Cain to Newsmax: Why I Stand With Newt

Newt Gingrich has the best chance of winning the White House for the
Republican Party in November because his economic plan to create jobs will work — and Mitt Romney's won't, former candidate Herman Cain insists.

"The biggest domestic challenge we have is stimulating this economy. I don't happen to think Gov. Romney's 59-point plan is going to do it," Cain explained during an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, just minutes after formally endorsing the former House speaker.

Story continues below the video.

Cain said he made his final decision to back Gingrich on Saturday morning, the same day he made his announcement. He said he has no doubt that Gingrich, rather than his most serious rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Romney, is the man who can defeat President Barack Obama in November and win back the White House for the GOP.

“The distinction between Newt Gingrich’s ideas and President Obama’s are the widest,” he said minutes after making his endorsement in West Palm Beach, Fla. “When you look at Gov. Romney, too many of his phrases and too many of the things he talks about are more moderate in the middle.

“That’s too close. The American people need to see a wide, clear distinction between the two.”

Cain announced his decision during a surprise appearance at the Palm Beach County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner, just three days before the vital Florida primary. He said the two Georgians had had extensive conversations at least once a week recently.

“I presented to him a couple of weeks ago the idea that I aligned with all of his ideas, but I didn’t think that his ideas for economic growth and jobs were strong enough,” said Cain, who dropped out of the presidential race in December.

“I said you need to be bolder, and I said I offer you 9-9-9, so he said he would think about it.

“We had a conversation as late as this morning when he said he could embrace the idea. That isn’t to say that he is going to be the cheerleader for it — that’s my job — but he did say he would embrace the idea.”

Cain made the 9-9-9 plan the central plank of his own run for the presidency before he dropped out in December. Under it, the current tax codes would be abolished and replaced with a flat rate 9 percent rate for personal income tax, corporate tax and a new national sales tax.

Along with accepting the endorsement, Gingrich appointed Cain to co-chair his tax reform and economic growth advisory committee. “That means I will have an opportunity to convince others of 9-9-9, and I took that as a very positive sign,” Cain said.

Cain said he accepted that the Republican race now has just two realistic candidates, Gingrich and Romney.

Romney’s 59-point economic plan "is not connecting with the American people, they don’t even know what that’s about. The American people want specific ideas that are going to address the problem,” he said.

Cain said he and Gingrich agree on all other major issues, specifically noting there is no difference in their approach to energy independence, regulatory reform and the question of sound money.

“I wanted him to be stronger on replacing the tax code and we had a conversation and that put us over the fence."

But he also said he likes the “boldness” of Gingrich’s thinking. “He talks about energy independence and Made in America. He’s bold in saying he will sign authorization for the Keystone pipeline, that’s what you call bold, not dancing around being generic and political.”

The two men first met in the early 1990s when Gingrich was speaker and Cain was leading the business opposition to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton’s plans to reform healthcare.

“I remember the first time I ever met Speaker Gingrich, we sat down in his office for a 10-minute conversation,” he said. “He canceled two meetings to spend some more time with me because he understood where I was coming from and he wanted to hear the businessman perspective.

“The one thing that impressed me the most is that when I had that initial conversation with him, it wasn’t ‘Let me do this because I think I should.’ He genuinely listened to my ideas and what I thought the business community wanted to do.”

Gingrich’s experience also added to Cain’s conviction that he is the man for the job. “He [was] in Congress for a long time, but the good news is he was out of Congress for a long time, that gave him an opportunity for him to clear his head, and he did.

“He will go back as president with a fresher, bold approach about what he needs to do in order to change Washington, D.C. — rather than somebody who has been stuck in Washington, D.C. or stuck in politics for most of their career.”

via newsmax.com

Interesting.

Woods fades in Abu Dhabi, loses to Rock by two - PGATOUR.COM

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Robert Rock held his nerve Sunday to hold off U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the biggest win of the Englishman's career.

The 117th-ranked Rock shot a 2-under 70 for an overall 13-under 275 to beat the 22-year Northern Irishman by a shot and the 14-time major winner by two. Woods finished in a tie for third with Thomas Bjorn (68) and Graeme McDowell (68). Matteo Manassero (69), the 18-year-old Italian, and George Coetzee (70) of South Africa were a further shot back.

Woods started the final round tied for the lead with the unheralded Rock. He appeared poised to win his second tournament in a row after ending a two-year winless drought with a victory last month at the Chevron World Challenge.

But the control Woods displayed for much of the weekend abandoned him Sunday, and it was Rock who held it together down the stretch.

"I didn't hit the ball as well as I would like to," Woods said. "Today I was just a touch off. I was righting the ball through the fairways. I was hitting the ball a little bit further than I thought I would ... So something to look at, and something to try and figure out."

Woods started strong and it looked as though he might pull away from Rock, sinking a 40-footer on No. 2 for birdie and chipping to within a foot of the cup for a second birdie on the third. But Rock -- who said Saturday he was a bit overwhelmed to face his idol -- didn't blink. He also birdied two of the first three holes to keep pace.

Then Woods began to unravel.

He started spraying his drives into the thick rough and fairway bunkers, resulting in the first of three bogeys. When Woods wasn't missing the fairways, he was scrambling to save par as he did on the 11th when overshooting the green. As he approached his shot in deep rough just off the 11th green, he sighed heavily and let out a stream of obscenities under his breath.

Woods managed to save par on 11 by sinking a 12-footer and Rock just missed a birdie putt. Woods pumped his fist and appeared to be regaining momentum as he pulled within one shot of Rock on No. 13 when the Englishman had one of his three bogeys. But the 34-year-old Rock birdied two of the next three holes to seize control.

Rock wobbled on the 18th when his drive landed in a pile of rocks near the water -- forcing him to take a drop. But he recovered beautifully, reaching the green in four and then two-putting for the win.

"It's pretty hard to believe that I managed to win today. Very surprised," said Rock. "I played good. So I guess I had a chance from early on, a couple of birdies made the day feel a little bit easier."

"But it's difficult playing with Tiger. You expect almost every shot to threaten to go in. I felt a lot of pressure and couldn't afford any lapses in concentration at all."

Rock said he drew strength from the struggles of Woods and his other playing partner Peter Hanson (78) and used that to bounce back from several bogeys.

"I was just focusing on trying to hit fairways and then hit my iron shots as good as I have been and give myself chances at birdies," Rock said. "Both Tiger and Peter struggled on occasions on a few holes and I managed to keep my ball in the right position and didn't put myself under too much stress until the last, which was a relief."

It was a storybook ending for Rock, who rose from a club pro to join the European Tour in 2003 and only got his first tour win last year at the Italian Open. The victory will elevate him into the top 60.

"It doesn't get an awful lot harder than playing with Tiger Woods," Rock said. "So I guess barring a major championship, I know I can handle that again. So that's pretty nice to know."

The loss is the second straight time Woods has failed to win with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes. He lost the Chevron World Challenge in 2010 after going into the final round with a four-shot lead over McDowell.

Woods acknowledged it wasn't the way he wanted to start the 2012 season but said he took solace from the control he showed the first three days and the putts he made over the final three.

"Obviously the ultimate goal is to win and I didn't win," said Woods, who missed out on his 84th career win.

"I hit the ball good enough to win the golf tournament this week," he said. "Today I just didn't give myself enough looks at it. Most of my putts were lag putts. I didn't drive the ball in as many fairways as I should have. Some of the balls were running through. Other balls, I was just missing. It was a day I was just a touch off off the tee and consequently I couldn't get the ball close enough to give myself looks."

While most of the attention was on Rock and Woods, several players surged into contention down the stretch.

McIlroy, playing ahead of Rock and Woods, birdied 18 to move to 12 under and give himself a chance. But he came up short with four rounds of par or better golf being undone by several costly mistakes -- the worst coming Friday when the third-ranked McIlroy was penalized two shots for brushing away sand in front of his ball in the rough of the 9th.

"You know, you've got to take the positives," McIlroy said. "It's the first week of the year, and you know, it looks like it's going to be the second year in a row here that I'll finish second. But still a very good start to the season and something I'll build on."

McDowell played the most exciting round of the tournament on Sunday, with an ace on No. 12, a chip-in on 13 and then a shot off the grandstand at 18 that led to a birdie and a tie for third. For the 2010 U.S. Open champion, it was a good way to start the year after failing to win in 2011.

"Any time you come back in 31 shots on a Sunday, semi in the mix is always a good day's work," said McDowell. "It was certainly an eventful last seven holes with a hole-in-one and a nice ricochet off the grandstand at the last."

via pgatour.com

Too bad.

'Boring' golf gives Stanley lead over varied cast - PGATOUR.COM

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- When Kyle Stanley was a kid growing up in Gig Harbor, Wash., he woke up every morning looking at a poster of Tiger Woods on the ceiling above his bed.

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And on Saturday at Torrey Pines, a place that once was the personal playground of the former world No. 1, a place where Woods won seven times, counting the 2008 U.S. Open, Stanley was doing his best imitation of his childhood idol.

He matched Woods' 54-hole record of 18-under 198, which gave Stanley a five-stroke lead he modestly called "nice-sized" entering Sunday's final round. Granted, Tiger's was bigger in 2008, eight strokes to be exact, but who's counting?

What's important is that Stanley has a chance to win his first PGA TOUR event just 41 starts into that career. One stroke, five strokes, eight strokes, it doesn't matter. What does is what happens on Sunday afternoon and whether he's the one hoisting that trophy on the 18th green.

The last time a player made the Farmers Insurance Open his first win was more than two decades ago in 1991 when Jay Don Blake shot 20 under to beat Bill Sander by two strokes. Blake started the final round two strokes off the pace but closed with a 67 to seal the deal.

Stanley, on the other hand, has held at least a share of the lead since Thursday when he opened with a 62 on the North Course. He got to that position by playing what he calls "boring" golf -- and don't expect any changes on Sunday.

"I think the biggest thing is you can't necessarily go out there and try to protect (the lead)," Stanley said. "You've got to really just keep doing what got you to this point. I'm not going to be anymore conservative tomorrow. I'll stick to my game plan off the tee and hopefully just continue to give myself a lot of chances."

John Rollins, who is tied for second with TOUR rookie John Huh, said the key will be getting off to a fast start and putting some pressure on Stanley. Rollins, Bill Haas and Brandt Snedeker are the only players among the eight within seven strokes of the lead who have won a PGA TOUR event before, and two of the others are rookies like Huh.

"If a guy had a 10- or 12-shot lead, you'd feel pretty comfortable," Rollins said. "But when you're four or five shots, sometimes it's hard to play with a big lead because you get kind of relaxed and everything else.

"Then next thing you know, a bad drive here and there leads to some bogeys, and birdie-bogey on the same hole and two shots could happen pretty quick."

Stanley learned that first-hand at last year's John Deere Classic -- only he was the pursuer that day at TPC Deere Run. Steve Stricker had taken a five-stroke lead into the final round but Stanley doggedly gave chase, even seizing the lead on the back nine before Stricker birdied the last two holes for the one-stroke win.

"I wasn't very discouraged," Stanley recalled earlier in the week. Not even after he closed with a 66 but missed a 9-footer for par on the 72nd hole to force the playoff. "I think if anything I took some positives from it. ...

"It was nice to really get in contention with a few holes left. That's kind of the goal for this year is to just keep working hard and keep trying to get myself back there."

Turns out, that goal was realized quicker than he thought.

Stanley has been extremely solid in all phases of the game this week at Torrey Pines. He ranks first in greens in regulation and second in driving distance with an average of 311.5 yards and one in the books Saturday that measured 341 -- of course, "it was just downwind and I hit that as good as I can possibly hit it," Stanley, not one to boast, was quick to point out. He has owned the par 5s, too, playing them in 10 under.

As impressive as Stanley is off the tee, though, he's also tied for first in approach shot distance to pin and distance of putts made so his irons are precise and his putter cooperative. And maybe most importantly through the first three rounds, the Clemson product has looked like he has ice water in his veins.

"I'm kind of an internal guy, I guess," Stanley, shrugging and flashing a shy smile, said in understatement.

On Sunday, he'll test himself at Torrey Pines, just like the man whose poster the teenager looked at every morning has done so many times before. Even with the prodigious lead, Stanley refuses to get ahead of himself, though.

"Winning on TOUR is something that you dream about as a kid, so it would be certainly nice for it to happen," Stanley said. "But like I said, I still have one round left and we'll see."

via pgatour.com

Interesting...

Cain Endorses Gingrich for President

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich for the GOP nomination late on Saturday — at the same time accepting a position as the former House speaker’s tax reform chairman.

The author of the now-famous 9-9-9 tax plan announced his endorsement in West Palm Beach, Fla., three days ahead of that state’s vital primary. The endorsement is a welcome boost for Gingrich, who has found himself having to defend himself against a vicious onslaught of attacks from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"It is time for conservatives and Republicans to refocus their attention on the ultimate mission of defeating President Obama," Cain said at the Palm Beach County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. "I believe Speaker Gingrich is the bold leader we need to accomplish this mission."

Story continues below the video.

Exclusive: Cain tells Newsmax why he supports Gingrich — Go Here Now.

Cain was catapulted to national attention when his own campaign for the nomination took off in the fall. His signature 9-9-9 plan, which would have provided 9 percent taxation on income tax, corporate tax, and new national sales taxes, caught fire with the public. At one time, he led in the polls for the right to take on President Barack Obama in November. But his campaign faltered and he dropped out of the race in early December.

Cain and Gingrich both come from the Atlanta area and have been friends for more than 20 years. The two men worked together in the early 1990s to help defeat Hillary Clinton’s plans for healthcare, and as House speaker, Gingrich appointed Cain to the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform Commission, better known as the Kemp Commission.

Gingrich said he was “honored” to have Cain’s support and immediately announced that the former pizza mogul would co-chair his tax reform and economic growth advisory council.

“America’s challenges are too great for mere tinkering around the edges. Just like Herman, who ran his campaign based on big ideas, I am running on bold solutions that will boost job creation, cut bureaucratic red tape, and fundamentally transform Washington,” Gingrich said.

When Cain suspended his presidential campaign, he promised to stay engaged. This he has done. The watershed moment of that engagement might very well be his endorsement of his former rival for the highest office in the land.

The venue for the endorsement was as unique as Cain’s spirited style, with Gingrich actually stepping in for Herman Cain as the headliner for the Palm Beach County event. The former House speaker took over Cain's spot as keynote speaker at the Palm Beach County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner Saturday evening. Cain then stole back the limelight with his surprise endorsement.

The event came three days ahead of Florida's presidential primary.

Previously, Cain had been tapped by the Tea Party Express to give its response to the 2012 State of the Union address. His 13-minute speech was critiqued as being a lot more animated and vigorous than Indiana governor Mitch Daniels’ official GOP response.

Also not long ago, on Fox News this morning, Cain  applauded Gingrich’s well-received admonishment of CNN’s John King, who infamously opened a two-hour debate by asking the former Georgia congressman whether he wanted to respond to an accusation from his ex-wife. Both men agreed that it demeaned the presidential forum.

via newsmax.com

Good for him.

Ann Coulter Tells Glenn Beck That Newt Gingrich is Boring and Pompous | Video | TheBlaze.com

During his Wednesday morning radio broadcast, Glenn Beck and guest Ann Coulter discussed President Obama’s State of the Union address and what they consider the inexplicable rise of Newt Gingrich among his supporters and in primaries like South Carolina.

Coulter noted that even if one discounts Gingrich’s stated admiration for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, “he likes amnesty for illegals, and he took $1.6 million from Freddie Mac.”

“It’s going to be very hard to beat Obama” — a point Coulter believes “should be said over and over again.”

The “Demonic” author also reminded that Republicans have only beaten incumbents twice in the last century.

Glenn and Coulter delved into Gingrich’s long history in D.C. as well as touched on a recently published caricature  depicting the former House Speaker as “a little stick figure at the center of the universe,” with a “primary mission, advocate of civilization definer of civilization, teacher of the rules of civilization.”

Glenn marveled, “I don’t think the Pope describes himself as that.”

Coulter added:

“He had notes reminding himself to smile and look cuddly. And then after, you know, it all came crashing down with the ethics investigation, which was a real problem. I mean, for him to denounce it as, oh, this was just a partisan investigation, the congress and the House of Representatives was still majority Republican and there were a lot of good right wing Republicans on that committee and something like 90% of Republicans voted to reprimand Gingrich for abuse of a 501(c)(3).”

Glenn and Coulter also discussed how some Gingrich supporters are starting to behave like the more radical Ron Paul supporters Glenn has encountered. Coulter responded by saying she’s “never seen this behavior from Republicans. We normally associate it with Democrats.”

via theblaze.com

Hmmm.

The real State of the Union - HUMAN EVENTS

Has Barack Obama learned nothing in three years? Last night, during his State of the Union address, he promised "a blueprint for an economy." But economies are crushed by blueprints. An economy is really nothing more than people participating in an unfathomably complex spontaneous network of exchanges aimed at improving their material circumstances. It can't even be diagrammed, much less planned. And any attempt at it will come to grief.

    Politicians like Obama believe they are the best judges of how we should conduct our lives. Of course a word like "blueprint" would occur to the president. He, like most who want his job, aspires to be the architect of a new society.

    But we who love our lives and our freedom say: No, thanks. We need no social architect. We need liberty under law. That's it.

    Obama -- and most Republicans are no different -- doesn't understand the real liberal revolution that transformed civilization. The crux of that revolution is that law should define general visible rules of just conduct, applicable to all, with no eye to particular outcomes. In other words, as Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek taught, the only "purpose" of law is to enable us all to pursue our individual purposes in peace.

    If Obama really wanted, as he says, a society in which "everybody gets a fair shot," he would work to shrink government so that the sphere of freedom could expand. Instead, he expands government and raises taxes on wealthier people, as though giving politicians more money were a way to make society better. Instead, the interventionist state rigs the game on behalf of special interests.

    What should Obama have said in his speech? Here's what I wish he'd said:

    Our debt has passed $15 trillion. It will reach Greek levels in just 10 years.

    But if we make reasonable cuts to what government spends, our economy can grow us out of our debt. Cutting doesn't just make economic sense, it is also the moral thing to do. Government is best which governs least.

    We'll start by closing the Department of Education, which saves $100 billion a year. It's insane to take money from states only to launder it through Washington and then return it to states.

    Next, we'll close the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That saves $41 billion. We had plenty of housing in America before a department was created.

    Then we eliminate the Commerce Department: $9 billion. A government that can't count votes accurately should not try to negotiate trade. We will eliminate all corporate welfare and all subsidies. That means agriculture subsidies, green energy subsidies, ethanol subsidies and so on. None of it is needed.

    I propose selling Amtrak. Why is government in the transportation business? Let private companies compete to run the trains.

    And we must finally stop one of the biggest assaults on freedom and our pocketbook: the war on drugs. I used drugs. It's immoral to imprison people who do what I did and now laugh about.

    Still, all these cuts combined will only dent our deficit. We must cut Medicare, Social Security and the military.

    I know. Medicare and Social Security are popular. But they are unsustainable. The only way to cut costs and still have medical innovation is to free the market. So I propose that we repeal Obamacare immediately. My proposal was a mistake. We should repeal all government interference in the medical and insurance industries, including licensing. It all impedes competition.

    We must shrink the military's mission to true national defense. That means pulling our troops out of Germany, Japan, Italy and dozens of other countries. America cannot and should not try to police the world.

    Those cuts will put America on the road to solvency. But that's not enough. We also need economic growth.

    Our growth has stalled because millions of pages of regulations make businesses too fearful to invest. Entrepreneurs don't know what the rules -- or taxes -- will be tomorrow.

    All destructive laws must go. I endorse the Stossel Rule: For every new law passed, we must repeal two old ones.

    OK, Obama will never say that.

    But I can dream, can't I?

via humanevents.com

Good stuff.

Fowler switches to Cobra Puma clubs « PGATOUR.com The Tour Report

Rickie Fowler is known for being attired head-to-toe in Puma clothing and now his golf bag will feature a similar look with Fowler officially switching to Cobra Puma’s new AMP clubs, which he’ll use in his season debut at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open.

"I am so excited to have the Cobra sticks in my bag and be a full part of the Cobra Puma Golf team," Fowler said in a release. "I’ve been hitting the AMP driver great; I’m getting a lot more distance and the orange details look really fresh.”

As noted, Fowler will play the AMP driver, which features E9 Face Technology with dual roll, Advanced Material Placement and Adjustable Flight Technology. He’ll also use the AMP 3-wood and AMP Pro prototype irons. Details on the clubs will include flashes of Fowler’s trademark orange.

The AMP Driver and the AMP irons were both featured in this year’s edition of Golf Digest’s Hot List.

"Rickie’s focus, determination and performance combined with his stand out style and joy for the game make him a perfect match for Cobra Golf," said Bob Philion, President of Cobra Puma Golf, in a statement Monday. "He has had a tremendous effect in the golf industry over the past few years and his influence continues to grow. As we continue the revitalization of Cobra globally, Rickie Fowler will be instrumental in bringing our core DNA to life by being grounded in performance while bringing an edgy, unique personality and style to life. He will help us introduce the new Cobra Golf to a new group of consumers."

via tourreport.pgatour.com

We'll see how they work.

Drawing Thousands, Gingrich Goes Hardest at Obama

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Republican Newt Gingrich is putting a greater emphasis on a possible matchup with President Barack Obama and spending less time drawing contrasts with GOP rival Mitt Romney.

The former House speaker saw his crowd sizes swell into the thousands Tuesday in Florida. He also enjoyed a burst of fundraising with a week to go before the Florida presidential primary.

All day, Gingrich made only brief mention of Romney. He referred to his GOP rival as the moderate in a race where conservative credentials matter most. But he swung hard at Obama, saying the Democrat needs to get over blaming his predecessor, George W. Bush, for America's economic troubles.

Gingrich officials say they have raised more than $2 million since his victory Saturday in South Carolina.

via newsmax.com

Hmmm.

Huckabee: Comments in Romney Ad Not an Endorsement

Mike Huckabee said his quotes about Mitt Romney's career at Bain Capital were neither approved nor meant to be an endorsement, CNN's Political Ticker reported Tuesday.

Romney's web video ad, "Huckabee," included comments from his radio show last week, when the conservative talk show host called on Republicans to stop criticizing Romney's work at Bain Capital, CNN reported.

"This in no way is an endorsement of any candidate," Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate, said in a statement reported by Newsmax Monday night. "Any attempt by anyone to imply an endorsement of a candidate or opposition to a candidate is not true."

In the ad, Huckabee is quoted as saying, "They ought to know, that if downsizing can turn around a failing company, then at least it prevents all the jobs from being lost, and sets up a stronger company that can grow and start re-hiring.”

via newsmax.com

Interesting.

Michael Hastings ‘The Operators,’ Claims Obama Refused Pictures with Troops in Baghdad | TheBlaze.com

Author and Rolling Stone contributing editor Michael Hastings’ new book, The Operators, could cause waves for President Obama’s reelection bid — not to mention his already tenuous relationship with U.S. troops — as book excerpts reveal the president was less than enthused to be photographed with troops during a visit to Baghdad.

The following excerpt describes Obama’s visit to Baghdad and subsequent irritation at a request to take additional photos with soldiers and embassy staffers:

After the talk, out of earshot from the soldiers and diplomats, he starts to complain. He [Obama] starts to act very un-Obamalike, according to a U.S. embassy official who helped organize the trip in Baghdad.

He’s asked to go out to take a few more pictures with soldiers and embassy staffers. He’s asked to sign copies of his book. “He didn’t want to take pictures with any more soldiers; he was complaining about it,” a State Department official tells me. “Look, I was excited to meet him. I wanted to like him. Let’s just say the scales fell from my eyes after I did. These are people over here who’ve been fighting the war, or working every day for the war effort, and he didn’t want to take f*cking pictures with them?”

via theblaze.com

That is bad...

Sen. Rand Paul Cuts $500K From his Office Budget, Returns it to the Treasury | Video | TheBlaze.com

When freshman Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was elected in 2010, he promised to cut federal spending.

It looks like he’s making good on his promise.

“The Kentucky Republican and tea-party favorite said Thursday he’s returning $500,000 to the U.S. Treasury – money from his operating budget that his office never spent,” writes Scott Wong of Politico, and “he contends no senator has returned as much to taxpayers.”

Watch the entire press conference via courier-journal.com:

U.S. Senators are appropriated $3 million a year for their office budgets and Sen. Paul has been able to save nearly 15 percent of his annual costs, according to WFLP News.

How does he do it? Some would say frugality.

“We look at all of our office expenses. We look at the coffee pot to the computers bought and we try to buy things as if it were our money we were spending, or your money that we were spending, and our goal is not to spend all of it, our goal is to save some of it,” Paul said.

If Congress offered incentives for lawmakers and staff to cut budgets, the U.S. could save $130 million annually, Paul added.

“I ran to stop the reckless spending. And I ran to end the damaging process of elected officials acting as errand boys, competing to see who could bring back the biggest check and the most amount of pork,” Paul said at a news conference in Louisville, where he presented taxpayers with a massive mock check for $500,000.

Image Courtesy: WFPL News

“I hope this sets an example for the rest of government – at all levels,” he added. “We can carry out our duties in a fiscally responsible way. Government can be both smart and efficient. We are proving that – and trying to convince the rest of Washington.”

As Business Insider rightly points out, critics of Sen. Rand Paul will probably denounce him for returning the $500,000 and attack him for not using the money “to create jobs,” as Michael Brendan Dougherty of BI put it.

However, these criticisms will probably fall on deaf ears.

“Most American families have been forced to figure out how to do more with less, or how to do less altogether. It’s nice to see a Senator joining us,” Dougherty writes.

Many would agree, and find this a very welcome change of pace.

via theblaze.com

Good for him.

Private-Equity Payday: Carlyle Founders Get $402 Million - WSJ.com

By GREGORY ZUCKERMAN And RYAN DEZEMBER

Amid a swirl of controversy about the private-equity business, industry powerhouse Carlyle Group revealed that its three founders together earned more than $400 million last year.

News of the payday comes as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been bombarded with criticism for the work of his former firm, private-equity giant Bain Capital, including from fellow Republican Newt Gingrich. Mr. Romney's campaign has indicated it is prepared to defend his work as a part of free-market capitalism. Bain has said the company's focus is on working with management teams "to build great companies and improve their operations."

Bloomberg News

David Rubenstein

At Carlyle, the earnings for David Rubenstein, William Conway and Daniel D'Aniello amounted to salary of $275,000, a bonus of $3.5 million, and a $134 million share of the firm's investment profits apiece, according to a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Tuesday.

The filing is ahead of Carlyle's anticipated initial public offering later this year, likely in the second quarter, according to someone close to the matter. A representative for the firm declined to comment.

Washington D.C.-based Carlyle, like other buyout firms, claims 20% of the profits of the firm's investments. The $402 million the three executives shared—in addition to their salaries and bonuses—represented more than half of the 20% fees that Carlyle claimed on the firm's investment gains in 2011.

The three also saw hefty returns on their personal investments in the firm's funds, separate from their take of the profits. Carlyle reported distributions to Messrs. D'Aniello, Conway, and Rubenstein of $77.6 million, $70.9 million and $56.8 million, respectively. The filing doesn't specify what portion of those distributions consisted of their original investments.

The founders continue to plow money back into their funds. Last year, Mr. Conway, a co-chief executive, invested $164 million, Mr. D'Aniello, Carlyle's chairman, put in $98 million, and Mr. Rubenstein, the other co-CEO, invested $97 million, the filing says. They have made outstanding commitments to invest an additional $490.7 million to the funds, the filing says.

Within Carlyle, the compensation didn't cause many ripples. Some executives were unaware of pay details of the three founders, one person at the firm said, adding that the three top partners were generally assumed to have been making more than half of the firm's profits.

"It's certainly a sizable payday and yet in this sector, it's not unusual," said David Wise, senior principal at management consulting firm Hay Group. "People go into private equity because at the end of the rainbow, they can have a payout like this."

When Blackstone Group LP was preparing its own public offering in 2007, it reported that in 2006 its top five executives shared in $771.5 million in cash distributions, their full compensation at the time. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Schwarzman was paid $398.3 million, senior chairman Peter Peterson's share was $212.9 million and Hamilton James, Blackstone's president and chief operating officer, collected $97.3 million, according to a securities filing.

The Carlyle payday resulted from an especially active and successful period last year. The buyout firm has reported economic net income, the industry's preferred measure of earnings, of $579 million through the first nine months of last year, the most recent data available from the company. It handed back $15 billion to its investors during those nine months, representing profits from the firm's buyout deals as well as original money invested by clients. That was a record for any nine-month period for Carlyle and almost double the previous best period.

The firm, founded in 1987, originally forged close ties within political circles, hiring former senior politicians such as former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci, who served as chairman of Carlyle from 1992 to 2003. Former President George H.W. Bush and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III also served as advisers. Early on, some of Carlyle's deals were in the defense industry.

But in recent years Carlyle has cut ties with former politicians, emerging as a more-global buyout player than some of its peers, with early deals in China. Carlyle has launched many more, smaller buyout funds than rivals, sometimes with a narrow focus, and executives receive more of their compensation from the profits they specifically generate, rather than the overall firm's gains.

Though the Carlyle pay may cause a backlash, some clients said they had little to criticize after a year of big gains from the sale of interests in companies including China Pacific Insurance Group Co., Kinder Morgan Inc. and Dunkin' Brands Group Inc. "They obviously had a very good year and are incentivized to create gains for investors and are entitled to 20% of those gains," says an executive with an investment in Carlyle funds. "Investors had to have made a lot of money" for the trio to make more than $400 million last year.

via online.wsj.com

Good for them

Final update: Stricker wins Hyundai « PGATOUR.com The Tour Report

Mike McAllister/PGATOUR.COM

Steve Stricker hugs his wife Nicki and daughter Isabella after winning Monday.

KAPALUA, Hawaii – With a final-round 4-under 69, Steve Stricker won his first event in the state of Hawaii, claiming the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Monday by three strokes.

It’s was Stricker’s first win in six attempts at this event. He will enter next week’s Sony Open in Hawaii looking for his first win in Oahu in 13 starts.

With the win, Stricker collects 500 FedExCup points and assumes the early lead in that race.

The 44-year-old Stricker entered the final round with a five-shot lead but saw it reduced to one stroke on the front nine. But just like he did in Sunday’s third round, he built the lead back up on the closing holes at the Plantation Course.

Scotsman Martin Laird shot a 6-under 67 to finish in solo second at 20 under.

Webb Simpson and defending champion Jonathan Byrd each shot 68 to finish tied for third at 19 under.

The win is Stricker’s 12th of his career and ninth since he turned 40.

via tourreport.pgatour.com

Excellent

Woods to start 2012 at Pebble « PGATOUR.com The Tour Report

Ending weeks of speculation, Tiger Woods announced via his website that his 2012 PGA TOUR debut will come at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which will be played Feb. 9-12.

Woods has not played in the tournament since 2002. He came from five strokes back to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2000, edging Matt Gogel in the process.

"I’m excited to start my PGA TOUR season at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am," Woods said on his website. "AT&T is a great partner to my Foundation, and I’m looking forward to playing in this event. I haven’t been to this tournament lately, but I have a lot of good memories at Pebble. It will be fun going back."

Woods’ best memory at Pebble is undoubtedly the dominating, 15-stroke win he took at the U.S. Open in 2000. When the U.S. Open returned to the scenic course nestled on the shores of the Pacific Ocean 10 years later, Woods tied for fourth.

"It’s always been one of my favorite spots," said Woods, who ended his 2011 campaign by winning the Chevron World Challenge in December.

Woods has played the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am a total of six times. He finished second in his 1997 debut and placed 13th or better on two other occasions in addition to the win.

Woods’ first tournament of 2012 will be the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Jan. 26.

via tourreport.pgatour.com

Good.

Sarah Palin: Mainstream Media and Barack Obama Want Mitt Romney as Nominee - HUMAN EVENTS

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said the mainstream media and President Barack Obama “want to face Mitt Romney in the general election.” She made those comments on  “Justice With Judge  Jeanine” on FOX News on Saturday during the same time the Republican presidential candidates were debating in New Hampshire on ABC. 

Palin said the mainstream media would take a hands-off approach to Romney “in order to bolster Romney’s chances” to “finally face Obama.”

According to Palin, the mainstream media and Obama would then portray Romney as someone who is out of touch with regular Americans in the general election. 

“They are already gearing up to portray him, accurately or inaccurately … as being out of touch with the working class,” Palin said, nothing that Romney’s wealth and perfect family may make it easy to paint him as someone “being a bit out of touch from working and middle class Americans and from the challenges we all face.” 

Palin continued: “My opinion is that I can see what’s coming ... the media will try to bolster Romney so they can tear him down, and that is quite unfortunate.”

Palin then conceded that any of the candidates, though, would be better than Obama. 

via humanevents.com

Interesting.

Bachmann Likely to Retire From Congress

The Washington Post reports that political observers in Minnesota are skeptical that Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., will seek reelection this year.

Bachmann, who formally announces that she will end her campaign for president on Wednesday in Des Moines, has a lot to distract her from a return to the rank-and-file of Congress.

The Post points out:

• Bachmann is now a national figure who doesn’t appear to have much to gain by staying the House.

• Given her poor showing in Iowa, she may not retain the star status that helped her raise $13 million for her last House reelection bid.

• Redistricting is around the corner, and her district is sure to change. She may either be drawn out of her district entirely or have a very different-looking district in which to run in 2012.

Meanwhile, Bachmann, 55, is a strong candidate for television punditry, and some think she may have her sights on running against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., in 2014 – in such case it may be advantageous to be out of Congress.

Thus far, Bachmann has been mum about her plans, but her Congressional filing deadline isn’t until June.

via newsmax.com

We'll wait and see.

Norman, Lefty enter Humana « PGATOUR.com The Tour Report

The start of the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation is still two weeks away but it already looks like the tournament will have its best field in years.

Two-time champ Phil Mickelson, who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May, announced Friday that he will be returning to the California desert for the first time since 2007. He’s joining Greg Norman, another Hall of Famer, who also committed this week.

The Humana Challenge will be held Jan. 19-22. The tournament has been reduced from 90 to 72 holes and the $5.6 million event will be played at La Quinta Country Club and the Palmer and Nicklaus Private Courses at PGA West.

Mickelson won the tournament, previously known as the Bob Hope Classic, in 2002 and 2004, both times in a playoff. He’s the only player to have won more than $2 million at the event and that came in just seven starts as a professional.

“I’m honored to join President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for the Humana Challenge,” Mickelson said. “I admire President Clinton and the charitable work of his Foundation, which helps millions of people around the world, and I applaud him for joining Humana in using the tournament to help promote health and wellness. Some of my best seasons have come after starting at this event and I’m really excited about coming back again.”

Norman, who turns 57 next month, also cited Clinton’s involvement as a factor in his decision to return to the tournament for the first time since 1986. The two-time British Open champion most recently served his second term as captain of the International Team for the Presidents Cup.

"After a conversation with President Clinton, and also with my good friend Scott McCarron’s encouragement, I’m all too happy to support President Clinton’s commitment to the Humana Challenge and his Foundation," Norman said. "I’m confident with the recent changes to the tournament’s sponsorship and format, and with the support President Clinton will give, this event, which has been one of the most iconic tournaments for decades, will once again establish itself as one of `the’ tournaments to play in."

Other early commitments include defending champion Jhonattan Vegas; 2011 FedExCup champion Bill Haas, who won the Humana Challenge in 2010, and other past Humana champs Pat Perez, Charley Hoffman, Chad Campbell, Justin Leonard, Steve Jones and Mark Brooks.

via tourreport.pgatour.com

Good.

Stricker makes a late charge « PGATOUR.com The Tour Report

KAPALUA, Hawaii — Steve Stricker was just 1 under through 13 holes and coming off a bogey after finding a greenside bunker and failing to get up and down.

Stricker

Then he got hot.

Four birdies and five holes later, Stricker — at No. 6 the highest-ranked player in this week’s field — put himself firmly in contention after Friday’s first round.

Stricker’s 5-under 68 left him in a four-way tie for second, one shot behind defending champ Jonathan Byrd.

"To finish with four birdies out of the last five holes definitely brings some momentum into tomorrow," Stricker said.

While Byrd did the majority of his scoring on the front nine with six consecutive birdies, Stricker wiped out two early birdies when he double bogeyed the par-3 eighth. His 5 iron failed to carry the hazard. Stricker said he simply pulled the wrong club.

"I wasn’t very happy at the time," he said.

But a bounce-back birdie at nine got him back on track, but it wasn’t until those last five holes that he did most of his damage. On Friday, that five-hole stretch was the easiest on the course.

"You hate to wait like that through the course of your round," he said, "but it does give you a chance to make some birdies coming in."

via tourreport.pgatour.com

Good for him.

Obama Unveils Sweeping Military Cuts

WASHINGTON —President Barack Obama on Thursday unveiled a new defense strategy that will shrink the country's armed forces at a time of tight budgets but pledged to maintain U.S. military superiority in the world.

"Our military will be leaner but the world must know -- the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats," Obama told a news briefing at the Pentagon.

Emphasizing the American presence in the Asia-Pacific region, where there is growing U.S. rivalry with an increasingly assertive China, Obama cautioned the military would remain vigilant in the Middle East.

U.S. troops last month completed their withdrawal from Iraq, which was invaded in 2003 to topple dictator Saddam Hussein, and are winding down their presence in Afghanistan.

Obama, focused on boosting economic growth and curbing stubbornly high U.S. unemployment as he fights for reelection in November, said that ending those two wars was an opportunity to rebalance national spending priorities after a decade of conflict.

Noting the defense budget had witnessed "extraordinary" growth after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Obama said that pace of spending would slow but continue to grow.

"I firmly believe, and I think the American people understand, that we can keep our military strong -- and our nation secure -- with a defense budget that continues to be larger than roughly the next 10 countries combined," he said.

Obama has already earmarked defense budget cuts of $489 billion over 10 years. The defense budget faces an additional $600 billion in cuts after Congress failed to agree to broad deficit reduction after an August 2011 debt ceiling deal.

The president's budget proposal for 2013 will be published in early February.

"Some will no doubt say the spending reductions are too big; others will say they're too small," Obama said. "After a decade of war, and as we rebuild the sources of our strength -- at home and abroad -- it's time to restore that balance."

In putting his stamp on the cuts, Obama outlined two things:  The need to streamline the military in an era of tighter budgets and reassess defense priorities in light of China's rise and other global changes.

Obama's decision to announce the results himself underscores the political dimension of Washington's debate over defense savings. The administration says smaller Pentagon budgets are a must but will not come at the cost of sapping the strength of a military in transition, even as it gets smaller.

In a presidential election year, the strategy gives Obama a rhetorical tool to defend his Pentagon budget-cutting choices. Republican contenders for the White House already have criticized Obama on a wide range of national security issues, including missile defense, Iran and planned reductions in ground forces.

Obama also wants the new strategy to represent a pivot point in his stewardship of defense policy, which has been burdened throughout his presidency by the wars he inherited and their drag on resources.

The revamped strategy, outlined at a news conference also attended by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the Joint Chiefs chairman, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, is not expected to radically alter defense priorities. It may set the stage, however, for expected cutbacks in Europe and big weapons programs.

The administration and Congress already are trimming defense spending to reflect the closeout of the Iraq war and the drawdown in Afghanistan. The massive $662 billion defense budget planned for next year is $27 billion less than Obama wanted and $43 billion less than Congress gave the Pentagon this year.

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Wednesday that Obama was closely involved in the defense strategy review, meeting six times since September with top defense officials, including Panetta and Dempsey. Vietor said the review established priorities to ensure that defense spending cuts are "surgical."

As for Obama's decision to make a personal appearance at the Pentagon, Vietor said, "It's a sign of how personally engaged he is in this process and the level of importance he puts in shaping our priorities for the next decade."

Factors guiding the Obama administration's approach to reducing the defense budget are not limited to war-fighting strategy. They also include judgments about how to contain the growing cost of military health care, pay and retirement benefits. The administration is expected to form a commission to study the issue of retirement benefits, possibly led by a prominent retired military officer.

The administration is in the final stages of deciding specific cuts in the 2013 budget, which Obama will submit to Congress next month. The strategy to be announced by Panetta and Dempsey is meant to accommodate about $489 billion in defense cuts over the coming 10 years, as called for in a budget deal with Congress last summer. An additional $500 billion in cuts may be required starting in January 2013.

A prominent theme of the Pentagon's new strategy is expected to be what Panetta has called a renewed commitment to security in the Asia-Pacific region.

On a trip to Asia last fall, Panetta made clear that the region will be central to American security strategy.

"Today we are at a turning point after a decade of war," Panetta said in Japan. Al-Qaida is among a range of concerns that will keep the military busy, but as a traditional Pacific power the United States needs to build a wider and deeper network of alliances and partnerships in that region, he said.

"Most importantly, we have the opportunity to strengthen our presence in the Pacific — and we will," he said.

The administration is not anticipating military conflict in Asia, but Panetta believes the United States got so bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 that it missed chances to improve its position in other regions.

China is a particular worry because of its economic dynamism and rapid defense buildup. A more immediate concern is Iran, not only for its threats to disrupt the flow of international oil but also for its nuclear ambitions.

Looming large over the defense budget debate is the prospect of reducing spending on nuclear weapons.

Thomas Collina, research director at the Arms Control Association, believes the U.S. nuclear program can cut $45 billion over the coming decade without weakening the force. He estimates that reducing the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine force from 12 subs to eight could save $27 billion over 10 years. A further $18 billion could be saved by delaying the building of a new fleet of nuclear-capable bomber aircraft, he says.

via newsmax.com

Hmmm

INSIGHT-Rivals Set to Pounce on Santorum's past

Rick Santorum's last-minute surge in the Iowa caucus brought him neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney in the first contest of the 2012 race to select a Republican presidential candidate. But it came too late to attract the harsh scrutiny usually visited on front-runners.

Only in recent days have questions emerged about his stand on abortion, his votes in Congress, and his endorsements of Romney over John McCain in 2008, and Senator Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey in 2004.

If rival candidates decide to go negative on Santorum - as they have on Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul -- they have plenty of material with which to work.

Santorum is beloved among "values voters" for his stand on abortion, gay marriage and other social issues. But his record is rich in polarizing policy positions and questionable associations that support the charge of "Washington insider."

For example, his million-dollar-plus 2010 income included payments from a lobbying firm, an energy company engaged in controversial "hydrofracking" and a hospital conglomerate that was sued for allegedly defrauding the federal government.

"The spotlight is blinding, and if you squint or stumble even slightly, it gets even more intense," said Dan Schnur, a former Republican campaign consultant who now heads the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at University of Southern California. "Santorum hasn't faced it yet, but it's about to hit him in a huge way."

Santorum says he's ready. "This isn't my first rodeo. I've been in tough races," Santorum said Monday in Iowa. "I've had the national media crawling up anywhere they could crawl. ... It's not going to be fun."

EARMARKS

Texas Governor Rick Perry fired an opening salvo last weekend, charging that Santorum, 53, was a big spender in Congress who voted to raise the debt ceiling and approved such pork-barrel projects as Alaska's Bridge to Nowhere, a tea pot museum in North Carolina and an indoor rain forest in Iowa. (http://link.reuters.com/nug85s)

Santorum, a lawyer with working-class roots, was 32 when he was first elected to Congress in 1990 from a western Pennsylvania district. He served two terms in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate. He served two senate terms from 1995-2007, before losing his seat in a landslide.

Santorum declined to comment for this article, but on other occasions he has defended his earmarks. "Congress appropriates money," Santorum told "Good Morning America" this week. "That is what Congress is supposed to do."

As a senator, Santorum went further, playing a key role in an effort by Republicans in Congress to dictate the hiring practices, and hence the political loyalties, of Washington's deep-pocketed lobbying firms and trade associations, which had previously been bipartisan.

Dubbed "the K Street Project" for the Washington street that houses most of these groups, the initiative was launched in 1989 by lobbyist Grover Norquist, whose sole aim, he said, was to encourage lobbying firms to "hire people who agree with your worldview, not hire for access."

But the rubric "K Street Project" came to encompass the entire climate of cozy cooperation between Republicans and lobbyists.

When Republicans won control of the House in 1994, House Majority Leader Tom Delay and others organized regular meetings with lobbyists that reviewed K Street job openings with an eye toward filling them with party loyalists, who would in turn steer support and donations to the members.

By 2001, Sen. Santorum was also holding one-hour breakfast meetings with lobbyists on alternating Tuesday mornings at 8:30 a.m.

In 2004 he denied being involved with Norquist's effort to staff K Street. But Santorum convened Senate Republicans to discuss the appointment of Democrat Dan Glickman as head the Motion Picture Association, according to Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill.

"Yeah, we had a meeting, and yeah, we talked about making sure that we have fair representation on K Street. I admit that I pay attention to who is hiring, and I think it's important for leadership to pay attention," he told the paper at the time.

In 2006, as the influence-peddling scandal that sent lobbyist Jack Abramoff to jail unfolded, Santorum said he was ending the breakfasts in his conference room. However, his staff confirmed to Washington newspapers that they resumed almost immediately, on the same day and at the same time, at a location off the Capitol grounds.

Abramoff never attended Santorum's breakfasts. "I was focused on the House," he told Reuters. Yet the mushrooming scandal about Abramoff's activities cast a harsh light on all aspects of the lobbyist huddles on Capitol Hill.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal government watchdog group, named Santorum among three "most corrupt" Senators in 2005 and 2006, accusing him of "using his position as a member of Congress to financially benefit those who have made contributions to his campaign committee and political action committee." (Link to 2006 report: http://link.reuters.com/wug85s)

LIFE AFTER CONGRESS

The blowback from the K Street Project contributed to Sen. Santorum's crushing 18-percentage-point defeat in his 2006 reelection bid. His image as a conservative firebrand who made polarizing comments about abortion, gays and single mothers played a role as well, as did Santorum's full-throated support of the war in Iraq.

A few weeks after he left Congress, although his law license had expired, Santorum landed a job in the Washington office of Pittsburgh-based law firm Eckert Seamans. Lawyers at the firm had given Santorum 45 political contributions totaling $24,400 while he was in Congress, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

As senator, Santorum "was a friend of the firm," said Timothy Ryan, Eckert Seamans' chief executive officer. Santorum helped make introductions and did other "relationship work," including providing Eckert Seamans' clients with business and strategy counseling, Ryan said.

Since then, thanks to his political contacts, Santorum has cobbled together a comfortable living as a political pundit, policy advocate and corporate consultant. His 2010 financial disclosure form shows that the self-described "grandson of a coal miner" earned at least $900,000 that year.

* Fox News paid him $239,153 to appear as an occasional contributor;

* Radio Salem paid him $83,999 to serve as a guest host on "Bill Bennett's Morning in America" radio show;

* The Philadelphia Inquirer paid him $23,000 as a freelance columnist.

* The Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative advocacy group, paid him $217,385 as a senior fellow.

Santorum also collected a total of $332,500 in consulting fees from three corporations:

* $65,000 from the American Continental Group lobbying firm

* $142,500 from Consol Energy

* $125,000 from the Clapham Group, a Virginia-based corporation started by longtime Santorum staffer Mark Rodgers. On its website, Clapham says its mission is to "influence culture upstream of the political arena."

"Rick's been around Washington for quite some time," American Continental president David Urban said. "When he looks at the tea leaves he may see things differently than others. We'd chat about which way different pieces of legislation might be heading. He is a very bright guy so I paid for his insight, and he's a friend, someone whose advice I could trust."

American Continental represents Microsoft, the American Gaming Association, Monsanto and the Association of Mortgage Investors among others.

A spokesperson for Consol Energy said that they "engaged Senator Santorum to provide strategic counsel on a variety of public policy-related issues."

The most high-profile issue for the company recently has

via newsmax.com

Interesting.

Sabato: Romney and Super PAC Will Begin Santorum Attacks

University of Virginia political guru Larry Sabato tells Newsmax that Mitt Romney will “inevitably” go on the attack against Rick Santorum after the two virtually tied for first in the Iowa caucuses.

He also says he will be shocked if Newt Gingrich doesn’t abandon his “nice Newt” approach and begin more aggressively attacking his GOP rivals.

And Sabato predicts the departure of Michele Bachmann from the race won’t benefit any single candidate because what little support she had will be fractured among several White House hopefuls.

Story continues below.

Sabato is a political science professor, author, and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He is also the founder of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an online newsletter providing free political analysis.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV on Wednesday, Sabato comments on Rick Santorum’s surprisingly strong showing in Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses.

“Santorum really fit Iowa well. Iowans didn’t recognize it until the end of the campaign because he didn’t have the money to get the message out. It was really the free news media coverage toward the end that enabled Santorum to make this big leap.

“Between 50 and 60 percent of the Iowa Republicans who voted in the caucuses were social conservatives and Christian fundamentalists. They were looking for someone who wasn’t just good on the economy but also represented to them consistency on issues like abortion, gay marriage and the like. And in Rick Santorum they found both.”

Asked if Romney will now go after Santorum, considering the Iowa results, Sabato declares: “Inevitably. He may not personally but that’s what that Super PAC is there for.

“There’s a legal fiction that Romney doesn’t run it. Of course he personally doesn’t and his campaign manager doesn’t, but allies run it, and allies have ways of getting out messages, even through newspaper reports and TV reports, of what would help a candidate, what would hurt a candidate. They work hand in glove even if it isn’t obvious to most people.”

Looking ahead at the New Hampshire primary, the next electoral test, Sabato says “nobody expects Santorum to win. Obviously if he did win that would be a rocket boost to the stratosphere. But Romney is the prohibitive favorite in New Hampshire, for lots of reasons, not the least that the vote against him is still fractured. So it’s going to be very difficult for anybody to accumulate enough votes to challenge Romney.

“Now Santorum would very much like to finish second. He might be able to get away with third. He’s going to have to say at some point this is not my strongest state, I’m really going to focus on South Carolina, which comes right after New Hampshire.”

Newt Gingrich finished fourth in Iowa after being targeted with unrelenting attack ads from his rivals. Asked if he is likely to change his campaign strategy, Sabato responds: “If we see a change I think it’s going to be toward the attack side.

“As we all know there’s a nice Newt, which has been on display in a lot of debates in which he praises everybody and urges unity, and there’s a nasty Newt. He can be very cutting and negative. He’s very angry at Mitt Romney and to a lesser degree toward Ron Paul. I will be shocked if that Newt doesn’t show up at the debates that will be held before the New Hampshire primary and on the campaign trail in New Hampshire.

Michele Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll in August, but finished sixth in Tuesday’s caucuses and has announced that she is ending her campaign.
Sabato tells Newsmax: “What happened is she was unable to broaden her appeal even though she had been born in Iowa.

“She attracted a lot of intense support from tea party members and social conservatives and for a while she did well enough in the debates to attract attention. But I think as Republicans examined her it wasn’t so much that they rejected her as that they recognized that other candidates had a much better chance of defeating President Obama.

“There is a reason why the last president who went directly from the House to the presidency was James A. Garfield back in 1880. It is extremely difficult to make that jump.”

As to which candidate might benefit from her departure, Sabato says: “Truth is, she didn’t have much support left. My guess is it will fracture. Some will go to Gingrich, some will go to Rick Perry, and some will go to Santorum.”

Ron Paul finished third in the caucuses. Sabato observes: “His people will go through very difficult weather to go out and vote, and if there had been a blizzard last night Ron Paul would have won Iowa.

“But he has a very low ceiling, simply because most Republicans don’t agree with him.

“So I see him continuing to get 10, 20 percent depending on the state. But over the long haul there’s virtually no chance that Ron Paul will be the Republican nominee for president.”

And as for Perry, who finished fifth in the caucuses, Sabato says: “He’s going to continue in South Carolina. He sees an opportunity in South Carolina to make maybe his last stand or to turn a page and begin his campaign anew.

“He’ll skip New Hampshire, and in South Carolina he might have a chance to do better than expected. Of course Mitt Romney is delighted with that decision because it further fractures the anti-Romney vote.”

via newsmax.com

Interesting.

With 160 kills, Navy SEAL is America’s deadliest sniper - NYPOST.com

Secluded on the top floor of a bombed-out four-story apartment building north of war-scarred Fallujah, Iraq, Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is just getting comfortable.

It’s November 2004. Thanksgiving time. The second battle of Fallujah has launched, and Kyle is swaddled in silence atop an upturned baby crib, studying the enemy through a Nightforce 4.5-22 power scope attached to a .300 Win Mag rifle.

He’s feeling badass.

“We just got word that the president of Iraq said that anyone left in the city is bad — meaning, clear to shoot,” he recalled for The Post. “From that point on, every fighting-age male was a target.”

DEVIL AND ANGEL: Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle watches over US Marines from his perch atop an upturned baby crib in a bombed-out building in Fallujah, Iraq. Branded a “legend” by his comrades and a “devil” by his enemies, Kyle racked up a record 160 kills.

Chris Kyle

That was just fine with Kyle, who spent five weeks in the hideout, protecting Marines on the ground and bagging seven confirmed kills — adding to his official total of 160, making him the deadliest sniper in US history.

“After the first kill, the others come easy. I don’t have to psych myself up, or do anything mentally — I look through the scope, get the target in the cross hairs and kill my enemy before he kills one of my people,” Kyle writes in his new autobiography, “American Sniper.”

During his 10-year career as a member of SEAL Team 3, Kyle, 37, saw action in every major battle during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He became known among his fellow SEALS as “The Legend.”

The enemy was less complimentary.

In Ramadi, insurgents put an $80,000 bounty on his head and branded him “Al-Shaitan Ramadi” — “The Devil of Ramadi.”

“That made me feel like I was actually doing my job and having an effect on the war,” he said.

In north-central Texas, Kyle grew up dipping tobacco, riding horses and hunting deer, turkey and quail — a cowboy at heart.

He got his first gun at 8 years old — a bolt-action 30-06 rifle.

The son of a Sunday-school teacher and a church deacon, Kyle credits a higher authority for his longest kill.

From 2,100 yards away from a village just outside of Sadr City in 2008, he spied a man aiming a rocket launcher at an Army convoy and squeezed off one shot from his .338 Lapua Magnum rifle.

Dead. From more than a mile away.

“God blew that bullet and hit him,” he said.

For Kyle, the enemy is a “savage” — there’s no room for gray, only black or white.

His Charlie platoon even adopted the insignia of the comic-book vigilante The Punisher, spray-painting skulls on their body armor, vehicles, helmets and guns.

“You see us? We’re the people kicking your ass. Fear us, because we will kill you, motherf--ker,” he writes.

The married father of two is now president of Craft International, an outfit that provides sniper and security training for the US military.

He teaches what’s required to take that perfect shot: Study the terrain, correct for elevation and wind, prepare for the vibration after the shot, and keep in mind the Coriolis effect, the effect of the rotation of the Earth on a bullet’s trajectory.

“You need skill to be a sniper, but you also need opportunity. And luck,” he said.

He retired a chief petty officer, and along the way, collected an armload of hardware, including two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars with valor.

“That’s just candy,” Kyle said. “That’s not why we were there.”

via nypost.com

Cool, glad he is on our side.