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Newt Gingrich has at least one name on his list of potential running mates: GOP rival Mitt Romney. "I think Mitt Romney is a very admirable person, and I'm not going to pick a fight with Mitt Romney," Gingrich said in an interview Wednesday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. When asked if he would ever ask Romney to be his vice presidential nominee, Gingrich didn't mince words. "I think the consensus is that he'd certainly be on the list, whether he'd want to or not," Gingrich said. "He's a very competent person. This is a very serious man. I would certainly...

Just like clockwork, the Obama administration never misses an opportunity to unload thousands of records it hopes no one will ever bother sifting through during the holidays. On Black Friday, the White House released more visitor log info — trumpeting disclosures it has fought tooth and nail. I’ve started looking through the data. And you can, too, right here:

The last time I checked, didn’t the Left call this sort of thing ‘crony capitalism?’ Over the last year, the Obama administration has aggressively pushed a $433-million plan to buy an experimental smallpox drug, despite uncertainty over whether it is needed or will work. Senior officials have taken unusual steps to secure the contract for New York-based Siga Technologies Inc., whose controlling shareholder is billionaire Ronald O. Perelman, one of the world’s richest men and a longtime Democratic Party donor. As you probably know, smallpox was eradicated in the wild decades ago: mostly because it was a genuinely terrifying threat...

Our new study shows that under the Obama jobs bill, debt-ridden states will get another big handout.Last Thursday, the president urged Congress to pony up roughly $200 billion in taxpayer money to "provide more jobs for teachers [and] more jobs for construction workers" and more money to carry out other state and local activities. He urges Congress to spend this money even after handing out hundreds of billions of dollars for similar purposes as part of the 2009 stimulus package, as well as a score and more billion dollars again in 2010. These vast contributions to the coffers of state...

*snip* General Electric [GE 15.41 0.40 (+2.66%) ^ 0.40 (+2.66%) ] officially notified Berkshire Hathaway [BRK.A 103460.00 -340.00 (-0.33%) ] on Tuesday it intends next month to repurchase the $3 billion of preferred stock it sold him in October 2008.GE has flagged the move for a while. Under terms of the deal it struck with Buffett when all hell was breaking loose, the company led by Jeff Immelt was obliged to wait three years to call the bonds. It also needed to give at least 30 days notice—hence this week's letter from Fairfield, Connecticut, to Omaha. Buffett's money doesn't come...

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will nominate businessman John Bryson to lead the Commerce Department, a White House official said Tuesday. Bryson's appointment brings another private sector player into an administration that has been making a concerted effort to improve its relationship with the business community.

The Wall Street Journal CEO Compensation Study was conducted by Hay Group, a management-consulting firm. The study analyzes CEO pay from the biggest 350 U.S. public companies by revenue that filed their definitive proxy statements between May 1, 2010, and April 30, 2011. Survey Methodology & Terms Definitions Footnotes How to Use This Chart: Click on a column heading to sort by that category. For an individual executive's full compensation details, as well as a link to the proxy statement, click the relevant row. All figures in thousands

Breaking: Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski wins re-election to Senate as write-in candidate

Big Government publicized the investigative work of Chicago’s 9-12 Project regarding Shorebank Corporation beginning in April, 2010 and again on May 20th. To further expose the corruption surrounding this bank, Glenn Beck has done further investigation and is tying the bank to radicals in government, government officials, specific groups, individuals, and major companies and banks in what he has dubbed “Crime Inc. “ Recent news organizations have reported that Shorebank needed a bailout, but they weren’t available for TARP funds because they didn’t meet the criteria. They have called on their “friends” for additional cash so they might be eligible...

A congressman's proposal to appoint an inspector general to examine bank-bailout deals for political pressure -- a measure aimed at the politically connected ShoreBank Corp. on Chicago' South Side -- was killed in negotiations on Friday. ShoreBank has received commitments totaling $165 million from major banks such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, and is awaiting approval of another $75 million in federal bailout money. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Hinsdale) introduced the amendment earlier this week amid reports that the White House had asked other financial institutions to help ShoreBank. The White House denied any interference. In a...

Within 48 hours after President Obama issued the six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling, the George Soros-backed Brazilian oil company, Petrobras, contacted a large New Orleans company, Laborde Marine, which services the deep-water drilling market. The company was seeking to lease all its vessels. “If the moratorium on deep-water drilling is not lifted, 33 semi-submersible rigs and/or drill ships affected will simply go to other countries where they will be well received, such as Brazil,” Cliffe F. Laborde and J. Peter Laborde, Jr. wrote in a June 4 letter to their Louisiana Senators. Could this be merely a happy coincidence for...

If the president is going to pack the panel with cronies, how "independent" is it going to be? Chris Good of the Atlantic: "Oddly enough, SEIU actually lobbied against the creation of a bipartisan deficit commission when it was being considered in the Senate, concerned with the quasi-binding nature of the suggestions that would have been offered under that commission--the Senate bill required congressional leaders to introduce the commission's proposals, which would be produced as a bill, for up-or-down votes in their respective chambers. Under Obama's commission, Congress isn't bound to vote on its proposals: lawmakers can tweak them, allow...

With much-publicized ties between President Barack Obama, the SEIU labor union and the ACORN volunteer organization, it would be a safe assumption that someone with a business relationship with not just one, but both of those groups would have an inside track on doing business with an Obama associate. But in the world of big money Democratic Chicago politics, there is a difference between white-collar clout and blue-collar clout. Chicago real estate developer Thomas Bennett thought he had a deal in hand to purchase the old Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) building at 626 West Jackson, just blocks from Union Station....

Here is one of the MANY commercials we all had to see on switching from ANALOG to DIGITAL TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LjItFkWdgI Greta's show last night was asking why the government was paying for this. Does anyone know why? Why was a political flunkie given 6 million dollars in the stimulus 1 package to produce these commercials? I have found no answers but one and that is the online youtube video that claims that the new digital boxes are big brother watching equipped with mini-cameras and a microphone. Cameras in Digital Convert Boxes! BEWARE!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ4iIM8Eljc As nuts as the above sounds. As...

Conventional wisdom holds that the social rate of return to R&D significantly exceeds the private rate of return and, therefore, R&D should be subsidized. In the U.S., the government has directly funded a large fraction of total R&D spending. This paper shows that there is a serious problem with such government efforts to increase inventive activity. The majority of R&D spending is actually just salary payments for R&D workers. Their labor supply, however, is quite inelastic so when the government funds R&D, a significant fraction of the increased spending goes directly into higher wages. Using CPS data on wages of...

Numb. At some point, that's about how one feels, isn't it? Didn't rogue nuclear power North Korea, in violation of yet another United Nations resolution, test-fire a long-range missile? Didn't this occur while President Barack Obama delivered a speech on nuclear disarmament? Isn't North Korea the same country that helped Syria build a nuclear reactor, showing North Korea's clear intention to sell and export its nuclear technology? And in response, didn't the President call for the United Nations Security Council -- the one that provides Russia and China with a veto -- to … take action?! Did the traditional media,...

Doesn't it look like Obama is trying to steal all of Clinton's "soldiers"? It looks like he is going far beyond just reusing the old Cinton people for their experience. He is relying so much on the Clinton administration people that it really looks like he is doing it for political reasons. It looks like he is trying to eviscerate the Clinton machine. This way their loyalty will be to Obamana, not Hilary. This will also make it much more difficult for her to run against him in four years since most of the Clinton's old loyalists will be on...

Just Breaking

THE MESS AT DHS By Michelle Malkin   ·   April 07, 2006 08:45 AM Brian J. Doyle: Just one of many creeps and losers at DHS The arrest of Department of Homeland Security spokesman Brian J. Doyle on felony charges of sexually preying on a undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl this week is just the latest debacle for the bureaucratic behemoth. I dealt with Doyle a few times while reporting on the incompetence of leaders at the Federal Air Marshals Service over the past couple of years. He was a standard-issue, CYA mouthpiece. And as disgusted rank-and-file employees of...

Former FEMA head Michael Brown complained to NBC's Brian Williams on his "Nightly News" show that he was "hung out to dry" by President Bush. "As one of the president's appointee," Brown said, "I realized that I would have to fall on my sword for the president...and I did, but I didn't realize that he would leave me on the battlefield." Brown said also that "he had wished he had told Americans that Katrina "was the worst disaster the country had ever faced" instead of relying on the "talking points" supplied.

THE TRUTH, folks, is that these are all extremely detailed issues written in bizarre LEGALESE. There are hundreds of words on these things, and most people can't even begin to explain what they'll do....or what POLITICIANS and LAWYERS will do WITH THEM in the years to come. Vote NO on all issues JUST TO SEND THE MESSAGE that politicians should not clutter up ballots with hundreds of words of legalistic junk that no one can understand in the few minutes they get to stand inside a voting booth! Issues: 1. The Pro “Crony Finance” Amendment. This supposed “pro job” amendment...

In a surprise announcement that shocked the economics community, President Bush named Robert McCleskey, his personal tax accountant, to succeed Alan Greenspan. McCleskey, who has little or no track record in the area of monetary policy, will now face the rigors of a grueling confirmation process. Given the defining nature of the appointment and the challenges of filling Greenspan's legendary shoes, some observers were surprised the President chose McCleskey, a man who has never written on anything vaguely related to the Federal Reserve or monetary issues. When asked about why he chose McCleskey the President responded aggressively. "He's a heckuva...

Washington is suddenly hung up on cronyism. According to a quick Lexis-Nexis search, roughly 1,000 stories have mentioned "cronyism" and "Bush" in the last two months alone. It was Michael Brown's putatively dismal performance at FEMA that got the anti-crony buzz going and Bush's selection of Harriet Miers that sent it into the stratosphere. But President Bush has been setting the tinder for quite some time by so successfully keeping a tight inner circle of loyalists in the White House. When he was reelected, Bush made the strategically wise decision of dispatching these loyalists to run important Cabinet agencies, in...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. SAN FRANCISCO - Colin Powell's next tour of duty will be in venture capital. The old soldier, who was formerly Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has enlisted with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley's best-known venture capital firms. As a strategic limited partner, Powell will have an undisclosed stake in some of the investments made by a Menlo Park-based Kleiner Perkins, which has previously struck it rich with a list of renowned startups that include online search engine leader Google Inc. and Web browser...

Gov. Blagojevich distanced himself Wednesday from a boyhood pal accused of invoking his own position in state government and friendship with the governor to try to get out of a drunken-driving arrest earlier this month in McHenry County. "I haven't seen him -- maybe once -- since I've been governor," Blagojevich said about Daniel E. Stefanski, whom the governor hired for a six-figure job with the Illinois Department of Transportation a few months after taking office. It's "not as if I spend time with him." In Washington on other business, Blagojevich also said he's instructed his transportation secretary, Tim Martin,...

Sometimes it is truly hard to know what is going on. On the same day that the Governor of Yaracuy, not exactly Daniel’s favorite person, issues his own decree “rescuing” lands in his state, the Land Institute issues a communiqué saying that the intervention of lands requires a presidential decree. (El Nacional, page A-14, by subscription). Thus, three decrees intervening land and now a step back? Well, as usual, it is unclear. All the Land Institute is saying is that it will have a meeting tomorrow about these issues. The Land Institute did say that Governors and Mayors have the...

In the wake of international terrorism's most-successful strategic attack since September 11, 2001, the differences between Sen. John Kerry and President Bush about how the war on terror should be waged have become as clear as, well, the differences between the outgoing Spanish premier and his successor. To be sure, even before last Thursday's murderous explosions in Madrid, Senator Kerry and his surrogates were denouncing the war in Iraq on the grounds that President Bush failed to get the U.N.'s permission for it — and then was unable to turn the governance of the country post-Saddam over to the so-called...

<p>A pair of state Senate committees portrayed California's Department of Corrections on Thursday as a bumbling, wasteful giant that relies heavily on hundreds of temporary workers even as it pays full salary and benefits to dozens of employees who never come to work.</p>

United States in Secret Surrender Talks With Saddam's CroniesThe most serious dialogue yet has been established between Iraq and the United States.United States officials said that a channel has been opened during the past four days and for the first time Washington is relaying messages on its terms for an Iraqi surrender. _Full Text, Subscribers

FIRST of 3 partsNewsChannel 5 Investigates: Perks of Power Lawmakers enjoy wining, dining and more (Original Date: Feb. 10, 2003) View video of this story Eight years ago, Tennessee lawmakers passed a compromise... and called it ethics reform. Talk radio's Steve Gill remembers the debate -- and the promise made. "That would make them so pristine, so pure that not even a cup of coffee could put them at risk of being purchased by a lobbyist," Gill recalls. Yet, despite taxpayers' demand for change -- which ushered in a new governor and 27 new legislators -- a lot remains the...

Sundquist gives self free golf for life Dennis Ferrier January 30, 2003 There is a controversial parting gift involving former governor Don Sundquist. Usually, such a "going away gift" would come from somebody else, but in this case, the former governor apparently arranged one for himself just before leaving office. It was a gift from the taxpayers of Tennessee. I bet you have never heard of a piece of paper called a special arrangement request. It is the state's version of legal gift-giving -- and this is a big one. It gives former Governor Don Sundquist and his wife Martha...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. DETROIT (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. John Engler said Monday he has accepted an executive position with computer services giant Electronic Data Services Corp. Engler, 54, will serve as a vice president in the government-services division of Plano, Texas-based EDS. The Republican left office this month after 12 years as governor because of term limits. During his tenure, Engler promoted statewide high-speed Internet access, put money into developing a high-tech life sciences corridor and recently broke ground on a new center for fuel cell development in Detroit. ``I have been greatly...

NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Friends in High Places Documents altered on $750,000 ECD grant (Published for NewsChannel5.com, Jan. 17, 2003.) As Gov. Don Sundquist prepares to leave office, there are new questions about how his administration spent your tax money. Among the questions: did state officials create phony documents to cover up a questionable expenditure? Now, state auditors have seized some files from the state Department of Economic and Community Development while they try to answer that question. NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams discovered the documents that raise questions about a possible cover-up. The suggestion came from a mid-level ECD...

Agents Raid Education Networks Of America There’s been another dramatic development in the investigation of alleged insider contracts handed out by the Sundquist administration. Friday, federal and state agents raided a Nashville company with close ties to the governor. Agents backed a van inside the offices of Education Networks of America, trying to keep a lid what might be the most dramatic moment yet in the federal and state criminal investigation of alleged insider contracts. Through the window, investigators were seen hauling away boxes of evidence. Two longtime friends of the governor, John Stamps and Al Ganier, formed ENA, an...

THE LATEST SPIN AND PRESIDENT BUSH BASHING... FROM THE DNC In a shocking reversal of sensible priorities, President Bush is using federal funds to pay bonuses to his political appointees while forcing career federal employees -- those on the front lines in the war on terrorism -- to pay for that very war. The New York Times revealed that back in March, the White House quietly restarted a program to award cash bonuses to political appointees throughout the federal government. This practice was discontinued during the Clinton Administration because of the obvious potential for a conflict of interest. Such bonuses...

<p>Rancher Rob Blair, whose family has grazed cattle in the Mojave Desert for more than a century, fears the Cadiz Inc. plan will deplete the water supply.</p> <p>MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE -- In the poker game of private water marketing, Keith Brackpool seems to hold all the aces.</p>

Governor's Office Retaliates In the wake of a Channel 5 exposé, Sundquist's administration pulls PSAs By Matt Pulle It's hardly the way to discredit a damning story. In the wake of a recent WTVF-Channel 5 investigation that claimed Gov. Don Sundquist's administration doles out lucrative contracts to his buddies, the governor's office has pulled $160,000 in public service announcements from the station. "They were trying to portray the governor as a buffoon, and I was personally insulted by that," says Art Victorine, the director of the governor's highway safety office who made the decision to pull the administration's ads. Channel...

http://newschannel5.com/news/investigates/friends/gov5.htm NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Friends in High Places Officials join in unauthorized fund drive (Original Date: August 2002.) View video of this story Would you give to a charity that wasn't legally allowed to solicit money? If you're a Tennessee taxpayer, you already have. In fact, you've given hundreds of thousands of dollars. State officials say it was all for a good cause. But investigative reporter Phil Williams says they can't tell you how every penny was spent. In 1997, the Sundquist administration invited ad agencies to compete for the state's business. That contract was awarded to Akins and Tombras,...

NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Friends in High Places Was parking lot built for governor's friend? (Original Date: July 2002.) Townsend, Tennessee calls itself "the peaceful side of the Smokies." It's so peaceful that Governor Don Sundquist decided to build his retirement home in an exclusive golf community in the mountains. But these days that tranquility has been shattered by a controversy over a parking lot. "Everybody in the community knows why this parking lot was gone in," says one resident. "It's politics all the way," adds another. "They can't fool the people of Townsend," says a third. At the center of...

NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Friends in High Places Governor's friends land big contracts (Original Date: July 2002.) There are serious questions about how the Sundquist administration has handled millions of dollars in state contracts. Our exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation has put the spotlight on the value of friends in high places. For some of Don Sundquist's supporters, having their man in the governor's office has been as good as having your money in the bank. Investigative reporter Phil Williams says the question is: were the governor's friends the best for the job? As Don Sundquist took the helm of state government,...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. A curious thing happened at last Wednesday's City Council meeting. The seven council members unanimously agreed to appoint George Assad to fill a vacant Municipal Court seat. There was no discussion -- nor did Mayor Oscar Goodman offer any explanation as to why he nominated Mr. Assad, a former county deputy district attorney, for the post over almost a dozen other candidates. Not a word. Now, Mr. Assad -- who lost an election for a judgeship last year -- may indeed eventually distinguish himself on the bench and prove a grand...