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By Julie Pace
A year from Election Day, Democrats are crafting a campaign strategy for Vice President Joe Biden that targets the big three political battlegrounds: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, states where Biden might be more of an asset to President Barack Obama's re-election campaign than the president himself.
The Biden plan underscores an uncomfortable reality for the Obama team. A shaky economy and sagging enthusiasm among Democrats could shrink the electoral map for Obama in 2012, forcing his campaign to depend on carrying the 67 electoral votes up for grabs in the three swing states.
Obama won all three states in 2008. But this time he faces challenges in each, particularly in Ohio and Florida, where voters elected Republican governors in the 2010 midterm elections.
The president sometimes struggles to connect with Ohio and Pennsylvania's white working-class voters, and with Jewish voters who make up a core constituency for Florida Democrats and view him with skepticism.
Biden has built deep ties to both groups during his four decades in national politics, connections that could make a difference.
As a long-serving member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden cemented his reputation as an unyielding supporter of Israel, winning the respect of many in the Jewish community. And Biden's upbringing in a working class, Catholic family from Scranton, Pa., gives him a valuable political intangible: He empathizes with the struggles of blue-collar Americans because his family lived those struggles.
"Talking to blue-collar voters is perhaps his greatest attribute," said Dan Schnur, a Republican political analyst. "Obama provides the speeches, and Biden provides the blue-collar subtitles."
While Biden's campaign travel won't kick into high gear until next year, he's already been making stops in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida this fall, speaking at events focused on education, public safety and small businesses and raising campaign cash. Behind the scenes, he's working the phones with prominent Jewish groups and Catholic organizations in those states, a Democratic official said.
Biden is also targeting organized labor, speaking frequently with union leaders in Ohio ahead of a vote earlier this month on a state law that would have curbed collective bargaining rights for public workers. After voters struck down the measure, Biden traveled to Cleveland to celebrate the victory with union members.
The Democratic official said the vice president will also be a frequent visitor to Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming weeks, seeking to steal some of the spotlight from the Republican presidential candidates blanketing those states ahead of the January caucus and primary.
And while Obama may have declared that he won't be commenting on the Republican presidential field until there's a nominee, Biden is following no such rules. He's calling out GOP candidates by name, and in true Biden style, he appears to be relishing in doing so.
During a speech last month to the Florida Democratic Convention, Biden singled out "Romney and Rick", criticizing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for saying the government should let the foreclosure crisis hit rock bottom, and hammering Texas Gov. Rick Perry's assertion that he would send U.S. troops into Mexico.
And he took on the full GOP field during an October fundraiser in New Hampshire, saying "There is no fundamental difference among all the Republican candidates."
Democratic officials said Biden will follow in the long-standing tradition of vice presidents playing the role of attack dog, allowing Obama to stay out of the fray and appear more focused on governing than campaigning.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal strategy. The Obama campaign has been reluctant to publically define Biden's role in the re-election bid this early in the run, though campaign manager Jim Messina did say the vice president would deliver an economic message to appeal for support.
"You'll see him in communities across the country next year laying out the choice we face: restoring economic security for the middle class or returning to the same policies that led to our economic challenges," Messina said.
Democrats say Biden will campaign for House candidates in swing states as the party tries to recapture some of the seats in Congress lost during the 2010 midterms.
And here again, the vice president's efforts in politically crucial Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida could be most important. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting 12 districts in those states that Obama and Biden carried in the 2008 presidential race but are represented by Republican representatives.
New York Rep. Steve Israel, who chairs the committee, said he believes Biden could be a "game-changer" in those districts.
"All he has to do is ask voters, has the Republican strategy of no worked for you?" Israel said.
Israel met with Obama and Biden at the White House earlier this month to discuss, among other things, their role in congressional campaigns. While Israel said he hopes Obama will actively campaign for Democratic House candidates, he said "the vice president has already volunteered."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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By all means ask yourself: am I better off today than 3 - 4 years ago? IF not, then you'd best vote to change the whole "lip service" - "special interest" bunch, ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS!
Bush was president 3-4 years ago and yes, we're all better off than when he left office in disgrace.
By all means sdpaulson - lets get in a whole new "lip-service/special interest bunch "....seems like those 82 tea bagging repubs have really taken us to that "next level"....no jobs, no balanced budget - same old "lip service" as those who preceded them!
We are better off ---1 ) higher credit rating, (oops that was downgraded) under Obama,2) lower unemployment (oops even with stimulus it is still above 9%), 3) Gitmo is closed (oops, no it isn't, a broken Obama campaign promise), 4) we no longer attack foreign countries without the approval of Congress (oops, almost forgot Libya), the adminsitration is completely transparent (ok, now that is a big joke) ..Yea I find that this administration and congress make the keystone cops look competent...
BILL: Oh yea of short term memory loss.
Let's see, massive bank failures, stock market imploding, entire housing market collapsing, our domestic auto industry on the very brink of extinction, major investment houses failing, many experts talking of the very real possibility of our sliding into a full blown depression, two endless wars, both UNFUNDED, many of our allies distancing themselves from us, Bin Laden, unresolved after 8 years of tough talk, boy were those ever the good old days with Dubya and his boss, Cheney spending us into ruin.
Bush enters office with a budget surplus and in short order manages to run up massive deficits with his unfunded wars and drug programs not to mention huge tax cuts for the wealthy.
Your god damn right we're better off now then we were back then. This is precisely what the Republican Party did to FDR, they had everything their way for years, White House, Senate and the House and succeeded in trashing our entire economy and then bitching that FDR wasn't fixing their foul ups fast enough.
So you tell me, were we better off the day Dubya entered office or the day he left??? When Obama's 8 years are up, then you can compare apples to apples and if I'm wrong then, you can have the satisfaction of telling me "I told you so", but not before then.
Yep, I can hear Mr. Biden now:
"This is one big F*****g deal" as he gets off the Presidential "cloaked" Canadian built black bus.
I am so sure Mr. Biden will NOT TALK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING Obama FAILURES:
Geothermal Plant in Nevada - $ 145,000,000: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/business/a-us-backed-geothermal-plant-in-nevada-struggles.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Mr. Obama's release of Strategic Oil Reserves to cut gasoline costs: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/06/24/obamas-release-oil-reserves-just-makes-our-energy-problems-worse-not-better/
Solyndra Solar Panel Company - $ 535,000,000: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/14/7759207-white-house-ignored-red-flags-in-loan-to-failed-solar-company
Sun Power Solar Panel Company - $ 1,200,000,000: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=46761
Wait a minute....Mr. Obama made a campaign promise to do a top-down review of ALL government agencies for Fraud, Waste, and Abuse and even consolidate or terminate duplicate Federal Agencies. STILL WAITING.
Bdune---funny you should mention budgets....the Dems haven't passed one in over 2 years....but nice try
Im doing better, My retirement annuity (In Canada) is growing and I own both my homes. Im 3 years from Retirement and looking forward to a job instead of a career. Mowing lawns home depot volunteering ......anything that I can do to help people. Of course no credit due to me....I did it all the wrong way, but for some reason hard work and grind made my mistakes not critical ones. I would suggest it to anyone.
If all politicians would actually spend their time just doing their jobs, rather than spending the majority of their time raising money, they might actually get something done.
No wonder Congress has a 9% approval rating (and that is being generous).
@Buddd, if by better off you mean an economy that is worse than any in history, credit rating lower than anytime in history, the U.S being a laughing stock world wide, more frequent flyer on AF1 in history than yes we are better off...............better off if you are in illegal or on welfare
Ozzie Boy-2719086......
You can bet your next Welfare check on it......we are WORSE off now than ever before. Best to get your head out of the sand.
Mr. Obama's has NOT stimulated the economy nor reduced unemployment (See post # 1.5 above). The only thing he has done is INCREASE our National Defict/Debt and spent taxpayer money on his UNION buddies and special interest friends.
Again, you are WRONG. Mr. Obama is a ONE TERMER, period.....that is unless he is impeached soon. The United States will not survive on Mr. Obama's continued SOCIALIST programs.
You have it with this post.......I TOLD YOU SO !!!
Ozzie Boy-2719086
Why did our economy go down the tubes? Look at what Brooksley Born had to say about the dervivatives market that affected the world economy. Check out who gave Sandy Well and City Corp a shot at an illegal merger bypassing Glass-Steagall. And yes Clinton had a budget surplus but the National debt was close to 5.275 trillion on January 19, 2001 the day before Bush took office. I could add some more information if you would like. There is plenty of blame to go around but all I want when you liberals post your liberal spin how about telling the entire story?
Something I found online:
Gridlock is a Blessing: To Hell With Obama and His Van Joneses
Wed, 11/23/2011 - 13:42 — Glen Ford
...The “problem” menacing all humankind is the rule of finance capital, backed by the imperial armament of the United States and its allies, who together account for 70 percent of all the military spending on Earth. The Sword of Damocles that hovers over the planet, is Wall Street’s $600 trillion-plus derivatives, financial nuclear bombs invented to satisfy the capitalist system’s demand for ever-increasing rates of return on investment.
In May of 2008 – far too late to avert the impending catastrophe – a virtual Who’s Who of European social democratic leaders, including former heads of state and ministers of treasury, posted an Open Letter in the French newspaper Le Monde, proclaiming that “Mad Finance Must Not Rule Us.” They were speaking of the $750 trillion in derivatives at large at the time:
“Financial capital currently represents 15 times the gross domestic product (GDP) of all countries… The world of finance has accumulated a gigantic mass of fictitious capital that does very little to improve the human condition and the preservation of the environment.”...
http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/gridlock-blessing-hell-obama-and-his-van-joneses
Sending Biden to shore up your support is like sending the KKK to a Rainbow Coalition rally. The man is a total bimbo, dumber than a bag of hammers.
BILL: Oh yea of short term memory loss.
Rick: Oh yea of short term memory loss. Already forgot about 9/11/2001?
Obama's empty promise of "hope and change" has become the harsh and bitter reality of economic despair and broken dreams. This administration's single term in office will leave an ignominious legacy of arrogant self-righteousness and incompetence that we have never seen before, and we should hope to never see again.
LOL.....Now that is F...cking desperate! Byte Me Joe. I'm sure the voters including the Jewish community will jump all over a chance to vote for Obamee because he doesn't have the Cajones to face them and sends the VP in his place. After all doesn't everybody vote for the President on the basis of who their VP is? The POTUS isn't just going down. He will be slammed worse than Carter was.
I didn't see Porkband (rural broadband) or the 2.4 Billion to predominately black colleges on your list IDO but here is a new one. It's getting so bad the Media has just quit reporting it. You still won't find this one on the Newswires, BSDNC or the NYT. Disgusting and just plain sad that they will go so far as to just hide the truth from American voters. Frankly I don't see how they are acting any different than the state owned media in Russia or China. Anyway...here it is...Half a Billion for a National Supply of Smallpox Cure (which might work) in case we get a bio-terrorism attack even though the virus only exists in two places in the World. A freezer in Russia and one in the US:
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/13/nation/la-na-smallpox-20111113
We went to the polls and cut up this jokers credit card last November but he is still finding ways to waste Billions of our tax dollars on his cronies.
sdpaulson
"By all means ask yourself: am I better off today than 3 - 4 years ago? IF not, then you'd best vote to change the whole "lip service" - "special interest" bunch, ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS!"
Buddd
"Bush was president 3-4 years ago and yes, we're all better off than when he left office in disgrace."
Bush hasn't been president for about 3 years. His last 2 were dominated by an out of control spend and borrow dem congress that lasted thru the first 2 years of Obama, which spent more in 3 years than the entire Bush administration.
And how does someone leave in disgrace when they have served the maximum time as president allowed by law? Tell me how your life has improved under Obama? More welfare that you didn't earn?
4 months after Obama became president, I lost my job. Thanks for totally destabilizing the economy Obama. My life is so much improved since I haven't worked in 31 months. Fortunately, unlike most Obama supporters, I saved money for hard times. Not once have I ever asked for a government handout. The bulk of Obama's supporters depend on handouts paid for by others who have done the work.
Bottom line is that Obama's plan is to increase welfare for the lazy while blocking the private sector from producing jobs, all while only wanting them to vote for more government making the lazy even more dependent on government.
Get a clue, big government is and always will not be your friend, unless you are lazy. And if enough lazy vote, they will cause the government to collapse when it runs out of other peoples money. History keeps repeating itself because of the lazy.
Ozzie seems to be another typical Obama leg-humper.
Blinded by ideology and can't face reality. What was Ozzie's reaction of November 2010?? How will Ozzie explain away the GOP landslide coming in 2012?? Why are top Democrats pleading Hillary to run in Obama's place?? Rats seeing their cheese being taken away??
"Obama turning to Biden for help in 3 key states"
This is a two edged sword. How do you use him effectively, while keeping him from making his persistent "Gaffes".
Perhaps they should send him to those other 7 of the fifty seven states that Obama visited during his campaign in 2008.
The Debt Ceiling Explained
A common sense explanation made simple with this analogy.
Let's say you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood.
Your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings. ...
Which do you think you should do – raise the ceilings, or pump out the s h i t
Your choice is coming Nov. 2012
Go figure since Obama doesn't like Israel nor does he wish to support them.
The operative word here is "could" which I disagree with. Biden isn't President and certainly hasn't the ability to "change" Obama's hate for Israel.
MR PLAGIARISM himself aka Mr. Potty mouth? Wow?
This article must be a Big FN Deal? I mean for the FN Vice President, Joe FN Biden to get FN involved... wow?
Hopefully, Biden won't ask any "paralyzed veterans in wheel chairs" to STAND UP?
Fact is, Obama "needs a whole lot more than Joe Biden" to get him going.
Obama can easily be referred to as HUMPTY OBAMA.
Because
HUMPTY Obama sat on the wall and HUMPTY Obama had a great fall;
All the Obama horses and the the Obama's men can NEVER put HUMPTY Obama together again!
The guy is complete toast on November 6th, 2012.
Almost no one will miss this Marxist stooge either.
While I agree with you, I want you to know I will never look at my eggs & toast with relish again. So now what do I eat for breakfast huh? :-)
OK Thanks.
I cant't believe that a sitting president needs to spent this much time and money for a reelection. I wonder how he feels about the fact that he is incompetent and the people don't want him anymore? He will not get my support this time around.
he don't want your vote either. He has my vote and plenty others too, so who cares. He will win without it.
Since losing control of Congress, Obama has been the part-time, do nothing President that turned over the treasury to his wife to use at her whim
Biden is the laughing stock of Washington!
Obama turning to bumbling Joe Biden for help is too funny. It’s like handing a drowning man an anvil. But I suppose when you’re desperate, you will grasp at anything.
Chicago K
"Biden is the lauging stock"......
Guess you havn't been watching the debates with that clown car of candidates the GOP has put forth!
right on b dune, those are the clowns of Washington, ha ha
He should pair Biden with Tony Villar, the Mayor of Los Angeles. Two bumblers are far better than one.
Follow the light Ricky, move towards the light!
leroy boy, is that you? I'm standing in the middle of the light and enlightenment, leroy. How 'bout you? When are you going to wise up and drop Mr. Obama like a hot rock?
Dope and Strange 2012
that should cover whoever the GOP puts forth
Obama/Biden 2012 ? That sounds more like a replay of "DUMB AND DUMBER" !!
When Obama was on stage with Benjamin Netanyahu some months back, you could see the hatefulness toward Netanyahu in Obama's eyes. It was like he was giving Netanyahu the "evil eye".
So now, the Democrats think bumbling Biden is going to win over Jewish voters in Florida for Obama ??? They are smarter than that and Obama's disregard for Israel has been evident.
We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.
Benjamin Franklin
Based on that quote, Biden may just be one of the two hardest working people in America.
By all means send Joe "Bide Your Time Until His Brain Starts Working" Biden to campaign for O-BUNGLE. A Plaigerist telling us to vote for an Incompetent FAILURE. That's a "winning" strategy. If that doesn't work, maybe you can send Charlie Sheen next.
Yes Alan, too bad they aren't more honest and successful...like the GOP candidates!
The GOP candidates are praying they can work themselves "up to incompetent"....the first one their will be the nominee...
But don't get your hopes up Alan - it will still be a challenge for this group!
Name calling? really? Is that all the dems have left? I know you are, but what am I? I don't blame you, though. If I was campaigning for Obama/Biden, the only tactic available is to go negative early. Obama certainly can't run on his "record."
Joe Biden is smarter than you jokers. So come down off your clouds, stop dreaming.
Let's face it, in each demographic mentioned the underlying reason their enthusiasm is restrained is because Mr. Obama is BLACK. People, get past that.
Has he been a perfect president? Of course not, but he has protected us from the TeaPublican insanity that finally seems to have crested. Just imagine the police state that Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, and their ilk would have imposed on this country. Believe in science, evolution, or climate change? You're a subversive! Don't believe that the bible should be the basis for law? You're anti - American! Don't beieve that the rich should be able to exploit those less well off? You're a Socialist! That's NOT the America that Thomas Jefferson envisioned and THAT'S what this president has protected us from.
I am amazed that anyone concerned about the financial, educational, and constitutional future of this country would EVER consider voting for a TeaPublican. If you TRULY care about yourself, your family, Your access to affordable health care, and keeping what you have worked so hard to earn then deciding whom to vote for should be a no-brainer.
Oh we were never hung up on the "black" thing that seems to fascinate the progressive/liberal crowd. We're just annoyed that Obama and Biden are both so damned inept. His incompetence and lack of understanding about Americans and America are the things we find troubling, Reality Check.
Just so I understand correctly...you are saying that white, Jewish blue collar workers are racists?
As much as all of the other groups.
If nothing else having a black president has forced people to deal with their issues of color and the results haven't been pretty. I can't think of one derogatory name or slur that this man has not been called. And why? Is it because he's not very bright? Absolutely not. Obama is normally the smartest guy in the room and LIGHT YEARS ahead of the last guy.
Is it because he's incompetent? Hardly. He was stuck with a financial disaster left by a "conservative" president that spent like a drunken sailor with six months pay in his pocket. He was stuck with a war in Afghanistan that would have been over in 2002 if the last president wouldn't have held back the necessary military resources to start a completely unnecessary war in Iraq, which was also left for Mr. Obama.
Has he been partisan? No. If anything he's tried TOO hard to reach across the aisle and this country has been saddled by a weak health reform bill and an insufficient revenue flow as a result.
Mr. Obama has had to deal with a TeaPublican opposition that has been a hair's breath away from treasonous in its behavior. To INTENTIONALLY harm the country in order to undermine a president's political accomplishments is UNCONSCIONABLE and should cause anyone that cares about the long term interests of this country to vote against anyone that would commit such an un American act.
And YES, you WERE hung up on the "black" thing. To thine own self be true - William Shakespeare.
The only people hung up on Obama's color is people like you, who want to claim racism if anyone disagrees with him or you. Yes, Bush spent like a drunken sailor with the help of a GOP Congress. That spending ratcheted up under Bush and a Democratic Congress, then went out of sight under Obama and the Dems.
Do you realize how many Republicans that the Tea Party targeted because of their non-conservative spending ways? How and why were the Tea Party able to elect so many of their candidates, if not to put the brakes on the spending in Washington?
@Reality Check - Because he's black? So why was he voted in to begin with? If he loses next Nov. it will be because he's black as well. Obama is grasping at straws and so are you.
We are in deep poop and nobody needs this sand-box Kindergarten BS anymore. From the President down to the individual.
Because the alternative was even scarier.
Obama IS NOT BLACK ! He is according to him to have had a 'white mom' and a 'black dad'.
That makes him a MULATTO. Look it up.
Rick - if you don't like Obama and Biden because they are so "inept", why would you want to put some Republican who is even more inept in their place? Can you tell me anything that Bush and Cheney did during their administration that actually helped the people of this country?
Heartlight> I may be wrong but Bush and Cheney won't be on the ballot in any state or in the general election. I could find a box of hot rocks that is more competent than Obama and Biden. In fact, I could point randomly to a name in any decent sized phone book and likely do far better than those two. At the very least I'd be likely to get honesty.
Tell you what, if you wanted to prove you weren't a racist and voted for Obama, why not prove your not racist or stupid and vote for Cain.......simple huh?
Race Card Alert!!
Obama actually got a higher % of white votes than Kerry.
LoL, And by "Pennsylvania", what they really mean is Filthadelphia. Joe (Stick my foot in my mouth) Biden won't even bother with the rest of the state. He knows better.
since "stick my foot in my mouth" seems to be your criteria - I'm assuming Cain/Perry/Gingrich will never bother stepping in any part of Pennsylvania.....they make Biden look like an amatuer...
bdune -
Typical. When you can't actually defend your views, you attack, cry racism, or whatever else you think you can get away with.
Tell me, what have they actually done that would help them to be re-elected? Obamacare is a big detractor and is part of the reason that Obama's polling is still falling. Add to that Solyndra and the unions and perhaps you will begin to understand why Obama will probably not be re-elected.
But then, maybe not. You've swallowed too much of the liberal propaganda to be able to see the failure that the liberal policies have become.
Tammy - can you tell me what Bush and Cheney actually did that would cause us to want to elect another Republican? What have the Republican candidates suggested that would warrant putting one of them in charge? I haven't really heard them suggest anything other than lowering taxes on the wealthy. How is that going to help? Don't tell me they create jobs because if that is true, where are all the jobs they created with all the tax cuts we already gave them?
Tammy
thanks for the shout out - guess you will show one of my past posts where I mentioned "racism"....
as for "foot in the mouth" - one only needs to look at the track record of the three candidates I mentioned over the past month...that should speak for itself - don't believe it is attacking" when in fact it is the truth!
as for Obama being reelected - guess you don't understand how the process there Tammy - you on the right actually have to put up a "viable candidate" to run against him.....you on the right stated after Obamacare was passed you could run "Mickey Mouse" and he would beat Obama....here's my thought - you better get "Mickey" on the ballot stat because the candidates you have to chose from aren't going to cut it!,
as for the failure of the "liberal policies" - I think you tea bagging repubs promised in Nov 2010 that if elected you would turn all of those policies around - you promised to provide jobs, repeal Obamacare, provide jobs, balance the budget, provide jobs and oh by the way "you promised to provide jobs" - hows that working out?
btw - I like how you stated Obama will "probably" not be reelected.....good grief girl - if you can't convince yourself he 's going to lose - save your lectures for someone who actually gives a rats azz...and try to find a candidate!
b dune
Can you tell me which House bills the senate has brought to the floor for consideration?
Here's another quote from Jefferson (and yes, I am paraphrasing):
The downfall of a democracy begins when the have-nots and will-nots realize that they can vote themselves a share of the treasury from the haves and willing-tos.
You may play the race card all you want, but the simple fact is that many people do not like this President's policies. How do you explain the big drop in independants' support for Obama? Were they all "racists" when they voted for him in droves in 2008? Are blacks racists because they voted overwhelmingly for a black President?
Is the expiration of the "Bush" tax cuts going to put more or less money in the pockets of the poor and middle class?
Naw, Reality Check, their enthiusiasm is restrained because Mr Obama is totally inept.
In your world, perhaps. What a sad world that must be.
No, actually it's quite a happy world, Check, thanks to my years of carefully building a secure retirement, and knowing how to protect my asssets when a totally inept neophyte "leader" daily attacks free enterprise and free markets.
spider, destruction of our economy just has to be Obama's goal, considering what he has done. No man white/black/mixed, could ever be stupid enough to believe he is for the free enterprise system. He is a marxist, first, last, and always.
So Mr telepromter has to send joe bit me to do his campaigning in bible and gun in hand states. Is he beganning to lose his mojo?
since you are still using that worn out "teleprompter line" - I'm assuming you never had any mojo to lose!
Biden won't be able to overcome the bad news of Obama's administration. Now there's even Senator Claire McCaskill, D-MO calling for an investigation on the "$433 million government contract for a smallpox drug amid questions over the necessity of the drug and the way the contract was approved". The contract, similar to Solyndra went to a prominant Democrat donor's company after they complained that they didn't like the lead negotiator. Obama's administration replaced the negotiator with one more favorable to Siga and refused to allow more companies to bid on the contract.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/26/sen-mccaskill-requests-probe-into-433m-smallpox-drug-contract/#ixzz1eppmbXO8
I watched Fox News once but I laughed so hard I almost ruptured myself. I find the National Enquirer to be a bit more accurate in their reporting.
Oh, now I know why Reality Check is so off the Range. He fact checks using the National Enquirer.
The National Inquirer was stone cold correct on John Edwards, weren't they? :)
The words "Fox News" is all I need to see to know that 3/4 of this story is probably missing and presumed dead.
Failed - FYI Claire McCaskill is only trying to preserve her rear end here in Missouri, her ties to Obama are too strong and the voters know it. That whole thing smells of a game to me and others here, I wouldn't be surprised if the info was handed to her to shield her. Nothing will ever come of it in any investigation, it will simply look like she is smiting him.
Don't believe we should cuddle to the muslims you are not only politically incorrect your a TeaPublican . Don't believe in morals that come with the teachings in the bible( no i am not a bible thumper) your not one of the newsvine cool kids.
Personally what worked for my parents works for me . The hypocrisy of it all is these electric cars that obama obviously has his money tied into are not even selling well with the libs that are still driving those gas vehicles like the rest of us.
I also like the ideal of investing my money my way not the Democrat way . I do not need more government i need less . I do not need the politicians to hold and invest and secure my retirement with social security that seems to have a longer and longer shelf life that soon we will all need to be 90 to collect so stop wasting my hard EARNED dollars and give me my OWN money now.
Dumb is sending dumber to do his campaigning priceless.
Given the GoP field and Party of No, Obama could stay home and still win...
Anything is possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOZ-Etb0k0Q or my favorite liberals the poor and needy ones like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3e41prVDv4&feature=related
Sacred---many will vote for ABO, just hope that GOP picks up enough seats to win the Senate, then it won't matter who really wins the WH.
I predict the GoP will lose both the House and the Senate, not to mention the WH. It's time to end this gridlock in DC and get people back to work...
Well, Obama and the Dems HAD the majority control and STILL do. What have they done with it?
Actually, Fire, I predict that the republicans will end up with their first ever supermajority in Congress.
I actually think this is much more likely considering that Reid is merely Obama's yes-man and refuses to allow republican-sponsored legislation even come to the floor of the Senate for debate. This does tend to tell thinking individuals where the gridlock is occurring and who is responsible.
Mikehat... it wasn't filibuster-proof. The repubs broke the record for filibusters. The dems did not have control.
Moderate, the first year of Obama's administration, the Dems did, indeed, have a filibuster-proof Senate and House...it wasn't until Scott Brown won Kennedy's seat in Nov 2009 that the Repubs were able to filibuster.
With respect to many of the other comments...spending during the Bush admin was excessive...Dems controlled the Senate for 4 of those 8 yrs...they controlled the House for the last 2 yrs. During the first 6 yrs (w/Repubs in control of the House), unemployment was under 6%, spending was too much. During the last 2 yrs (w/Dems in control of both houses of Congress), we had the financial meltdown and spending blew up. The first 2 yrs of the Obama admin, Dems had complete control of the govt - the House, the Senate, the WH...and they couldn't even pass a frickin' budget!!!! The only way Obamacare passed (which 70% of the population were against) was to bribe members of his own party, ie. Louisiana, Nebraska, Michigan...and then immediately after passing it, the Dems started granting waivers to their special interest groups, mostly unions and Dem contributors...
Aside from your disagreeing with the current Repub candidates proposals, why do you call them inept or a joke? Are they perfect? No...but neither is Obama (never managed a business or an organization), hung out with domestic terrorists and hate-teaching "reverends." Many of the Repub candidates, though flawed - like everyone else, have track records of success. Romney and Cain, successful businessmen. Gingrich - literally the smartest man in any room...this guy is a history professor and probably knows the Constitution better than the current "law professor" in the WH...Gingrich is the only politician running for Pres (incl the current Pres) to actually have balanced a budget (remember, those Clinton surpluses you keep harping about? The only way Clinton got those surpluses is because Newt forced him to balance the budget...don't repeat the talking points, go back and do your homework and you'll see that I'm correct)...Gingrich, with all of his flaws, would clean Obama's clock in a debate!
I'm not saying Obama won't win but I am saying that the best thing for this country's survival would be for him to lose...and to lose BIG so that there is no question about Americans rejecting Obama's flawed and failed policies.......
Repubs only know how to create huge, free falling great recession economic messes, that is all they know.
1012 "Are you IN"-SANE?
The GoP field is indistinguishable. They're peddling the same policies that created the current financial mess and rewarding Wall Street with more tax breaks. The rising gap in inequality has resulted in more people on welfare and food stamps and general poverty. Meanwhile the 1% continue to be catered to as if there were actually creating jobs. It's been 10 years since the Bush era tax cuts. Where is the trickle down? We cannot afford to go back to those days...
And please tell us what exactly has changed under the leadership of President Obama?
I guess from your comments you are ready to let the "Bush" tax cuts expire?
Financial reform, health care reform, pulling out of Iraq, doing the same in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, Libya and Khaddafy, tax cuts for all... Do you want me to stop there?
Certainly haven't seen much change (for the better) on financial reform or health care reform. Actually I would even say things have gotten worse. Regarding the pulling out of Iraq and/or Osama, those were both plans that the Bush administration had implemented before Obama was in office. So, yes, you can stop with the smoke and mirrows bs.
Mike, you are right, there hasn't been enough change. The GOP blocked progress toward something better, any way they could.
So now tax cuts are good? How are you better off now than when Obama took office?
Iraq had already been scheduled for withdrawal BEFORE Obama took office.
9% Unemployment.
More Americans than ever before on food stamps.
More long-term unemployed than ever since the Great Depression.
The highest spending per year for any President.
The highest deficits in our history.
The fastest acceleration of our national debt in history.
The only downgrade in our nation's debt rating in our history.
The financial mess did not start with Bush. The Clinton policies helped start the ball rolling to disaster. Under Clinton, Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 formally repealed the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933; Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement 140 (September 2000) allowed a lender to sell blocks of its mortgages to separate trusts or companies known as Qualified Special Purpose Entities (QSPEs); Treasury Secretary under Clinton Robert Rubin quashed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) attempt to exert regulatory control over financial derivatives; and Congress and President Clinton passed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act (CFMA) which prohibited regulation of energy futures contracts (later to be called the Enron loophole).
Let's face it folks, under a GoP President, we would have never had financial reform or health care reform. Yes, they are both flawed and have been watered down due to GoP opposition but it's a start. And under the GoP, we would be in the Middle East indefinitely and probably in Iran by now. So, yes there has been progress. I don't want to consider the alternatives.
Fire -
We haven't gotten it under Obama either!
Mandating insurance is not health care reform (or can't you tell the difference?)
The 'new' financial regulation changes have done nothing but hurt main street, making it harder than ever for qualified people to get mortgages, tightening up credit for credit-worthy consumers, raising rates and fees on credit cards, and penalizing small financial institutions like credit unions while virtually guaranteeing that the 'too big to fail' banks will get bailed out whenever needed.
Evidently, you have no concept of what is good for this country.
Sacredfire....you can't give Obama credit for the Iraq withdrawal...the timeline for withdrawing from Iraq was negotiated and signed in Nov 2008 by Bush...all Obama is doing is following a previously agreed to timeline....
There have been a lot of strident, loud mouth, war mongering republicans out there recently criticizing President Obama for withdrawing from Iraq.
President Obama won the Nobel peace prize, he has all the credibility that all the republican war mongers will never have.
Yep.. that health care thing might, just come back to haunt you SF . Now you will be required to buy it or be fined not sure how many libs realise that.
Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured but not everyone
must prove they are a citizen.
If he has to go to Joe he's in trouble. Really that's all there is to it. Jump up and down, post all kinds of trash about Bush or whomever. Obama is sinking and that's a fact. The worst part is that he's sinking because our Country is sinking and he has zero leadership skills.
No, sorry the worst part is who is out there that is electable and will run and will turn the Country around?
SacredFire: You certainly are correct about finacial reform. I've almost made it into bankruptsy under Obama. 4 more years and I'm sure he can totally wipeout my retirement and any chance what-so-ever of any recovery.
Leroy...let's see if I understand all this....the GOP is blocking everything good that the Dems want to do.....and when the GOP was in power, the Dems couldn't stop anything......and when in power, the Dems couldn't pass anything.....sounds like you keep wanting to give power to a party who can not govern while in the minority OR the majority!
Agree. Even when the Dems were in control of both Houses of the Congress and the White House, they still needed help from the Independent Lieberman and the liberal GOP Senators Snowe and Collins to get anything done.
That's pretty close Mike, you see the democratic party has something that is completely foreign to you knuckle dragging righties. That thing is integrity. They aren't the lockstepped political thugs that the republican party is and as a result republicans are able to pass their reasonable bills but the democrats aren't. They are so dishonest and underhanded that they are currently blocking things that they KNOW will help the country, things that THEY THEMSELVES have done before. They are a traitorous gang of scumbags who are intentionally hurting the country in hopes that they can pin that hurt on Obama. ALL they care about is power.
integrity like the Louisiana Purchase and the Cornhusker Deal during the healthcare debacle?
Integrity like Fast and Furious?
Integrity like Solyndra?
Integrity like Light Squared?
Integrity like pay-go?
integrity like pass it so we can find out what's in it?
Integrity like that?
The dems were never in total control. They did not have a filibuster-proof majority so the repubs were able to stop all progress.
@ModerateIndy:
Check your facts. The Democrats had a filibuster-proof 60-member majority in the Senate from 2008 until the death of Sen. Kennedy (D) when he was replaced by Scott Brown (R) in a special election in 2010.
That's why the Health Care bill had to finally be passed through "Reconciliation". The first cuts passed the House and Senate but there was no other way for it to get passed once Scott Brown got elected.
The democrats accomplished more than enough on 2009 and 2010, that is one of the reasons why they lost the election in 2010.
Going to Binden to save the day???? Hahahahaha, we're in big trouble now.
THINKER: No, what we need is a real dream team like say, Bachmann/Cain 2012. Now these are what I call competent folks. LMFAO you turkey.
Since or Government does everything behind closed doors how can ANYONE really say "Because X is blocking Y jobs are being lost." I mean really? How can any of us say with any degree of certainty that we KNOW what is going on? We think we know the causes, we see the effects and the rest are talking points and conjecture.
True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.
Socrates
retiredcoastguard: Semper paratus...I wish there were more of you out there. Love your comments.
SEND IN THE CLOWNS!
Your wish came true proamerica - they call themselves the "GOP Candidates"!
They're here Pro! They hold regular televised events. You gotta check it out sometime, they don't even wear clown suits or fake noses and they're still funny as hell!
America did in 2008!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp
Did someone say hypocrisy? It just is not easy being green for obama or al.
No, Leroy Brown - they are scary as hell. Nothing about the GoP is funny.