Here's What 'Obama's America'—The Doc That Has Conservative America Abuzz—Is All About - Business Insider

Here's What 'Obama's America'—The Doc That Has Conservative America Abuzz—Is All About - Business Insider: "Conservative filmmakers Dinesh D’Souza and John Sullivan's anti-President Obama documentary "2016: Obama's America" has grossed over $9 million at the box office since its limited release last month—making it the most lucrative documentary of 2012 and the sixth most successful political doc of all time, reports The Hollywood Reporter."

'via Blog this'

Anti-Obama SEAL group wants bin Laden raid book stopped

A group of ex-Navy SEALs wants the Obama administration to use any means available to halt publication of a new book detailing the Osama bin Laden raid.

Scott Taylor, president of the Special Ops OPSEC Education Fund, called on Attorney General Eric Holder to get an injunction against the publication of "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama bin Laden."

OPSEC — headed by a former Republican candidate for Congress — released a 22-minute video earlier this month that accused President Obama of compromising national security through national security leaks and the release of information about the bin Laden raid.

Dishonorable Disclosures Trailer

Shift Boat 2012

Pure Rov-ian: attack the other’s strength, make it a weakness.  As a former Service Member I’m embarrass!

Mitt Romney says Missouri Republican Todd Akin should leave Senate race after rape comments - The Washington Post

Mitt Romney says Missouri Republican Todd Akin should leave Senate race after rape comments - The Washington Post: "Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is calling on Republican Todd Akin to abandon his Senate bid in Missouri following the congressman’s comments about rape.

Romney on Tuesday pointed to a statement from a group of current and former Missouri legislators who urged Akin to drop his bid against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill."

'via Blog this'

Obama Crashes First-Ever Kids’ State Dinner - ABC News

The coolest thing yet!

Obama Crashes First-Ever Kids’ State Dinner - ABC News: "President Obama made a surprise appearance at the first-ever kids’ “State Dinner” hosted by the first lady at the White House today, celebrating the young winners of a national healthy recipe contest who proved food can be “healthy and tasty at the same time.”"

'via Blog this'

Suicide Rates Double In July, Army Issues Nasal Spray - Business Insider

Suicide Rates Double In July, Army Issues Nasal Spray - Business Insider: "The military suicide rate doubled in July. That's one of our troops, almost every day.

To come up with an answer, the Army recently gave 3 million dollars to a university of Indiana research center, and those researchers came back with this: Anti-Suicide Nasal Spray."

'via Blog this'

Obama Leak Attackers Turn Out To Be Talkers Themselves - Business Insider

Obama Leak Attackers Turn Out To Be Talkers Themselves - Business Insider: "In an article published recently, I argued that an organization named Operational OpSec Education Fund's recently released Obama attack was insulting and disingenuous, but I really had no idea how right I actually was.

Ken Dilanian of the LA Times gives further depth, reporting that Fred Rustmann, an OpSec member, CIA retiree and an outspoken Republican, appeared on the Hannity and Colmes show in 2005 in order to downplay the outing of a CIA covert operations officer Valerie Plame."

'via Blog this'

'AT LEAST 13%'

James O'Keefe Lawsuit: Ex-ACORN Employee Can Sue Over Activist's Sting Video, Federal Judge Says

James O'Keefe Lawsuit: Ex-ACORN Employee Can Sue Over Activist's Sting Video, Federal Judge Says: "Conservative activist James O'Keefe and his associate Hanna Giles will face a lawsuit from a former ACORN employee featured prominently in their 2009 undercover sting video, after a federal judge refused to throw out the case.

According to Courthouse News, U.S. District Judge M. James Lorenz decided last week that a breach of privacy claim from Juan Carlos Vera, a one-time employee of ACORN's office in National City, Calif., had merit."

'via Blog this'

Courthouse News Service

Courthouse News Service: "A federal judge refused to throw out claims that a right-wing activist violated the privacy of an ACORN worker who was taped counseling defendant James O'Keefe, who sought advice on how to fill his house with underage prostitutes.
     Juan Carlos Vera sued O'Keefe and his associate Hanna Giles in Federal Court on privacy claims, after O'Keefe secretly filmed Vera at an ACORN office in National City in 2009."

'via Blog this'

GOP memo: ‘Don’t say entitlement reform’ - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com

 Wow, that was fast!

GOP memo: ‘Don’t say entitlement reform’ - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com:
“Do not say: ‘entitlement reform,’ ‘privatization,’ ‘every option is on the table,’” the National Republican Congressional Committee said in an email memo. “Do say: ‘strengthen,’ ‘secure,’ ‘save,’ ‘preserve, ‘protect.’”

The email read like a warning shot, alerting Republicans that they would soon face a barrage of Medicare-themed attacks and telling them they needed to be ready for the scrutiny that was to come. The internal email, obtained by POLITICO, was a clear and immediate sign that Republicans knew Ryan could create trouble down ballot for GOP candidates in tight congressional races.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79673.html#ixzz23evdyUbw 

'via Blog this'

Romney Owned Stock In Company That Worked With Iran

Romney Owned Stock In Company That Worked With Iran: "Republicans continued to needle White House aide David Plouffe Wednesday for giving paid speeches to a company that does business with Iran, releasing a new RNC ad that uses the incident (which took place before he joined the administration) as evidence that President Obama "hasn't changed Washington at all."
But until last May, Mitt Romney owned at least $6,000 of stock in a medical company, Abbott Laboratories, that does business in Iran, according to the candidate's financial disclosures."

'via Blog this'

Romney Doubles Down: Economically Successful Countries Are Culturally Superior | ThinkProgress

Romney Doubles Down: Economically Successful Countries Are Culturally Superior | ThinkProgress: "I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things. …
As you come here and you see the GDP per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000 dollars, and compare that with the GDP per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality."

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The Real Reason the Military is Going Green by Natalie Pompilio — YES! Magazine

The Real Reason the Military is Going Green by Natalie Pompilio — YES! Magazine: "Retired Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson calls himself  “an accidental environmentalist.”

His epiphany about climate change started with a tactical problem. In 2006 and 2007, when he served as the military’s chief logistician in Iraq, he coordinated the transport of millions of gallons of fuel across the country to power everything from vehicles to the large compressors used to cool individual tents—or, as Anderson puts it, for “air conditioning the desert.” He was taking one casualty for every 24 fuel convoys, and he was doing 18 convoys a day. That’s one casualty every other day. He needed to get the trucks off the road. He needed to find a way to reduce the military’s fuel use. "

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Investigation: Mitt Romney’s Offshore Accounts, Tax Loopholes, and Mysterious I.R.A. | Politics | Vanity Fair

Investigation: Mitt Romney’s Offshore Accounts, Tax Loopholes, and Mysterious I.R.A. | Politics | Vanity Fair: "For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate."

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Bienvenidos, brothers and sisters!!!! Yes!!!

Program granting work rights for childhood immigrants begins Wednesday – In America - CNN.com Blogs: "Starting Wednesday, people who arrived in the United States as children and without documentation can apply to work without fear of deportation, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Tuesday.

"This afternoon, USCIS makes available online the forms and instructions for individuals who will request deferred action for childhood arrivals," USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in a conference call."

'via Blog this'

Romney says he'll put 'the $716 billion back' in Medicare - POLITICO.com

The interesting thing about this is that it's a republican idea.
Romney says he'll put 'the $716 billion back' in Medicare - POLITICO.com:
“There’s another promise he made. You know that every time you get a paycheck you see there’s a deduction there. It’s going to Medicare. It’s going into a trust account to make sure that when you retire, that there’s a health program there that will care for you. One of the things the President did which I find extraordinary, something he never mentioned when he was running for office. You see, when he ran for office, he said he’d protect Medicare. But did you know that he’s taken $716 billion out of the Medicare trust fund. He’s raided that trust fund. And you know what he did with it? He’s used it to pay for Obamacare, a risky, unproven federal government takeover of health care. And if I’m President of the United States, we’re putting the $716 billion back.”
'via Blog this'

AFP ad focuses on disappointment - POLITICO.com

Hard commercial, persuasion meme.  This is the same theme the RNC commercial used, it's a poll tested angle. 



AFP ad focuses on disappointment - POLITICO.com: "Alex posted last night on the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity going on the air in two states, and, via Mark Halperin, the group unveiled a 60-second spot that it says will go up in 11 battlegrounds, including Wisconsin.

The theme is similar to what the Republican National Committee independent expenditure ads have tried to highlight - disappointment among voters who supported President Obama in 2008, and moving them toward being open to voting against him. "

'via Blog this'

Romney Says There Are Differences Between His Budget And Ryan's--But He Won't Say What They Are - Business Insider

Romney Says There Are Differences Between His Budget And Ryan's--But He Won't Say What They Are - Business Insider:

'via Blog this'

S. 900 (106th): Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (On the Conference Report) -- GovTrack.us

S. 900 (106th): Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (On the Conference Report) -- GovTrack.us: "Wisconsin
Wisconsin

YEA   R   Ryan, Paul WI 1st
NAY   D   Baldwin, Tammy WI 2nd
YEA   D   Kind, Ronald “Ron” WI 3rd
YEA   D   Kleczka, Gerald “Jerry” WI 4th
NAY   D   Barrett, Thomas WI 5th
YEA   R   Petri, Thomas “Tom” WI 6th
NAY   D   Obey, David “Dave” WI 7th
YEA   R   Green, Mark WI 8th
YEA   R   Sensenbrenner, James"

'via Blog this'

Paul Ryan Chart On Who Owns Our Debt - Business Insider

Paul Ryan Chart On Who Owns Our Debt - Business Insider: "In order to promote his "Roadmap" for his national debt reduction plan, Wisconsin Representative and Mitt Romney running mate Paul Ryan put out a set of scare charts on what happens if the size of the US debt grows unchecked.
The silliest, most meaningless chart of the bunch is this one on Who Owns The National Debt."

'via Blog this'

Oh no! The kiss of death!

George W. Bush Endorses Paul Ryan: 'This Is A Strong Pick' - Business Insider: "Former President George W. Bush weighed in on Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick today, praising House Budget Chair Paul Ryan as the right choice for the GOP ticket.
"This is a strong pick," Bush said in a statement circulated by the Romney campaign."

'via Blog this'

Paul Ryan Shredding Obamacare To Obama's Face, And You'll See Why Republicans Are Thrilled - Business Insider

Paul Ryan Video - Business Insider: "If you want to know why conservatives are thrilled about Paul Ryan, just watch this video (which we saw via Breitbart) of Paul Ryan shredding Obamacare right in front of Obama and Biden.
In it he simultaneously comes off as positive, polite, read-meaty, deeply informed, fearless, and wonkish.
Regardless of who you agree with, it's a powerful performance."

'via Blog this'

Paul Ryan’s plan dissected and inspected - Anna Palmer and Jedd Rosche - POLITICO.com

Paul Ryan’s plan dissected and inspected - Anna Palmer and Jedd Rosche - POLITICO.com: "Paul Ryan’s budget plan was red meat Sunday as Republicans and Democrats on the morning shows sparred over the policy proposal that made Mitt Romney’s running mate a national political figure.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) teed off on “Fox News Sunday” on the issue, calling it the “Romney-Ryan” plan and saying the Republican presidential candidate has “embraced an extremist proposal” with his pick."

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Paul Ryan: Mitt Romney's high-road warrior - Glenn Thrush and Josh Gerstein - POLITICO.com

Paul Ryan: Mitt Romney's high-road warrior - Glenn Thrush and Josh Gerstein - POLITICO.com: "Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan, the GOP’s tousled-haired prophet of national fiscal responsibility, focuses a lurching campaign with a new sense of conservative ideological stability, policy gravitas —and marketable high-mindedness.

Underlying the move is an almost unheard-of gamble in the annals of recent presidential elections."

'via Blog this'

With G.O.P. Ticket Complete, Crowds Swell - NYTimes.com

With G.O.P. Ticket Complete, Crowds Swell - NYTimes.com:
On his second day as a vice-presidential candidate, Representative Paul D. Ryan emerged Sunday as a tough-talking sidekick and flattering biographer for Mitt Romney, playing roles that Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, has sometimes struggled to master.

Mr. Ryan, who has frequently clashed with President Obama over the size and mission of the federal government as chairman of the House Budget Committee, denounced the president’s policies as failures and his governing style as corrosive.

'via Blog this'

The pick is in.

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan is Mitt Romney's choice for running mate on the 2012 Republican presidential ticket.

The official word, which began leaking overnight, came early this morning from the Romney campaign via a smartphone app and a news release.
Romney Picks Wisconsin's Ryan To Be His Running Mate On GOP Ticket

GOP Senate Candidate Linked To Controversial ‘Christian Supremacist’ Group

GOP Representative and Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin has a long history of extremism, particularly with respect to the role of religion in public life. As it turns out, that shouldn’t be much of a suprise: one of Akin’s principal political influences appears to be Reverend D. James Kennedy, a minister who spent his life organizing a movement dedicated to reorganizing the American government along radically conservative evangelical lines.

Kennedy is widely believed to be a leading advocate for a variant of dominionism, (roughly) the idea that the American government should be run according to Christian, biblical lines. “It must be remembered that D. James Kennedy is a leader among the distinct group of ‘Christian Supremacists’ who seek to ‘reclaim America for Christ’ and turn the U.S. into a Christian nation guided by their strange notions of biblical law,” Abraham Foxman, the President of the Anti-Defamation League, explains.

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/10/667381/gop-senate-candidate-linked-to-controversial-christian-supremcist-group/

CNN poll: Obama 52, Romney 45 - POLITICO.com

Outlier poll!
CNN poll: Obama 52, Romney 45 - POLITICO.com: "Matching the 7-point gap in yesterday's Reuters/Ipsos poll, CNN finds the president ahead of Mitt Romney by a meaningful margin and clearing 50 percent of the vote:"

'via Blog this'

Video: Fox's Bob Beckel slams Fox for 'flat-out lie' - POLITICO.com

Video: Fox's Bob Beckel slams Fox for 'flat-out lie' - POLITICO.com:

'via Blog this'

Obama: Everyone wants to be us - POLITICO.com

Obama: Everyone wants to be us - POLITICO.com: ""...[W]e’ve still got the best workers in the world. We’ve got the best entrepreneurs in the world. We’ve got the best scientists and researchers in the world, the best colleges, and the best universities in the world," he said at a campaign rally in Colorado. "We’re still a young nation, and we’ve got the greatest diversity of talent and ingenuity, and people want to come here from every corner of the globe." 'via Blog this'

It’s Mitt.

Mitt Romney, takes his family for a boat ride on Lake Winnipesaukee, July 14, in Wolfeboro, N.H.

Horror Hospital: The Most Shocking Photos And Testimony From The Dawood Military Hospital Scandal

Horror Hospital: The Most Shocking Photos And Testimony From The Dawood Military Hospital Scandal: "If you look at only one story about the Afghan War this year, make it this one. An explosive Congressional investigation revealed horrific new details this week about a U.S. funded military hospital in Afghanistan that kept patients in “Auschwitz-like” conditions. Warning: Graphic images"

'via Blog this'

Mitt Romney's Fundraising Boost Stems From Unique Tactic : Roll Call Politics

Mitt Romney's Fundraising Boost Stems From Unique Tactic : Roll Call Politics: "Individuals are limited to contributions of $2,500 to Romney for President and $30,800 to the Republican National Committee. But through the Romney Victory Inc. joint fundraising committee, which raised $140 million in the second quarter, maxed-out Romney and RNC donors can contribute to the Republican parties of Idaho, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Vermont. There, the money will await redistribution to state parties in presidential battlegrounds as determined by team Romney and the RNC."

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20 Everyday Things We Have Because Of NASA

NASA is often criticized for wasting taxpayer dollars. The $2.5-billion rover that recently landed on Mars has brought this issue to center focus once again.   
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/everyday-items-developed-by-nasa-2012-8#ixzz22uZVk4o7

To prove this point, every year since the mid-1970s, NASA has published a list of space technologies that have been integrated into everyday items. The tangible benefits span from life-saving medical devices to protective eyewear. To date, NASA has documented nearly 1,800 "spinoff" technologies. Here's a short list.

• Artificial limbs
• Baby formula
• Cell-phone cameras
• Computer mouse
• Cordless tools
• Ear thermometer
• Firefighter gear
• Freeze-dried food
• Golf clubs
• Long-distance communication
• Invisible braces
• MRI and CAT scans
• Memory foam
• Safer highways
• Solar panels
• Shoe insoles
• Ski boots
• Adjustable smoke detector
• Water filters
• UV-blocking sunglasses

NASA did not invent:

• Tang
• Velcro
• Teflon

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/everyday-items-developed-by-nasa-2012-8#ixzz22uZc3hs0

Ann Romney happy with horse's 'fabulous' ride - POLITICO.com

Ann Romney happy with horse's 'fabulous' ride - POLITICO.com: "Ann Romney, who co-owns Rafalca, said: "It was wonderful. She was elegant and consistent again. We just love her."

She said that after Ebeling competes with Rafalca for another year or two, they might try to breed her."

'via Blog this'

Romney Web ad mocks Obama's 'it worked' comment - The Hill's Video

Romney Web ad mocks Obama's 'it worked' comment - The Hill's Video: "Mitt Romney's campaign released a new Web video Monday hammering President Obama over remarks he made contrasting Republican and Democratic economic successes and arguing the presumptive Republican nominee offers "the right kind of leadership.""

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Romney Tax Plan on Table. Debt Collapses Table. - Bloomberg

Romney Tax Plan on Table. Debt Collapses Table. - Bloomberg: "I can describe Mitt Romney’s tax policy promises in two words: mathematically impossible.
Those aren’t my words. They’re the words of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, which has conducted the most comprehensive analysis to date of Romney’s tax plan and which bent over backward to make his promises add up. They’re perhaps the two most important words that have been written during this U.S. presidential election."

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KELOLAND.com | SD Rep. Noem Says Bill Helps Livestock Producers

KELOLAND.com | SD Rep. Noem Says Bill Helps Livestock Producers: "Rep. Kristi Noem says the livestock disaster assistance bill passed by the U.S. House is a good first step toward helping South Dakota farmers and ranchers deal with problems caused by the drought.

But the Republican congresswoman says she will continue trying to persuade House leaders to pass a five-year farm bill because that would be the best way to help livestock producers.

Noem says she has been working for the past few months to reauthorize the livestock disaster programs that expired last year.
"

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States That Get The Most Federal Money - 24/7 Wall St.

States That Get The Most Federal Money - 24/7 Wall St.:

10) North Dakota
9) Connecticut
8) West Virginia
7) Alabama
6) Kentucky
5) New Mexico
4) Hawaii
3) Maryland
2) Virginia
1) Alaska

'via Blog this'

Wisconsin Shooting: Westboro Baptist Church Releases Horrific Tweet After Attack On Sikh Temple

Wisconsin Shooting: Westboro Baptist Church Releases Horrific Tweet After Attack On Sikh Temple: "Just minutes after it was reported that people had been shot at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, the hate mongers at Westboro Baptist Church were tweeting out: 'God Sent Another Shooter.'"

'via Blog this'

US Crude Production Has Grown 13% In The Past 18 Months - Business Insider

US Crude Production Has Grown 13% In The Past 18 Months - Business Insider: "Cool chart here from Nomura's Theepan Jothilingam showing average daily production of US crude over the last 18 months."

'via Blog this'

Koch Brothers, GOP Mega Donors, Help Bankroll Religious Conservative's 2012 Efforts:

"A conservative group led by longtime political activist Ralph Reed has budgeted $10 million for a major 2012 election push to turn out the religious right and block a second term for President Barack Obama, a top executive with his organization told the Huffington Post.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition's effort, which will include voter registration drives at NASCAR races in Florida, Virginia and other key swing states, is part of a much broader attempt to reactivate millions of socially conservative voters to not only defeat Obama but help some favorite conservative congressional candidates.

"Koch Brothers, GOP Mega Donors, Help Bankroll Religious Conservative's 2012 Efforts:

Ralph Reed: Christians Need To Beg Forgiveness For God To Show Mercy In Election (VIDEO)

Ralph Reed: Christians Need To Beg Forgiveness For God To Show Mercy In Election (VIDEO): "An enthusiastic crowd of more than 6,000 people packed into Arlington's High Point Church in Texas last week, as a diverse group of prominent conservative leaders and activists called on Americans to return to God.

Many speakers at the "Under God Indivisible" rally, organized in conjunction with Glenn Beck's three-day "Restoring Love" event, also emphasized the importance of defeating President Obama in November, with former conservative golden boy Ralph Reed declaring the 2012 election the most important presidential race since the Civl War era."

'via Blog this'

Midwest drought causing fish kills -- and hurting fishing business - CBS News

Midwest drought causing fish kills -- and hurting fishing business - CBS News: "The government gave us a new report Thursday about the drought. It now covers more of the lower 48 states than in any other time on record. For nearly a quarter of the country, the drought is extreme. Now it's even hurting people on the water.

About 90 miles southwest of Chicago, signs of this cruel summer float lifelessly on the water.

"We were 108 [degrees] down here for four-five days in a row -- tremendous heat," said fishing guide Buster Culjan. He hates what he's seeing on the Illinois River.

"Every morning there was a lot of dead carp floating down river [because the water was] too hot," he said."

'via Blog this'

As Governor Of Mass, Romney Banned The Assault Rifle Used In The Colorado Massacre - Business Insider

As Governor Of Mass, Romney Banned The Assault Rifle Used In The Colorado Massacre - Business Insider: "WELL DONE, MITT! As Governor Of Mass, Romney Banned The Assault Weapon Used In The Colorado Massacre"

In 2004, as Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney banned the sale of assault weapons like the one used to spray 50-60 bullets a minute in the Colorado massacre.

On FOX News, Romney explained his position as follows:

...

Unfortunately, in the intervening years, Romney has flip-flopped and now supports the sale of assault weapons like the one used in the Colorado massacre.

'via Blog this'

GOP Governor Schools Romney On Wind: 'Get Out Here In The Real World To Find Out What's Really Going On' | ThinkProgress

GOP Governor Schools Romney On Wind: 'Get Out Here In The Real World To Find Out What's Really Going On' | ThinkProgress:

Republicans in wind states like Iowa, Utah, and Colorado are seemingly in denial on where Romney stands:

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA) said: “I think people that didn’t know what they were doing said it, because he was over in Poland — he obviously wasn’t thinking about wind energy. I don’t think it’s going to stand. … I don’t think that that’s the real position of the party because they said that they were going to consult me on this stuff, and they haven’t gotten my view.”

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R-UT), quoted in the Wall Street Journal: ”It’s just one of the things that is still a little cloudy in my mind as to where he really does stand on it.” Mr. Hatch said he thinks that a phase-out of the tax credit–instead of outright elimination–”might be more consistent with Gov. Romney’s feelings anyway as he looks at it thoroughly.”

REP. TOM LATHAM (R-IA) said Romney’s position reflects “a lack of full understanding of how important the wind energy tax credit is for Iowa and our nation. It’s the wrong decision. Wind energy represents one of the most innovative and exciting sectors of Iowa’s economy.”

'via Blog this'

Romney TV ad hits Obama for Florida's economic woes - The Hill's Video

Romney TV ad hits Obama for Florida's economic woes - The Hill's Video: "The Romney campaign has released a new TV advertisement in Florida, highlighting the state’s economic woes and laying them at the feet of President Obama.

“Four years ago,” says a female narrator before footage of Obama’s 2008 remarks to the National Urban League in Orlando, Fla., begins to play, “Barack Obama was concerned about Florida’s economy.""

'via Blog this'

A Guide to Mitt Romney's Tax Breaks - Rafalca - Businessweek

A Guide to Mitt Romney's Tax Breaks - Rafalca - Businessweek: "This is no hobby horse. Ann and Mitt Romney classified their Olympic dressage contender, Rafalca, as a business in 2010 (the one income tax-year filing Romney has made public). Of its more than $77,000 in losses, though, the Romneys were only able to take a deduction of $50."

'via Blog this'

Plant Pleads To Stay Afloat, But Army Says 'No Tanks'

M1 Abrams battle tanks are the rock stars of military armor. They're made in only one place: Lima, Ohio. The Army says it's done ordering them, but Congress appears intent on spending millions for more, arguing that cutting production is bad for the economy and national security.

The Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima is a government-owned site run by General Dynamics. Product Manager Cliff Barber weaves past robotic arms, laser cutters, and cranes to reach a row of rusty orange hulks, some of the first Abrams tanks to be produced. They're waiting to be restored and upgraded, at a cost of $6 million each.

Meanwhile, south of Toledo...

As President Obama touts the tough actions his administration is taking against China to protect the U.S. automobile industry in a suburb south of Toledo, workers at a tank-manufacturing plant a little further south of Toledo are worried about the actions his administration is taking against them.

The Pentagon wants to halt production of the Abrams tank, which employs hundreds in Lima, Ohio, the Associated Press reports. Although members of Congress have tried to restore funding for the tank, the White House has threatened to veto it. From the AP report:

Weapons manufacturer bribes Congress to buy tanks that Pentagon doesn't want?

The Pentagon wants to save $3 billion by freezing refurbishing work on its M1Abrams tanks, but the tank’s manufacturers are donating to Congressional campaigns to bribe members of Congress to lobby for their continued funding.

While the M1 tank has survived the Cold War, two conflicts in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan, its value has declined in US efforts abroad. Aside from being vulnerable to improvised bombs, the tanks don’t serve much of a purpose while warfare is limited.

Their primary purpose is to destroy other tanks, according to Paul D. Eaton, a retired army general. Their usefulness is therefore limited in modern counterinsurgency warfare. The US Army already has more than 2,300 M1’s deployed and about 3,000 more being stored at a military base in California.

The Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic - NYTimes.com

The Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic - NYTimes.com: "CALL me a converted skeptic. Three years ago I identified problems in previous climate studies that, in my mind, threw doubt on the very existence of global warming. Last year, following an intensive research effort involving a dozen scientists, I concluded that global warming was real and that the prior estimates of the rate of warming were correct. I’m now going a step further: Humans are almost entirely the cause."

'via Blog this'

Romney Just Made Biggest Mistake Of His Entire Campaign - Business Insider

Romney Just Made Biggest Mistake Of His Entire Campaign - Business Insider: "He visited the Western Wall, met with Israeli leaders and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, held a $50,000-per-couple fundraiser, and dined at the house of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an old acquaintance."

'via Blog this'

A Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths

I've heard it said that, if you take a walk around Waikiki, it's only a matter of time until someone hands you a flyer of scantily clad women clutching handguns, overlaid with English and maybe Japanese text advertising one of the many local shooting ranges. The city's largest, the Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club, advertises instructors fluent in Japanese, which is also the default language of its website. For years, this peculiar Hawaiian industry has explicitly targeted Japanese tourists, drawing them away from beaches and resorts into shopping malls, to do things that are forbidden in their own country.

The Romney tax plan, in one chart

A while back, Ezra posted a chart detailing the differences between the Romney and Obama tax plans, while emphasizing how small the sliver of the population that got big cuts from Romney (and big hikes from Obama) is. But there are new estimates, detailed earlier Wednesday, from William Gale and Adam Looney of the Tax Policy Center of the Romney plan’s impact if it’s paid for with cuts to tax breaks, and if it’s not. So I thought I’d apply the same charting approach to the new figures:

The blue bars indicate how the plan would affect after-tax income if the rate cuts are paid for with tax break cuts, and the red bars show its effects without making up the lost revenue. The top 0.1 percent see incomes that are 8.6 percent higher without paying for the rate cuts, and 4.4 percent higher if they’re fully financed. Meanwhile, the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers see incomes fall by 1.1 percent if the rate cuts are paid for by cutting tax breaks.

Study: Mitt Romney's tax plan could save millionaires $87,000 and raise taxes on the middle class

From the Miami Herald: MH

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center produced an analysis that incorporates Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's plan and has concluded that it could save the rich lots of money and actually cost other taxpayers a little bit more.

Romney wants to slash income tax rates by 20 percent for all taxpayers. And, because the rich pay more in taxes, they would therefore save more. But, in order to ensure that the plan doesn't increase the budget deficit and national debt, Romney says he wants to eliminate tax breaks. But he hasn't named them.

But most of the big-dollar tax breaks disproportionately help the middle class who get write-offs for, say, employer-provided health insurance, state and local taxes or mortgage interest.

Eliminate or seriously cut back those subsidies and it could cost people more money in the end, the report showed, even though it intentionally biased its assumptions in Romney's favor.

So a person with taxable income of $50,000-$75,000 would see an average net tax increase of $641 (saving $984 from Romney's policies, but losing $2,672 from the elimination of tax write-offs and subsidies).

A person with a $1 million or more taxable income would see an average net tax decrease of $87,117 (saving $175,961 from Romney's policies, while losing $88,444). The numbers are contained in the graphic above.