Trump: Grandma Says Obama Was Born in Kenya

Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump says that, if he were president he would get Congress to resolve this year’s budget and avoid a government shutdown, because much harder fiscal negotiations are yet to come. Trump also said Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he wants the issue of President Barack Obama’s birth resolved, because if he decides to run for president in 2012, “I’d like to beat him straight up.”

“Well, I’d be getting people together, and I would be getting them to go along and let’s approve something — you have to get something done,” Trump said. “The big thing is going to be next year, because next year you’re talking about trillions — so if you can’t talk about $30 billion, you’re going to have a real hard time talking about trillions.

“The president is not leading well; it’s going to be very interesting,” he said. “You know, I am hearing the Republicans will be blamed if it doesn’t happen, if there’s a shutdown. I’m also hearing from other groups, [it’s] the Democrats.

“I think the one that’s going to suffer greatly will be the president, and frankly, from the standpoint of embarrassment, if the Republicans wanted to really embarrass the president — which I hope they don’t, of course, it wouldn’t be a very nice thing to do — but let the government shut down for a couple of days. I think he’s the one who would take the heat.”

Trump was asked why he continues to focus Obama’s birth certificate, as the main issue in America today is the fiscal crisis. After brandishing his credentials, and saying he probably would make a decision on a presidential run by June, he said it is critical the issue be resolved.

“Frankly, anybody that get’s labeled ‘birther’ — which is a very derogatory term, the way the press uses it — is automatically considered not a very smart person,” Trump said. “The fact is: He doesn’t have a birth certificate, or he hasn’t shown it, and I’d love him to show it.

“Because, if I decide to run, I’d like to beat him straight up, not on an issue like this,” he continued. “But, he shows a certificate of life birth, which is totally different. And I have to say, if this were Bush or somebody else, he would be run out of office,” adding that Obama’s grandmother in Kenya said he was born there.

“The grandmother in Kenya is on record saying he was born in Kenya,” Trump said. “The hospital has, not only no birth certificate — or if they have it they should produce it, maybe there is something on it, who knows — but they have no records that he was there. The family is fighting over which hospital in Hawaii he was born in.

“There is not one record, in any hospital in Hawaii, that Barack Hussein Obama was born there,” he added.

Trump stressed, however, that the nation’s economic crisis — and the fact China “is ripping off the United States” and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other foreign nations are taking advantage of America is “disgraceful” — are his main issues.

“What OPEC is doing to our country is unbelievable and disgraceful. There’s so much oil . . . there ships all over the sea with so much oil, and they don’t know where to dump it, ” Trump said, adding he is amazed he has heard analysts say they can’t understand why the price of oil is skyrocketing.

“The only thing they didn’t mention as the cause that oil is up to $108 a barrel — is OPEC.”

via newsmax.com

He is an interesting guy.

Why Fox Is Saying Goodbye to Glenn Beck

Fox News host Glenn Beck took viewers by surprise Wednesday with the announcement that his 5 p.m. program will “transition off” the network.

“I am going to leave this program later this year, but I am not leaving Fox," Beck told viewers at the top of his TV program Wednesday.

Beck’s program is the nation’s third-highest rated cable news program, attracting nearly 2.2 million viewers a night.

Fox News and Beck stated that they will continue to “produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox News’ digital properties.”

The news surprised millions of loyal Beck fans, but rumors had swirled for months that Beck might be leaving his 5 p.m. slot. There had been widespread speculation that Beck would be expanding his own subscription-based television programming and might even launch his own cable channel.

The news of Beck’s departure from the 5 p.m. time slot on Fox triggered mixed reactions from across the media universe.

Liberals predictably took their shots at a host whose ratings dominance was never even close to being challenged by competitors at left-leaning networks.

“Glenn Beck is leaving Fox. Where’s he gonna go? The Oprah Network?” tweeted The View co-host Joy Behar. She added: “I give him 20 minutes alone in a room with Rosie" O’Donnell.

Some left-wing activists suggested that their campaign of intimidation targeting Beck’s advertisers had contributed to the decision not to renew his 5 p.m. show.

TV advertising consultant Adam Armbruster, who has appeared regularly on Fox News, called Beck "controversial, a real lightning rod for many advertisers."

Advertisers, he observed, often prefer to avoid anything controversial.

"But you also have to remember that some enjoy controversy . . . Glenn Beck got a lot of attention for Fox News. The bottom line is that advertisers love attention," he said.

Controversy aside, Beck in many ways has redefined the standard for success in the 5 p.m. time slot. Although his ratings had cooled from the height of his popularity, he continued to provide Fox’s prime-time lineup with an extraordinarily strong lead-in viewership.

"I still think if he was not the bane of the liberal media opinion-leader world, there wouldn’t be this kind of pressure on Fox," Boston University communications professor Tobe Berkovitz tells Newsmax."I mean, who wants to get rid of someone with those kinds of numbers at 5 in the afternoon? Who the hell else is ever going to pull those kinds of numbers?"

Jeffrey M. McCall, a communications professor and analyst at DePauw University, said the announcement didn't surprise him.

"I think the timing, as we head to some really tough governmental decision that have to be made, and also heading into the election season in 2012, I think Fox probably just wanted to turn the page on this," he said.

Both Fox and Beck made every effort to demonstrate that the two sides look forward to working with each other going forward.

“Glenn Beck is a powerful communicator, a creative entrepreneur and a true success by anybody’s standards," Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes said. “I look forward to continuing to work with him.”



Beck in turn offered kind words to Ailes as well: “I truly believe that America owes a lot to Roger Ailes and Fox News. I cannot repay Roger for the lessons I’ve learned and will continue to learn from him and I look forward to starting this new phase of our partnership.”

Beck’s rise to media stardom followed a meteoric path since he joined Fox News in October 2008 just weeks before Barack Obama captured the presidency. With his black-rimmed glasses and chalkboard, at times he seemed like the living personification of Howard Beale, the fictional character in the 1976 film "Network," who persuaded Americans to stand up en masse and yell, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.”

Beck's accomplishments transcended the ordinary role of media in the early days of the Obama administration, when the president’s popularity was riding so high that many other news personalities were hesitant to subject his policies to the normal level of press criticism.

But not Beck, who became a one-man media empire, with one of the nation’s most popular syndicated radio programs, a string of sold-out personal appearances, and a bevy of best-selling books.

As his notoriety grew, Beck went beyond merely commenting on the news and began to impact it. For example, he created a grass-roots organization called The 9-12 Project that played a major role in the huge tea party rallies and town hall demonstrations in protest of President Obama’s healthcare initiatives.

Beck’s exposes of radical associations and statements of key administration figures such as green-jobs adviser Van Jones, FCC chief diversity officer Mark Lloyd, and political strategist Anita Dunn, resulted in embarrassing revelations and resignations that blunted the momentum of the Obama juggernaut at a time when it appeared to be virtually unstoppable. In the process, he became the man the left most loved to hate on cable TV.

His "Restoring Honor" rally, which drew up to 500,000 people to the National Mall in August 2010 in support of traditional American values, marked Beck’s transition from talk host to cultural icon.

In some ways, Beck’s phenomenal popularity may have ultimately proved impossible to maintain at its apex.

“It’s the meteor theory of cable talk,” Berkovitz said. “If you’re too hot, you can burn up in the atmosphere. So maybe that’s part of it.”

Popular New York City-based, syndicated talk show host Steve Malzberg tells Newsmax: “I think whatever he does, he will continue to be successful. He’s very unique, and he has a huge, huge following.”

Added Malzberg: “He’s going to blow them away no matter where he goes, no matter what his next venture is going to be, no matter where he’s going to take his media talents.”

Beck closed his program Wednesday by saying to his viewers: “We will find each other. I’m developing other content for Fox — there are specials and other things — on television and beyond. I will continue to tell the story, and I’m going to be showing you other ways for us to connect.

“But I have other things to do. And not because it’s good or bad for business, but I think you out of all the people will truly get this: Our only business is the business of freedom and our country at this time. It’s why I’ve told you . . .  at the beginning of the year — prepare to be a leader, educate yourself, be the mouthpiece — never rely on anyone else to spoon feed you.

“Now today — now today, you have to carry more weight, you must know what you believe; you must be prepared to be the person that explains it to others.

“Fox is one of the only places you will find truth — spread the word, stick together — and together, we will do the right thing for our country and for our world.”

via newsmax.com

Things change.

Jon Stewart Mocks Obama’s New Video While Exposing Broken Campaign Promise | The Blaze

Call me crazy, but it seems Jon Stewart is becoming less and less a fan of President Obama every day.

Last week he hammered the president over the assertion that NATO would be taking over the war in Libya. This week, he‘s lampooning the president’s new campaign video and one of his biggest, broken campaign promises: transparency.

In the segment, Stewart is baffled by the “supporters” used in the president’s new video. How’d we go from “yes we can” to “you know, whatever?” he asks. He then quickly moves on to pointing out one of the most ironic news items of last week — that Obama received a transparency award in secret.

Watch the segment below:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Victory Lapse – Obama Transparency Award
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

It will be interesting to see as the campaign picks up if Stewart’s disillusion is because of what the president is doing, or whether he’s upset with what the president is not doing. Is he upset Obama is making harmful decisions, or is he angry he isn’t liberal enough? We’ll see.

via theblaze.com

What?

Buyers Shun New Homes - SmartMoney.com

Why New Homes Don't Sell

Once a common home buyer's dream, new homes have lost some of their appeal. Instead, it's fixer-uppers and foreclosures that have been capturing buyers' attention, creating a window of opportunity for those still looking for new construction.

More for homeowners, home buyers, and home sellers:

• New Options for Underwater Homeowners
• New Rules for First-Time Home Buyers
• Is Renting Better Than Buying?
• VIDEO: 3 Tips to Help Sell Your Home

While the real estate market has struggled across the board, new homes have been hit harder than ever before. Existing home sales are down about 3% in the last year, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors. That's peanuts compared to new home sales, which have fallen a whopping 28%, according to the U.S. Census. To some extent, existing homes have always recovered before new construction, but analysts say this situation is so extreme that it could delay a meaningful recovery for the new-home market by two more years. "It's not looking promising for new housing," says John Vogel, adjunct professor of real estate at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business.

The reason for the discrepancy is clear, experts say: New homes are currently 29% more expensive than existing homes, about double the typical margin, according to the NAR. At the same time, there are some radical discounts in the existing home market, foreclosures and short sales specifically, which accounted for nearly 40% of all sales in February. (In 2010, they accounted for 25% of all sales, according to RealtyTrac.com.)

But a shift in consumer psychology has also hurt new home sales. Pre-recession, buyers expected high-end appliances and fancy countertops, and builders delivered. Now consumers are more enthusiastic about a home that's easier and cheaper to maintain, says Vogel. For many buyers, that even includes smaller rooms – a rarity in homes built during the real estate boom – that are more affordable to heat or cool. More buyers are also looking to live in or near a city – where relatively fewer new homes exist – to be closer to their job and to spend less on gasoline costs.

The trend doesn't seem to be reversing itself any time soon. In spite of the lagging sales, new home prices are still expected to rise by nearly 1% this year, according to the NAR: Builders have all but stopped building, says David Crowe, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, and supply is dwindling. Nationally, there are around 186,000 new homes on the market right now, the lowest since 1967. And even builders who want to build may not be able to get financing. Just 20% of builders are shopping for loans, down from 80% pre recession, Crowe says.

But there's are also bright spots for buyers: Eager to sell, some builders are unloading homes for less than the cost of building the house. Though limited in number, that's mostly happening in the hardest hit states of Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, says Crowe, and often because the builder's loan for that property has come due. Buyers in these markets could end up with a new home for a price close to that of the fixer-upper down the street.

via smartmoney.com

Interesting.

Jumping Rope for Exercise: Learning the Ropes - WSJ.com

Peter Nestler, who jumps rope for a living, recently executed an extended double dutch sequence for Adam Sandler's next movie, "Jack and Jill," as Mr. Sandler's stand-in. When he was finished, Katie Holmes, the film's co-star, approached Mr. Nestler, he said, and told him it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.

I know the feeling. I jump rope out on the street in Astoria, Queens, for exercise, observed by my coterie of elderly Eastern Europeans.

"When's the fight?" one asked recently.

Traditionally the turf of the boxing ring and schoolyard, jumping rope is nearly perfect exercise in terms of conditioning, cost-benefit and convenience. It's just you, a rope, a pair of shoes and the ground.

It is a kind of complete physical engagement that few other activities offer. And once you catch the "swing," it's pretty satisfying stuff: a personal lyricism that jogging and other aerobics will never have.

"To coordinate that kind of rhythm, the whole body has to be in sync—core, shoulders, legs," said Brian Nguyen, the actor Mark Wahlberg's personal trainer. Mr. Nguyen trained with Mr. Wahlberg for his role in last year's film "The Fighter." "It's a very intense movement for the body," he explained.

Jumping is also gentler and kinder, though. "You're getting the most bang for your buck, because you're working almost every part of your body, but there's not the impact of running, because of the way the foot lands," said Alexis Colvin, an assistant professor of sports medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan.

THE PURIST'S SPEED ROPE

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, styling by Anne Cardenas

Many pros use uncomplicated, inexpensive plastic ropes—sometimes simpler is better. Orange Crush, $8, punkrope.com

John Snow, the manager of Trinity Boxing Gym in Lower Manhattan, has basic pointers. He has me jump in place, without a rope, practicing my arm movement: elbows to my sides, turning the wrist and bending and rolling the elbow, breathing through my nose, setting a pace, staying focused and loose. Mr. Snow called it "controlled relaxation," an eloquent attitude towards life, as well as rope jumping.

Tim Haft, who leads the Punk Rope class at the Greenpoint YMCA in Brooklyn, stresses the importance of sizing the rope you use. Most ropes can be adjusted by making knots next to the handles. "Stand on the middle of the rope with one foot," he said. "The handles should come up to just below your shoulders."

Mr. Haft uses an inexpensive plastic-cord "speed" rope with simple handles. Ropes with ball-bearing handles are also available and can facilitate your swing. Weighted ropes will give your arms and upper body more exercise; plastic-bead ropes are sturdier for outdoor jumping on harder surfaces, though you should be using a giving platform like a pliant wooden floor, a mat or grass. Cotton-cord and leather ropes look great; no one except stylists use them.

Shoes are important too. Wear something flat, like a cross-trainer or a wrestling shoe, not a running shoe. When you jump, land on the ball of your foot, not your heel.

Like most trainers I spoke to, Frank Powers of Serpico Powers training studio in Manhattan bases his rope routine with clients on a boxer's three-minute round: three one-minute rounds, with a 30-second break between, then three two-minute rounds, then three three-minute rounds.

"When you can jump for 10 minutes comfortably, you're at a decent fitness level," he said.

But for me, it's all about the "swing," casually watching the cars go by on 28th Avenue, the steady exhilaration of the light-footed step and sailing repeatedly up into the air. Michael George, an ex-boxer who has trained Julianne Moore and others, likened it to a dance—that's exactly what it is.

—William L. Hamilton

THE ERGONOMIC ROPE

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, styling by Anne Cardenas

The Ergonomic Rope

Fancy handles mean you'll be able to workout more comfortably, longer. Harbinger Trigger Handle, $11, amazon.com

THE HIGH TECH ROPE

Photographs by F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

The High Tech Rope

The handle's swivel bearings help eliminate tangling and friction. Aero Speed, $39, buddyleejumpropes.com

THE WEIGHTED ROPE

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, styling by Anne Cardenas

The Weighted Rope

Go for this heavier kind of rope to give your arms and upper body a more intense workout. The Beast, $20, punkrope.com

How To: Do a Criss-Cross Jump

Illustrations by Bruce Hutchison for The Wall Street Journal

via online.wsj.com

Good stuff.

PGATOUR.COM - Ishikawa to give 2011 golf earnings to Japan victims

TOKYO (AP) -- Golf sensation Ryo Ishikawa says he is giving all of his tournament earnings this year to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in his native Japan.

Kyodo News reported Wednesday that the 19-year-old Ishikawa also is pledging money for every birdie he makes. If he plays similar to last year, Ishikawa could wind up giving more than $2 million toward relief efforts.

He was No. 3 on the Japan Golf Tour money list in 2010, making just over $1.8 million, which includes his earnings from the majors and World Golf Championship. He led the Tour by making 341 birdies last year, which could amount to another $400,000. His pledge was for 100,000 yen for each birdie.

Ishikawa won his first pro tournament as a 15-year-old amateur, and already has won nine times in Japan.

via pgatour.com

Good for him.

VP Biden’s Office Apologizes for Confining Reporter in Storage Closet During Fundraiser | The Blaze

This is one of the more bizarre snippets to come out of the political/media axis in awhile.

Fox News:

The vice president’s press secretary has apologized to a local political reporter after he was kept in a storage closet during a Florida fundraiser.

Scott Powers, a reporter with the Orlando Sentinel, was relegated to the storage space during a fundraiser Wednesday for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., apparently to prevent him from speaking to people before Vice President Biden showed up.

The Sentinel did not make a big deal about the incident when it first happened, publishing a somewhat lighthearted account on their political blog:

Not looking for sympathy here, but the life of a political reporter isn’t all champagne and canapes. Consider our man Scott Powers…

But the story took on more extended life when the Drudge Report featured it prominently with in a “flash” report:

Reporter Scott Powers was the designated “pool reporter” for the vice president’s Wednesday visit to the massive Winter Park, Fla., home of developer and philanthropist Alan Ginsburg. The veep hadn’t arrived yet but most of the 150 guests (minimum $500 donation) had. They were busy noshing on caprese crostini with oven-dried mozzarella and basil, rosemary flatbread with grapes honey and gorgonzola cheese and bacon deviled eggs, before a lunch of grilled chicken Caesar and garden vegetable wraps.

Not so for Powers. A “low-level staffer” put Powers in a storage closet and then stood guard outside the door, Powers told the DRUDGE REPORT. “When I’d stick my head out, they’d say, ‘Not yet. We’ll let you know when you can come out.’”

via theblaze.com

Huh?