Free Republic

Will the economy (stupid) again determine the outcome of a presidential election? Based on two important economic measures that I've examined and their relationship to the presidential races since 1956, Obama supporters have cause to worry. All but the most recent of those races featured an incumbent, whether it was a sitting president (nine races out of 13) or a vice president seeking to move into the Oval Office (four out of 13). Based on consumer spending and unemployment—the two variables I tracked—Obama probably would have lost had he run for re-election this past November. The numbers have improved since...

President Obama’s jobs council endorsed a wide range of pro-growth proposals Tuesday that includes building oil pipelines and expanding drilling in the U.S., steps that House Republicans promptly noted are being blocked by Senate Democrats. “The Road Map to Renewal” submitted to Mr. Obama by his team of industry leaders embraces more domestic production of fossil fuels. The report doesn’t specifically mention the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline on which the Obama administration has delayed a decision, but it does advocate building more domestic pipelines. “Policies that facilitate the safe, thoughtful and timely development of pipeline, transmission and distribution projects...

Magnolia-area residents took a close look at Southwestern Energy's Fayetteville Shale operations in Faulkner County on Wednesday. *BREAK* The interest in SWN stems from the company's involvement with oil exploration in the Lower Smackover Brown Dense, a rock formation under South Arkansas and North Louisiana. Southwestern Energy has just begun drilling the second of a dozen test wells into the Brown Dense to learn if marketable amounts of oil can be produced. Southwestern Energy is the largest driller of natural gas wells in the Fayetteville Shale of North Central Arkansas. It plans to use the same rock fracturing and horizontal...

A sharp increase in Oklahoma's seismic activity has many wondering if underground drilling is responsible. On Nov. 5, a 5.6-magnitude tremor rattled Oklahoma — one of the strongest to ever hit the state. Oklahoma is typically seismically stable with about 50 small quakes a year. But in 2009, that number jumped up to more than 1,000. Some people say the increasingly common use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — the controversial practice of blasting underground rock formations with high-pressure water, sand, and chemicals to extract natural gas — may have put stress on fault lines. Can human activity really cause...

On NBC's Meet the Press: Press Pass, Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings explained Republican support of Herman Cain to host David Gregory this way: "...they've been accused as being racist and I think when they can vote for a Herman Cain....they feel like, 'Well, you know, I support this guy...it shows that I'm not racist, and I'm supporting him.'"

The American phoenix is slowly rising again. Within five years or so, the US will be well on its way to self-sufficiency in fuel and energy. Manufacturing will have closed the labour gap with China in a clutch of key industries. The current account might even be in surplus.

Herman Cain lacks the gooey extra cheese which is the hallmark of the professional politician. His 999 plan would remove the social engineering and lobbyist feeding trough features of our currently insane income tax scheme. Time will tell if there's still hope for a "Citizen Statesman" to lead in America. Maybe he's just what the founders ordered.

"I'm very confident that after all the distractions that the media will try to create, or however they get created, people care about having a job, having the dignity of a job, getting this country back working," the Republican presidential candidate said on Friday during an interview Downtown with the Tribune-Review. Perry said he's accustomed to running campaigns from behind. His record of leadership and job creation while leading Texas since 2000 appeals to voters, he said. In late 2009, polls showed U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison with a double-digit lead over Perry in the gubernatorial primary race. He decisively...

Rick Perry Unveils Energy Plan to Get Government Out of the Way and Get America Working Again Bryan Preston October 14, 2011 The Texas governor is out of the gate with the first part of his economic plan, concerning energy: Though our president has labeled Americans as soft, I believe our people have toughed it out the best they can. But they are looking for leadership and optimism, which are all too rare in Washington today.What I am proposing today is the first part of an economic growth package that will rebuild the engine of American prosperity.The plan I present...

GOP White House hopeful Rick Perry said Tuesday evening that removing restrictions on U.S. energy production will be a central pillar of the economic plan he intends to unveil in coming days. “Clearly opening up a lot of the areas of our domestic energy . . . that is a the real key. You have got an administration that by and large has either by intimidation or over-regulation put our energy industry and the rest of the economy in jeopardy,” Perry, the Texas governor, said early in Tuesday’s debate in New Hampshire. “Clearly, we are going to be focused on...

Herman Cain woke up Tuesday to another day of soaring polling numbers, showing him moving into second place behind Mitt Romney and pushing Rick Perry out of the spotlight. The day ended with the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO under attack from his rivals, both on stage and in a series of post-debate press releases meant to tear him down. But from his new center-stage spot next to Mitt Romney, Cain calmly weathered every jab from them, the moderators and even the Democrats, walking out from the Dartmouth auditorium having done little to hurt his standing.

Take it for what you will...posted on Mark's page just now: BREAKING: GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN TELLS MARK LEVIN SHE IS NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012.

Over the past three years, we have seen a dramatic rebound in America’s oil and natural gas production after a hiatus of almost 40 years. This has occurred despite falling output in Alaska, the moratorium on deep-water drilling imposed in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil-rig blowout last year, and extremely low prices for natural gas. New technologies for extracting oil and gas from deep under the ocean floor as well as shale formations have been largely responsible for the country’s fossil fuel renaissance. All this is good news for America’s consumers. Though gasoline and diesel prices have...

Rep. Waters urges Obama to drop nice-guy act and fight Republicans, Tea Party By Mike Lillis - 09/22/11 02:46 PM ET It’s time for President Obama to quit watching sports and drinking beer with his political opponents in the hope it will lead to a bipartisan agreement, Rep. Maxine Waters said Thursday. The outspoken California Democrat needs to fight harder against the GOP and Tea Party and for Democratic policy priorities, outspoken Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said Thursday. “He's been very nice about it,” Waters said of Obama’s budget negotiations with Republicans. “He's been on the other side of the...

Rep. Jeff Landry knew not to yell at President Barack Obama during his jobs address Thursday night to Congress. That move made Rep. Joe Wilson famous a couple of years ago, and not necessarily for the better. Instead, Republican leaders urged their members to show up, keep an open mind and be polite — voters were anxious and Congress' bickering had angered large majorities of them. So Landry, R-La., instead printed out a small white sign to raise when Obama mentioned how, exactly, he planned to put more Americans to work. "Drilling(equals)jobs," it read in big black letters. Seated two...

So, I inadvertently crashed an O4P event last night. Long story short, I wanted to see Undefeated, and I wound up with a little more than I bargained for. I thought I'd share some insights, while the scene is still fresh in my head. The local theater was hosting a private screening of the Undefeated, followed by a Q&A session with the director, Stephen Bannon. Mr. Bannon, was apparently pulled away at the last minute 'For a project that I think you'll all like', we were told, at which point none other than Andrew Brietbart was called to substitute in....

Oil companies in Alaska are paying more money in taxes than ever before. The state's oil and gas tax revenues for its just-ended fiscal 2007 topped $10 billion. That's twice as much as fiscal 2006 and four times more than 2004. Some supporters of Barack Obama see that money coming in and say that John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, must have done what Sen. Obama wants to do -- sock those companies with a big fat windfall profit tax. This is a deeply misleading reading of her 2007 tax reform....continued HERE.

I’ve been approached several times today by doubters who advance arguments as to why Sarah Palin cannot win the nomination, or if she secures it, why she can’t defeat Barack Obama. All of the theories I’ve had pitched in my direction today share a couple common faults, and it’s important to point them out here. The most common reason I’ve heard today is the belief that the Media will destroy her. That’s silly. Is there a single Republican, never mind conservative, who the media will not seek to destroy to defend their darling, Barack Obama? Anybody who watched the media...

(CNN)-Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took to her Facebook page Monday to warn Americans about President Barack Obama’s plan to improve the nation’s economy. “Be wary of the efforts President Obama makes to ‘fix’ the debt problem,” she said. “The more he tries to ‘fix’ things, the worse they get.” A “surprised” Palin sounded off on reaction to the nation’s credit rating downgrade and chided “so-called smart people” who doubted her forecast of economic repercussions. “I’m surprised that so many people seem surprised by S&P’s decision,” Palin wrote. “Weren’t people paying attention over the last year or so when we...

This is actually the second Hot Air straw poll this month. The first one showed virtually the same results as this one, Sarah Palin crushing all comers, but the increasingly anti-conservative, anti-Palin website chose to spin some of her best results ever, as somehow a bad thing, and I was laughing so hard I simply couldn’t type a response to Patrick Ishmael’s drivel, and didn’t publish the results. Here’s a link to that survey, you compare it with the latest, and find that Sarah’s support is once again stronger than ever. And, once again, Ishmael looked for an angle, so...

Sarah Palin has stolen my patriotic heart because we both share a love for country and down-home American values and I am pleased to write this tribute to the next and first female American president. Palin was thrust onto the world's stage as America's foremost political newcomer in 2008 and I was drawn to her by simply listening to the truth her words conveyed. She spoke of reducing the size of government, her pride in her country and of fidelity to America's continued fight for freedom and liberty. Now, more than two years later, Palin continues the fight by speaking...

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Two unexpected gushers in northeastern Pennsylvania are helping to illustrate the enormous potential of the Marcellus Shale natural gas field. Each of the Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. wells in Susquehanna County is capable of producing 30 million cubic feet per day -- believed to be a record for the Marcellus and enough gas to supply nearly 1,000 homes for a year. The landowners attached to the wells, who leased the well access, numbering fewer than 25, are splitting hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly royalties. "There was definitely excitement among the team that planned...

Within minutes of the Obama administration's surprise announcement it would release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, House Speaker John Boehner's office took a shot at the White House's energy policy. "WH plan to release oil from SPR is clear acknowledgment more supply needed, yet it continues to block more American energy production," Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith tweeted Thursday morning. House Republicans have passed several bills already this year that would encourage new offshore oil drilling, including one Wednesday to limit the amount of time the EPA can spend reviewing drilling permits. Some questioned whether the...

She was hands-on and averse to partisan politics. She championed openness in government and had normal relations with the media. She was a little starstruck by her interactions with national politicians but unafraid to do battle with the chief executives of the world’s largest oil companies The emails from her governorship, released Friday, brought back the memory of a long-lost Palin: the popular, charismatic, competent woman of the people. Far from being a knee-jerk partisan, she praises then-Sen. Barack Obama for his energy ideas — “pretty cool,” even though he is the “wrong candidate.” She derides the Republican establishment just...

Sen. Mark Begich is turning a deaf ear to Sarah Palin's demand that he make drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a condition for his vote to approve raising the nation's debt ceiling. "She's not really on my radar screen to take advice from," the Alaska Democrat told reporters Tuesday. "Let me put it this way. It's always interesting to read what she has to say," Begich said. But, he added, "Someone who quit Alaska is not someone I look for to get Alaska policy decisions on." In discussing the debt ceiling vote on "Fox News Sunday," Palin said:...

Energy Policy: The former governor of energy-rich Alaska calls the administration's bluff: End tax breaks for all forms of energy, she says, and let the free market pick winners and losers. End the ethanol pandering too. She isn't running, or riding, for president, at least not yet. But at a stop on her One Nation bus tour, Sarah Palin offered a winning idea for an economy strapped for energy and jobs and saddled with unsustainable debt. "I think all our energy subsidies need to be re-looked at today and eliminated," Palin told Scott Conroy of Real Clear Politics during a...

The Mama Grizzly is coming out of hibernation. This weekend, Sarah Palin is launching her "One Nation" bus tour, visiting historical sites across the country. Palin will start on Memorial Day at the Rolling Thunder weekend motorcycle rally that starts at the Pentagon. Where it will end has yet to be announced. But given Palin's other recent move—the announcement of a feature-length film on her tenure as governor—it looks as if her ultimate destination may be the White House. Whatever Mitt Romney had on his plate for Memorial Day, he'd better make room. If we assume—for the purposes of page...

Alternate headline: “Politico buries lead.� “It’s possible someone may get in later on,” Gillespie said, “but Republican activists, officials and donors are going to begin picking a horse from the current field. We have a field that will produce a nominee capable of beating Obama next November.”…Republicans officials have no idea what [Palin is] planning, although they agree she would have tons to lose by entering a race that would cost her the mystique she has built up. And Romney advisers said her entry would help the former Massachusetts governor dramatically.“The shock value would cause elected officials and party officials...

I do.

Energy: Lack of oil volume due to administration bans on new Alaskan drilling may force the shutdown of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, denying us even the tens of billions of barrels left in already developed fields. The Trans-Alaskan pipeline is dying, another casualty of the Obama administration's war on domestic fossil fuel energy and its deliberate effort to drive up energy prices to make so-called "green" energy alternatives more attractive. It was built to handle the oil produced on Alaska's North Slope at Prudhoe Bay and was a marvel of American engineering and exceptionalism. When oil exploration began in Prudhoe Bay,...

Energy: Extending existing oil leases as the president has proposed accomplishes nothing if the White House's environmental handcuffs won't let them be used. Lucy wants to hold the football for Charlie Brown again. When President Obama said during his Saturday radio address that "we should increase safe and responsible oil production here at home," the operative words were "safe and responsible." We will drill if it's safe for polar bears, caribou and West Texas lizards, and if it doesn't contribute to the "climate change" myth. Similar words were used to justify the seven-year moratorium on offshore drilling off both coasts,...

Conservatives for Palin is rejoicing for the same reason some of you now have a dark cloud of fear hanging over your Saturday night. The fundie vote is up for grabs now that Huckabee is out and the second in line candidate is Sarah Palin. Yes, that’s right. Sarah Blood Libel Palin. One day years ago, after the sportscaster fill-in job didn’t work out, a young Sarah Palin told a friend she wanted to be President one day. Today she wants it so bad she chokes on her own bitterness every time she has to say “Obama”. Palin has still...

Calls to speed up the withdrawal of U.S. troops from and Central Asia have increased since Osama bin Laden’s death, but decision-makers have made clear that such a drawdown of troops is not happening any time soon. As the White House, Congress, and media pundits ponder and expound upon what, if any, changes should be made to U.S. policy on the issue, one thing is certain: U.S. military jets will continue to fly into, out of, and around Afghanistan. But how much will this cost U.S. taxpayers? A review of contracting documents obtained via federal database research sheds light on...

I have observed that the polls and the news readers have taken to reminding us that Sarah Palin's nomination spells certain defeat for the GOP in 2012. Let's examine the question of Sarah Palin's prowess as a candidate, measured against the current field: It has been noted that former Senator Rick Santorum won his Senate seat in a big GOP year (1994) and lost it big in a Democrat year (2006), sweeping in with one tide and out with another. This is evidence of weakness as a candidate. Let's examine the rest of this field, using 2006 as the barometer....

Attorney General Holder cites "disturbing" information on gas pricesBy Terry Frieden, CNN Justice Producer April 26, 2011 5:43 p.m. EDT Washington (CNN) -- Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday "there are a couple of things that are disturbing" as the government launches its oil and gas fraud task force investigation into sharply rising gasoline prices. In a meeting with reporters at the Justice Department, Holder declined to describe the "disturbing" matters, but made clear the broad investigation into potential fraud and other illegal activities would carefully comb industry information to search for wrongdoing. Holder aides say they expect announcements next...

U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday "there are a few things we can do" but "there's no silver bullet that can bring down gas prices right away." In his weekly radio and Internet address, the president said with U.S. gasoline prices at about $4 a gallon "you see politicians racing to the cameras, waving three-point plans for two-dollar gas. You see people trying to grab headlines or score a few points." "The truth is, there's no silver bullet that can bring down gas prices right away," he said.

TALLAHASSEE —The day after the Florida House passed a bill to ban implementation of water quality standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday asked the agency to rescind a January 2009 determination that the federal rules are necessary for Florida. Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, who chairs the House's Select Committee on Water Policy, filed HB 239, which orders the Florida DEP to ignore the EPA standards. The House passed the bill Thursday with a 90-27 vote. Twelve Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure. The U.S. EPA released pollution standards for Florida waterways...

1. She just launched a new website yesterday that could significantly boost her grassroots outreach and fundraising. On the site, supporters can ask Palin to appear at events, donate money to her political action committee and follow her latest musings on Facebook and Twitter 2. Palin has said repeatedly that she’d only get into the race if there was no other viable candidate. “I would consider it if there is no one else running who represents the common sense principles our country needs to secure our children and grandchildren’s futures,” she told me last November. Now, let’s look at the...

The new gallup poll out today has a chart on page 2 that breaks down the GOP candidates favs/unfav. Palin continues to be the most favorable candidate in the GOP field with a 69% favorable rating. She also continues to be the candidate with the highest strongly favorable ratings at 23%. This is good news as she continues to ramp up for a 2012 primary run.

(AP) Democrat Barack Obama on Friday blamed high gasoline prices on Washington and a political establishment that he says hasn't stood up to oil companies, his two rivals for the presidency included. "The candidates with the Washington experience - my opponents - are good people. They mean well, but they've been in Washington for a long time and even with all that experience they talk about, nothing has happened," Obama said in remarks delivered at a gas station.

Gas prices have jumped nearly 20 cents over the past two weeks, approaching the all-time high, according to a survey published Sunday. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular is $3.76, the Lundberg Survey found. The previous survey three weeks ago found an average of $3.57. That means prices are now just 35 cents -- "within firing range" -- of the all-time high of $4.11 set in July 2008, said publisher Trilby Lundberg.

Having just plodded through former Senator and currently failed politicician John Sununu's turgid little hit piece in the Boston Globe, I am struck by the irony of his premise. In his article, he lumps Sarah Palin and Donald Trump together as candidates and dismisses them as "two media stars" with an overweening ambition to BE President (as opposed to wanting to DO things as President): "Both Trump and Palin also seem captivated by the idea of BEING president. They obviously like the idea of running for president, and spend a great deal of time talking about what they would do...

It’s unbelievable (literally) the rhetoric coming from President Obama today. This is coming from he who is manipulating the U.S. energy supply. President Obama is once again giving lip service to a “new energy proposal”; but let’s remember the last time he trotted out a “new energy proposal” – nearly a year ago to the day. The main difference is today we have $4 a gallon gas in some places in the country. This is no accident. This administration is not a passive observer to the trends that have inflated oil prices to dangerous levels. His war on domestic oil...

Leadership: As Palin jousts with Biden on energy independence, the government reports that we lead the world in energy reserves. From oil to gas to coal, we are sitting on prosperity. So why are we importing anything? One of the interesting sidelights of the NY-23 race was an exchange on energy independence between Vice President Joe Biden and the former governor of energy-rich Alaska, Sarah Palin. Biden, who came in to campaign for Democrat Bill Owens, was reminded of the issue of energy. "The fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin thinks the answer to energy was 'Drill, baby,...

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in LOVE. Eph 4:2 Ah, Rio and Carnival is so nice this time of year to visit as Dictator of a Country. While you continue punish your Country with illegal bans and regulations you enjoy the joys and festivities of Brazil with your family. Then of course since you have imposed unconstitutional moratorium on drilling for oil and your subjects are struggling to fill their tanks and pay their mortgages you make sure Rio’s gummit owned Petrobras will have plenty of money to drill in the way you forbid...

Fish-rich diet linked to reduction in markers of chronic disease risk in overweight/obese peopleSEATTLE – A study of Yup'ik Eskimos in Alaska, who on average consume 20 times more omega-3 fats from fish than people in the lower 48 states, suggests that a high intake of these fats helps prevent obesity-related chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The study, led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and conducted in collaboration with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, was published online March 23 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Because...

(Excuse me for printing his words. I wanted you to see what the left is saying now.) This is infuriating. This clod deserves no respect. Bill Maher called Sarah Palin a “dumb twat” on his comedy show last night. His far left audience loved it. The Daily Caller reported: On Friday night’s airing of the show, host Bill Maher took a shot at one of the left’s favorite targets, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, by contemplating her reaction to the tragic events that have unfolded in Japan over the past nine days. (h/t Real Clear Politics Video) “Did you hear...

In recent days, oil prices have climbed above $100 per barrel. As chaos spreads through the Arab world, we could soon see much worse. According to recent testimony given to Congress by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, the current soaring oil prices are no reason for concern. According to the stock market, which has dropped hundreds of points each time oil prices have edged up another dollar or two, the situation is a five-alarm emergency. Who is right?

Energy sources and conservation Our energy sources should not be limited to PV/Solar. It should be a combination of PV/Wind and many instances Geothermal.

If I was younger and still serving I would be honored to have her as my commander in chief. You can keep the phony tough guy men that get trotted out as candidates. I saw REAL leadership up close and I know what it looks like. Sarah Palin has “IT.”