MICHAEL'S RANT

MOYERS & COMPANY: ECONOMIC MALPRACTICE & MILLENNIALS

2012-02-14T08:30:00.000-06:00

Economic Malpractice and the Millennials from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

SEAN HANNITY'S HOLY SAUSAGE FEST (Jon Stewart)

2012-02-14T08:10:00.000-06:00

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

THE VAGINA IDEOLOGUES (Jon Stewart)

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

NO LOVE LOST

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

AND NOW… AN ANDREW BREITBART SIGHTING

2012-02-11T17:10:00.000-06:00

Remember Andrew Breitbart? Ofcourse you do.

Here he is confronting protestorsthat were outside of CPAC.

EMBARASSING TO…. WELL, ANYONE

2012-02-11T16:55:00.000-06:00

Here is a “hip hop” performance duringone of the sessions at CPAC.

Did they just say the N-wordduring the performance…? Listen closely at 1:50.

It might be KNICKERS, but giventhe current state of the GOP it wouldn’t shock me if they said “it”.

Ugh…

Again… shaking my head.

THE ATTACK ON WOMEN'S HEALTH NEEDS TO END NOW

2012-02-10T10:55:00.000-06:00

Governor Rick Perry was at CPACthis week and had this to say:

“Last year I proudly signed abudget that ended all state funding for Planned Parenthood in my state. Sincethen there’s been about a dozen of those clinics that shut down in the state ofTexas.”- RickPerry at CPAC

Governor, how does defundingPlanned Parenthood balance the state budget? How does it keep our publicschools from closing? How does it keep fire fighters employed? How does itimprove our infrastructure? How does it promote a responsible energy policy?

As someone who has a mother,several aunts, grandmothers on both sides of his family still living, a sister,and a young niece, this is downright disgusting.

The attack on Women’s Healthneeds to end now.

Women must have access to healthcare in order to manage their own bodies. That includes access to birth controlpills, breast and other cancer screenings, gynecological examinations,reproductive assistance technologies such as in vitro fertilization, and ifnecessary undergo a procedure to abort a pregnancy.

Women must have access to healthcare without fear of reprisal. These are medical decisions made between amedical provider and their patient and those decisions must be respected.

The Sonogram Bill that passed theTexas Legislature in this most recent session is a gross violation and ablatant disrespect of an individual’s right to privacy. Republicans say theywant government out of people’s lives... unless you are a woman, then they haveto inspect your uterus.

Yes, I am a man. However (comma)as I stated before, I know women through my family relationships.

As a fellow human being, thisattack on Women’s Health is an outrage. It does not solve the real problems facingour country.

SAME TIRED ARGUMENTS

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

ELLEN ADDRESSES HER J.C. PENNY CRITICS

2012-02-09T23:30:00.000-06:00

Apparently there is a group called“One Million Moms” that got upset that retailer J.C. Penny named EllenDeGeneres as their company’s new spokesperson.

First, J.C. Penny is not backingdown from their decision. Good for them.

Second, an interesting person hascome to her defense and all LGBT people: Howard Stern.

Listen to this commentary from Howard Stern and Robin Quivers (It’s HowardStern, there is language. Discretion is advised).

Third, here is Ellen DeGeneresaddressing the “controversy” and also the Ninth Circuit striking Prop 8 down asunconstitutional.

Ellen’s right. She stands fortraditional values like treating people kind and fairly unlike the “One MillionMom’s.”

Maybe we need to adopt thosevalues instead.

STATE REP. MAUREEN WALSH (R-WA) REMARKS ON WASHINGTON STATE’S MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL

2012-02-09T23:25:00.000-06:00

The billis currently on its way to Governor Christine Gregoire’s desk where she willsign it into law.

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #375 (CENSORED)

2012-02-09T22:45:00.000-06:00

Aired after The Big Bang Theory on 2 February 2012 from Chuck Lorre Productions: TheOfficial Vanity Card Archives

Forgiveme a moment of political reflection, but I'd like to take this opportunity todiscuss something that's been on my mind for a very long time. I've alwaysunderstood the Republican Party to have, as its central platform, the idea thathuman beings should never be dominated by a monolithic government which tellsthem how to live their lives. I like that. It feels like a fundamental truth,and I can't imagine any right-minded person finding fault with it. I've also noticedthat there are many in the Grand Old Party who insist on telling people exactlyhow they should live.

Forexample: Alcohol, yes. Pot, no. Straight marriage, yes. Gay marriage, no.Jesus, yes. Others prophets, no. The death penalty, yes. Abortion, no.Capitalism, yes (by force if need be). Collectivism, hell no! Added to this isan inclination to find anyone who chooses these other paths to be deeply repugnant.

All ofwhich causes me to wonder, is there a middle ground?

In fact,are there big political gains awaiting those of a conservative bent if they canfigure out a way to celebrate individual freedom while simultaneously toleratingdiversity of opinion and lifestyle?

With thatin mind, I humbly propose the following slogan designed to both embrace thisparadox and ignite the general electorate in the coming presidential campaign.

CAL THOMAS’ COMMENTS ABOUT RACHEL MADDOW

2012-02-09T22:40:00.000-06:00

Ah… The Conservative PoliticalAction Conference is underway in Washington, DC. Let’s take a look…

Here’s my rebuttal to Cal Thomas’comments:

“It looks to me like the best part of you randown the crack of your mama's ass and ended up as a brown stain on themattress. I think you've been cheated.”

- R. Lee Ermeyas the character GySgt Hartman USMC in the movie Full Metal Jacket

Stay classy GOP!

2012 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, PARTY NOMINATION ROUND

2012-02-09T11:20:00.000-06:00

2012 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

Due to there being no serious challengefrom a candidate within the Democratic Party, Barack Obama’s nomination as thatparty’s candidate for president is all but official. With this known, Obama hasclinched a first-round bye and will face the Republican Candidate in the GeneralElection to take place on 6 November 2012.

2012 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

GOP NOMINATION 2012	DELEGATES MAGIC # 1144	VOTES (%)	# OF CONTESTS WON
ROMNEY	94	40.04	3
SANTORUM	71	15.43	3
GINGRICH	29	30.00	1
PAUL	8	10.95	0
ROEMER	0	0.03
KARGER	0	0.01
E- HUNTSMAN	2	1.80
E- PERRY	0	0.85
E- BACHMANN	0	0.39
E- CAIN	0	0.36
E- JOHNSON	0	0.06

E- Eliminated from playoffcontention.

Minnesota GOP Caucus

Colorado GOP Caucus

Even though Missouri held theirprimary on Tuesday, I am not including them in the vote total because nodelegates were awarded. Delegates for Missouri will be awarded during the countyconventions to take place on 17 March 2012.

If you are interested in theresults of Missouri’s primary election: click here.

SENATOR BARBARA BOXER (D-CA) SPEAKS ON THE SENATE FLOOR ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON WOMEN'S HEALTH

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

THE FINAL ENTRY FOR THE 2011 NFL SEASON

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Another NFL season is in thebooks. First, I’d like to offer my congratulations to one Monica Roberts on agreat playoff run with a 7-4 record and correctly picking the Super Bowlwinner. Me, on the other hand… 5-6 and lost the Super Bowl. So if you took myadvice, don’t blame me, you shouldn’t be gambling in the first place.

Oh well.

The new season starts on 6September 2012 at MetLife Stadium where the Giants will start their titledefense against a yet-to-be-announced opponent. Even though every individualteams opponents for the upcoming season are released, the full 2012 NFL Seasonschedule will not come out until sometime in the spring. Stay tuned to theWatts News Network for when that happens.

It is too early to say who willbe playing in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013 with the gameairing on CBS, but it would not shock me if it was a repeat of Giants-Patriots.

Other teams that could bepartying with the Lombardi on Rue Bourbon:Green Bay, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, and even the HoustonTexans. Even the hometown team, the Saints, could become the first team to playin their home stadium. It could be even more of a home game because the NFCwould be the home team in Super Bowl XLVII.

Imagine if the Saints win nextseason’s Super Bowl? The city of New Orleans would be partying for a long time.

It’s sad when the season ends,but for those hardcore followers of the NFL, there is the Scouting Combine,followed by the NFL Draft, then OTAs, free agency, training camps, pre-season,and before you know it we’ll be counting down the hours to opening kickoff.

Even thought the New YorkFootball Giants are the champions, everyone is 0-0 right now.

In closing, I’d like to point outa couple of things. First, the story that will dominate the off-season is wherewill Colts quarterback Peyton Manning end up playing next season?

Peyton Manning, who did not playa single down in this recent season due to recovering from neck surgery, wasrecently medically cleared to play. In March, he is due a $28 million rosterbonus. The Colts also hold the first overall pick in the 2012 Draft, and theyare expected to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with that pick. It wasbelieved that the Colts would restructure Manning’s deal so that they can keepsome players around and draft Luck so that they can groom him to be Manning’ssuccessor. However, it doesn’t seem to be the case as coach Jim Caldwell andgeneral manager Bill Polian were released after the season. So, it appears thatthe Colts might be heading towards a rebuilding phase.

Manning does not want to be partof any rebuilding plans, and feels that he can still play in the NFL. He may bephysically cleared to play, but which team might take a chance on someone whomight have two… or even three years left to play.

Potential places where Manningmight end up in 2012 are Arizona, Washington, Miami, Minnesota, and even theJets. All those teams need a quarterback. I doubt the Jets because it would puthim in the same media market as his brother Eli Manning who is the quarterbackfor the Giants. Plus the Jets would have to part ways with quarterback MarkSanchez who has led the Jets to 2 AFC Championship games in his first threeseasons. And, he would be in the same division with Patriots quarterback TomBrady, adding fuel to the already volatile New York-Boston rivalry.

Same issue with the Dolphins ofbeing in the same division as the Patriots, but maybe a more favorableenvironment. Though, the Dolphins hired Packers offensive coordinator JoePhilbin in the off-season and if they are going to get a quarterback via free agency,it might be for Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn.

Washington… in addition to beingin the same division as the Giants, that team is a disaster. We saw whathappened when Donovan McNabb left Philadelphia and played behind that atrociousRedskins offensive line.

Arizona and Minnesota would seemto be good places. They play all of their home games in a dome. Minnesota isgoing to have a healthy Adrian Petersen at running back next season. Arizonawas crippled by poor quarterback play last season. They have one of the bestpass catchers in the league in receiver Larry Fitzgerald. It all depends ifthey have the salary cap space to afford him. If Manning ends up with a newteam, I expect his deal to have little impact on that team’s cap and a veryheavily incentive based contract.

The other point I’d like to makeis about Eli Manning.

Before the season started, EliManning in a radio interview said that he was an elite quarterback.

When you make throws like this…

Yes, you are an elitequarterback.

Also, if you win two Super Bowls, then yes you are an elite quarterback.

Cowboys fans… get ready to seehow the Houston Texans felt when Peyton Manning was the Colts quarterback. Eli hastwo Super Bowl wins and will be making a run at his third win starting .

I would strongly support theargument that Eli Manning is a better quarterback than his brother PeytonManning.

Peyton has a career playoffrecord of 9-10 with a Super Bowl record of 1-1. Eli is 8-3 in the playoffs witha record of 2-0 in the Super Bowl. In addition, against the Patriots in theplayoffs, the Colts in the Peyton Manning era are 1-2. The Giants in the EliManning era versus the Patriots are 2-0, including being the team that put anend to the Patriots perfect season back in February 2008.

While Peyton Manning has multipleleague MVP awards, Eli Manning already has two Super Bowl wins and named SuperBowl MVP twice. Peyton is going to be within striking distance of every singlemajor passing record when he goes into the Hall of Fame, while Eli is enteringthe prime of his career.

Another thing to point out isthat Peyton Manning’s Colts were built to win in the regular season while theGiants during the Eli Manning era have been built to win in the playoffs. Comparethe talent level the Colts had from 1998-2010 and the talent level the Giantshad from 2004 until now. With barely any roster turnover the Colts have amassedseveral playoff appearances but only one Super Bowl win. The Giants, the onlyconstants between their win in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, has beenEli Manning. The receiving corps has changed and the role players on the defensiveline are different, but the results are the same: Giants beat the Patriots inthe Super Bowl.

I doubt that Eli Manning is donewinning Super Bowls any time soon.

Expect him to be in more commercialslike this one:

STATEMENT ON THE LOSS OF CMSgt DAVE GAINER (USAF, Ret.)

2012-02-06T16:30:00.000-06:00

CMSgt Dave Gainer, USAF (Ret.)passed away on Thursday. The loss has impacted the LGBT and VeteranCommunities.

He served for 23 years in the AirForce and continued his service to our county to end the policy of banning gaysand lesbians from serving openly in the military. He was on the national boardof Service Member's Legal Defense Network and worked with Equality Texasbecause of his committed belief in equality for ALL.

In December 2010, CMSgt Gainerwas in attendance when President Barack Obama signed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”(DADT) Repeal Act of 2010. Commenting on that event CMSgt Gainer had this tosay: “Chiefs don’t cry, but the allergenswere very high in that room. You couldn’t help but shed a tear in there. It wasjust such an overwhelming feeling of weight being lifted and equality finallyhappening.”

When DADT repeal was fullyimplemented in September 2011, there was a celebration at the Dallas ResourceCenter commemorating this event. I was proud to be standing with my fellowVeterans and as a fierce advocate for the LGBT Community celebrating thishistory making occasion.

At that event he told us that anew fight was on: to end the Defense of Marriage Act and ensure that an allinclusive Employee Non-Discrimination Act for the Transgender Community ispassed.

On Saturday evening, there was aCandle Light Memorial at the Monument of Love in Dallas where we reflected onthe life of an outstanding human being.

Our condolences and support arewith his husband David Guy, his family, and countless friends as they try toget through this difficult event. Mr. Guy has requested that in lieu offlowers, a donation is made to the following:

Forum on the Military Chaplaincy

c/o Cathedral of Hope

5910 Cedar Springs Road

Dallas, TX 75235

He was addressed as “Chief” and lived up to that title. We are without ourChief and saddened by his departure.

He will be missed but his legacywill live on in those that he influenced.

Michael Watts

Chair, Texas Young DemocratsVeterans-Military Affairs Caucus

US Navy Veteran 2002-08

SUPER BOWL XLVI

2012-02-05T16:45:00.000-06:00

For the thirteenth time, theSuper Bowl features a rematch of a game that took place during the regularseason.

SUPER BOWL	REGULAR SEASON	SUPER BOWL REMATCH
XII: Cowboys-Broncos	Cowboys, 14-6	Cowboys, 27-10
XV: Raiders-Eagles	Eagles, 10-7	Raiders, 27-10
XVI: 49ers-Bengals	49ers, 21-3	49ers, 26-21
XVIII: Raiders-Redskins	Redskins, 37-35	Raiders, 38-9
XX: Bears-Patriots	Bears, 20-7	Bears, 46-10
XXI: Giants-Broncos	Giants, 19-16	Giants, 39-20
XXV: Giants-Bills	Bills, 17-13	Giants, 20-19
XXVIII: Cowboys-Bills	Bills, 13-10	Cowboys, 30-13
XXIX: 49ers-Chargers	49ers, 38-15	49ers, 49-26
XXXIV: Rams-Titans	Titans, 24-21	Rams, 23-16
XXXVI: Patriots-Rams	Rams, 24-17	Patriots, 20-17
XLII: Giants-Patriots	Patriots, 38-35	Giants, 17-14
XLVI: Patriots-Giants	Giants, 24-20	TBD

The team that won the regularseason matchup is 5-7 in the Super Bowl rematch.

In Week 9, the Patriots hostedthe Giants in their first matchup since Super Bowl XLII. Much like Super BowlXLII, the game started out as a low scoring affair but picked up in the game’sfinal quarter. And just like Super Bowl XLII, the Giants engineered a drive ledby Eli Manning and scored a touchdown in the game’s final 45 seconds to comeaway with a 24-20 victory.

Since that loss the Patriotsembarked on a ten game winning streak to end up in their seventh Super Bowl infranchise history. This is the fifth Super Bowl appearance for thecoach-quarterback team of Bill Belichick-Tom Brady, the most ever for acoach-quarterback combination. A win would put them in the same company asChuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw who won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the1970s.

In addition, a win would matchBrady with the player he idolized as a child, quarterback Joe Montana who ledthe San Francisco 49ers to 4 Championships in the 1980s.

Meanwhile, the Giants advancedtheir record to 6-2 and were looking like a contender in the NFC. Then theylost their next four games and were on the verge of missing the playoffs.

In Dallas it appeared that the Giants season was all but done…

Then this happened…

Then Jason Pierre-Paul blocked afield goal to give the Giants the dramatic 37-34 win…

A 99-yard touchdown pass on theroad against the Jets in Week 16…

And the Hail Mary at the end of thefirst half in the playoff game against the defending Super Bowl ChampionPackers…

On Conference Championship Sunday,both Super Bowl participants endured their biggest challenge of their season.Against the Ravens, Tom Brady threw 2 interceptions, but scored a TD on a QBsneak play.

It looked like the Patriots run tothe Super Bowl was done when it appeared that Ravens wide receiver Lee Evanscaught the game winning touchdown…

But Sterling Moore made the playof the season so far for the Patriots by knocking the ball out of Evans’s hands.

It was followed by this miss bykicker Billy Cundiff.

Out in San Francisco the Giantsand 49ers played another epic NFC Championship Game. Eli Manning threw for 32completions on 58 attempts with 316 yards passing and 2 touchdowns on a rainsoaked field.

With the game tied at 17 inovertime, punt returner Kyle Williams had a costly fumble that gave the Giantsexcellent field position.

Lawrence Tynes kicked a 31 yardfield goal to send the Giants to their fifth Super Bowl in team history.

In some ways this game is a lotlike Super Bowl XLII, but in other ways it’s not. For starters, the rosterturnover. Tom Brady and Eli Manning are still the quarterbacks of theirrespective teams. Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin are still the head coaches.Randy Moss is no longer playing in the NFL, while Plaxico Burress was playingin New York… for the Jets last season. Michael Strahan and Rodney Harrison arenetwork analysts.

And the player who caught a TD pass in that game and made this catch:

Is no longer playing in theleague.

So… the story line going intothis game.

Well, it has taken an entireregular season, but Manning will finally start in a game at Indianapolis.

That’s Eli Manning.

His older brother Peyton, thelongtime quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, missed the entire season due torecovering from off season neck surgery. It is possible that he might no longerbe playing for the Colts in 2012, so stay tuned to that story.

If Eli Manning wins another SuperBowl, it would give him two for his career. Eli Manning would have his eighthcareer playoff win in eleven playoff games vs. older brother’s record of 9-10.He would also be undefeated against the Patriots, compared to Peyton Manning’srecord of 1-2 in the playoffs during the Patriots Brady Era.

The Giants have a deep receiving groupwith Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks and powerful rushing attack in running back AhmadBradshaw. The Patriots much maligned defense is going to have to step up. Ithink the one thing that sums up the Patriots defense this season is that playin the AFC Championship Game where Sterling Moore knocked the pass away. Sure,they may give up a lot of yards, BUT the important statistic is on the scoreboard.

On the defense, the Giants haveplaymakers in defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul, Chris Canty, Justin Tuck,Osi Umenyiora, and linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka. The Patriots offensive line isgoing to have their hands full in trying to keep Tom Brady upright.

To counter the Giants aggressive pass rush, they are going to have to utilize theirtight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski in blocking. That was somethingthey didn’t have in Super Bowl XLII.

In addition, Gronkowski will beplaying this game after suffering a high ankle sprain in the AFC Title Gameagainst the Ravens. How much will that factor in his effectiveness?

Expect receiver Wes Welker, wholed the league in with 122 catches and caught 11 passes in Super Bowl XLII, to beTom Brady’s number one target.

Oh… and Welker too caught a99-yard pass this season also.

Also, you know who wasn’t on that2007 Patriots team…? Wide receiver Deion Branch, MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX. Anothertarget that Tom Brady likes.

So… who do I like…?

Well, it seems like everyone isfavoring the Giants. The line is Patriots is by 3 with an over/under of 53.5….use that information as you see fit.

If you have noticed about thisseason, New England seems to be on this revenge tour. Since their last SuperBowl win the Patriots are 5-5 with one Super Bowl loss and two home playoffgame losses.

2011 OPPONENT	KEY LOSS	2011 RESULT
Jets	Lost in 2010 AFC Divisional Round	Season Sweep
Colts	2009 “Fourth and 2”	Beat Colts at home (sans Peyton)
Broncos	Lost in 2005 AFC Divisional Round	Won in Denver in regular season, 45-10 win in playoffs
Ravens	Loss in 2009 Wild Card Round	Won AFC Title Game
Giants	Super Bowl XLII	Lost regular season matchup, Super Bowl XLVI rematch

I think the Patriots are willingto point out that hey… we’re pretty good here too; we won three Super Bowlsduring the 2000s.

During the presentation of theLamar Hunt Trophy, Tom Brady had this to say to CBS’s Jim Nantz:

I don’t think he is going to havea repeat performance of that game.

In addition, Indianapolis was thesite of one of the most embarrassing losses in recent Patriots history. Havinga 34-14 lead against the Colts in Indianapolis in 2009, it appeared that thePatriots were going to run them out of the stadium. Then Peyton Manning led twoscoring drives to cut the Patriots lead down to 6.

And then… “Fourth and 2”

I originally picked the Patriotsafter the matchup was determined, and now I still feel that way. Yes, I didpick the Patriots when they played the Giants in New England earlier thisseason. That was a close game and I expect the same with this game as well.

It will be another close Super Bowl. I like this.

Enjoy the commercials, Madonna,and most importantly the game.

THE PICK: Patriots 28, Giants 27

MVP PICK: Tom Brady

SUPER BOWL XLVI: BRINGS OUT ALL KINDS OF FANS

2012-02-05T15:30:00.000-06:00

SUPER BOWL XLVI: PROMOTING THE GAME

2012-02-05T13:15:00.000-06:00

SUPER BOWL XLVI: NMA'S TAKE ON THE GAME

2012-02-05T13:00:00.001-06:00

SUPER BOWL XLVI: MADDEN SIM

2012-02-05T13:00:00.000-06:00

MOYERS & COMPANY: “HOW DO CONSERVATIVES AND LIBERALS SEE THE WORLD?”

2012-02-05T12:30:00.000-06:00

How do Conservatives and Liberals See the World? from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

BAYARD RUSTIN DEBATES MALCOM X

2012-02-01T14:30:00.002-06:00

WINNING OUR FUTURE REPRESENTATIVE IS A LOSER

2012-02-01T07:30:00.000-06:00

While watching the returns for the Florida GOP Primary last night, I happened to see this interview between Rick Tyler,leader of the Pro-Gingrich Super PAC Winning Our Future, and the MSNBCpolitical panel consisting of Rachel Maddow, Al Sharpton, and Lawrence O’Donnell.

Visitmsnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After the interview, the paneljoined by Ed Schultz and Steve Schmidt, who was the Senior Strategist forSenator McCain’s 2008 Presidential Campaign, discussed more about the raciallycharged messages coming from Newt Gingrich.

In short, Rick Tyler’s commentswere downright offensive.

Instead of having a hired mouthpiecespeak for him, maybe Newt Gingrich should respond directly to what he has said.

I doubt it.

MOYERS & COMPANY: HOW POWER AND INFLUENCE HELPED THE BIG BANKS

2012-01-29T12:30:00.000-06:00

Moyers & Company Show 103: How power and influence helped big banks rewrite the rules of our economy. from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

STATE OF THE UNION 2012

2012-01-24T20:00:00.000-06:00

COMPLETETEXT FROM THE WASHINGTONPOST

Mr.Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, andfellow Americans:

Lastmonth, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our lasttroops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to thecolors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought – andseveral thousand gave their lives.

Wegather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the UnitedStates safer and more respected around the world. For the first time in nineyears, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in twodecades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’stop lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, andsome troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

Theseachievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork ofAmerica’s Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let usdown, they exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personalambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the missionat hand. They work together.

Imaginewhat we could accomplish if we followed their example. Think about the Americawithin our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. AnAmerica that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-payingjobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security andprosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built tolast, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

Wecan do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of WorldWar II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they builtthe strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. Mygrandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on theGI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of aworkforce that turned out the best products on Earth.

Thetwo of them shared the optimism of a Nation that had triumphed over adepression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger;that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had achance to share – the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you coulddo well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, andput a little away for retirement.

Thedefining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge ismore urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a countrywhere a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number ofAmericans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets afair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same setof rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, butAmerican values. We have to reclaim them.

Let’sremember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturingbegan leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but alsomade some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like neverbefore, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing,paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.

In2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold topeople who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets andbonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other way, ordidn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.

Itwas wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis thatput millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent,hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office,we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before ourpolicies were in full effect.

Thoseare the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have createdmore than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005.American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time sincethe late 1990s. Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, soa crisis like that never happens again.

Thestate of our Union is getting stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn backnow. As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to buildon this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I willoppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on thiseconomic crisis in the first place.

No,we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phonyfinancial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and layout a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built onAmerican manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and arenewal of American values.

Thisblueprint begins with American manufacturing.

Onthe day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Someeven said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to letthat happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workersand automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool andrestructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number oneautomaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company.Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, theentire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

Webet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, theAmerican auto industry is back.

What’shappening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Clevelandand Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring back every job that’s left ourshores. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in placeslike China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO ofMaster Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs backhome. Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock’s unionized plantin Milwaukee is running at full capacity.

Sowe have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But wehave to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Askyourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your countrywill do everything we can to help you succeed.

Weshould start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for movingjobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in Americaget hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, andeveryone knows it.

Solet’s change it. First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, youshouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to covermoving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.

Second,no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes bymoving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company shouldhave to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards loweringtaxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.

Third,if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’rea high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for makingproducts here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hardwhen a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment,or training for new workers.

Mymessage is simple. It’s time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobsoverseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.Send me these tax reforms, and I’ll sign them right away.

We’realso making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over theworld. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years.With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meetthat goal – ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of new customersfor American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Soon, there will benew cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, andChicago.

Iwill go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And Iwill not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules. We’ve broughttrade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration –and it’s made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today becausewe stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It’s not rightwhen another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It’s notfair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’reheavily subsidized.

Tonight,I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be chargedwith investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There willbe more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing ourborders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has anadvantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or newmarkets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if theplaying field is level, I promise you – America will always win.

Ialso hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States butcan’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science andtechnology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job.Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are lookingfor work.

That’sinexcusable. And we know how to fix it.

JackieBray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as amechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed apartnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped thecollege design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’stuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

Iwant every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackiedid. Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans withskills that will lead directly to a job. My Administration has already lined upmore companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses likeSiemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, andLouisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges theresources they need to become community career centers – places that teach peopleskills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management tohigh-tech manufacturing.

AndI want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from nowon, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go forall the information and help they need. It’s time to turn our unemploymentsystem into a reemployment system that puts people to work.

Thesereforms will help people get jobs that are open today. But to prepare for thejobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.

Forless than one percent of what our Nation spends on education each year, we’veconvinced nearly every State in the country to raise their standards forteaching and learning – the first time that’s happened in a generation.

Butchallenges remain. And we know how to solve them.

Ata time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets haveforced States to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher canincrease the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teachercan offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond hiscircumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changedthe trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay,sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just to make adifference.

Teachersmatter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offerschools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, andreward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach withcreativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teacherswho just aren’t helping kids learn.

Wealso know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education,more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on everyState to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate orturn eighteen.

Whenkids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At atime when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, thisCongress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling inJuly. Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves middle-class familiesthousands of dollars. And give more young people the chance to earn their waythrough college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next fiveyears.

Ofcourse, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid. We can’t just keepsubsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money. States also need todo their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets.And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costsdown. Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done justthat. Some schools re-design courses to help students finish more quickly. Someuse better technology. The point is, it’s possible. So let me put colleges anduniversities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the fundingyou get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can’t be a luxury – it’san economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

Let’salso remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students inthis country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet Americancitizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through andthrough, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others camemore recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon asthey get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create newjobs somewhere else.

Thatdoesn’t make sense.

Ibelieve as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’swhy my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’swhy there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.

Theopponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensiveimmigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress fromacting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expellingresponsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, anddefend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn theircitizenship. I will sign it right away.

Yousee, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent andingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equalpay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work;and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next SteveJobs.

Afterall, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs arecreated in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helpsthem succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs fromgetting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small businesses that areraising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas. So putthem in a bill, and get it on my desk this year.

Innovationalso demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in ourfederally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that killcancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for copsand soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut these investments in ourbudget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the future. Support the samekind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet;to new American jobs and new American industries.

Nowhereis the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. Over thelast three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gasexploration, and tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more than 75percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, Americanoil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s right – eightyears. Not only that – last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any ofthe past sixteen years.

Butwith only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough. This countryneeds an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every availablesource of American energy – a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of newjobs.

Wehave a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly one hundred years,and my Administration will take every possible action to safely develop thisenergy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end ofthe decade. And I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public landsto disclose the chemicals they use. America will develop this resource withoutputting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.

Thedevelopment of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories thatare cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose between ourenvironment and our economy. And by the way, it was public research dollars,over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies toextract all this natural gas out of shale rock – reminding us that Governmentsupport is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.

What’strue for natural gas is true for clean energy. In three years, our partnershipwith the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’sleading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments,renewable energy use has nearly doubled. And thousands of Americans have jobsbecause of it.

WhenBryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worriedthat at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work atEnergetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, thefactory only made luxury yachts. Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, whosaid, “I’m proud to be working in the industry of the future.”

Ourexperience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investmentsdon’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companiesfail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will notwalk away from workers like Bryan. I will not cede the wind or solar or batteryindustry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s timeto end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been moreprofitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been morepromising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.

Wecan also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences in thischamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climatechange. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a cleanenergy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’tacted. Well tonight, I will. I’m directing my Administration to allow thedevelopment of clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes.And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, the world’s largestconsumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy inhistory – with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of amillion homes a year.

Ofcourse, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here’sanother proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factoriesand give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy billswill be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have lesspollution, more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers who needthem. Send me a bill that creates these jobs.

Buildingthis new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repairAmerica’s infrastructure. So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We’ve gotcrumbling roads and bridges. A power grid that wastes too much energy. Anincomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner inrural America from selling her products all over the world.

Duringthe Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge.After World War II, we connected our States with a system of highways.Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects thatbenefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses thatstill use them today.

Inthe next few weeks, I will sign an Executive Order clearing away the red tapethat slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund theseprojects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to paydown our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.

There’snever been a better time to build, especially since the construction industrywas one of the hardest-hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course,construction workers weren’t the only ones hurt. So were millions of innocentAmericans who’ve seen their home values decline. And while Government can’t fixthe problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and waitfor the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.

That’swhy I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner thechance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing athistorically low interest rates. No more red tape. No more runaround from thebanks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that itwon’t add to the deficit, and will give banks that were rescued by taxpayers achance to repay a deficit of trust.

Let’snever forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules everyday deserve a Government and a financial system that do the same. It’s time toapply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and nocopouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.

We’veall paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn’t affordthem, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them. That’s why we need smartregulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. Rules to prevent financialfraud, or toxic dumping, or faulty medical devices, don’t destroy the freemarket. They make the free market work better.

Thereis no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly.In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of mypresidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. I’ve ordered everyfederal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. We’ve alreadyannounced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business andcitizens more than $10 billion over the next five years. We got rid of one rulefrom 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 ayear proving that they could contain a spill – because milk was somehowclassified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying overspilled milk.

I’mconfident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency lookingover his shoulder. But I will not back down from making sure an oil company cancontain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. I will not backdown from protecting our kids from mercury pollution, or making sure that ourfood is safe and our water is clean. I will not go back to the days when healthinsurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny youcoverage, or charge women differently from men.

AndI will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its ownset of rules. The new rules we passed restore what should be any financialsystem’s core purpose: Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas,and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, start abusiness, or send a kid to college.

Soif you’re a big bank or financial institution, you are no longer allowed tomake risky bets with your customers’ deposits. You’re required to write out a“living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail –because the rest of us aren’t bailing you out ever again. And if you’re amortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days ofsigning people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms anddeceptive practices are over. Today, American consumers finally have a watchdogin Richard Cordray with one job: To look out for them.

Wewill also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained investigators tocrack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s investments. Somefinancial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s no real penaltyfor being a repeat offender. That’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for thevast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the rightthing. So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count.

Andtonight, I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federalprosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigationsinto the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housingcrisis. This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speedassistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness thathurt so many Americans.

Areturn to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility will helpus protect our people and our economy. But it should also guide us as we lookto pay down our debt and invest in our future.

Rightnow, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million workingAmericans while the recovery is still fragile. People cannot afford losing $40out of each paycheck this year. There are plenty of ways to get this done. Solet’s agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payrolltax cut without delay.

Whenit comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cutsand savings. But we need to do more, and that means making choices. Right now,we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be atemporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Right now,because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of allmillionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households.Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.

Dowe want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want tokeep our investments in everything else – like education and medical research;a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious aboutpaying down our debt, we can’t do both.

TheAmerican people know what the right choice is. So do I. As I told the Speakerthis summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long term costsof Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as thoseprograms remain a guarantee of security for seniors.

Butin return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awfullot of Members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. Tax reform shouldfollow the Buffett rule: If you make more than $1 million a year, you shouldnot pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn isright: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’reearning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies ordeductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up. You’re the onesstruggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You’re the ones who needrelief.

Now,you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to payat least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call thatcommon sense.

Wedon’t begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americanstalk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because theyenvy the rich. It’s because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don’tneed and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebodyelse has to make up the difference – like a senior on a fixed income; or astudent trying to get through school; or a family trying to make ends meet.That’s not right. Americans know it’s not right. They know that thisgeneration’s success is only possible because past generations felt aresponsibility to each other, and to their country’s future, and they know ourway of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of sharedresponsibility. That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit. That’s an America built tolast.

Irecognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes anddebt; energy and health care. But no matter what party they belong to, I betmost Americans are thinking the same thing right now: Nothing will get donethis year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washingtonis broken.

Canyou blame them for feeling a little cynical?

Thegreatest blow to confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from eventsbeyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington over whether the UnitedStates would pay its bills or not. Who benefited from that fiasco?

I’vetalked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street.But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad– and it seems to get worse every year.

Someof this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics. Sotogether, let’s take some steps to fix that. Send me a bill that bans insidertrading by Members of Congress, and I will sign it tomorrow. Let’s limit anyelected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s make surepeople who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, andvice versa – an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside ofWashington.

Someof what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days.A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything – even routine business –passed through the Senate. Neither party has been blameless in these tactics.Now both parties should put an end to it. For starters, I ask the Senate topass a rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simpleup or down vote within 90 days.

Theexecutive branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient, outdatedand remote. That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority toconsolidate the federal bureaucracy so that our Government is leaner, quicker,and more responsive to the needs of the American people.

Finally,none of these reforms can happen unless we also lower the temperature in thistown. We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in aperpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging torigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common sense ideas.

I’ma Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: ThatGovernment should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves,and no more. That’s why my education reform offers more competition, and morecontrol for schools and States. That’s why we’re getting rid of regulationsthat don’t work. That’s why our health care law relies on a reformed privatemarket, not a Government program.

Onthe other hand, even my Republican friends who complain the most aboutGovernment spending have supported federally-financed roads, and clean energyprojects, and federal offices for the folks back home.

Thepoint is, we should all want a smarter, more effective Government. And while wemay not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences this year, wecan make real progress. With or without this Congress, I will keep takingactions that help the economy grow. But I can do a whole lot more with yourhelp. Because when we act together, there is nothing the United States ofAmerica can’t achieve.

Thatis the lesson we’ve learned from our actions abroad over the last few years.

Endingthe Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies. FromPakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowingthat they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America.

Fromthis position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan. Tenthousand of our troops have come home. Twenty-three thousand more will leave bythe end of this summer. This transition to Afghan lead will continue, and wewill build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, so that it is never againa source of attacks against America.

Asthe tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the Middle East andNorth Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sana’a to Tripoli. A year ago, Qadhafiwas one of the world’s longest-serving dictators – a murderer with Americanblood on his hands. Today, he is gone. And in Syria, I have no doubt that theAssad regime will soon discover that the forces of change can’t be reversed,and that human dignity can’t be denied.

Howthis incredible transformation will end remains uncertain. But we have a hugestake in the outcome. And while it is ultimately up to the people of the regionto decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served ourown country so well. We will stand against violence and intimidation. We willstand for the rights and dignity of all human beings – men and women;Christians, Muslims, and Jews. We will support policies that lead to strong andstable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty.

Andwe will safeguard America’s own security against those who threaten ourcitizens, our friends, and our interests. Look at Iran. Through the power ofour diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’snuclear program now stands as one. The regime is more isolated than everbefore; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as theyshirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent. Let there be nodoubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, andI will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. But a peacefulresolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changescourse and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.

Therenewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe. Our oldestalliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever. Our ties to the Americas aredeeper. Our iron-clad commitment to Israel’s security has meant the closestmilitary cooperation between our two countries in history. We’ve made it clearthat America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a newhope. From the coalitions we’ve built to secure nuclear materials, to themissions we’ve led against hunger and disease; from the blows we’ve dealt toour enemies; to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back.

Anyonewho tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline orthat our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about. That’snot the message we get from leaders around the world, all of whom are eager towork with us. That’s not how people feel from Tokyo to Berlin; from Cape Townto Rio; where opinions of America are higher than they’ve been in years. Yes,the world is changing; no, we can’t control every event. But America remainsthe one indispensable nation in world affairs – and as long as I’m President, Iintend to keep it that way.

That’swhy, working with our military leaders, I have proposed a new defense strategythat ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearlyhalf a trillion dollars in our budget. To stay one step ahead of ouradversaries, I have already sent this Congress legislation that will secure ourcountry from the growing danger of cyber-threats.

Aboveall, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it.As they come home, we must serve them as well as they served us. That includesgiving them the care and benefits they have earned – which is why we’veincreased annual VA spending every year I’ve been President. And it meansenlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our Nation.

Withthe bipartisan support of this Congress, we are providing new tax credits tocompanies that hire vets. Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with Americanbusinesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families.And tonight, I’m proposing a Veterans Job Corps that will help our communitieshire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as thosewho defend her.

Whichbrings me back to where I began. Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve canlearn from the service of our troops. When you put on that uniform, it doesn’tmatter if you’re black or white; Asian or Latino; conservative or liberal; richor poor; gay or straight. When you’re marching into battle, you look out forthe person next to you, or the mission fails. When you’re in the thick of thefight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one Nation, leaving no one behind.

Oneof my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on themission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may be Democrats.Some may be Republicans. But that doesn’t matter. Just like it didn’t matterthat day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates – a man who wasGeorge Bush’s defense secretary; and Hillary Clinton, a woman who ran againstme for president.

Allthat mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No onethought about themselves. One of the young men involved in the raid later toldme that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission. It only succeeded, he said,because every single member of that unit did their job – the pilot who landedthe helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others fromentering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from thefight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the mission onlysucceeded because every member of that unit trusted each other – because youcan’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know thatthere’s someone behind you, watching your back.

Soit is with America. Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that ourdestiny is stitched together like those fifty stars and those thirteen stripes.No one built this country on their own. This Nation is great because we builtit together. This Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation isgreat because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, inthis moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. Aslong as we’re joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our commonresolve, our journey moves forward, our future is hopeful, and the state of ourUnion will always be strong.

Thankyou, God Bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

GIFFORDS IS STEPPING DOWN FROM CONGRESS

2012-01-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

Arizona Congresswoman GabrielleGiffords is steppingdown from Congress this week.

Good luck to her in her recoveryefforts.

Transcript of video

Arizonais my home, always will be. A lot has happened over the past year. We cannotchange that. But I know on the issues we fought for we can change things forthe better.

Jobs,border security, veterans.

We can doso much more by working together. I don't remember much from that horrible day,but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank youfor your prayers and for giving me time to recover.

I havemore work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona I will stepdown this week.

I'mgetting better.

Everyday, my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona andthis great country.

Thank youvery much.

MOYERS & COMPANY: CRONY CAPITALISM

2012-01-22T13:00:00.000-06:00

Moyers & Company Show 102: On Crony Capitalism from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

2011 NFL SEASON CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

It is finally here.

Conference Championship Sunday

I think this is one of the best Sundaysof football next to opening Sunday and the Super Bowl.

This is it.

This is the last game wherehomefield advantage matters. For the 49ers and Patriots this is their finalhome game of the season.

Are their fans going to go homehappy, or will they have to wait until the season starts in 2012? For the Ravensand Giants, this could be their next to the last road trip they take beforeheading to Indianapolis…

So… what seems to be the storythat we are going to look back on for the 2011 NFL Season?

KICKOFF TIMES ARE CENTRAL TIME

Baltimore Ravens at New EnglandPatriots, 2 PM CBS

New York Giants at San Francisco49ers, 5:30 PM Fox

Ravens at Patriots, 2 PM CBS

I don’t think we need to do indepth season reviews of the teams at this point and the breaking down of statsand key players. I’m just going to keep it simple.

Last week the Ravens defeated theTexans. It looked like the Ravens were going to run the Texans into theChesapeake Bay, but Houston was able to hold their own and almost made thecomeback.

A late interception by safety EdReed sealed the 20-13 win and sent the Ravens to Massachusetts for a date withthe Patriots.

The day before the Ravens win,the Patriots dispatched of the ~~Tebows~~ Broncos in a quick manner.Quarterback Tom Brady passed for 363 yards and 6 touchdowns. 5 of thosetouchdowns were in the first half; three of them were caught by tight end RobGronkowski. New England led 35-7 at the half. Final score: Patriots 45, Broncos10.

The Ravens cannot defeat thePatriots with the same offensive performance they had against the Texans. Theyare going to have to expect more from running back Ray Rice and quarterback JoeFlacco. New England’s defense looked awesome last weekend… but so can anyonewhen they are playing against Tim Tebow.

This is going to be a challengefor Baltimore’s defense. If you remove Gronkowski, then you have to worry aboutreceiver Wes Welker and the other tight end, Aaron Hernandez, burning you.Their only chance is to get after Brady early and often and utilize theirrunning game to keep the Patriots offense off the field.

I admit that Baltimore was mypick to win the AFC but since my NFC pick fell apart last Sunday, I’ve decidedto say… to hell with it. As the Founder and Lead Contributor of this blog, Ican do what I want/

In the end, New England’s offenseis just too much. They seem to be on a mission since their lost to the Giantsback in November. Since then, they have won 9 in a row. I believe they make itnumber 10.

THE PICK: Patriots 30-16

Giants at 49ers, 5:30 PM Fox

Wow…

The 49ers did everything rightagainst the Saints. They got physical with them. They matched the Saints scorefor score in the final five minutes of the game and pulled off one of thebiggest wins in 49ers history. Quarterback Alex Smith and tight end VernonDavis, who have faced criticisms in their time with San Francisco, hooked upfor the game winning score.

Even though Vernon Davis had anoutstanding game, San Francisco is going to need more production from theirreceivers

Meanwhile the New York FootballGiants ended the Packers Title Defense, and did so in convincing fashion.Quarterback Eli Manning is proving that he is elite status by throwing for 330yards and 3 touchdowns while wide receiver Hakeem Nicks collected 165 yards and2 touchdowns. The defining moment in the game was the 37-yard touchdown passthat Nicks caught at the end of the first half.

I think it just sucked the lifeout of the Packers home crowd and they were in shock.

So, did anyone really expectthese teams to be in the NFC Title Game?

I don’t think so at the start ofthe playoffs and not even at the start of the season. Both of these teams seemto be feeding off of the “Nobody-believes-in-us” factor. But, which one isgoing to feed off of that energy more?

Eli Manning’s 2011 playoff seasoncompared to his 2007 playoff season is worth mentioning. He has matched his2007 playoffs touchdown to interception ratio with 6-to-1. He is completing67.7% of his passes compared to in 2007 Manning completed 60.5% of his passes.Manning is averaging just north of 300 yards per game versus 214 yards per gamein 2007. So far the Giants are 2-0 in the playoffs. 2007 was capped with theGiants finishing as Super Bowl Champions.

Since 1980, the Giants are 3-11 whentraveling to San Francisco to play the 49ers. It’s also worth mentioning thatthe Giants are 4-0 in NFC Title Games, including the 1990 NFC Title Game wherethe Giants won a physical game 15-13 and ended the 49ers chances at athree-peat.

This is tough…

Well, the 49ers did beat theGiants at home in Week 10, 27-20, in what could be argued as the 49ers comingout game. You know, that one game where everyone finally recognizes that thisteam is actually good? In that game the 49ers held their own pretty well.

I am looking at the weatherforecast for this game. 52 at kickoff with a 40% chance of rain. Rain chancesincreasing at the game goes on. Running the football effectively is going to beimportant in this game, and the 49ers have the running back that can do that inFrank Gore.

However, Eli Manning is the hotquarterback. He has playoff experience and this run through the playoffs islooking like their 2007 run.

OK… I’ve talked myself into it. Thisis not a ringing endorsement, but it is the most logical pick I can make. Thetime for talk is over… (soundslike an essay I wrote…)

THE PICK: Giants 23-19

TURNS OUT THAT IOWA DID NOT END UP WITH A ROMNEY WIN…

2012-01-21T22:20:00.000-06:00

If yourecall from the Iowa Caucus itwas reported that Romney won by eight votes.

Well…through some double checking, it turns out that Rick Santorum won the IowaCaucus by 34 votes.

IOWA GOP CAUCUS	VOTE PCT.
SANTORUM	24.56
ROMNEY	24.53
PAUL	21.43
GINGRICH	13.30
PERRY	10.33
BACHMANN	4.98
HUNTSMAN	0.61
NO PREF/OTHERS	0.21
CAIN	0.04
ROEMER	0.01

“Oops…”

The standingswill be updated to reflect that change.

Here issomething interesting to consider… Republican led legislatures in the stateshave been pushing for Voter ID Bills to combat the supposed epidemic of rampantvoter fraud that is taking place across the country.

By theway, it’s not taking place. In 2007, the Justice Department released a studyfrom the last five years showing therewas scant evidence of organized voter fraud taking place. Even though thearticle sites that from October 2002- September 2005, 95 cases were brought to thegovernment on charges of voter fraud. 70 of those cases resulted in aconviction and of those convictions, 31 of those involved party or campaign workers.The next highest number of convictions involved individual voters through alist of problems; most were convicted due to being found to be ineligible tovote.

The samearticle pointed out that prosecutors in Wisconsin were unable to win a convictionby a two-to-one margin.

Anyways…

SoRepublicans want Voter ID Bills to combat this made up conspiracy that there isrampant voter fraud out there…

Then whycan’t they conduct their own caucus without people raising questions about theresults?

SOUTH CAROLINA 2012 PRIMARIES PREDICTION

2012-01-21T17:50:00.000-06:00

DemocraticPrimary

Call it a hunch, but I thinkBarack Obama will win the Democratic Primary.

Republican Primary

Newt Gingrich 36%

Mitt Romney 25%

Ron Paul 15%

Rick Santorum 14%

This race has determined who the Republican nominee is since 1980. While Romneycould win the nomination without South Carolina, he has got to tackle hisinability to connect with voters especially in the Southern States where theeconomy has hit people the hardest and the large Evangelical Christianpopulation.

Romney hasthe money, but his recent two debate performances have got to be troubling tohis campaign. Gingrich is going to get a boost to his campaign with a win whichwill mean more money for him and people might take another look at him as aviable candidate.

It is notthis primary that is going to be telling about the Republican nominationprocess. I am waiting until Monday night’s debate in Tampa to see the trueimpact of a Gingrich win.

Braceyourselves… this is going to be a long and strange journey.

GOVERNOR RICK PERRY DROPS OUT, ENDORSES NEWT GINGRICH

2012-01-19T12:20:00.000-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

KEEP THE INTERNET A PLACE FOR THE FREE MOVEMENT OF INFORMATION AND IDEAS

2012-01-18T19:10:00.000-06:00

TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BELOW

Today was a key event in the history ofMichael’s Rant where forthe first time I produced a video that was in direct relation to a posting.

Oh… If you are wondering why I amdressed down for this video versus what I wore in that first video, I felt likeit. Also because it was the first video, I felt it was necessary to class upthe place a bit. You get to see me more in my natural element.

Anyways…

If you are like me and regularlyvisit Wikipedia, today you saw the screen shot that the website blacked itselfout for a 24-hour period in protest of the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act(SOPA) that is in the United States House and the Preventing Real OnlineThreats to Economic Creativity Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PROTECT IPAct) that is in the United States Senate.

Some people I know protestedthese proposed bills by writing their Congressional Representatives and goingas far as standing in solidarity with Wikipedia by participating with them intheir own form of an internet blackout.

While it is frustrating thatWikipedia is not up today, it is understandable why they took the stand againstSOPA and PROTECT IP Act.

The internet must remain a placeof free flowing ideas.

My decision to not to participatein the protest is because of my belief in the true purpose of the internet.

That purpose is the continuous freeflowing exchange of ideas between people across the world. Nothing is going tostop me in this exchange. I participate in this process by postings on facebookand twitter, the YouTube channelwhere you can watch my videos, and thisblog that I regularly contribute to as its Founder and Lead Contributor andany other titles I give myself.

Please note that I am notcondemning Wikipedia or anyone else who stands in solidarity with them. I holdthese people in high regards for taking a stand on an issue. This is my way ofdoing my part.

My view of the internet is like ahammer: it can be used for both good and evil. The good application is tohammer a nail into a board as part of building a house. The evil application isto use that same hammer to cause great harm to another person. Hammers havebeen used to hurt people, but there are no laws on the books preventing theiruse.

It comes down to a benefitanalysis. Most people use hammers for their intended use: as a tool to buildsomething or remove nails. It is the same idea with the internet. Like mostpeople, I use it to pay bills, check my bank account, know what the weather is,and for looking up topics that are interesting to me primarily politics,sports, history, current events, and quotes from the television show TheSimpsons.

Another person may see a good usefor the internet is to post videos about the Occupy Movement, posting a blogsupporting Republicans in the upcoming election, or looking at pornography allday.

These proposed bills criminalizethe sharing of ideas through creative means and the monopolization ofinformation by a single entity.

It attacks people who are actingwithin the reasonable accordance of the law and does not solve the problems of the criminal elements that regularly plague the internet community being the rampant acts of fraud,malicious acts of vandalism through the creation of viruses, hate speechpromoting violence towards minorities, and the sexual exploitation of children.

Instead these bills would givemore control to corporations on the movement of information and ideas. It woulddo our nation a great disservice if these policies were enacted.

There are many ideas out therethat I do not subscribe to, and I choose not to incorporate them into mythought processes. However, to call for their complete censorship, it wouldconflict with something I believe in.

I am a Navy Veteran who servedfrom 2002-08. I defended this Right ranging from its use to protect those whocannot defend for themselves to even the most unpopular and disgusting ideas bya reasonable person. This Right has created the continuing conundrum and debatethat started when this country was established. The debate continued after Iarrived on this planet, it is still going on today, and it will continue longafter I depart.

“Congressshall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting thefree exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; orthe right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Governmentfor a redress of grievances.”

The First Amendment to the UnitedStates Constitution

THE TIME FOR TALK IS OVER

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

TRANSCRIPT BELOW

After seven months of polls,campaign events, and debates the time for talk is over.

With the Iowa Caucus and NewHampshire Primary results tabulated and the South Carolina Primary coming upthis Saturday, we are witnessing the incoming of the hard evidence. Polls anddebates are excellent for measuring the status of the Republican Party andmaking predictions, but the concrete evidence of knowing which direction theparty is heading is in these primary elections.

Various spinners and numbercrunchers will point out that Candidate A did well with Group Y and Candidate B& D split the Group Z vote, while Group X strongly believed that CandidateC went too negative on Candidate A.

In the end, there is only onequestion that matters:

Who got the most votes?

Winning elections matters becauseit can provide momentum, the collection of endorsements, and most importantly,money to a campaign.

We are approaching the thirdcontest in this process: the South Carolina Republican Primary. Since theestablishment of this race in 1980, the candidate that won this contest hasgone on to the Republican Nomination. That is a total of eight races spanning32 years and different eras in Republican Politics. Five of those were contestedprimaries; the other three were pro forma processes due to an incumbent Presidentrunning for re-election.

With that fact known by thecandidates involved in this upcoming election, the time for talk is over.

That statement does not hold truefor everyone involved. For the volunteers and interns, there will be other campaignsto work on. As long as we have elections and people passionate about politics,there will always be campaigns to work on.

For those that get paid to handlethe candidate’s operations ranging from their offices to members of their staffand any other delegation of duties, allow me to reference the movie “The Ides of March”:

“If your boy wins, you get a job in the White House. He loses?You're back at a consulting firm.”

Without revealing more of theplot line, Ryan Gosling plays Stephen Meyers, a junior campaign manager forGovernor Morris portrayed by George Clooney in a fictionalized account of apresidential primary race. As the race is coming down to Ohio, a rival campaignmanager attempts to recruit him for their side. A Morris victory in this state allbut ensures him his party’s nomination and a clear path to the White House. Anupset by his rival, and it could change the endorsement of a key politicalfigure within the party.

Meyers turns down the offer fromthe rival because he believes in Governor Morris. Meyers backs this up bysaying, “He’s the only one that’s actually going to make a difference inpeople’s lives.” Meyers’s belief in Morris is so strong that it tests thelimits of his ethics and personal convictions.

Meyers is driven by this oneprinciple:

“He has towin.”

To the victor, goes the spoils isproven true.

When the candidate declares theircandidacy is done, those in paid positions will seek opportunities with othercampaigns or take a consulting job until the next campaign starts up. Asetback, but again other opportunities arise.

It might be for a Senate racethis year, a mayoral race in 2013, a gubernatorial re-election campaign in2014, or if a special election pops up, these people will go where they areneeded. Once their use is expended, they will make an expected return to thepolitical dugout where they will wait for their next opportunity at bat.

For the candidate, the title ofthis essay is very true:

The time for talk is over.

The time for talk is over becausethis is it. Every gaffe, misspoken statement, exposed flaw, and missedopportunity cannot be undone. Two contests are in the books and a third is lessthan four days away. As stated before, South Carolina has an excellent recordof choosing the Republican nominee going eight-for-eight since 1980.

There is no telling how longthese candidates will have to wait for their next turn. If (and it is a strongIF) a Republican is the next occupant in the White House, the time to run foroffice will likely appear again in 2020. Eight years in the political world isa long time to wait. If President Obama is re-elected, the opportunity to runagain appears in four years. An added bonus in this scenario is that PresidentObama is term limited per the Twenty Second Amendment to the United StatesConstitution, and the Democrats will be engaged in their own primary seeking anew candidate for the first time since 2008.

However (comma) there is notelling who will run for President in future elections let alone what thepolitical climate might look like in at a minimum four years from now. Afterthe 2004 Presidential Election, the political pundits predicted that it wouldbe former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani against then-Senator Hilary Clintonof New York. Because of the rapidly changing political landscape, the punditry didnot foresee that the 2008 matchup was going to involve a young Illinois Senatorof mixed heritage with a funny sounding name going up against a Senator with along career in that chamber who served his country in the Navy and sought hisparty’s nomination eight years earlier.

Newt Gingrich, Governor RickPerry of Texas, Representative Ron Paul of Texas, Mitt Romney, and RickSantorum know that their window of opportunity is closing rapidly. They have toconvince Republicans that they are their party’s best choice and time isrunning out. For some of them, South Carolina is their final opportunity andthe statement holds true that the time for talk is over.

Over these final four days thesecandidates will make one last effort to make their closing argument on why theyare the standard bearer for the Republican Party in 2012. Each will do anythingand say anything to make their case known to South Carolina Republicans thatthey should- no, correction- MUST select them over their primary opponent.

But when the polls close, thevotes are tabulated on Saturday Night across The Palmetto State, and theresults are announced…

The time for talk is over.

JON HUNTSMAN DROPS OUT

2012-01-17T22:20:00.000-06:00

On Monday, JonHuntsman dropped out of the Republican Presidential Primary and endorsed MittRomney for President.

The standings are updated to reflect that Huntsman has been eliminated from playoff contention.

STEPHEN COLBERT EXPLORING A RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF SOUTH CAROLINA

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

THE SPOTLIGHT… IT BURNS!!

2012-01-16T20:40:00.000-06:00

Former Pennsylvania Senator, FoxNews Contributor, and current Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorumfinished within eight votes of Mitt Romney in the Iowa Caucus. The mediaanointed him front-runner status.

How has Mr. Santorum handled thisnew title?

Not so well.

First there was this statementabout how he wanted keep black people from getting welfare prior to the IowaCaucus:

When it comes to welfarerecipients, 70% arewhite people.

Oh kay….

Let’s see how he did when he wasconfronted about his anti-gay record. Remember this guy once equated a man marryinganother man to a man marrying his dog. Maybe his views have changed since heexpressed those opinions…

Well, younger people are veryopen towards LGBT Rights. What about an older crowd?

Hmmmm….

Ah, here is Rachel Maddowconfronting him on his views on birth control:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This does not bode well for him…

Mr. Santorum finished in thirdplace in New Hampshire. It may look like that he is no longer the contender,but Santorum may be getting a bump to his campaign though it might not beenough to stop the Romney machine.

Major conservative policysupporters recently metat a ranch in Brenham, Texas to decide which candidate not named Mitt Romney toback going into the South Carolina Primary. This is an important race.Since 1980, the winner has gone on to win the Republican Party nomination. Theydidn’t choose any of the candidates from Texas (Perry, Paul), or Newt Inc. Theysupposedly settled on Santorum who has his own share of problems as highlightedabove.

With these videos clips, Santorumrepresents the social conservative wing of the party. It appears that the RepublicanParty is still split over the presumptive nominee Mitt Romney, who representsthe business sector of the party and the rest of the field. Yes, Romney has wonthe first two contests and has the lead in delegates, but if you total hisvotes from those contests it comes out to 34.4%. According to Gallup’s daily tracker, heis at 37%. That doesn’t scream front runner status.

With the South Carolina Primarycoming up this Saturday it is going to be interesting about the impact thesocial conservative movement will have. As shown in Iowa, of those thatparticipated in an exit poll conducted by the Associate Press 57% identified asEvangelical or born-again Christian. Santorum won those that identified as suchwith 32% of the vote. South Carolina has some of those similar religiousdemographics that Iowa has.

Jon Huntsman said in hisconcession speech on Monday that it was time for Republicans to back onecandidate, BUT I am not so certain that they are ready to back Mitt Romney.This Republican field of candidates is like the AFC West in this recent NFLseason. Yeah, Denver won their playoff game, but did anyone expect them to getpast Pittsburgh? What about them staying within 14 points of New England?

Denver, San Diego, and Oaklandfinished at 8-8. Kansas City finished at 7-9. Denver won the division on thebasis of tie breakers over San Diego and Oakland. The only advantage that thoseteams had was as a division winner they were going to play their playoff gameat home. Other than that all those teams had serious flaws, much like the 2012Republican Field, which made it impossible to pick them for a deep playoff runlet alone winning a playoff game.

The statements that Santorum hasmade regarding black people, LGBTs, and reproductive rights may work within theRepublican nomination process, but how well do these statements work with thegeneral public? Not too well as shown in those clips from New Hampshire.

The spotlight is too bright forhim. It is time to pull him off stage and dismiss him as presidential material.

Whoever does win the RepublicanNomination, they are going to have to answer to some of the statements thatthey made while campaigning for their party’s nomination. Whoever that personis, it is going to be difficult to back track on those statements.

And if that nominee thinks thespotlight is bright now… wait until the general campaign in September.

MOYERS & COMPANY: ON WINNER-TAKE-ALL POLITICS

2012-01-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

Moyers & Company 101: On Winner Take All Politics from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

2011 NFL SEASON DIVISIONAL ROUND

2012-01-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

This first round, while not memorable, had some exciting moments to them.

Not so much for my picks. 1-3 inthe first round. Ms. Roberts, on the momentum of the Texans first playoff winin team history, successfully went 3-1. She would have been 4-0 IF it wasn’tfor Tebow Time in the shortest OT finish in regular season and the playoffs inNFL history.

If Houston wins this comingSunday, they will match the number of playoff wins the Cowboys have had sincetheir last championship…. (sigh)…

That’s the problem with theplayoffs. You look at every possible angle and you try to find that ONE teamthat could make that deep run. I figured the Falcons were due for a playoffwin, but for them to put up THAT performance…? Their only score came on EliManning intentionally grounding a pass in the end zone that resulted in twopoints. Atlanta was 0-3 on fourth down conversion plays; two of them were shortyardage situations. If you can’t convert those…. You don’t deserve to advance!

Now, here is the REAL challenge:which of the teams that won the first week have the ability to move on to theConference Championship Game Round? I will tell you… but you have to read on.

All the home teams held their ownso both the AFC and NFC playoffs feature 1-versus-4 and 2-versus-3 matchups inthe divisional round.

Again, my Baltimore-Green Bay Super Bowlprediction at thestart of the season is holding because both those teams had the week off. Isthis the week where that prediction is busted…?

KICKOFF TIMES ARE CENTRAL TIME

New Orleans Saints at SanFrancisco 49ers, 1/14 3:30PM Fox

Denver Broncos at New EnglandPatriots, 1/14 7PM CBS

Houston Texans at BaltimoreRavens, 1/15 Noon CBS

New York Giants at Green BayPackers, 1/15 3:30PM Fox

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers, 1/14 3:30PM Fox

Coming into 2011, the 49erslooked like a team that was in transition. Another head coach hire for thisfranchise; their fifth since 1997. This time from the college ranks bringingJim Harbaugh over from nearby Stanford. Quarterback Alex Smith whose career hasbeen labeled a bust by some draft experts was getting ANOTHER chance to be the49ers starting quarterback.

After splitting their first twogames, it looked like the 49ers were headed towards another tail spin season.Their best hope was to enter the “Suck-for-Luck” campaign.

Instead San Francisco won theirnext eight games to push their record to 9-1. They followed that up by losingtwo of their next three, but ended the season on a three game winning streak.

That’s probably the most anyoneknows about this team because they play on the Pacific Coast and their gamesdon’t get the same television coverage that New York, Dallas, New England,Pittsburgh, and New Orleans. Honestly ask yourself this… if you live in theeastern part of the US, how many 49ers games have you seen? I can think of four49ers games that aired in Dallas: their Week 2 matchup against the Cowboys andtheir November matchup against the Giants. If you have cable, you can add theirThanksgiving matchup in Baltimore and their late season contest against thePittsburgh Steelers.

The key to the 49ers success hasbeen their defense specifically in the run defense department. If you managedto pick this defense up in fantasy, boy did you make a find. San Francisco hasthe number one ranked rush defense and did not give up a rushing touchdownuntil their Week 16 matchup at Seattle. That was also the only time the 49ersgave up a 100-yard rusher as well. The last time a team did not surrender arushing touchdown in an entire season… you’d have to go back to the 1920Decatur Staleys when they did it in a 13-game season.

Never heard of them…? Maybe youknow them by their current name of the Chicago Bears.

Anyways, the defense is led bylinebacker Patrick Willis. Even though he missed the final three games due to ahamstring injury, Willis was second on the team in tackles with 74. Willis hasbeen compared to Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in the way he plays the game.Lewis in an interview said that Willis would be a worthy successor to his reignas the best linebacker in the game.

The 49ers pride themselves withthe ability to take the ball away. They were tied for second in the NFL with 23interceptions and tied for first in fumble recoveries. Cornerback Carlos Rogersand safety Dashon Goldson each had 6 interceptions and for that, both made thePro Bowl.

First round pick outsidelinebacker Aldon Smith has been a great addition to this team. Scouts compared himto Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Even though he did not start every game,Smith had 14 sacks, breaking the 49ers rookie record for sacks in a season setby Charles Haley. For his efforts, he was named Rookie of The Week in Weeks 5and 6 and Rookie of the Month for October.

Points did not come easy whenteams played against the 49ers. Among teams remaining in the playoffs, SanFrancisco surrendered the fewest points with 14.3 points/game. At home is wheretheir defense shines giving up 20 points twice. Their final three home gamesthe 49ers gave up 10 points…. Not per game, but TOTAL in those final three homecontests.

Offensively, San Francisco ranksin the tops of the bottom quarter. Even though quarterback Alex Smith set careermarks in passing yards, completion percentage, and passer rating, and haveplaymakers in tight end Vernon Davis and running back Frank Gore, the 49ers arethe worst team offensively among remaining playoff teams.

Last week in their wild cardround victory over the Lions, New Orleans continued their streak of 40+ pointsin a game. The teams combined for a playoff record 627 yards. Saintsquarterback Drew Brees passed for the second most passing yards in a playoffgame with 466 yards.

New Orleans last four games havebeen played indoors starting with a 42-20 win at Minnesota in Week 15. The lasttime New Orleans failed to put up 35 points was in their 22-17 win atTennessee. Their defense held off a furious Titans comeback that resulted in adefensive stop on fourth-and-goal on the last play of the game.

I do not expect a repeatperformance by the Saints when they play at San Francisco. The stats do supportthat they become a different team when they go on the road. At home the Saintsaverage 41.6 points per game while on the road they average 27.3 points pergame, a net change of 34.4%. The 49ers average 27.6 at home versus 19.9 on theroad…. But this game is being played in San Francisco.

Do you think that upset by theRams in Week 8 could come back to bite the Saints in the ass…? Maybe…

That was the last time the Saintslost a game. Since then, New Orleans has won their last nine games.

Drew Brees’s stats are noticeablydifferent when he starts on turf vs. grass, but Drew Brees is still Drew Brees.

The 49ers have a Pro Bowl runningback in Frank Gore who can keep the Saints offense off the field. Though I feelthat the Saints can play keep away too with their running backs Darren Sprolesand Chris Ivory and passes to tight end Jimmy Graham. Also, remember theirdefensive coordinator is Gregg Williams. He knows how to get after aquarterback and Alex Smith is perfect.

This has the makings of a repeatof last season’s first round matchup where the Saints lost at Seattle, but NewOrleans seems focused.

If the 49ers are to win, they’regoing to have to play lights out…

I don’t think that this contestwill turn into a shootout which will benefit the Saints. On the other hand, theSan Francisco offense lacks the same power to match the Saints score for score.The 49ers will be ready to play in their first playoff game since the 2002season, but I can’t see the Saints making the same mistakes that other teamshave made against them.

New Orleans will win their firstroad playoff game and punch their ticket to their third NFC Title game in sixseasons.

THE PICK: Saints 24-20

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots, 1/14 7PM CBS

Broncos quarterback completed 10passes on 21 attempts for 2 touchdowns. He rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Oh… his passing yards…

316 yards with an average of 31.6yards per completion.

Interpret it however you want.

It should be noted that this wasthe first playoff game played under the modified overtime rules forthe playoffs. In theplayoffs it is not where first team scores as it is in the regular season. Yes,I am aware that Denver won, but they won with a touchdown. If the Steelers heldDenver to a field goal or no points, then it would have reverted to the statusquo. Moot point now.

The rules were changed due to theresult of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. If you recall, Brett Favre threw aninterception late in the game as the Vikings were driving for a winning fieldgoal. The Saints won the toss and methodically drove down the field for a gamewinning field goal. Minnesota never got the chance to possess the ball.

http://mrhonner.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/nfl-ot-new-rule.jpg

In 1974, the NFL did two things.First, they moved the goal posts from the front of the end zone to where theycurrently are out of concerns for player safety and the introduction of soccerstyle kicking making field goals almost automatic. The second innovation wasintroducing overtime to the regular season in order to reduce the number of tiegames. Since that change, 17 regular season games have ended in a tie.

The first NFL regular season gameto go to overtime was a 1974 Week 2 matchup of the Steelers at the Broncos. Thegame ended in a 35-35 tie.

That play last week against theSteelers was the quickest end to any overtime game in NFL History. In elevenseconds, the Steelers season was over. In eleven seconds, the Broncos wereheading to New England.

The two players involved in theplay, Tim Tebow and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, were drafted by the Broncosin the first round in 2010. Their coach was Josh McDaniels who was involvedwith the Patriots from 2001-08. McDaniels was recently the Rams offensivecoordinator this season until he was released from his contract after theseason ended. He returned to New England replacing Bill O’Brien who was hiredby Penn State during the Patriots bye week.

Quarterback Tom Brady started his5,000 yard passing season with a 517 yard passing game on Monday Night Footballin Week 1. Three of Brady’s top ten passing yards in a game came in 2011. Threealso occurred in 2007, 2009, and one came in 2002.

What is helping Brady amass theseyards? Having pass catchers in Wes Welker who led the league with 122receptions and tight end Rob Gronkowski with his 17 touchdown catches setting anew mark for tight ends.

Tight end Aaron Hernandez isn’tthat bad either after catching 79 passes for 910 yards and 7 touchdowns. SuperBowl XXXIX MVP wide receiver Deion Branch who caught 51 passes for 702 yardsand 5 touchdowns might be a factor down the stretch.

While Brady is amassing these greatstatistical accolades and making the case for his second consecutive MVP award,he doesn’t care about the stats. Take the Week 6 contest against Dallas. Bradywas 27-41 with 289 yards, 2 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns for a quarterbackrating of 82.3, the second worst for his season.

The most important statistic…

The Patriots got the win. Itwasn’t his best performance as a passer this season, but as you see in thatscoring drive, Brady did everything he could to win the game.

The Patriots are on an eight gamewinning streak, something they don’t want to end. There is one streak that theywant to stop: their post-season losing streak. The last time the Patriots won aplayoff game was the 2007 AFC Championship Game where they surpassed the 1972Dolphins for most wins to start a season and matched the number of winsobtained by the 1984 49ers and 1985 Bears.

One problem… the next game…

Since defeating the Chargers inthe 2007 playoffs, New England has matched a franchise record of threeconsecutive playoff losses stretching from 1976-1982. While the first lossoccurred in Super Bowl XLII, the next two happened at home, including lastseason’s 28-21 loss to the Jets as the AFC’s #1 seed.

New England is 0-2 against theBroncos in the playoffs, but both those contests took place in Denver.

The only weakness that will hinderthe Patriots is their defense which ranks next-to-last in total yards andnext-to-last in passing yards. I cannot see Tim Tebow exploiting the Patriotsweaknesses. I expect it to be like their first meeting from a month ago: Denveris going to hang tough, but then the Patriots are going to make the adjustmentsnecessary to put the game away in the second half.

THE PICK: Patriots 38-20

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens, 1/15 Noon CBS

Last week playoff footballreturned to the city of Houston for the first time since 1993. In their firstplayoff appearance, the Texans clobbered the Bengals 31-10 by capitalizing onthree Andy Dalton interceptions. The game turned on this interception returnfor a touchdown by rookie defensive end J.J. Watt before halftime.

From that point on the Texansnever surrendered their lead. Running back Arian Foster closed out the gamewith this stunning 42 yard touchdown run.

Despite losing their starting quarterbackand backup quarterback to season injuries, the Texans have forged on. Yes, theylost their final three games to close out the regular season, but so did theBroncos and the Saints when they won the Super Bowl two years ago. Like theTexans, the Broncos and 2009 Saints won their playoff games.

If the Texans are going tocontinue their journey in the playoffs they are going to need a similarperformance to the one they had last week and do much better than their lastvisit to Baltimore. In Week 6, the Ravens defeated the Texans 29-14. It is oneof those situations where the final score is misleading. Houston actually hungtough with the Ravens before the Baltimore closed out by scoring the game’sfinal 16 points.

When talking about the Ravens,you talk about their defense. Linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, andsafety Ed Reed… enough said.

Offensively, they can run theball too. Led by the NFL’s season leader in total yards from scrimmage with2,068 yards and 15 total touchdowns, running back Ray Rice is a force foropponents to try to counter. Quarterback Joe Flacco has weapons in widereceivers Anquan Boldin and rookie Torrey Smith, but the team leader inreceptions was Rice with 76. Rice also was third on the team with 704 receivingyards.

Baltimore ranks in the top fivein fewest points surrendered, fewest total yards given up, fewest passing yards,and fewest rushing yards.

So does Houston…

I don’t think this game isgetting the same amount of coverage that the other three games are getting. I understand.One game has the offensive juggernaut in the New Orleans Saints; the otherfeatures the New England Patriots and the Tim Tebow led Broncos. The final gamehas the defending NFL champions against the New York Giants. This matchup isthe ideal playoff game: top ranked defenses with top notch running backs.

I picked the Ravens at thebeginning of the season to represent the AFC and I am going to stick with thatprediction. It would not shock me if Houston wins, but at the start of the yearI had this feeling that Baltimore was due for a Super Bowl run after the pastthree seasons of their playoff run ending on the road; two of those instancesending at the hand of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ve seen this story told inNFL Films many times over: a team is on the cusp of a title, but there is thatONE team in their way… Well, the Ravens swept the Steelers en route to theirfirst AFC North crown since 2006.

Once again, I got to stick withmy pre-season pick of the Ravens to represent the AFC in Indianapolis.

The line has Ravens by 9. I thinkit is going to be closer than that.

THE PICK: Ravens 20-16

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, 1/15 3:30PM Fox

Last week the Giants dispatchedthe Falcons in a quick manner. Meanwhile, the Packers enjoyed their bye weekafter capping a 15-1 season. They had the best record in the NFL and a perfectrecord in against NFC opponents.

When these two teams met in NewYork back in Week 13, the Giants gave it their best shot at hanging a loss onthe Packers. A last second field goal kept Green Bay’s record unblemished untiltheir loss in Kansas City.

People point out that the resultwas the same as when the Giants lost to the Patriots in 2007. Here’s the thing…after that loss, the Giants went on a four-game winning streak that concludedwith a Super Bowl win.

The Packers’ loss was followed bya comeback win over Dallas, a disgusting loss at home to the Redskins, a winover the Jets where quarterback Eli Manning completed 9 passes on 27 attempts withone interception even though he passed for 225 yards and it included a 99-yardtouchdown catch and run by receiver Victor Cruz, and then closing the seasonagainst a Cowboys squad that couldn’t cover worth a lick.

Even though Eli Manning has hadsome amazing moments this season, I don’t think this team has the same magicfrom 2007. Green Bay is healthy and ready to play. Even though Aaron Rodgersdidn’t play in the season finale, he should have no problem picking up where heleft off.

This is the Packers first homegame since the 2007 NFC Championship Game and Rodgers first home playoff gamesince being named the Packers starting quarterback in 2008. I expect Rodgers toutilize his receivers and tight ends early and often.

This is another game thatinvolves my early season Super Bowl pick. Once again, I see no reason to strayaway from it. The Giants will make it a contest, but the Packers are the betterteam here.

THE PICK: Packers 38-24

TUCSON, ARIZONA: ONE YEAR LATER

2012-01-08T22:30:00.000-06:00

Today was the one year anniversaryof the assassination attempt of Representative Gabrielle Giffords outside of ashopping center Tucson, Arizona during Giffords’s Congress on Your Corner event.Giffords, shot through the head, survived the attack, but the incident injured13 others and claimed seven lives. Among them:

Dorothy Morris, 76, a retiredsecretary was with her husband George, who was wounded in the attack.

John Roll, 63, was the chiefjudge of the U.S. District Court for Arizona. Judge Roll was appointed to this positionby President George H.W. Bush. In 2009 a lawsuit was brought by the MexicanAmerican Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) to Roll’s court. He ruled infavor of 16 Mexican plaintiffs represented that claimed that an Arizona rancherassaulted, threatened, and held them at gunpoint. This controversial caseprompted letters, phone calls, and even death threats to where his family and hewere under protection from the U.S. Marshals. It is unclear of what the Judge’spolitical positions were, but he attended the event to say hello to hisrepresentative. Surveillance video showed that he was shot in the backshielding a staffer who was also shot.

Dorwan Stoddard, 76, was aretired construction worker died from a gunshot wound to the head. His wife,Mavy, was among the wounded.

Gabriel “Gabe” Zimmerman, 30, wasthe community outreach director for the representative and a member of herstaff since 2006. Mr. Zimmerman became the first Congressional staffer killedin the line of duty.

Phyllis Schneck, 79, the eldestvictim, was a homemaker that lived in the Tucson area.

Christina-Taylor Green, 9, was the youngest victim. She was accompanied by aneighbor to meet her representative because Ms. Green expressed an interest inpolitical service after being elected to a student council in her school. Hergrandfather, Dallas Green, was a baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies.She gained notoriety of being featured in the book Faces of Hope: Babies Born on 9/11.

The alleged gunman was Jared LeeLoughner who was described as a mentally disturbed individual based oninterviews by people that knew him, his MySpace profile, and videos on hisYouTube page. Mr. Loughner had encountered Representative Giffords back inAugust 2007 but held a grudge toward her because he felt that she did notanswer his question the way he liked.

According to accounts, Loughnerfired randomly into the crowd. He stopped when his 9mm Glock 19 semi-automaticpistol with a 33-round magazine was emptied and he attempted to reload. In thechaos, Patricia Maisch grabbed the weapon. An individual, who had a concealedweapon on their person, reached out to defend their being only to discover thatMs. Maisch was trying to subdue the assailant along with Roger Sulzgeber,Joseph Zamudio, and US Army Colonel Bill Badger, who had received a gunshotwound himself.

Loughner is in custody awaitingtrial. At this time, he is deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial for the49 chargers of murder and attempted murder brought against him. Among those chargesare the deaths of four of the victims, two federal chargers for the death ofJudge Roll and Mr. Zimmerman, and one charge for the assassination attempt ofRepresentative Giffords.

In the chaos David and NancyBowman, married medical professions, set up an importune triage area to treatthose afflicted. Daniel Hernández, Jr., an intern in her office, is creditedwith saving Representative Giffords’s life.

The bullet had passed through thefront of her skull to the back without crossing the midline of the brain.Neurosurgeons did what they could to repair the damage. After what hadhappened, doctors were optimistic that Representative Giffords would regainsome function, but were cautious about the recovery process.

Along with her husband, Retired USNavy Astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, and medical professionals, RepresentativeGiffords began her long rehabilitation process at the Memorial Hermann MedicalCenter in Houston, TX.

During her recovery process, shewas able to witness the launch of Captain Kelly on his final mission into spaceat Cape Canaveral, Florida on 29 April 2011. She watched his return to Earth on16 May 2011.

In June 2011, Giffords wasreleased from the hospital and returned home to where she is continuing speech,music, physical, and occupational therapy.

During the bitter debt ceiling debatethat engulfed Washington, DC over the summer, Representative Giffords made an appearanceto cast a vote on a bill to authorize the raising of the debt ceiling.

It should be noted that RepresentativeGiffords read the First Amendment to the Constitution in her previousappearance in the US House on 6 January 2011.

Representative Giffords and herhusband are continuing her long recovery process as seen in this interview withDiane Sawyer that aired on ABC back in November 2011.

Even though the process torecovery is long for those impacted by the event in Tucson last year, we mustremember the first words that Representative Giffords spoke in recordingreleased after the interview:

“I’m getting better.”

SHE WON'T BE MISSED

2012-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday, Michele Bachmannannounced that she was ending her run for the Presidency after winning 5% ofthe vote in the Iowa Caucus.

Here are my thoughts on it…

1. About socialized medicine,what in the hell do you call Medicare and Medicaid?

2. How can you be involved in theabortion argument and not know anything about the Hyde Amendment (1976)? Keepin mind, her primary job is as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota.

3. Most of the people that wrotethe founding documents of our country were Deists. They understood the dangerof mixing religion and politics. After all, you claim that America was foundedon religious freedom. Well, that means freedom from your kooky, warped versionof Christianity.

4. “Socialism”? “Crony Capitalism”?This is from a woman who has used her office to her benefit.

5. Fighting for “Traditional Marriage”?Well… Don’t expect an invitation fromyour step-sister and her partner to come visit them this coming Christmas….For the seventh year in a row.

All I have to say to her is this…

Congresswoman Bachmann,