President Obama: The Most Polarizing Moderate Ever

[Havakasha]

Mitt Romney, yesterday on CNBC, defending his opposition to the Buffett Rule:
LARRY KUDLOW: Listen, the 30 percent millionaires' tax, the Buffett tax was stopped in the Senate last night, you know that. Let me ask you this. President Obama, Vice President Biden and others, they're taking to calling it the Romney Rule. It's not the Buffett tax. It's the Romney Rule because they say that wealthy, successful people like yourself don't pay their fair share in taxes. I want to get your initial response to that, please.
MITT ROMNEY: Well, you know, these kind of gimmicks that they've talked about, the so-called Buffett Rule, if they want to change the name, that's fine, too, they couldn't get it through their own Democratic Senate. And I think the reason is, people recognize that these gimmicks are not going to get America strong again, they're not going to create jobs. They're going to have the opposite effect of creating jobs.

Of course, the reason the Buffett Rule couldn't get through the Senate is that Republicans filibustered it. And the reason Republicans filibustered it is because they know that the Buffett Rule isn't a gimmick. Yes, making sure that folks like Mitt Romney don't pay lower taxes than anyone else would only raise about $47 billion over the next decade, but if we can't even do that, how can we realistically expect to handle the bigger fiscal issues? Far from being a gimmick, the Buffett Rule is a start—and a wildly popular one.
If you want a gimmick, look no further than Mitt Romney's absurd claim that letting him pay less than 15 percent in taxes on $21 million of income will create jobs. If you want a gimmick, look no further than the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy which have been steadily undermining our national strength for nearly twelve years. If you want a gimmick, look no further than the trickle-down economic philosophy that Mitt Romney has put front-and-center in his campaign. None of those gimmicks have created a single job, yet they persist to this very day. And for that, we have Mitt Romney and his Republican Party to thank.

[Havakasha]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1434225.html
Ex-Wall Street Banker: Volcker Rule Will Correct A Dangerous Mistake
The Huffington Post | By Alexander Eichler
Posted: 04/18/2012 11:11 am Updated: 04/18/2012siness News


Roger Vasey, who used to be in charge of global debt markets at Merrill Lynch, penned a pro-Volcker op-ed in The Wall Street Journal this week. In the piece, Vasey argues that the Volcker rule "is necessary to correct a mistake that poses a danger to our economy."

The mistake he's referring to is the partial repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, which removed the firewall between investment banks and commercial banks, making it easier for the latter to make large-scale speculative trades -- a practice that some claim worsened the financial crisis.

The Volcker rule, which is part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform package, is meant to limit banks' ability to make risky trades with taxpayer-backed money, a practice known as propriety trading. The provision is not very popular on Wall Street, where bankers and their lobbyists have done everything they can to water down the legislation and paint it as a hindrance to economic growth.

But as Think Progress notes, Vasey isn't the only banking veteran who's voiced support for the Volcker rule. John Reed, the former CEO of Citigroup, said in February that if anything, the rule as currently written still grants too much....

[Havakasha]

Obama outpaces Romney big time with small donors.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/20...ref=fpnewsfeed

President Obama ended March with a 10:1 cash advantage over Mitt Romney, powered largely by a dominant edge with small
donors, a dynamic that’s cropped up throughout the campaign.

Obama’s campaign raised about $35 million in March 2012, leaving it with $104 million cash on hand. They raised an additional $18.7 million in March for a separate joint fund with the DNC. Romney raised $12.6 million in March and has $10 million cash on hand.

Breaking things down by itemized donors, who have contributed over $200 total, and unitemized donors, who have contributed under $200 total, the difference is striking. Obama raised $18.9 million his total from itemized donors, versus $15.8 million from unitemized, smaller, donors. For Romney, $10.9 million came from itemized donors, versus a paltry $1.6 million unitemized donors. That means roughly 87% of Romney’s total came from donors above $200.

[Havakasha]

Maybe the press isnt so liberal as the right wing thinks.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics...+-+Politics%29
WASHINGTON -- Which presidential candidate has gotten the most negative coverage in the press during this year’s primary? According to content analysis by the Pew Research Center, it’s President Obama.

The benefits of residing in the White House, and the so-called bully pulpit that it provides, were outweighed by the sheer number of voices attacking Obama and his policies during the primary, the analysis found.

[Havakasha]

This reflexive trend, in which “candidates doing better in polls do better in the media” as Rosenstiel put it, is reflected in the turnaround in the media’s coverage of Mitt Romney.

Pew’s study provides evidence that the media became convinced of Romney’s inevitability as the GOP nominee with his win in the Michigan primary. Before then, Romney’s coverage was more negative than positive by 4%. Since then, his fortunes have reversed, with 47% positive campaign coverage, and 25% negative. And media mentions of the topics of “delegate math and the concept of electoral inevitability”? They increased twelvefold after his home state victory.

For Rick Santorum, media coverage swung in his favor only after his major primary victories. After Iowa, Louisiana and his three-peat in Missouri, Colorado and Minnesota, his coverage became favorable, but lingering questions on his campaign’s financial viability and an inability to follow up with further victories stunted his momentum.

[Havakasha]

Look what i found here. Its an andidote to the lies and innuendos of Mr. SiriuslyWrong. How about that kids. :0

[SiriuslyLong]

Obama's history is a lie? That's a new low for even you.

You can indeed judge a man by the company he keeps.

[Havakasha]

?????? Dont know what you are talking about there. Please explain.

Why did you call Soros a Socialist and why do you imply or believe that President Obama is
Socialist or Marxist? Please explain.

[Havakasha]

Just to jar your memory. Interesting study I think.

President Obama: The Most Polarizing Moderate Ever

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...cRwQ_blog.html
Obama: The most polarizing moderate ever
Posted by Ezra Klein at 10:04 AM ET, 02/07/2012

In 2011, Gallup’s polling showed that President Obama averaged an 80 percent approval rating among Democrats and 12 percent among Republicans, making his third year in office one of the most polarizing on record. For a candidate whose campaign promised an era of post-partisan unity, it must be a disappointing reality check.

But on Friday, political scientist Keith Poole released a study that probably cheered the White House. According to Poole’s highly respected classification system, Obama is the most moderate Democratic president since World War II. Which raises a question: How can Obama simultaneously be one of the most divisive and most moderate presidents of the past century?


(Keith Poole, VoteView.com)
Poole’s study is based on a system for sorting politicians known as “DW-Nominate.” But DW-Nominate doesn’t directly measure ideology. Instead, it measures coalitions. It’s got pretty much every roll-call vote taken between 1789 and December 2011. It looks to see who votes together and how often. The assumption is that the most ideological members of both parties will do the least crossover voting. And it works. Its results line up with both common sense and alternative ways of measuring ideology, like the scorecard kept by the American Conservative Union.

Over the past century, DW-Nominate has revealed a steady increase in congressional polarization. Democrats have moved to the left, while Republicans have moved to the right. But Republicans have moved a lot farther than Democrats.

[Havakasha]

Remember when Republicans were hootin and hollerin about gas prices and blaming it all on President Obama?
Do you think they are now praising him for bring the prices down? LOL


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cut...gas-2012-05-21
By Kelli B. Grant
Travelers may find it easier to budget for summer road trips this year: Not only are gas prices falling, but many hotels are offering to fill up the tank.

Hotels often offer free gas cards with a few nights’ stay when gas prices are on the rise. Many properties put their latest deals in place this spring when the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded was hovering close to $4—and more drivers were pledging to stay home.

For example, Riviera Palm Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif., offers a $50 gas card at check in through May 31, while the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau awards a $25 card with a two-night stay at select properties any time before September 30.

But over the past month alone, gas prices have dropped 18 cents, to an average $3.73, according to AAA. “The deal will go even further now,” says Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com. “That card is going to give drivers more value in the tank.”

These offers could be worth a look if you’re among the nearly 31 million Americans AAA says plan to hit the road over Memorial Day weekend this year. The number of people expecting to drive is up 1.2%, and represents 88% of all holiday-weekend travelers. Most are planning to stay close to home, however—AAA reports the average trip will be 642 miles, 150 fewer than last year. Laskoski says that’s likely because some areas are still seeing elevated gas prices. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for destinations to capture the local drive market by offering gas cards,” he says.

Travelers should still compare rates and offers before booking. Many of the deals require a set number of nights, and some specify that only certain nights of the week are eligible. Dutchies View B&B in Woolwine, Va., promises a $25 gas card for a three-day stay or a $50 one for four nights. “A seven-day stay fills your entire tank,” says innkeeper Patrick Powells. Most require travelers to pay the full-room rate, which may make other sales or packages a better deal. A special coupon or code may also be needed to claim the offer before check-in. For example, at participating Marriott resorts in Canada, booking with code TRS means “your car will stay and eat free”—each weekend night stay gets free on-site parking and a $25 gas card.

Experts say that even though prices are expected to keep dropping over the next few weeks, consumers may continue to see new free-gas deals pop up throughout the summer travel season.