2012 troubles ahead for Obama in prized Florida?

◼ President Barack Obama has problems in Florida that he didn't have when he won the prized state in 2008. AP/Yahoo
The state's economy is worse than elsewhere. Foreclosures are high. Property values are low. As president, Obama could be blamed.

Voters' shifting attitudes show the degree to which the atmosphere has changed since his first campaign. Florida Democrats made gains in 2008 with Obama on the top of the ticket, but the GOP won big two years later.

MEANWHILE: The DOW FALLS BELOW 12,000... Six-week losing streak longest since Oct 2002...

While people are watching Weiner implode:
◼ China ratings house says US defaulting: report - Yahoo

A Chinese ratings house has accused the United States of defaulting on its massive debt, state media said Friday, a day after Beijing urged Washington to put its fiscal house in order.

"In our opinion, the United States has already been defaulting..."

◼ Week Ahead: Stocks Could Get Rocked by Next Wave of Reports - CNBC

"Sentiment is still falling. It still hasn't dropped into panic territory. We're still sitting on the sidelines even though we think there is 10 percent upside by year end, " said Citigroup chief U.S. equity strategist Tobias Levkovich. He said the market faces a number of hurdles, including overly optimistic earnings estimates for the second half; the end of the Fed's quantitative easing program June 30, and the contentious debate in Washington about the deficit and debt ceiling.

◼ DOW FALLS BELOW 12,000... - Wall St. Journal
◼ Fears that the global economic recovery has stalled pushed the Dow Jones industrial average below 12,000 for the first time since March and drove the stock market lower for the sixth straight week. - Friday's drop extended the longest weekly losing streak for stocks since the fall of 2002. - MSNBC
◼ Nasdaq turns negative - Reuters
◼ Fed Will Buy $50 Billion of Treasurys in Final QE2 Push - CNBC
◼ JPMorgan Forecasts Another Drop in Home Prices - CNBC
◼ STUDY: Most Americans 'won't be able to retire until their 80s'... - WSJ Marketwatch, all via Drudge

PELOSI: WEINER CAN STAY.... FINALLY - REVERSAL: WEINER MUST GO... DNC BOSS: RESIGN... UPDATE: WEINER OFF TO REHAB

◼ Pelosi declines to call for Weiner's resignation - AP Yahoo

Despite the media's attempts to allow Weiner to brush it off as a joke, he finally broke down and admitted to Tweeting and emailing lewd photos of himself to at least 6 women over a 3 year period. Now:
◼ Police Investigate Weiner's Messages to Teenage Girl in Delaware - FOX
◼ Weinergate: New Dirty Email Exchange Between Rep. Anthony Weiner & Cyber Mistress Traci Nobles
◼ Charlie Rangel Sets The Bar Very Low: Weiner “Didn’t Go With Prostitutes Or Little Boys” So Can Stay In Congress… - Weasel Zippers
◼ Bloomberg Knew The Dirt On Weiner In 2009, And Used It To Force Him Out Of The Mayoral Race
◼ Pelosi, Wasserman Schultz, Israel tell Weiner he should resign - CNN

6/11: New York (CNN) - Three weighty Democratic voices - including Nancy Pelosi - on Saturday called for the resignation of embattled U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who has been under fire after admitting to inappropriate communications with women online.

◼ Top Democrats urge Rep. Weiner to resign - National party chairman calls disgraced Democrat's behavior 'indefensible'

"It is with great disappointment that I call on Representative Anthony Weiner to resign,” Wasserman Schultz wrote. “The behavior he has exhibited is indefensible and Representative Weiner’s continued service in Congress is untenable.”

The heavy lifting on this was not done by CNN, ABC, CBS, MSNBC or any other "mainstream" news outlet. All of the investigative reporting and documentation was done by bloggers: Breitbart, Ace of Spades, Patterico, RSMcCain and others.

UPDATE: ◼ Weiner heads to rehab as Pelosi, party leaders call on him to resign

“Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person,” Weiner’s office said in a statement. “In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well.

Obama struggling in Keystone State, poll says

◼ It's no secret that President Obama is on the downslope politically, and that includes the pivotal state of Pennsylvania. - USA Today

A new poll from Susquehanna Polling and Research says that 48% of Pennsylvanians disapprove of Obama's performance, while 41% approve.

Also: Only 43% of registered voters in Pennsylvania say Obama has done well enough to deserve re-election, the poll said; 50% say " it is time to give a new person a chance."

Harvard Graduate English Address by Adam Price

◼ A Welshman from Harvard speaks of American Exceptionalism - Hillbuzz

Iowa GOP Chairman: “More than ever, Iowa Republicans are energized and motivated to utilize the Ames Straw Poll as a catalyst toward building a 99-county organization to deny President Obama a second term.”

◼ Chairman Strawn Statement on the Ames Straw Poll

Romney to Skip Key Poll in Iowa

◼ Romney to Skip Key Poll in Iowa - Wall St. Journal

Mr. Romney's decision sends the clearest signal yet that he doesn't want to wade deeply into the social issues that carry particular weight with Iowa Republicans and instead intends to present himself to voters nationally as a successful businessman who can improve the economy.... Mr. Romney is building a public image based on his background as a successful private-equity investor focused on job creation. That image could be complicated if he were to try to gain favor among the conservative activists who play a large role in the straw poll.

◼ Wow: Romney to skip Iowa straw poll; Update: Iowa GOP chief not pleased - HotAir
◼ Mitt Romney won't participate in Fla, IA, or MI straw polls

The Republican presidential frontrunner's campaign said Friday night it will not be participating in the Florida GOP's "Presidency 5" straw poll in September - or any other heavily hyped non-binding election this year. It's a sharp departure from four years ago when Romney spent millions on early grass roots organizing and efforts to boost his momentum in Florida and other key states.

“Our campaign has made the decision to not participate in any straw polls, whether it’s in Florida, Iowa, Michigan or someplace else,'' said Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades. "We respect the straw poll process. In the last presidential campaign we were both strengthened as an organization and learned some important lessons by participating in them. This time we will focus our energies and resources on winning primaries and caucuses. We look forward to bringing Mitt Romney’s strong pro-jobs message to every part of the country.”

NEW: California Ranks 3rd Worst in Freedom

◼ NEW: California Ranks 3rd Worst in Freedom - calwatchdog.com

Contrary to popular perception, California not only taxes and regulates its economy more than most other states, it also aggressively interferes in the personal lives of its citizens. California simply needs to cut government spending. … Labor laws are extremely strict, of course; for instance, California is one of only five states to mandate short-term disability insurance. Health-insurance coverage mandates add about 49 percent to the cost of premiums in the state. Eminent-domain reform has been cosmetic, and the state’s liability system almost reaches the abysmal quality of the Deep South’s.

h/t: Fred
◼ California’s Green Jihad - Forbes

Reuters Reports Hillary Clinton Wants World Bank Presidency

◼ Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in talks to become the president of the World Bank, Reuters's Lesley Wroughton reports. Clinton's spokesman Philippe Reines offered a denial to Reuters and has been offering strong quotes to other outlets. He told NBC, "It's 100% untrue, Reuters is wrong. That's on the record." According to Reuters, which cited three different "sources familiar with the discussions," Clinton would leave the Obama administration next year to lead the organization. - The Atlantic

2012 Election Calendar Update

◼ Monday, June 13 New Hampshire - Republican Presidential Debate

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will participate in the June 13 debate on the campus of Saint Anselm College.

◼ Sunday, July 10 National - Republican Presidential Debate

The Daily Caller announced Thursday that it will host a Republican Presidential Primary Debate on July 10 in conjunction with Americans for Tax Reform and Citizens Outreach Foundation. The debate will be held in Nevada, an early caucus state, at the Conservative Leadership Conference in Las Vegas.

◼ Thursday, August 11 Iowa - Republican Presidential Debate

The first debate in Iowa for the Republican presidential contenders will be Thursday, Aug. 11 in Ames – just two days before the straw poll there.

Fox News, the Washington Examiner and the Republican Party of Iowa are sponsoring the event, which will take place at Iowa State University, according to a spokeswoman for Fox News.

A second Fox News and the Republican Party of Iowa debate will take place prior to the caucuses at Sioux City’s Orpheum Theater. The exact date has not yet been set.

Both debates will be presented live and exclusively on Fox News Channel, Fox News Radio, Fox News Mobile and FoxNews.com.

◼ Saturday, August 13 Iowa - Republican Presidential Straw Poll
◼ Wednesday, September 7 National Republican Presidential Debate
◼ Monday, September 12 Florida Republican Presidential Debate

◼ MORE: Full Election Calendar - Real Clear Politics
...also listed on our EVENTS page...

New Whispers of Perry 2012 Bid

◼ ...various signs suggest the Perry camp may be setting the groundwork for a potential White House run. One Perry ally who talked to him recently said the governor has been struck by how "pivotal" the next election will be, and how his resume may be a better fit for the campaign than that of anyone now in the race.... - Wall St. Journal

Gingrich's campaign manager, other aides resign

◼ Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich's campaign manager, senior strategists and key aides in early delegate-selection states all resigned on Thursday, a mass exodus that leaves his hopes of winning the Republican nomination in tatters. - AP - Yahoo

Other officials said Gingrich was informed that his entire high command was quitting in a meeting earlier in the day. They cited differences over the direction of the campaign but were not more specific.

◼ GOP Consultants Expecting Newt’s Guys to Jump to Perry - National Review
◼ Newt Gingrich’s entire senior campaign staff resigns - Hillbuzz
◼ Gingrich top aides abandon campaign - CNN
◼ Exodus: Newt’s top campaign staff abandons ship - Michelle Malkin
◼ Gingrich staff quits: Is the Republican nomination Perry’s to lose? - Roger L. Simon at PajamasMedia
◼ Here we go: Rick Perry now “leaning toward getting in”; Report: Perry offered Gingrich campaign manager a job last week? Update: More rumbles - HotAir
◼ Will Newt Gingrich's Demise Be Rick Perry's Rise? - Real Clear Politics

Sarah Palin: Another “WTF” Obama Foreign Policy Moment*

◼ Another “WTF” Obama Foreign Policy Moment*
...During these tough economic times when we are facing massive deficits and a competitive global economy, does President Obama really want to give away technologies that the American taxpayer paid lots of money to develop? Giving away our missile defense secrets won’t make us safer. What it will do is create a situation where we are facing an arms race with ourselves. Russia gets access to our technologies, and we are forced to spend even more money because of the need to stay ahead. Does this make sense to you? Me neither. File this under “WTF.”
◼ More non-substantive piffle from the tundra queen, with her social media scrawlings and her unschooled unschooledishness - protein wisdom

Mutairi claimed: 'There was no shame in it and it is not haram' (forbidden) under Islamic Sharia law.'

◼ Men should be allowed sex slaves and female prisoners could do the job - and all this from a WOMAN politician from Kuwait - DailyMail

A Kuwaiti woman who once ran for parliament has called for sex slavery to be legalised - and suggested that non-Muslim prisoners from war-torn countries would make suitable concubines.
Salwa al Mutairi argued buying a sex-slave would protect decent, devout and 'virile' Kuwaiti men from adultery because buying an imported sex partner would be tantamount to marriage.
And she even had an idea of where to 'purchase' these sex-salves - browsing through female prisoners of war in other countries.

POLLS: Generic Republican Candidate 45%, Obama 42%

◼ Election 2012: Generic Presidential Ballot - Rasmussen
◼ Only 24% Say They Share Obama's Political Views - Rasmussen

POLLS: Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 37%

◼ Generic Congressional Ballot Rasmussen

Obama is "Not Concerned" with the economy

◼ Message: I’m Not Concerned - Ed Driscoll at PajamasMedia
◼ Obama: "I'm Not Concerned About A Double-Dip Recession" - Real Clear Politics

"I'm not concerned about a double-dip recession, I'm concerned that the fact that the recovery we're on is not producing jobs as quickly as I wanted to happen. Prior to this month, we have seen three months of very robust job growth in the private sector. And, so we are very encouraged by that. This month, we still saw job growth in the private sector, but it slowed down," President Obama said at a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

◼ Only 24% Say They Share Obama's Political Views - Rasmussen
◼ Daily economic briefings disappear from Obama's White House schedule - The Hill

At some point during the first two years of his administration, President Obama stopped receiving the daily economic briefing that he requested when he took office.

◼ Carville: 2012 could be ‘very rough’ for Obama, says civil unrest ‘imminently possible’ - The Daily Caller
◼ CNN Poll: Obama approval rating drops as fears of depression rise - CNN

"The poll reminded respondents that during the Depression in the 1930s, roughly one in four workers were unemployed, banks failed, and millions of Americans were homeless or unable to feed their families," says Holland. "And even with that reminder, nearly half said that another depression was likely in the next 12 months. That's not just economic pessimism - that's economic fatalism."

According to the survey, more than eight in ten Americans say that the economy is in poor shape, a number that has stubbornly remained at that level since March.

Assembly Republican Leader Issues Statement Regarding Brown Administration Plans to Reduce Prison Population

◼ Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, of Tulare, today issued the following statement after the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced plans to meet court ordered prison population reductions by enacting the Governor’s dangerous realignment proposal:
"The Brown Administration continues to use scare tactics to push the Governor’s dangerous realignment proposal which would permanently create a program funded with temporary taxes. Much safer options are available today to meet the court’s benchmarks. We can address the long term prison population problem by building more beds with funding that is currently available and meet the short term needs by contracting with in-state and out-of-state facilities. The Governor’s misguided realignment proposal doesn’t make the case for taxes – in fact, it makes the case against taxes: why should voters pay more taxes only to put their families’ lives in danger?"
###

Dead Center - The Republican establishment courts the left and repudiates the right.

◼ Republican columnists are already urging their fellow party members to nominate a centrist for the 2012 presidential race. - The American Conservative

...Republicans try hard to avoid controversy. They are happy with lackluster moderates... Republicans aren’t likely to win by running as low-octane Democrats. Moreover, the more they imitate the opposition even while attacking it, the more likely they will drive the vital center of political debate toward the left. GOP candidates have been pursuing what is generally a no-win strategy for decades, by trying to sound like Democrats while throwing mud at the opposition. Equally silly has been their tendency to blame the other party for doing what Republican administrations have been doing almost as frenetically: engaging in massive deficit spending, monetizing wars, and giving away lots of patronage. Listening to Fox News and Republican politicians, one gets the impression that all runaway federal spending began the day Obama took office. Parties that market such moonshine, while offering little in the way of significant change, are not likely to look believable. That may be why even in the face of declining numbers for the Democrats, the Republicans have not been gaining in popularity.... A good read.

Media Democrats shouldn't run GOP presidential debates

◼ Media Democrats shouldn't run GOP presidential debates - Hugh Hewitt/Washington Examiner

One week from today, the first debate featuring all but two of the key GOP contenders for the presidency will occur.

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will participate in the debate on the campus of St. Anselm College, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 13.

Incredibly, once again, GOP primary voters will only get to see their would-be nominees through a lens ground by traditional media. The event is being sponsored by CNN, local television station WMUR and the New Hampshire Union Leader.

We'll be watching.

Time for Ethic Cleansing

◼ Time for Ethic Cleansing - Peter Hannaford for The American Spectator 6.7.11

Anthony Weiner got it off his chest: He took the picture of his bulging undershorts and he sent it to the young woman in Seattle. "I have not been honest with myself," he said Monday -- but should have added "or anyone else."

For nearly a week he fed chuckle fodder to Washington and the world with his improbable denials. (Who but himself or someone leaning over his shoulder could have taken a picture at that angle?) Here is man who is used to being on the verbal attack, using one of the sharpest Democrat tongues in the House. He seemed to think that cutting off questions, calling the episode a "hacked prank" and a "distraction" from his very important duties, would suffice. When it didn't and the story continued in the "mainstream" media as well as with a zillion bloggers and Tweeters, he finally had to look in the mirror and see a man who had made a fool of himself.

In this latest news conference he confessed to having had sex-tinged online conversations with several women not his wife (most, he said, before they were married last year). He has brought shame on himself, the office and his constituents. Will he resign? Nope. You see, he still thinks he can run for mayor of New York next year and has amassed what is said to be a $3 million campaign chest.

Nancy Pelosi, with a straight face, called for an investigation by an Ethics Committee to see if any House rules have been broken and/or resources used (how about a subpoena of his office computer for starters?). Poor Nancy doesn't get it. As long as he's around and salivating over another campaign, all those suggestive plays on words over the pronunciation of his name will continue. (Most people with the name Weiner, by the way, pronounce it WY-NER; it's the name Wiener that is often pronounced WE-NER.)

Ms. Pelosi and her Democratic caucus colleagues could take a leaf from the Republicans' book. In February, Rep. Christopher Lee, beginning his second term, confessed to having posted a photo of himself with unclad torso and had been posting messages to the effect that he was a 40-year-old divorced lobbyist instead of a married Member of Congress. From the moment the story broke until the moment Mr. Lee left town for good, no more than 72 hours had passed. He went pffft. Now he's invisible. No one asks, "What ever happened to...?" because they can't even remember his name.
____________________
Peter Hannaford was closely associated with the late President Ronald Reagan, including serving as Mr. Reagan's Director of Public Affairs in the Governor's Office in California.

Uncle Sam's total unfunded obligations: $62 trillion

◼ If you thought the federal deficit was an inconceivable amount of money, wait until you hear what the government actually owes. Lifeinc/today

USA TODAY reports that the government added $5.3 trillion to its financial obligations last year. This brings the total of unfunded obligations, the gap between spending commitments and revenue, to a record $61.6 trillion, or $534,000 per household.

The added commitments were taken on to mostly fund programs like Medicare and Social Security.

"The (federal) debt only tells us what the government owes to the public. It doesn't take into account what's owed to seniors, veterans and retired employees," Sheila Weinberg, founder of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, a Chicago-based group that advocates better financial reporting, told the newspaper.

The $61.6 trillion represents more than one-third of the market value of all the goods and services produced in the United States.

◼ U.S. funding for future promises lags by trillions - USA Today
◼ Government's mountain of debt - USA Today

Waiving Obamacare: HHS never had authority to issue exemptions

◼ It’s all made worse, of course, by the way in which HHS has granted the waivers — with little to no transparency and with every appearance of political favoritism. - HotAir
◼ Obamacare waivers weren’t in original law, appearance of political favors persists - The Daily Caller

In what’s become a bit of a pattern for the Obama administration, there’s at least an appearance of political favoritism in favor of those who lobbied for HHS to grant itself waiver power. Many of the administration’s nearly 1,400 waivers, including the waivers that went to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district in April, went to companies and entities that lobbied their support behind HHS’s drive to grant itself that power.

Flex-Plan Services co-owner Hilarie Aitken, who admitted openly she applied for all those Pelosi-district waivers in addition to a few others nationwide, sits on the board of the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC). ECFC is a Washington trade group that lobbies to “represent and promote flexible compensation programs.” The group lobbied the HHS give itself annual limit waiver power through a rule making process.

Romney tops Obama in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll

◼ Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders - Washington Post

The survey portrays a broadly pessimistic mood in the country this spring as higher gasoline prices, sliding home values and a disappointing employment picture have raised fresh concerns about the pace of the economic recovery.

By 2 to 1, Americans say the country is pretty seriously on the wrong track, and nine in 10 continue to rate the economy in negative terms. Nearly six in 10 say the economy has not started to recover, regardless of what official statistics may say, and most of those who say it has improved rate the recovery as weak....

Overall, about six in 10 of those surveyed give Obama negative marks on the economy and the deficit. Significantly, nearly half strongly disapprove of his performance in these two crucial areas. Nearly two-thirds of political independents disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy, including — for the first time — a slim majority who do so strongly....

◼ Romney tops Obama in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. - Althouse
◼ Obama loses 20 points in approval/disapproval gap in new WaPo/ABC poll - HotAir

Finally, let’s look at the sample. The D/R/I in the April poll sample was a ridiculous 32/22/41. This sample has a slightly better split, although still skewed at 31/25/39, which still undersamples Republicans. In a sample more reflective of reality, Obama’s job approval would be lower than the 47% shown here, and he’d be in deeper trouble against Republican challengers than this shows.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) Admits to Lying, Says He Is Sorry. Won't Resign.

He's "here to accept responsibility."
◼ Video of Weiner’s Mea Culpa - Patterico

Santorum officially announces campaign for president

◼ Santorum officially announces campaign for president - The Daily Caller

D-Day: 67th anniversary

President Reagan’s 40th anniversary speech:

◼ Never forget. - Michelle Malkin

You betcha she was right! - Experts back Sarah Palin’s historical account

◼ Sarah Palin yesterday insisted her claim at the Old North Church last week that Paul Revere “warned the British” during his famed 1775 ride — remarks that Democrats and the media roundly ridiculed — is actually historically accurate. And local historians are backing her up. - Boston Herald

In fact, Revere’s own account of the ride in a 1798 letter seems to back up Palin’s claim. Revere describes how after his capture by British officers, he warned them “there would be five hundred Americans there in a short time for I had alarmed the Country all the way up.”

◼ Anti-Palinites Go All In On Epistemic Closure - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ So Now All These People Will Apologize to Sarah Palin About Paul Revere, Right? - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Conservative women enthusiastic about Bachmann, Palin

Jim Mone/ Associated Press - Sarah Palin, right, waves to the crowd
as she appears at a campaign rally for Rep. Michele Bachmann on April 7 in Minneapolis.

◼ Palin Film Iowa-Bound Tells ‘Rocky Story’ Through Alaskan Allies - Bloomberg

Sarah Palin’s allies and devotees portray hers as a tale of triumph over corruption and persecution by the political left and right in a documentary to premiere later this month in Iowa.

“The Undefeated,” a feature-length film from director Stephen K. Bannon, chronicles the former Alaska governor’s rise, fall and re-emergence as Palin stokes speculation that she might enter the 2012 presidential race. After its debut in the home of the nation’s first presidential nominating caucuses, distributors plan rollouts in New Hampshire and South Carolina, two other early-voting states.

◼ Conservative women enthusiastic about Bachmann, Palin - Washington Post

DOVER, N.H. — They don’t like identity politics and aren’t crazy about the word “feminist.” But a lot of conservative women here can’t help but rejoice that they may have a couple of tough-talking, tea-drinking mothers to choose from in the Republican primary.

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota is on the verge of announcing her intentions, and former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is contemplating a bid. If either runs, it would be the first time since Elizabeth Dole’s bid in 1999 that a viable female candidate has sought the Republican nomination for president.

The prospect has energized conservative women who four years ago were deeply uncomfortable with Hillary Rodham Clinton but who see in Bachmann and Palin the kind of family-focused, overtly spiritual candidate whose lifestyle and values seem to mirror their own

"That's gonna happen from time to time."

◼ Figures. Obama Blames Europe & Earthquakes For His Failed Policies (Video)