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Times change, and in the case of the 2010 governor's race, so do political endorsements, apparently. Just ask GOP Rep. John Campbell of Newport Beach: he's switched his backing. A few months ago, Campbell issued glowing statement endorsing California GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner -- and this week, the 48th CD representative issued another glowing endorsement statement, this backing former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Here's Campbell on Poizner last December, talking about his backing of the state Insurance Commissioner in the 2010 governor's race: "Steve is the right man at the right time for California. As our nation grapples with...

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he hopes to see signs that the new strategy in Afghanistan is working over the next year to 18 months as Afghan security forces improve. Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee yesterday about benchmarks in Afghanistan, both Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed hope that momentum would shift away from insurgents within 12 to 18 months. But Gates cautioned that the operation would last beyond that timeline. “This problem will not be over in 18 months. This problem will...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. and NATO forces are close to achieving "irreversible momentum" in their battle with insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, a senior commander said on Wednesday. The Taliban and other insurgent groups have been strongest in eastern and southern Afghanistan but U.S. Army Major General Michael Tucker said security had improved this year in the east, where U.S. forces lead NATO troops. He said about 80 percent of insurgent activity now took place in southern Afghanistan, where the United States plans to deploy thousands of troops in the coming months to reinforce British, Canadian, Dutch and other NATO soldiers....

A declining Europe must focus on the nitty-gritty By Leif Pagrotsky Published: August 14 2008 19:20 | Last updated: August 14 2008 19:20 At this time of failures in Iraq and on Wall Street, when the US has lost its role as model and inspiration for policymakers and others around the world, a golden opportunity has arisen for Europe to offer an alternative to look up to and find inspiration from. But Europe is not in good shape. It is not just about the Irish vote. The Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty in June is merely a scapegoat for...

**EXCERPT** The old head-scratcher — what happens if an irresistible force meets an immovable object? — now gets its test in the Democratic presidential primary. The force is Barack Obama. His sweep of the Potomac primaries in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC on Tuesday gives him seven straight wins since Super Tuesday, not to mention his first lead in pledged delegates. Unprecedented amounts of money are pouring into his campaign coffers. He now has momentum that any challenger would envy in any year. Indeed, in any other year, a candidate with his numbers would have the nomination locked up tight....

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2008 – More than 180 representatives of 122 troop-support groups gathered today at the Pentagon to share information and insights about ways to boost their efforts during the third annual America Supports You National Summit. Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Allison Barber, the program’s architect, opened the all-day session welcoming the participants she credits with making America Supports You such a big success. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to close the summit, thanking the groups for their contributions. The Defense Department launched the America Supports you program in November 2004 to showcase support for the country’s...

FLORISSANT, Mo. - Political momentum now shifted her way, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton flew to Missouri, a key Feb. 5 battleground state, while rival Barack Obama hoped to rejuvenate his candidacy with the help of black voters in the South. "Now we're back here in the Midwest, where I'm from. I'm so happy to see all of you," Clinton, a Chicago native, said to cheers at a campaign rally late Saturday in this St. Louis suburb. Nevada's presidential caucuses gave Clinton a big boost, powering her to a second straight win over Obama in the first Western contest of the...

Sorry, Rudy: In an interview to air this Sunday, state Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long tells WNBC's Gabe Pressman the party is likely to give an early nod to Fred Thompson if he manages to "break through" in South Carolina. "As a Conservative, as the chairman of the New York state Conservative Party, my favorite candidate, naturally, is Fred Thompson," Long said. "He did very well this week in the debate. Certainly, I think in South Carolina. If he does well there, if he breaks through in South Carolina, he changes the face of this Republican race again. He becomes...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 5, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates talked with Iraqi leaders and U.S. commanders here today to explore ways to maintain momentum built in recent months and continue to build on it. Gates met with Iraqi President Jalal Talibani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Defense Minister Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji and U.S. commanders. Here on his sixth visit as defense secretary, Gates noted vast security improvements. During a joint news conference with Mufriji, Gates cited “recent months of dramatic change in the security situation across the nation, a decline in violence to levels not seen since the Samarra mosque...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2007 – Terrorist-committed violence in Iraq has plummeted since the start of the surge of forces, a senior U.S. officer reported yesterday from Baghdad. “Terrorist attacks are at their lowest level since January 2006,” Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. The overall number of attacks in Iraq is 55 percent lower than the period before the surge took hold in June, Smith said. Civilian fatalities across Iraq are down by about 60 percent during the same period, Smith said. And civilian deaths in Baghdad...

A snapshot in time of anything can't tell the whole story or firmly establish things like patterns. Yet they can give an indication of what is happening. Reuters offers a daily round-up of news from Iraq, much if not most of which doesn't get much coverage. Here is October 6:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces have “tactical momentum” in the country, but they need to develop “irreversible momentum,” Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said today during a Pentagon interview. Odierno, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said coalition and Iraqi forces have made significant progress against al Qaeda in Iraq and are making progress against Shiia extremist groups as well. “September is the lowest month for incidents we’ve had going back to January 2006,” he said. The numbers of improvised explosive device attacks and car bombings are at the lowest level in 18 months. For...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces must maintain the momentum generated by the troop surge in Iraq to defeat terrorists and insurgents, a senior military official in Baghdad said today. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, chief of staff for Multinational Corps Iraq, talked about results of the increase of offensive operations made possible by the troop surge. Anderson spoke during a joint conference with Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. In the wake of Multinational Force Iraq Commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus’ recommendations to President Bush and testimony before Congress, forces in...

ASHLAND, N.H., Sept. 3 -- Former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee will grab most of the headlines this week as he enters the race for the White House, but Mitt Romney likes where he stands in the contest for the Republican nomination. "When I started running seven months ago, I was at 5 percent in the national polls," the former Massachusetts governor said at a question-and-answer session here. "Now I won the Iowa straw poll; I'm ahead here in New Hampshire, ahead in Michigan, ahead in the Nevada." The energetic Romney, who is shown jogging in a television ad that...

From Rossputin: Historically, the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary have received the perception of being, if not president-makers, at least highly reliable launching points for presidential aspirants. Indeed, these early contests correctly predicted the final choice of nominee five out of seven times for each party. Iowans’ views were not shared by the rest of the country on the Democratic side in 1992 (Tom Harkin won) and 1988 (Dick Gephardt), and on the Republican side in 1988 (Bob Dole) and 1980 (George H.W. Bush). New Hampshire didn’t create a victor on the Democratic side in 1992 (Paul Tsongas)...

Is it possible that one or both of the major party presidential nominations could be, for all practical purposes, decided after just two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, have voted? This may sound crazy to the casual observer of American politics, but the answer is yes. But how can that be, with Iowa and New Hampshire being such small states and accounting for only a miniscule portion of the national delegate count in either party? The catalyst is here not the size of the states or their raw numbers of delegates, of course, but the momentum those states can provide....

If you throw enough money at something, will the problem go away? It will if you’re Willard Mitt Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts and someone who is, clearly, the front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination. The momentum is with Mitt Romney – and it could carry him through the primaries to the White House. Look how far he’s come. Romney’s campaign flagged at the outset. His polling was risible – matched by his poor national standing. Videos flooded YouTube with Romney’s sound-bites supporting abortion and extending gay rights. Soon the self-appointed champion of social conservatism faced the ire...

By Sean J. Miller .... sean@dmcityview.com Iowans warm up to Romney The former Massachusetts governor is riding high among Republicans Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, during two campaign stops in the Des Moines area last Wednesday, outlined his plan for increasing the size of the military, confronting international terrorism and providing healthcare to uninsured Americans. Romney’s message is resonating with Iowa Republicans. The former governor and business consultant enjoys a 12-13 point lead over his rivals Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani among Republicans caucus-goers polled by The Des Moines Register May 12-16. His...

BOSTON -- For Mitt Romney, the multimillionaire venture capitalist turned Olympic savior turned politician, all is going according to plan. With an eye-popping $21 million raised in the first quarter of this year for his presidential campaign and a steady stream of television advertising, the one-term former governor of Massachusetts has caught the attention of both voters and political insiders. Star turns at the first two Republican debates gave his candidacy yet another shot of credibility. And now, recent polls in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire show Romney surging with a double-digit lead over Sen. John McCain...

Sunday, February 25, 2007 -- East County Congressman Duncan Hunter drew a sellout crowd to his first major campaign breakfast in San Diego. KUSI's Doug Curlee shows us how the presidential candidate is trying to reel in local voters.

T wo leading Republican presidential candidates will skip next month's New Hampshire debate, a WMUR-TV source said yesterday. Faxed letters arrived at the WMUR newsroom yesterday, announcing that Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani planned to bypass the debate. McCain is scheduled to visit Iraq, said Jill Hazelbaker, his New Hampshire spokeswoman. The cancellation was not intended as a slight to New Hampshire, where McCain won the 2000 Republican primary, Hazelbaker said. "The Senator looks forwards to frequently visiting New Hampshire and talking straight with voters," she said in an e-mail. A scheduling conflict...

The former mayor of New York City gets the nod as the Republican candidate for president in last week's Business Pulse survey. We asked: "Who should the Republicans pick as their 2008 presidential candidate?" The results: Rudy Giuliani, former mayor, New York City, 44 percent; Sen. John McCain, Ariz., 27 percent; Mitt Romney, former governor, Mass., 12 percent; Tommy Thompson, former governor, Wis., 3 percent; Mike Huckabee, former governor, Ark., 3 percent; Sen. Sam Brownback, Kan., 3 percent; Rep. Ron Paul, Texas, 2 percent; Rep. Duncan Hunter, Calif., 1 percent; Jim Gilmore, former governor, Va., no votes.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter on Thursday named a South Carolina adviser who boasted about telling an illegal immigrant worried about an abused child to "get back to Mexico." At a news conference at the Statehouse, Horry County Auditor Lois Eargle talked up her hard-line stance on illegal immigrants. The former county GOP chairwoman said an illegal immigrant with three children came to her office this week asking for free legal help for an abused child. "I told her the best thing for her to do was to get back to Mexico," Eargle said. Hunter, a California...

Obviously, the biggest issue for the Democrats in 2008 will be the war. They're betting their entire stake on the hopes that America is fed up with the war dragging on so long, and they're convinced that their big wins in 2006 were due primarily to President Bush's determination to stay the course, versus their own antiwar stance. Hillary is furiously back pedaling trying to distance herself from her own pro war votes as her popularity erodes away and shifts to the up and coming antiwar superstar, Barack "Osama" Obama. And most of the lesser Democrat presidential wannabes are falling...

Well last week it became official that the Duncan Hunter campaign’s consulting firm had hired blogger John Hawkins to help increase Hunters web presence and online support. John is a good guy and will do well in that role. But today, he has an assistant, as that same consulting firm has picked up Michael “A.J. Sparxx” Illions from PoliPundit. Yet another good move which will serve the campaign well. And it appears as if Duncan Hunter may be gaining a little ground, at least amongst online activists, of which many are also “real-world” activists. GOPUSA did a poll recently on...

<p>CONCORD, N.H. --Rep. Duncan Hunter said Congress has wasted time debating an increase in U.S. troops in Baghdad because the 82nd Airborne is already executing the plan.</p> <p>Hunter, a California Republican, said the debate about the escalation is misguided and insults the troops in the field.</p>

Last night we welcomed Congressman Duncan Hunter, (R-CA), to Pundit Review Radio. Rep. Hunter is one of the leading conservative candidates running for President. Rep. Hunter was incredibly generous with his time, spending more than 30 minutes with us discussing a wide range of topics. Of course, we asked him about the anti-surge, non-binding resolution that was passed this weekend. He had some pointed criticism of his colleagues, and questioned how much they understood about the surge, from a tactical level. According to the Rep. Hunter, it is all about politics, and has little to do with the surge itself....

I am proud to announce that after reaching an agreement with TCV Media, the consulting firm hired by Duncan Hunter’s campaign, I will be joining the team working on the Duncan Hunter for President campaign, effective Monday, February 19th. My responsibilities cover both national and state duties. Nationally, I will be working with, and assisting, John Hawkins of RightWingNews.com, who was also recently hired by TCV Media to create internet awareness for Duncan Hunter, utilizing new media resources. Within New Jersey, as Co-Executive Director, the GOPUSA-NJ Conservatives with Attitude! organization, which has over 12,000 members, will serve as Director of...

George Will....[is] altogether too generous...in describing Hunter's record: "....He is...a skeptic about free trade." Hunter is not a "skeptic" on free trade. He is a demagogic, Lou Dobbsian populist who would have us believe that free trade is destroying the U.S., when by any objective measure free trade has been key to the rise of a massly affluent culture over the past generation. (Today's middle class routinely enjoys creature comforts equal to or surpassing those enjoyed by the upper class in the 1950s.) And Will simply ignores Hunter's horrific record on spending. Hunter is all for earmarks, doesn't care that...

In a straw poll conducted in Maricopa County, AZ, Duncan Hunter beat out all other candidates. Hunter's record had been featured at the event. While this seems almost inconsequential, the point is that when people in any arena find out about him and his issues Hunter attracts broad support. He's still relatively unknown but with the base not sure of any of the top three contenders, there's a window of opportunity for Hunter to be introduced. He's the best candidate by far and the only one who doesn't apologize for his conservatism and who can properly articulate his philosophy.

This space hasn’t had much reason to pay attention to the Presidential candidacy of House conservative Duncan Hunter. That’s likely to change. Today, we found out that conservative blogger, John Hawkins, most notably of Right Wing News, will be helping navigate Duncan’s campaign through the modern world. His exact role is still fleshing out, but we expect he’ll be manning the guns of the blog operation. Hawkins is a contributor to Townhall.com, where he recently authored a column, the “Conservative case for Duncan Hunter in 2008.” In that piece he wrote, “If you’re looking for someone who can represent the...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A Republican congressman has vowed to fight Rep. John Murtha's Iraq troop cuts plan. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Thursday claimed that the new plan presented by Rep. Murtha, D-Penn., a Vietnam war combat veteran, to prevent additional U.S. forces being sent to Iraq was "extremely dangerous." "America's military strength and our deterrent capability are largely dependent upon the ability of our nation to send troops quickly in reinforcing capacities to conflicts anywhere on the globe. Congress's attempts to prohibit the movement...

Conservative blogger John Hawkins (Right Wing News) announced today that he is consulting for presidential candidate Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA). For those who haven't followed his efforts in the Congress, Hunter introduced the Right to Life Act, which would legally define "personhood" as the moment of conception and, therefore, guarantee all constitutional rights and protections, including life, to the unborn without utilizing a constitutional amendment. (more information here) Hawkins' involvement in the promotion of Hunter tells me that the candidate is a consistent ideological conservative in addition to his solid pro-life record. In fact, prior to being approached by a...

Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter (R-CA) received an internet today when the results of an internet poll were announced.  The poll, administered by Rightwingnews.com, placed Hunter near the top in overall favorability, and near the bottom in un-favorability among conservative bloggers. A total of 230 right-of-center bloggers were asked to rank their most and least favorable candidates.  Hunter was second in over popularity with a net score of 32, outranked only by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's score of 38.5.  Gingrich has yet to announce his intentions in the race.  According to Right Wing News spokesman John Hawkins,...

Feb 14, 2007 Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter (R-CA) received an internet boost today when the results of an internet poll were announced. The poll, administered by Rightwingnews.com, placed Hunter near the top in overall favorability, and near the bottom in un-favorability among conservative bloggers. A total of 230 right-of-center bloggers were asked to rank their most and least favorable candidates. Hunter was second in over popularity with a net score of 32, outranked only by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's score of 38.5. Gingrich has yet to announce his intentions in the Presidential race.

Veterans to organize support for Hunter presidential campaign U.S. Veteran Dispatch --- February 02, 2007 Saying he's "more of a Reaganite than Ronald Reagan," a group of military veterans are backing the presidential candidacy of U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter, (R-Calif.) Hunter has served 13 terms in the House representing the San Diego area, home to a major navy base, and was chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He remains the ranking Republican member. Hunter announced his race for the presidency earlier this week in South Carolina. Larry Bailey, a retired U.S. Navy Seal, is behind the push by his...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2006 – Momentum continues to build as 48 U.S. cities -- a number that continues to grow -- prepare to sponsor America Supports You Freedom Walks to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The first Freedom Walk, inaugurated Sept. 11, 2005, in Washington, D.C., attracted more than 15,000 participants, including family members who lost loved ones in the attacks. The walk proved to be so meaningful to those involved that Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, hopes to make it a nationwide observance. “We knew that it...

At one time, only the staunchest advocates for cracking down on illegal immigration backed the idea of putting National Guard troops along the porous Arizona-Mexico border. But now the idea that was rejected in the past as being outside the National Guard's responsibilities has the blessings of Arizona's Democratic governor and cleared one half of the Republican-led Legislature. --- snip ---

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2006 – All the military services exceeded their recruiting goals for January - a trend that's continued for eight consecutive months, Defense Department officials announced today. The January figures reflect continued recruiting successes since last June, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokesperson, told American Forces Press Service. "These successes are helping the services build the momentum they need as they approach the springtime months, which are traditionally slower times for recruiting," she said. Recruiting typically rebounds again during the summer months, following high school graduations, Krenke noted. During January, the Army recruited 8,337 new...

WASHINGTON - After kicking off the fall campaign season, President Bush took to the road Wednesday to capitalize on the attention surrounding his State of the Union speech last night. The President will recap his top initiatives in a speech Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn., at the Grand Ole Opry. Last night, Bush painted Democrats as defeatist for criticizing his march to war in Iraq and protectionist for questioning new trade deals and tax-cut extensions. Encumbered by some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, Bush hoped to take charge of the agenda at the start of a year that...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 30, 2005 — Today marks the end of Central Command’s annual Coalition conference. The Coalition conference is important for many reasons, not the least of which is to lay out future requirements and maintain the momentum we have achieved in 2005. As of Nov. 1, there were 63 Coalition partners involved with Iraq, 28 of those have contributed troops. Coalition partners provide many important items to the fight: intelligence exchange, basing, troops, and financial or equipment donations. Everyone plays a vital role and none is more important than the other. All contribute to making Iraq a state...

WASHINGTON – Back in the 1940s, it was the train schedules that caused folks to gripe about the big headache of assembling the judges of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals from their far-flung states. Sixty-five years ago, as today, there was talk of splitting the vast 9th Circuit into two courts, which might make judges' travel easier and their caseloads lighter. A judicial giant But for the first time in a long while, the idea has gained momentum as House Republicans attempt to push through a plan that would split California and the other Western states...

Paris-Area Riots Gain Dangerous Momentum Friday November 4, 2005 3:46 AM By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press Writer AULNAY-SOUS-BOIS, France (AP) - A week of riots in poor neighborhoods outside Paris gained dangerous new momentum Thursday, with youths shooting at police and firefighters and attacking trains and symbols of the French state. Facing mounting criticism, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin vowed to restore order as the violence that erupted Oct. 27 spread to at least 20 towns, highlighting the frustration simmering in housing projects that are home to many North African immigrants. Unrest flared for an eighth straight night Thursday, though...

What often isn't widely appreciated is the strategy behind the tactics. Often it is necessary to signal left to the opposition in order to mask for the longest time possible your sudden break to the right. Those not on the field with the team have to strain to anticipate the final moves, if they can, or simply watch the game play out otherwise. We all know that this is necessary, but we don't all necessarily have to like it. C'est la vie. The strain comes not from rooting for the team. The strain comes, rather, from having to trust the...

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) - Momentum was building behind an anti-poverty drive, as Germany's leader threw his weight behind proposals for more aid for the developing world and Britain's finance minister said public pressure for action could not be be ignored. "I now sense in 2005 that hundreds, then thousands, then millions in every continent are coming together with such a set of insistent demands, that no government, no politician, no world leader can afford to ignore them," Britain's finance minister Gordon Brown said at the World Economic Forum (news - web sites). Brown's intervention came a day after about 1,000...

How does a cat land on its legs when dropped?ANSWER 1: Cats have the seemingly unique ability to orient themselves in a fall allowing them to avoid many injuries. This ability is attributed to two significant feline characteristics: A “righting reflex” and a unique skeletal structure. The “righting reflex” is the cat’s ability to first, know up from down, and then the innate nature to rotate in mid air to orient the body so its feet face downward. Animal experts say that this instinct is observable in kittens as young as three to four weeks, and is fully developed by...

Bush seizes momentum in campaign's home stretch October 24, 2004 BY WILLIAM O'ROURKE For nervous Democrats, observing the presidential campaign at this point is akin to watching an imminent train wreck. The Bush war-president express is barreling full steam ahead and the Kerry Hope-Is-On-The-Way bus is speeding along, trying to cross the tracks unscathed. In 2000, Al Gore's bus managed to get across without being hit, but then it stopped and backed up, so Bush & Co. could smash it to smithereens. This time Bush's train is fueled by its slight lead in the polls and its boilers are being...

For nervous Democrats, observing the presidential campaign at this point is akin to watching an imminent train wreck. The Bush war-president express is barreling full steam ahead and the Kerry Hope-Is-On-The-Way bus is speeding along, trying to cross the tracks unscathed. In 2000, Al Gore's bus managed to get across without being hit, but then it stopped and backed up, so Bush & Co. could smash it to smithereens. This time Bush's train is fueled by its slight lead in the polls and its boilers are being stoked with trumped-up Mary Cheney insults, Swift Boat and Sinclair traitor charges, alleged...

There is a bit of concern in both Gallup and Rassmussen. The Gallup actually makes little sense. It shows that while Bush has opened an 8 point lead, Kerry is up 5 points in "thier" Battleground States. Rassmussen, also mentions that Kerry has picked up the pace in those states in his daily report today. Finally, ABC rolling average seems to indicat slight trend in some states. We need to be hammering hard in the battleground states since Dem Voter Fraud could add 1-2 points.

October 7, 2004--In Missouri, the latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows President Bush with 51% of the vote and Senator Kerry with 45%. A month ago, Bush was ahead by a similar margin, 48% to 42%. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the state's voters have a favorable opinion of the President. Forty-eight percent (48%) have a favorable opinion of Senator Kerry.