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Krugman vs. Obama Posted: 30 Nov 2007 06:54 AM CST Barack Obama undoubtedly got a jolt on the way to his meeting with New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg this morning when he opened his New York Times to discover columnist and liberal icon Paul...

'America's going to miss him' Posted: 30 Nov 2007 06:44 AM CST A tribute to Henry Hyde in his hometown paper, The Daily Herald. More on Hyde in the New York Times, and the Washington Post....

The Spitzernator Posted: 30 Nov 2007 06:25 AM CST "Listen," he shrieked, "I'm a f****** steamroller, and I'll roll over you and anybody else." Any guesses who said this? A pro-wrestler in a fit of roid rage or an ego maniacal Hollywood star? Try New...

PM Line Posted: 29 Nov 2007 02:57 PM CST The Carribean was rocked by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. Speaking of being rocked, CNN has taken an absolute beating today for letting a committed supporter of Hillary Clinton go unidentified in...

What He Said Posted: 29 Nov 2007 12:00 PM CST Richelieu's take on last night: What a depressing debate. CNN's long slide into mediocrity accelerates. Is this what running for president of the greatest democracy in the world has become? Standing...

The Kerr Fallout Posted: 29 Nov 2007 10:56 AM CST The debate was barely in the books when Bill Bennett, as a member of CNN's post-debate panel, said he had heard that Retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, who asked the pointed question about gays in the...

IA Dem Poll Posted: 29 Nov 2007 10:38 AM CST Rasmussen is out with a new survey of the Dems in Iowa (Nov 26-27, 1,156 Dem LV, MoE +/- 3.0%) , and he shows an ever so slight tightening in what remains a three-way dog fight: Clinton 27 (-2 vs....

Could It Be You, Lou? Posted: 29 Nov 2007 09:50 AM CST Free trade, immigration, dollar policy, and just a little Wal-Mart bashing were on the menu yesterday afternoon at Chicago's downtown Standard Club. CNN host and rumored presidential aspirant Lou...

Who Benefited from Last Night's Debate? Posted: 29 Nov 2007 09:36 AM CST As we wrote yesterday, there's an easy way to assess who benefited from last night's debate: Who did better in the eyes of Iowa voters -- Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee? The consensus, including the...

The Daily 2008 Posted: 29 Nov 2007 09:02 AM CST On this day in 1947 the United Nations voted to partition Palestine and create a Jewish state. Now for today's top election stories, beginning, obviously, with last night's CNN/YouTube debate: "In...

Huckabee is For Real Posted: 29 Nov 2007 08:32 AM CST It is not about Iowa only any more. Mike Huckabee has a real shot to be the Republican nominee. A month ago after the Values Voters conference I opined: I don't know that Mike Huckabee will win the...

Chatter in the Blogosphere Posted: 29 Nov 2007 08:32 AM CST The blogosphere is abuzz following last night's Republican primary debate, so stop by RealClearBlogs to check out all of the latest: Plant Life: Were Democrats Planted at the CNN/YouTube debate?...

GOP Gay Group Slams Romney in New Ad

GOP Gay Group Slams Romney in New Ad
1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican gay rights advocacy group accuses Mitt Romney of "Mitt-flops" in a new radio ad that criticizes the former Massachusetts governor on his tax record.
The ad by the Log Cabin Republicans notes that Romney signed legislation in 2003 that increased taxes on New Hampshire residents who worked in Massachusetts. It also says Romney raised taxes on businesses, a point Romney disputes by saying he was merely closing tax loopholes.

"Mitt Flops — sounds like something you'd wear to the beach, but they could cost you," the ad states. "Let's see. Running for governor, Mitt Romney said he'd balance the budget without raising taxes. So what'd he really do? He raised taxes on some New Hampshire residents who worked in Massachusetts, taxing their income and their pensions."

The ad represents yet another anti-Romney campaign by an independent political group that is hitting the airwaves with six weeks before the New Hampshire primary. This weekend, the Republican Majority for Choice, a group that advocates abortion rights, is running television and newspaper ads in New Hampshire and Iowa accusing Romney of flip-flopping on abortion.
The radio ad represents the second effort by the Log Cabin Republicans to cast Romney as a flip-flopper. Last month, the group aired an ad in Iowa and on national cable that sought to undercut his support among social conservatives.

Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said it was no surprise that a gay rights group would oppose Romney because he has supported a federal amendment that would declare marriage to be between a man and a woman.

"This negative attack and gross distortion of the governor's record was launched and paid for by a group recognized as having Mayor (Rudy) Giuliani as their 'favorite' candidate," Madden said. Giuliani has had the support of some gay rights groups in the past and has backed limited legal recognition for same-sex couples.

"Governor Romney has a stellar record of fiscal responsibility, having cut wasteful spending and worked to lower taxes as a chief executive focused on pro-growth economic policies," Madden said.
The criticism from the Log Cabin Republicans is similar to criticism of Romney contained in Giuliani's Web site, and in some cases the two camps cite the same sources.
But Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon said there was no coordination between his group and the Giuliani camp.
"We are not endorsing any candidates in this race," he said. "We have members who are working and supporting different candidates. Gov. Romney is, as usual, trying to attack the messenger instead of responding to the message."

Romney Wins Fast-Talking Honors and shows temper

Romney Wins Fast-Talking Honors
November 29, 2007 03:46 PM ET Permanent Link

As U.S. News 's Liz Halloran reported earlier today, the heated CNN/YouTube Republican presidential debate last night proved particularly rough for Iowa caucus front-runner and former Gov. Mitt Romney, who was pushed repeatedly to clarify his stances on a number of fire-and-brimstone issues, like abortion.

His defensiveness showed. According to an (unscientific) U.S. News analysis of all eight candidates at the debate, Romney, over the course of the two-hour event, had the fastest average rate of speaking, as measured in words per minute.

Here's the tally, ranked in descending order from the night's fastest talker to the slowest (words per minute = wpm):
Mitt Romney: 233 wpm
Tom Tancredo: 226 wpm
Rudy Giuliani: 201 wpm
Mike Huckabee: 199 wpm
Duncan Hunter: 188 wpm
John McCain: 182 wpm
Ron Paul: 179 wpm
Fred Thompson: 177 wpm

To be fair, Romney was also the fastest talker at the October 21 debate in Orlando, with an average that night of 205 wpm (nearly 30 words per minute slower). That finding alone might be surprising, given Giuliani's reputation as a fast- and tough-talking New Yorker.
More tellingly, though, is the observation that Romney couldn't keep calm last night when faced with accusatory remarks. By our analysis, there was a clear statistical difference between Romney's rate of speaking when he was on the attack and in control of his answers, and, conversely, when he was fending off an attack himself. In the latter cases, his wpm spiked. For instance:

* Accused by Giuliani of hiring illegal immigrants at his mansion, Romney responded with apparent disbelief—"Are you suggesting, Mr. Mayor—because I think it is really kind of offensive..."—and covered a sizable 105 words in 25 seconds, for a rate of 250 wpm, above his average for the night.

* Forced to respond to a video of a younger Mitt Romney expressing support for abortion rights, Romney quickly pumped out 190 words in just over 45 seconds, a rate of 247 wpm.

* Pressed to explain his views on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, Romney, with visible frustration, ramped all the way up to 325 wpm to deliver this blitz of a line: "I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to have the right kind of cohesion and support in our troops and I listen to what they have to say."

—Kent Garber

Jesse Harris gets smacked down by Utah Taxpayers Association

UTOPIA'S FINANCIALS

Rep. Urquhart and Jesse Harris have recently been discussing questions regarding the financial position of UTOPIA on their respective blogs, www.steveu.com and www.freeutopia.org. Jesse Harris has focused on what he perceives as the dearth of public information on UTOPIA’s financial position. Fortunately, UTOPIA has published much of the data Rep. Urquhart is asking for. Given the dismal story the data tells, however, it’s not surprising UTOPIA doesn’t like to talk about it.

UTOPIA’s original feasibility study projected that they would receive an average revenue per user (ARPU) of $58 (page 16). Page 29 of the same feasibility study anticipates that a take rate of less than 20% would jeopardize the $10.1 million annual sales tax pledges from member cities. Over the 20 years of the UTOPIA bonds, that means UTOPIA pledging members would have to pay $202 million.

Full Article with comments :
http://utahtaxpayer.blogspot.com/2007/11/utopias-financials.html

An Evaluation of Utah's Tax System and a Comparison of Eight Intermountain Western States

Executive Summary
by Janis Dubno, MBA and Levi Pace, MBA, CPPA Research Associates

How well does Utah's tax system perform according to sound tax policy principles? Where does Utah rank among the Intermountain Western states? This report evaluates Utah's tax system and provides a comparison of eight Intermountain Western states according to fundamentally sound tax policy principles. Tax policy experts often state that broad tax bases and low tax rates are the pillars of sound policy. The study illustrates the wisdom of this idea and shows how a broad tax base, low uniform rates, and a few other crucial provisions, produce the top performances in tax policy in the Intermountain West.
[FULL STORY]

Grandparents as Caregivers

Executive Summary
by Tricia Jack, MPA, CPPA Research Associate

Data from the U.S. Census show that the phenomenon of grandparents raising grandchildren is increasing. This report looks at the continuum of supports that are available to families in Utah where relatives, most of whom are grandparents, are trying to care for children. By examining the complex needs of kin families and the support that exists both inside and outside the child welfare system, the report identifies strengths and gaps where policy solutions could improve the system in Utah.
[FULL STORY]

Head, Heart & Soul

by Ken Embley, CPPA

We humans are a curious sort. We see so clearly a task to perform, a process to follow, and the mechanics of the things we like to do. Yet we seem to struggle with the reasoning for the task, the product of the task, and unknowingly, with some sense of the integrity of task. Why-we humans like to do what we do, just because.
[FULL STORY]

Affordable Housing in Utah

by Sara McCormick, MPA and Tricia Jack, MPA, CPPA Research Associates

Home ownership is becoming increasingly difficult for Utah families. While the median income for Utah is almost $58,000, to purchase an average priced home (currently over $245,000 excluding Park City), a Utah family must make almost $80,000 per year. In his remarks at the Utah Intergovernmental Roundtable recently, Governor Huntsman said three years ago no one mentioned housing, but now everywhere he goes, people are sharing their concerns. The concerns even extend to areas that most would not expect.
[FULL STORY]

Letter from Jim Matheson

Dear Mark,

The lack of independent, accurate assessments about our progress in Iraq has stymied our efforts to secure the country and assist in its reconstruction. We have the world's most powerful military. If military might alone could succeed in Iraq, our mission would be complete by now.

We need more than a military strategy for Iraq--we need a plan for political, diplomatic and economic success. The President received such a strategy a year ago in the form of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group (ISG) report. Unfortunately, he did not adopt it.

Going forward, in trying to establish a new Iraq strategy, I am guided by a set of principles that 14 Democrats and 14 Republicans support, including:

• We need a clearly defined and measurable mission for military involvement
• The government of Iraq must now be responsible for Iraq's future and must make progress on political, security and economic benchmarks
• Our soldiers, including Guard and Reserves, must have adequate rest and recuperation time between deployments
• A safe and responsible redeployment of our Armed Forces is necessary to transfer the combat mission to the Iraqi forces
• Any ongoing mission must involve counterterrorism operations, force protection, equipping Iraqis, helping refugees and preventing genocide

It is immoral to play politics with the needs of the men and women who protect the ideals we hold so dear. Our troops have performed heroically. We owe them a new approach and a thoughtful approach to the situation in Iraq. We owe them a comprehensive strategy for success.

Our intelligence community tells us Al Qaeda--the number one threat to Americans--is strengthening. We must not weaken our capability to combat that threat. I will continue to look for responsible ways to change course in Iraq without engaging in political games that would compromise the safety of our soldiers.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
2nd District of Utah

Who's more like 'Hillary?' Giuliani & Romney point at each other

« GOP's turn for a CNN/YouTube debate draws near; check out some of the videos | Main | Romney focuses on immigration in latest TV ad »

The "insult" of the day for Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani seems to be to say the other guy is just like Democratic contender Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Today on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Giuliani had this to say about Romney: "He really is in a big glass house here and he's the one who more clearly had positions, at least at one time -– in fact, he's had every position Hillary has had, he's had every position that everyone has had."

Leaving no shot unanswered, the Romney campaign has again called attention to its claim that Giuliani and Clinton "share liberal values." Romney, the campaign reports, said this about Giuliani during an appearance this morning on Fox News Radio's Brian And The Judge show:

"I think he's found himself having to stand up and explain why it is that we ought to make him the nominee when he's very much like Hillary Clinton. He's pro-choice like Hillary Clinton. He's pro-gay civil union like Hillary Clinton. He's pro-sanctuary cities like she is."

As we noted earlier, after a brief respite for Thanksgiving the campaign turned decidedly testy over the weekend. Looks like that trend is continuing.

Romney Ad on Illegal Immigration

19 hours ago

TITLE: "Take Charge."

LENGTH: 30 seconds.

AIRING: Iowa and New Hampshire.

SCRIPT: Announcer: "Illegal immigration. We need smart, tough solutions, not just talk. What will it take to fix it? Technology, new ideas, guts, values, Mitt Romney. He said no to driver's licenses for illegals, no to in-state tuition, fought for English in the classroom. The only candidate with a proven record of fixing the big problems. From day one, Mitt Romney will do what he does best — take charge, demand results, no excuses."

Romney: "I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."

KEY IMAGES: Quick cuts of Romney taking an oath of office, signing legislation, speaking to the Legislature, and a shot of a hand rolling up a shirt sleeve, suggesting that work is getting done.

ANALYSIS: Immigration is a core issue with the most loyal Republican voters. Romney is seeking to distinguish himself from his top three Republican presidential rivals in Iowa and New Hampshire — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Huckabee has been criticized for supporting some benefits for children of illegal immigrants, including allowing their children to be eligible to apply for college scholarships. Romney has criticized Giuliani for reissuing an executive order from previous New York Mayor Ed Koch that gave illegal immigrants some protections against arrest. McCain supported efforts in the Senate this year to overhaul immigration laws by increasing border security and creating a path toward citizenship for many illegal immigrants.

Romney has said, as early as 2003, that he opposed driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. He vetoed bilingual education measures while he was Massachusetts governor, and he supported a voter initiative to teach public school children primarily in English. Lately, he has called for an end to in-state tuition benefits for the children of illegal immigrants.

Romney has been criticizing each of his main rivals on the immigration issue. With this ad, he attempts to boost his own credentials without directly mentioning his opponents. A recent New York Times /CBS News poll listed illegal immigration as the issue Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire said they would most like the presidential candidates to discuss. The issue, however, could backfire in a state such as Florida and in others with large Hispanic populations and could make it hard for him to attract such voters in a general election campaign, should he win the nomination.

Analysis by Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn.

Zogby: Hillary Defeatable by 5 GOP Frontrunners

All five of the leading Republican presidential candidates — including John McCain — would beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head match-up, according to a surprising new poll from Zogby International.

But Barack Obama outpolled all five GOP hopefuls — Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, and McCain.

The national poll of nearly 10,000 people — about equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, with about one-quarter independents — is more bad news for longtime front-runner Clinton. It shows that she’s slipping not only in Iowa and several other early caucus or primary states, but across the country as well.

And it appears to confirm the fears of many Democratic stalwarts that candidate Hillary does not offer the party its best chance to win the White House.

Asked whom they would choose in a race between Giuliani and Clinton, 43 percent of respondents said Giuliani and 39.4 percent chose Clinton, with 14.6 percent opting for “someone else” and 3 percent selecting “will not vote/not sure.”

Romney outpolled Clinton by a margin of 43.1 percent to 39.9 percent; Thompson beat out Hillary by a similar margin, 43.2 percent to 39.6 percent; and Mike Huckabee bested Clinton by a solid margin of 44.3 percent to 38.5 percent.

McCain, who trailed Clinton 45 percent to 43 percent in a July Zogby poll, has pulled ahead of the Democrat in the new poll, winning 42.1 of the vote compared to Clinton’s 37.6 percent.

But when the GOP hopefuls are matched up against Obama, the Illinois Democrat beats Giuliani by a margin of 46 percent to 40 percent, Romney (45.8 percent to 39.9 percent), Thompson (46.4 percent to 39.9 percent), Huckabee (45.8 percent to 39.6 percent), and McCain (44.8 percent to 38.2 percent.

Another bad sign for Hillary: John Edwards, who runs third in the polls behind Clinton and Obama, also outpolled all five leading Republicans, although by smaller margins than Obama.

A recently obtained National War College essay shows that the former POW is not as thoughtful as advertised about the lessons of Vietnam.

But on the question of whether the war should have been fought, the only hint comes in McCain's scorn for the way it was waged. "Unconditional surrender," McCain laments, "has not been our stated objective since 1945." President Johnson, he complains, did not fight "to win."
Full Story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-welch25nov25,0,3477234.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

The race is still Mitt Romney's to lose

Iowa a 'four-letter word,' Republican race still 'fluid'

by Mark Silva
Republicans: (37 pledged delegates)

The race is still Mitt Romney's to lose but has turned more competitive as voters begin to focus. Many Republicans still are undecided, and a lot of those who have picked a candidate say they are willing to switch.

Romney had held a double-digit lead in polls for months here after spending some $4 million on advertising. By far, he has the strongest organization and the most money in a state where both are essential. But Romney's advantage now is threatened by Mike Huckabee, a deft communicator with a rock-solid record opposing gun control, abortion rights and gay marriage. A Southern Baptist minister, he lacks money but his message is resonating with voters craving a true conservative. He just started running TV ads on cable.

Rudy Giuliani, a thrice-married abortion-rights and gay-rights backer, has made strides in recent months in part by a direct mail and radio advertising campaign telling voters about his conservative approach to spending and security. But Iowa clearly is not a priority state for him, and many Republicans believe his support here has reached its ceiling. Thompson recently started running a ton of TV ads billing him as the most consistent conservative in the race, but he has not caught fire. McCain is a bit player here.

Immigration is a key issue.

Romney calls for judge to resign

Tuttman released killer without bail

By Michael Levenson Globe Staff / November 24, 2007

Twenty months after he put a career prosecutor on the Massachusetts Superior Court bench, confident in her law-and-order credentials, Mitt Romney called yesterday for the judge to resign because she released without bail a convicted killer who went on to allegedly kill again.

Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney spokesman, said yesterday that Judge Kathe M. Tuttman should never have freed Daniel T. Tavares Jr. on personal recognizance in July, after he was charged with assaulting two prison guards. Tavares, 41, was near the end of a 16-year sentence for stabbing his mother to death in 1991 and had threatened in a letter - intercepted by prison officials in February 2006 - to kill Romney and other state officials, Fehrnstrom said.

On Monday, after five months in hiding, Tavares was arrested for allegedly shooting to death Brian Mauck, 30, and Beverly Mauck, 28, newlyweds who lived near him in a rural area south of Tacoma, police said.

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/24/romney_calls_for_judge_to_resign/

Returning From Iraq, McCain Focuses on New Hampshire

By RON CLAIBORNE
Nov. 23, 2007

When he talks about his national security credentials, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., likes to point out that he already knows foreign leaders like Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and that he has traveled the world extensively.

Almost as an aside, he says former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has never been to Iraq and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has gone only once. This week marked McCain's seventh visit to Iraq.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=3905857&page=1

Quotes for the Week

Quote of the Week #1. "The fact that you can do something awesome with $15 million does not mean that you could do something super-awesome with $150 million." – Megan McArdle, discussing the problem of scaling, particularly in public education. Read it, now. (November 14 The Atlantic.com)

Quote of the Week #2. "There's an awful lot to be said about not being in the bubble. In the bubble, your world is aides and speeches, and you're not living a real life, and it's very hard to understand how real people feel about things. I've yet to find a single person, from a busboy to a janitor to a middle manager to a partner in a law firm to a CEO, who wants to give Sacramento disposable income. Not one human being." – former California Gov. Gray Davis, the latest in a series of retired career politicians who finally learn about life on the other side of government. November 15 Sacramento Bee)

Three Headlines, One Newspaper, Same Day

"Audit of Albuquerque Public Schools shows errors plague district" – Albuquerque Tribune, November 13.

"New Albuquerque Public Schools superintendent to be paid $260,000 annually" – Albuquerque Tribune, November 13.

"New Mexico task force proposes school funding boost" – Albuquerque Tribune, November 13.

It was a busy week in court for NEA affiliates:

* Claraliene Gordon, the former president of the Camden Education Association in New Jersey was indicted for using her union credit card to pay for $15,000 in personal expenses. She faces up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine for each offense.

* Ohio Education Association UniServ director John Avouris was charged with lying to police about a picket line altercation. He faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

* Maine Education Association staffer Joan Morin is suing the union for gender discrimination, imposition of a hostile work environment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent supervision. Morin claims MEA communications director Keith Harvie repeatedly "cast derogatory statements as to her work and her gender" and that MEA executives did nothing about it. The union claims Morin's charges were internally investigated and "found to be without merit."

Share It Fairly But Don't Take a Slice of My Pie.

Proposition 92, which will be on the California ballot in February 2008, would guarantee state funding for community colleges. On one side is the California Federation of Teachers, a large part of whose membership includes community college faculty. On the other is the California Teachers Association, the K-12 juggernaut, who worry that elementary and secondary school funding could be adversely affected by the initiative.

According to the Sacramento Bee, CTA has already contributed $290,000 to defeat the initiative. Additionally, the California Faculty Association, which represents employees of the state university system, opposes Prop 92. But CTA is far from united on the issue.

The CTA-affiliated Community College Association broke ranks to support the measure, as did the independent California School Employees Association. But the biggest blow to CTA came when its largest local affiliate – United Teachers Los Angeles – voted "overwhelmingly" to endorse Prop 92.

There's no one to root for here, but I am very curious to see what campaign tactics will be unleashed with teachers' unions on both sides. Will they pull punches? Or will they be especially brutal, knowing so well the capabilities of the other side? Get your popcorn ready.