Author Archives: PEB
Romney opens mouth inserts foot over early US response to attacks?
According to the Associated Press (AP), Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney criticized President Obama following attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, and as per his standard operating procedures he didn’t bother to check his facts, branding as “disgraceful” an early response to the assault in Cairo and saying it sympathized with the attackers.
The attacks were allegedly spurred by a video posted on the Internet, which protesters say attacks Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
Protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to replace the American flag with an Islamic banner, while in the Libyan city of Benghazi, four Americans were shot to death as protesters burned and looted the U.S. consulate.
Romney rushed to release his statement without having all the facts, saying he was outraged by the attacks and the death of the American consulate worker, mewing, “It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”
Of course while Willard was busy throwing gasoline on the fire, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, was condemning the attack in Libya “in the strongest terms.”
“Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet,” Secretary Clinton said. “The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.”
In response to Romney, Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in an email early Wednesday, “We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Gov. Romney would choose to launch a political attack.”
While the campaign may be “shocked” it is of course no surprise, indeed it’s straight out of Romney’s playbook, lie and lie often and loudly; don’t wait for facts, or just plain ignore them. Once again Romney’s proven he’s not ready for the prime time.
Latest 2012 Presidential Polls – 11 Sep 12 Edition
With eight (8) weeks to go until the November election there’s good news and bad news for Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wanna-be Willard Mitt Romney. The good news is he’s finally found his post convention “bounce”, and the bad news? President Obama’s got it. Following a mediocre Republican National Convention filled with all the usual FOX News talking points the Democratic National Convention finished high after three days of incredible speeches and multiple political home runs.
So, how does the GOTP candidate stand up against the President?
The last favorability CNN/Opinion Research poll of likely voters conducted from 7 – 9 Sep 12, showed the President with a 57% favorability rating compared to Romney’s 48%.
So, who’s more electable right now?
In the most recent viable’ national poll(s) – which are any group other than the Washington Times or Rasmussen (which are generally always skewed not just to the right, but far to the right) – the above mentioned CNN/Opinion Research poll of likely voters conducted 7 – 9 Sep 12, if the election were held today:
President Obama 52/Romney 46
The most recent Gallup (Monday – 7 day tracking) poll of registered voters conducted from 3 – 10 Sep 12, if the election were held today:
President Obama 49/Romney 44
As a comparison, the last Gallup Tracking poll prior to the DNC of registered voters conducted 20 – 26 Aug 12 demonstrates clearly how the President’s poll numbers have indeed bumped higher by six points following the DNC:
President Obama 46/Romney 47
The most recent IBD/CSM/TIPP poll of registered voters conducted 4 – 9 Sep 12, if the general election were held today:
President Obama 46/Romney 44
The most recent Democracy Corps (D) poll of likely voters conducted from 23 – 27 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:
President Obama 49/Romney 47
The most recent CBS News poll of registered voters conducted from 22 – 26 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:
President Obama 46/Romney 45
On this day four years ago John McCain was leading in the polls 47.7/45.2 but the President went on to defeat McCain 52.1/44.5.
If the general election was held today, according to national polls, Willard Mitt Romney loses to President Obama in the general election.
And according to state polls, if the General Election were held TODAY (note these are based on current poll numbers – not projections), the Electoral College totals based on all available current poll numbers the President defeats Romney 347/191:
As a comparison, President Obama defeated John McCain 365/173 in 2008
Results of 10 consecutive simulations based on poll data as of 11 Sep 12
Obama 314/224
Obama 337/201
Obama 287/251
Obama 287/251
Obama 285/253
Romney 270/268
Obama 288/250
Obama 313/225
Obama 326/212
Obama 312/226
Of 10 simulations Romney wins only one as the President beats him nine (9) times, and usually by very comfortable margins.
The simulations use cumulative polling data by state and are not based off of national polling data.
Ryan claims he never voted for defense cuts?
According to the Huffington Post, CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell questioned Republican Tea Party (GOTP) vice-presidential wannabe Paul Ryan this past weekend about voting for the very defense cuts he now criticizes President Obama for supporting.
But what brought this line of questioning to the fore front of the 2012 campaign? Blame it on GOTP presidential aspirant Mitt Romney’s “Meet the Press” appearance, where he thrust the cuts squarely into the limelight declaring Republicans had made a “mistake” when they agreed to $500 billion cut in defense spending over the next ten years.
“He’s talking about you because you voted for those cuts, correct?” O’Donnell pressed Ryan.
Ryan defensively tired to claim he’d voted for the cuts because he was trying to find “common ground” with the Democrats in reducing the budget deficit.
But O’Donnell didn’t appear to buy what Ryan was selling pointing out to the Congressman the defense cuts were part of the Budget Control Act Ryan had full throated supported declaring the legislation not only a “victory” but a “positive step forward”.
“So, you voted for defense cuts, and now you’re criticizing the president for those same defense cuts that you voted for and called a victory,” she said.
“The goal was never that these defense cuts actually occur,” Ryan mewed, claiming weakly he supported a sequestration measure, which would have triggered automatic cuts if the so-called supercommittee didn’t reach a deal.
O’Donnell kept up the heat and pressed on saying the act also contained $1 trillion in immediate cuts, including the defense cuts.
“And you also voted for those, and now you’re saying you didn’t vote for them?” she asked.
Ryan whined the Obama administration proposed $478 billion in defense cuts, in addition to cutting about $500 billion in defense from the sequestration.
“Right. A trillion dollars in defense spending, and you voted for it!” O’Donnell shot back.
“No, Norah. I voted for the Budget Control Act.”
No Congressman, you voted for defense cuts. Call it what you will, whine about however you wish, but the truth is you voted for $1 trillion dollars in defense cuts all the time blaming the President for them. Someone needs to review his notes from 9th grade civics class; the House of Representatives Congressman Ryan spends the money, not the President.
Private Sector is Doing Fine – 7 Sep 12 Edition
“The private sector is doing fine” ~ President Obama
“I think he’s really defining what it means to be out of touch with reality.” ~ Willard Mitt Romney
In the 2nd Quarter the following earnings were reported by the private sector:
Yahoo reported $1.08 billion
Facebook reported $1.2 billion
EBay reported $3.4 billion
Macy’s reported $6.12 billion
Travelers reported $6.36 billion
McDonald’s reported $6.92 billion
Morgan Stanley reported $7 billion
Best Buy reported $10.55 billion
Amazon.com reported $12.8 billion
Google reported $12.21 billion
United Parcel Service (UPS) reported $13.4 billion
Coca-Cola reported $13.09 billion
Intel reported $13.5 billion
Dell reported $14.5 billion
Pfizer reported $15.1 billion
Johnson & Johnson reported $16.5 billion
Microsoft reported $18.06 billion
Citigroup reported $18.4 billion
Procter & Gamble reported $20.2 billion
Bank of America reported $22.2 billion
IBM reported $25.8 billion
Verizon reported $28.6 billion
AT&T reported $31.6 billion
Following are third quarter earnings:
Hewlett-Packard reported $29.7 billion
Following are fourth quarter earnings:
News Corp. reported $8.4 billion
Cisco reported $11.7 billion
The private sector added 163,000 jobs in July, according to the ADP report. Analysts had been expecting an increase of 120,000.
The Labor Department reports nonfarm payrolls rose by 96,000 in August from July, less than the 125,000 expected. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 8.1% from 8.3.
The Conference Board’s gauge of consumer confidence rose to 65.9 in July from 62.7 in June, better than the 61.5 economists expected.
The manufacturing sector in the U.S. Midwest expanded at a slightly swifter pace in July than it did the month before. The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago’s PMI gauge came in at 53.7, higher than expectations of 52.5 and a reading of 52.9 in June.
Home prices in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas climbed 2.2% in May from the month before on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, according the S&P/Case-Shiller report. That came in stronger than the 1.5% gain economists expected.
Sales of existing homes rose 2.3% in July from June to an annualized rate of 4.47 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors.
U.S. pending home sales rose 2.4% in July from June, topping the 1% expected and hitting the highest level since April 2010. Sales were up 12.4% from a year ago.
U.S. housing starts jumped 6.9% in June from May to a 760,000-unit rate, topping estimates of a 745,000-unit rate and marking the highest rate since October 2008.
Sales of new single-family homes rose 3.6% in July from June to an annualized rate of 372,000 units. Analysts were expecting an annualized rate of 365,000 units.
The Commerce Department reported that building permits rose 6.8% to a rate of 812,000, the highest level in four years.
The Labor Department reported producer prices climbed 0.3% in July from June, the fastest pace in five months. Analysts expected an increase of 0.2%. Excluding the food and energy components, prices were up 0.4%, also more than the 0.2% increase forecast.
Retail sales climbed 0.8% in July from June, the largest increase since February and a bigger gain than the 0.3% economists expected.
The consumer sentiment reading of the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey showed consumer sentiment increased to 73.6 in early August from July’s final reading of 72.3. The August preliminary reading topped forecasts for an increase to 72.4 and marked the highest level since May.
The broad S&P 500 struck its highest level since May 2008 on 21 Aug 12, while the Dow is sitting less than 60 points beneath its highest point since the end of 2007. Meanwhile, oil futures are jumping 1.5% as the U.S. dollar sinks to its lowest level since early July.
The Markit Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI rose to 51.9 in August from 51.4 in July, the first monthly increase in five months. Readings over 50 point to expansion while readings below 50 indicate contraction.
Orders for long-lasting U.S. goods rose 4.2% in July from June, blowing past estimates of a 2.4% increase. Excluding the transportation segment, orders were down 0.4%, missing estimates of a 0.5% gain.
A second reading on U.S. gross domestic product showed the economy expanded at an annualized rate of 1.7% in the second quarter, in line with economists’ estimates and faster than an initial estimate of 1.5%.
The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas shows home prices rose 2.3% in June from May on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, a bigger gain than the 1.6% expected. Prices were up 0.5% from the same period a year earlier in the first increase since September 2010.
Personal spending rose 0.4% in July from June, as expected, to the highest level since February. Personal income rose 0.3%, also as expected.
A final reading on consumer sentiment for the month of August checked in at 74.3, higher than a preliminary reading of 73.6, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan.
The Institute for Supply Management’s gauge of service-sector activity rose to 53.7 in August, the highest level since May, from 52.6 in July; the index was expected to fall slightly to 52.5.
Stock Market was 8077.56 on 19 Jan 09 and 13,306.64 on 7 Sep 12
New claims for unemployment benefits fell to 365,000 from an upwardly revised 377,000 the week prior. Claims were expected to fall to 370,000 from an initially reported 374,000.
Who’s out of touch Mitt?
Romney claims releasing his tax returns would violate his religious privacy?
Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney’s come up with yet another excuse for not releasing his tax records to do so he claims would violate his religious privacy.
“Our church doesn’t publish how much people have given,” Romney recently told Parade magazine. “This is done entirely privately. One of the downsides of releasing one’s financial information is that this is now all public, but we had never intended our contributions to be known. It’s a very personal thing between ourselves and our commitment to our God and to our church.”
Yeah, well that’s all very nice, except it’s a load of garbage. For one thing, everyone already knows how much he’s donated to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, well at least for one year, because he’s already released one of his returns – well at least part of one, so his whole, “It’s a very personal thing between ourselves and our commitment to our God and to our church,” doesn’t exactly fit this running for president scenario.
Of course if Romney’s claim had any religious validity to it, then why did his father release twelve years worth of tax records when he ran for the Republican nomination in 1968, which by-the-way detailed how much he’d given to the Church during those years?
Then there’s also the point another politically prominent member of the Church, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s called on Romney to release his tax records, as has Jon Huntsman Sr., who reportedly publicly told Willard he needs to release his returns so he can be “square with the American people.”
It’s indeed time for Romney to “be square with the American people”, and to man up and release his returns, that is if he wants the whole mess to go away and if he has any serious – or at least rational – thoughts of becoming president. The American people have grown weary of secrets, especially from conservative elitists who think we can’t handle the truth and to trust them because they know what’s best. Paging “Brother” Romney, the transparency bus is outside honking its horn, get on, or get out of the way for serious candidates who aren’t afraid of letting the voters see their tax records.
The Liberty Tree 