#FF Re-post: Exploring a Tax Myth: What Tax Rates do the Middle Class Pay?

This topic has been brought up numerous times since our original post on February 5th. We wanted to put it at the front of the blog to renew the discussion. For the original post and all associated comments visit: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/02/exploring-tax-myth-what-tax-rates-do.html

I hope the readers of the blog don't think this is becoming redundant, but I cannot stand by while people live in a world of myth. People can vote for whomever they want, but I am worried that the things people believe in and use as a basis for voting can be factually wrong. To me, voting without truth is dangerous. If you're going to vote democrat or republican, that's fine. Just please know the facts about the information you care about.  I hope to help people learn things. I hope to help people dispel myth and see the truth. Recently, I think the biggest thing that gets under my skin the most is this myth about middle class vs. millionaires' tax rates. See below:

March 30, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The $540 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot will potentially be decided tonight. Winners can elect a $389 million lump sum payment (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/30/us/mega-millions/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

- The Supreme Court will hold a preliminary vote regarding the Affordable Care Act today. Opinions will be written and released some time in June (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/29/justices-meet-friday-to-vote-on-health-care-case/?test=latestnews

- The state of Wisconsin is gearing up for a tough recall election (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/wisconsin-preps-for-heated-recall-election-of-gov-scott-walker/

- Former president George H.W. Bush has officially endorsed Mitt Romney (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/george-h-w-bush-officially-endorses-romney-tells-rivals-theyve-got-to-know-when-to-fold-em/

- Japan has declared that it will shoot down a North Korean missile if it flies over Japan next month (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57406829/japan-preps-to-intercept-n-korean-rocket/?tag=stack

March 29, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Video of alleged Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman is circling the internet and appears to show neither his face nor the back of his head is bloody. The unconfirmed video shows Zimmerman in the hours after the shooting (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c1#/video/crime/2012/03/28/ac-zimmerman-handcuffs.abcnews-com

- According to a CNN poll, Obama is widening his lead over Romney and Santorum in November (CNN): http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/28/cnn-poll-obama-leads-romney-and-santorum-in-november-showdowns/?hpt=hp_t2

- Rising star and Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio has endorsed Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/28/rubio-endorses-romney-saying-hes-earned-it/

- A NATO convoy in West Afghanistan was attacked yesterday. An Afghan soldier, 5 security guards, and 14 attackers were killed (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militant-faction-breaks-off-talks-us-afghans-16019764

- Sheldon Adelson, the wealthy casino magnate, and largest donor of Newt Gingrich's SuperPAC claims Newt Gingrich's campaign is "at the end of the line" (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57406131-503544/gingrich-financial-supporter-says-hes-at-the-end-of-his-line/?tag=stack

Mitt Romney on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Mitt Romney was a guest on the Tonight Show last night. Here is the video:

http://electad.com/videos/mitt-romney-on-the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno-march-27-2012/

***This video is NOT property of The Elephant in the Room. We are providing a link to the video, not the actual video footage.***

Key Questions:

- How would you grade Mitt's performance? His answers?

- Did Mitt dodge Jay Leno's questioning or were his answers direct and satisfying?

- Do you think the interview was fair? Were the questions "slanted" or "centered?"

- Does Mitt Romney's answers, demeanor, and everything associated with his appearance on the tonight show improve, diminish, or have no affect on your impression of him?

- Do you think this appearance will help or hurt Mitt Romney in securing the nomination? What about the presidency if he is the GOP candidate?

Please share your thoughts, grades, impressions, etc. below. Thank you. 

+++ Also, we know there have been other appearances by the candidates on the Tonight Show and other interview style shows of the like. We have not been able to find many of them (the link above was given to us by a Mitt Romney supporter, thank you for that), but if you would like The Elephant in the Room to post them in an open forum like this one, please let us know. Email us at loudmouthelephant@gmail.com with any links and information +++

March 28, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Passengers on a JetBlue flight from New York City to Las Vegas tackle and subdue the pilot after he was intentionally locked out of the cockpit and became unruly (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/27/travel/jet-blue-flight-diverted/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

- Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad has accepted a U.N.-Arab League peace plan, but its start and enforcement may prove difficult (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- The Affordable Care Act, known by many as Obamacare, enters its final day of deliberation at the Supreme Court today (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/28/supreme-court-sets-up-doubleheader-finale-on-obamacare-hearing/

- Court documents show George Zimmerman has a record of previous run-ins with the law including battery of a police officer (MSNBC): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/27/10894561-zimmerman-accused-of-domestic-violence-fighting-with-a-police-officer

- With no winners in Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery, the jackpot is expected to grow to $478 million (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Business/mega-millions-jackpot-now-476-million-numbers-19/story?id=16017732


*** Also, in addition to comments, thoughts, opinions, and analysis, be sure to share any news stories and links you find important. The more information that is spread, the better. ***

March 27, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- North Korea says it will go ahead with its ballistic missile launch in spite of pressure from Obama (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/27/world/asia/korea-nuclear-summit/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to listen to arguments regarding the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate provision today (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/27/individual-mandate-blockbuster-waiting-to-happen/#ixzz1qJB6eYAK

- As protesters march across the country, a police report claims that George Zimmerman initially reported that Trayvon Martin attempted to reach for Zimmerman's gun during their brief altercation (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-shooter-teenager-gun/story?id=16000239#.T3GddmES1WI

- According to a CBS poll of 986 adults, support for the war in Afghanistan has reached an all-time low (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57404807-503544/poll-support-for-war-in-afghanistan-hits-all-time-low/?tag=stack

Open Forum Debate: Healthcare, Obamacare, and All of the Above

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today regarding the Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in 2010. This is indeed historic as the outcome of these proceedings and testimonies will impact our nation forever.

This open forum discussion is dedicated to the Affordable Care Act. 

All people are invited to express their opinions for, against, or indifferent about the law many refer to as Obamacare. From this discussion, we hope people can learn from each other. Agreement is not always the desired outcome; sometimes a simple meeting of differing opinions yields a great reward: learning something you didn't already know.

I wanted to share some of my opinions to kick off this forum. I could write for days about Obamacare, but I just wanted to share two focused thoughts as to why I am vehemently against this law.

March 26, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (known by many as Obamacare) today (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/26/justice/scotus-health-care/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

- Speaking at a summit in South Korea, President Obama urged North Korea to step back from its pursuit of nuclear weapons and advanced rocketry in the wake of its announced long-range missile launch (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/26/obama-implores-north-korea-to-pursue-peace-urges-against-nuclear-weapons-for/?test=latestnews

- The lead prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin case states that bringing charges against alleged killer George Zimmerman could prove difficul (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-killing-lead-prosecutor-george-zimmerman-walk/story?id=16000239#.T3BQLmES1WJ

UPDATE (9:37am)

 - Open mic catches Obama talking to Russian president over missile defense issues:

     CNN: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/26/open-mic-catches-obama-asking-russian-president-for-space-on-missile-defense/?hpt=hp_t1

     Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/26/obama-tells-medvedev-hell-have-more-flexibility-after-election-during-missile/

     ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/president-obama-asks-medvedev-for-space-on-missile-defense-after-my-election-i-have-more-flexibility/

The Louisiana Republican Primary - March 24th, 2012

The GOP primary takes a turn to the bayou.

Twitter Tags: #LAPrimary #LA #Louisiana #LouisianaPrimary

This open forum post is designated to the Louisiana republican primary.

We know it's a Saturday, and we don't expect to get much traffic, but if you're around and you want to share your opinions and predictions, this forum is for you :-)

March 23, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Army Staff Stg. Robert Bales faces 17 counts of murder for his alleged shooting rampage against Afghan civilians (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/justice/afghanistan-bales-charges/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Sanford police chief Bill Lee stepped down after a vote of no confidence by the city commissioners. The Justice Department and the F.B.I. have launched special investigations into the shooting death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/22/sanford-police-chief-steps-down-amid-outrage-over-shooting-death-teen/?test=latestnews

- Bank of America is going to test a pilot program where it will forgive homeowners about to enter foreclosure of their debt in exchange for a transfer of the home's title to the bank. The bank will then allow homeowners to rent the house from the bank for up to three years (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/23/bank-american-begins-pilot-program-offering-those-facing-foreclosure-chance/?test=latestnews

READER'S POST #13 - Real Men Don't Play with Little Red Toys

By: RLancaster1234

I've been following this blog for a while, and I just had to get this out. It's quick, and it reflects on something from yesterday. I am a Mitt supporter, and I'm tired of people like Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich scorching the earth in front of the man most likely to be the GOP nominee.

What am I talking about? This: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

And this: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-campaign-reiterates-reset-button-line-opponents-pounce-164442085.html

And this: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/21/10797801-romney-says-hell-run-as-conservative-amid-etch-a-sketch-gaffe

And many, many more.

March 22, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- After not hearing from Mohammed Merah over night, French police report that shooting has broken out at the house he is holed up in (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/22/world/europe/france-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Former Florida governor Jeb Bush has formally endorsed Mitt Romney to win the GOP nomination (Fox News): http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/03/21/jeb-bush-endorses-romney?test=latestnews

- Hundreds honor Trayvon Martin while seeking justice in the 17 year old's killing. Supporters marched in New York City in what they call the Million hoodie march (MSNBC): http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/21/10799258-hundreds-march-in-support-of-trayvon-martin-family-in-miami-new-york

Don't Let the Media Twist the Truth - Illinois Primary Turnout

In 2008, John McCain was seen as a weak candidate. Why? Was he really that weak? Or did the media just tell us this (over and over)?

This time around, the media also claims Mitt Romney isn't strong enough. Why? Is a candidate with business experience, turn-around experience, and a history of working well with the opposition really that unfit to be president, or is that simply what the media wants us to believe? It seems that this is a big chicken and egg problem. Is there really a big problem with Mitt and that's why he hasn't locked in the nomination, or is the media telling us this, and people are mindlessly voting this way? That remains to be seen.

We cannot stand on the sidelines as the media continues to blast us with misinformation and negative GOP-related headlines. One common theme we have seen throughout the GOP primary process is low turnout. Is this really true? Take this headline from Chris Wills of the AP (printed in the Detroit Free Press):

http://www.freep.com/article/20120320/NEWS15/120320065/Romney-wins-Republican-presidential-primary-Illinois-

"Turnout low," huh? Well, Mr. Wills, let's see.

March 21, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Mitt Romney wins the Illinois primary: 

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/politics/illinois-primary/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

     - Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/20/romney-seeks-to-cushion-delegate-lead-in-illinois/

     - MSNBC: http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/20/10779461-romney-wins-illinois-gop-primary

- A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck about 200 miles southwest of Mexico City yesterday (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/world/americas/mexico-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- House republicans released their deficit-cutting budget plan Tuesday. Democrats immediately dismissed it as being pro-corporation and anti-medicare (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/20/house-republicans-to-unveil-budget-blueprint/?test=latestnews

The Illinois Republican Primary - March 20th, 2012

The GOP primary train makes a stop in the Land of Lincoln.

Twitter Tags: #ILPrimary #IL #Illinois #IllinoisPrimary

This open forum post is designated to the Illinois republican primary.

With Mitt Romney's big win in Puerto Rico, and his expanding delegate lead, each remaining primary is important... but for whom? With the number of remaining primary states shrinking, is it more important for Mitt to continue to capture delegates before the GOP convention, or is it more important for Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul to take each and every final delegate away from the front runner? Who has the shorter leash?

Other Key Questions:

- Who do you think will win the Illinois primary?
- Will anyone drop out after this primary?
- Will the winner of the Illinois primary win the GOP nomination? Rick Santorum guarantees that if he wins in Illinois he will win the nomination: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/19/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html - What will happen?
- Can you predict who finishes where (percentages)?

Share your thoughts, predictions, opinions, analysis, etc. below. Thank you.

March 20, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- The F.B.I. will open an investigation into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Martin was shot an killed by a neighborhood watch leader who claimed that when he approached Martin he was attacked and shot Martin in self defense (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Mitt Romney looks to build on his win in the Puerto Rico primary with a win in the Illinois primary. Polls show he has an edge over Rick Santorum (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/20/romney-looks-to-widen-delegate-lead-in-illinois-gop-primary/#ixzz1peKG1F2z?test=latestnews

- A wave of bombings and shootings have left 46 people dead in Iraq over night (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57400524/wave-of-bombs-leaves-carnage-across-iraq/?tag=stack

- The attorney for Sgt. Robert Bales claims Mr. Bales has no recollection attacking and killing 16 Afghan citizens (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57400295/lawyer-bales-wasnt-drunk-and-cant-remember/?tag=stack

This is Just Plain Wrong on So Many Levels

File this under the "oh, come on" category. File this under "what... are you kidding?" File this under "this kind of crap is disturbing."

What am I talking about? See this:

This can be found on Yahoo!: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/racist-don-t-nig-anti-obama-bumper-sticker-162917634.html

How can anyone in the world condone this? Racially-charged hate speech has no place in politics, life, anything, period. 

March 19, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Mitt Romney easily wins the Puerto Rico Primary (MSNBC): http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/17/10734544-romney-wins-puerto-rico-primary

- A gunman killed 3 students and a teacher at a Jewish school in France (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/19/world/europe/france-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the American soldier accused of killing 16 Afghans in a shooting rampage last week, will meet face-to-face with his attorney John Henry Brown for the first time today (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/money-career-woes-plagued-afghan-killings-suspect-15947589#.T2cUJ8US1WI

March 16, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- According to the U.N., the death toll in the Syrian opposition uprising has reached 8,000 (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57398243/un-syrian-uprising-death-toll-passes-8000/?tag=stack

- North Korea has announced it plans to launch a satellite into space using a long-range rocket. The U.S. believes this is a disguised ballistic missile test (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/03/15/north-korea-announces-plan-to-launch-satellite/?test=latestnews

- Obama uses campaign speech at a Maryland community college to attack GOP candidates' claims on gas prices (MSNBC): http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/15/10702357-obama-pushes-back-on-gas-production-prices

March 15, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Tempers heat up as Afghan protesters demand the American soldier accused in the killing 16 Afghan citizens be tried in Afghanistan (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/15/world/asia/afghanistan-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- New CBO estimates claim Obamacare is twice as expected as originally thought (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/14/cbo-health-law-estimate-shows-much-higher-spending-beyond-first-10-years/

- After backlogs slowed the process down, foreclosures are expected to increase (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/15/real_estate/foreclosures/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

NEW POLL: Which Position is Most Important To You?

For our first Reader's Poll, reader RLancaster1234 asked a very interesting question. It's quite simple: which of your positions is most important to you? Your economic position or your social one? Please see and vote in the poll on the right.

After receiving his/her email about this poll, it made me think. I know which positions I view as most important, but I wonder what other people think. To me, I weigh economic positions with far greater importance than I weigh social ones. Economic positions (taxes, government spending, regulations, etc.), in my opinion, tie us all together and affect us all on the aggregate level, whereas social positions (gay marriage, abortion, capital punishment etc.) tend to affect people on an individual basis.

Of course, I couldn't stop there. I had to think more:

March 14, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Rick Santorum swept the Alabama and Mississippi primaries yesterday. Mitt Romney won the Hawaii and American Samoa caucuses:

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/13/politics/primaries/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

     - Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/13/alabama-mississippi-gop-primary/

     - ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/rick-santorum-wins-alabama-and-mississippi-pledges-to-compete-everywhere/

- A strong, 6.8 in magnitude earthquake shook northern Japan over night.

     - Fox News: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/14/world/asia/japan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/14/world/asia/japan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- In breaking with usual classified protocol, the U.S. military has decided to show an Afghan official a video of the alleged shooter in this weekend's shooting spree attack to prove it was a lone American soldier (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57396922/afghan-official-soldiers-surrender-on-video/?tag=stack

The Alabama and Mississippi Primaries

Don't forget the Hawaiian and American Samoa caucuses, too.

Though this isn't as big as Super Tuesday, the southern primaries are key. Most polls have shown that these two states will easily go to Newt Gingrich, but recent polls have shown that Mitt Romney's popularity is on the rise. This could be a "win-or-go-home" night for the former Speaker.

Key Questions:

- Who will win the Alabama primary? Who will win the Mississippi primary?
- Will Newt Gingrich go two-for-two?
- If Newt does not win either state, is that the end of his candidacy?
- Will Mitt Romney surprise the country by winning both states? If he does, is he locked in for the nomination?
- How will Rick Santorum do? Ron Paul?
- Who will drop out after these primaries?

- If you have your own questions, have them answered by posting them in the forum below.

Predictions:

- Predict who will finish where in each state.
- What percentages will each candidate capture?

All comments and discussions are welcomed. Thank you.

March 13, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- The Alabama and Mississippi primaries are tonight. These could be seen as a last ditch effort for Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul to knock off Mitt Romney as the front-runner for the GOP nominatino (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/12/republican-candidates-court-southern-support-before-primaries/

- The widely publicized mortgage settlement between the nation's five largest mortgage lenders and the states' attorneys general will help far less people than anticipated (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/13/real_estate/mortgage-settlement/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

- The U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghans in a shooting spree this weekend could face the death penalty if convicted (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/soldier-could-death-afghan-shootings-us-010157970.html

- The Obama administration has brought another trade case against China. The U.S. wants China to end certain export restrictions on materials needed for high-tech goods (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ap-source-us-brings-trade-case-china-15907935#.T18sAcUS1WI

March 12, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- After Rick Santorum's win in the Kansas primary, the GOP candidates turn their sights south (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/12/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- The Taliban has vowed revenge against the U.S. for the random killing of 16 people in Afghanistan by an American soldier (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/12/world/asia/afghanistan-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- One-year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, CBS News looks at the state of the region (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57394987/the-scar-that-a-tsunami-left-on-japan/?tag=stack

President Obama Campaigns in Houston - A Quick Thought

I watched president Obama's campaign speech in Houston tonight. He said the oft-spoken phrase, "we are better together than we are apart."

He went on to say, "we want each and every American to realize the American dream: that if you work hard, if you put in your time, if you store a little away for retirement, you can be successful and you can live the American dream."

Ummmm... does anyone see a problem with this? If WE are all forced to work together, people of different skills, education, motivation, productivity, etc., we will naturally have people who produce and accomplish at different rates and levels. This will lead to the natural condition that does and should exist: income inequality. Yes, income inequality is a good thing. If WE are all tied together, we will naturally have people that don't pull their weight. People will naturally slide and slime their way into prosperity while giving less and taking more. And if they contribute less, they should have less. This is the way it is, and the way it should be. Forcing income equality will ultimately do one thing: kill incentive.

Keep in mind, Obama's first sentence listed above differs greatly from the second listed below it. Can you see the difference? He talks about a world in which WE are all working together (which sounds great, but is pragmatically terrible) but only YOU realize the dream, and only YOU get to be successful. So which is it? WE or YOU?

The last thing he said: change will come? How much longer do we have to wait? I'm sorry, our country and our future is way too important to give another 4 years to a guy that is basically saying, "just wait a second... wait a second... I need a little more time."

Re-post: READER'S POSTS: Our Open Forum Blog

Every once in a while we are going to re-post this to ensure it's "fresh" on the front page of our blog. We want everyone to have the option to express themselves. We are open to writings on both the right and the left, and we will publish all that are submitted. We hope to get a few more from the right, however, since we want to see more Loudmouth Elephants out there. The left is very good at being vocal, and I don't think conservatives are keeping up. Do we want our positions heard? Do we want people to understand our viewpoints? We conservatives need to be louder and prouder!

March 9, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Greek debt holders have agreed to a bond settlement which would help the struggling country avoid bankruptcy. Most bond holders will experience significant losses (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/09/business/greece-debt-creditors/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- The U.S. and Afghanistan have reached a deal on the handover of Afghan prisons (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/03/09/us-afghans-reach-deal-on-handover-prisons/?test=latestnews

- The leader of the Syrian opposition group says that talks and negotiations suggested by former U.N. leader Kofi Annan would be "unrealistic" and a "waste of time." (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57394000/syria-opposition-rejects-call-for-dialogue/?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

Tax The Rich: Obama Class Warfare/Campaign Ploy or Legit Deficit Reduction Option?

Tax the rich! Tax the rich! Fair share... and all that.

We've heard it; you've heard it... over and over and over again. Obama and many on the left have used this slogan repeatedly. We ask why? Why is this so popular? Is it truly a move that once executed could reign in the deficit? Could we close the spending vs. deficit gap? Sure, our government spends $3.81 trillion per year, which works out to about $122,000 per second, but perhaps we wouldn't be in such dire straits financially ($1.3 trillion yearly deficit) if we just taxed the rich more, right? Or is this the mantra of class warfare? Is it a hollow, do-nothing tactic that will ultimately pit the non-rich versus the rich without actually doing anything positive for our federal budget? Who knows?

March 8, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Our sun has set off a serious of solar flares has sent radiation towards earth. This radiation could possibly disrupt communication, GPS, and cell technology signals (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/07/sun-fires-off-2-huge-solar-flares-could-impact-weather-on-earth/?intcmp=features

- A low-level speculation about a Romney - Santorum ticket (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/rick-santorum-demand-mitt-romney/story?id=15870630#.T1ifFcAS1WI

- The House is expected to vote today on a bill designed to aid small businesses (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/08/politics/jobs-act/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- Lottery winner living on food stamps? This woman says it's justified (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/michigan-woman-still-collecting-food-stamps-winning-1-201751693.html

READER'S POLLS - What Do YOU Want to Know About?

If you follow our blog, you probably noticed we like to conduct polls. Some have been very popular and have received over 250 votes; some haven't been so lucky.

In keeping with our goal of making sure this is truly an open-forum people's blog, we want readers to conduct their own polls. How would it work?

It's simple:

Step 1: Think of what you would like to poll. Some examples are, "If you could give Obama a grade for his first 3 years, what would it be?" or "What will the unemployment rate be on election day?" It can be anything.

Step 2: Think of the possible choices. For example, "A, B, C, D, F" or "6.0% - 7.0%, 7.0% - 8.0%, 8.0% - 9.0%, 9.0% - 10.0%"

Step 3: Email it to us at loudmouthelephant@gmail.com. Be sure to tell us if you want your screen name displayed in the poll or if you would like to remain anonymous.

Step 4: Tell people to vote; Watch your poll's results.

Our polls will run for one week voting spans. We will pick from the submissions at random. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to let us know.

READER'S POST #12 - Rush Got it Wrong

By: 32slim32

While we suffer through the highest period of unemployment in American history, deal with rising fuel prices, and trillion dollar-plus deficits, at least we are focused on the most important issue facing America today: free contraceptives for law students.

Ms. Fluke testified before Congress that, “Without insurance coverage, contraception, as you know, can cost a woman over $3,000 during law school. For a lot of students who, like me, are on public interest scholarships, that’s practically an entire summer’s salary.”

First of all, $1,000 a year for contraceptives? Gee, someone must be telling a lie. According to Planned Parenthood’s website, “Birth control pills may be purchased with a prescription at a drugstore or clinic. They cost about $15–$50 a month”. Let’s see $50 a month times 12 months per year comes out to $600 per year and a total of $1,800 for the entire three years of law school.

Now Rush, you can’t be using derogatory, demeaning, and non-politically correct terms like “slut.” We must turn to our compassionate, caring-and-concerned-about-women liberal counterparts to find acceptable language. Apparently “cunt” is the term you should have used. Every time Bill Maher calls Sarah Palin that there is no outrage, no 24/7 headlines, and a lot of people laugh.

March 7, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Super Tuesday's final count: Romney wins 6 states, Santorum wins 3, Gingrich wins 1, Paul wins 0 (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/07/romney-builds-delegate-lead-with-super-tuesday-wins/

- 6 world powers met in Vienna, Austria Wednesday to try to find some common ground on how to handle Iran (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/france-skeptical-irans-willingness-talk-15866101#.T1dNDcAS1WI

- Obama touts changing the nation's tax laws (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-nation-needs-changes-tax-laws-005216208.html

March 6, 2012 - Super Tuesday - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- Super indeed... Super Tuesday will be watched by many Americans, the GOP candidates, President Obama, and it will be covered by all news networks:

     - Fox News: http://fxn.ws/xQzp0e

     - CNN: http://bit.ly/yEYSIG

     - ABC News: http://abcn.ws/zkjpZK

     - MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/wLr4hy

- As President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday, Netanyahu made it clear that Israel's security will be managed by Israel as it sees fit (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/05/us/obama-netanyahu/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- U.S. Attorney General defended the killing of Americans that are considered terrorists (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/05/holder-defends-killings-american-citizens-overseas-in-war-on-terrorism/?test=latestnews?test=latestnews

- North Korea conducts live-fire drills near North-South border (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nkorea-stages-live-fire-drills-amid-tensions-15854781#.T1X_IicS1WI

Super Tuesday Forum

Just imagine one of those obnoxious monster truck rally commercials here: Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday!

Here we are: Super Tuesday. Ten states, 410 (17.9% of the total) delegates... one night.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_Super_Tuesday,_2012

So... what will happen?

March 5, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- President Obama proclaims that all options, including military attack, are on the table for preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/04/politics/obama-aipac/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- Amid allegations of election fraud, Vladimir Putin is poised to retake the Russian presidency (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/04/world/europe/russia-election/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- GOP candidate Mitt Romney picked up a major nomination over the weekend as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor endorsed the former Massachusetts governor (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/eric-cantor-house-majority-leader-endorses-mitt-romney/

- Al Qaeda in Iraq is believed to be responsible for an attack that killed 25 policemen in Western Iraq Sunday (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iraqi-demands-kurdish-arrest-vice-president-15844220#.T1St0IcS1WI

The Washington Caucus

This one kind of snuck up on everyone. It hasn't received much press, but yes, it is today. This is a non-binding caucus, and the little press coverage it has received has claimed that Ron Paul is a the current favorite. Four years ago, Mitt Romney did not do well here.

Key Questions: 

Who will win the Washington Caucus?
If Ron Paul does not win, will he at least finish in second place?
Is this state crucial for Mitt Romney? Can he overlook Washington?
What about Santorum and Newt? How will they do?
Will this state provide a much-needed boost going into Super Tuesday?

Have a great weekend!

March 2, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- The state of Michigan has broken its delegate tie by awarding 16 delegates to Mitt Romney and 14 to Rick Santorum (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/01/politics/primaries/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- Maryland governor Martin O'Malley signed gay marriage into law Thursday. Gay marriage opponents plan to collect signatures to put the issue on the November ballot (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/01/maryland-gov-omalley-signs-bill-legalizing-gay-marriage/?test=latestnews

- T.J. Lane, the suspect in the Chardon, Ohio school shooting, has been formally charged with three counts of murder (MSNBC): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/01/10552637-teen-charged-with-three-counts-of-murder-in-ohio-school-shooting

- Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart died from unexpected natural causes Thursday. He is survived by a wife and four children (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/01/andrew-breitbart-dies-natural-causes-website-reports/?test=latestnews

Andrew Breitbart Dead at Age 43

He was perhaps the biggest inspiration for this blog. You will be missed, Andrew. To you, a tribute... your own permanent space:

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Way Elections Should Be?

Sometimes, the democratic process that is America scares me. Why? Because I am worried that the general population does not vote based on what they truly believe or know. I worry that the electorate votes on what the media tells them. I worry they vote based on a candidate's race, or how they look, or how their voice sounds, or some other completely unrelated side issue.

Case in point: the potential voter in the following link believes something that is 100% false, and, unfortunately, is likely to vote based on this issue: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/02/exploring-tax-myth-what-tax-rates-do.html

Sadly, many, many Americans believe this myth, and they will go to the polls in November with this (and other misinformation) in their heads. To me, this is not good for the country. To have an uninformed electorate, in my opinion, is dangerous.

March 1, 2012 - Morning Headlines

Morning Headlines:

- In a positive step towards normalizing relations with North Korea, the reclusive nation has decided to halt nuclear activities in exchange for food (CNN): http://us.cnn.com/2012/02/29/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-deal/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- Maryland governor Martin O'Malley is expected to sign gay marriage into law today (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/md-gov-sign-gay-marriage-legislation-thursday-15822925#.T09k8Ic7VWI

- Two Americans were killed in Afghanistan when two Afghan gunman turned their guns and fired indiscriminately at a NATO security force. The gunmen were allegedly upset at the recent Koran burning incident (MSNBC): http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/01/10546614-two-american-troops-shot-dead-by-afghans

- Bank of America is going to pilot a monthly fee for checking accounts. This is after strong customer opposition to its proposed $5 debit card fee (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/01/bank-america-considering-monthly-fee-for-basic-accounts/?test=latestnews