Mitt on bin Laden - “I think other presidents would do exactly the same thing.”

'In 2007, then Seantor Obama on the campagin trail - '“There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans,” he said. “They are plotting to strike again. . . . If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will.”

'Mitt responding to Obama's remarks - '“I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter an ally of ours… I don’t think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort,” Romney told reporters on the campaign trail'.

'…Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is one of the Republican front-runners, said U.S. troops “shouldn’t be sent all over the world.” He called Obama’s comments “ill-timed” and “ill-considered.”
From : http://www.mediaite.com/tv/mitt-romney-bin-busted-candidate-like-myself-would-have-done-bin-laden-raid-except-2007-mitt/

Flip...................................Flop.

Vote 'em ALL out!!

Yeah. Not so much.

The 2010 Congressinal elections were seen as a sweeping change. Bringing in the Tea Party to clean up the way Government works.

The only problem is we keep electing the same people over and over and well you get the idea.
'In the House of Representatives, 87% of the incumbents who stood for election were re-elected. This is slightly below the historical trend over the last several decades, and lower than the re-election rate in 1994, 2006, and 2008'.

'In the Senate, and assuming Lisa Murkowski’s write-in bid is successful, 84% of the incumbents who stood for re-election were successful (the number drops to 80%). Again, this is fairly consistent with the historical rate over the past forty years or so'.
From : http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/incumbent-re-election-rates-in-the-2010-mid-terms/

And the Congressional approval (or disapproval) ratge was almost as low then as it is today.

When it comes to opinions on our Representatives, we think it's the other Representatives that need to be voted out.

'PRINCETON, NJ -- About three-quarters of registered voters (76%) say most members of Congress do not deserve re-election'.

'As has historically been the case, voters are much more positive about the U.S. representative from their own congressional district than they are about "most members of Congress," with 53% saying their representative deserves to be re-elected'.
From : http://www.gallup.com/poll/151433/Record-High-Anti-Incumbent-Sentiment-Toward-Congress.aspx

Representative Eric (The Ass) Cantor (R-GA) - Next Speaker?

'If Boehner were a stronger, more effective House Speaker, this fiasco could have been easily avoided. He could have told his caucus this was a fight they were likely to lose, so passing the Senate bill quickly was the smart course of action. But he couldn’t — Boehner takes orders; he doesn’t give them'.

It’s what helps make this story a disaster, not only for Republicans in general, but also for John Boehner personally. As he surrenders this afternoon, Boehner becomes The Speaker Who Has No Clothes.

'He stuck out his neck, vowing not to cave, knowing he’d likely have to cave anyway. Boehner than waited until the pressure became unbearable — after he’d lost face and friends — and walked away with his tail between his legs'.

'Neither party has had a Speaker this feeble in modern times. His instincts told him to take the deal over the weekend, but Boehner allowed himself to be pushed around by his unhinged caucus, then get pushed around by Democrats, then get pushed around by his allies, then get pushed around by Senate Republicans'.

'How big a disaster was this for Boehner? Keep an eye on whether Eric Cantor’s travel schedule changes over the holidays'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/house_republicans_cave_in_payr034271.php

The 'People's House'

'FULL TEXT: Boehner Delivers Remarks on Congressional Reform and the People's House'
'Sep 30, 2010'

'So instead of clamping down even further, it's my view that we should open things up and let the battle of ideas help break down the scar tissue between the two parties.  Yes, we will still have disagreements.  But let’s have them out in the open.  Yes, we will still try to outmaneuver each other.  But let’s make it a fair fight.  Instead of selling our Members short, let’s give them a chance to do their jobs.  Let’s let legislators legislate again'.
From : http://www.johnboehner.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=209528

Amended December 21, 2011 -

'Except when I don't like what you're saying'.

'During a quick pro-forma session of the House this morning, Republicans rebuffed a Democratic attempt to force an up-or-down vote on the Senate-passed payroll tax holiday extension, which Republicans have thus far refused to allow. Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who was serving as the speaker pro-temp, ignored shouts of “Mr. Speaker!” from Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), quickly adjourning the House'.

'Hoyer continued talking undeterred, saying, “You’re walking away, just as so many Republicans have walked away from middle-class taxpayers [and] the unemployed.” “We regret, Mr. Speaker, that you have walked off the platform without addressing this issue of critical importance to this country,” Hoyer added'.

'Moments later, the mic appeared to cut out. A few seconds after that, the video feed switched away from the House floor to a still image of the Capitol Dome. It appears someone in House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) office cut the feed, as C-SPAN tweeted afterwards: “C-SPAN has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras – the Speaker of the House does'.
From : http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/21/393990/speaker-cuts-off-c-span-cameras-when-dems-attempts-to-bring-vote-on-payroll-tax-cut/”

Come on teabaggers! What happened to the 'will of the people'?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PAYROLL_TAX_CUT_ECONOMY?SITE=KTVK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Over the last year, it is very often said and assumed that no matter what the Democrats or President proposes - Republicans will be against it. See Senator Mitch McConnell.

Less then a year away from the General Election, the Republicans have seemingly confirmed it.

This should have been such an easy victory for Republicans. The Presidency, maybe even more gains in the House and almost certainly taking control of the Senate.

The trifecta of National Politics.

And then came the teabaggers...........

America is a center - right Country. The more the Republicans have to go further right to apease the far, far right, the furter away from the center - right they go.

House members are being seen as too extreme.

Senate candidates will be seen as filibusterig obstructionists.

And any Presidential candidate will be saddeled with having to explain and justify thier actions as he is assoicated with them.

What a mess the teabaggers have made of what should have been a year long victory lap for Republicans.

'Former Bush adviser Karl Rove said he agreed with the Wall Street Journal’s blistering assessment on the failure of House Republican leadership in the payroll-tax debate, and conceded that Republicans have “lost the optics” and should fold on the issue'.

“I think the Wall Street Journal editorial hit it right on the nail, the question now is how do Republicans get out of it,” Rove told Fox News on Wednesday'.
From : http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/200877-rove-says-republicans-should-fold-in-tax-debate

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'DES MOINES, Iowa – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who famously lost budget battles to President Bill Clinton amid two government shutdowns, had some advice to House Republicans at loggerheads with another Democratic president: Give in'.
From : http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/12/21/gingrich-to-house-gop-give-in-on-payroll-tax/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Wednesday that Republicans are losing the public-relations battle over a payroll tax cut extension and should find a way to extend the tax holiday and move on'.
"Are Republicans getting killed now in public opinion? There's no question," Corker said Wednesday on CNBC'.
From : http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/200705-sen-corker-says-gopers-need-to-pass-payroll-extension-and-move-on

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'GOP Sen. Scott Brown ripped into House Republicans on Tuesday after Speaker John Boehner vowed that his caucus would reject the short-term payroll tax cut extension that nearly 90 percent of senators voted for over the weekend'.
“The House Republicans’ plan to scuttle the deal to help middle-class families is irresponsible and wrong,” Brown said in a statement'.
From : http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2011/12/brown-blasts-house-gop-on-payroll-tax-cut-108035.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wall Street Journal -
'GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell famously said a year ago that his main task in the 112th Congress was to make sure that President Obama would not be re-elected. Given how he and House Speaker John Boehner have handled the payroll tax debate, we wonder if they might end up re-electing the President before the 2012 campaign even begins in earnest'.

'The GOP leaders have somehow managed the remarkable feat of being blamed for opposing a one-year extension of a tax holiday that they are surely going to pass. This is no easy double play'.

'After a year of the tea party House, Mr. Obama and Senate Democrats have had to make no major policy concessions beyond extending the Bush tax rates for two years. Mr. Obama is in a stronger re-election position today than he was a year ago, and the chances of Mr. McConnell becoming Majority Leader in 2013 are declining'.
From : http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204791104577110573867064702.html

"That is quite unusual"

'Police are questioning the crew of the MS Thor Liberty after what were described as 69 Patriot anti-missile missiles were found aboard'.

'Interior Minister Paivi Rasanen said the missiles were marked "fireworks".

'The MS Thor Liberty left port in Emden, northern Germany, on 13 December and docked two days later in Kotka, southern Finland, to pick up a cargo of anchor chains, said Finnish Customs spokesman Petri Lounatmaa'.

'It was bound for the Chinese port of Shanghai but there was no indication for whom the military cargo was destined'.

'Routine checks by Finland's traffic safety authority revealed a load of up to 160 tonnes of improperly packed nitroguanidine, a low-sensitivity explosive with a high detonation speed'.

"Actually in our investigation at the moment, we have got the information that we found 69 Patriot missiles on the ship and around 160 tonnes of explosives," said Detective Superintendent Timo Virtanen from the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation'.

"Of course, there are legal transports of weapons or defence material [through Finland] but in this case the cargo was marked as containing fireworks," she told Finnish media. "That is quite unusual."

'Patriot missiles, designed by the US company Raytheon, are supplied to "US and allied forces", according to the company's website. South Korea is among states which deploy them'.
From : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16292244

Sunday Picks

Kane 5 - 11 (223)
Total 132 - 92 = 59%

Week 16........Kane

THU, DEC 22

Hou v. Indy....Hou......
I really don't see a winning streak in Indy.

SAT, DEC 24

S.F. v. Sea....Sea......
Seattle needs a whole lota help and it may even be over for them by game time but I still like them.

Oak v. K.C.....K.C......
If the new coach can bring them down to Earth after they win over G.B.  

Jack v. Tenn...Tenn.....
Come on Matt!

Mia v. N.E.....N.E......

Ari v. Cin.....Cin......

Den v. Buff....Den......
Buffalo IS NOT N.E. 

StL. v Pitt....Pitt..... 

NYG v. NYJ.....NYG...... 

Minn v. Wash...Wash.....

T.B. v. Car....Car......

Cle v. Balt....Balt.....

S.D. v. Det....Det......
But after last week?

Phil v. Dal....Phil.....

SUN, DEC 25 

Chi v. G.B.....G.B......
Home field throughout.  

MON, DEC 26

Atl v. N.O.....N.O......