|| Donald Trump is taking credit for Mitt Romney's win in the Nevada Caucuses. ||

Me, Me, Me.

Monday morning on Fox News Donald Trump took credit for Mitt Romney’s nearly 30 point win in  the Nevada Caucuses.

“There was a lot riding on that particular race in Nevada and it was interesting, because the numbers were much, much greater than you thought,” Trump told “Fox and Friends.”  “And a lot of people are giving me credit for that.  And I will accept that credit. Always accept credit.”

Exit polls suggest otherwise.  41% of the voters say that the Donald Trump endorsement actually had a negative impact on their opinion of Mitt Romney.

|| Poll: 49% of voters say the US should bomb Iran's Nuclear program. ||

Bomb Iran.

Forty-nine percent of voters think that the United States should bomb Iran to prevent Islamic nation from creating a nuclear bomb.

Nearly half of likely voters think the United States should be willing to use military force to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to this week’s The Hill Poll.

Forty-nine percent said military force should be used, while 31 percent said it should not and 20 percent were not sure.

Sixty-two percent of likely voters said they were somewhat or very concerned about Iran making a terrorist strike on the United States, while 37 percent said they were not very concerned or not at all concerned about it.

• 49% — Use military force.
• 31% — Do not use military force.
• 20% — Unsure

President Obama’s let’s talk about it attitude does not play well with the voters.  Americans want a president with a backbone, who is willing to do whatever he can, including to bomb Iran, to protect the country.  Instead they got a lawyer who wants to engage the enemy in negotiations.  While Iran is still in the building process, the people say it’s time to bomb.

|| The votes have finally been counted in Nevada, Mitt Romney won with 50% of the vote. ||

Nevada Final.

Thirty-six hours after the last votes were cast the Nevada Republican Caucus results are finally in.  As the exit polls predicted, Mitt Romney won the Silver State going away.

Nevada Republicans have finally finished counting the votes in their Saturday presidential caucuses.

As projected, Mitt Romney won handily, finishing with 50 percent. Newt Gingrich was second with 21 percent, edging out Ron Paul who had 19 percent of the vote. Rick Santorum finished last with 10 percent.

The results were released early Monday, nearly two days after voters began casting their ballots.

Nevada Republican Presidential Caucus Results:

1. Mitt Romney — 50%
2. Newt Gingrich — 21%
3. Ron Paul — 19%
4. Rick Santorum — 10%

The updated delegate count is as follows:

1. Mitt Romney — 101
2. Newt Gingrich — 32
3. Rick Santorum — 17
4. Ron Paul — 9

It will take 1,144 to win the Republican presidential nomination.

Rick Santorum left Florida early to concentrate on Nevada and then left Nevada early to focus on Colorado.  If the former Pennsylvania Senator cannot manage a first or second in the next two races, he may want to consider ending his quest for the White House.

Ron Paul’s bid for the presidency ended shortly after the New Hampshire results were posted, but the good doctor will undoubtedly remain in the race all the way to Tampa.  Rather than trying to win the White House,  Rep. Paul is gathering delegates to influence policy debates at the Republican convention.

Late Saturday night Newt Gingrich announced he’s “not going to withdraw,“ but the path before him is getting more and more difficult.  Polling suggests the former Speaker will not do well in the races headed into Super Tuesday.  Even then, other than Georgia and Alaska, it does not appear that there are too many wins in Newt Gingrich’s future.  How much longer can he hold on?

Headed for another blowout victory in Colorado, Mitt Romney is cruising.  He is looking more and more every day like the inevitable GOP nominee.

|| Born February 6, 1911, President Ronald Reagan would have been 101 today. ||

Happy Birthday President Reagan.

Many in the 2012 election will attempt to claim his mantle, but there there is only one Ronald Reagan.  President Reagan would have been 101 today.

Two different visions for America. President Reagan launched his effort to return America to greatness with simple but profound words during his first inaugural speech, “In the present times Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem.”

Americans For Prosperity offers a striking contrast between President Reagan’s vision of America and the perspective of the current occupant of the oval office.

Happy birthday Mr. President.

Video – American Crossroads, “Happy 101st Birthday President Reagan.”

|| Eli Manning celebrates the Giants 21-17 Super Bowl XLVI victory over the Patriots. ||

US News:

They finally counted all the votes in Nevada.  Romney Wins With 50%.  Gingrich 2nd with 21%.

Obama Says Israel And The US Hope To Find A ‘diplomatic Solution’ To Iran Nuke Issue.

Move Over Robo-calls.  States Sell Email Addresses So Campaigns Can Reach Voters.

Newt Gingrich Calls Mitt Romney ‘Obama Lite,’ ‘Little Food Stamp,’ and ‘Rich Guy.’

Where’s their parade?  Obama to mark end of Iraq war with a White House dinner.

“I’m sorry. Goodbye.”  Murder suspect Josh Powell says before killing himself, 2 sons.

World News:

7.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Philippines.  Death toll rises to 43.

22 more dead.  Syrian Forces Shell Cities to Crush Revolt After China-Russia UN Veto.

Russia’s Vladimir Putin to Avoid Presidential Election Debates.  Will Send Proxies Instead.

Business News:

U.S. stock futures drop amid Greek debt uncertainty.

Get ready to pay $4 at the pump again.  Gas prices to spike 60 cents or more by May.

Sports News:

Giants beat Patriots 21-17 to win Super Bowl XLVI.  Eli Manning named game’s MVP.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade combine for 55 as Heat oust Raptors 95-89.

Entertainment News:

The bangs were rather distracting, but Kelly Clarkson rocked the National Anthem.

Broderick’s ‘Ferris Bueller’ and Little Darth Vader scored.  Clint Eastwood just bored.

Halftime Gesture Prompts Apology.  M.I.A. gave TV cameras the finger.

Madonna Rocks Super Bowl Halftime Show With Old Hits, New Friends.

|| Madonna played a medley of her hit songs during the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show. ||

 “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”

- Proverbs 21:21

|| Giants wide receiver hauls in a sideline catch that changed the course of Super Bowl XLVI. ||

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.

- 1 Peter 5:2

|| Nicki Minaj, Madonna and M.I.A. (pre-finger flip) entertain the Super Bowl crowd. ||

|| The Republicans: Romney leads big in Colorado, Minnesota appears to be a toss up. ||

Next for the Republicans…

After double digit wins in both Florida and Nevada, can Mitt Romney make it three in a row?  The latest polls say yes he can.

In Colorado Mitt Romney looks primed for another big Western win to match his  one in Nevada.  He leads with 40% there to 26% for Rick Santorum, 18% for Gingrich, and 12% for Ron Paul.

Colorado Republican Presidential Poll:

1. Mitt Romney — 40%
2. Rick Santorum — 26%
3. Newt Gingrich — 18%
4. Ron Paul — 12%

Four in a row may be a little less likely.  Minnesota appears to be a real Republican horse race.

Minnesota looks like a toss up with any of the four candidates having some shot at winning.  Santorum holds a small edge there with 29% to 27% for Romney, 22% for Gingrich, and 19% for Paul.

Minnesota Republican Presidential Poll:

1. Rick Santorum — 29%
2. Mitt Romney — 27%
3. Newt Gingrich — 22%
4. Ron Paul — 19%

These two polls show exactly why, even after a distant third in Florida and last place in Nevada, Rick Santorum is not even thinking about quitting the Republican presidential race.  Over the next two contests he can make the argument that he’s the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, not Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich, for his part, is staying in the race no matter what.

One would expect that the Minnesota poll numbers may move a bit once Mitt Romney’s massive money and negative ad campaign hit the state.

And Ron Paul is still just fishing for the delegates.  Even he doesn’t believe he’ll be president.

|| It appears that Donald Trump's endorsement hurt Mitt Romney with Nevada voters. ||

Ouch.

Although Mitt Romney won the Silver State Caucuses going away, Donald Trump’s endorsement wound up hurting more than helping with Nevada voters.

Donald Trump’s endorsement of Mitt Romney may have consumed the news cycle on Thursday, but Nevada Facebook users see the endorsement as a net negative for Romney, according to a Facebook/POLITICO poll.

Forty-one percent of those surveyed said Trump’s endorsement gave them a more negative view of Romney, compared with just 10 percent who said they now view him more positively. Forty-nine percent said the endorsement had no effect.

The results only represent the sentiments of Nevada users on Facebook, not registered voters or likely GOP caucus voters that tend to be more reliable barometers of caucus elections. The Facebook poll, for instance, doesn’t exclude Democrats or independents.

Facebook and POLITICO are running a daily poll to gauge Facebook users’ opinions about the 2012 presidential primaries. The first poll, of South Carolina Facebook users, was released on Jan. 12.

The poll surveyed 1,150 adult Facebook users in Nevada on Friday.

Sure he won Nevada, but at what cost?  In the long run both the Trump endorsement and the “poor” soundbite will wind up hurting Mitt Romney more than helping.

|| Amid rumors that he might consider quitting, Gingrich was defiant, "I'm not going to withdraw." ||

Not Going Away.

Amid speculation that he might be ready to end his struggling presidential campaign, Newt Gingrich held a defiant press conference in Nevada last night.  “I ‘m not going away.”

“I’m not going to withdraw,” he said. “I’m actually pretty happy with where we are.

“We will go to Tampa.”

Last night’s presser was classic Newt Gingrich.  Much like he has done in the debates, Gingrich artfully used his mental judo skills to turn the tough press questions into attacks on the elite media and his chief opponent, Mitt Romney.  As he has said before, unless Mitt Romney drops out of the race sooner, Newt Gingrich is going to take the fight all the way to Tampa.

And Gingrich needed to come out and strike this tone.  After big defeats in Florida and Nevada, the next few races may be even tougher for the former Speaker.  He’ll be struggling for third place rather than second.  Gingrich needed to assure voters and supporters that he is in this thing for the long haul.

|| The judge ruled Obama "became a citizen at birth and is a natural-born citizen." ||

Birther Bummer.

Even though President Obama has released his long form birth certificate, some have continued to question his citizenship.  But a Georgia judge dealt the birther movement a major blow this weekend, officially ruling that Barack Obama is a “natural-born citizen.”

President Barack Obama’s name will remain on the Georgia primary ballot after a state law judge flatly rejected legal challenges that contend he can not be a candidate. 

In a 10-page order, Judge Michael Malihi dismissed one challenge that contended Obama has a computer-generated Hawaiian birth certificate, a fraudulent Social Security number and invalid U.S. identification papers. He also turned back another that claimed the president is ineligible to be a candidate because his father was not a U.S. citizen at the time of Obama’s birth.

The findings by Malihi, a judge for the State Office of Administrative Hearings, go to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who will make the final determination. Last month, at a hearing boycotted by Obama’s lawyer, Malihi considered complaints brought by members of the so-called “birther” movement.

With regard to the challenge that Obama does not have legitimate birth and identification papers, Malihi said he found the evidence “unsatisfactory” and “insufficient to support plaintiffs’ allegations.”

A number of the witnesses who testified about the alleged fraud were never qualified as experts in birth records, forged documents and document manipulation and “none … provided persuasive testimony,” Malihi wrote.

Addressing the other claim that contends Obama cannot be a candidate because his father was never a U.S. citizen, Malihi said he was persuaded by a 2009 ruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals decision that struck down a similar challenge. In that ruling, the Indiana court found that children born within the U.S. are natural-born citizens, regardless of the citizenry of their parents.

The final ruling:

Obama “became a citizen at birth and is a natural-born citizen,” Malihi wrote. Accordingly, Obama is eligible as a candidate for the upcoming presidential primary in March, the judge said.

Will Judge Malihi’s decision finally put the birther question to rest?  Probably not.  But it looks like President Obama will be on the ballot in all 50 states.

|| With 70% of the vote in Mitt Romney has a decisive 15 point lead in Nevada. ||

US News:

Romney Wins Nevada GOP Caucuses by 15 points.  Gingrich 2nd, Ron Paul takes 3rd.

Breaking From Past Years’ Big Parties, Obamas Plan Low-Key Super Bowl Sunday.

75% of Democrats Believe Patriots Will Win Superbowl.  Republicans Favor Giants.

More flag burning.  ‘Occupy’ Protesters March Through Oakland Streets.

2 Florida cruise ships riddled with norovirus.  More than 200 people sick.

World News:

The slaughter continues.  Russia, China Veto UN Resolution on Syria.

Protesters attack 7 Syrian embassies around world.  Set the embassy in Cairo on fire.

9 killed, 19 wounded as Car bomb explodes in the Afghan city of Kandahar.

Sports News:

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers named NFL MVP.  Terrell Suggs wins defensive player of the year.

Hall of Fame 2012:  Dermotti Dawson, Curtis Martin.  Also Doleman, Kennedy and Roaf.

Entertainment News:

“Addictive personality.”  Daniel Radcliffe admits being drunk during ‘Harry Potter’ scenes.

L.A. Reid Signs On for Season Two of The X Factor.  Only judge Simon Cowell brings back.

“Individualized addiction treatment.”  Demi Moore Checks Into Utah Rehab Center.

|| Demi Moore has been checked into a Utah detox center. ||

“For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

- Psalm 33:4-5

|| Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers won the 2012 NFL MVP award. ||

“I know that you can do all things;
   no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

- Job 42:2

|| It's Super Bowl Sunday, who are you cheering for? ||

|| There is a lot of speculation surrounding tonight's Newt Gingrich press conference. ||

Speculation.

In a rather unusual move that has pundits wondering, Newt Gingrich has planned a 11 p.m. press conference following tonight’s Nevada Caucus.

Instead of the traditional election night party, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will hold a press conference after the Nevada Caucus on Saturday, raising new speculation about his future in the race.

An e-mail sent to reporters on Saturday morning set the Las Vegas press conference for 11 p.m. to midnight Eastern time.

Gingrich has had a rough time on the trail ahead of the Nevada caucuses, the first presidential contest in the West. Sources in or close to his campaign gave reporters incorrect information that Donald Trump would endorse Gingrich (he endorsed rival Mitt Romney). Gingrich also missed a meeting with the Silver State’s popular governor, Brian Sandoval, a Rick Perry supporter who was viewed as a possible Gingrich endorsement after Perry dropped out and endorsed the former House Speaker, according to The New York Times.

Is Gingrich calling a late night press conference to put an end to his struggling presidential campaign?

Does he have some particularly juicy dirt on on Romney that he wants to spill?

Or with no debates on the GOP horizon, it Newt looking to engage the press to drum up some campaign momentum?  One thing is for sure, it’ll be worth staying up late for.

|| Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has failed to qualify for the Indiana ballot. ||

Fail.

Although he needed only 500 verified signatures to be included, Rick Santorum failed to qualify for Indiana’s Republican presidential ballot.

The Republican Party of Indiana announced Friday that just three of the four remaining Republican presidential candidates had filed enough signatures to qualify for a place on the state’s primary ballot. Forty-three delegates will be up for grabs in Indiana at the state’s primary on May 8.

Mitt Romney will officially be on the ballot. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul both submitted enough signatures but must get those signatures certified by the state’s secretary of state by February 10. The state party deemed however that Rick Santorum’s submission had fallen short.

Following the party’s announcement, the Santorum campaign quickly pushed back. After an event at William Woods University Friday afternoon, Santorum told reporters that his campaign had fallen 24 signatures short of the number required to be placed on the ballot. The reason his campaign had fallen short, he said, was that the party changed their rules in the middle of the game.

“They put the petitions out before redistricting, and then while the petitions were out they changed the district lines and some of the petition signatures we had were in the district, but the old district not the new one,” Santorum said.

Asked if his campaign would challenge the decision Santorum said “absolutely.”

Despite the fact that Rick Santorum has constantly said that he plans to contend for the Republican nomination all they way up to the convention, this is the second ballot on which he has failed to qualify.  Virginia, where he and his family currently live, is the other state where Santorum did not make it on the ballot.

Coming up short on the meager 500 signature requirement really makes one wonder if Santorum is in this race for the long hall.

|| Expectations are that Mitt Romney will win Nevada going away, the battle is for 2nd. ||

US News:

Mitt Romney Expected To Win Saturday’s Nevada Caucuses.  Gingrich “hopes” for second.

Before Nevada vote, confident Romney assails Obama.  Gingrich launches new attack at Romney.

Unemployment News is Good for Obama, Not so Good for the Economy.

House to take up insider trading bill next week. Passed in the Senate 96-3.

Deadline passed on Monday, Riot police finally converge on Occupy D.C. site.

World News:

More than 200 Dead After Shelling in Syrian City of Homs.

“Putin go away!“  Despite bitter cold temperatures, tens of thousands protest in Moscow.

Sports News:

Prosecutors close Lance Armstrong investigation.  Feds end 2-year doping probe.

“Full compliance.”  Ohio State’s Urban Meyer responds to criticism from Big Ten coaches.

The Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay drama continues.

Entertainment News:

Popular character actor Ben Gazzara dies in NY.  He was 81.

Guaranteeing 5th and 6th seasons, FX renews ‘Sons of Anarchy’ for two more years.

“She seemed out of her mind.”  Desperate Demi Moore “Tracked Down” Zac Efron at party.

Katy Perry in Talks With Paramount For 3D Movie.  Will include live concert footage.

|| Katy Perry is in talks to film a 3-D documentary complete with live concert footage. ||

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
   let this be known to all the world.

- Isaiah 12:5

|| The Feds have dropped their 2-year doping investigation of Lance Armstrong. ||

“I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

- Psalm 18:1-2

|| Rihanna went old school Rod Stewart with her new blonde hairstyle. ||

|| President Barack Obama leans in for a kiss with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. ||

Smooches.

Some times a picture says a thousand words.

US President Barack Obama kisses House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, on February 2, 2012.

For making an entire nation wretch, Barack Obama is…

The Red Dog Idiot of the Week.

(h/t Zip)

Video – Exile, “I Wanna Kiss You All Over.” (1978)

|| President Obama, mouth open, going in for the kill. ||

]]> http://reddogreport.com/2012/02/idiot-of-the-week-barack-i-wanna-kiss-you-all-over-obama/feed/ 0 http://reddogreport.com/2012/02/gingrich-romney-is-trying-to-buy-the-presidency-with-attack-ads/ http://reddogreport.com/2012/02/gingrich-romney-is-trying-to-buy-the-presidency-with-attack-ads/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:01:21 +0000 Brian O'Connor http://reddogreport.com/?p=63105

|| Gingrich Says Romney wants "to buy the presidency with attack ads." ||

Attacking the Attackers.

Newt Gingrich learned a lesson from his Florida fiasco.  If he wants to win the Republican presidential nomination, Newt will need to find a way to counter Mitt Romney’s massive attack ad campaign.  Gingrich believes if he can tell the truth better than the Super PACs can lie about his record, he will win over the hearts and minds of Republican voters.  “I think that people ultimately don’t want to have a candidate that tries to buy the presidency with attack ads.”

“We didn’t fully come to grips with how to deal with the attacks and with things that are just plain false, so we’re gradually changing some of that.” …

“Our strategy is going to be to develop basically a big truth campaign and surround the attack ads.  And I think we can do it.”

“I think that people ultimately don’t want to have a candidate that tries to buy the presidency with attack ads.  People ultimately want someone with real solutions which is why my speech the night of the primary in Florida got tremendous response, because I was totally positive. I didn’t worry about Romney, I worried about America.  I worried about what do we need to do together to get our country back on the right track.”

Gingrich has some work to do.  Polling in Nevada shows that his negatives have been ramped up to 49%.  It is hard to win an election when half of the voters start out not liking you.  What makes things harder is that Gingrich needs to be able to counter the Romney attacks over the next three weeks without any debates (the next one not is scheduled until February 22, 2012).  If Speaker Gingrich can battle back on the airwaves and campaign trail we may have a fight for the Republican presidential nomination.  If not, Mitt Romney’s camp will return to its inevitability argument.

|| On Thursday Trump endorsed Romney, on Friday Mitt's poll numbers soared. ||

The Donald Effect.

Thursday afternoon Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president.  By Friday afternoon the Former Massachusetts Governor was already seeing a bump in the polls.  Romney now leads Newt Gingrich by 25 points in Nevada, 50% to 25%.

Mitt Romney is headed for a dominant victory in Nevada on Saturday.  PPP finds him polling at 50% to 25% for Newt Gingrich, 15% for Ron Paul, and 8% for Rick Santorum.

Certainly in Nevada the Mormon vote will get a lot of attention and Romney leads Paul 78-14 with that group, which we project to account for 20% of the vote.  But Romney’s dominance in Nevada goes well beyond that. He’s winning voters describing as ‘very conservative,’ a group he’s had huge amount of trouble with in other states, by a 43-34 margin over Gingrich.  He’s also winning men, women, Hispanics, whites, and every age group that we track. This will be a pretty thorough victory for him.

PPP Nevada Republican Presidential Poll:

1. Mott Romney — 50%
2. Newt Gingrich — 25%
3. Rick Santorum — 15%
4. Ron Paul — 8%

Despite internal polling that places him in second with 24% of the vote, this the second poll in a row that shows Ron Paul in distant last place, shy of the double digit mark.  Media Conspiracy?  Or just accurate polling?  You be the judge.

Much like in Iowa, Newt’s negatives are holding him back in Nevada.  Gingrich’s unavailability has reached 49% in the Silver State.  His chances of pulling off a big upset on Saturday are slim at best.

Nevada poll respondents say Rick Santorum is a likeable guy, but just like in Florida, that likeability is not translating into presidential support.  Will we hear more calls from Newt Gingrich for Santorum to drop out of the race?  Again, like in Florida, the two combined do not muster up enough support to top Romney.

All in all, Mitt Romney is running away with Nevada.

|| With 243,000 new jobs creates and unemployment dropping to 8.3% Obama is all smiles. ||

Good News.

If you can get over the fact that there are still nearly 13 million people unemployed in America, this is actually not that bad of a jobs report.  Although the Obama Administration promised the American people the economy would be producing 500,000 jobs a month more than two years ago, the 243,000 new jobs created in January were much higher than the 140,000 to 155,000 economists were predicting.  That job creation, along with a stable workforce, dropped the unemployment rate two tenths of one percent to 8.3%.

The U.S. unemployment rate fell for the fifth straight month after a surge of January hiring, a promising shift in the nation’s outlook for job growth.

The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent in December. That’s the lowest in nearly three years.

The Labor Department says employers added 243,000 jobs in January, the most in nine months.

Employers have added an average of 201,000 jobs per month in the past three months. That’s 50,000 more jobs per month than the economy averaged in each month last year.

The January jobs report was filled with other encouraging data and revisions. Hiring was widespread across many high-paying industries. Pay increased. And the economy added 200,000 more jobs in 2011 than first thought.

If there is one economic factor that could lead to President Obama’s re-election it would be a dramatically improving unemployment number.  Although these numbers are not good, they are definitely not bad and a certain sign that the economy is slowly improving.

Reuters financial analyst Davis Sloan explains one reason why January’s numbers were better than expected.

“There is only one obvious significant caveat, an unusually mild winter restricting the number of seasonal layoffs, which are always heavy in January. Unadjusted, January payrolls still fell by 2.689 mln.”

But there is much more to it than just that.  January’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics numbers were in sharp contrast to the CBO’s 2012 estimates. This is due in large part to labor force participation, which has sunk to 63.7%, its lowest level in 30 years.  1.2 million people just vanished form the workforce last month and are no longer considered as unemployed.   As we explained last month, the fewer employees there are in the workforce, the lower the unemployment number will be, therefore the shedding of workers is having as much effect on the unemployment number as the job creations are.  Real unemployment now stands at 11.0%.

The question is where does the economy go next?  Does the unemployment number suffer a seasonal jobs correction in the next month or two, raising jobless rates to meet the CBO predictions, or does the US economy decide to skip winter this year, diving directly into a spring recovery and even more jobs creation?  Will anyone in the media mention the real unemployment rate, or will those numbers continue to be ignored so they do not hurt Obama’s re-election prospects?

President Obama’s re-election hopes may ride directly on which rollercoaster track the US jobs market decides take over the next few months.

|| Attorney General Eric Holder is sworn in before his House Oversight testimony. ||

US News:

Suppressing evidence.  Lawmakers may cite Holder for contempt.

Senate passes Insider Trading Bill 96-3.  House to take up the ban quickly.

“The decision has been made.”  Obama Will Not Change Birth Control Coverage Policy.

Republican Presidential Candidates Campaign Across The Silver State Thursday.

Roseanne Barr submits paperwork for Green Party’s presidential nomination.

World News:

Israeli Spring:  Concerns “that Israel could attack Iranian nuclear facilities this year.”

Second day of clashes hits Cairo after soccer riot.  74 dead, hundreds injured.

Global Un-Warming.  Cold weather kills more than 100 people in Ukraine.

Business News:

World stocks fall as traders await US jobs data.  Some analysts expect weak numbers.

Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke:  Recovery “frustratingly slow.”

Panasonic projects record full-year net loss on weak sales.  $10.2 billion.

Sports News:

Peyton Manning’s Doctor Gives the Colts QB Medical Clearance to Play Football.

Doubling-down on unusualness, Is UFC ready for Nick Diaz as world champ?

Texas Ranger Outfielder Josh Hamilton has alcohol-related relapse.  2nd in 3 years.

Entertainment News:

53 year old Madonna rules out a wardrobe malfunction at her Super Bowl halftime show.

‘Gossip Girl’ Blake Lively:  “I’ve had four boyfriends in my whole life.”

Is Kim Kardashian Hooking Up With Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez?

AskMen.com:  Sofia Vergara is the most desirable woman of 2012.

|| AskMen.com voted Modern Family's Sophia Vergara 2012's "Most Desirable Woman. ||

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

- Hebrews 4:15

|| Actress Blake Lively says “I’ve had four boyfriends in my whole life." ||

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

- Psalm 59:16

|| Is the UFC ready for Nick Diaz as the welterweight champ? ||

|| Is Kim Kardashian dating Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez? ||

|| Blue Dog Democrat Heath Shuler will not run for re-election in 2012. ||

Another One Bites the Dust.

North Carolina Congressman Heath Shuler, who challenged Nancy Pelosi for the Democrat leadership post in 2010, will not seek re-election in 2012.

Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) will not run for re-election this year, a source close to the Congressman told Roll Call.

The Blue Dog Democrat had decided against a bid in a redrawn 11th district, which was made substantially more Republican than his current district during GOP-led redistricting.

If their numbers keep moving in this direction, it will not be long before Democrats have to add Blue Dogs to the endangered species list.

|| "It's my honor and privilege to endorse Mitt Romney." - Donald Trump. ||

The Donald Backs Mitt.

Last night’s rumors were that the New York billionaire was going to back Newt Gingrich’s struggling campaign, but billionaire business tycoon Donald Trump has instead endorsed Mitt Romney for President.  Which is a very odd turn of events seeing as how Trump recently quit the Republican Party and was threatening to run for president as an independent.

 ”It’s my honor, real honor, and privileged to endorse Mitt Romney.  He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s sharp, he’s not going to allow bad things to continue to happen to this country we all love.”

Newt Gingrich was so confident that Trump was going to endorse him that the former Speaker’s office began leaking to the press that he’s Trump’s guy.  Oops!

While this endorsement may not mean all that much in the hearts and minds of voters, it’s a triple golden good deal for Mitt Romney.

1. He’s dominated all the news coverage all day with this story, both pushing his gaffe of the front pages and making Gingrich look the fool
2. He now has another billionaire backing his campaign.  It’s going to take a lot of cash to take down Obama.
3. Most importantly, it now eliminates Trump as a possible third party threat.  The Donald can’t run against the guy he previously said is best suited for the office.

All in all, it’s been a good day for Mitt Romney.