link) After the last notes are played, Fortuna's fireworks extravaganza begins at dark. Admission is free. For more information, call 725-9261, or email fortuna fireworks@gmail.com

FERNDALE, MIRANDA and GARBERVILLE schedules and details at the link

GOP Fundraising Numbers UPDATE: Top Cain Iowa Staff Quit UPDATE: Cain Raises $2.4 Million, Spokeswoman Expresses Confidence

◼ link - theothermccain.com

◼ Ruh-Roh: Rick Perry Staffing Up in Iowa? And What About Sarah Palin? In or Out? - theothermccain.com

Democrat Talking Points: Harry Reid: “It’s Time To Return To The Type Of Fiscal Discipline” We Had Under Democrats In The ’90s…

◼ Reid: “It’s time we return to the type of fiscal discipline that democrats brought to Washington in the 90′s when democrats in the Congress and White House balanced the budget and used the surplus to do what Mr. President? To pay down the debt.” - Weasel Zippers
◼ Barbara Boxer’s blatant rewriting of history - Washington Post

Take The Hot Air Candidate Survey: Fourth of July Weekend Edition

◼ Please vote only once. Your ballot should take less than a minute to complete. We'll (they'll) announce the results after voting has concluded. - at the link.

Then, take our STRAW POLL at the Old Town 4th of July Festival.

Marco Rubio: Obama Uses the Language Of A Third-World Leader

Here we go: Schumer says Dems are discussing whether the White House can ignore the debt ceiling

◼ Last week it was a theory being kicked around on left-wing websites, today it’s evidently the nuclear option in the White House’s arsenal of debt-ceiling weapons. - HotAir
...if he did pull something like declaring the debt ceiling unconstitutional, he’d be seizing control of the country’s apocalyptic debt problem for the purpose of running up more debt....
◼ Congress Really Could Not Stop Obama From Ignoring The Debt Ceiling - The New Republic

Rand Paul: I’m here today Mr. President. Where are you?

“If this were a Republican president, you know exactly what the story would be every night, every day. It would be the high level of unemployment. They would be doing stories of all those people that lost their jobs. Now the stories are actually saying, ‘Hey, it’s not that bad being unemployed.’ It’s amazing.”

◼ GOP senator blasts Obama: ‘I don’t know why he even wants to be president’ - Daily Caller
“[I] watch President Obama,” Johnson said. “You know, what 76 rounds of golf? He’s held 10 times the fundraisers at this point in his presidency as President Bush did. The guy really is just phoning it in and it’s unbelievable.”

Two days after scolding Congress, Obama heads to presidential retreat for holiday weekend...

◼ I NEED A BREAK! - AP
Two days after scolding Congress, Obama heads to presidential retreat for holiday weekend.
◼ Senate GOP mocks president with video of Obama on golf course - The Hill

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP's campaign arm, released a Web video that spliced images of Obama playing ping pong, drinking beer in Ireland and hitting the golf course over audio of him lashing out at congressional Republicans Wednesday for not working hard enough to hammer out a debt-reduction deal.

"Actions speak louder than words," the ad says.

Obama's approach to debt talks: refuse to meet with GOP, skip town for fundraisers

◼ link - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner

Under the new Wisconsin budget repair, one school district goes from a $400,000 deficit to a $1.5 million surplus.

◼ Let's stop and think of all the protesters who carried signs asserting that their opposition to Scott Walker was for the children. - Althouse
◼ District swings from deficit to surplus with newly enacted employee contributions - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Cost savings from worker contributions to health care and retirement, taking effect today as part of the new collective bargaining laws, will swing the Kaukauna School District from a $400,000 budget deficit to an estimated $1.5 million surplus.... The district... plans to hire teachers and reduce class size.

◼ Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district - Byron York/Washington Examiner

Of course, Wisconsin unions had offered to make benefit concessions during the budget fight. Wouldn't Kaukauna's money problems have been solved if Walker had just accepted those concessions and not demanded cutbacks in collective bargaining powers?

"The monetary part of it is not the entire issue," says Arnoldussen, a political independent who won a spot on the board in a nonpartisan election. Indeed, some of the most important improvements in Kaukauna's outlook are because of the new limits on collective bargaining.

In the past, Kaukauna's agreement with the teachers union required the school district to purchase health insurance coverage from something called WEA Trust -- a company created by the Wisconsin teachers union. "It was in the collective bargaining agreement that we could only negotiate with them," says Arnoldussen. "Well, you know what happens when you can only negotiate with one vendor." This year, WEA Trust told Kaukauna that it would face a significant increase in premiums.

Now, the collective bargaining agreement is gone, and the school district is free to shop around for coverage. And all of a sudden, WEA Trust has changed its position. "With these changes, the schools could go out for bids, and lo and behold, WEA Trust said, 'We can match the lowest bid,'" says Republican state Rep. Jim Steineke, who represents the area and supports the Walker changes. At least for the moment, Kaukauna is staying with WEA Trust, but saving substantial amounts of money. There's more at the link

Obama's Peculiar Press Conference

◼ America’s peevish president - Matthew Continetti/Washington Post guest blogger
◼ The President’s Peculiar Press Conference - Yuval Levin at National Review Online

It all had the feel of a childish tantrum by a person who desperately wishes he were living in a different reality — one in which he is the heroic man of action and his opponents are irresponsible and weak. But the fact is, the president and congressional Democrats have so far utterly failed to offer any path out of our fiscal problems — problems that they have greatly exacerbated. The president proposed a budget in February that would have increased the deficit, and then he retracted it in April and proposed nothing in particular in its place. Senate Democrats have not proposed a budget in two years; they now suggest they finally have one, though apparently it won’t really be brought to a vote. Republicans, meanwhile, have proposed a specific path out of our fiscal mess — averting a debt crisis and setting the budget on a course toward balance through discretionary cuts, budget-process reforms, and gradual but significant entitlement reforms. Rather than negotiate over that budget, the president has chosen to play the demagogue, simultaneously insisting that the budget offers nothing and that it goes too far in cutting government services (medical research, food inspectors, and the weather service are apparently in particular danger, he said yesterday, providing a kind of Salvador Dali map of postmodern lifestyle liberalism).

◼ The Mendacity of Barack Obama - Steve McCann at American Thinker

While I have always been wary of and have written about his dishonesty, after the speech the president delivered the 13th of April regarding the federal budget, one that was chock full of lies, deceit, and crass fear-mongering, it must be said that Barack Obama is the most dishonest, deceitful, and mendacious person in a position of power I have ever witnessed.

That performance was the culmination of four years of outright lies and narcissism that have been largely ignored by the media, including some in the conservative press and political class who are loath to call Mr. Obama what he is in the bluntest of terms: a liar and a fraud. That he relies on his skin color to intimidate, either outright or by insinuation, those who oppose his radical agenda only adds to his audacity. It is apparent that he has gotten away with his character flaws his entire life, aided and abetted by the sycophants around him, thus he is who he is and cannot change.

◼ The President's Loophole Lie - Investors Business Daily

Public Record: That jet-tax loophole derided by the president is one he himself proposed as part of the stimulus approved by a Democratic Congress. Does the left teleprompter know what the right teleprompter is saying?

◼ TRANSCRIPT: Press Conference by the President - whitehouse.gov

Herman Cain In The New York Times

◼ Ballad of the Long Shot - NYT
◼ hermancain.com ◼ Donate ◼ Newsroom

"This president came here and called this a symbol of hope," Romney said, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt before the overgrown lot. "It is a symbol of failure, failure of his economic policy. He's out of his depth. When it comes to getting the economy going, it's just not something he understands."

◼ Mitt Romney uses closed Allentown shop to hit Obama - mcall.com
◼ mittromney.com ◼ Donate ◼ News ◼ Contact

Amazon Goes Galt, Cuts Off California to Avoid Internet Tax in Zimbabwe, U.S.A.

◼ It is astonishing to see how California, where venture capitalists once made Silicon Valley the world capital of technological innovation, has now turned anti-capitalism, anti-technology and anti-innovation, driving the world’s largest Internet retailer out of America’s most populous state. - theothermccain.com

◼ The genius of Democrat governance: 'Massive error' in new California tax code causes triple taxation on small businesses - Doug Ross

◼ California Online Tax Causes Tripple Taxation On Cal S-Corp Businesses - SFGate

California and Governor Jerry Brown made a massive error in the formation of a California Online Tax, that amounts to triple taxation in the state for online S-corporations. Amazon and Overstock aren't the only ones hurt by the new tax, and it should be challenged in court...

And since the law just states that it's going to tax "online vendors," and says nothing about those who already pay a corporate tax, this is a massive problem that Governor Brown's created.

It sets up a massive incentive for thousands of California Corporations to just quit the state and find other homes. The simple fact is that many internet vendors who don't want to pay the tax can find all kinds of ways around it...

One day next year, Governor Brown's going to wake up to the reality of no new taxes collected, and a massive exodus of Internet vendors. By then, any retro action would be too little, too late.

Harvard Study: July 4th Parades Are Right-Wing

◼ Democratic political candidates can skip this weekend's July 4th parades. A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day. - US News

Their findings also suggest that Democrats gain nothing from July 4th parades, likely a shocking result for all the Democratic politicians who march in them.

"There is no evidence of an increased likelihood of identifying as a Democrat, indicating that Fourth of July shifts preferences to the right rather than increasing political polarization," the two wrote.

The three key findings of those attending July 4th celebrations:

When done before the age of 18, it increases the likelihood of a youth identifying as a Republican by at least 2 percent.

It raises the likelihood that parade watchers will vote for a Republican candidate by 4 percent.
It boosts the likelihood a reveler will vote by about 1 percent and increases the chances they'll make a political contribution by 3 percent.

What's more, the impact isn't fleeting. "Surprisingly, the estimates show that the impact on political preferences is permanent, with no evidence of the effects depreciating as individuals become older,"said the Harvard report.

Finally, the report suggests that if people are looking for a super-patriotic July 4th, though should head to Republican towns. "Republican adults celebrate Fourth of July more intensively in the first place."

Mayday! Mayday! President Obama’s “corporate jet” line from his press conference Wednesday is crashing along with a host of other claims that fact-checkers dismissed in the hours after his speech.

◼ President Obama’s war on facts - Daily Caller

Obama referred to private jets six times in his remarks, essentially describing the Republican position on how to decrease rampant deficits as being “willing to compromise their kids’ safety so that some corporate jet owner continues to get a tax break.”

The tax incentive at issue was enacted to counteract the airplane industry’s woes in 2001 after 9/11 and reauthorized in, drum roll, Obama’s stimulus package, signed into law by the president himself.

◼ Fact Check: Obama and his gallery of rogues - AP

A look at some of his statements and how they compare with the facts

◼ Obama: It's kids v corporate jets

◼ Not going over well: "Barack didn`t realize he signed tax relief for the airline industry because he has never read a single word of any piece of legislation to which he has signed his name...." Comment from discussion at Lucianne
◼ WaPo's Obama Presser Adjectives: 'Tougher,' 'Combative,' 'Commanding,' and 'Rather Feisty' - Newsbusters

The Post reporters made no attempt to see if there was any accuracy in that "vigor and specificity," whether Republicans opposed spend for food-safety inspectors, or whether that was simply press-conference trash talk. No pundit lauding "civility" was asked if this new "combative" tone was going to help Obama strike a deal with House Republicans. He was simply allowed to paint himself as the hero and everyone else as knaves.

◼ More reaction to Obama's Peculiar Press Conference

Romney Leads National Poll, but Perry Debuts in Second Place

◼ Mitt Romney is leading the presidential field in yet another national poll, but the former Massachusetts governor has lost some ground with the emergence of Rick Perry on the survey's ballot. - Real Clear Politics

◼ Another (Public Policy Polling group) Poll: Obama would beat Rick Perry (and Sarah Palin) in Texas — but lose to Ron Paul and other Republicans - Houston Chronicle

Spain: Libya war may be al Qaeda weapons source

◼ Spain's interior minister says he and EU colleagues are worried that Libyan army weapons are being trafficked and possibly sold to al Qaeda's affiliate in North Africa. - NY Post

SPECIAL REPORT: Illinois Fights Back

◼ Illinois Fights Back - Peter Hannaford for The American Spectator 6.29.11

Ronald Reagan is a Californian. That's what the world thinks, but he is actually from Illinois. Specifically, the northwestern section of that state. Not only was he born there, but all of his childhood, teenage years and his early adulthood were lived in small towns in this land of deep rich soil where agriculture mixes with some manufacturing to form a distinct Midwestern way of life.

Last year, Congress passed a resolution making 2011 the Reagan Centennial Year. It created a national centennial commission and encouraged the states to do the same. Some did, some didn't. California did, but Illinois, determined to fight to assert its claim to Reagan, did it in spades.

GOP invites Obama to Capitol to discuss debt

◼ A day after President Obama persuaded senators to cancel their Independence Day vacation to make headway on debt negotiations, the chamber’s Republican leader said there’s no better time to get started than right now — and he urged Mr. Obama to come to the Capitol immediately to talk. - Washington Times

◼ WH: 'Not a conversation worth having'... - Reuters

White House press secretary Jay Carney, while not directly saying the invitation had been rejected, said Obama did not need to hear Republicans tell him what they would not support.

That, Carney said, was "not a conversation worth having."

◼ But will meet with Dems?
◼ And will host 'townhall' to Twitter about economy

◼ 'Best way to get appointment with president is to set up tee time - FOX

Geithner to Jump Ship

◼ Geithner to Consider Leaving Treasury After Debt Debate - Bloomberg via Drudge

An exit by Geithner would complete the turnover in Obama’s original economic team, with Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Austan Goolsbee scheduled to leave in early August to return to the University of Chicago.

That would leave Obama with two key posts to fill as Republicans are seeking to turn the 2012 election into a referendum on Obama’s handling of the economy and the recovery is slowing. The unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent in May, according to the Labor Department, and the U.S. economy grew at a 1.9 percent pace in the first quarter, according to Commerce Department figures released June 24.

“I thought he was a kind of a dick yesterday,” Halperin,* who also is an editor-at large for Time, said on Morning Joe, referring to the President’s conduct during his press conference

◼ Mark Halperin suspended over Obama remark on Morning Joe (video) - Politico
◼ Mark Halperin called Obama "a dick" and now he says "I can’t explain why I did it." - Althouse

(* Mark Halperin, editor-at-large and senior political analyst for TIME, covers politics, elections and government for the magazine and TIME.com.)

◼ The missing facts in President Obama’s news conference - The Washington Post
...In a bit of class jujutsu, the president six times mentioned eliminating a tax loophole for corporate jets, frequently pitting it against student loans or food safety. It’s a potent image, but in the context of a $4-trillion goal, it is essentially meaningless. The item is so small the White House could not even provide an estimate of the revenue that would be raised, but other estimates suggest it would amount to $3 billion over 10 years....

We realize the symbolic value of things like corporate jets, particularly when Republicans appear to be refusing to accept even a single dollar of additional revenue, but Obama is misleading when he suggests that closing this loophole would make much of a dent in the federal budget. He also should made clear that he would like to raise taxes on people making more than $250,000, rather than just “millionaires and billionaires.”

◼ More reaction to Obama's Peculiar Press Conference

Nerves Show on Team Obama

◼ Recent scrambling by the president’s political advisers indicates they’re very worried about his reelection chances. - National Journal
It’s been a rough June for the White House. Instead of being able to run a campaign taking credit for economic improvement, President Obama will, according to the latest forecasts, be trying to win four more years amid a grim economy next year. The president’s reelection team, once hoping to run on a “Morning in America” theme now doesn’t have that luxury. No wonder, the president’s advisers over the past month have been making moves that suggest they’re awfully concerned about his prospects... Read The Rest at the National Journal

Little known candidate: Fred Karger

◼ Openly gay Republican Fred Karger announces 2012 presidential run - CBS
◼ Fred Karger Delights OC Crowd in Presidential Bid - OC Weekly

Karger, who was profiled in a June 2 OC Weekly cover story, worked for decades as a closeted gay man for powerful Republican politicians and came out of the closet about seven years ago when he retired from political consulting. Then, as is apparently required of newly out gay people, he entered the campaign to be the next president of the United States.

◼ fredkarger.com ◼ Donate ◼ News ◼ Contact via webmail

Trashing the Constitution: Fourteen Clear Factual Errors in TIME Magazine's Richard Stengel’s Essay on the Constitution

◼ (That these) egregious errors appeared in Time at all is bad enough. But further, it was a cover story... - Big Journalism

On June 23, 2011, Time magazine published an essay entitled “One Document, Under Siege” (one page version, here) by Richard Stengel. I consider the publication of this article to be nothing less than a scandal. Besides the deep philosophical disagreements I have with Mr. Stengel, the piece simply fails as journalism. As I will demonstrate in this post, there were fourteen objectively verifiable errors in Mr. Stengel’s piece, half of which could have been discovered simply by reading the Constitution itself...

Mark Levin: Obama Presser About "One American Against Another"

◼ OBAMA LAUNCHES CLASS WARFARE...'Kids versus corporate jets'... - National Journal
◼ Calls People Earning $250,000 a Year 'Jet Owners'... - Wall St. Journal
◼ AP FLASHBACK: Stimulus Package Rewarded Private Jet Purchases... - Washington Examiner
◼ Obama rips Congress for taking vacations during crisis...Says Malia and Sasha Are More Disciplined - ABC
◼ Makes plans for Martha's Vineyard vacation... - Boston.com
◼ Fundraising trips...

But that pointed criticism may have done as much to raise the bar for Obama’s own activities. Tomorrow he plans to travel to Philadelphia for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser on behalf of his reelection campaign — his 31st fundraiser since January. Republicans may now start to scrutinize the Obama calendar’s eclectic mix of stumping and governing (and golfing) even as he tries to ramp up pressure on congressional leaders.

“Question: Will Obama cancel Philadelphia fundraisers tomorrow night to remain in town for debt talks?” asked Joe Pounder, the Republican National Committee’s research director, in a comment on Twitter.

◼ 'Amused' when people say he should be involved in debt talks... - Real Clear Politics
◼ Obama Is ‘Amused’ – America, Not So Much - Big Government

Losing faith in Obama: it’s hard to resist the conclusion that some kind of tipping point has been reached.

◼ Jewish Dems losing faith in Obama - Politico

it’s hard to resist the conclusion that some kind of tipping point has been reached.

◼ Today’s Politico has an article that suggests that maybe, just maybe, many of Obama’s Jewish supporters are realizing that he’s not quite what they’d thought he’d be, at least on the subject of Israel. - neoneocon

They’re getting into arguments about Obama at dinner parties. They’re having to increasingly defend him, and finding it harder and harder to do so. They’re regretting their support of Obama rather than Hillary.

◼ 'It's Israel, Stupid'? - Die Hard Jewish Democrats reprising doubts about Obama - The Bibi Report
◼ Is President Obama's Jewish support slipping? - Politico/The Arena

Obama Campaign Signals Fundraising Fail, But WAIT! There's More!

◼ In an email to campaign supporters today, President Obama unmistakably sought to downplay money. -p White House Insider
◼ Campaign Downgrades Obama Raffle by Including Biden - White House Insider

The Obama campaign has mysteriously downgraded its $5 Dinner With Obama raffle by forcing the winner to have dinner with Biden as well!

Good News: Generic Presidential Ballot, GOP 4 point lead

◼ A generic Republican candidate now holds a four-point lead over President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election matchup. - Rasmussen

It's a fifth week in a row that the GOP candidate has been ahead and the widest gap between the candidates to date.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds a generic Republican candidate earns support from 46% of Likely U.S. Voters, while the president picks up 42% of the vote. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and nine percent (9%) are undecided.

◼ Republicans also hold a seven-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, June 26. Republicans have led on this ballot every week since June 2009.

Senate Passes Resolution Warning Palestinians US Aid Will Be Cut Off If They Go To UN For Statehood…

◼ The US Senate passed a resolution late Tuesday threatening to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority should it seek a unilateral declaration of statehood at the UN. - Jerusalem Post via weasel zippers

The non-binding resolution, sponsored by Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland and co-sponsored by 88 of the body’s 99 other senators, passed by unanimous accord....

It also calls on US President Barack Obama to veto any such UN proposal and to lead an international diplomatic campaign against the Palestinian effort.

Lennon was a closet Republican, liked Reagan

◼ John Lennon was a closet Republican, who felt a little embarrassed by his former radicalism, at the time of his death - according to the tragic Beatles star's last personal assistant. - Toronto Sun

Fred Seaman worked alongside the music legend from 1979 to Lennon's death at the end of 1980 and he reveals the star was a Ronald Reagan fan who enjoyed arguing with left-wing radicals who reminded him of his former self....

He says, "John, basically, made it very clear that if he were an American he would vote for Reagan because he was really sour on (Democrat) Jimmy Carter.

White House dumps 'secret shopper' snooping on doctors

◼ “After reviewing feedback received during the public comment period, we have determined that now is not the time to move forward with this research project. Instead, we will pursue other initiatives that build on our efforts to increase access to health care providers nationwide.” - Politico
◼ HHS Puts Doctor Snoop Plan on the Back-Burner - Michelle Malkin
◼ Obamacare’s ‘Mystery Shoppers’ - Michelle Malkin
◼ U.S. Plans Stealth Survey on Access to Doctors - NYT

Plans for the survey have riled many doctors because the secret shoppers will not identify themselves as working for the government.

“I don’t like the idea of the government snooping,” said Dr. Raymond Scalettar, an internist in Washington. “It’s a pernicious practice — Big Brother tactics, which should be opposed.”

According to government documents obtained from Obama administration officials, the mystery shoppers will call medical practices and ask if doctors are accepting new patients and, if so, how long the wait would be. The government is eager to know whether doctors give different answers to callers depending on whether they have public insurance, like Medicaid, or private insurance, like Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

◼ Now Obama's sending out 'snoopers' to pose as patients so they can check up on doctors - Daily Mail

Well-timed Palin movie opens in hotbed state Iowa

                    Image Source: Drudge

◼ Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, was to attend the premiere of a flattering documentary about her, "The Undefeated," in the small Iowa town of Pella on Tuesday night. - Reuters

Palin has carefully left the door open to a campaign. Her appearance in Iowa was likely to encourage those who think the former Alaska governor still might jump into the wide-open race.

Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin, a mini-celebrity in her own right, showed her ability to create political buzz by saying on Fox News that her mother had made up her mind already about whether to seek the nomination and that she would like to see Sarah Palin run.

"She definitely knows," Bristol Palin said when asked whether Sarah Palin had made up her mind. She said the decision would remain within the family for now.

◼ Pella welcomes Sarah Palin - Steve Woodhouse/Pella Chronicle

You might think that their chief motive is to make Obama look good and to suppress facts that make him look bad.

◼ Mainstream media covers up horrifying Obama mistake - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner

No one in mainstream media seems inclined to mention Barack Obama’s horrifying mistake last Thursday when, speaking at Fort Drum, he said that SFC Jared Monti was “the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously.” Alas, he was mistaken. He awarded the Medal of Honor to Jared Monti posthumously in 2009 and awarded the Medal of Honor in person to SSG Sal Giunta in person in 2011.

Obama on Libya: I don't need Congressional approval -- but give it to me anyway...

◼ Obama adviser makes case to Senate panel for involvement in Libya - Washington Post via Drudge

A State Department lawyer arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday with two difficult tasks: Convince a Senate committee that the Obama administration didn’t need Congress’s approval for its military operations in Libya.

Then: Convince the Senate to give Obama that approval anyway.

He didn’t seem to make a lot of headway on either.

◼ Anti-war left steps up against Obama - Washington Times

Former Georgia Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney blasted President Barack Obama on Saturday at an ANSWER coalition meeting in Washington, D.C. for engaging the United States in a war against Libya. After returning from Libya with a group of U.S. journalists, Ms. McKinney launched a U.S. speaking tour to talk about her trip.

"I took a rash step because I was so outraged that our president would launch yet another illegal, unconstitutional, immoral, war and so I also knew that my government was lying," she said to a group of 60 -70 anti-war Left attendees sitting in a Columbia Heights meeting room.

Governor Brown's Realignment: A Trojan Horse for Local Governments

◼ Realignment: A Trojan Horse for Local Governments - Michael D. Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor at Fox&Hounds

Democrat and Republican governors across the country are working to cut costs and lower taxes, but Governor Brown’s plan to level California’s $26 billion deficit – the result of several years of out of control government spending – is a “realignment” proposal that not only extends the previous administration’s ineffective tax hikes, but also irresponsibly shrugs the state’s financial burden onto the shoulders of cash-strapped county and municipal governments, creating a real threat to California’s economic recovery and public safety.

In April, Brown signed into law AB 109 - the public safety realignment bill - essentially launching a Trojan horse style attack on local governments and ensuring catastrophic consequences for Los Angeles County’s criminal justice system.

Set to take effect October 1st, this would shift responsibility for convicted felons and parolee supervision from the state prison system to county resources, transferring the state’s legal obligation to already overcrowded local jails and stressed law enforcement agencies -- without fully paying for the increased burden....

By pushing state responsibility onto the backs of local governments already slumped under the weight of a flat economy and unemployment rate at around 12 percent, California washes its hands clean of responsibility to its citizens. Despite some of the highest income, gas, sales, and business taxes in the country, the state remains blighted by a bloated bureaucracy’s tradition of spending more than it has. Even a constitutional amendment guaranteeing realignment funding can’t save existing programs from plundering.... Read the rest

President, GOP hopefuls descend on Iowa as pivotal straw poll draws near

◼ Four announced or potential Republican candidates, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), are visiting the Hawkeye State this week — as is the man they are looking to defeat in 2012: President Obama. - The Hill

A stalled economy and a presidency adrift

◼ A stalled economy and a presidency adrift - Michael Gerson/Washington Post

If there is a single moment that symbolizes President Obama’s dramatically altered reelection prospects, it was his visit to a Jeep plant in Toledo on June 3. Obama’s remarks that day were familiar. America had faced the worst recession “in our lifetimes.” His opponents had wanted to do “nothing.” The president, in contrast, had acted. As a result, “American manufacturing and American industry is back.” While there are “always going to be bumps on the road to recovery,” the future is bright and “nobody can stop us.” Employees chanted, “Yes, we can!” wearing T-shirts that read, “President Obama: Thank you” and “Obama is changing history.”

The event coincided with the release of economic data showing anemic job creation and unemployment rising above 9 percent — adding to existing concerns about high fuel costs and collapsing housing values. Outside that plant in Ohio, the cheering for Obama had been fading for some time. It was a victory lap taken before a largely silent stadium. Read the rest...

Anti-Mormon bias persists, notably among Democrats

◼ A new Gallup Poll has found that more Democrats than Republicans say they would not vote for a Mormon for president - Byron York/Washington Examiner

Ever since Mitt Romney's unsuccessful run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, there's been much discussion of whether GOP voters would accept a Mormon candidate. Would evangelical conservatives, in particular, look past the former Massachusetts governor's faith to vote for him? The underlying assumption was that the more conservative the views, the more intolerant the voter.

Now, it turns out a better question might be whether Democratic voters would accept a Mormon candidate. In a survey that cuts against the media stereotype, a new Gallup Poll has found that more Democrats than Republicans say they would not vote for a Mormon for president. Twenty-seven percent of Democrats say they wouldn't vote for a Mormon, while 18 percent of Republicans say the same. For independents, the figure is 19 percent.

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde is expected to be chosen as early as Tuesday to be the new leader of the International Monetary Fund.

◼ Lagarde would be the first woman to lead the lending organization. - Yahoo Finance (ibtimes photo source)

Blagojevich Found Guilty on 17 of 20 Counts

◼ Blago will be the fourth Illinois governor to go to prison (also known as the “secure wing of the Governor’s Mansion”) since 1973. Doug Powers at Michelle Malkin

CHICAGO (AP) — A jury convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday of nearly all the corruption charges against him, including that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat.

◼ Blagojevich Convicted - Patterico

For those keeping track, that means he was found not guilty of one count, and the jury was hung on two other counts.

◼ BREAKING: Blagojevich Convicted - The Other McCain

Michele Bachmann makes it official

◼ Michele Bachmann makes presidential run official in Iowa - LA Times (image source)

“We simply cannot kick the can of our problems down the road,” Bachmann said. "We can’t continue to rack up debt and put it on the backs of the next generation. We can’t afford an unconstitutional healthcare law that will cost us too much and deliver so little. We can’t afford four more years of failed leadership here at home and abroad. We can’t afford four more years of millions of Americans who are out of work and who aren’t making enough in wages to support a family.”

“We can’t afford four more years of foreign policy with a president who leads from behind and doesn’t stand up for our friends like Israel and who too often fails to stand against our enemy,” she said. “We cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama.”

◼ Michele Bachmann touts Iowa roots, Tea Party credentials in campaign kickoff - CBS News

Rep. Michele Bachmann officially kicked off her presidential campaign today near her childhood home in Iowa, where she touted her "Iowa values" as a constitutional conservative with a Christian background.

"I know what it means to be from Iowa--I know what we value here, and I know what's important," Bachmann said from her home town of Waterloo.

◼ Bachmann Is In, Officially - NYT

Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota formally opened her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, presenting herself as a forceful conservative who will confront the party’s establishment and not compromise on principles to capture grass-roots enthusiasm that has risen up in opposition to President Obama.

“I seek the presidency not for vanity, but because America is at a crucial moment,” Ms. Bachmann said. “I believe that we must make a bold choice if we are to secure the promise of our future.”

◼ Bachmann Launches Presidential Campaign, Says Nation 'Cannot Afford' Second Obama Term - FOX

◼ michelebachmann.com ◼ Donate ◼ News ◼ Bio
Bachmann for President
P.O. Box 251310
Woodbury, MN 55125
--- Email: info@michelebachmann.com

Don't forget to check our CANDIDATES link above, we're adding candidates as they declare, and including their contact information.

Media Bias: John Stossel Admits He Could've Had Breitbart's ACORN Scoop But Passed Due to ABC's Politics

◼ Despite slipping mostly under the radar, John Stossel disclosed something on his FBN program last Thursday that should have garnered a lot more attention. - Newsbusters

Dirty spending secrets

◼ Take the test to see if you can detect five of the dirty spending secrets Washington doesn’t want you to know . . . - dirtyspendingsecrets.com/via Redstate
Sample:
The United States government has spent $3 billion doing what to America’s beaches? (Choose one.)
____ Adding sand
____ Picking up litter
____ Providing sunscreen to tourists

(Spoiler: The government has spent $3 billion to re-sand our nation’s beaches. Advocates claim this prevents erosion and keeps the beaches attractive to tourists. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the sand does nothing to prevent erosion—and this sand gets swept out to sea just as easily as existing sand! Regardless . . . taxpayers have shoveled out $3 billion for these projects.)

The number of educators receiving $100,000-plus annual pensions jumped 650 percent from 2005 to 2011, going from 700 to 5,400, according to a Bee review of data from the California State Teachers' Retirement System.

◼ Six-figure pensions soar for California school administrators - Sacramento Bee
◼ Good news from the failed blue state of California: number of retired teachers with $100K pensions jumped 650% in last six years - Doug Ross

Like Chauncey Gardiner, Obama is profoundly aloof

◼ Conservative critics have taken to comparing him, as you might imagine, with Jimmy Carter. The more cruel among them, like the Weekly Standard's Jay Cost, say the comparison is not to Obama's advantage.

But there is another comparison I think more appropriate for a president who, according to one of his foreign-policy staffers, prefers to "lead from behind." The man I have in mind is Chauncey Gardiner, the character played by Peter Sellers in the 1979 movie "Being There." - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner

As you may remember, Gardiner is a clueless gardener who is mistaken for a Washington eminence and becomes a presidential adviser. Asked if you can stimulate growth through temporary incentives, Gardiner says, "As long as the roots are not severed, all is well and all will be well in the garden." "First comes the spring and summer," he explains, "but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again." The president is awed as Gardiner sums up, "There will be growth in the spring."

Kind of reminds you of Obama's approach to the federal budget, doesn't it?

◼ Being There - Ed Driscoll/Pajamas

Fair Tax group plans "huge" grassroots presence at Ames straw poll

◼ Fair Tax group has less money than in 2007, but plans "huge" grassroots presence at Ames straw poll - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner

Schutte would not discuss the specifics of the group’s plans for Ames, saying, “We want to surprise people at the straw poll,” but he insisted that supporters of the consumption-based tax reform would be “taking out our message in very unique way.”

...Schutte said the group considers Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn, and former Godfather’s pizza CEO Herman Cain as the strongest backers of the tax reform, with former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson more recently emphasizing the idea. Cain actually spoke at the Fair Tax tent in 2007. The group also considers Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., a supporter of the reform, but Schutte said it was not much of a focal point of his campaign.

Conservative arguments for gay equality

◼ Conservative arguments for gay equality - Cynthia Yockey/aconservativelesbian.com(image source)

Cynthia says:

One of the reasons I started this blog is to educate gays about the principles of fiscal conservativism so they can see their natural home is on the Right. By casting gays out of every socializing institution and by stigmatizing gays as intrinsically evil, it is the good intentions of social conservatives that have paved the road to hell for gays. That is why another reason I started this blog is to educate social conservatives about gay equality so they can see that gay equality actually supports their core values of individual liberty, strengthening marriage and the family and creating a more moral, stable and prosperous society.

◼ Freedom, the underlying principle of modern conservatism, benefits all people, including (and perhaps especially) gays - Gay Patriot

The question is: how do we break them from their prejudiced view of the GOP, particularly given how the media dwell on social conservatives’ (alleged) dominance of the movement — and the ignorance of many gay leaders of the underlying philosophy of the Republican Party as it has evolved since the nomination of Barry Goldwater in 1964 and the election of Ronald Reagan sixteen years later.

◼ New York in Context - Gay Patriot
◼ How Did the Empire State Building 'Go Rainbow' So Quickly? - The Atlantic (image/source explained)
◼ Bachmann Supports New York’s Right To Enact Marriage Equality Law - Think Progress
◼ GOP presidential candidates silent in wake of same-sex marriage vote in New York - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner

In one sense, Romney's decison not to compete may lower the importance of this year's poll. But in another sense, it raises the stakes for Pawlenty.

◼ How badly can Pawlenty afford to perform in the Ames Straw poll? - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner

Over at Slate, Dave Weigel asks, "Can Ron Paul Win the Ames Straw Poll?" to which I'd answer: yes. As Weigel notes, Paul is actually trying to win it this time, and bought the most expensive booth available this year, the same space occupied by 2007 straw poll winner Mitt Romney. But an important follow up to this is: how badly can Tim Pawlenty afford to do in the straw poll?

Ron Paul: That Libya 'defunding' resolution would have actually authorized the war

◼ That Libya 'defunding' resolution would have actually authorized the war - David Freddoso/Washington Examiner

Rep. Ron Paul released his floor statement: Mr. Speaker I rise to oppose this legislation, which masquerades as a limitation of funds for the president's war on Libya but is in fact an authorization for that very war. According to HR 2278, the US military cannot be involved in NATO's actions in Libya, with four important exceptions. If this passes, for the first time the president would be authorized to use US Armed Forces to engage in search and rescue; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; aerial refueling; and operational planning against Libya. Currently, absent an authorization or declaration of war, these activities are illegal. So instead of ending the war against Libya, this bill would legalize nearly everything the president is currently doing there.

That the war in Libya can be ended by expanding it and providing the president a legal excuse to continue makes no sense. If this bill fails, the entirety of what the president is doing in Libya would remain illegal.

◼ Libya defunding vote underestimates anti-war sentiment in the House - David Freddoso/Washington Examiner

Scathing: "the president is standing on the wrong side of history -- trailing behind the growing consensus of those he presumes to lead."

◼ This week brought two high-profile examples of what has become the president's trademark approach to leadership -- "the fierce urgency of sometime later" -- as he kicked the proverbial can down the road on Afghanistan and gay marriage. - Arianna Huffington Sunday Roundup

Young voters sour on Obama

◼ it looks like the recession and slow recovery have deprived Obama of his margin among the young, at least for now. - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner

In Wisconsin, The Governor is signing Wisconsin's balanced budget today.

It balances a $3.6 billion deficit without raising taxes and continues to support critical services, while promoting job growth and investing in education. ◼ Governor Scott Walker's FACEBOOK