RSS

Tag Archives: Mitt Romney

Libya attack never would’ve happened under Romney?

An alleged aid to Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential footnote Willard Mitt Romney’s claiming the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya would never have happened if Romney were president, and there also wouldn’t have been anti-American protests in the Middle East if Romney were in charge.

“There’s a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you’d be in a different situation,” Romney “toady” Richard Williamson told the Washington Post. “For the first time since Jimmy Carter, we’ve had an American ambassador assassinated.”

Reportedly, Williamson blamed the recent attacks on President Obama’s handling of the region, proclaiming the Muslim world would never have done anything like this because it would have held the hypothetical Romney administration of 2008-2012 in much greater esteem, which would have prevented violent protests over an anti-Muslim film like the one that led to Stevens’s death.

“In Egypt and Libya and Yemen, again demonstrations — the respect for America has gone down, there’s not a sense of American resolve and we can’t even protect sovereign American property,” he said.

So, let me get this straight, under conservative Republicans this sort of thing wouldn’t happen because Republican Presidents have so much more resolve than Democratic ones? Ah, then that would explain the death of the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Francis E. Meloy Jr. who was kidnapped by a Palestinian separatist group and shot along with U.S. economic counselor Robert O. Waring as both diplomats headed to present their credentials to the new Lebanese president in 1976 – during the term of Republican President Gerald Ford.

And how did that famous resolve not prevent the death of U.S. ambassador to Cyprus under the Ford administration, Rodger P. Davies who was killed by sniper fire during a demonstration against American policy by Greek Cypriots at the embassy in Nicosia on Aug. 19, 1974?

And if this “resolve” was so respected and feared how did it fail to thwart the death of the U.S. ambassador to Sudan for the Nixon administration, Cleo A. Noel, Jr., who was killed in 1973 after members of a faction of the PLO, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, specifically called ‘Black September,’ stormed the Saudi embassy in Khartoum during a party for Noel’s outgoing deputy.

And if the Arab world’s kept in check by this so-called Republican “resolve” then what in the name of Richard Millhouse Nixon happened on the morning of September 11, 2001?

Williamson’s a career crony who last served as an official under – I’ll give you three guesses but you won’t need the first two – President George W. Bush. Of course this political hack also failed to mention the numerous deadly attacks on diplomatic compounds in countries like Pakistan, Yemen and Syria which the famous republican resolve also unsuccessfully stopped during the eight disastrous years of the Bush administration.

The President’s campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt condemned Williamson’s comments, “It is astonishing that the Romney campaign continues to shamelessly politicize a sensitive international situation,” he said” The fact is that any president of either party is going to be confronted by crises while in office, and Gov. Romney continues to demonstrate that he is not at all prepared to manage them.”

Amen and amen Mr. LaBolt; but it’s not just Romney who’s not at all prepared it’s also clearly his so-called foreign policy advisors who aren’t at all prepared. Collectively they’re a comedy of errors, and America can’t afford to elect someone whose staff meetings must be accompanied by circus calliope music.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 15, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Private Sector is Doing Fine – 14 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

Since the above exchange between the President and Willard the following indicators the private sector is indeed “doing fine”:

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

Hewlett-Packard reported third quarter earnings of $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.

U.S. retail sales rose 0.9% in August from July, more than the 0.7% expected and the largest rise since February. Excluding the auto segment, sales were up 0.8%, topping estimates of 0.6%.

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.

A preliminary reading on consumer sentiment for the month of September came in at 79.2, up from 74.3 in August and higher than the 74 expected, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan.

Stock Market was 8077.56 on 19 Jan 09 and 13,593.37 on 14 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?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 14, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reasons Why I Can’t Vote for Romney – 12 September Edition

The ever expanding list of reasons as to why I can’t vote for Willard Mitt Romney because he:

12 Sep 12 – Lied about the President’s response to attacks on U.S. diplomats and embassies in Libya and Egypt.

31 Aug 12 – Continues to lie about President Obama’s record, spokes person said the campaign wouldn’t be influenced by fact checking – meaning they’ll lie about whatever and whenever they choose.

Lied during his acceptance speech about President Obama saying he went on an apology tour after being inaugurated, cut $716 billion dollars from Medicare, raised taxes on the middle class and had thrown Israel under the bus.

Allowed VP pick Paul Ryan to give a speech full of lies.

Allowed Clint Eastwood to stand up on stage at age 82 and make a fool out of himself turning a Hollywood icon into the Court Jester.

20 Aug 12 – Lied about President Obama ending welfare to work.

12 Jul 12 – Lied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about his role at Bain Capital; possibly committed a felony.

12 Jul 12 – Lied about when he left Bain Capital

16 Jun 12 – Said he’d do opposite of everything President Obama’s done for Israel

14 Jun 12 – Said it was OK to fire public sector employees

12 Jun 12 – Claimed he wanted to serve in Vietnam although granted multiple deferments

09 Jun12 – Thinks we have too many teachers, fire fighters and police officers

05 Jun 12 –Confirmed earlier confirmation there’s a village missing him

30 May 12 –Has morons on his team –misspells America on campaign iPhone app

29 May 12 – Chose to chum around with Trump

18 May 12 –Confirmed there’s a village missing him

11 May 12 –Joked about bullying a fellow student in high school 

09 May 12 – Lied about saving the auto industry

19 Apr 12 – Refused to release Tax Returns and lied about John Kerry

17 Apr 12 – Failed to denounce Ted Nugent

14 Apr 12 – Thought “struggling” in college wass divesting some of your stock portfolio

11 Apr 12 – Willard didn’t know what the Lilly Ledbetter Act was

29 Mar 12 – Told a “humorous” story about firing people

29 mar 12 – Accepted campaign money from Pink Slime producer

28 Mar 12 – Supported Scott Walker

27 Mar 12 – Thought the Soviet Union’s still our number one threat

19 Mar 12 – Said he’d push back against “evil” teachers unions

23 Feb 12 – Lied about requiring Massachusetts’ non-profit hospitals to provide emergency contraception

10 Feb 12 –Claimed only Americans place hand over heart to show how much we love our country

01 Feb 12 – Said he “Doesn’t Worry About the Poor

27 Jan 12 – Failed to Report Interest Earned in His Off Shore Accounts

27 Jan 12 – Lied about his Fannie and Freddie investments being in a blind trust

18 Jan 12 – Stashed Millions in Offshore Accounts

17 Jan 12 – Said $362,000 in Speaking Fees is ‘Not Very Much’?

11 Jan 12 – Believes class warfare is about envy

09 Jan 12 – Vetoed contraception bill for rape victims as governor

09 Jan 12 – Claimed he “likes to fire people”

05 Jan 12 – He released tax plan, steal from the poor and give to the rich

04 Jan 12 – Said Big Bird would get the boot

13 Dec 11 – Bet Perry $10k during a debate

28 Nov 11 – Constantly flip-flops

23 Nov 11 – Said false ad’s ok

14 Nov 11 – Said he’d prepare for war with Iran

08 Oct 11 – Lied to cadets at the Citadel

22 Sep 11 – Claimed to be middle class

06 Sep 11 – He released economic plan favors the rich over everyone else

11 Aug 11 – Said “corporations are people”

05 Aug 11 – Pledged himself to evangelical group

01 Aug 11 – Opposed deal on debt ceiling

06 Jul 11 – Lied about the economy

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 12, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on September 11, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 7, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Latest 2012 Presidential Polls – 4 Sep 12 Edition

We’re now below the double digits with just nine (9) weeks left until the November election and Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wanna-be Willard Mitt Romney’s searching desperately for his “bump” from the “reinvention convention” as we move into the Democratic National Convention. It says a lot about you as a candidate when you receive absolutely no bump from your convention.

So, how does the GOTP candidate stand up against the President?

The last favorability CBS News poll of registered voters conducted from 22 – 26 Aug 12, showed the President with a 41% favorability rating compared to Romney’s 31%.

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 most recent Gallup – Monday (7-day tracking, meaning it began as the GOTP convention was opening), if the election were held today:

President Obama 47/Romney 46

The last Gallup Tracking poll prior to the convention of registered voters conducted 20 – 26 Aug 12 demonstrated how Romney not only didn’t get a bounce but lost some traction:

President Obama 46/Romney 47

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

The most current ABC News/Wash Post poll of registered voters conducted from 22 – 25 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 46/Romney 47

And finally, the most current CNN/Opinion Research poll of likely voters conducted from 22 – 23 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 49/Romney 47

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 332/206:

Results of 10 consecutive simulations based on poll data as of 4 Sep 12

Obama 287/251
Obama 319/219
Obama 313/225
Obama 284/254
Obama 282/256

Romney 282/256
Obama 287/251
Obama 313/225
Obama 313/225
Obama 309/229

Of 10 simulations Romney wins only one as the President beats him nine times usually by very comfortable margins.

The simulations use cumulative polling data by state and are not based off of national polling data.

 
13 Comments

Posted by on September 4, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Private Sector is Doing Fine – 31 Aug 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 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.

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.

The Commerce Department reported that building permits rose 6.8% to a rate of 812,000, the highest level in four years.

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.

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 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.

Stock Market was 8077.56 on 19 Jan 09 and 13,090.84 on 31 Aug 12

Who’s out of touch Mitt?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 31, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reasons Why I Can’t Vote for Romney – 31 August Edition

The ever expanding list of reasons as to why I can’t vote for Willard Mitt Romney because he:

31 Aug 12 – Continues to lie about President Obama’s record, spokes person said the campaign won’t be influenced by fact checking – meaning they’ll lie about whatever and whenever they choose.

Lied during his acceptance speech about President Obama saying he went on an apology tour after being inaugurated, cut $716 billion dollars from Medicare, raised taxes on the middle class and had thrown Israel under the bus.

Allowed VP pick Paul Ryan to give a speech full of lies.

Allowed Clint Eastwood to stand up on stage at age 82 and make a fool out of himself turning a Hollywood icon into the Court Jester.

20 Aug 12 – Lied about President Obama ending welfare to work.

12 Jul 12 – Lied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about his role at Bain Capital; possibly committed a felony.

12 Jul 12 – Lied about when he left Bain Capital

16 Jun 12 – Said he’d do opposite of everything President Obama’s done for Israel

14 Jun 12 – Said it was OK to fire public sector employees

12 Jun 12 – Claimed he wanted to serve in Vietnam although granted multiple deferments

09 Jun12 – Thinks we have too many teachers, fire fighters and police officers

05 Jun 12 –Confirmed earlier confirmation there’s a village missing him

30 May 12 –Has morons on his team –misspells America on campaign iPhone app

29 May 12 – Chose to chum around with Trump

18 May 12 –Confirmed there’s a village missing him

11 May 12 –Joked about bullying a fellow student in high school 

09 May 12 – Lied about saving the auto industry

19 Apr 12 – Refused to release Tax Returns and lied about John Kerry

17 Apr 12 – Failed to denounce Ted Nugent

14 Apr 12 – Thought “struggling” in college wass divesting some of your stock portfolio

11 Apr 12 – Willard didn’t know what the Lilly Ledbetter Act was

29 Mar 12 – Told a “humorous” story about firing people

29 mar 12 – Accepted campaign money from Pink Slime producer

28 Mar 12 – Supported Scott Walker

27 Mar 12 – Thought the Soviet Union’s still our number one threat

19 Mar 12 – Said he’d push back against “evil” teachers unions

23 Feb 12 – Lied about requiring Massachusetts’ non-profit hospitals to provide emergency contraception

10 Feb 12 –Claimed only Americans place hand over heart to show how much we love our country

01 Feb 12 – Said he “Doesn’t Worry About the Poor

27 Jan 12 – Failed to Report Interest Earned in His Off Shore Accounts

27 Jan 12 – Lied about his Fannie and Freddie investments being in a blind trust

18 Jan 12 – Stashed Millions in Offshore Accounts

17 Jan 12 – Said $362,000 in Speaking Fees is ‘Not Very Much’?

11 Jan 12 – Believes class warfare is about envy

09 Jan 12 – Vetoed contraception bill for rape victims as governor

09 Jan 12 – Claimed he “likes to fire people”

05 Jan 12 – He released tax plan, steal from the poor and give to the rich

04 Jan 12 – Said Big Bird would get the boot

13 Dec 11 – Bet Perry $10k during a debate

28 Nov 11 – Constantly flip-flops

23 Nov 11 – Said false ad’s ok

14 Nov 11 – Said he’d prepare for war with Iran

08 Oct 11 – Lied to cadets at the Citadel

22 Sep 11 – Claimed to be middle class

06 Sep 11 – He released economic plan favors the rich over everyone else

11 Aug 11 – Said “corporations are people”

05 Aug 11 – Pledged himself to evangelical group

01 Aug 11 – Opposed deal on debt ceiling

06 Jul 11 – Lied about the economy

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 31, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romney scores zip with Black Voters?

It’s no surprise President Barack Obama’s beating Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney among African American voters, but what’s really surprising is how badly.

A NBC/Wall Street Journal poll has reported it’s by a staggering 94 percent to 0 percent; that’s worse than John McCain, that’s worse than any GOTP candidate ever, and that’s really saying something. Romney scored zero percent among Black voters – zero, nobody, nothing…

But wait that’s not all, the President’s also beating Willard among Latinos, voters under 35 and women.

According to a Hart Research Survey poll conducted in Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada, women prefer President Obama to Romney 53% to 39%.
On top of that, 81% of the women said they were less likely to vote for Romney since he’s chosen Paul Ryan as a running mate, or that the choice made no difference to them at all.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll also shows the President has a commanding lead among Latino voters 63% to 28% over Romney.

So, can Willard Mitt Romney win the White House with no support among Black voters, 28% support among Latinos and 39% among women? Not likely, and the reinvention convention isn’t likely to give much of any bump to a campaign clearly lacking in likability.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 31, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Latest 2012 Presidential Polls – 28 Aug 12 Edition

With ten (10) weeks to go until the November election Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wanna-be Willard Mitt Romney’s supposed to be receiving the accolades of the party faithful in Tampa, FL but instead the “reinvention convention’s” been delayed because of Hurricane Isaac, and he’s dealing with rumors New Jersey Gov Chris Christie was his first VP choice but turned it down because he believes Romney can’t win. Additionally, Romney’s having to confront the mess created by GOTP Senate candidates declaring no abortions under any circumstances, and woman can’t get pregnant from rape..

So, how does the GOTP candidate stand up against the President?

The last favorability CBS News poll of registered voters conducted from 22 – 26 Aug 12, showed the President with a 41% favorability rating compared to Romney’s 31%.

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 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

The most recent Gallup Tracking poll of registered voters conducted 20 – 26 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 46/Romney 47

The most current ABC News/Wash Post poll of registered voters conducted from 22 – 25 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 46/Romney 47

The most current CNN/Opinion Research poll of likely voters conducted from 22 – 23 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 49/Romney 47

The most recent Associated Press/GfK poll of registered voters conducted 16 – 20 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 47/Romney 46

And finally, the most recent NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl poll of registered voters conducted 16 – 20 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:

President Obama 48/Romney 44

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:

Results of 10 consecutive simulations based on poll data as of 28 Aug 12

Obama 299/239
Obama 332/206
Obama 347/191
Obama 306/232
Obama 276/262

Obama 288/250
Obama 312/226
Obama 337/201
Obama 273/265
Obama 270/268

Of 10 simulations Romney wins zero as the President beats him most of the time by comfortable margins.

The simulations use cumulative polling data by state and are not based off of national polling data.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 28, 2012 in 2012 Election

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,