End of Day Round Up 051607

Hey folks,

I had to do an end of day round up today. First, God speed to Mr Falwell. Like him or not, he did do a lot of good for a lot of people durring his time here on earth. I pray his family can rest in the comfort of the fact, it is a far better place to that of which he went, then this of which he left.

Second, the debate last night. Much more of a debate than the one on MSNBC. A lot more interesting questions also. According to CBS yesterday, CBS -Pure Horserace: All Eyes On Rudy, Romney

Most eyes will be on Rudy Giuliani, who has been under a microscope of late on issues ranging from his consulting business connections to his evolving and sometimes confusing position on abortion.

They go on to talk about his Pro-Choice stance. Then they say.

When Giuliani is not on the hot seat, Mitt Romney is likely to attract the attention of the Fox News debate moderators and maybe some of his rivals. As Giuliani has gotten intense scrutiny of late, Romney has enjoyed something of a media boomlet. He is on the current issue of Time magazine, was featured on 60 Minutes last Sunday night and has raised his profile through cable ads that are also running in Iowa and New Hampshire.

While both men came to the race with similar weaknesses on social issues near and dear to many Republicans who vote in the primary process, Romney has thus far handled the questions better. Whereas Giuliani has sought to walk a very narrow line on abortion, Romney simply changed his position altogether. Formerly a supporter of abortion rights, the former Massachusetts governor is now a staunch opponent of abortion. He has taken a similar approach to other social issues, such as gun control.

Interesting note. When a Democrat flip flops, like Hillary, she has a right to change her mind. She is seen as bold, to be honest, and change her position. The magic words for the LWL and the Mass Media Drones is "I apologize." They say, "I was wrong, I have seen the light, I changed my mind." All is forgiven and forgotten by all. But a Republican does it? It’s exploited, dissected, twisted, and thrown back in their face.

Romney was wrong on his stance. He learned more of the truth of what abortion is, he looked at the evidence, he changed his position. I did also. I was very pro-Death Penalty until a friend of mine, Rev. Jim Bridges, convinced me to take another look at my position. I looked at it. I listened to him. I saw it as it is. The truth. I have changed my position. I am now VERY much against the Death Penalty in it’s current form. I truly believe that Romney doing this, showed a strength, not a weakness.

Now the AP -GOP hopefuls debate abortion, tax cuts. By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer.

Under pressure from their rivals, the leading Republican presidential contenders defended their conservative credentials on abortion, gun control and tax cuts in a feisty debate Tuesday night.

"Republicans should be uniting" to defeat the Democrats, implored former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, rather than stressing their differences with one another.

Giuliani, pressed repeatedly on his support for abortion rights, wasn't the only contender to field pointed questions.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded he had signed legislation banning assault weapons but said, "Let's get the record straight." He said he is a supporter of the rights of gun owners under the Second Amendment.

This is why I highlighted these two first in the "Closer Look" article. I truly believe that these are the two that stand the best chance of getting the nod. To tell you the truth, if I were to bet? I would put my money, at this point, on Romney. {STILL WAY TOO EARLY} I am starting to just get a feeling.

Some highlights,

Giuliani called for "Reagan-like budget cuts across the board" of between 5 percent and 20 percent, and Tommy Thompson said he had cast many vetoes while governor of Wisconsin to hold down spending.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore bore in, as well. "Some of the people on this stage were very liberal in characterizing themselves as conservatives, particularly on the issues of abortion and taxes and health care," he said.

He singled out Giuliani for his position on abortion and said another rival, Mike Huckabee, had raised taxes while serving as governor of Arkansas.

Huckabee responded that the state raised taxes in response to a court order and said he had cut taxes repeatedly.

On defense for much of the evening, Giuliani switched gears nearly an hour into the debate, challenging Rep. Ron Paul suggestion that the U.S. bombing of Iraq had contributed to the terrorist attacks of 2001.

As mayor of New York at the time of the attacks, Giuliani said sternly, "I don't think I've ever heard that before, and I have heard some pretty absurd explanations."

Ron Paul basically blamed America for being attacked on 9-11. I truly believe he damned himself with a Dean holler velocity with that statement. I truly believe that Paul is out. He just doesn’t know it yet.

Of course the line of the day that has the MMD and the LWL going completely nuts right now?

"We've had a Congress that's spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop," Huckabee said, mocking the Democratic presidential hopeful's penchant for $400 haircuts.

It is STILL way too early to say who I like enough to vote for. But, the feeling is growing. There is just something about Romney. Never underestimate the simplicity of this simple fact. He LOOKS like a President. Just keep that in mind.

Other news of the day? Frances new President has been sworn in. AP -Sarkozy inaugurated as French president

PARIS - Nicolas Sarkozy took over France's helm Wednesday in a hurry to make good on pledges to restore order to violence-wracked housing projects, to rev up the economy and to bring political enemies into a dramatically different government — expected to be half women.

Along with mending friendship with us. Should be interesting to watch. He just named Francois Fillon as prime minister.

This one is just funny to me. AP- Senate Dems fail to cut off war funds

The 67-29 vote against the Democrats' measure left it far short of the 60 needed to advance. But more than half the Senate's Democrats supported the move, a marked change from last summer when only a dozen members of the rank and file backed a troop withdrawal deadline.

{Laughing} Hillary and Obama voted for this as well folks. They knew it would never pass. Just more idiocies. If this is really what the American people want, then why did it not pass? {Sigh} Oh yeah, no pork.

Reuters -Wolfowitz will not resign from World Bank: lawyer

"Mr. Wolfowitz will not resign under this cloud and he will rather put this matter to a full vote," Wolfowitz's lawyer, Robert Bennett, told Reuters.

Seemed like a witch hunt to me the whole time. We’ll have to see what his next step is.

THIS JUST IN!!! Prince Henry will NOT serve in Iraq. According to, well, seems like EVERYBODY, but CNN Threats end Harry's Iraq mission

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Prince Harry will not serve in Iraq as a troop commander because of "a number of specific threats" against him, the UK's top general says.

A spokesperson for the 22-year-old prince says he is "very disappointed" by the decision.

More on this one in the AM. That’s it for now folks. Got to go. See you tomorrow.
Peter

Sources;
CBS -Pure Horserace: All Eyes On Rudy, Romney
AP -GOP hopefuls debate abortion, tax cuts
AP- Senate Dems fail to cut off war funds
AP -Sarkozy inaugurated as French president
Reuters -Wolfowitz will not resign from World Bank: lawyer
CNN Threats end Harry's Iraq mission

Closer Look: Giuliani, Romney

Hey folks,

In a new continuing series, we will be taking a closer look at the candidates for President in 08. Today we will be looking a little closer into Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.

First, we have to say we pretty much KNOW Rudy. The Mayor of America Born and proven leader. A man that NY, and pretty much the entire country looked toward for comfort and strength following 9-11. But there is so much more to the man.

He cleaned up New York. He gave numerous tax cuts, increasing the revenue coming into New York Government. He reformed welfare. Put more people back to work. He proved that he can make and stick with tough choices.

He main weakness? It’s a big one. Abortion. Chris {Mindless} Matthews hammered Giuliani at the first Republican, uh, debate. It did seem he gave a typical political answer. He is for it, but ok if it was abolished, yet ok if it stands, but, the states should have the decision. HUH?

He has finally come out and made his position clear. According to AP -Giuliani defends stance on abortion

HOUSTON - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani forcefully reaffirmed his support for abortion rights on Friday and argued that his divergence from conservatives on the issue should not disqualify him from being the eventual GOP nominee.

"This is a matter of deep and profound judgment," he said in a speech at Houston Baptist University. "It's a matter of morals. It's a matter of your interpretation of how laws should operate, your interpretation of how respect for the rights of others should operate. But in a country like ours ... I believe you have to respect their viewpoint and give them a level of choice. I would grant women the right to make that choice."

The former New York City mayor has struggled in the last week to explain his personal opposition to abortion with his long public record of favoring a woman's right to choose. He has defended his positions — and some say contradictory comments — on late-term abortion, public funding for abortions and the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion.

But Giuliani left few questions about his position Friday, telling about 500 students and faculty at the small conservative school that — despite his belief that abortion was "morally wrong" — he believes the decision should ultimately be left to individuals and their decisions should be respected.

Opposition to abortion has been a litmus test for conservatives within the Republican Party, who hold considerable sway in the primaries. Giuliani has drawn criticism from some in the GOP for his abortion rights support. One of his rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has switched from supporting abortion rights to opposing the procedure — a shift that also has drawn complaints.

Is this one fault, {As most Conservatives see it} enough to doom his chances? Maybe. But most see him as the man to beat. As a matter of fact, according to Rasmussen Reports -Election 2008: Clinton Ties Giuliani 45% to 45%, Rudy and Hillary are now tied. A little change from last month when Rudy lead 48% to 47%.

So what about Mitt Romney? We all know his one issued that seems to threaten everything. He is a Mormon. But he may be in a personal and financial advantage. According to the AP -Romney's estimated wealth in millions

WASHINGTON - Republican Mitt Romney is expected to report financial assets between $190 million and $250 million, an amount that would likely make him the wealthiest of the 2008 presidential candidates.

Now I want you to pay attention to this. It continues.

Aides to the former Massachusetts governor said his assets have been held in a blind trust that he and his wife set up when he took office in 2002. The adviser who provided the estimate of his assets cautioned that the number is based on 2005 and 2006 financial activity and could amount to a bigger total once the disclosure report is filed later this year.

{Laughing} Did you catch what they are doing here? "Mitt is just a rich fat cat." he has so much money, and you don’t, that he don’t care about you." "He even hides some of it."

Romney also has a blind trust for his children and grandchildren that is estimated to hold assets between $70 million and $100 million, the adviser said. Those assets do not benefit Romney or his wife and are not required to be reported in federal financial disclosures.

Needless to say, he can finance his entire campaign, if he wanted to. Other than the bias reporting, I do not see how ANYONE having a net worth of ANYTHING matters on how they run the country. But Romney has now given himself another MAJOR problem. OR HAS he?

According to CNN -Romney faults administration for mistakes in Iraq

NEW YORK (CNN) -- As former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney tries to distinguish himself from his Republican rivals in the race for president, he's also distancing himself from President Bush.

On the topic of Iraq, Romney gave perhaps his strongest criticism yet of the administration in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes."

"I think the administration made a number of errors," he told interviewer Mike Wallace. But, he said, Bush isn't solely to blame.

Mike Wallace, yes a completely un-bias, fair commentator.

"Well, he's the person where the buck stops," Romney said, "but it goes to the secretary of defense and the planning agencies, the Department of State -- it's the whole administration."

He wouldn't use Wallace's term -- that the administration "screwed up" -- but he said that mistakes were made.

Of course not.

"And we're paying for those mistakes," he added.

Asked what those mistakes were, Romney said, "I don't think we were adequately prepared for what occurred. I don't think we had done enough planning. I don't think we considered the various downsides and risks."

Even the Bush Administration admits mistakes were made. This is not new nor is it an attack when Romney said it.

Then the rest of the interview fell to the bottom of the slime bucket, where it is all about his faith. Asking Romney things like , When was the first time you had sex with your wife? Are you kidding me? But his faith IS his biggest weakness. Get this,

A case in point: Ahead of next week's Republican presidential debate in South Carolina, some in the state have received an eight-page criticism of the Mormon religion from an anonymous sender, questioning whether it's politically dangerous and referring to Mormon texts as hoaxes.

The whispers could get louder, however, and that may move the Romney campaign to address the matter head on.

He HAS been. I wonder who, oh, who, could have EVER thought to attack Mitt based on his faith.

So to wrap up. I like both these guys. But both these guys have this ONE thing, that just may be enough in the long run, to do them in. {Politically}
Peter


Sources;
AP -Giuliani defends stance on abortion
Rasmussen Reports -Election 2008: Clinton Ties Giuliani 45% to 45%
AP -Romney's estimated wealth in millions
CNN -Romney faults administration for mistakes in Iraq