North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler's announcement Thursday that he will not run again in November was hardly surprising — the three-term Democrat faced a difficult re-election battle after Republicans reshaped his district, and like many incumbents in his position, he saw the writing on the wall.But the timing was unfortunate for Tarheel Democrats hosting their party's presidential nominating convention this summer: In the past few days they've seen Gov. Bev Perdue and Rep. Brad Miller also head for the exits. These impending retirements have provided more fuel for…
from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/shulers_retirement_highlights_democrats_challenges_in_nc.html
That great phrase was coined by the late Jack Kemp, who believed that growth and opportunity for all is the answer to poverty. In fact, Kemp believed it was the answer to all things economic. And he was right. The best anti-poverty program is the one that creates jobs. The answer to large budget deficits? Grow the economy, create jobs, watch incomes rise, and let the tax revenues come rolling in.Partly from Jack Kemp’s work, and partly from his own experience, Ronald Reagan believed the same thing. He knew that growth is the single best solution for our economic ailments. And…
from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/04/message_to_mitt_a_rising_tide_lifts_all_boats_113028.html
"I love the hymns," Mitt Romney told a crowd of supporters last week in Hialeah, Fla. "I love the hymns of this nation."As he does in nearly all of his stump speeches, Romney next recited some of his favorite verses of the patriotic song "America the Beautiful."The crowd, which had been boisterous up until that point, was subdued as the former Massachusetts governor extolled the song's unnamed "heroes" who "proved in liberating strife" that "more than self their country loved and mercy more than life."The collective energy…
from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/04/hit_or_miss_romney_takes_ownership_of_his_speeches_113026.html
