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cal04
cal04's Journal
cal04's Journal
May 20, 2012
President Barack Obama has pulled into a virtual tie with presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney in traditionally conservative Tennessee, according to a new Vanderbilt University pol..
The poll also found that Tennesseans weren’t thrilled with the Republican-led General Assembly’s frequent focus on social, cultural and religious issues this year. But Republican Gov. Bill Haslam managed to remain above the fray, winning approval from 61 percent of poll participants.
“Tennessee is clearly a red state,” said John Geer, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt. “But these data show that the public is much more moderate than our state legislature.”
(snip)
“We’ve been tracking it for some time,” Freeman said Thursday. “We’ve watched it go from a solid-Republican (state) to a leaning-Republican to, we believe, a toss-up state now. We think we’re just a point or two behind and that winning Tennessee is in our grasp
Vanderbilt poll: Obama closes gap with Romney
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120520/NEWS/305170107/Vanderbilt-poll-Obama-closes-gap-RomneyPresident Barack Obama has pulled into a virtual tie with presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney in traditionally conservative Tennessee, according to a new Vanderbilt University pol..
The poll also found that Tennesseans weren’t thrilled with the Republican-led General Assembly’s frequent focus on social, cultural and religious issues this year. But Republican Gov. Bill Haslam managed to remain above the fray, winning approval from 61 percent of poll participants.
“Tennessee is clearly a red state,” said John Geer, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt. “But these data show that the public is much more moderate than our state legislature.”
(snip)
“We’ve been tracking it for some time,” Freeman said Thursday. “We’ve watched it go from a solid-Republican (state) to a leaning-Republican to, we believe, a toss-up state now. We think we’re just a point or two behind and that winning Tennessee is in our grasp
May 20, 2012
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/government-backtracks-on-fracking-7768853.html
The Government has rejected shale gas technology as a solution to Britain's energy crisis, conceding it will do little to cut bills or keep the lights on.
Supporters of the fracking technology – which blasts water, sand and chemicals at extreme pressures to release gas trapped deep in rock – argue it could be the single greatest factor in transforming Britain's energy market, reducing our reliance on foreign imports and dramatically reducing costs.
But The Independent on Sunday has learned that industry experts made clear at a meeting attended by senior ministers, including David Cameron and Ed Davey, the Lib Dem energy secretary, that the UK's reserves were smaller than first thought and could be uneconomical to extract.
(snip)
Joss Garman, from Greenpeace, said: "The shale gas bubble has burst. Despite all the hype, even the energy companies now acknowledge shale gas isn't the answer to Britain's energy needs. Ministers are having to face up to the fact that there isn't much of it, it won't bring down bills, and it's damaging to our climate."
Government backtracks on fracking (UK)
Ministers decide there is not enough gas under UK to justify controversial 'earthquake' drillinghttp://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/government-backtracks-on-fracking-7768853.html
The Government has rejected shale gas technology as a solution to Britain's energy crisis, conceding it will do little to cut bills or keep the lights on.
Supporters of the fracking technology – which blasts water, sand and chemicals at extreme pressures to release gas trapped deep in rock – argue it could be the single greatest factor in transforming Britain's energy market, reducing our reliance on foreign imports and dramatically reducing costs.
But The Independent on Sunday has learned that industry experts made clear at a meeting attended by senior ministers, including David Cameron and Ed Davey, the Lib Dem energy secretary, that the UK's reserves were smaller than first thought and could be uneconomical to extract.
(snip)
Joss Garman, from Greenpeace, said: "The shale gas bubble has burst. Despite all the hype, even the energy companies now acknowledge shale gas isn't the answer to Britain's energy needs. Ministers are having to face up to the fact that there isn't much of it, it won't bring down bills, and it's damaging to our climate."
May 16, 2012
Mitt Romney just doesn’t get it. That’s the message Vice President Joe Biden drilled in to a crowd in eastern Ohio Wednesday, playing up his working-class roots.
“They don’t get us. They don’t get who we are,” Biden bellowed. “My mother and father dreamed as much as any rich guy dreams.”
“Absolutely,” a man in the audience volunteered.
In a passionate speech at M7 Technologies, an advanced manufacturing facility in Youngstown, Biden used his own working-class roots — his family dealt with job losses and uncertainty, he said — to connect with a crowd in one of the most economically hard-hit areas in the country.
VP Biden attacks Romney's jobs record
Vice President Biden on Wednesday hammered Mitt Romney on his economic philosophy and private-sector record, accusing Republicans of fundamentally misunderstanding what Democrats stand for.
“I resent the fact that they think we’re talking about envy. ‘It’s job envy, it’s wealth envy,’” Biden said. “They don’t get us. They don’t get who we are.”
(snip)
At Biden's side was former Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), who recalled how Bain Capital — the private-equity firm Romney co-founded — dealt with a struggling paper company that it took over in the 1990s.
“They laid off workers, cut wages of those who remained, sliced the healthcare benefits and eliminated the retirement plan for the retirees,” he said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/227817-biden-hammers-romney-gop-doesnt-get-us
Biden To Ohio Workers: Romney Doesn’t ‘Get Who We Are’
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/biden-slams-romney-ohio-manufacturing.php?ref=fpaMitt Romney just doesn’t get it. That’s the message Vice President Joe Biden drilled in to a crowd in eastern Ohio Wednesday, playing up his working-class roots.
“They don’t get us. They don’t get who we are,” Biden bellowed. “My mother and father dreamed as much as any rich guy dreams.”
“Absolutely,” a man in the audience volunteered.
In a passionate speech at M7 Technologies, an advanced manufacturing facility in Youngstown, Biden used his own working-class roots — his family dealt with job losses and uncertainty, he said — to connect with a crowd in one of the most economically hard-hit areas in the country.
VP Biden attacks Romney's jobs record
Vice President Biden on Wednesday hammered Mitt Romney on his economic philosophy and private-sector record, accusing Republicans of fundamentally misunderstanding what Democrats stand for.
“I resent the fact that they think we’re talking about envy. ‘It’s job envy, it’s wealth envy,’” Biden said. “They don’t get us. They don’t get who we are.”
(snip)
At Biden's side was former Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), who recalled how Bain Capital — the private-equity firm Romney co-founded — dealt with a struggling paper company that it took over in the 1990s.
“They laid off workers, cut wages of those who remained, sliced the healthcare benefits and eliminated the retirement plan for the retirees,” he said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/227817-biden-hammers-romney-gop-doesnt-get-us
May 16, 2012
Vice President Joe Biden is pouncing on Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney in swing state Ohio, casting him as a corporate raider more interested in making profits than in the needs of workers.
In a speech set for delivery Wednesday in Youngstown, Ohio, Biden strikes hard at Romney, picking up on an attack line set this week in ads by the Obama campaign and by a super political action committee supporting the president’s re-election.
(snip)
The vice president specifically singles out Romney’s tenure at Boston-based Bain Capital, a private equity firm Romney co-founded, and the fate of a Kansas City, Mo., steel mill that failed after Bain purchased it 19 years ago.
“Everyone lost their jobs,” Biden says.
Biden targets Romney’s work as venture capitalist; in biting attack blames him for lost jobs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-targets-romneys-work-as-venture-capitalist-in-biting-attack-blames-him-for-lost-jobs/2012/05/16/gIQA5RvGTU_story.htmlVice President Joe Biden is pouncing on Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney in swing state Ohio, casting him as a corporate raider more interested in making profits than in the needs of workers.
In a speech set for delivery Wednesday in Youngstown, Ohio, Biden strikes hard at Romney, picking up on an attack line set this week in ads by the Obama campaign and by a super political action committee supporting the president’s re-election.
(snip)
The vice president specifically singles out Romney’s tenure at Boston-based Bain Capital, a private equity firm Romney co-founded, and the fate of a Kansas City, Mo., steel mill that failed after Bain purchased it 19 years ago.
“Everyone lost their jobs,” Biden says.
May 15, 2012
Senator Sanders: End HIV/AIDS Drug Monopolies
http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/health-and-fitness/33457-senator-sanders-end-hivaids-drug-monopolies.html
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today called for eliminating legal monopolies that make HIV/AIDS medicine so expensive in the United States that many patients cannot afford treatment and die.
“The U.S. has – by far – the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “The simple fact is that the prices of patent medicines are a significant barrier to access to health for millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans and people die because of it,” he added in his opening statement at a Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging that he chaired.
Sen. Sanders:End Rx AIDS Monopoly
&feature=uploademailSenator Sanders: End HIV/AIDS Drug Monopolies
http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/health-and-fitness/33457-senator-sanders-end-hivaids-drug-monopolies.html
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today called for eliminating legal monopolies that make HIV/AIDS medicine so expensive in the United States that many patients cannot afford treatment and die.
“The U.S. has – by far – the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “The simple fact is that the prices of patent medicines are a significant barrier to access to health for millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans and people die because of it,” he added in his opening statement at a Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging that he chaired.
May 14, 2012
President Barack Obama is casting Mitt Romney as a greedy, job-killing corporate titan with little concern for the working class in a new, multi-pronged effort that seeks to undermine the central rationale for his Republican rival's candidacy: his business credentials.
At the center of the push — the president's most forceful attempt yet to sully Romney before the November election — is a biting new TV ad airing Monday that recounts through interviews with former workers the restructuring, and ultimate demise, of a Kansas City, Mo., steel mill under the Republican's private equity firm.
"They made as much money off of it as they could. And they closed it down," says Joe Soptic, a steelworker for 30 years. Jack Cobb, who also worked in the industry for three decades, adds: "It was like a vampire. They came in and sucked the life out of us."
The ad, at the unusual length of 2 minutes, will run in five battleground states: Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado. The campaign declined to describe the size of the ad buy though it's in the middle of running a $25 million, month-long ad campaign in nine states. A longer version of the ad was being posted online Monday.
videos
Steel
&feature=player_embedded
Romney Economics: Bankruptcy and Bailouts at GST Steel
&feature=player_embedded
President Obama seeks to undercut Mitt Romney's record on jobs
http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/05/president_barack_obama_seeks_t.htmlPresident Barack Obama is casting Mitt Romney as a greedy, job-killing corporate titan with little concern for the working class in a new, multi-pronged effort that seeks to undermine the central rationale for his Republican rival's candidacy: his business credentials.
At the center of the push — the president's most forceful attempt yet to sully Romney before the November election — is a biting new TV ad airing Monday that recounts through interviews with former workers the restructuring, and ultimate demise, of a Kansas City, Mo., steel mill under the Republican's private equity firm.
"They made as much money off of it as they could. And they closed it down," says Joe Soptic, a steelworker for 30 years. Jack Cobb, who also worked in the industry for three decades, adds: "It was like a vampire. They came in and sucked the life out of us."
The ad, at the unusual length of 2 minutes, will run in five battleground states: Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado. The campaign declined to describe the size of the ad buy though it's in the middle of running a $25 million, month-long ad campaign in nine states. A longer version of the ad was being posted online Monday.
videos
Steel
&feature=player_embedded
Romney Economics: Bankruptcy and Bailouts at GST Steel
&feature=player_embedded
May 11, 2012
When President Barack Obama make his first public endorsement of same-sex marriage Wednesday, the political implications were murky – while it clearly helped the president with his liberal base, it was unclear whether moderate supporters and African-Americans would respond positively.
On Friday, the first poll taken after his ABC News interview showed 51% of Americans approved of the decision, compared to 45% who disapproved. The results from the Gallup survey, which was taken May 10, closely mirror recent polling of Americans on the issue of marriage equality.
In a Gallup survey taken May 3-6, 50% of respondents said marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as legal, compared to 48% who said they should not.
Friday's results fell mostly along party lines – Democrats overwhelming approved of the announcement, while Republicans largely disapproved. Independents were split: 53% approved of Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage, compared to 44% of independents who disapproved.
Poll: Majority approves of Obama's marriage decision
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/11/poll-majority-approves-of-obamas-marriage-decision/When President Barack Obama make his first public endorsement of same-sex marriage Wednesday, the political implications were murky – while it clearly helped the president with his liberal base, it was unclear whether moderate supporters and African-Americans would respond positively.
On Friday, the first poll taken after his ABC News interview showed 51% of Americans approved of the decision, compared to 45% who disapproved. The results from the Gallup survey, which was taken May 10, closely mirror recent polling of Americans on the issue of marriage equality.
In a Gallup survey taken May 3-6, 50% of respondents said marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as legal, compared to 48% who said they should not.
Friday's results fell mostly along party lines – Democrats overwhelming approved of the announcement, while Republicans largely disapproved. Independents were split: 53% approved of Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage, compared to 44% of independents who disapproved.
May 9, 2012
(snip)
“My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman. But in a civil society, I believe that people should be able to marry whomever they want, and it’s no business of mine if two men or two women want to get married. The idea that allowing two loving, committed people to marry would have any impact on my life, or on my family’s life, always struck me as absurd.
“In talking with my children and grandchildren, it has become clear to me they take marriage equality as a given. I have no doubt that their view will carry the future.
“I handled a fair amount of domestic relations work when I was a practicing lawyer, and it was all governed by state law. I believe that is the proper place for this issue to be decided as well.”
Harry Reid: ‘People Should Be Able To Marry Whomever They Want’
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/reid-my-personal-belief-is-that-marriage-is(snip)
“My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman. But in a civil society, I believe that people should be able to marry whomever they want, and it’s no business of mine if two men or two women want to get married. The idea that allowing two loving, committed people to marry would have any impact on my life, or on my family’s life, always struck me as absurd.
“In talking with my children and grandchildren, it has become clear to me they take marriage equality as a given. I have no doubt that their view will carry the future.
“I handled a fair amount of domestic relations work when I was a practicing lawyer, and it was all governed by state law. I believe that is the proper place for this issue to be decided as well.”
May 9, 2012
He announced his new position in support of same-sex marriage on Twitter:
I support same sex marriage and will cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. #MarriageEquality #LGBT
https://twitter.com/?tw_e=screenname&tw_i=200352530868338688&tw_p=tweetembed#!/SenJackReed
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Respect for Marriage Act back in November, but it has yet to be scheduled for a vote before the full Senate. The measure would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and allow the federal government to provide benefits to couples in same-sex marriages.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/09/481540/reed-respect-for-marriage/
Following Obama’s Lead, Sen. Jack Reed Announces Support For Marriage Equality
Following Obama’s Lead, Sen. Jack Reed Announces Support For Marriage EqualityHe announced his new position in support of same-sex marriage on Twitter:
I support same sex marriage and will cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. #MarriageEquality #LGBT
https://twitter.com/?tw_e=screenname&tw_i=200352530868338688&tw_p=tweetembed#!/SenJackReed
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Respect for Marriage Act back in November, but it has yet to be scheduled for a vote before the full Senate. The measure would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and allow the federal government to provide benefits to couples in same-sex marriages.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/09/481540/reed-respect-for-marriage/
May 7, 2012
The Obama campaign launched Monday the first in a series of positive ads aimed at highlighting the president's record on such issues as the economy and foreign policy.
Called "Go," the first ad begins and ends by addressing voters' concerns about the economy, reminding Americans that President Obama inherited an economic mess from the previous administration. The one-minute spot makes the case that Obama's policies have helped middle-class Americans and will continue to do more in the future.
"Some said our best days were behind us, but not him," the narrator says before the ad cuts to Obama appearing at an auto industry bailout event saying, "Don't bet against the American worker."
(snip)
The ad also touts the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden - "our greatest enemy brought to justice by our greatest heroes" - and the withdrawal of troops from Iraq with a picture of a little girl running into her father's arms at his homecoming. Military families are among the groups the campaign is trying to woo.
http://www.barackobama.com/forward
President Obama's campaign seeks to frame the narrative with new ads
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/07/obama-campaign-seeks-to-frame-the-narrative-with-new-ads/The Obama campaign launched Monday the first in a series of positive ads aimed at highlighting the president's record on such issues as the economy and foreign policy.
Called "Go," the first ad begins and ends by addressing voters' concerns about the economy, reminding Americans that President Obama inherited an economic mess from the previous administration. The one-minute spot makes the case that Obama's policies have helped middle-class Americans and will continue to do more in the future.
"Some said our best days were behind us, but not him," the narrator says before the ad cuts to Obama appearing at an auto industry bailout event saying, "Don't bet against the American worker."
(snip)
The ad also touts the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden - "our greatest enemy brought to justice by our greatest heroes" - and the withdrawal of troops from Iraq with a picture of a little girl running into her father's arms at his homecoming. Military families are among the groups the campaign is trying to woo.
http://www.barackobama.com/forward
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