John Edwards Predicts That All Blacks Are Going To Be In Prison Or Dead
Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards said if he isn’t elected President, the population of African-American males is likely to either wind up in prison or dead. At an MTV/MySpace.com forum Edwards responded to a question about inner-city kids partaking in violence by saying there was no “silver bullet” to fight the problem.“We start with the President of the United States saying to America, ‘we cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating — pretty soon we’re not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They’re all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two.”
Can a 40-year-old film change the current presidential contest? John McCain's campaign is banking on it. A new commercial forcefully reminds viewers of his 5 1/2 years spent in a North Vietnamese prison camp and links that past with today's most contentious issue. "One man sacrificed for his country ... One man opposed a flawed strategy in Iraq ... One man does what's right, not what's easy," the ad says. Nothing has been easy for McCain this year: the front-runner stumbled; his top campaign staff vanished and so did his money. And after years of trying to turn himself from the maverick of 2000 to a consensus Republican choice, embracing one-time foe George Bush, reaching out to the religious right. McCain finds himself forced by circumstance back to his insurgent routes, seeking a comeback in New Hampshire with a tough love message for his Republican Party."Why we failed is because the American people have lost trust and confidence in us -- our failure in Katrina, our failures in Iraq, and our failures to control runaway spending,” he said during a debate. And, in a not-so-veiled swipe at his rivals, he argues there is an "experience gap" when it comes to prosecuting the war in Iraq and the fight on terror. "I have seen war. I know how the military works, I know how government works. I understand national security," he continued at the debate. That message may be having some impact; McCain has picked up six points in the latest New Hampshire polls. But one-time Bush aide Nicole Wallace says this is a high-risk strategy. “John McCain is dancing on the edge of a knife with this. He's saying that winning in Iraq is essential to our security at home, but the way George Bush went about it is all wrong," she said. New Hampshire seems to be where McCain is counting on becoming the new Comeback Kid, but at least one longtime confidante says without a major investment in Iowa, he risks getting fatally swamped in those caucuses.
The top four Republican White House hopefuls have been roundly criticized for not attending a presidential debate Thursday night on minority issues. Debate moderator Tavis Smiley, a talk show host, said "there are those in the Republican Party who do not understand the importance of reaching out to people of color." Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Mitt Romney all cited scheduling conflicts for not attending the debate at Morgan State University in Baltimore.Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he's "puzzled" by the frontrunners' decision. Gingrich says it was a mistake for the top-tier candidates not to attend. Republicans who did take part are Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Representatives Duncan Hunter of California, Ron Paul of Texas and Tom Tancredo of Colorado. Conservative activist Alan Keyes also participated. He announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination last week.
With the FDA complying with standards set by CODEX, NAFTA and CAFTA, greater control over what we Americans use to care for our health is being effected. Supplements, vitamins and alternative medicine such as acupuncture are all being closely monitored and have the possibility of being removed and or controlled by the government. They would have the say so as to if you can or cannot take your multi-vitamin. U.S House Representative Ron Paul is a national leader in preserving health freedom. He supports the Health Freedom Protection Act that entitles the American people to truthful health information. The FDA has let the American people down by allowing the use of fatal drugs and foods that have caused illness and even death. Ron Paul also supports the Medical Treatment Act for the use of alternative methods.For many Americans seeking relief from illnesses and injuries, alternative medicine often brings side effect free relief unlike the medications and treatments that have been approved by the FDA that do the opposite. Ron Paul opposes the FDA legal power and he opposes the forced vaccinations of the government. The government would prefer to force the American people to vaccinations for small pox and other disease. This would infact take away rights of those Americans that choose to refrain from vaccination due to religious beliefs. Currently Ron Paul has a rating of 1% on the USA Today/ Gallup Polls found at www.usaelectionpolls.com. Ron Paul supports the American people and their rights to choose how they care for there personal health. Our country was built on freedom and Ron Paul wants to keep it that way.
A supporter of Rudy Giuliani's is throwing a party that aims to raise $9.11 per person for the Republican's presidential campaign. Abraham Sofaer is having a fundraiser at his Palo Alto, Calif., home on Wednesday, when Giuliani backers across the country are participating in the campaign's national house party night. But Sofaer said he had nothing to do with the "$9.11 for Rudy" theme. "There are some young people who came up with it," Sofaer said when reached by telephone Monday evening. He referred other questions to Giuliani's campaign."I'm just providing support for him. He's an old friend of mine," Sofaer said of Giuliani. Sofaer was a State Department adviser under President Reagan and is a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Giuliani's campaign had no immediate comment. According to the invitation, "$9.11 for Rudy" is an "independent, non-denominational grass-roots campaign to raise $10,000 in small increments to show how many individual, everyday Americans support `America's Mayor.'" Giuliani was mayor of New York during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Romney Withholds Response To Blackwater Pending Investigation
Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he was troubled that private security guards working in Iraq for his top counterterrorism adviser have been accused of killing civilians. But he said he would wait for the results of an investigation before deciding on a response. Cofer Black, who joined the campaign in April as senior adviser on counterterrorism and national security, also is vice chairman of Blackwater USA, whose workers have been accused of killing up to 11 Iraqi civilians during a Sept. 16 firefight in central Baghdad square. “I think the allegations are very serious indeed and that there is an investigation which is under way,” Romney told reporters in his first public comment on the case. “I don't want to prejudge what will happen from the investigation, but if the investigations go through in a legitimate and appropriate way, then I would expect an appropriate response.” He added, “Clearly, the allegations are troubling.” Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday that such killings are unacceptable and a threat to his country's sovereignty. Earlier Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wrote to President Bush, seeking a report on the number of private security contractors in Iraq and the issuance of rules of engagement, similar to those under which U.S. armed forces operate.“It is our government's obligation to ensure that security contractors in Iraq are subject to adequate and transparent oversight, and that their actions do not have a negative impact on our military's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan,” wrote Obama, a senator from Illinois. Last week, Bush said he was saddened by the loss of civilian life and would await a report from the investigation before taking any action. The president also said the contractors operate under rules of engagement. Romney met with reporters after addressing about 200 people amid a whirlwind five-day tour of California. The principal focus is fundraising, including an event Monday night at the home of eBay Chairman Meg Whitman, but Romney scheduled public events to help raise his profile in the state. The pace has gotten to the candidate, who canceled a public event set for Tuesday in Bakersfield after coming down with a cold. During the town-hall meeting, Romney played to the Silicon Valley crowd, some of whom work at nearby Google, Cisco Systems and Apple Inc. At one point, the former Massachusetts governor spoke of his effort to provide every sixth-grader and beyond with an inexpensive laptop. “I want our kids to know how to Google and Yahoo and everything else, so that when they do a report on George Washington, they don't have to go to the encyclopedia but they can go to Wikipedia and they can learn what's happening on an online basis as kids around the world are doing,” he said. The remark brought chuckles from the crowd, since Wikipedia has been criticized for the accuracy of some of the public contributions to its information-sharing Web site. Romney also expressed interest in expanding the number of H-1B visas, which allow employers to seek temporary help from foreigners holding at least a bachelor's degree. “H-1B visas are a great source of a brain magnet, if you will, bringing people into this country who have skill and experience from other countries,” he said. Lamenting that many foreign doctoral candidates must leave the country after graduation, Romney added: “I'd rather staple a green card to your diploma and say that if you can get a Ph.D. from one of our great institutions, we'd love you to stay here.” Romney also said technology from the Bay Area should be used to crack down on illegal immigration, Medicare waste and abuse, and to improve an array of antiquated federal services. “I believe that one of things we have to do is take some of the innovation and technology that you're famous for here and finally apply it in Washington,” he said to applause.
Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson said that the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq has contributed to the sectarian violence rather than bringing stability to the war-torn nation. "There's no question there's tribal and ethnic hatreds," Richardson told reporters. "But when those tribal and ethnic hatreds are fueled by American policy of hostility, then you make the situation worse."In an hour long interview with reporters, the New Mexico governor argued that all combat and non-combat troops should be removed from Iraq because their presence is only contributing to violence. "It's not a guarantee of success, my plan, but at least it's stability," Richardson said. "American foreign policy is being bled dry by the invasion of Iraq," he said.
Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is scolding his party in a nationally broadcast ad Sunday and in an open letter to party leaders that asserts that the blame for Washington's dysfunction does not rest just with Democrats. The 30-second ad, the same one he began running this week in New Hampshire, will air during NBC's Meet the Press, between appearances by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, whose new book, "The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World," blames the Bush administration for runaway spending. The media push casts Romney as an agent of change, a recognition that even Republicans have grown weary of their government. In the ad and in the letter, Romney wags his finger at the party, portraying Washington Republicans as riddled by scandal and profligate spending.Without naming them, he also distinguishes himself from President Bush and two of his main rivals on the subject of immigration. "Washington is busy pointing fingers, assigning blame, and spending too much money. There is too much talk and too little action," he writes in his letter, which will appear in full page ads Monday in New Hampshire's Manchester Union-Leader and the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. "The blame, we must admit, does not belong to just one party. If we're going to change Washington, Republicans have to put our own house in order." The ad was also scheduled to become part of Romney's regular ad rotation in Iowa on Saturday. "We can't be like Democrats _ a party of big spending," he says in the ad and in his letter. "We can't pretend our borders are secure from illegal immigration. We can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno."
McCain Criticizes Senate Democrats' Anti-war Effort As Surrender
Setting a date to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq would amount to surrender, Sen. John McCain said. The Arizona Republican and candidate for president, in Indianapolis for a private fundraiser, told reporters the proper role for Congress is to fund the war. 'The Democrats have lost sight of the fact that presidents don't lose wars, and political parties don't lose wars,' McCain said. 'Nations lose wars, and when the majority leader of the Senate stands up and says the war is lost, you have to ask, 'Who won? Al-Qaida?' The American people don't want us to fail. And if you can show them a path to success, they'll support it.' Friday, the Senate blocked a Democratic proposal that would have ordered most U.S. troops home from Iraq in nine months. The vote was 47-47, or 13 votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate. Earlier in the week, the Senate blocked legislation that would have guaranteed troops more time at home and another Democratic measure that would have cut off funding for combat in June 2008.'We were able to beat back these amendments to set a date for surrender because, I believe, of Gen. (David) Petraeus' performance before the Congress and the American people. He did a very good job,' said McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Last week, Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, recommended to Congress and President Bush that some 130,000 troops be kept there through next summer, a slight decrease from the more than 160,000 troops there now. McCain said he would not support a timetable. 'The key is not so much when we withdraw; it's when we get the situation under control and bring U.S. casualties down, and the Iraqi military is taking over more and more of the responsibilities,' he said. 'We still have troops in the Balkans, we still have troops in Okinawa, we still have troops in South Korea, but that's because there's a stable environment there.' He said Congress and the administration should know within a few months whether the surge strategy is going to succeed. In the meantime, he said, the assessment by Petraeus 'has bought us some time.'
The Arkansas Libertarian Party has 1,964 signatures on its petition to qualify the party for the presidential ballot. Only 1,000 are required. The party will turn them in before the end of the month. This will be the first petition that any minor party will have submitted, the entire calendar year of 2007, so far. Although the Constitution Party of Missouri has also finished its petition, it can’t turn in the signatures until it finishes choosing its nominees, so that petition probably won’t be turned in until October.
Amid reports that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to visit "Ground Zero'' in New York during his visit to the United Nations next week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is rolling up the welcome mat. "Ahmadinejad's shockingly audacious request should be met with a vehement no,'' Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, said today. "It's inconceivable that any consideration would be given to the idea of entertaining the leader of a state sponsor of terror at Ground Zero. "This would deeply offend the sensibilities of Americans from all corners of our nation,'' Romney said. "Instead of entertaining Ahmadinejad, we should be indicting him."The United States has accused Iran of supporting insurgents inside Iraq, and has classified Iran's national guard as a terrorist organization. The New York Sun quotes New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly as saying the city is discussions about escorting the Iranian president to Ground Zero during his visit to New York next week. The Iranian mission to the U.N. made the request to the New York City Police Department and the Secret Service, who will jointly oversee security during the president's two-day visit to New York next week. President Bush will address the U.N. on Tuesday.
Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani moved to thwart a liberal anti-war group's attack on him for resigning from a high-profile panel on the Iraq war. Giuliani has come under fire from MoveOn.org over his decision to withdraw from the Iraq Study Group last year as it debated recommendations for President George W. Bush on how to change course in Iraq. MoveOn.org has bought $50,000 in television time in the early voting state of Iowa for an ad to run starting on Wednesday that labels Giuliani "AWOL" for resigning from the panel after serving for two months. "Republican voters should ask: 'Giuliani: Where were you when it counted?' 'Rudy Giuliani. A betrayal of trust,'" the MoveOn.org ad states. Giuliani has said he resigned from the Iraq Study Group because he could not devote the amount of time necessary to it and, as he pondered a run for the presidency, did not want to be seen as politicizing the panel.His campaign said it will launch a new radio ad in Iowa starting on Tuesday that says the group is attacking him because he is the Democrats' "worst nightmare" for the November 2008 presidential election. "They know Rudy is a Republican who can beat the Democrats. And they know, no matter what they say, Rudy will never, ever back down," the Giuliani ad says. The flap between the liberal anti-war group and the former New York mayor began last week in the hoopla over the congressional testimony about the Iraq war given by the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, who said Bush's troop build-up was making progress. The group published an ad in The New York Times referring to Petraeus as "Gen. Betray Us," prompting outrage from Giuliani and other Republicans. Spokeswoman Maria Comella said Giuliani considers any attack from MoveOn.org a "badge of honor."
Republican Mitt Romney said he would not necessarily have to agree politically with any appointees he would seek to place on the Supreme Court, but he would expect them to be strict legal constructionists in the model of Chief Justice John Roberts. "Whether they agree with me on issues or not is not the key thing; the key is do they follow the law and do they follow the Constitution, because if they follow the law and the Constitution, then we have a democracy where the people are able to guide the course of our nation," the former Massachusetts governor said in his first online townhall forum. Romney listed three other conservatives jurists — Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito — as model appointees to the nation's highest court. The 45-minute session was shown via streaming video over the Web from a studio in New York, where Romney spent the day fundraising. Sitting on a director's chair, he listened as one of his daughters-in-law, Mary, read aloud questions sent either through the computer or cell phone text message.The queries ranged from the curious ("Is Mitt your real name or a nickname?" It is his middle name), to the bizarre ("What is your favorite sweet cereal?" Count Chocula and Cocoa Krispies). Some of the questions came from people who seemed intimately familiar with his campaign operation, including Parley from Utah, who asked Romney if he could remind the audience about a series of upcoming fundraisers. Another asked if the nation wanted "Hillarycare," Romney's common description of the health care plans favored by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. As Romney said earlier in the day, he favors the program he enacted in Massachusetts that calls for expanding the nation's private health care system — a feature of Clinton's plan.
Arizona Senator John McCain has taken criticism of anti-amercian group MoveOn.org to a whole new level: He is suggesting that the organization “ought to be thrown out of this country.” The liberal advocacy group angered Republicans earlier this week with a full-page ad in the New York Times criticizing Gen. David Petraeus as he prepared to testify before Congress. The ad, which asserted that Petraeus was “cooking the books” on the situation in Iraq carried the headline, “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?” Republicans condemned the ad and the party’s presidential candidates have taken it up as a cause on the campaign trail. The campaign of Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani took out its own ad in the Times criticizing MoveOn and tying the organization to Hillary Clinton.
McCain has begun carrying a blown-up, laminated poster of the MoveOn ad to his campaign stops. And speaking at an event in Hudson, New Hampshire last night, CBS News’ Dante Higgins reports he once again displayed the ad and said: “It’s disgraceful, it’s got to be retracted and condemned by the Democrats, and MoveOn.org ought to be thrown out of this country.” Today, the McCain campaign clarified the senator’s comments for CBS News. “Senator McCain, like most Americans, is appalled by the MoveOn.org ad. Last night he expressed his outrage in words that did not convey his intended meaning. What he meant to say was that MoveOn's smear of General Petraeus' character should have no place in the American political debate.”
Alan Keyes has filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission--thus officially announcing as a Republican candidatefor President of the United States. Keyes toldreporters that he's "unmoved" by the lack of moral courage shown by the other candidates, among whom he sees no standout who articulates the "key kernel of truth that must, with courage, be presented to our people." He added, "The one thing I've always been called to do is to raise the standard . . . of our allegiance to God and His authority that has been the foundation stone of our nation's life"--and he decried the lack of "forthright, clear, and clarion declaration" from the other candidates concerning this issue. As a result, Keyes said, "We're putting together an effort that's not going to be like anything before, because it's going to be entirely based on citizen action. We're going to be challenging people to take a pledge for America's revival," and elevate them from spectators in the political arena to participants.The former Reagan diplomat ran previously for president in 1996 and 2000. During the 1996 race, he was widely credited with forcing abortion to the center of public policy debate. In 2000, he was acknowledged by commentators at Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN as the winner of the Republican presidential primary debates. In that election, he continued his prior focus on America's moral crisis, and also made abolishing the income tax a serious question for policy-makers. This election cycle, Keyes has already significantly influenced the debate, according to some observers, who note that at least a few of the GOP candidates appear intent on imitating some of Keyes' well-known positions, in an effort to woo moral conservatives--without which no Republican is likely to win in the general election. As a prelude to running, prior to making up his mind to announce, Keyes has been writing a series of essays on the 2008 election titled "The Crisis of the Republic"--published at RenewAmerica and disseminated by several other outlets. A common theme of the articles is the need to restore personal sovereignty that is based in religious premises and self-discipline, if American society is to survive in liberty. Keyes said he plans to join the Values Voter Presidential Debate Sept. 17 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Poll: Rudy Giuliani Preferred President Over Hillary Clinton
A majority of Americans say they would feel more comfortable with Rudy Giuliani in the White House than Hillary Clintonif another terrorist attack were to happen in the United States, according to a new FOX News poll. When compared to other top Republican candidates, more voters see Giuliani as hardworking and as a strong leader, while Clinton leads the Democratic field for not only having the right experience, but also being able to bring about change — as well as doing whatever it takes to win. Views are divided on whether it’s appropriate for Oprah Winfrey to use her celebrity status to encourage support of Barack Obama.The latest FOX News poll shows that if the United States were hit with a terrorist attack, by a 50 percent to 36 percent margin, Americans would rather have Giuliani in charge than Clinton, including 28 percent of Democrats and an overwhelming 80 percent of Republicans. Independents split in Giuliani’s favor 47 percent to Clinton’s 28 percent. Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from Sept. 11 to Sept. 12. The poll has a 3-point error margin.
Newt Gingrich is moving closer to a Presidential nomination bid in a severely divided Republican Party. "I will decide based on whether I have about $30 million in committed campaign contributions and whether I think it is possible to run a campaign based on ideas rather than 30-second sound bites," the former House speaker told reporters yesterday. Many Republicans, regardless of whether they agree with his views, regard him as conservatism's brainiest and most-engaging politician. "The party believes ideas have consequences, and no one articulates our message better than Newt," said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius "Saul" Anuzis. Party strategist Tom Edmonds says Mr. Gingrich "is intellectually superior, but his challenge will be to stay focused." The first deadline for a Gingrich move is Oct. 15, when prospective and declared presidential nomination candidates must pay $500 to Utah to be on the state's primary ballot, said Gingrich confidant Randy Evans. Mr. Gingrich is careful not to commit formally to a run. "I will conduct workshops around the country through September 30, after which I will make a decision," he told reporters after a major policy address at the American Enterprise Institute.Another factor is whether any current contender coalesces Republican voters before the middle of next month. Former Sen. Fred Thompson and Rudolph W. Giuliani are each commanding a quarter of likely primary voters, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain of Arizona each have about 12 percent support in the latest Rasmussen national poll of more than 600 likely Republican primary voters. By contrast, 41 percent of Democrats in the same poll already have coalesced around New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at 20 percent and John Edwards at 17 percent. Some social conservatives have moved to Mr. Thompson's side. They worry about further splitting the conservative vote. Pollster Scott Rasmussen says conservatives constitute about 60 percent of the party's primary voters. "If we split the conservative vote, Rudy wins," says Free Congress Foundation President Paul M. Weyrich. "I have high regard for Newt. ... He would force the other candidates to face issues they don't want to face up to." Mr. Gingrich has been getting his message out through policy addresses at the American Enterprise Institute, considered a major center of neoconservative ideas, and through a series of online workshops for his American Solutions for Winning the Future.He says American Solutions is a nonpartisan effort "to defend America and our allies abroad and defeat our enemies, to strengthen and revitalize America's core values, and to move the government into the 21st century." Six years after the attacks of September 11, "we are having the wrong debate about the wrong report," Mr. Gingrich said in his AEI speech on Monday, the day Gen. David H. Petraeus gave Congress his report on the state of the Iraq war. Mr. Gingrich figures he would need at least $30 million to conduct competitive television-ad campaigns in the first five primary and caucus states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and perhaps Florida or Michigan. The primary calendar is still up in the air. "If this election is about money and structure, then we already know who our nominee is," said Mr. Evans, alluding to the well-organized and financed Giuliani and Romney campaigns. "If it's about ideas and a movement, then we may not know who our nominee is for a long time to come, because nobody has yet tapped into the core coalition of Americans who have a vision of where they think America should go." Mr. Gingrich has proposed an informal committee of congressional lawmakers from both parties "to meet every two weeks with the next president" that would foster far less partisanship. He also proposed setting the budget for defense and intelligence at 5 percent of the nation's total economic output, almost double what President Bush settled for in 2002.
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said that he was right from the start about the war strategy in Iraq. "For almost four years we pursued a failed policy in Iraq. ... I condemned it, I was criticized by Republicans and others for doing so, and I saw it was doomed to failure and I argued for the strategy that is now succeeding," McCain said. The current strategy under Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, including the infusion of thousands of additional troops, is right on track, McCain said. "This strategy is working. It is succeeding, and it must be given a chance to succeed," he said. McCain spoke at an airport hangar in western Iowa, where he made a grand entrance from his campaign bus for two days of appearances, part of a tour he has dubbed "No Surrender." McCain is trying to breathe new life into his campaign, which has floundered partly because of his unwavering support for the war and for the addition of thousands more troops to Iraq.He flew in from Washington, where as the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee he questioned Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker about the military and political situation in Iraq. Both officials acknowledged that Iraq remains largely dysfunctional but said violence had decreased since the addition of U.S. troops. McCain said he understands "the bitterness" of the debate over the war. But he said Americans can either choose to support U.S. troops and the strategy or "we can choose to lose." "I choose to win, I choose to stay and I choose to support these young men and women and let them win," McCain said. McCain spoke hours after Petraeus recommended to Congress that the U.S. withdraw, by July 2008, the 30,000 extra troops sent over earlier this year. Flanked by war veterans and huge American flags that hung from the ceiling, McCain addressed about 200 people on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. McCain, a Navy pilot who spent 6 1/2 years in a North Vietnamese prison during the Vietnam War, was introduced by Col. Bud Day, of Sioux City, one of McCain's fellow prisoners of war in Hanoi. Day said he is endorsing McCain because he was right about the strategy that should be taken in Iraq.
For Rudy Giuliani Every Day Is An Anniversary Of September 11th
Proving once again that he's not your father's front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, Rudy Giuliani said that he disagreed with Republican efforts to impeach Bill Clinton. "I didn't think ultimately Bill Clinton should have been impeached," the Republican who could face Hillary Clinton in general election said in a Political Connections interview. That may not be a standard red-meat answer for a Republican primary candidate, but the former New York mayor making his 14th Florida campaign trip this year is hardly a typical Republican Party favorite. Basking in the lasting glow of his Sept. 11 leadership while campaigning in Pinellas County and Orlando, Giuliani stressed national security and electability, rather than the sort of hot-button social issues that are thought to be critical to winning the Republican nomination. "For me every day is an anniversary of Sept. 11," Giuliani said after reviewing emergency response equipment at the Pinellas Sheriff's Office with Attorney General Bill McCollum and Sheriff Jim Coats. "If we don't talk about Sept. 11, you can't prepare to try to avoid another Sept. 11." He also attracted an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 500 for a Pinellas GOP "Reagan Day dinner" fundraiser at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg.Giuliani, in a interview talked up the importance of a national catastrophic fund to help alleviate Florida's property insurance crisis, and he predicted Barack Obama would wind up as Clinton's running mate. Republicans need "the strongest possible" nominee to take on Clinton-Obama, and Giuliani pegged himself as the guy. While many Republicans remain skeptical that a thrice-married supporter of abortion rights and gun control can win the nomination, the 63-year-old New Yorker said he's the best prepared to lead the county and the best equipped to win the general election. "If one of (the other Republicans) is nominated a year from now, immediately they will not be campaigning in roughly half the country. They'll give up New York, they'll give up California, they'll give up New Jersey and Connecticut," he said. "I know they say they won't, but they will. "I am competitive in all of those states. I can be a nationwide candidate for the Republican Party - and every poll polls shows I have by far the best chance of carrying Florida." Polls show Giuliani leading the Republican field in Florida, with newly announced candidate Fred Thompson in second place. The actor and former Tennessee senator is campaigning as the consistent conservative in the race, but he and Giuliani are on the same page on impeaching Clinton. Thompson in 1999 was one of the few Republicans who found Clinton "not guilty" on perjury charges in the articles of impeachment, though he found him guilty of obstruction of justice. Arizona Sen. John McCain found Clinton guilty on both counts, and Mitt Romney, in the private sector at the time, has not weighed in on the matter, according to his campaign. Giuliani made sure not to leave Bill Clinton entirely alone: "So much time was spent on other stuff in Clinton's years, good and bad, that the biggest mistake he ever made doesn't get the focus it deserves - and that is gutting our military," he said, not mentioning that the post-Cold War reduction in military spending started under the first President George Bush and continued under Clinton with bipartisan congressional support.
Ron Paul Has Become The Dennis Kucinich Of The Republican Party
For better or for worse — well, for worse — Ron Paul has become the Dennis Kucinich of the Republican Party. His presidential campaign is an Ayn Rand express train rolling through a country already taken over by collectivists of various stripes. That there may be a caboose full of crazy sitting at the end of that train is enough to doom his chances. But please, Ron, don't drop out just yet. The country might not want another Texan with nutty ideas and a political tin ear, but it may need one. Many conservatives breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Fred Dalton Thompson confirmed Thursday that he was running for president. But while Thompson may be the best overall candidate for the Republicans, having someone like Paul in the hunt ought to generate healthy debate and more informed politics. Unfortunately, it seems from the poll numbers that Americans like their politics devoid of straight talk. And it's not just Hillary Clinton trying to run away from her vote on the Iraq invasion.Rudy Giuliani, running on the basis of his outstanding leadership around 9/11 (and the willingness of people to forgive earlier missteps), promises he would appoint pro-life judges, while still holding the pro-choice line. Mitt Romney is a large mass of wishy-washy whose riskiest stance so far was turning his back on soon-to-be-former-senator Larry Craig. John McCain still speaks with conviction, but everyone seems disinterested in hearing what their cranky grandfather has to say about military strategy and the uselessness of torture. Paul, however, is consistent with his message of defanged government and neo-isolationist policies. He talks about getting rid of the Internal Revenue Service and making sure the government leaves its citizens well enough alone. That kind of talk ought to rally Texas conservatives, with the "get off my land" attitudes so prevalent over the past, oh, 170 years. Honestly, if all his positions are taken as a whole, it looks like the backbone of Texas conservatism. But he's barely making a dent in the polls even in his own backyard. Because Paul still comes across as a little nuts. He doesn't fit in with the rest of the GOP, somehow. Opposition to the Patriot Act and the Iraq war just prove he's not a team player. He's putting principles above party, which is exactly how not to get ahead in Washington these days.He's also fearless about his image. He's willing to spread his message on potentially hostile grounds such as The Colbert Report, Real Time With Bill Maher or the Republican debates. In the Information Age, you're not likely to see many candidates take such a cavalier attitude. The current administration has taught them to seek familiar, friendly ground before saying anything that passes for substance these days. Surrounding yourself with sycophants, yes-men and screened supporters during the modern campaign is just a rehearsal for the later office. Though Texans especially should have an appreciation for a straight-talking rogue, Paul has no realistic chance at nomination, much less election. Not even if he ran against a Clinton-Obama double bill. But now that Thompson has (finally) formalized his plunge into presidential politics, he might think about taking some lessons from the contrarian Paul. Thompson's running mate no matter who else joins the ticket is the ghost of Ronald Reagan. This would be the same Reagan who bucked his party by running for the 1968 and 1976 Republican nominations as the conservative alternative.Reagan got elected in 1980 by finding a way to build a bridge between the "Religious Right" and low-tax libertarians, but he made his career with a rabble-rousing speech in support of Barry Goldwater's failed 1964 campaign. The Republicans also seem to forget that they achieved power in 1994 by speaking their mind and promising policies that would return the country to congressional sobriety. Thompson appears to be a fine federalist with charisma to spare. Here's hoping that he'll follow his convictions and become a strong presence and strong leader, able to convince others that his is the right path, rather than just being obstinate. Virgil noted that "fortune favors the bold." Looking at Ron Paul, that may not be true. But Paul's boldness could help rattle the conventional wisdom of today's Republicans and elevate the national discourse and direction. If so, he's the most important man in the race. Even if nobody votes for him.
Adding to his comments on the release of a new Osama bin Laden tape, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that the Al Qaeda leader is "almost incomprehensible for people of this country to understand, how someone can be so deluded." At an event in rural Iowa, Romney told reporters, "I think when he makes tapes like this it hurts his effort, doesn't help it." The former Massachusetts governor also said the United States is facing "unusual times" and undergoing "challenges." "They're so significant, these challenges, that I'm convinced America is going to have to change course in some respect," Romney said. He cited the U.S. Revolutionary War and Civil War as other examples of times when the nation has changed it's path. "There have been some changes in Americas history. One of those I think is occurring now, because of the forces that are going to be upon us. One of those forces is the radical Jihadist movement around the world, trying to bring down civilization and us in particular."Romney also touched on the subject of Iran. "I want to indict [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad for incitation to genocide. There is a genocide convention that calls what he has been saying as a violation of that convention." Romney said he wants to make it clear to the people of Iran that nuclear proliferation is the wrong answer, and he said this message should be delivered to a specific group of the population. "I think they have 75,000 bloggers in Iran, people who are on the internet. I want to communicate to them that becoming a nuclear nation is not a source of pride, it's a source of peril." He continued, "It's a very dangerous thing to become a nuclear nation. They need to understand these things. I hope that will convince them that they need to pull back their nuclear ambition."
Fred Thompson Urges No Letup In Combating Radicals
Republican Fred Thompson said people around the world are looking for any signs the U.S. is relenting in combating Islamic radicals. "It is extremely important thatwe not show weakness," said Thompson, wrapping up his initial campaign swing in Iowa after entering the presidential race last week. "We must send a message to friends and foes alike that we are determined." During the three-day visit to Iowa, where precinct caucuses traditionally mark the start of the nominating season, the actor and former Tennessee senator called for a stepped-up effort in the global fight against terrorism."We have yet to come to terms fully with the threat that Islamic fundamentalism presents to this country," Thompson said. "The whole world is watching and waiting now, friends and foes alike, to see how we are going to react to the pressure they are going to put on us." Thompson sought to keep the focus on terrorism and Osama bin Laden after he referred on Friday to the hunt for the al-Qaida leader as "symbolism." The candidate worked hard to put that remark behind him by toughening his support for the war. "We are in a conflict with people who are trying to get their hands on the most destructive weapons known to man," Thompson said. "They are without rules and without conscience." Thompson ended his Iowa appearances with a rally attended by about 200 backers in Davenport, before heading to New Hampshire for his first appearances there as an official candidate. With the Mississippi River as a backdrop, he expressed optimism that the country was up to the challenges in a dangerous world. "It's in our blood, it's in our tradition," said Thompson."We do whatever's necessary, hitch up our britches and come out the other end." Thompson sought to play up his anti-Washington pitch by saying, "I'm concerned about the incompetence that we see from one end of our government to the other." He said it was important to get bin Laden, but "don't think that's going to solve the problem." Thompson made his pitch to a noisy crowd of about 400, the largest of his opening swing. He sounded his conservative, anti-Washington theme, telling activists that is the message he has offered since his first campaign in 1994. It was a dig at rivals such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who have been accused of flip-flopping on abortion, gay rights and other issues. "We're at a crossroads in many respects," Thompson said. "We need to choose the path of more strength, more determination, more prosperity and more opportunity than we ever have before."Mary Bowman of Cedar Rapids remained uncommitted, but impressed, after hearing Thompson. "I think he has the charisma," she said. "The message is wonderful." In New Hampshire, Thompson introduced himself to voters gathered on a farm in Stratham as more than the "Law & Order" actor and pledged that his message will make up for what he lacks in organization. "We'll be here early and often," promised Thompson, who took no questions but shook hands and signed autographs on the way to his tour bus. "I'm going to be all over the state." Before Saturday, Thompson had made only one public appearance in the state, to attend a fundraiser for state Senate candidates. He skipped a Republican candidates' debate on Wednesday, for which he was criticized by activists and his eight GOP rivals who participated.
Fred Thompson's long tease is finally over - he formally launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday. Michael Bloomberg is a different matter. The New York mayor, who has created quite a bit of buzz as a possible independent candidate, keeps saying no. But his actions keep saying maybe. The latest wrinkle: Just like the official candidates, he now has his own pages on the popular social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. His MySpace page notes that he went to Harvard Business School, and as of yesterday afternoon listed 56 friends. Bloomberg started the presidential speculation in June when he changed his voter registration from Republican to unaffiliated. Then last month, former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn acknowledged that he had talked to Bloomberg, as well as Unity '08, a group trying to field a bipartisan or independent ticket for president.Bloomberg's mother, Charlotte, who lives in Medford, recently told a Globe columnist, "The last time we talked about it, he said, 'I haven't made up my mind yet.' Personally, I don't think that he is interested." In his latest statement, posted on his website Thursday, Bloomberg said, "As I've said before and I'll say again - I am not running. But 'Are you running?' is the wrong question. The question should not be about politics, but about leadership. Not who is the best candidate, but who will be the best President." Bloomberg continues, "For too long, the American people have been served up empty promises based on what politicians think we want to hear. It's time for something real. That's our challenge as a nation. That's what this upcoming campaign needs to be about. And these are the issues and challenges that I will continue to address."
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani said illegal immigration is not a crime, prompting rival Mitt Romney to accuse him of not taking the problem seriously. The two have clashed for weeks over illegal immigration, an issue that inflames GOP conservatives who influence primary elections. The irony is that both candidates have in the past taken more liberal stands on the issue. "It's not a crime," Giuliani said Friday. "I know that's very hard for people to understand, but it's not a federal crime." Giuliani's comments came in an interview with CNN Headline News and radio talk-show host Glenn Beck. I was U.S. attorney in the Southern district of New York," he said. "So believe me, I know this. In fact, when you throw an immigrant out of the country, it's not a criminal proceeding.It's a civil proceeding." Illegal immigration shouldn't be a crime, either, Giuliani said: "No, it shouldn't be because the government wouldn't be able to prosecute it. We couldn't prosecute 12 million people. We have only 2 million people in jail right now for all the crimes that are committed in the country, 2.5 million." He added: "My solution is close the border to illegal immigration." The former New York mayor has been defending his city's so-called sanctuary policy, which stopped city workers from reporting suspected illegal immigrants. The policy is intended to make illegal immigrants feel that they can report crimes, send their children to school or seek medical treatment without fear of being reported. It did require police to turn in illegal immigrants suspected of committing crimes. A Romney spokesman said the comments show Giuliani doesn't take the problem seriously. "His advocacy for sanctuary city policies and his troubling lack of interest in making enforcement of our nation's immigration laws a priority puts him at odds with those who want to secure our borders and end illegal immigration," said Romney spokesman Matt Rhoades. Giuliani's campaign accused Romney of showing a lack of interest in enforcement as well, pointing out that as governor of Massachusetts, Romney did not try to punish sanctuary cities in his own state.Giuliani spokeswoman Katie Levinson said: "Mitt Romney's position of the hour probably shouldn't be taken seriously considering he rewarded four Massachusetts sanctuary cities with hundreds of millions of dollars in state aid and allowed the illegal population to skyrocket. "We'll wait a minute and see if he changes his mind again," she said, alluding to criticism that Romney has changed his position on several issues. Also Friday, Giuliani said he would mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Tuesday at ground zero, where the World Trade Center towers stood before the attacks. Some victims' families have criticized those plans, saying presidential politics shouldn't be part of the ceremony. "I was there when it happened, and I've been there every year since then. If I didn't, it would be extremely unusual. As a personal matter, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," Giuliani said after touring the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Largo, Fla. "That's personal, that's not political," he said. "That's a personal thing. I will do that for as long as they have a ceremony out there."
New Hampshire Telecast Leads Ratings for 10 Presidential Debates in 2007. Fox News Channel scored the highest rated presidential candidate debate of the year with Wednesday night’s Republican debate in New Hampshire, which drew a 2.2 rating and 2.47 million households. The debate, hosted by Fox News, drew 3.14 million total viewers an 854,000 viewers in the adults 25 to 54 demographic.The network’s performance easily topped nine previous presidential debates held this year, including the 2.2 rating and 2.42 million households ABC posted for the Aug. 19 Democratic debate. CNN’s top debate performance this year was the June 3 Democratic presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire, which drew a 2.1 rating and 1.9 million households. MSNBC’s best debate performance was the 1.5 rating and 1.3 million households it dew for the May 3 Republican presidential candidate debate.
Republican Presidential contenders voiced support for the Iraq war Wednesday night despite a warning from anti-war candidate Ron Paul that they risk dragging the party down to defeat in 2008. "Even if we lose elections, we should not lose our honor," shot back former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, "and that is more important to the Republican Party." Huckabee was in the majority, Paul very much in the minority on the debate stage when it came to the war. The issue flared near the end of a 90-minute encounter in which all eight men on stage welcomed former Sen. Fred Thompson to the race with barbed humor and pointed advice. "This is a nomination you have to earn," said former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. "Nobody's going to give it to you." The debate unfolded several days before Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to deliver an assessment of President Bush's decision to commit 30,000 additional combat troops to give the Iraqi government time to develop. Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Giuliani were among those who stressed their support for the war, at times even competing to show their commitment. "The surge is apparently working," said Romney, referring to the increase in troops. That brought an instant rebuke from McCain, who said, "The surge is working, sir, no, not apparently. It's working."The debate ranged over familiar issues, and each of the men on stage looked for moments to appeal to their target constituents. Huckabee, eager to win the support of social conservatives, said he supports a "human life amendment" to outlaw abortion. By contrast, Giuliani supports abortion rights and Romney favors allowing states to decide on their own whether to permit or ban them. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Rep. Duncan Hunter of California called for the resignation of Sen. Larry Craig, the Idaho Republican who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in an airport men's room in an undercover police operation. Brownback drew boos from the audience when he called for passage of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. "I understand there is a divided audience," he said. Giuliani responded to questions about his personal life by saying he is human and faces problems that are not uncommon to many Americans. "I am not running as a perfect candidate for president of the United States. I'm running as a human being who has been very successful as a leader," he said. His daughter has indicated support for Democrat Barack Obama, and his son has said he didn't speak to his father for some time. Giuliani and their mother, Donna Hanover, had a nasty and public divorce while Giuliani was New York's mayor, and he has since remarried.
With both Jim Gilmore and Tommy Thompson having dropped out of the GOP presidential race, so-called second tier candidates appearing on Wednesday's Fox News and University of New Hampshire GOP debate - at the Whittemore Center at 9:00 PM ET - may discover that the format becomes a bit more generous.That’s what the Ron Paul (R-Tex) campaign is hoping anyway. “Fox is not entirely even-handed in all this,” says one source close to the campaign. “It’s well known that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch has hosted fund raisers for Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton.” On the other hand, this source pointed out, “There have been plenty of calls to Fox complaining about the kind of coverage that Ron Paul gets and its tone.Ron Paul supporters want to see him get a variety of questions at these debates, and in the same number as other candidates.” And this source added, “I think it’s safe to say that Fox got the message, though whether they will treat Ron Paul in this upcoming debate more fairly than in the past is still an open question. Time will tell.”
Three scandals involving politicians were made public in the past week.The odds are you've heard of only one -- the arrest of Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho for allegedly soliciting homosexual sex in a restroom in the Minneapolis airport. But The Wall Street Journal reported that a lower-middle-class family in suburban San Francisco has contributed $45,000 to Hillary Clinton and $200,000 total to Democratic candidates since 2005, contributions they almost certainly couldn't afford on the $49,000 annual salary chief breadwinner William Paw earned as a postal worker. Contributions from the Paw family often were made on the same day as contributions from Norman Hsu, a New York businessman who has been one of Ms. Clinton's top fundraisers, the Journal said. Mr. Hsu once listed the Daly City bungalow where the Paw family lives as his residence. Mr. Hsu is a fugitive, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. He pleaded no contest to a charge of grand theft in 1991, but left California surreptitiously before he was to begin serving a three-year prison sentence. Mr. Hsu has donated nearly half a million dollars to Ms. Clinton and other Democrats since 2004, including Gov. Ed Rendell, and bundled donations for half a million more from other donors, many of them, like the Paws, with no history of donating to political candidates.Mr. Hsu isn't the only Clinton fund raiser in whom the law has an interest. In May, Abdul Rahman Jinnah, a Pakistani immigrant, surrendered to the FBI. He is accused of illegally funneling tens of thousands of dollars to Ms. Clinton and to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Also the Federal Elections Commission levied the third highest fine in its history -- $775,000 -- on Americans Coming Together for flouting campaign finance laws in 2004. The group claimed it was using money for nonpartisan purposes when in fact it was spending millions to defeat President Bush, the FEC said. Sex scandals are, er, sexier than money scandals, which is one reason why you've heard more about the travails of Sen. Craig than you have about Mr. Hsu or Mr. Jinnah or ACT. But there is another Associated Press reporter David Espo did a story Thursday ("GOP Reeling from Money and Sex Scandals"), which mentioned Sen. Craig, the recent FBI raid on the home of Alaska Republican Sen. Ted Stevens and that the telephone number of Louisiana GOP Sen. David Vitter was found in the phone book of a Washington, D.C., madam. Mr. Espo said nothing about the financial scandals swirling about Ms. Clinton and ACT. He referred back to the 2006 scandals involving GOP former Reps. Bob Ney and Mark Foley, but said nothing about the FBI's investigation of West Virginia Democrat Alan Mollohan, whose net worth soared from $500,000 to more than $6 million in four years. Every Republican tainted by scandal in 2006 either resigned his office or was defeated for re-election. Rep. Mollohan and Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson, D-La, in whose refrigerator the FBI found $90,000 of bribe money, were re-elected by comfortable margins.When a scandal involves a Republican, his or her party affiliation is mentioned in the lead. When it involves a Democrat, party affiliation typically is mentioned deep in the story, if at all. But media bias is not the main reason why Republicans suffer more from scandals. Democratic voters expect Democrats to steal on their behalf. Lawmakers are judged on the basis of how many goodies from the federal treasury they can shower on their constituents. The typical Democratic voter doesn't mind terribly if their senator or congressman takes something for himself along the way. (Time Magazine's story on Rep. Mollohan's re-election was headlined, "Pork Trumps Scandal.") The typical Republican voter wants his senator or congressman to keep his taxes low, his government honest. He is furious when GOP lawmakers stick their fingers in the cookie jar, or give lip service to values they do not practice. Republicans must be squeaky clean to win elections because their voters will crucify them for behavior Democratic voters wink at so long as the pork keeps flowing. This is why his GOP colleagues already have stripped Sen. Craig of his committee assignments, and many have called for his resignation, while Democratic senators are comfortable having among them a man who left to drown in his automobile a young woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.
Huckabee Says He'd Be A Winning Contrast To Clinton
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Sunday he would make a strong Republican opponent to Democratic front-runner and former Arkansas first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a race for the presidency. Huckabee said his nomination would set up a sharp contrast between the two and energize voters toward the Republican ticket. Conservatives would be wrong to think that someone more like Clinton could draw more votes and defeat her, he told reporters. "Quite frankly, Americans are going to look at a contest where there's contrast. That's what I bring to the race, someone who can contrast in terms of philosophy and record, but also who's going to be able to challenge her on key fundamental issues like education and health care," Huckabee said. In January, he completed more than 10 years as governor, and hails from the same Arkansas town of Hope as former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, now a U.S. senator from New York, was first lady of Arkansas before her husband became president in 1993. "Hillary is a strong, strong candidate, much stronger than a lot of Republicans want to accept," Huckabee said. "But the reality is that if we put someone up whose views on some of the issues that rally our base don't rally our base, then we're going to be in big trouble."Along those lines, he also suggested he could match Republican Fred Thompson's image as a mainstream conservative who could win votes. Thompson has done better in polls than Huckabee even though the former U.S. senator from Tennessee has not yet announced his candidacy. The former governor said Thompson's delay may partly be due to Huckabee's profile. "I think that's one of the reasons that maybe he's delayed," Huckabee said. "He's looked at the fact that if he's looking for a consistent conservative, that would be Mike Huckabee." On the resignation of Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, who pleaded guilty in a gay sex sting, Huckabee said Craig did Republicans a favor and prevented protracted criticism of Congress in general. "If he had stayed, I think it would have been a very, very challenging environment. You might say we would be waiting until the other shoe dropped, which would not be a good situation for the Senate, for Sen. Craig or anybody else for that matter," he said. Craig was arrested at a Minneapolis airport restroom after an undercover police officer said the senator gave signals, including tapping his foot, that indicated he wanted to engage in lewd conduct.
Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney says that if terrorists detonated a nuclear bomb in a U.S. city while he was Presidenthe would retaliate "in a very dramatic and clear way." Posed that scenario while campaigning in a early primary state, Romney said he didn't want to say much more. "The answer is you would retaliate and you'd retaliate in a very dramatic and clear way. I don't want to be terribly more specific than that," the former Massachusetts governor said. "But there's no question that people understand that the reason that we have the thousands upon thousands of nuclear warheads we have is that we intend to protect ourselves. And I would never shrink from protecting the American nation, the American people, nor shrink from retaliation if somebody used something as awful as a nuclear device. We will be safe." The key is preventing nuclear proliferation, Romney said. He cited Iran, which has been accused of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge its leaders have denied while claiming it's interested only in a nuclear energy program."It's time for us to dramatically tighten the sanctions on Iran and to get our friends around the world to do the same," Romney said. People in Iran need to know that "going down the nuclear path is a source of peril, not a source of pride," he said. Romney spent Thursday and Friday in South Carolina. In Aiken earlier Friday, he said that he doesn't want the federal government to take over providing health care for the nation's uninsured. "Don't have 'Hillary Care,'" Romney said, referring to a favorite Democrat target, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. He said he doesn't want to "have the guys who ran the Katrina cleanup" in charge of health care and would leave it up to states to design their own systems. Romney said he'd help stop illegal immigrants by sanctioning employers who pay them and oppose so-called sanctuary cities that give illegal immigrants housing and other benefits.
Passengers on a plane leaving New York could see three words in 4-foot block letters painted on an East Village rooftop terrace as they ascended: GOOGLE RON PAUL. The entreaty to search the Internet for news of the Republican congressman from rural Texas is one of the more visible signs of enthusiasm from a do-it-yourself base of Web fans. Their support doesn't show up in public opinion polls, but it's unmatched among presidential candidates in its passion. On their own, the fans have developed a Ron Paul Revolution logo, marketing the idea through YouTube. Message boards and Web sites debate his virtues. The Web fans for Paul's anti-establishment campaign run away with online polls and blanket Web sites with caps-locked, exclamation-point endorsements of the contrarian Republican, even though he measures no more than 2 percent in most national opinion polls. The supporters have an entrepreneurial drive and get their political news from Internet sources outside the mainstream media, especially blogs and news aggregators that rely on popular vote to determine news value. That same spirit inspires them to canvass parade routes in 100-degree heat, argue campaign strategy in two-hour meetings or paint the roof of a Manhattan apartment building."To get your arms around everything and understand what is going on is really impossible to do," Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said of supporters roaming the Web. Paul's message is gospel among his base, which Benton described as mostly old-school conservatives. Supporters can recite his talking points at length. "They forge their own intellectual world to find the obscure, unusual sources of information that lead them to obscure, unusual candidates like Ron Paul," said Brian Doherty, a columnist for the libertarian magazine Reason. Avery Knapp is typical of the Paul Web supporter. A 28-year-old radiology resident, Knapp describes himself as a lifelong conservative who voted for President Bush in 2000 before growing disillusioned with the Iraq war and federal spending. Bush "did nothing but increase the size of government. The Republican Party needs to move back to its core principles," Knapp said. Many Paul supporters share Knapp's disdain for what he called a "neo-conservative clique" and hope Paul can spark a Goldwater-style insurgency. At 46, Kevin Leslie has never bothered with politics. After watching an interview with Paul during his 1988 campaign as candidate for the Libertarian Party, Leslie told himself, "If this guy ever runs for president again, I'll back him."Paul did, and Leslie was good to his word, starting a prominent Paul blog in February and traveling to the recent straw poll in Ames, Iowa. Paul has attracted a contingent of previously apolitical and even left-leaning Americans like Leslie who support his call to pull all troops out of Iraq immediately and who like his reputation for opposing any legislation not linked to principles already expressed in the Constitution. "I've already been surprised by how much traction his campaign has gotten," Doherty said. "He's a clever politician because these netroots types can call him a 'true conservative,' a 'constitutionalist' or whatever they call themselves, and he's sensitive to that." Whatever their political background, the supporters all consider themselves part of a spray-paint and duct-tape "Ron Paul Revolution." Four banners with that unofficial logo hang from the fire escapes of the Manhattan building. "They couldn't reel us in if they wanted to. Most everything has become an unofficial-official part of the campaign," said Dave Gallagher, whose cadre of Paul supporters came up with the Ron Paul Revolution logo.Gallagher claims to have started the first group for Paul supporters on Meetup.com, a Web site geared toward the kind of networking that helped presidential candidate Howard Dean's supporters organize in 2004. In the six months since, more than 30,000 people have joined Meetup groups in more than 700 places across the country. Paul's Meetup presence surpassed Dean's in just two months, said Andres Glusman, vice president of Meetup.com. "Because people have the power to self-organize here, it's obvious that he's hitting a chord that is resonating with people in a way the media is not acknowledging," Glusman said. This weekend, Paul will be the major Republican candidate to attend a Texas GOP straw poll in Fort Worth. Straw polls typically are won by the candidate who does the best job turning out dedicated supporters. All the top tier candidates in the race - and a few lower-rung candidates as well - are bypassing the event. When Paul supporters get together, they often find themselves thrown into the intricacies of running an insurgent campaign, attorney Steven Heath said after a Meetup session in Dallas. "These guys in Meetup, hardly any of them have any political experience," Heath said. "These people are newbies. They're about to get plugged in, and they'll be plugged in with Paul's ideas."
“We start with the President of the United States saying to America, ‘we cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating — pretty soon we’re not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They’re all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two.”
“We start with the President of the United States saying to America, ‘we cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating — pretty soon we’re not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They’re all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two.”
