April 30, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- With the addition today's steel, One World Trade Center will surpass the Empire State Building as the tallest building in New York City nearly 10½ years after the September 11th tragedy (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/29/one-world-trade-center-to-retake-title-nyc-tallest-building/?te

- U.S. Special Operations troops are assisting various African forces in the search for the now infamous Joseph Kony (MSNBC): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47226591/ns/world_news/#.T55wL7M3smE

- An SUV fell off a 50-foot overpass into a ravine at the Bronx Zoo, tragically killing all 7 passengers comprising three generations (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/officials-probe-bronx-suv-accident-killed-16241076#.T55xYbM3smE

Time To Wake Up - Seth Leibsohn's Morning Monologue on Bill Bennett's Morning in America

The following transcript was sent to The Elephant in the Room by Bill Bennett's Morning in America radio show. For those that don't know, Morning in America is a radio show that airs live Monday through Friday from 6:00am to 9:00am, EST. It is hosted by Dr. William Bennett, the former U.S. Secretary of Education. Bennett's radio show is an insightful one, and he runs it just as we run our blog: respectfully, and guided with truth and fact. Bill does not engage in shouting matches and he slings no insults. His show is nothing but intelligent, fact-based debate where all viewpoints are discussed and respected regardless of platform.

Website: http://www.billbennett.com/

On Fridays, the show is run by a special guest host (usually Seth Leibsohn). The host runs the show in the same manner as Bill and never deviates from the values of thoughtful debate that Bill maintains throughout his broadcasts.

Below is the transcript from today's show. I think it raises good, fair questions about the President's record, his accomplishments, and his overall push for Obama-defined "fairness." Agree or not, in my opinion, it's a good debate especially with a general election that's 6 months away.

April 27, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The U.S. military has announced that it will shift 9,000 marines away from the Japanese island of Okinawa and place them in select areas around the Pacific such as Guam (MSNBC): http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/26/11418757-us-to-move-9000-marines-out-of-okinawa?lite

- The government will be releasing a report later today outlining the country's economic growth. A predicted growth rate of +2.5% is expected. This would be a slower growth rate than the 3.0% growth rate experienced at the end of 2011 (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/growth-dipped-winter-2012-brightens-16225690#.T5p72bM3smE

- The man behind the waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques at Guantanamo Bay detention facility spoke to CBS News and defended these techniques (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57422476/ex-cia-chief-defends-waterboarding-of-al-qaeda-leader/?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

- Travyon Martin shooter George Zimmerman has raised more than $200,000 from donations via a website set up for that purpose (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/26/attorney-says-zimmerman-had-200g-from-web-donations/?test=latestnews

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME Arizona immigration law poll on the left ***

Why The U.S. Shouldn't Have a Progressive Tax-Rate System: An Issue of Equality

April is tax month, and the deadline to file your income tax returns has already passed. If you have read through this blog, you probably realized taxation is something I am passionate about. If I had to place a percentage on it, I'd say 75-85% of all posts I write are about taxation. I'm a flat-tax proponent, and I don't hide it. To me, America was built on equality, and it should stay that way. We follow the principle of equality for nearly all things... except taxation.

Our country has laws, rules, and regulations to make sure things stay fair. These laws were created to ensure our government and our citizens are on the "up-and-up." We simply can't ignore our principles just to solve problems. I've said this before, but I will repeat this little example:

April 26, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The U.S. Marine who has be discharged for making negative comments about President Obama on Facebook now regrets making those comments (MSNBC): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/25/11396769-marine-who-criticized-obama-on-facebook-i-wish-i-could-take-it-back?lite

- President Obama defends attempts to woo young voters with his push to extend a 2007 law keeping student loan rates at 3.4% (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/president-obama-defends-student-loan-push/

- A bribes-for-drug smuggling operation has been uncovered involving T.S.A. agents at Los Angeles International Airport (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57421663/transportation-security-administration-drug-smuggling-case-stems-from-airport-mix-up/?tag=stack

- Though reading into the Supreme Court's justice's words can prove difficult, this article claims, based on yesterday's testimony, that the court might side with Arizona regarding its controversial immigration law (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/25/arizona-immigration-law-battle-arrives-at-supreme-court/?test=latestnews

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME Arizona immigration law poll on the left ***

I Have to Admit: This Hyperbolic Youtube Clip Made Me Laugh

So of course, being tax month, I had to find a Youtube clip about taxation. It's silly... I'll admit it. Typically I don't get into kitchy internet videos about politics, but this one did make me laugh a little. It's snide, and it makes few points, but it starts a conversation about taxation (you know I just love that).

What do you think? When discussing taxes with my friends, I tend to remind them of alllllllllll the taxes they pay in one day. I typically say something like, "you woke up in a bed on which you paid taxes... your cell phone alarm woke you up, and you paid taxes on that... you brushed your teeth and paid taxes on the tooth brush, etc." I wish this video went down that path, but alas, it still starts a tax conversation.

What's your opinion? Mine, briefly: the government spends $3.818 trillion every year. That's nearly 4 times the yearly average income of each American. Even with every single tax we pay, the government falls short by trillions. How? Maybe we wouldn't need all these taxes if the government just spent less? Maybe? Ugh!

April 25, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- As expected, Mitt Romney won the Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island primaries. He is now fully focused on beating Barack Obama in the general election in November:

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/24/politics/april-24-primaries/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

     - Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/24/romney-sweeps-five-primaries/

     - MSNBC: http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/24/11373452-romney-declares-victory-in-gop-primary-as-general-election-begins?lite

- The Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments about Arizona's controversial immigration law (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/25/justice/scotus-arizona-law/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- New reports show that the housing slump is not rebounding, and in some cases, it's getting worse (MSNBC): http://economywatch.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/24/11374835-fresh-reports-show-little-evidence-of-housing-rebound?lite

- A top military chief in North Korea claims the reclusive country has powerful weapons capable of reaching the U.S. (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57420608/north-korea-boasts-having-powerful-modern-weapons-capable-of-striking-united-states/?tag=stack

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME Arizona immigration law poll on the left ***

LME Poll Repository

This post will be a storage for all the polls we conduct. When a poll is concluded, the results will be kept here. It will remain on the sidebar of the blog for readers to visit.

Poll: After the GOP's defeat in the 2012 election, how should the party bring in more voters for 2014 and 2016? (November 6, 2012 - January 2, 2013)

- Broadcast economic positions more: 36.89% 
- Move to the right socially: 9.71%  
- Become more economically liberal: 4.85%  
- Move to the center socially/Broadcast social issues less: 42.72%  
- Neither of these; the party is fine: 5.83% 

2012 Presidential Election Poll Tracker Database - Added 11/8/2012

Poll: Final LME Home-stretch General Election Poll: It's a simple question :-), for whom will you vote? (October 28, 2012 - November 6)

- Barack Obama: 12.3%
- Mitt Romney: 85.4%
- Someone Else: 1.9%
- Undecided: 0.3%

Poll: What do you think of Mitt Romney's pick of Paul Pyan as nominee for vice president? (September 1, 2012 - September 10, 2012)

- It's a great pick: 65.3%
- It's pretty good but not great: 12.0%
- Eh, neutral: 2.7%
- It's not that good of a pick: 12.0%
- It's a terrible pick: 8.0%
- Undecided/Don't know enough about Ryan yet: 0.0%

Poll: Have the Obama campaign's ads attacking Mitt Romney's time at Bain Capital affected your opinion of Mitt Romney? 

- Yes: 5.1%
- No: 92.3%
- I have not seen them/Undecided: 2.6%

Poll: Do you support President Obama's recent move on immigration? (June 23, 2012 - June 30, 2012)*

- Yes: 20%
- No: 80%

*Small sample size

Poll: Now that Mitt Romney has secured the GOP nomination, what is your party affiliation and who would you vote for if the election were held today? (June 1, 2012 - June 22, 2012) 

- Democrat - Obama: 12.5%          
- Democrat - Romney: 4.2%                                          
- Republican - Obama: 1.7%
- Republican - Romney: 45.0%
- Independent - Obama: 10.0%
- Independent - Romney: 17.5%
- Undecided - 1.7%
- Neither- 7.4%

Overall:

- Obama: 26.7%
- Romney: 73.3%

Poll: How does Mitt Romney's time at Bain Capital affect your opinion of him? (May 23, 2012 - May 30, 2012)

- It positively affects my opinion: 64.1%
- It negatively affects my opinion: 11.5%
- It is irrelevant to me: 20.5%
- I need more information about Bain: 3.9%

Poll: What is your party affiliation and how do you feel about gay marriage? (May 14, 2012 - May 21, 2012)

- Democrat - I support it: 3.6%            
- Democrat - I oppose it: 3.6%                                            
- Republican - I support it: 11.9%
- Republican - I oppose it: 56.0%
- Independent - I support it: 4.7%
- Independent - I oppose it: 16.6%
- Indifferent/Undecided - 3.6%

Among Democrats*:

Support: 50.0%
Oppose: 50.0%

Republicans:

Support: 17.5%
Oppose: 82.5%

Among Independents:

Support: 22.2%
Oppose: 77.8%

*Small sample size

Poll: What do you think of April's jobs report? (May 4, 2012 - May 11, 2012)

- Great news! Net hiring is still positive: 4.0%
- Good news, but it's a weaker than needed improvement: 8.0%
- Indifferent: 14.0%
- This is pretty bad news, but it's not terrible: 36.0%
- This is awful! 38.0%

Poll: Do you support Arizona's immigration law SB1070? (Apr 24, 2012 - May 2, 2012)

- Yes: 88.9%
- No: 8.9%
- Undecided: 2.2%

Poll: Do you support President Obama's "Buffett Rule?" (Apr 17, 2012 - Apr 24, 2012)

- Yes: 26.3%
- No: 71.1%
- Undecided: 2.6%

Poll: Do you think George Zimmerman should be arrested for the killing of Trayvon Martin? (Apr 10, 2012 - Apr 17, 2012)

- Yes! This was obviously murder: 26.2%
- No, he committed no crime. He was attacked and defended himself under the "stand your ground" law: 35.7%
- I think the court of public opinion should remain silent and let the legal system do its thing: 35.7%
- I do not know or I do not have enough information: 2.4%

This post will be updated at the conclusion of each poll. If you'd like to conduct a poll, please check this out: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/03/readers-polls-what-do-you-want-to-know.html

The Late-April GOP Primaries

This post may be moot, but in sticking with the tradition established at The Elephant in the Room, any GOP Primary is "blog-worthy."

Even though Mitt Romney is the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island will still be holding primaries today.

As always, a few questions for discussion:

- Will there be a surprise surge for Newt Gingrich and/or Ron Paul?
- Will GOP turnout soar or sag? With the nomination nearly locked up, will voters stay home or show their support?
- Will Tuesday spell the end for the Gingrich and Paul campaigns?
- Predictions about percentages?
- Are there any additional questions you'd like to ask to our readers in the comments section below?

Any and all views/opinions are welcomed.

April 24, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Former senator and U.S. presidential candidate John Edward's trial enters its second day as former aide Andrew Young is scheduled to testify again (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/24/politics/john-edwards-trial/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Trustees in charge of Medicare have released their annual report that paints a dimmer picture than most expected. It claims Medicare will not have enough money to full fund payouts in earlier-than-expected 2024 (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/23/news/economy/social_security_medicare_trustees/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3

- Californians will get a chance to vote on repealing the death penalty in their state in November (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/24/california-voters-will-get-chance-to-repal-death-penalty-in-november/#ixzz1sw1dZbhL?test=latestnews

- Speaker of the House John Boehner claims there is a one in three chance the republicans could lose control of the House in November (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57419510-503544/boehner-1-in-3-chance-democrats-retake-house/?tag=exclsv

April 23, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- George Zimmerman has been released on bond (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/23/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- The non-partisan Government Accountability Office has called for an $8 billion Medicare bonus program to be cancelled (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/23/government-auditors-call-for-end-to-8-million-medicare-bonus-program/#ixzz1sqmgRuuU

- President Obama, once critical of then President Bush's use of executive powers to push legislation, is frequently using these powers to push his own legislation (MSNBC): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47138446/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/#.T5U8_bM3smE

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME "Buffet Rule" poll on the left ***   

April 20 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Safety is a concern for George Zimmerman if he is granted bail (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57417505/george-zimmermans-safety-a-concern-if-new-judge-grants-bail-in-trayvon-martin-murder-case/?tag=stack

- Secretary of state Hillary Clinton calls for tougher U.N. moves and potentially sanctions against Syria (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/19/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- Agents involved in the alleged Secret Service Colombian sex scandal are starting to be identified (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/secret-service-agents-colombian-sex-scandal-identified/story?id=16175956#.T5E_orM3smE

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME "Buffet Rule" poll on the left ***

The Doggone Days of the Election Year: Some Advice For The GOP

My wife chose the title for this one, so I have to give credit where credit is due. It's kind of funny since the main reason I started this blog was so I could bark politics online and not at her. There is a connection, trust me. The reason she chose the title: the following subject/rant got me so upset I started barking out loud at home, so naturally she heard about it and chose the title for today's post.

If you haven't heard about this new "dog war," here are some updates:

ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/obama-as-a-boy-ate-dog-meat/

CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57415790-503544/the-doggy-wars-gop-hits-obama-for-eating-dog-as-a-child/?tag=stack

April 19, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta apologizes for recent troop photo scandal while the military says an investigation will be conducted (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/18/world/asia/afghanistan-troops-photos/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

- Three Secret Service agents have been dismissed for their alleged involvement in a prostitution scandal in Columbia (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/18/federal-official-secret-service-firings-coming-resignations-already/?test=latestnews

- India test fired a new missile capable of reaching Beijing and Europe (MSNBC): http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11275632-india-test-fires-china-killer-missile-capable-of-reaching-beijing-europe?lite

- The judge in the George Zimmerman murder trial said she would recuse herself because of two potential conflicts of interest (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57415931-504083/judge-jessica-recksiedler-steps-down-from-george-zimmerman-murder-case/?tag=stack

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME "Buffet Rule" poll on the left ***    

April 18, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- After the U.S. removed the food aid pact with North Korea, the reclusive country is promising retaliation and potentially a nuclear attack (Yahoo): http://news.yahoo.com/angry-north-korea-threatens-retaliation-nuclear-test-expected-062854303.html

- The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling that the Arizona law requiring voters to show proof of identification did not violate voters' constitutional rights. Other provisions were struck down (Fox News): http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/04/17/arizona-court-upholds-voter-id-law-strikes-down-critical-provision/

- More details are emerging about the Secret Service sex scandal. New details show the agents partied heavily before the summit (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57415475/sources-secret-service-personnel-partied-prior-to-summit/?tag=stack

- A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are in a dead heat 46-46 (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57415623-503544/obama-romney-in-dead-heat-among-registered-voters-cbs-news-new-york-times-poll-finds/?tag=breakingnews

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME "Buffet Rule" poll on the left ***    

RE-POST: READER'S POST #6 - Fact Checking the Commander in Chief

This post has received some new attention recently. Our blog traffic monitor says that this post is receiving a lot of hits and even new comments. I wanted to put this on the front page so that people who are new to the blog have a chance to see it. It is simply being moved to the front of our blog so that original comments are preserved. Of course, open debate is always welcome.

Original text: 

By: 32slim32

President Obama in an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer was asked about Newt Gingrich referring to him as the “Food Stamp President” had this reply:

"First of all, I don't put people on food stamps. People become eligible for food stamps. Second of all, the initial expansion of food-stamp eligibility happened under my Republican predecessor, not under me. Number three, when you have a disastrous economic crash that results in 8 million people losing their jobs, more people are going to need more support from government."

April 17, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The Secret Service had 11 of its members' security clearances disqualified for allegedly bringing prostitutes to their hotel (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/16/us/secret-service-colombia/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- The Buffett Rule (as expected) did not receive enough votes to avoid dying off in the Senate (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/16/senate-gop-blocks-obama-buffett-rule-minimum-tax-on-millionaires/

- Accused murder George Zimmerman's defense team has asked for a new judge (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/zimmerman-asks-judge-cites-case-conflict-16151296

- Suspected Norway killer Anders Breivik has shown no remorse and has even said he would kill again (Norway): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/zimmerman-asks-judge-cites-case-conflict-16151296

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME "Buffet Rule" poll on the left ***       

April 16, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Anders Breivik, the suspect of the mass killings in Norway last summer will plead self defense (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/16/world/europe/norway-breivik-trial/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- President Obama says he will be "angry" if the accusations of sexual misconduct involving the Secret Service are true (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/15/congress-to-probe-secret-service-prostitution-scandal/

- Violent twisters ripped through the Midwest, killing 5 this weekend (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/children-dead-oklahoma-tornado-watches-issued/story?id=16142721#.T4v_tbM3smE

#FF Re-post: Attn: Washington. I Can Take Care of Myself, Thank You

Attn: Washington. I Can Take Care of Myself, Thank You (Originally Posted on November 30th, 2011) - Original Text: 

What a funny coincidence! I saw a quote earlier today. It was a comment someone made on CNN.com, and the person who made it was speaking as if they were President Obama. They said, tongue-in-cheek, "I promise to take money away from those who won't vote for me and give it to those that will." HA! My response: check out the post on our blog titled "Progressive Taxes: The Ultimate Conflict of Interest." Since my response, viewership of that blog post has skyrocketed.

I then saw a few news articles that were about that very quote personified:     Fox News     The Hill     Huffington Post

April 13, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Defying the international community's demands to launch its controversial rocket, North Korea went ahead with the launch yesterday. The rocket failed and broke up before escaping the earth's atmosphere (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/13/world/asia/north-korea-launch/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Though it appears that Syria has heeded the U.N.'s call for a cease fire, some activists claim there have been smaller clashes near the Syrian-Turkey border (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/13/activists-say-syrian-troops-rebels-clash-near-turkey/?test=latestnews

- Pundit Hilary Rosen apologizes to Ann Romney for her remarks that Romney has "never worked a day in her life" (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57413216-503544/hilary-rosen-apologizes-to-ann-romney-for-poorly-chosen-words/?tag=stack

An Open Discussion About the Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman Case

Though this might be a story that has been over-played and media juiced for some time now, I wanted to get my personal feelings out about it. I also think that the power of blogging lets us discuss this openly, and though many of the feelings expressed about this case are in the comments sections of LME's daily Morning Headlines posts, there has been no post dedicated to this issue. I believe an open discussion should be had, if for anything, so that people's thoughts and feelings are archived and easily accessible in the future. Our country might look back on this issue in many ways, but at least here, in our corner of the world, hopefully people were together to share their views in their own way. 

I want to start by saying this is a sensitive issue, and I ask all people to keep that respect in mind. I also will not be discussing Trayvon's or George's families as I am sure they are both grieving in their own inconceivable ways.

Now that George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder, the case takes a new twist. "Justice" is key, but I intentionally put quotes around justice for a reason. I want to address both sides. 

April 12, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- George Zimmerman, confessed shooter of Trayvon Martin was charged by special prosecutor Angela Corey with second degree murder. His attorney will seek bail:

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

     - Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/11/zimmerman-to-be-charged-by-florida-special-prosecutor-report-says/

     - MSNBC: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/11/11144255-george-zimmerman-in-custody-will-plead-not-guilty-to-second-degree-murder-in-trayvon-martin-case?lite

- Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen ignites a fury by claiming Ann Romney "never worked a day in her life" (CNN): http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/12/democrats-comment-about-ann-romney-creates-firestorm-on-twitter/?hpt=hp_t2

- The Connecticut legislature has officially voted to end the death penalty in the state (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/conn-legislature-approves-repeal-death-penalty-16121474#.T4a0t1E3smE

- Former Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards heads to court to defend himself against charges that he used campaign money to hide an extra-marital affair (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/john-edwards-trial-former-senator-set-to-face-jury-in-north-carolina/

- Syrian government artillery goes silent as U.N. cease fired deadline approaches (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/fighting-rages-countdown-syria-truce-000625776.html

Obama's Speech at Florida Atlantic University - April 10th, 2012 - A Mini Fact Check

President Obama gave a speech at Florida Atlantic University yesterday to a crowd of 4,500. This isn't going to be a nit-picky analysis of his speech, but a quick, surface inspection. Before I get in to it, as always, (I hate to sound redundant here), I must state that republican or democrat, liberal or conservative, this blog stands for truth above all things. We take positions, and we use facts, cited, and citable data to back those positions.

I wanted to hit on just a major issue I took exception to, and I hope others go deeper with this speech. This open forum is for any and all people to share their views about his speech, Obama, the economy, etc. 

With that, please see the transcript of Obama's FAU speech here: http://www.shallownation.com/2012/04/09/president-obama-florida-atlantic-univ-speech-video-april-10-2012-in-boca-raton-fl/

If you've read through this blog, you know that nothing bothers me more than the misinformation being spread regarding Obama's "tax the rich" strategy and his beloved "Buffett Rule."

April 11, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- An 8.6 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Indonesia this morning. Tsunami warning is in effect:

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/11/world/asia/indonesia-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

     - Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/11/8-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-off-indonesia-triggering-tsunami-warning/#ixzz1rim54ydn?test=latestnews

- Rick Santorum says his decision to withdraw his campaign came down to his odds of winning and his daughter (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/10/politics/santorum-wrapup/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- North Korea now claims to be fueling its rocket. The launch is scheduled for later this week (MSNBC): http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/11/11130963-north-korea-says-fuel-being-injected-into-rocket?lite

- The special prosecutor in the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case has promised to announce a press conference within the next 72 hours to release important news about the case (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/special-prosecutor-plans-announcement-george-zimmerman-lawyers-quit/story?id=16110510

Breaking News - Rick Santorum is Suspending His Campaign

In a surprise move, Rick Santorum is announcing he is suspending his campaign. More to come.

Updates:

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/10/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

READER'S POST #14 FOLLOW-UP - Voter ID Laws = Racism? Ha!

From LME: I wanted to get this preface in here before RLancaster1234's post. This is an email I received last night from Lancaster. It is minimally edited (names hidden, and RLancaster1234 requested that I add the relevant links). This post is a follow-up to RLancaster1234's post seen here: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/04/readers-post-14-voter-id-laws-racism-ha.html

By: RLancaster1234

LME, 

Good evening. I know Reader's Posts are sent in using word documents (http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/03/re-post-readers-posts-our-open-forum.html), but I don't have that much to say, and I don't have that much time.

April 10, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The Maryland State Lottery claims a winner has stepped forth to claim his/her share of the Mega Millions lottery. The winner has chosen to remain anonymous (MSNBC): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/09/11106136-mega-millions-winner-comes-forward-in-maryland?lite

- President Obama to make a stronger push for the "Buffett Rule" (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/10/pf/taxes/obama-buffett-rule/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

- North Korea claims all the prep work for its controversial missile/rocket launch are ready and the launch should take place within the next few days (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/10/north-korea-space-official-says-all-prep-done-for-rocket-launch/?test=latestnews

- George Zimmerman has spoken out for the first time via a website he established titled therealgeorgezimmerman.com (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/09/george-zimmerman-website-asks-for-money-as-shooter-faces-possible-charges-in/?test=latestnews

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME poll on the right ***                  

April 9, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- In addition to a controversial rocket launch expected in the next few days, North Korea is reportedly planning another underground nuclear test (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/09/world/asia/north-korea-launch/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- Two Tulsa, Oklahoma men accused of killing three in a racially-charged shooting spree last week will make their first appearance in court today (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/09/us/oklahoma-shootings/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- Congressional Black Caucus chairman Emanuel Cleaver says it's wrong to accuse republicans of waging a war on women (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/08/prominent-democrat-says-gop-not-waging-war-on-women/

- Stocks are set to slide this week as international securities fell due to the weaker than expected March jobs report (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/asian-stocks-fall-us-hiring-slows-16099500#.T4LCz5k3smE

*** Be sure to vote in the new weekly LME poll on the right ***

The March 2012 Jobs Report

The Bureau of Labor Statistics March 2012 Jobs Report: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

Brief highlights:

Overall unemployment rate = 8.2%

Labor participation rate = 63.8%

Jobs added = 120,000

Share your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and analysis below.

#FF Re-post: Too Big To Fail: A Dangerous Precedent

After monitoring our blog's traffic for some time now, we've realized that viewership drops sharply on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and that's totally expected. With that, we've started doing #FF Re-posts (#FF is the Twitter Hashtag meaning "Follow Friday"). It serves two purposes: First, we don't want to post any new, relevant articles if they won't get viewed and debated. Secondly, for Reader's Posts, we think it would be a disservice to the author to post on a Friday and have his/her post receive little traffic and appreciation. Our solution is to simply post one older post at random every Friday (since November, we've posted over 150 articles) to make sure it appears at the front of our blog and stays "in the mix," so to speak. It ensures that our discussions and debates stay relevant and get reviewed from time to time, and it gives new readers a chance to see some discussions that existed before they found this blog. We believe sharing information and expressing opinions are extremely important, and we hope #FF re-posts help accomplish this. Please email any feedback to loudmouthelephant@gmail.com.

Too Big To Fail: A Dangerous Precedent (Originally Posted on November 11th, 2011) - Original Text: 

April 6, 2012 - Good Friday - Morning Headlines

- The Syrian government seems to be increasing its attacks on civilians and rebels in spite of agreeing on a Kofi Annan-led peace agreement it claimed it would honor (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/06/plans-for-cease-fire-in-syria-in-jeopardy-envoy-says/?test=latestnews

- The Center for Health Transformation, Newt Gingrich's healthcare think tank has filed for bankruptcy (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/reports-gingrichs-think-tank-files-bankruptcy-110831443.html

- A military board recommended that Sgt. Gary Stein be dismissed for posting comments critical of President Obama on his Facebook. Stein claims he was within his free speech rights (MSNBC): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/06/11050149-military-board-tea-party-marine-who-slammed-obama-on-facebook-should-be-dismissed

- The government's March jobs report is expected to show strong job growth and an unemployment rate holding steady at 8.3% (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fourth-straight-month-strong-us-hiring-expected-16084882

April 5, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Connecticut is on the verge of becoming 17th state to abolish the death penalty (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/05/justice/connecticut-death-penalty-vote/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

- In response to the recent uproar over President Obama's comments claiming the Supreme Court would be employing "judicial activism" if it overturned the Affordable Care Act, Attorney General Eric Holder says the Supreme Court does have the final say (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/04/justice-department-under-deadline-to-answer-court-over-obamas-health-law/?test=latestnews

- The Taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack on an Afghan outpost that killed 10 (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-local-police-killed-outpost-attack-16076477#.T318nPAV0mE

- President Obama strikes back at Mitt Romney as Romney's attention is mainly focused on November (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57409554/obama-swings-back-at-romney-talks-deficit-reduction/?tag=stack

- The Jet Blue pilot who interfered with a flight crew on a flight from JFK to Las Vegas has been ordered to take a psychiatric exam to determine if he is competent enough to stand trial (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57409620/jetblue-pilots-competency-for-trial-in-question/?tag=stack

READER'S POST #14 - Voter ID Laws = Racism? Ha!

By: RLancaster1234

I've followed this blog for a little while now, and I like it. It's open, and though I'm usually pretty quiet, in lieu of Reader's Post #13, a few comments here and there and a poll question that was picked up, I usually don't speak my mind to any extent. The title, which I chose intentionally, shows what I'm going to talk about. It's something that has me pretty upset. 

First, let me get this out there. 

1. I'm black.

2. I'm a lawyer.

3. I'm a conservative republican.

Can you handle it? Good. Let's move on. 

April 4, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Former governor Mitt Romney went three-for-three winning the Maryland, Washington DC, and Wisconsin GOP Primaries:

     - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/04/politics/republican-primaries-web/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

     - Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/03/romney-looks-for-big-night-and-beyond-in-wisconsin/

     - MSNBC: http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/03/11007380-romney-turns-to-obama-after-gop-primary-sweep

- Intense, damaging storms swept through the Dallas, Texas area last night destroying an estimated 150 homes. Luckily, there were no deaths and no serious injuries reported (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/04/us/texas-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- NBC has issued an apology for airing an edited version of the George Zimmerman 911 call (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/03/nbc-issues-apology-edited-zimmerman-11-call/?test=latestnews

- The University of Baylor Lady Bears became the first NCAA basketball team in history (men or women) to finish a season 40-0 by defeating Notre Dame in the championship last night (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57409018/baylor-women-win-title-1st-ncaa-team-to-go-40-0/?tag=cbsnewsTwoColLowerPromoArea;fd.morenews

The Maryland, Washington DC, and Wisconsin GOP Primaries

It seems like it has been forever since we've had a significant night for the GOP candidates.

This open forum post is designated to the Maryland, Washington DC, and Wisconsin republican primaries.

Twitter Tags: #MDPrimary #MD #Maryland #MarylandPrimary #DCPrimary #DC #WIPrimary #WI #Wisconsin #WisconsinPrimary

Other Key Questions:

- Who do you think will win the each primary?
- Will Mitt Romney go three-for-three?

- Would poor finishes cause Newt to bow out? Will Ron Paul fight on?

- Will Santorum press on through May, or could tonight be his last night?

- Can you predict who finishes where (percentages)?

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

April 3, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- A shooting at the religious school Oikos University in Oakland, California has left 7 dead. Suspect One L. Goh is in custody (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/oakland-shooting-dead-oikos-university-suspect-idd-goh/story?id=16056854#.T3rV6PAV0mE

- Maryland, Washington DC, and Wisconsin hold GOP primaries today. Rick Santorum, who is currently in second place, vows to press on regardless of today's results (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/02/romney-to-cross-delegate-halfway-mark-as-pressure-builds-on-rivals/?test=latestnews

- Obama lashes out at the Supreme Court, claiming that if they overturn the Affordable Care Act it would be out of "judicial activism" (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57408181-503544/obama-supreme-court-overturning-health-care-would-be-unprecedented/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

- The University of Kentucky won its 8th national championship in college basketball by defeating Kansas last night (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/02/sport/ncaa-mens-basketball/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

USA Today/Gallup Poll Shows Obama Leading GOP Candidates in Swing States

I'm going to keep this short since I wanted to start an open-forum discussion but, is everyone as baffled as I am? I don't write much because my new job is quite limiting, but sometimes I just have to log in and get some things off my chest. 

This new USA Today/Gallup poll shows President Obama is widening his lead over GOP front runners in crucial swing states: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-04-01/swing-states-poll/53930684/1

I just want to shout, "has the country gone mad?!"

This is not good news for the GOP. I just want to know how so many people could be backing President Obama. Just look at the three biggest broken promises: 

April 2, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Top Obama campaign donor, Abake Assongba and her husband, are accused of fraud, further complicating Obama's re-election headaches (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/02/top-obama-re-election-campaign-donor-accused-fraud/

- At the Friends of Syria press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered a total of $25 million in aid to Syria and proclaimed that Syrian president Bashar al Assad must go (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/secretary-clinton-says-syrian-president-assad-must-163814047.html

- So far, the three Mega Millions winners from this Friday's jackpot have not come forward (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Business/us-waits-mega-million-winners-forward/story?id=16050823

*** 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. ***